Apple has launched the new iPad. It’s a really impressive device with a monster 1080p HD Retina Display, the same iSight camera that’s found on the iPhone 4S, and a super-powerful dual-core A5X processor with quad-core graphics. What are you gonna do with all that power? Use Apple’s new breed of iPad apps, of course. Read on for the full details.
Apple’s updated its entire portfolio of in-house iPad apps. They’ve had a bump up not only to make use of the gorgeous Retina Display, but also to make use of the new chipset’s mighty processing chops. Here’s a brief rundown of what’s new:
iMovie
iMovie really pushes that processor to its limits. You can record full HD video on the iPad and then edit it directly on the thing itself. That’s pretty impressive stuff.
On top of that, Apple has added a new feature from the Mac version – the ability to create impressive trailers by using a bunch of presets and templates. It’s a pretty powerful tool for a tablet.
iWork
iWork has had a spit and polish job to bump it up to Retina Display standards, but there’s also some new bells and whistles in there, too. 3D charts and animations, alongside new build and transitions add to the level of quality you can put into your documents.
It’s all in aid of Apple’s ‘post-PC’ ethos. The company is moving towards a time when there’s nothing you can do on your desktop that you can’t do on an iPad. If you’ve got any of the iPad iWork apps, the update is free. Otherwise it’s £9.99 a pop.
iPhoto
iPhoto’s a new one for the iPad, but it’s massively powerful and puts a lot of the iPad’s other photo editing tools on notice. It’s all built around clever gestures and dynamic menus. The effects and tools at your disposal are numerous, while the processor’s extra bulk means you’re able to cycle back through any number of changes to get to your original image.
Effects look great. Crop and straighten even finds horizon lines in photos outdoors so it can auto-straighten them, for instance, while lightening / darkening with the Exposure tool lets you adjust shadows and highlights with multitouch. iPhoto for iPad will take any image up to 19-Megapixels in size, and all your pics sync with iCloud.
GarageBand
GarageBand now has a ‘Smart Strings’ feature and an editor to let you fine tune and tweak individual notes after you’ve recorded them. There’s also iCloud storage, which is a nice touch given how bulky some GarageBand files can be.
The best bit by far is the Jam Session feature. Plug four iDevices together via WiFi or Bluetooth and you’ll be able to jam together. Outcome may vary depending on talent.
More from the Apple event:
