The Apple iPad: Does It Live Up to the Hype?
It’s been over a week now since the launch of the much-anticipated and overly-hyped about Apple iPad, and most review magazines have already put in their initial thoughts about the device. Since the iPad would somehow have an effect on the ebook reader market, and is even touted as the device that could give the Amazon Kindle a serious run for its money, we thought it best to scour the web for what the tech “experts” have to say about the gadget that has kept everyone buzzing.
Is it another iPhone and iPod in the making, and put the lights out of the Kindle? Let’s take a closer look at its so-called “killer” features.
Great Looks and Feel
First impressions do last and the Apple iPad creates a great one. Almost everyone is in agreement that in the looks department, the iPad comes out with flying colors. It looks pretty as devices go, and those who have had a chance to try it hands-on say that it feels great on the hands as well — a solid feel without being too heavy. At half an inch thick, its 9.7-inch LCD is amazing and is very reactive to the swipes, pokes, and sweeps that you do to a gadget using touchscreen technology.
What It Can Do
While it looks and feels just like an oversized iPhone, the iPad’s capabilities extend beyond what its popular cousin can do. Those who’ve actually tried using it say that the device provides an unmatched surfing experience with web pages loading super fast, plays videos smoothly, and can handle many games pretty well. Most of your existing iPhone applications are immediately usable on the iPad. It can also serve as an ebook reading device, although its huge LCD screen is still not the best for long-form reading. Most bookworms would still prefer the strain-free, glare-free e-ink technology for this.
What It Can’t Do
But while this tablet-PC-slash-ebook-reader has been marketed as one that can practically do anything and everything, many gadget geeks still find it lacking in some areas. For instance, it doesn’t come with a camera so video conferencing isn’t possible here. Also, many are wondering how such a powerful device is unable to support multi-tasking. You open one page and that’s it; no applications running in the background while you’re checking out pages. Other setbacks: it doesn’t support Flash, or come with a stylus, USB port, or SD card slot.
Killer Price?
When it comes to Apple products, and especially one that’s said to create an entirely new device category, we’ve been used to seeing prices that are just way out of reach for the average consumer. But surprisingly, iPad prices start at $499 and not the $999 it was rumored to be. Other models sell for $599, $699, $729, and $829.
Just as the Apple captured the MP3 and the smartphone market with the iPod and the iPhone, the company could also revolutionize the tablet PC industry with the iPad. But not everyone is convinced of that. It still remains to be seen whether the niche for the Apple iPad will really take hold, but for sure, it’s not replacing the Kindle as the gadget for ebook readers anytime soon.