view in one page and print
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/ipad/index.html
Updated April 6, 2010
The iPad is Apple's anxiously awaited entry into the tablet computer market. More than 300,000 were sold when the device went on sale on April 3, 2010.
Steven P. Jobs has positioned the iPad as a device that sits between the laptop and the smart phone, and which does certain things better than both of them, like browsing the Web, reading e-books and playing video.
It also puts Apple on a direct collision course with Amazon. Mr. Jobs credited Amazon with pioneering the category with the Kindle, but said "we are going to stand on their shoulders and go a little bit farther."
There was enormous anticipation leading up to the iPad's formal, onstage unveiling in January 2010. It was common knowledge that media companies hope the device will finally lead to a viable way for them to charge for news, books and other material.
The iPad's features and specifications, once the stuff of Internet myth, have come into sharp focus: The half-inch thick, 1.5-pound device features a 9.7-inch multi-touch screen and is powered by a customized Apple microchip, which it has dubbed A4. The iPad has the same operating system as the iPhone and access to its 140,000 applications.
"The Apple iPad is basically a gigantic iPod Touch," wrote David Pogue, the New York Times technology reviewer. "The simple act of making the multitouch screen bigger changes the whole experience." He said, "Driving simulators fill more of your field of view, closer to a windshield than a keyhole."
Mr. Pogue thought technophiles would be unimpressed: "The bottom line is that you can get a laptop for much less money — with a full keyboard, DVD drive, U.S.B. jacks, camera-card slot, camera, the works. Besides: If you've already got a laptop and a smartphone, who's going to carry around a third machine?"
The price of the device starts at $499 for the most basic model, with a Wi-Fi wireless connection. More expensive models with more memory and with 3G wireless access will cost $629 to $829 depending on storage size.
Because Apple is attempting to popularize a new kind of computing device, acceptance among consumers was expected to be slower than with previous Apple devices. Critics assume that some buyers are waiting for future versions of the iPad to appear, perhaps with a camera or other new features.
In addition to a camera, the iPad lacks the ability to make phone calls and does not work with the ubiquitous Flash software that runs many Web sites.
Apple is selling accessories, like a stand and a keyboard.
On its first day on sale, iPad users downloaded more than one million applications from the company's App Store and more than 250,000 electronic books from its iBookstore.
A new wave of apps is expected in response to the iPad.
The stakes are high. Having an app accepted for a highly coveted Apple product means reaching a passionate group of consumers, one that has demonstrated a willingness to spend over and over again on applications for mobile devices like the iPhone and iPod Touch. The potential revenue is huge; the apps market for those two devices alone is already worth a billion dollars a year in sales.
______________________________________________________________________________
Leave a comment
(if you having troubles, try posting your comment on this page or send an email to chronicle @ itbhuglobal.org)Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221005, UP