It Is Sexy! It Is Elegant! It Is Awesome! It Is iPad!
January 28, 2010 6 Comments
by Elias Shams
The most beautiful beast was finally unleashed yesterday at the media event in San Francisco – the hotly-anticipated tablet computer from Apple, iPad. Would this tablet computing device match the revolutionary commercial success of the iPhone? Or could it instead flounder along the lines of Apple’s Newton?
The first thing came to my mind was the XXL version of the iPhone 
Here is its size comparison next to an iMac –>
Features
iPad features an updated version of the iPhone’s operating system working through a half-inch thin, 9.7-inch touchscreen display with virtual keyboard, built-in speakers and microphone. It is powered by an Apple developed 1 GHz processor. It weighs 1.5 lbs. The device would use the same software development tools and skills as the iPhone as well as its own “big tablet” apps and nearly every app written for the iPhone. It has the ability to browse the web, check e-mail, listen to music and edit photos. The iTunes store is built in, letting users buy music, movies and television shows right on the device. iPhone apps can be downloaded on the iPad, where they can be blown up to a larger size.
The device displays all kinds of media content including newspapers, magazines, and videos.
As for the battery life, it lasts 10 hours with over a month of standby life.
Pricing
The iPad tablet runs $499, $599 and $699 depending on the amount of embedded flash memory support of 16 gigabytes, 32 GB and 64 GB, with the addition of 3G connectivity adding $130 to the price of each model.
Similar to the iPhone, the data packages for the device would run $30 per month for unlimited transmission, with a cheaper $15 per month plan capped at 250 megabytes of data transmission. No contract is required for the service, and alas no subsidy is being provided, and AT&T Mobility is also throwing in free usage of its extensive Wi-Fi hotspots around the world.
The Wireless technology behind it
Like iPhone, iPad has 3G capabilities compatible with 850/1900/2100 MHz networks using GSM/GPRS/UMTS/HSPA technology. Good News for AT&T as this is supported by their Mobility’s network. But, not a good News for others particularly Verizon Wireless or Sprint Nextel Corp.’s CDMA networks nor any other carriers working on their next-generation networks using LTE or WiMAX technology. So, unless, Apple does not have a plan to sell their ipad via other carriers with such mobility network, they should starting thinking of a solution to support the major wireless topology.
Several Platforms In One
One of Apple’s goals with the new iPad is to offer a new platform for content creators to reinvent books, magazines and online content — in addition to offering a new avenue for content producers to make money. That platform will likely be far broader than just a tablet device, and will extend to every device or computer that iTunes touches.
HTML5 and iTunes will form the centerpieces of Apple’s new content strategy. The new iTunes content will not be packaged as apps sold through the App Store, though Apple will likely provide a tablet app for displaying new content created with this new platform, and developers will still be free to create apps. Instead, HTML content will be presented similar to the way iTunes currently presents enhanced music and video content.
Their Business Model For Book Publishers
The device, indeed will shake of the publishing and Newspaper industry even more. Apple is asking publishers to set two e-book price points for hardcover best sellers: $12.99 and $14.99, with fewer titles offered at $9.99. In setting their own e-book prices, publishers would avoid the threat of heavy discounting. Apple would take a 30% cut of the book price, with publishers receiving the remaining 70%. I am not in book publishing business, how is the split the traditional way?
What’s missing?
The iPad can’t play Adobe Flash animations, which are widely used on the web. There is no still or video camera, no non-internet phone function, no removable battery or storage.
Where is Apple taking us?
Apple made a significant contribution to the PC revolution in the early 70s with the Apple II and later the Macintosh. Since then, the company has added killer new features to the PCs, replaced Walkmans and Discmans with the iPod, and upped the ante for smartphones with the iPhone. And now iPad.
In a few years, it looks like computers will be only a small percentage of how we will be using the web.
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About Elias Shams
Elias Shams
Kamran Abdi
Tatiana Sorabi
I think the iPad has great potential. The 3G aspect in this alone is intriguing so you can stay connected practically everywhere for both pleasure and productivity without having to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot.
A curious omission is the lack of still/video camera. I do not think I am going out on a limb in thinking that the next release will have that ability which leads to some kind of video iChat functionality.
Overall I can’t want to get my hands on one.
The 3G aspect is great indeed, but what about people like me using Verizon CDMA service? there are millions like me out there using similar service.
as Marc said, 3G connectivity it’s not the maximum and I believe that will disappear soon. I suppose that soon or later we will talk only about WiFi and we will forget about 3G connectivity. More devices now are going to be WiFi ready, and not 3G… guess why!?
CDMA is a minority technology – compared to the GSM community it matters not. WiMax is not mainstream, LTE is sufficient years away that it doesn’t matter for this generation of device. WiFi covers the vast majority of users who will be just fine with it, and 3G may be of interest for a few – as tethering will eventually allow phones to provide a 3G link for iPad users.
Thanks Graham. Did you also cast your vote at the bottom of the article? I just added the poll to the article
In my view Apple wishes to retain control of the user experience, in doing so that forces them to not engage with the bulk of the mobile carriers/operators as this would cause them to step back and hand that relationship to the operator.
It would be very easy for Apple to add a USB connector and allow any technology Dongle to be used (3G, WiMAX, LTE), however that would entail Apple either a) creating all of the device drivers and connection manager software themselves or using a mainstream OS that already has support for these devices.
Therefore that leaves WiFi as the dominant connection method, and appropriately in all likelihood the best wireless connection they could choose – it ha the ubiquity, the speed and ease of use.