Introducing the Apple iPad

First thoughts…

The new Apple iPad (C) 2010 Apple

It’s official, the Apple tablet product has been launched and it’s called the iPad. At first glance it seems like a large iPhone which, I suppose it pretty much is. But think about what you could do with a larger iPhone for a minute…

Yeah you could do a lot of REALLY cool stuff and that’s exactly what Apple is hoping for. From a UI standpoint I can see why some people are upset that it’s not running a full scale version of OS X, but what kind of device would that have given us? You would have had to choose a lesser of two evils scenario: Expensive and fast or inexpensive and slow. I think Apple made the right decision to use an OS based on the iPhone OS. It’s sleek, simple, millions of people already know how to use it and you don’t need a super processor to run it well.

What really gets me excited about the iPad isn’t the fact that almost all of the AppStore’s 140,000 apps will run on it or that all the apps you’ve already downloaded for the iPhone will transfer right over (both of which are true by the way) I’m most excited about the revisions to the apps and new apps Apple includes on the device. Mainly Mail, Calendar and the Book Store.

Mail Application on the iPad (c) 2010 Apple

It’s kinda funny that the mail application on the iPad is significantly better than the mail application that ships with OS X. Messages on the left pane with the reading pane on the right? Who would have thought that it’s the best layout? The drop downs are beautiful and the rotate to focus feature is very nice (if you move from landscape to portrait the message pane disappears allowing you to focus on the email you’re reading).

Calendar Application on the iPad (c) 2010 Apple

The calendar app is also beautiful. Leaps and bounds ahead of iCal in terms of looks and from what I can tell so far, function. These visual and functional improvements are things that could only happen on a touch based device and what really allows them to work is the fact that the OS focuses solely on the application you’re running. There’s no menu bar in the way, no dock taking up screen space. A lot of people complain that this OS doesn’t allow for multi-tasking but that’s what makes devices running it so wonderful to use.

iPad bookshelf and bookstore (c) 2010 Apple

The book reading application is exciting for several reasons. First, the “self” layout is very simple to understand and use. Second, the built in bookstore seemed from the presentation to fit in seamlessly to the application (no need to go back out to home and then into the iTunes store to buy a book). Most exciting though is the format that Apple is using for the books, they’ll be using the ePub format so the possibility is there to import your own eBooks into the device.

What’s it good for?

Typical thoughts on tablet devices has always been that they’d provide a way to migrate away from desktops or laptops into the “future” of computing. While I don’t necessarily disagree I don’t think that the iPad is meant to be a step in that direction. The iPad to me is more of a device meant to, from a work perspective, consolidate your desk and make your daily work life more streamlined and less bulky. Enter the Notes application:

Notes application for Apple iPad (c) 2010 Apple

With it’s fast processor and near laptop sized touch keyboard the iPad is the perfect meeting companion. Tablets in the past have relied on a stylus to replace the keyboard for note taking since their touch interfaces have always been pretty crappy. The reason this never caught on? People don’t really like to write, when they do it almost never translates well on screen and most conversion software sucks. With the iPad I can easily see it replacing my laptop in meetings where I plan on taking any sort of notes (I gave up on paper and pen a long time ago). Not only will it be more compact and less of a visual distraction but the fact that you won’t be hearing every click of the keyboard (assuming you turn off the sound when in meetings) means meetings can flow better and seem less like lecture halls.

People have their own opinions on LED lit book readers. Personally I’ve never had any problems reading lots of text on an LED backlit screen so I’m obviously excited to read books on the iPad over a Kindle (I could just never get used to the jumpy screen).

What really makes this device special is that you’re not limited to doing ANYTHING on it. With 3rd party app developers working constantly to churn out new products from games to organizers the amount of uses the iPad will have to offer are truly almost limitless.

Pricing…

This is really where Apple stepped up to the plate. They’ve offered 3 different configurations with the 3G add-on available on each. 6 total versions might seem like a lot to some people but think about it this way: they’ve given almost every market a way to dive into the iPad. Schools don’t need the use of 3G but they might need more storage, especially if they decide to build certain curriculums around the iPad. Imagine a science class taught with the iPad where images come to life as videos in a class specific app. No need to go to a planetarium when you have the cosmos infront of every student. Here’s the pricing:

• 16 GB WiFi – $499
• 32 GB WiFi – $599
• 64 GB WiFi – $699
• 16 GB WiFi + 3G – $629
• 32 GB WiFi + 3G – $729
• 64 GB WiFi + 3G – $829

With a $499 base price and a sub $900 ceiling this device fits into almost anyone’s price range.

What’s Really Remarkable…

What I find most impressive about the iPad is how much muscle Apple flexed in terms of 3G support. Apple has been able to get AT&T to agree to a data plan that is unheard of in the US. $15 for 250MB and $30 for UNLIMITED data usage all without a contract. Yeah you heard that right. There’s no 2 year, 1 year or even 3 month contract to sign. No initial pricing plan, no BS. It’s $30 pre-paid cancel whenever you want for UNLIMITED 3G data. What’s even more impressive is you even get FREE access to AT&T wifi hotspots with your $15 or $30. It’s clear that Apple is without question one of if not the most powerful company when it comes to consumer wireless.

Now for some disappointment…

The only thing I’m really let down about so far with the iPad is the lack of camera. You have a beautiful screen and a device that’s so portable it’s at risk of being lost and you didn’t include a camera? I mean come on Jobs, how did your ego not force a camera into this device? I could only imagine the applause you would have gotten had you live demoed a Skype or iChat video chat. That would have pushed the iPad from “great new device” to “we’re living in the future.” Keynote presentations with video chat would really have made this device a must have for anyone in the consulting business. Lack of camera was a real let down from Apple, especially considering the multiple price points they are clearly willing to deal with.

Video…

Tech Specs…

Size and Weight

• Height: 9.56 inches (242.8 mm)
• Width: 7.47 inches (189.7 mm)
• Depth: 0.5 inch (13.4 mm)
• Weight: 1.5 pounds (.68 kg) Wi-Fi model; 1.6 pounds (.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G mode