Apple Unveils the iPad

[btarunr]

Apple today unveiled its latest pop gadget, poised to add to the legacy of iPod and iPhone, the iPad. Quite technically, it's a tablet computer, but Apple's implementation ensures it's a mix of the Mac, iPhone, and iPod in clever proportions. The device is half an inch thick, weighs 750 g, has a 9.7 inch IPS multi-touch display, is powered by a custom Apple-made "A4" SoC which runs at 1 GHz, and has variants based on storage and connectivity. On the storage front, on offer are 16, 32, 64 GB, and connectivity options include 3G or WiFi (pick a variant based on what your primary ISP type is).

Just like with the iPhone, an accelerometer lets you tilt the device to change between portrait and landscape modes, and also help with several application features. While the device takes text input from an onscreen touch keyboard, it also supports a real docked keyboard. Apple has released several applications with this, and has also released an SDK for developers to start building applications on. Prices start at - hold your breath - US $499 (for the 16 GB variant), and goes up $599 (32 GB), $699 (64 GB). Adding $130 to any of these models gives you the 3G feature. Let us know what you think about this new device in the ongoing Frontpage Poll (top-right on the front-page).



Many pictures after the break.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[DarkEgo]

Italian iPod? Hey franko get me that f**kin iPad, capiche?

 

[Icejon]

No flash support, No real OS (uses Iphone OS), No 3D support, No high resolution screen, Slow CPU

= Jumbo iTouch

I wished it were more.

 

[Kitkat]

giant ipod

 

[extrasalty]

Maxipad- for internally bleeding fanbois.

 

[kenkickr]

Now if Apple would just release a iGame console system!?

 

[Darksaber]

The JooJoo guys must be kicking themselves in the butt now ^^ hrhrhrhr

 

[DRDNA]

This concept has already hit the shelves in a PC flavor and it has a real OS....lol they said it will game better....lol....better than what a damn cell phone>>>>Well duh I should hope the frickin aye so !

 

[MK4512]

meh.

I expected something better than a giant, faster, iPhone/iPod Touch.

 

[newbielives]

I would like to take this to the crapper

 

[newtekie1]

meh.

I expected something better than a giant, faster, iPhone/iPod Touch.

This.

Sad really, this had such potential, yet they decided to not be inovative in any way...

Maybe it is just me, but I really want this to be the point where PC manufacturers step up to the plate and really hand Apple their ass.

I mean, it shouldn't be that hard. I had the pleasure of playing with an Asus T91MT, and I think I would definitely go with it over the iPad.

It had some negatives; smaller screen, heavier, twice the thickness. However, it had some major positives also; fully functional OS, full keyboard, cheaper(32GB is $485), easily upgradable to 2GB of RAM, closable like a laptop to I don't have to worry about cracking the screen when I put it in my bag...

I know thickness and weight probably won't be something that can be achieve with a full keyboard, but I think those are actually fine on the T91MT, it is only 1.1" thick. I would like a larger screen though, something closer to the 10" size, and I think it is prossible and still be competitive price wise with the iPad.

And anyone that wants to whine about how awesome the app support will be can suck it, because the T91MT is a full blown PC, and nothing matches the PC in app support...

 

[kid41212003]

It's basicly an Iphone + Amazon Kindle = IPad.

 

[Duffman]

Apple's version of a netbook.

 

[pantherx12]

Apple are running out of ideas lol

 

[theubersmurf]

I've thought a little about buying an e-book reader, but none of them are really what I want...What I would want ideally, is something that was pocket sized and opened like a book, two opposing pages that would close over one another with a hard shell on the outside that would fit in my pocket...This stuff is almost gaudy...besides, it does sound like a feminine product.

 

[Kantastic]

Maybe they should hire the guy who invented this:

I'm sure he has more creativity than the apes working over at Apple.

 

[pantherx12]

I will be severely disappointed if this product becomes a big hit, it will just highlight even more that people buy Apple products purely for the name.

 

[Soylent Joe]

I agree that it's not very creative, but I'd love to have one. My fingers are quite fat and do not work well with the small screen of my Touch. With this, it seems that almost everything except gaming and carrying it around would be easier. Since there's the attachable keyboard, I'd like to see a more capable word processor made for it instead of just notepad. Possibly an OpenOffice Mobile Edition that could open and save/send documents.

 

[simlariver]

Too big to use as a phone, too small and weak to be a computer (no real OS or software support anyway), this thing is another one of those apple gadget that everyones will forget about rather quickly.

also;
WIFI OR 3G why not both ??
16, 32, 64 GB 3 versions ?? ad to this the wireless options and you have 6 impossible to upgrade or change devices. I bet you can't change the battery too ...

this is rather expensive too for a glorified ipod too ... This is clearly a device made to consume multimedia, not to interact, work and do what you would normally would with a computer, even if it's a sub-par netbook.

 

[Wile E]

If it had only the strong points of all the devices they rolled into one, it would be great. As it stands, the device is too closed. You can get away with this level of closed on an iTouch or iPhone, but not on a device like this. It needs to basically have open app support like standard OS X.

 

[mdm-adph]

The JooJoo guys must be kicking themselves in the butt now ^^ hrhrhrhr

They deserve it. Karma is a bitch.

 

[Wshlist]

When you think about it this whole thing is seriously weird, they could have taken any of the millions of rumors and used those to make a better and more exciting device, but this is like they are purposefully trying to sink the company.
I wonder when the theories that some evil third party is behind it all will start, because if there ever was reason to not believe they did this to themselves then this is the time, weird stuff.
I'd half believe a story that aliens landed and replaced steve jobs with a doofus.

 

[the54thvoid]

Whooooaaaa Bodyform

It's that time of the month..

*reaches for my i-pad*

I have an irrational dislike of old technology disguised as new technology by a clever design. This is just another one of them things. Pretty though. Pretty shit.

 

[simlariver]

They probably called the cpu a "apple A4" so people don't realize it isn't more powerful than a Nexus one with a 1Ghz Sharpdragoon ...

Also, no flash is fail. wonder if apple isn't behind the whole html5 video support frenzy.

 

[Mistral]

Newton 2.0?