With the launch of Apple’s new iPad this week, everyone seems to have their eyes tuned into the tablet market. Well jump on over to Gizmodo for the full review and comparison of the iPad, HP Slate, JooJoo, and a few Android tablets (Notion Ink Adam, Dell Mini 5, Archos 7 Android).
We obviously have our favorites but would like to hear from you. The great tablet debate of 2010 is just about to begin – where do you stand right now?
Get your iPad on day one. Pre-order it from the Apple Online Store and have it delivered free on April 3. Or reserve one to pick up at your favorite Apple Retail Store on April 3.*
Wi-Fi Available April 3. 16GB -$499 32GB -$599 64GB -$699
Wi-Fi + 3G Available late April. 16GB -$629 32GB -$729 64GB -$829 3G data plan sold separately.
By Hubert Nguyen ubergizmo.com
Shortly after the Apple Launch in San Francisco, we had the opportunity to play with an iPad for long enough to have an idea of how it feels to use one and how the iPad looks in the real world. After months of speculation, we have to say that the overall pre-launch perception correct was at times correct (hardware+OS) and plain wrong on other topics - like the pricing. You've seen all the info, and now it's time to answer the question: how is it to use one? Responsiveness
The first thing that I pay attention to in a touch device is how "responsive" it is. Despite the vastly superior resolution, when compared to the iPhone, the iPad is just as responsive (or may be even more so) than the iPhone 3GS. The overall 2D graphics speed is very good, there's no question about that. Because it is so fast, the user interface responds right away to input, which makes the user feel in control. With the exception of the Zune HD, I have never used a device that's more responsive than the iPhone 3GS, and now, the iPad.
Watch the responsiveness of the iPad (fullscreen for HD view) The computer is the display
The second thing that is critical to a touch display device is... well... the display! I used it to browse the web and to read a few paragraphs of a book and I have to say that it looks very good. It's not as good as OLED, but the colors are great and the sensitivity of the touch sensor is great too. I could not test it outside, but *if* it is based on the same display tech that is in the 3GS, I predict that it would do OK in direct sunlight - that remains to be seen.
Better than E-ink? It depends in which context. E-Ink is very nice to read for extended periods of time, but clearly, if one's goal is to read a magazine or a website what one want is probably color and fast refresh. And for that, the iPad is, by nature, definitely better than any eBook device. Now, if you plan to read for a couple of hours, it might be a different story, but I don't think that you would end up with a headache. I'm looking at an LCD display all day and I'm doing just fine. That said, I recognize that reading for two hours on a e-ink display is less strenuous than doing it on an LCD.
Thanks to the color display, you can access things that you already read daily (web, pdf, email) but in a different way. Even if eBooks are very popular, the web is still king because it's dynamic and it's free - that's certainly worth a few points, right?
Connectivity Wifi, or Wifi+3G Prior to the launch, one big "no go" about the connectivity was "who wants to pay a second wireless subscription"? And it's true that this was a potential roadblock. Fortunately, the pay as you go (month to month) option for 3G in the form of two relatively cheap options at $15 and $30 (cheaper than a phone plan, at least) helps remarkably. The fact that all iPad devices will be sold "unlocked" (carrier-free) is also remarkable. Other tablet makers have never been able to get anywhere close to a deal like this. This is a game changer, not only for Apple but for other connected devices - hopefully.
I suspect that most people will opt for the $499 Wifi-only version, and Apple has been quite smart to build a version without the 3G radio that costs less. The "pay as you go" makes it tempting to pay an extra (+$130) "just in case", but this is a bit steep just to get 3G in my opinion.
Movie Playback
The iPad plays “Up” from Pixar at 1024x768 (switch to fullscreen for HD) The animated movie "Up" from Pixar was available in the devices, so I was able to look at a short demo. You'll see in the movie above that the playback quality is impeccable. Colors were vibrant, but these animated movies are super-saturated, so they are not so great to gauge color accuracy, which is probably quite good anyway. With a Dock connector, you can also output the 1024x768 video to a TV/monitor.
iBooks
Playing with eBook and the iPad (switch to fullscreen for HD)
eBooks are interesting, but I think that the iPad is so much better for colorful magazines and web content that I wished that Apple had demonstrated less books and more colorful stuff. Regardless, I expect the iPad to be a good reading device - depending on how long you like to read.
PDF files are supported, and assuming that the support is complete, this could be the best PDF tablet reader yet as eBooks are usually too weak to handle complex PDF files. We'll have to test that too and I know just the person to do it...
At the moment, I don't see any support for open eBook formats, so your options are: the book store, PDF attachments, ePub files and the web.
In the end, the question that you should ask yourself is: "Can I get the content that I care about"? More about iBooks
Web Browsing
The web browsing works really well. Just imagine an iPhone / iPod touch, but faster and with a big display. At this game, the iPad beats any other tablet that I've seen, by far. I tried some popular sites and they all work, but Flash is still not supported. I think that Apple *could* support Flash, but you have to realize that this would open the gates to all sorts of video /music content living outside of Apple's business turf. So far, few consumers complained with their wallet and Apple's product are still selling well. As Google has shown with Google Voice, web apps are the way to get around Apple's approval.
I would need more time to try more sites to write a more detailed report, but so far, this is looking good.
Gaming
An iPhone racing game on iPad (switch to fullscreen for HD)
All the games that were demonstrated today were iPhone games in 480x240 that were stretched to 1024x768 using a good upscaling filter - it does look a little fuzzy but don't expect any miracles: the original content is very small.
Because all the 3D rendering is still done at 480x320, we will have to wait for new titles to see how fast the iPad really is in terms of 3D rendering. The good news is that changing resolution is very easy for developers, but it is harder to design new user interfaces that take advantage of the higher resolution.
In that respect, today's demos showed some interesting concepts. For example, the "swipe" to change gears in a racing game seem to work well.
We know that Apple devices are a huge gaming platform, but "hardcore" gamers that need a pad or a keyboard+mouse will probably continue to criticize a touch interface for good reasons (to be honest, I do prefer a pad). The conclusion is that you can't be everything to everyone - it's that simple.
Backwards compatibility The iPad is backwards compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch, and that means that there are hundreds of thousands of applications available today - although most built for a lower resolution. I expect future devices to be backwards compatible as well, and that is a very good thing for the developer community. Scott Forstall the leader of the handheld division at Apple predicts a new "Gold Rush" - a race to pump out iPad applications. That's true because the first apps will have much less competition than subsequent generations. That's also true for game consoles.
Battery life
Without an extended use, I have to take Apple's word for it, but I've been told that the 10 hours of battery life is "probably" when the display is ON, but at a 50% brightness. We will have to test it for ourselves to see how it works in the real world, but knowing that the display is the #1 culprit when it comes to power consumption (the 3G radio is bad too), I would venture to say that battery life could be quite substantial when playing video and very long when playing audio.
Accessories
The iPad uses the same physical connector than the iPhone / iPod touch, so most accessories will probably work out of the box - thanks to the software compatibility.
iPad keyboard dock: the dock is probably the most interesting one. Because the iPad is email friendly, this would let one turn the iPad into an email station either at home (my preferred option) or on the go (I might prefer a laptop then).
iPad Case: The case is made of a ruber-ish texture which is quite nice to the touch, but I thought that it did not look all that great. Of course, it tries to be a cover and a stand and in that respect, it works, but it did not seem as the most stable platform ever. Take a look for yourself in an Apple store when you have a chance and drop a comment.
Don't miss the iPad camera connection kit too.
Conclusion
The iPad is simply the best tablet ever built, partly because others before it sucked. But I honestly think that in absolute terms, Apple has executed this one brilliantly. This is a very interesting device with a very good user experience, even if I predict that it won't be as successful as the iPhone is (in terms of unit sold).
The iPad pricing is probably the most shocking thing: it's actually cheaper than competitors like the Archos 9. Of course, part of this is due to the fact that we've been bombarded with the ridiculous $1000 price for some time (well, there's a $829 iPad...). Most people (non-geeks) that I talked to were satisfied with the pricing. Don't forget that it will eventually go down too. My personal opinion is that it's quite amazing that Apple can sell the basic version for $499.
I suspect that some folks will buy it just because "it's cool", but the device has a genuine entertainment/usage value as a secondary device. It's really up to you to figure out what that is worth for you in dollars. I hope that this hands-on has helped you grasped how it feels to use the iPad. If you have additional questions, drop a comment and I'll try to reply while my memory is fresh. Thanks for tuning in.
The tech world has been caught up in iPad buzz for months now. But now that the iPad has finally been released, how does Steve Jobs' 'magical' and 'revolutionary' device stand up to the hype?
Before you shell out upwards of $500 for the new Apple Tablet, check out the nine worst things about the device.
1. It's name
iPad. The Tablet's name was instantly likened to feminine hygiene products, and it's been mocked as the 'iPeriod,' 'iMaxipad,' 'iTampon,' 'iPadWithWings,' and more.
2. No mulit-tasking
The lack of multitasking on the iPad has been cited as its biggest flaw. Want to listen to Pandora while you edit your photos? No such luck. For a device that aims to displace laptops and costs as much as the iPad does, the inability to run multiple applications at once is a major downside.
3. No camera
Awkward as it might be to take a photo with a device the size of a pad of paper, critics agree it would nonetheless have been attractive include a camera on the iPad. Video chatting, tweeting Twitpics, and snapping photos with the iPad will have to wait.
4. No USB
Transferring files between the iPad and other devices will be more difficult and inconvenient given that the new Apple Tablet doesn't include a USB port. Users are dependent on Apple's proprietary dock connector and have to shell out for a USB adapter if they want to plug a USB directly into their iPad. Timothy Blee calls the lack of a USB "totally unacceptable for a device that aims to largely displace my laptop."
5. The AT&T Deal
Steve Jobs' announcement that the iPad would be running on AT&T's network elicited groans and boos from the otherwise excited audience at Apple's event. The addition of the iPad is likely to stress even further AT&T's already overloaded networks--the company recently admitted that its wireless service in NYC and San Francisco was 'below target.'
6.No Flash
The iPad doesn't support Flash player, which means users can't connect to sites like Disney, Hulu, ESPN, Farmville, or JibJab, and won't have access to certain Flash-based online games. Apple's arguments against Flash are that it poses a security risk and is a 'resource hog,' but the lack of Flash support is nonetheless a hindrance for users.
7. It's screen
While the iPad's display has been praised as crisp and sharp, its screen -- LED-backlit with In-Plane Switching (IPS) -- has its downsides. The iPad's screen is not as power efficient as OLED devices, which don't drain batteries as quickly. Moreover, LED screen tends to be harder on the eyes than the e-ink screens used on eReaders such as the Kindle. (Some users even find prolonged exposure to LED-backlit screens to be migraine-inducing.) The Telegraph predicts that because of the iPad's screen, 'I don't think serious bookworms will be swayed to chose the iPad over the Kindle or a Sony Reader.'
8. It's price
"We want to put this in the hands of lots of people," said Steve Jobs of the iPad's price. While the device is lower than pundits' predictions (it starts at $499 for a 16GB model, whereas people had guessed it would begin at $1000), it's still spendy. It remains to be seen whether people will shell out upwards of $500 for a device they're not sure they need, and aren't certain how they'll use.
9.Closed App Store
Apple has been hit by major criticism for the approval process it uses to determine which apps make to its iPhone app store (developers have even been known to quit making Apple apps altogether out of frustration). While the iPad can run the majority of the apps in Apple's app store, Apple's restrictions on apps (no porn, nothing that infringes on the Apple trademark, etc) will apply to the new Tablet. The Free Software Foundation has already criticized the device, saying the 'iPad is iBad for freedom,' and encouraging people to sign a petition.
After nearly a decade of rumors and speculation, Apple's finally unveiled the iPad. It's a half-inch thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds, with a 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen IPS LCD display, and it's running a custom 1GHz Apple "A4" chip developed by the P.A. Semi team, with a 10-hour battery life and a month of standby. It'll come in 16, 32, and 64GB sizes, and it's got the expected connectivity: very little. There's a 30-pin Dock connector, a speaker, a microphone, Bluetooth, 802.11n WiFi and optional 3G, as well as an accelerometer and a compass. There's also a keyboard dock, which connects underneath in the portrait orientation, support for up to 1024x768 VGA out and 480p composite out through new dock adapter cables, and a camera attachment kit that lets you import photos from your camera over USB or directly through an SD reader. The device is managed by iTunes, just like the iPhone -- you sync everything over to your Mac. As expected, it can run iPhone apps -- either pixel-for-pixel in a window, or pixel-doubled fullscreen -- but developers can also target the new screen size using the updated iPhone OS SDK, which is available today. The 3G version runs on AT&T and comes with new data plans: 250MB for $14.99 and an unlimited plan for $29.99 a month contract-free. Activations are handled on the iPad, so you can activate and cancel whenever you want. Every iPad is unlocked and comes with a GSM "micro-SIM," so you can use it abroad, but there aren't any international deals in place right now -- Steve says they'll be back "this summer" with news on that front.
It starts at $499 for 16GB, 32GB for $599, and $699 64GB. Adding 3G costs a $130 per model, so the most expensive model (64GB / 3G) is $829.
Here it is folks, the Apple iPad. The screen is gorgeous, tilting is responsive, and the thing is super thin. Still, if you've used the iPhone before -- and you can see the two devices side-by-side here -- there's not a lot of surprises here so far. Here are some initial thoughts on the iPad: •It's not light. It feels pretty weighty in your hand. •The screen is stunning, and it's 1024 x 768. Feels just like a huge iPhone in your hands. •The speed of the CPU is something to be marveled at. It is blazingly fast from what we can tell. Webpages loaded up super fast, and scrolling was without a hiccup. Moving into and out of apps was a breeze. Everything flew. •There's no multitasking at all. It's a real disappointment. All this power and very little you can do with it at once. No multitasking means no streaming Pandora when you're working in Pages... you can figure it out. It's a real setback for this device. •The ebook implementation is about as close as you can get to reading without a stack of bound paper in your hand. The visual stuff really helps flesh out the experience. It may be just for show, but it counts here. •No camera. None, nada. Zip. No video conferencing here folks. Hell, it doesn't have an SMS app! •It's running iPhone OS 3.2. •The keyboard is good, not great. Not quite as responsive as it looked in the demos. •No Flash confirmed. So Hulu is out for you, folks!
