Apple launch iPad
Apple is among the top ten brands in the world, and according to Millward Brown’s annual BrandZ research, had the biggest increase in brand value last year, moving up to seventh place globally. It has achieved this with products like the iPhone and the iTouch, and its popular MACs. Apple devotees are fiercely loyal and incredibly enthusiastic.
Apple are also experts at creating a buzz about new products and the industry waits with bated breath for the latest innovation to be revealed in a dynamic launch by their CEO, Steve Jobs. So, as the latest toy is announced this week, will it live up to the expectations and the hype?
Enter the iPad. Steve Jobs has long been convinced that there is a gap waiting to be filled between the smartphone and the laptop. The iPad, it is claimed, will do just that. But is it a just a particularly pretty notebook?
What was revealed on Wednesday in San Francisco looks like a giant iPhone, and has already generated pages and pages of comments, compliments, criticisms and controversy all over the internet and even into print! Apple, of course, has control over every element of the iPad: they’ve designed the batteries and the silicon, they’ve overseen every aspect of the design, technological, commercial and software elements, down to the A4 chips.
It is sleek and beautiful, weighing in at around 1.5lbs. It has a 9.7 inch multi-touch display and is only half an inch thick. The iPad is based on a 1 Ghz Apple processor, and has 16, 32 or 64 GB of flash memory. Prices start at $499 for 16GB flash memory and wi-fi connectivity. The top spec has 64GB storage and the ability to connect via a mobile 3G signal at $829.
The overwhelming question being asked after the launch seemed to be “Why would I need one?” The general feeling was that it could do nothing that the iPhone couldn’t, even though it could do it on a slightly larger screen. It has limited basic functions built in, but will work on the same premise that users (read addicts) will download apps from the massive new selection available. IPhones and iPads can also be synchronised so that existing apps will be transferred.
Once having used it, though, the general consensus was that the iPad provided a much improved experience when browsing the web as the whole page could be viewed. The software keyboard is easier to use for anybody used to the iPhone too, with bigger keys and better spacing between them.
A major disappointment seems to be that there is still no Flash. Apple appear to be taking the view that Flash is redundant and that it won’t be necessary with
HTML-5. It does play high-definition films and YouTube videos.
The other major drawback which has left the tech world decidedly underwhelmed is the inability to multi-task, begging the question “Who is the iPad aimed at?” It would make sense for somebody casually surfing, emailing and Facebook poking, to be able to listen to music and whizz in and out of the occasional worksheet or document. Those actually wishing to work, would be on the far more grown-up laptop and everybody else will be on their iPhones. Those who like to work with photos will also be disappointed as there is no camera, video camera or webcam.
Although there is the option of connecting to the iPad via a conventional keyboard, the whole design is based around touch-screen scrolling and typing via on-screen keyboards as on the iPhone. It is unlikely that any user with more than a tweet’s worth of words to type will find this an attractive option. Having said that Stephen Fry is one of the first to sing its praises.
Like most other Apple products, the iPad is designed to work with the rest of the family, and not to make it easy to work with non-Apple hardware and software. There is no USB port, so an adaptor would be needed to convert from the iPod/iPhone connection.
The inside few who managed to get a “hands-on” experience after the launch have mostly been impressed by how responsive and fast it is to use, and Steve Jobs himself made much of its speed (particularly in comparison to notebooks), but the jury still seems to be out on whether this is a winning or a fall-flat-on-its-face moment for the mighty Apple. I seem to remember a similarly luke-warm initial response to the iPhone, though, and baby, look at it now!
At the very least, maybe Steve should have taken better advice about the name and its connotations for women. A lot of website owners/bloggers are puzzled as to the level of hype afforded to the launch of a sanitary product.
The iPad is expected to be available from June 2010 in the UK and pricing is yet to be announced.
Comments
By Jacko on January 30th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Don’t know what all the fuss is about it’s just a giant iphone
By Eddie on January 31st, 2010 at 11:28 am
The name alone sounds like an eye patch, no usb can’t multitask and no flash dont get it ??????