Since at least September (and, really, quite a bit of time before then), rumors and speculation have abounded about Apple’s amazing new tablet device. How big was it going to be? What OS would it run? What price points are we looking at? How would it integrate with our current systems? How many unicorns would it be brought in upon the backs of?
Well, the waiting is over. Today, Apple introduced it’s new product, the unfortunately-named iPad.
We’ll save the pondering of the intangibles for later, once it’s all had some time to sink in. For now, let’s take a look at what is being offered.
- It’s fairly compact—half an inch thick, 9.56″ tall and 7.47″ wide—and it weighs in at about 1.5 pounds.
- It sports a 9.7″ backlit LED Multi-touch display that runs at a 1024×768 pixel resolution.
- The iPad is powered by a 1GHz Apple A4 processor.
- All iPhone apps will run natively, both in standard size and in full screen via pixel doubling.
- A version of iWork for the iPad will be available, with many of the features found in the full version.
- All the “Standard” applications from the iPhone (Safari, Mail, Maps, YouTube, etc.) are updated to work additional features like the new pop-up menus.
- iBooks is the new feature, with a built-in store, much like the iTMS or the App Store. Books are sent/saved in the EPUB format.
- Adapters will be available to export 1024×768 resolutions via VGA, or up to 576 and 480p.
- The battery supports up to 10 hours of Web surfing via Wi-Fi, watching video or listening to music. In standby mode, it’ll be good for up to a month on a full charge.
- An optional keyboard dock is available, and it will also work with an Apple Wireless keyboard.
- Apple will also offer a “camera connection kit” which will allow you to plug your camera in via USB or use an SD card to import pictures.
- WiFi connectivity is available on all models
- A version with 3G data connectivity will be available, with 2 Data plans via AT&T – 250MB/month for $14.99 or unlimited for $29.99
- The WiFi-only versions will be available within 60 days. The “WiFi+3G” version will be available in about 90 days.
- Pricing for the unit itself breaks down as follows:
16GB 32GB 64GB WiFi $499 $599 $699 WiFi+3G $629 $729 $829
That’s the “hard data” rundown. However, there is a lot more to this device that can’t be broken down into technical specifications. Stay tuned to the OWC Blog for a closer look into the pros and cons of the new iPad.
