Steve Jobs unveils Apple iPad tablet

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Posted on 27 Jan 2010 at 18:28

Apple Messiah Steve Jobs has announced the iPad, the firm's long rumoured tablet device.

Jobs said that there is room for a third device between the smartphone and the laptop, but it has to be better than both of them at tasks such as web browsing, email, photos, e-books and videos.

"Some thought that netbooks were the answer, but they aren't better at anything," proclaimed Jobs.

The iPad is powered by a 1GHz Apple A4 processor, which is probably based on ARM technology, but Jobs didn't elaborate. In terms of wired connectivity, there's a 30-pin dock connector, as well as speaker and microphone sockets.

When it comes to wireless connectivity, the iPad includes 802.11n wireless and Bluetooth 2.1 support. Some models will also have built in 3G capabilities - UK pricing hasn't been announced, but it'll be $14.99 for 250MB per month or $29.99 for unlimited data and there's no contract in the US. Instead, you can activate directly on your iPad and the tariffs also include free use of AT&T wireless hotspots.

It weighs 680g and is half an inch thick, but battery life hasn't been compromised - you'll get 10 hours in use and over a month in standby. There's a 9.7in capacitive touchscreen too with a high-quality IPS LCD panel. There's also an accelerometer built in, which means Apple considers the iPad as much of a gaming platform as the iPhone and iPod touch - you tilt the iPad to control games.

The interface is very similar to the iPhone's and looks to be running a modified version of the iPhone OS - we'll have to wait and see if there's a new version of iPhone OS announced later in his keynote. As a result, it runs all of the 140,000+ applications in the App Store right from the get go - what's more, you'll instantly be able to use applications you've already purchased for your iPhone. These can either run in a window pixel-for-pixel or be zoomed to 200 per cent in full screen mode.

Developers can also target the iPad's screen size directly if they want, thanks to the introduction of the new iPhone OS SDK which is released today.

It'll come in 16, 32 and 64GB storage capacities. Prices will start at $499 for the 16GB WiFi-only model, going up to $599 for the 32GB and $699 for the 64GB model. With built in 3G, prices are $629, $729 and $829.

Worldwide availability will be in 60 days for the WiFi model and 90 days for 3G models.

In terms of accessories, there are two that Apple is announcing today - the first is a standard dock, the second is a keyboard dock and the third is a case.

Sadly, we're not convinced that the iPad is the answer to a problem - especially when we consider some of its glaring omissions. When Jobs said that netbooks were rubbish, we found ourselves agreeing with him, but the same can be said about the iPad. Where's the multi-tasking (and we don't mean advanced multi-tasking, merely extensions of what you can do if you use the built-in iPod application - being able to listen to Spotify while browsing the web is the main target here), Flash and video conferencing support - never mind the built-in memory card slot?

They're conspicuously absent, that's where - what we've got is a device that's undoubtedly sleek and stylish, and built to Apple's high standards, but it's not better than anything already out there in many ways. It's designed for consuming certain types of content in new, experimental ways, and while it may well be better than some other devices, it's inherently limited by some of Apple's design choices. Moreover, you're unlikely to have much change from £400 for the entry-level model when it arrives in the UK, so it's not a particularly cheap experiment if you decide to give it a go.

Author: Tim Smalley