Apple Announces The iPAD
"It's going to change the way we do every day things." I confess outright to being a MAC fan on most technology gadgets. I have a Mac Book Pro laptop and several iterations of iPod's (including the iPod microphone attachment which I use to digitally record interesting literary events I attend). I download music, podcast courses and movies from the iTunes Online Store, and I have 4 "pages" of Apps on my iPhone that enable me to do a variety of things: from stitching my digital iphone photos together into panoramas, to using a handy translator application for languages (including changing English into Arabic script so that I can email directly to the native speaker I'm working with), to staying on top of my stocks via the Bloomberg App, to using the Mapquest app as a geo-locator for directions or to find the London tube stop I need, or the nearest ATM's where I'm traveling. I can view the latest movie trailers and determine the closest cinema playing my choice. I can electronically call a Taxi, predetermine what my fare will be with the likely route he'll take showing on screen and even pay for my fare in certain cities. Yawn. It goes on and on. As a book reviewer, book publisher, journalist and technology bibliophile, I of course downloaded the Amazon Kindle version for my iPhone the day it became available. But I don't really use it - the screen is pretty small. So for the sake of all the book groups who frequent our website I decided to enter the market by (gasp) ordering an Amazon Kindle before Christmas. The device went through postal purgatory for 3 weeks, eventually going to a wrong address and being sent back to Amazon. I figured that was digital karma because a few days later Steve Jobs made his long awaited announcement of APPLE'S new iPad Device which is largely aimed at destroying the e-reader market. Here's why I think that APPLE will dominate the competitive field: design, design, design. It's rather like the real estate axiom: location, location, location. Why would anyone want to own a clunky Amazon Kindle II or a 5th generation but still ugly Sony Reader, or a Barnes & Noble (mad-dash attempt to catch-up) Nook ?? when they can own an elegant, slim, weightless, superior interface iPad. The list of features, cost and dates you can get yours follow...
February 01, 2010 —
iPad Features
Half an inch thin - 1.5 lbs - thinnest device of its kind
9.7 inch screen - same size as kindle
16 to 64 gig flash storage
Ten hours of battery life
Can run 140,000 apps right out of the box
Apps can run full screen - keyboard makes typing a delight
Already 3 billion apps have been downloaded from the Apple App Store for iphones
iPad is a thumb-typing device
Starts at $499 and is available April 2010. Also, the 3G version is an extra $200 and will be available at the end of April worldwide.
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