On first look at the IPad you might wonder what the point of it is.
Its not a laptop and its not a phone, its somewhere in between. To buy into the IPad is to buy into the Apple brand. It is not surprising that most IPhone users gravitate onto buying an IPad.
So lets have a look at the detail.
IPad has been split into two major releases : IPad 1 & IPad 2.
IPad 1 was released in April 2010.
9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology. 1024-by-768-pixel resolution.
16GB flash drive with 1Ghz Apple A4 custom-designed system on a chip.
Wi-Fi , Bluetooth + EDR technology
Ipad 2 was released in March 2011.
Techy detail :
9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology.
1 GHz dual-core Apple A5 custom-designed processor.
16gb, 32gb, 64gb capacity available.
Forward facing and rear facing cameras.
Wi-Fi
Apple’s iOS 4 and access to Apple’s app store.
The IPad2′s main advantage over its predecessor is that is about 30% thinner, thinner screen, camera and a dual core processor which according to Apple is twice as fast as IPad1.
The Ipad itself has a 9.7 inch LCD screen which responds to touch like a standard Smartphone. The display has fingerprint and scratch resistant technology included. However, this is disputed by various owners of IPad’s who report their units scratching very easily and becoming gummed up with fingerprint grease.At best, it is fair to say that the screen “reduces” these annoying side effects of touching the screen.
The screen also responds to light levels using a sensor to adjust the brightness of the display to save eyesight.
The display also features a “3-axis accelerometer” which is a sensor which switches between portrait and landscape modes. This comes into play to lock the screen depending on whether you like to hold it sideways or longs (think of a rectangle). It can infact be turned anywhich way and the screen will flip and adjust accordingly.
The iPad 2 also added a 3-axis gyroscope that is to be used in the main by “physics” games requiring movement of the tablet.
There are four physical switches on the iPad itself, a home button, and three plastic physical switches on the sides: wake/sleep and volume up/down and a third button whose function has changed with subsequent software updates.
The original iPad had no camera. The iPad 2 comes with a front VGA camera and a back 5 times digital 720p camera. Both capable of taking photo’s and vids in a 4:3 ratio.
The iPad uses an internal rechargeable lithium battery. Apple claims that the battery for both generations of iPad can provide up to 10 hours of video, 140 hours of audio playback, or one month on standby. Like any battery technology, the iPad’s battery loses capacity over time, but is not designed to be user-replaceable. It can be recharged by a standard USB port from a computer.
The IPad only runs its own software which can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store and other program’s from specifically registered licensee’s. Almost all third-party iPhone applications are also fully compatible and can be displayed as Iphone sized or full screen display.
The actual OS (Operating System, think windows!) depending on who you speak to could be one of the biggest drawbacks of the IPad as it is the same OS as the IPhone which on a larger device leaves some room for annoyances which should be relegated to just the IPhone. To newbies this is different to the Window’s setup, but to most Iphone users (and most of these go onto purchase the Ipad) it is fundamentally the same.
The iPad comes with several built in applications, including Safari browser, Mail, Photos, Video, YouTube, iPod, iTunes, App Store, iBooks, Maps, Notes, Calendar, Contacts, and Spotlight Search.
The IPad can also be used to make phone calls over the Wi-Fi Voip application using a headset.
You can also buy a plethora of physical acessories, including screen protectors, carry cases and stylus pens.
So there you have it, other than these features mentioned above the Ipad is constantly evolving, always being updated and new features will come out over time.
What the average user needs to workout for themselves is whether the Ipad is for them, if they own an IPhone, love Apple products or are looking to get into Apple then this might be the product for you.
Like I said about my 3D DS review, try before you buy, either the IPad or IPhone.
