UNVEILING THE IPAD
Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by admin in Games & Technology, Life and Style
By Chigozie Nwosu
If like me you have been waiting since as far back as last year when the first rumours began to surface about apple working on a tablet computer then Wednesday 27th of January 2010 may have been a date with almost historical importance for you, and like me you’ve probably cleared your schedule (called in sick at work - Ed) so as to get all the info as it comes.
So now that the keynote is over the big question is: is it any good? And do I really want one?
The answer to both these questions is an emphatic YES. With thanks to live.gizmodo.com, I’ve been able to get a look at the features offered on this new device and while the device itself may not be revolutionary its marketing and how it may change the way we view tablet computers definitely is.
Firstly it has almost all the features of the iPhone and seems to function like a bigger version of it. It incorporates wireless-n technology and also has 3G connection. The 3G data plans as at writing are $14.99 a month for 250 Mb or $29.99 for unlimited data, note that there’s no contract–it’s prepaid and you can cancel anytime. The price of the device isnt bad either, starting at $499 we can expect to see them over here in the UK possibly starting at around £300-400.
The device makes Amazon’s kindle look like early 90s technology and there was an embarrassing homage to it during the keynote. Unlike the kindle however, the ipad looks to be able to get people interested in reading again. It boasts a much more immersive and graphical reading experience.
It’s quite cool (and pointless) watching beautifully rendered pages turn but there was no mention about whether you will be able to import books from other devices like say the amazon kindle.
The game playing abilities were demoed too. A demo of EA’s Need for Speed was one of the games shown. Ran quite well too, but as stated by journalist Jason Chen its apparently “not as good as on a PC. It looked somewhere in-between, which is kinda the point of the device (Though it’s closer to the iPhone)”
All in all its a pretty exciting piece of kit, even if it is only a “go faster ” iPhone. However with an almost full size virtual keyboard, full compatibility with iPhone 3G apps and the same wow factor apple strive to produce I’m sure it will sell regardless of whether tablet PCs really are the future.
For more information on the iPad click HERE
As an IT professional who is called upon by family members to solve home computer problems on an almost weekly basis, I have long argued that PCs (and I include Apple Macs in there) are hugely more complex than 905 of their owners need. I firmly believe that we need a home computer that works like a television, where no technical knowledge is needed to operate it,when you turn it on it just works and it doesn