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Apple iPad debuts, falls short of hype, still kinda neat

Posted by Daniel Shain

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10389_main_iPadFrontEngadget.jpg

In case you missed it, the Apple tablet we've been hearing about debuted in an invite only affair in San Francisco around 24 hours ago. So did it live up to the hype? Nope. But that doesn't mean it's not still a pretty cool device.

The first thing you see when you look at the iPad is a .5" thick, 1.5lb 9.7" color LCD display, as well as iPhone OS 3.2. The display is a capacitive, multitouch touchscreen. And it can be yours starting at merely $499.

You might be forgiven for thinking, "Ok cool, what's next!?", and for the shock of disappointment when I tell you there's not much. More or less, that's what's cool about it. It does come with a custom 1GHz custom Apple A4 CPU, which by all accounts is snappy. The 1024x768 display is supposed to be brilliant. Battery life extends to 10 hours. And yah, you can play games and run apps on it, including an expected iBookstore app. There are a number of features that were expected/hoped/prayed for that just didn't come though.

There's no camera. That means no video conferencing, which many were hoping for. There's no multitasking, which not only makes us raise our eyebrows as to just how great that CPU really is, but also results in a pretty stilted full-notebook experience. And at the same time, it's heavier and thicker than even a Kindle DX and certainly not pocketable like our phones, so it's not going to emulate an eReader/iPhone experience completely either. And there is no flash, so your online video viewing options are not as good as they could be. Lest we forget, there is no phone-calling aspect to the iPad either.

It will run all iPhone apps and many new ones will rapidly be developed for it, and it's probably a good idea to withhold a final verdict until we see what happens with that. There is potential for apps to do a lot more with the custom CPU and real estate than they could on the iPhone, and if it's realized, it will wildly increase the appeal of the iPad.

An interesting side-note is what people are calling a potential market bungle by Apple in calling it the iPad. I'm male, and apparently most males missed this along with me, but many women were immediately reminded of feminine products when they heard the name. Were you? The justification is that iPad sticks closest to the naming convention we're used to from Apple - iPad sounds more like iPod, iPhone and even iMac than iSlate or iTablet, etc. - but it will be interesting to see if this negatively affects buyers who are on the fence about the product. I wouldn't think it would deter anyone who really wants to try one of these out though.

As far as price, the minimum you can pay is $499 as I said above, but let's be honest, you're going to want 3G, and that isn't going to give it to you. 3G compatibility will cost you $130 as well as $30 a month for unlimited connectivity from AT&T (thankfully not on a contract), or $15 a month for an impossibly low 250MB. That base will also net you only 16GB of storage - upgrading to 32GB/64GB will have a WiFi base of $599/$699 respectively. No matter how you slice it, it will be below the $999 price many were expecting from Apple.

Steve Jobs spoke about how there was a need for a product in between the notebook and the smartphone, saying netbooks were really just worse at everything and not capable of filling that need. I'm not really sure what the iPad is better at than notebooks/smartphones though, except maybe as far as eReading goes, but then I'm not sure it's better than the Kindle beyond the color screen which shreds battery life from 1 week (the Kindle) to 10 hours (the iPad).

Right now, it's hard to find the mass appeal of the iPad underneath the cavalcade of hype that has fallen on it. It is, however, the largest, slickest touchscreen in the world, powered by an OS that has been extremely popular (albeit on a different device) and a powerful custom CPU. No, it didn't live up to the impossible hype, but it could be something great... maybe. Less than 24 hours after it's debut, the jury's still out. What's your take?

Here's a few pics for you to ogle at, courtesy of Engadget's hands-on experience (click to enlarge).

iPad



iPad



iPad



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Comments

  • By: monicauk Mar 08, 2010 11:03 PM

    This is such a cool device. I am look forward to its release. Regards, http://www.higrade.com

  • By: Daniel Feb 02, 2010 4:44 PM

    @jasonit - It's true, that will be something to watch when the breakdowns come out. It's supposed to be quite snappy at single tasking on the iPad, but the move in this direction could signal bigger changes for Apple ahead.

    @kylara - I bet a lot of people are in your boat - seems silly for Apple to exclude those things, but then they have to sell you accessories somehow (not for flash, but USB).

    @grout - me too!

  • By: grout seale Feb 01, 2010 8:12 AM

    looking forward to its release...

    harish@ grout sealer

  • By: grout sealer Feb 01, 2010 8:10 AM

    looking forward to its release...

  • By: kylara Jan 31, 2010 12:30 AM

    Female. Instantly thought of menstrual products. But why am I not buying it? The lack of USB drive and Flash.

    In other words, the name isn't the product killer, the product is the product killer.

  • By: kylara Jan 31, 2010 12:30 AM

    Female. Instantly thought of menstrual products. But why am I not buying it? The lack of USB drive and Flash.

    In other words, the name isn't the product killer, the product is the product killer.

  • By: jasonit Jan 30, 2010 2:46 AM

    Just 56 days more for the WiFi only iPad to be released. The most exciting thing for me is that Apple has restarted using their own chips, instead of the Intel ones. Perhaps the A4 will be better than the Intel Atom ? Online PhD Degree Programs

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