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Apple on Wednesday unveiled its long-anticipated tablet computer, the "iPad," at a media event in San Francisco. The device, which will cost between $500 and $830 when it ships in coming months, is a half-inch thin, weighs 1.5 lbs., and sports a 9.7-inch display with virtual keyboard, built-in speakers and microphone. "It looks like, well, a big iPhone, pretty much as anticipated," The New York Times wrote on its live blog of the event.The device will be available with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of Flash-based storage. For connectivity, it features free AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots, Bluetooth and AT&T 3G service, costing $15 for up to 250MB of data per month, to $29 per month for unlimited data.
Pricing for the iPad will depend on amount of memory and whether the version supports 3G; a 16GB version without 3G costs $500, while the 3G version will sell for $630.
Apple said the iPad offers 10 hours of battery life, with over a month of standby life. On the software front, the iPad will ship with a built-in calendar, address book, Maps application, and iTunes Store.
For the iPad, users can access applications as they would appear on the iPhone, or in automated "pixel-doubled" version that makes the apps run "full screen." The company also said developers will be able to modify their applications to take advantage of the iPad's larger display.
A new iBooks application for the iPad will let users download e-books directly from the iTunes Store in the EPUB format. Apple touted support from publishers including Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Hachette.
Several of the bloggers covering the event reiterated a potential concern with regard to watching long-form video on a tablet computer: that a user would have to prop the device up on her lap, or else peer down at it resting on a flat surface -- with the alternative being to hold it at an angle for two-plus hours during a movie. A dock accessory announced appears to serve as a prop for the device; Apple will also a physical keyboard accessory for the iPad, that doubles as a battery charger.
Models without 3G will ship in 60 days, while the 3G models will ship in 90; while pre-orders are not yet available, the company is offering an email notification service.
Jeff @ NOW2K
