Apple iPad Launch and Why I Hate Enagdet
Apple have finally unleashed the details of their new tablet. I am not really an Apple fan nor an iPhone fan despite how good it actually is, however this is cool and something that might pull me to the Apple world. Anyway… the is the spec they released is below.Its like a large iPhone with true multi-touch screens. And its coming in at $499. I have not found anything concrete on when it will hit the European shores and more specifically, Ireland!
Oh and by the way, I hate Engadget. Ya ya, I know they give great news stories and show off cool gadgets. But I hate them for that. They already have a full hands on of the iPAD!!! Maybe someday that’ll be Tech N Life… A blogger can dream, can’t he?
This is the Engadget breakdown:
Here are some initial thoughts on the iPad:
- It’s not light. It feels pretty weighty in your hand.
- The screen is stunning, and it’s 1024 x 768. Feels just like a huge iPhone in your hands.
- The speed of the CPU is something to be marveled at. It is blazingly fast from what we can tell. Webpages loaded up super fast, and scrolling was without a hiccup. Moving into and out of apps was a breeze. Everything flew.
- There’s no multitasking at all. It’s a real disappointment. All this power and very little you can do with it at once. No multitasking means no streaming Pandora when you’re working in Pages… you can figure it out. It’s a real setback for this device.
- The ebook implementation is about as close as you can get to reading without a stack of bound paper in your hand. The visual stuff really helps flesh out the experience. It may be just for show, but it counts here.
- No camera. None, nada. Zip. No video conferencing here folks. Hell, it doesn’t have an SMS app!
- It’s running iPhone OS 3.2.
- The keyboard is good, not great. Not quite as responsive as it looked in the demos.
- No Flash confirmed. So Hulu is out for you, folks!
Stay tuned for a lot more — including a full video walkthrough!
Technical Specifications
Size and weight
- Height:
- 9.56 inches (242.8 mm)
- Width:
- 7.47 inches (189.7 mm)
- Depth:
- 0.5 inch (13.4 mm)
- Weight:
- 1.5 pounds (.68 kg) Wi-Fi model;
- 1.6 pounds (.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model

Display
- 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
- 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
- Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
- Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Wireless and Cellular
Wi-Fi model
- Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
Wi-Fi + 3G model
- UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
- GSM/EDGE (850, 900,1800, 1900 MHz)
- Data only2
- Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
Location
- Wi-Fi
- Digital compass
- Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
- Cellular (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
In the Box
- iPad
- Dock connector to USB cable
- 10W Power Adapter
- Documentation
Environmental Status Report
iPad embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:
- Arsenic-free display glass
- BFR-free
- Mercury-free LCD display
- PVC-free
- Recyclable aluminum and glass enclosure
Capacity
- 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive
Processor
- 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
Sensors
- Accelerometer
- Ambient light sensor
Audio Playback
- Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
- Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
- User-configurable maximum volume limit
TV and Video
- Support for 1024 x 768 with Dock Connector to VGA adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Composite A/V Cable, 576i and 480i with Apple Composite A/V Cable
- H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
Mail attachment support
- Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)
Languages
- Language support for English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian
- Keyboard support for English (US) English (UK), French (France, Canada), German, Japanese (QWERTY), Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian
- Dictionary support for English (US), English (UK), French, French (Canadian), French (Swiss), German, Japanese, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting, Pinyin), Russian
Accessibility
- Support for playback of closed-captioned content
- VoiceOver screen reader
- Full-screen zoom magnification
- White on black
- Mono audio
Battery and Power
- Built-in 25Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
- Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
- Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system
Input and Output
- Dock connector
- 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack
- Built-in speakers
- Microphone
- SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only)
External buttons and controls
- On/Off, Sleep/wake
- Mute
- Volume up/down
- Home
Mac system requirements
- Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
- Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later
- iTunes 9.0 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
- iTunes Store account
- Internet access
Windows system requirements
- PC with USB 2.0 port
- Windows 7, Windows Vista; Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later
- iTunes 9.0 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
- iTunes Store account
- Internet access
Environmental requirements
- Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
- Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)
- Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
- Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
| Print article | This entry was posted by Konrad Walsh-(admin) on January 27, 2010 at 21:43, and is filed under Hardware & Software, Phones. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |










about 6 months ago
Looks more like a fancy Internet/Media browsing gizmo, than a full-fledged computer (PC or Mac) replacement.
iPhone OS? And no multi-tasking, no camera, no Flash!?!?! It’s a big iPhone with fewer functions!
I kind of thought it would be running the full Mac OS. I thought it would be a full Mac laptop… just without the keyboard. But that is obviously not the case.
I’m sure it’s a great screen as far as resolution and responsiveness is concerned, and the price seems surprisingly affordable to me but, not being an Apple man myself either, I don’t think this will win me over.
I’m more interested to see how things develop on the HP Slate/Windows 7 front. As far as I know, the Slate IS a full-fledged laptop with no keyboard, running the FULL Windows 7 OS.
Correct me if I’m wrong…
about 6 months ago
I think your right and after watching the Apple promo I was buoyed up but after thoughts have settled in.
No multi-tasking is the biggest loser for me.. That is why I hated the iPhone.
about 6 months ago
looks pretty cool i guess, but must agree with ya there, no multi tasking, what is the point in releasing something that cannot multi task.
Also i do believe it doesn’t even have a usb port
Not impressed with apple, never really have been.
Another let down for me anyway, except their screens, i must say i do like their screens