Apple’s iPad is ‘entirely new category of device’

Apple’s eagerly anticipated iPad is being touted by the company’s chief executive Steve Jobs as ‘an entirely new category of device’ at its launch.

At 13mm thick and 680gm in weight, Apple claims the iPad is thinner and lighter than any other laptop or netbook. 

Twelve bespoke ‘multi-touch’ apps have been designed for the iPad which will be able to run ‘almost all’ of the 140 000 apps in the App Store – originally designed for the iPhone and iTouch.

The iPad promises to act as a device for Web browsing and e-mailing, viewing photos and videos, listening to music, playing games and reading e-books.

The screen can be used in portrait and landscape modes, images will be in HD and users can ‘flip through pages’ on the gadget, which will offer up to ten hours of battery life.

Speculation had suggested the device, which will cost between £300-£500, would be known as the iTablet.

Kin Design partner Kevin Palmer says his consultancy has anticipated the arrival of the device by developing a series of training programmes for clients involving six touchscreen units connected through a wireless network.

However, he adds that the gaming experiment is reliant on cameras. ‘The iPad doesn’t have a camera, which is a disappointment, but [Apple] might phase that in for later versions,’ Palmer says. ‘It can’t run two apps at the same time, either.’

Palmer continues, ‘We will be getting one, though, to use for training exercises and to see what we can develop.’

Hide Comments (7)Show Comments (7)
Comments
  • Michael November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Do I need one? Probably not.
    Do I want one? Without a shadow of a doubt!

  • Tim November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    It’s intended to fit a niche between smartphones & laptops. From the specs & reviews I’ve seen it does all the functions from the former, but a fraction from the latter.
    Essentially a big iTouch.

  • Oliver November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Incredible… looking forward to seeing what it can do in the future with Photoshop and Illustrator!

  • Rich November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    er, yes of course it would be lighter than a note book – unless of course you removed the keyboard from that too!
    And yes I want one.

  • Lucy Ryder November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Again i want one but not sure if i need one as it definitely could not replace my laptop which has 15 pieces of graphic and web design software on it – but intrigued to see if they enable us to run these programs on it in the future…??
    http://www.ladiesshoessize8.org.uk

  • Marlon November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Looks great. Can’t wait to see what apple will do with the 3D patent that they have for it….what, you didn’t know? Get ready for something that’s out of this world!

  • Marc November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I honeslty think I do need one. Fed up trying to read my favourite blogs and news sites around the house on either iPhone (too small) or MacBook (too cumbersome) I think Steve has hit the nail on the head with this – for consumers it’s for home browsing without being at your desk. For businesses it’s about whatever you can write an app for!

  • Post a comment

Latest articles