The New Apple iPad - what is it good for?

Intro

Steve Jobs made 3 key points at the start of his presentation:

1. The latent potential for a device that sits midway between a Smartphone and a Laptop
2. NOT a Netbook! - Netbooks aren’t better at anything (vs Smartphone or Laptop), they’re just essentially smaller, cheaper laptops with lower quality displays and clunkier functionality
3. This new 3rd category of device has to be far better at handling key tasks such as:
   • Browsing the Web
   • Doing Emails
   • Enjoying and sharing photographs
   • Watching Videos
   • Enjoying music collection
   • Reading eBooks

This thinking sits behind the creation of the new Apple tablet device - the iPad.

Topline Specs

Dimensions: Width 190mm x Height 243mm x Depth 13mm

Weight: 0.7 Kg

Display: 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy Multi-Touch display with IPS technology

Resolution: 1024 x 768 (132ppi)

Processor: Apple 1Ghz A4 Chip

Capacity: 16 / 32 / 64GB Flash Drive

Battery Life: Up to 10 hours

Audio Input: Internal microphone

Audio Output: Built in mono speakers (bottom right side of device), 3.5mm stereo headphone jack

Video Output: Dock connector to VGA Adapter (extra)

Connectivity: Wifi, Bluetooth, 3G (Optional), Dock Connector

Sensors: Accelermoeter, Ambient light sensor

Telephony: 3G, Micro Sim Card

Buttons: On/Off, Home, Mute, Volume Rocker

Navigation: Digital Compass

Default pre-loaded Apps

• Calendar
• Contacts
• Notes
• Maps
• Videos
• YouTube
• iTunes
• App Store
• Safari Browser
• Email
• Photos
• iPod Player

Additional Key Apps

• iBooks (iBooks store needs to be downloaded from App Store first - initial launch only in the US)
• iWorks (Keynotes, Pages, Numbers) - core Apple ’Business’ sofware specially adapted for the iPad interface (touchscreen inputs)

What’s Good about the iPad

• Great form factor
• Elegant aesthtetics
• Good looking screen
• Peerless Multi-Touch Navigation
• Decent battery life
• Cleverly updated core iPhone apps (Calendar, Photos, App Store, iTunes)
• Clever new Split Views and Popover Navigation
• Genuinely looks like a great mobile entertainment device

What’s Bad about the iPad

• No HDMI Output for high definition video
• No Widescreen aspect ratio for video - plays full-screen only in 4:3 format
• Awkward character input: On-screen keyboard difficult to handle with form factor, not ideal for anything but the shortest emails / messages etc. you need two hands to hold the device - how do you type casually? Flat on your lap? Knees up?
• No GPS: iPad needs to rely on 3G for location triangulation
• No Flash Support: No Flash support render 70% of Media websites inaccessible
• No USB Sockets: How do you rapidly connect to external devices or peripherals - oh that’s right by buying a number of different plug-in adapters for $30 / $40 each!
• No Multi-tasking: Only one App can be active at any time; you cannot process or run anything in the background or switch quickly from one App to the next
• No Cameras: No camera for Skyping, Video Messaging or Video Conferencing
• No Default Messaging App: iPad seems to rely mainly on Email
• No ’Kick’ Stand: Steve talks about being able to watch 10 hours of solid video on the flight from San Francisco to Tokyo; with a laptop ,the screen stands up by itself, you can buy a fairly flimsy iPad accessory case for $39, there really should have been some kind of stand - a key application for this device is showing off photographs and videos

What Could Have Been

• Revolutionary new 3D Navigation
• Revolutionary new screen - which can be switched / optimised for eBook reading
• In-built mini pico projector for beaming photographs and family videos onto sitting room walls
• Genuine multi-tasking and application convergence
• More emphasis on the iPad as a media hub - Widescreen aspect ratio on video playback (16:9), stereo speakers, hi-def video outputs

Pricing

Type   |  16GB  |  32GB    |  64GB

WiFi   |  $499  |   $599   |  $699

+ 3G  |  $629  |   $729   |  $829

Availability

Standard Wi-Fi versions is 60 days away, 3G versions is 90 days to launch

Would I want one?

For casual browsing, casual emailing, videos, games, music, photos and eBooks - this is undeniably a great device; but it is a far from the perfect device. Version 2 will undoubtedly tackle most of the oversights, Apple junkies will love the iPad, I would counsel most people to be patient though and wait for the much improved version 2 - with USB Ports, Camera (Skype) and proper Hi-Def capabilities, hopefully Flash support too.

What do you think? Will you be buying one at the end of March? Stephen Fry certainly will ...