After more than a year of frenzied speculation, Apple finally unveiled its tablet computer in the form of the
iPad. The company still had some surprises, most notably a starting price of just $499, which is cheaper than an unlocked iPhone.
apple mac tablet ipad
The iPad is designed by Apple ‘for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, playing games, reading eBooks, and much more’. It will be available in US starting in March, but other markets including the UK will have to wait until later this year. Looking somewhat like an overgrown iPod
touch, the iPad is based around a multitouchenabled, 9.7in backlit-LED display. It’s just 0.5in thick and weighs only 700g. The light, compact form factor is important, as Apple is explicitly targeting the iPad as a device that, while not as portable as a phone, is still lighter and more convenient than a laptop.
The user interface is a mix between the iPhone and the Mac. The underlying OS is essentially the iPhone OS.
The iPad’s screen uses IPS (in-plane switching), which offers a wide, 178° viewing angle and quick
response times for video so that it displays a clear picture with consistent colours even if you view it from the side.
This is important, as Apple is pitching the device as the best way to consume media, surf the web, play games and read books on the move. Similarly, the company emphasised the iPad’s claimed 10-hour battery life, which is longer than the typical laptop. ‘We use the e-pub format, the most popular open book format in the world,’ said Apple CEO Steve.
