Another Touch of Class

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A Quick Overview:

After months of tedious waiting for Apple's next big thing, the iPad was revealed to the world in late January. Confirmed to hit the Irish shelves in April 2010, what does the new gadget from Apple bring to a market full to the brim with eReaders, Netbooks, and Smartphones?

Apple entered into the the world of hand held computing two decades ago with the launch of the Newton. Although the product line itself was considered by many a failure, many enthusiast supported the product years after its production ended. Apples re-introduction to the mobile platform was more than just a success, it was a global conquest of a market that was crying out for a revolutionary product. People received this gift in the form of the iPhone. The iPhone did more than bring incredible technology into the market; it changed the way the consumer market viewed smarphones on the whole. After the iPhone launch, the smart phone was not only for the business man. Two years after its launch, the concept of the mobile platform for the consumer has completely changed. Today, social networking dominates today's technology; and if a phone cant Twitter, Facebook or email these kids these days don't want it.

And this is where the iPad comes into play. This is a consumer based technology, specifically for the standard needs of today's market. It extenuates everything the iPhone is and more. Bringing incredibly designed software, with beautiful hardware with the specific idea of bringing music, video, eBooks, gaming, and social networking onto a screen 5x the size of the iPhone. The technology incorporates most of what netbooks, eReaders and Smartphones supply (...minus the eInk) for just $499.

The Software:

The App Store

Built on OS X for the iPhone, the iPad can natively support most of the applications already running on your iPhone. This is extremely useful. Software for email, Facebook or Twitter has evolved in such a way that it is now more convenient to access it via a mobile platform. If you take a photo with your camera and want to share it, the need for a PC is now removed. You simply use twitpic or upload to mobile apps like Facebook.

It is no secret that Apple have subsequently launched a hand held gaming platform without announcing it in such away. Games dominate the App Store, from strategy and puzzles, to car racing and war, the iPad has it all. Enjoy all the great gaming software available on the iPhone, now on your iPad.

Something Old, Something New:

Like the iPhone, the iPad will come pre-packaged with an assortment of applications designed by Apple to enhance the web experienced promised by the iPad. Apps like Safari, eMail, Maps, Notes, Contacts and iCal have not so much been redesigned as they have been supped-up. The email client now supports landscape view, so you get a split-screen view showing both an opened email and the messages in your inbox. Simply flip the device to see the main email in portrait view. The Maps, Safari, Video, and YouTube Apps get similar treatment. The same great interface that you are used to.

iBooks hail the introduction of Apple into yet another media market. With 5 of the worlds largest book publishing companies on board, Apple are set to challenge the Amazons of this world in an effort to bring a collection of classics to best sellers from the built-in iBookstore.

Photos - This App has been re-engineered for the iPad. Just tap the stack, and the whole album opens up. From there, you can flip through your pictures, zoom in or out, or watch a slide show. You can even use your iPad as a beautiful digital photo frame while it’s docked or charging.

Contacts & Calendar Apps have also been re-thought to take advantage of the extra screen real estate . In an effort to produce a more rich eBook experience, the the Contacts and Calendar Apps are more reminiscent of the classic address book. After years of horrid experience's of Outlook and the quite restrictive software found in smart phones, Apple is appearing to bridge the gap with a semi-textile experience in storing important dates and contacts in this more natural way.

The Hardware

"A large, high-resolution LED-backlit IPS display. An incredibly responsive Multi-Touch screen. And an amazingly powerful Apple-designed chip. All in a design that’s thin and light enough to take anywhere. iPad isn’t just the best device of its kind. It’s a whole new kind of device."

Display - 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology. 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)

Processor - 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip, allowing for 10Hrs battery life.

Memory - Sporting 16GB, 32GB or 64GB Flash Memory options, the iPad will have more than enough storage to support all your important media.

Connectivity - Designed with ultimate portability in mind, it will be fully wireless, with options of Wi-Fi (802.11n), or Wi-Fi/3G, and Bluetooth 2.1. Using the standard iPod, 30 pin connector, the iPad will sync to your Mac or PC just as simply as your iPod. Standard earphones connections, and an optional Photo Connector will allow you to enjoy your pictures and music the same as always.

The iPad will be just the first of a line of new touch screen computers that will change the way we access and view data. With an option for a 3G Network card sim free as an option, the iPad will certainly have some serious value on the mobile market. The iPad will be available in late April.

See you then.