This morning at 5am (Sydney Time) Apple fanboys worldwide simultaneously wet themselves with excitement when Apple announced the new “iPad” at a press event in San Francisco.
Laying to rest intense speculation dating as far back as 2002, the iPad features a 9.7 inch (24.6cm) touch screen display and runs a modified version of the current iPhone operating system. Described as “Magical” several times by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during the press event, the iPad weighs in at a measly 700 grams and sports a 1Ghz Apple processor, making it more portable than a laptop and more powerful/useful than a netbook (though what isn’t?).
Built like an oversized iPhone, the iPad runs all your old apps and offers up 64GB of flash memory to store the your music and video and digital paraphernalia. New content can also be downloaded directly onto the device using the built in Wi-Fi or optional 3G.
Among other things, the iPad’s claim to fame is that it marks Apple’s entry into the ePublication market. While the device is designed to surf the internet, read emails, and look at photos and movies, these functions are not unique to anyone who has ever owned an iPod Touch or iPhone.
Until now Amazon has dominated the ePublishing industry with ‘Kindle’, but with the new “iBooks” app and 5 major names already on board, including Simon and Schuster, Penguin, and Harper Collins, Apple should soon stir up competition in the market by offering a wide range of content at lower prices.
Specifically designed for the iPad, The Big A also introduced a special version of their popular iWork software that is split into three separate applications – Keynote, Pages, and Numbers (US$9.99 each). The iWork apps enable users to create, manage, edit and share presentations, typed documents, and spreadsheets, making the iPad an appealing business tool as well as shiny toy for teens who want to read the Twilight Saga, listen to 3OH!3, and watch ‘The Hills’.
With six models starting from US$499 you can expect to see the iPad replacing laptops and books on buses and trains around Australia sometime around June or July.