At last, it’s official. The Apple iPad has finally been given the thumbs up after feverish speculation that lasted the best past of two years. So now it’s here, just what is it and what makes it so special? Get stuck in and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Apple iPad.
It runs on the iPhone OS
The Apple iPad looks just like an iPhone for giants. And it runs the iPhone OS too, rather than a smaller version of OS X Snow Leopard. That means it has access to the App Store, as well as a very similar sleek UI to the world’s favourite smartphone.
There are two different versions
Want an iPad with 3G? Then you’ll need to pay extra. There are cheaper basic Wi-Fi models, but the 3G models cost more. In the US, a 16GB version costs $499 (£308) for Wi-Fi only and $629 (£389) with 3G. 32GB models cost $599 (£370) and $729 (£450) respectively and 64GB ones come in at $699 (£432) and $829 (£512). UK pricing has yet to be announced, but the cheapest model should compare well to top notch netbooks.
You can get a Wi-Fi model in 60 days and a 3G one in 90 days
Apple says you’ll be able to nab an iPad wherever you are in the next 60 days if you want the Wi-Fi version. Fancy one with 3G? Then you’ll need to wait 90 days to get involved.
It packs in 3G
The Apple iPad has 3G as well as Wi-Fi, with Cupertino letting you use as much data as you like Stateside for just $29.99 a month. 250MB will cost $14.99, with AT&T striking deals. UK pricing and carrier info is yet to be unleashed, with Apple saying it hopes to have iPad 3G deals in place internationally by June/July. Interestingly, it’s unlocked, so you can sling in any SIM. As long as its micro GSM one. Bah!
It doesn’t do multitasking
That’s right, the iPad doesn’t do multitasking. For a machine that’s supposed to work as well as a netbook beater, that’s a massive failing. It means if you want to read something from the iBook store, you can’t check your Tweets at the same time, for example. Poor show Apple.
Its smaller than your average netbook
Clocking in at 9.7-inches and measuring just 0.5-inches at its thinnest point, the Apple iPad is thinner and smaller than any netbook going. The differences are small, but with no physical keyboard, you haven’t got that extra bulk, the tasty virtual pad doing all the hard work instead.
And it works like a desktop
Thanks to the keyboard dock, you can turn the iPad into a regular desktop computer. Slot it in and you can crack on with docs and email in the old-school fashion, before nabbing it like an iPod or iPhone and slipping in your bag,
Devs can start working on the iPad straight (SDK already out)
Apple has released the latest version of the iPhone SDK straight away, letting devs get to work on a slew of all new apps for the iPad. Current iPhone apps can be used on the iPad too, with Apple hoping against hope that devs will start work on tweaking current versions so they look sleek and sexy on the iPad.
Apple iPad: all the official photos
It makes the App Store look ace
The App Store looks absolutely stunning on the iPad, a world away from the poorly laid out effort you’ll find on your iPhone and iPod touch. It looks like finding and getting all new apps for your iPad is going to be a far easier experience.
There’s no Flash support
A huge miss and one seen early on in Jobs’ keynote when he brought up a web page asking for a Flash plug in. If the iPad is meant to be a pared down computer, it really needs support for the entire web. The lack of Flash on a device with a screen of this size, designed for watching video, is a real miss.
The iPad wants to revolutionise newspapers
The New York Times looked absolutely stunning on the iPad when seen at last night’s keynote. As well as looking just like a proper paper, it lets you play embedded video and read through the day’s news just as you did before websites rolled up and destroyed traditional media.
It’s made with creatives in mind
The Brushes app showed the power of the iPad to become the ultimate illustrating gadget. Not only did it look stunning to use, it also showed just how designers could work on something designed for the iPad, using the iPad. Expect artists to go mad for it.
It packs iPhone gaming on steroids
EA and Gameloft both showed off amazing version of their games running on the iPad. If the iPhone and the iPod touch have given Nintendo and Sony a handheld-shaped headache, then this will only cause more consternation in their Japanese HQs in the coming months.
iBooks wants to corner the publishing planet
With Pengun, Macmillon and Simon Schuster all involved, the new iBooks store certainly has the biggest hitters in its corner. Plus you can tweak the text to suit your peepers, although the backlit screen isn’t as friendly on your eyes as eInk. That said, all the titles are in the open ePub format. Apple clearly wants to do with books what it’s done with music through iTunes. That is, become top dog.
It’s not just for fun
iWork on the iPad shows that Apple very much sees it as a machine for productivity as well as play. It looks pretty, but ultimately Cupertino’s trying to show off just how you’d use the iPad in the same way as your netbook to get the most pressing tasks done on-the-go.
There’s more than one keyboard
Sure there’s a big old virtual QWERTY for firing off Tweets while your on the bus, but there are also numeric pads for using in Numbers and a date and time one for using in the calendar. The should stop any niggles with trying to find the right key for the right task. And of course there’s the keyboard dock for tinkering docs old school
