The New iPad

On Wednesday, 26 January, Apple introduced the iPad. Everything about the iPad is interesting with the exception of the name.

The iPad is a flat device with a 9.7 inch ISP LED screen (1024 by 768 pixels) for wide angle viewing. It is 9.56 in long, 7.47 in wide, and 0.5 in thick, and weighs just 1.5 pounds. The battery provides 10 hours of use!

The iPad will come with 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of storage. The base cost is only $499!! The best surprise of the announcement. Each storage bump costs an additional $100.

The basic model (available in 2 months) comes without 3G data capability. Adding 3G costs $130 (3 months). To be clear, the 3G cell data capability allows you to fetch email, browse the web and more, when WiFi networks are not available. This is a little like having the data part of an iPhone without the ability to make voice calls.

But, there is a microphone, so you may be able to make voice calls using Skype. The iPad without 3G cell data capabilities is a bit like the iPod Touch; it still has WiFi and Bluetooth. In the SIG meeting, Craig Lewis said both models can use WiFi connections in Panera, but only the 3G data model can get a connection while driving down the road. It is unclear whether both models or only the 3G data models will have GPS location built in.

3G data capabilities will require a $15 or $30 month-by-month AT&T plan. You are not tied to a contract. Or cancel the AT&T plan any time, and limit yourself to the WiFi capabilities.

An Apple Bluetooth keyboard can be synched with the iPad for input, although the virtual keyboard and touch screen will be used for most input. Other options include a case that folds into a stand, and a camera connection kit connecting digital cameras for transfer of photos or video, and an SD Card reader. We do not yet know about printer access.

So, is this a big iPhone/iPod touch or a computer? It is somewhere in between. The iPad will run an expanded version of the iPhone OS, which will have many new features not yet found in the iPhone or iPod touch.

If you think the iPad will be able to do all sorts of complicated photo editing and movie creation, it will not. But it will be able to do basic editing of photos and perhaps videos.

The iPad will run the vast majority of iPhone applications, and you will add applications with iPhone Store purchases. You can also purchase music and videos from the iTunes Sore just like any iPod, and still rip your own CDs, and synch the iPad to iTunes on your Mac.

So in some ways, the iPad is a large iPhone or iPod touch with no voice calling capabilities. But, it will do more. It comes with a powerful 1 GHz multi-core ARM processor, although not as powerful as the Mac's Dual Core Intel processors.

The new iBooks application turns the iPad into an electronic book reader. The iPad is about the size of the large Kindle DX reader, and costs only $20 more. Of course, the iPad does much more with a better screen in full color. Apple will have an iBooks Store with books, magazines and newspapers. The Amazon Kindle application should be available for the iPad, so you will be able to buy Amazon's electronic books.

Special applications will be available for the iPad; Pages, Numbers and Keynote. You will be able to author documents, create spreadsheets and put together slide presentations, and show them using a special connector for monitors and projectors.

There will be many special applications for the iPad, such as drawing and painting applications (and games, games, games), so in some ways the iPad is more of a computer than the iPhone. Someone who uses their Mac for email, web browsing and creating a few documents may find the iPad to be all they need.

People have already criticized the iPad for not having a camera or SD Card slots or whatever. They have missed the point. Apple is creating a whole new category of device, so they need to keep it simple, allowing the public to understand it. Too new and complicated, and people won't buy it; think Newton. The iPad will grow over the years, and could very well replace the MacBook Air, and maybe even the basic MacBook in the next 2 or 3 years.