It’s almost May 28th and iPad finally has its Canadian immigration papers! Apple’s firm control on their message managed to get a chunk of work that I wrote kaiboshed, so rather than let it go to waste, I’m reposting it here with the hopes that it might be useful to some. If it reads like an ad don’t be shocked: it was one.
iPad is here.
With design accents that reference iPhone and iPod Touch, iPad features a 9.7″ capacitive touchscreen. It’s got a wide 178º viewing angle, a brilliant 1024×768 HD display, and a convenient bezel surrounding the screen so you can grip it easily.
It’s incredibly light, at just 1.5lbs and just half an inch thin. There’s a Home button on the bottom of the unit, to return you to the home screen–just like iPhone or iPod touch. There are over 1000 sensors inside, including those for touch, acceleration, and tilt; just like iPhone, iPad knows how you’re handling it and responds accordingly. You’ll find a 30-pin dock connector on the bottom (that’s the same connector that works for almost every iPod out there right now) as well as a jack for a 3.5mm headset, a speaker, and a microphone.
Internally there’s Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR and Wireless N in all models, with the 3G models also sporting a cellular radio. (iPad uses UMTS/HSDPA and GSM/EDGE). A brand new 1GHz Apple A4 processor drives the lightning fast user-interface, and the package includes an internal battery that runs for 10 hours continuously (including watching HD video) with up to 1 month of standby time.
Serious software.
iPad replicates some of the iPhone experience in that it doesn’t multitask directly; apps switch quickly and cleanly. Running Safari, you’ll find the real Internet waiting for you, compliant with open standards like HTML5, giving you fantastic compatibility with the Internet how it appears today and what it will be like tomorrow and beyond. Browse the web and see whole pages at one time, with simple multitouch gestures for navigation–pinch zoom, rotate, and more, just like iPhone.
Getting your Mail on iPad is a great experience; you’ll find fullscreen access to your inbox, with quick drop-down previews. iPad works with all major email providers, letting your receive and compose mail almost instantly.
Accessorize!
Customize your iPad experience with a whole range of iPad accessories. Add a photo-frame dock to enjoy the HD screen for pictures or movies when you’re not toting it around, or a keyboard dock for heavy duty composing. The beautiful leather case doubles as a kick-stand, or add a range of 30-pin dock connectors to add SD compatibility or connect your digital camera. iPad is as flexible as you need it to be.
Multi-Media
Media is at home on iPad.
- Photos are crisp and incredibly browse-able. Find the one you love and blow it up to full-screen to share. Zoom, rotate, and flip through your photos easily–you can even use iPad as a beautiful photo frame when it’s not in use.
- Music and video syncs directly from your Mac or PC using iTunes, with direct access to the iTunes Music Store over WiFi or 3G. Get access to all of your playlists, podcasts, and even your favourite shows and movies.
- YouTube is beautiful in full-screen–even in HD–on iPad. Log into your YouTube account and instantly access your favourites and subscriptions, and comment directly from your new portable Internet appliance.
- iBooks is your gateway to reading: use the new iBookstore to find classics and bestsellers, and enjoy a fantastic eBook experience right on your iPad. Reading is a joy when turning a page is only a tap or swipe away. Adjust font sizes and types to customize every book to your specifications.
Applications for life.
On top of Safari and Mail you’ll also find four great built-in applications for everyday life.
- Maps offers a view of the world that you may not have seen with both Street View and Satellite View. Check out the lay of the land with topography, or search for nearby businesses to see what’s close by. Use Assisted GPS on the 3G model to get your bearings and navigate on-the-go.
- Notes will help keep your organized. Compose on fullscreen with iPad in portrait mode, or flip it into landscape and see a list of all of your notes. You’ll never forget a thing with Notes.
- Calendar and Contacts are the ultimate communications tools. Sync with your Mac or PC to organize your life, and get in touch with friends, family, partners, and other contacts easily. The gorgeous interface is ultra-functional, making it possible to get more done without having to wade through menus, lists, or unfriendly address books.
iPad is stacked with useful hardware and software that make it the single most usable ultra-portable ever. Consider the game thoroughly changed.
With iPad it’s easy to see the appeal: Internet everywhere on an ultra-portable with a smart user-interface, incredibly long battery life, and over 140,000 apps to help you get more done. This beautifully designed machine redefines what it means to be a tablet and simultaneous lays a challenge to everyone to improve their connected life. There has never been a device so bold in its ambitions or intentions: iPad aims to show you that there is life between the smartphone and the laptop–and that life there is good.
Whether you’re picking up a WiFi model for home, work, and at WiFi hotspots, or a WiFi+3G model for Internet everywhere, you’ll love the seamless interface of iPad, the speed of iPad, and the sophisticated simplicity of everything that iPad does. iPad isn’t a phone, and it isn’t a computer. It’s something entirely new and different, and I think you’ll love it.
