Apple today introduced iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds– thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad, and will run almost all of the over 140,000 apps in the App Store. iPad will be available in late March starting at US$499.
Direct link via YouTube here.
Find about more about Apple’s iPad here.
Upon thinking about it, I will pass – on this initial version, anyway.
a) It’s got no built-in camera.
b) No mention that I saw of a phone.
c) Why should I pay another $30 for data ? (Okay, so I could get the WiFi only version).
I just don’t see it as compelling over my MacBook Pro and iPhone combination.
@bjh
I tend to agree. A forward facing camera could have enhanced this greatly allowing video conferencing to be a killer app. Most netbooks have forward facing cameras and they have SD memory slots. Two things I don’t understand why Apple decided not to include.
I also ponder about the lack of camera. This would be the perfect device for video iChat or Skype. Are they afraid this would cannibalize the iBook/MacBooks too much? Weird…
Still though… Very tempting sexy beast!
cute but no cigar. I might be interested in a mac book made small tablet but Im surely not interested ina an iphone made large tablet. Imagine having all the power and utility of a mac book pro in a tablet!!!!
It’s fits a niche for me. I’m a power user, mac pro and laptop for travel, clients etc. But I can see this as a nice addition for the house. Laying on the couch, reading, surfing, etc. The iPhone is great while out and about.
The only thing I wish it had was iChat/camera. Price seems fair too. I’ll probably get one for the wife and I to share at home. I think that’s it’s primary goal anyway.
Also no mention of multiprocessing. However, compared to a Kindle or a more expensive Tablet PC, I’m sure this will be a major seller especially for artists, doctors, students and executives.
@bjh,
Funny – I’m not nearly as disinterested.
I also have both an iPhone and a MacBook Pro. It happens all the time that I’m around the house doing things, I check my email on the iPhone… It requires a more lengthy response, so I don’t want to use the iPhone, but I don’t want to go get my MacBook, power it up, login, launch Mail… 3-4 minutes later, I’m STARTING the email response. Same with a forum post or the like.
Yes, a camera for iChat would have been great, but I’m not sure it would be very elegant… How would you hold the tablet that wouldn’t result in any shot of yourself that wouldn’t be “up your nostrils”?
The comments on forums so far is that this device is a real dissapointment and I tend to agree. It’s purpose I cannot understand. Oversized and overpriced iPod. Limitations are to big to list but I for one will not be buying one sadly unless they can make some radical changes before shipping. poor product and this could be a rotten apple for apple
I remember someone mentioning that having a camera on a device prohibits it’s use in some situations such as government work and similar scenarios.
the bezel is 2x – 3x wider than it should be… (the screen should be 1/2″ – 3/4″ wider / longer)
nice first effort though…
get it right next time, john.
Always amazed by the “what is missing crowd” when Apple has shown the ability to deliver these things over time.
The why? Cost… Is it truly that surprising? From my iPhone b!tch : )
My first child is turning 2 in a few weeks. I think this would make a great first computer. If I can keep him from throwing it, it would be awesome.
If we can load movies on it, via our macs, then it will be cheaper than a DVD player also.
I see this as an alternative to many other pieces of hardware, for entertainment and education. Wifi version is probably the way I would go to start with, for him of course. Mommy and daddy will wait for the next version, maybe.
The one thing I’m disappointed in is no camera. In fact, I think it needs a front and back one.
That said, the price is great. It’s not just a toy. Once people figure out how to build cool apps for it… and use it to consume media… it’ll be a real challenge for anyone to complete. Others simply don’t have the customer base, single experience, and dare I say “ecosystem.”
Not sure I’ll get one right away, but I imagine within 12 months (maybe version 2).
I’m also interested to see if it can handle multiple users with parental controls.
I just think people are thinking it needs to be more of a power device. That’s what the iMac, pro, mac books are for. This will probably sell well, it is afterall leaps and bounds better than a kindle and they’re selling well. Plus, people are forgetting about the apps and future textbook and magazine content that will be available in the near future. No fear, it will do just fine. It meets a particular market.
you gotta understand something…you don’t shoot all your bullets at one time in a gun fight. take a look at the iPod. i believe it will follow the same development. as it evolves over time, we will come back to this and realize that even on its first iteration, i do not believe that any company can come close or has ever come this close to this product.
take a look at what microshaft produced. sure they have a tablet. but a better question to ask is this: where’s the content? when you combine both product and content, what you have is the iPad.
Coupling this with EyeTV and/or Orb does present some nice possibilities for TV anywhere and the fact that ones existing apps are transferred over to it does make it an ideal addition to the iPhone when out and about. Since it also supports bluetooth, I can imagine some interesting uses when combined with an iPhone or iPod touch for Wii like game controlling. Or shared gaming between devices.
Obsolesce built in – just like new car models. I’m sure there is a ‘even more magical’ version 2 already in the hopper with things like web cam, video, iLife, true 16×9 screen, smaller bezel, etc, etc, – you know, all the things we wanted and can get yet.
But, Steve knows… we’ll buy this one AND the next one and the one after that – just like the phone.
The risk is that today’s announcement fails to meet a lot of expectations so, we’ll see. I say give it to August to tell the tale.
The bezel is actually a needed element for this form factor. You need areas for gripping with a larger portion of the hand than you do with an iPhone/iPod touch. The bezel allows this without covering the active screen. I think that, even as Apple increases screen size, the bezel will remain, and people actually using it will come to appreciate it.
@silverwarloc
Also an OS designed specifically for touch. As well as apps. The entire ecosystem of te device. MS just slaps on Windows and forces it to barely work for their POS future devices.
It’s really only $15/mo. for most people.
So for $500 you get a slick machine that does everything that 95% of the population would ever want to do with a computer.
This is the first computer my grandmother will actually use. Probably my mother too if I really think about it — yesterday she asked me what the “Finder” is and why it’s always running. And she’s on her 5th computer (both PCs & Macs).
I love it. Perfect. For those who want a camera, I have a feeling that the SDK will allow the use of the 30-pin connector to attach a 3rd party camera.
According to the specs, the AV connection kits can be used to send video to a TV. And, there’s also the Camera kit which allows transfers, so there must be a way to use the 30-pin connector to attach a camera.
I really wish they could have demo’d textbooks on this. Having one of these instead of 50 lbs. of paper stock will be the killer app in my opinion. Highlighting, annotating, multimedia, self quizzing will make iPad textbooks SO much better than traditional ones. The richness of content that can be added will breath new life into educational materials.
I’ll be buying one. This would be a great computer for my very young kids. They can use the iMac we have, but I feel for them everytime they have to switch different applications and navigate the file system and all that other baggage of old skool computing that we take for granted. However, they picked up the iPhone almost immediately and are fluent with it. Also, imagine what kind of a GPS navigation tool this could be! The 3G version has a GPS built-in
I never use the camera on my iMac. I do use the camera on my 3GS daily. This is an ideal device for my needs and it is far more affordable than I ever thought we’d see.
@ecrabb, etc:
I agree about using it at home – but I have quite a few laptops floating around (for the kids and my wife, as well as my own).
I can use them. I agree that for folks who don’t have laptops it’s a possibility.
No mention of MobileMe (that I saw), or multitasking.
For books, I’m happy to use Stanza or FreeBooks on my iPhone. (I like reading old content). I don’t read the NYTimes anyway, and I’m taken aback by the pricing of ebooks. That Kennedy book was $15, if memory serves. While in line with Amazon, it’s a ripoff I think – authors get a tiny fraction, while the publisher has minimal overhead now. Of course, the whole publishing paradigm is starting to change anyway, with print-on-demand.
But back on point, I’ll hold out at least for version 2…
I just don’t think it’s going to sell anywhere near as well as the iPhone does. And I don’t buy into the ‘magic’.
Frankly, I still miss my old 12 inch powerbook; if there was a MacBook (or Pro) with the same form factor, I’d grab it.