For regular people who have average interests in technologically advanced gadgets, the iPad is perceived to be just another expensive instrument from Apple. By average interests, we mean those who do not make it a point to research a newly launched product nor visit the manufacturer’s website with passion.
If they decide to visit Apple’s website, they probably have been influenced to purchase the gadget as a result of media buzz and bullish marketing. Non-techies will not think about its pros and cons just yet; what they really want to know is, what exactly is an iPad and what does it do?
The iPad is a mobile computer; it is considered to be revolutionary because it is neither a laptop nor a personal digital assistant. It is unique in its own right most especially because of its tablet frame. It is slightly larger than a netbook by an inch and it does not have a keypad. Its multi-touch screen interface is the basic input method for this device; however, it can also be docked onto a keyboard accessory for fuss-free typing. In addition to its multi-touch screen, the iPad is also programmed to be multi-oriented, so the user can tilt the frame from portrait to landscape according to his preference. Multi-touch means that the user can “tap” and “drag” two items on the display at once by using fingers.
The iPad is mainly designed for information consumption in the form of Web browsing, media, and gaming. Additionally, it can be used to create documents and similar content on a lighter level. The iPad is powered by thousands of apps that allow this device to perform at high-speed rate.
Documents, spreadsheets and slide-show presentations can be created through iWork, which is Apple’s answer to Microsoft Office. As for the entertainment apps, there are plenty to choose from.
Basically, the default browser is Safari, which also happens to be created and designed by Apple engineers. As of late, Opera Mini has become available to iPad users as an alternative Web browser.
Media consumption is one of the best offerings of the iPad. The crisp screen resolution lends justice to images, videos and e-books. The enhanced speaker system provides a great output for music and audio.
Internet connectivity is powered by Wi-Fi and 3G. It possesses the highest speed in wireless Internet technology that overrides the speed of the hotspot offered in a specific location. To connect to a 3G network, the user must insert a 3G SIM card from a service provider. Once the owner has completed the 3G network service application, he can switch from Wi-Fi to 3G connection anytime.
App icons are used to organize the iPad display. The user can select his frequently used apps onto his Favorites section and these can be easily accessed.
It sounds like a pretty interactive device, which is what all gadgets are about. Techie experts suggest that consumers should wait a bit longer for the iPad to mature into the industry so we may all see what it can offer that our regular PCs and media devices cannot.
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Many waited in line for the release of Apple’s ‘revolutionary’ tablet PC, the iPad. But many, too, shrugged their shoulders with indifference and dissatisfaction over the fact that this almighty device would not deliver on its promise. Well, these two opposing views clearly show how polarized people are with iPad. Let us take a look at a few things that make iPad a not-so-hot item for some.
iPad 2.0 will be available soon, so why bother?
This is a big issue. The currently released iPad is a big disappointment for many and that doesn’t help much with Apple’s efforts to make its newest tablet PC a big hit. Whether the disappointments of the general public – techies, mostly – are justified or not, it still hurts Apple’s sales. It still, in many ways, discouraged quite a huge number of people from buying the product.
But on top of this issue is the expectation that Apple will release a new, upgraded version soon. (Maybe this time, iPad will come with a built-in camera.) People would rather wait for the upgraded version, which many expect will offer a substantially improved version of its predecessor. Following this line of thinking, people would rather wait for one full year or two than dole out their more than $500 on a device that will soon be replaced.
It doesn’t support Flash.
Ok, big deal. Apple seems to have a thing for Adobe’s Flash, a standard on the web. Flash is what most websites and rich media are built with. It’s the program that runs videos, audios and games that have saturated the online world. But Apple seems not to like it. The company prefers a more stable, less vulnerable to hack platform. It prefers its own HTML5. It only makes perfect sense that all Apple’s products – iPad included – runs on this platform and not on Flash.
What most people don’t quite get though is that nearly all websites on the internet use Adobe Flash. For the end users, this means that when visiting websites using iPad’s browser, Safari – glorious and beautiful as it is – there would still be some problems that may be encountered. Big problems. No Hulu and HBO for now, buddy.
No built-in camera. Na ah.
Before Steve Jobs formally presented iPad to the public, everyone thought it’s a no-brainer that Apple will attach a camera to the device. Apparently, iPad doesn’t carry one and there seems to be no clear indication that iPad 2.0 will have one. For now, iPad can’t be used for taking snapshots of yourself or for making video calls over Skype or YM.
You only get to multitask when running Apple’s native applications.
iPad runs on iPhone’s OS, fine. What is not okay though is that the same limitations on iPhone are experienced with the iPad. Say goodbye to multitasking.
If you are a regular user and if you see iPad as nothing more than a sophisticated, multifunctioning multimedia player/toy/laptop hybrid, it won’t be much of a problem. But if you live your life online, you’ll be stumped. There is no way you can listen to iTunes while making a video call using Skype.
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Is the iPad leading to e-book piracy? – Yahoo! News
The launch of the iPad may have had unintended consequences. The platform, positioned as an alternative to the Amazon Kindle and other e-book readers, may be encouraging piracy of those e-books.
TorrentFreak is reporting that downloads of popular books over BitTorrent — a commonly Read the rest of this entry »
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