Just like an iPod, it can play music, videos, movies, and surf the Web. The features a MacBook has lent this new product is its ability to create documents through iWork and its size. The iPad's interface is pretty much bigger than a netbook's screen. This relatively large size will enable you to view photos and videos properly.
Despite all of its amazing properties that we were all marketed to believe, it would not be viable to keep this one gadget as replacement for a mobile computer or your iPod.
First, although it has a multi-touch display where you can tap and manipulate the screen at the same time, the iPad cannot multitask. On a regular laptop, we can open several applications while playing music and games. It could even get worse for overconscientious users who open as many programs as they like. On an iPad, you can only open a single program at a time. In order for the user to switch from his Facebook app to iWork, he needs to close the former.
File organization is close to impossible with the iPad. The documents are filed in a single storage bin with the rest of the files in the gadget: think of it as something that resembles Cover Flow on iTunes. The user cannot segregate the documents, so if you need to search for a file, you need to go through a lot of titles.
So what proper use it there for an iPad if it sounds practically impractical? For one, it is useful for people on the go or those whose work requires constant relevant scribbling. These will prove to be of significant value to executive assistants, board meeting attendees, production teams, and marketers. However, it will not work for professors, writers, researchers, accountants, and multitasking geeks. Perhaps it will work for writers but only for taking notes, as writing on a proper computer is more efficient.
A laptop is fussy; if you are on the train and you suddenly come up with a brilliant idea, it will have been lost by the time you are done opening and booting your laptop. If you should decide to store important files on your smartphone or iPod, the screen is just too small for important reading matters.
On the other hand, the iPad is just right; it's lightweight and easy to flip out when the need to jot down important details arises. It is not designed for hardcore computer use but for immediate short-term work. The sharp contrast between the positive and negative reviews about the iPad is such an interesting and enlightening read—it is a must for those who intend to purchase this gadget.
For most of the things we have heard about the iPad, its most popular feature is its tablet design. It sounds aesthetically centered, but beauty is just a secondary consideration when purchasing a gadget. The main purpose for acquiring a gadget is to take advantage of its ability to make the user's life better, whether in business or leisure.
To the average consumer, features make or break the purchasing deal; besides, even if the buyer is not technologically inclined, he will find a way to get to know his newest object of gadgetry affection.
Internet on the iPad is handled by Safari; recently, they have approved the Opera Mini app. Safari is the fastest Web browser in the world, according to Apple engineers. No doubt about the source definitely, because Apple created Safari. Now, for some reason, they have allowed Opera Mini to be included in the App Store; however, even the app does not support Flash. To those who aspire to continue harvesting their FarmVille crops on the iPad: better luck next time.
The iPad boasts a crisp and advanced split screen-style email application. When the device is placed on a landscape orientation, it displays both the opened message and the list of emails on the inbox with a two-liner preview. Attachments and images are displayed by default alongside the text in the message. For some reason, the split-screen inbox reminds me of Outlook; I don't know, I could be confused.
Graphics are highly appreciated with iPad's vivid color display. It utilises IPS or in-plane switching that allows for an extremely wide angle so you can look at your pictures from various points and still get a good view. Same goes for viewing maps on the iPad; its spacious screen and interactive display will allow the user to manipulate and zoom the map for better resolution.
For persons who enjoy viewing and collecting photos, there are several ways to store pictures in the iPad. You can import photos from your digital camera or SD card using the iPad Camera Connection Kit, an accessory that is sold separately. You can also synchronize the iPad to your computer using iTunes and—voila!—you have successfully incorporated photos into your iPad.
Videos and movies are great to watch on the iPad for its wide screen effect and crisp display. The battery can run for ten hours so you can watch movies to your heart's delight without having to deal with a blinking power indicator. YouTube has created an app specially designed for Apple computers to make up for the absence of Flash in the device.
Naturally, the iPad—like all other Apple computers—powers its entertainment and file sharing features through iTunes. This application will enable the user to share, download, and purchase media content such as music, videos, and photos.
Of course, the mother of all Apple apps is the App Store, where the user can purchase applications and content to be stored in the iPad. About 150,000 applications have been created and the numbers keep on growing as the iPad begins to respond to consumer demands.
Since the iPad's introduction to the public in January 2010, it has suffered unwieldy criticism from Apple antagonists. These groups of Apple non-enthusiasts have called the iPad a regretful piece of appliance at the least.
However, from the point of view of neutral commentators, there emerged a set of logic to explain the seemingly exclusive structure of the iPad.
The most popular perceived deficiency of the iPad in terms of software is its lack of Flash support. Flash is used in most websites; it is supported by all major Web browsers (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera) except for the mobile version of Safari. YouTube is one of the most popular websites that utilize Flash for its videos.
Apple makes up for the lack of Flash support by creating and designing apps that are specific to the iPad. For instance, YouTube has a Flash-free app, using H.264, that will run smoothly on the iPad. Safari supports HMTL5, which can display embedded videos more efficiently than Flash-supported websites.
It has been noted several times that multitasking is impossible on the iPad because the user has to close one app before moving onto the other. Critics have panned this issue by taking into consideration the target market for this device.
As an "appliance" for the media consumer, the iPad is meant to play a single program at a time, most likely a video or a movie. It seems plausible since this device is marketed as an instrument to experience richer media; thus, multitasking is not expected.
The same goes with its lack of wired connections, particularly USB and FireWire ports. iPad has a "locked-down" nature that seemed to offend non-Mac users because of its almost elitist appeal. Critics have also answered this concern and their opinion made great sense.
The iPad is designed by Apple so it's only natural for the manufacturer to prefer full control over the software content of the product. It does not matter if the ownership has been transferred to the buyer. The point is that Apple prefers to protect their creation by ensuring that software entered into the device is properly filtered. Besides, they probably have more iPad apps to introduce and it would be unfortunate for them if a different software company would create a brand new application for the iPad before they even thought of it.
Its lack of commonly used hardware features can be easily resolved by purchasing separate accessories, such as the wireless keyboard dock, camera connection, Bluetooth headphones, composite and component AV cables, power adapter and dock connector to VGA adapter. Clearly, these deficiencies have already been considered by Apple engineers before criticism even materialized.
It is not obvious but there seems to be a continuous struggle of the Apple marketing division to insist that the iPad is in fact a media consumption appliance. It should be differentiated from a full desktop or laptop computer and an iPhone and simply be appreciated as a go-between of the two.
Its lack of full phone and computer features establishes that Apple has created a class of its own and might possibly be a successful forerunner in the field of tablet computers.
To quote Steve Jobs, iPad is "the best browsing experience you've ever had". A bold claim, definitely. But coming from a guy who knows his business well, his claim should be taken at face value. Or shouldn’t.
Let's go over it again, iPad offers to beat everyone's 'best' browsing experience. Best, as in the bestest best experience with web browsing. Well, anyone has had a bad day with web browsing. Sometimes, even the most powerful devices in the market can't do as well as expected. So will this sleek, .5 inch thick iPod-Touch-on-steroids device give you the best one you will ever have?
Apparently, it can.
Web browsing experience with iPad is incomparable with other devices out there. It is simply incredible. (Dare we say 'amazing'?).
Yes, it definitely is amazing. Loading websites is fluid, smooth, and fast. With a display screen that offers out of this world touch response, there are so many things you can do. Pinch sections of websites to zoom, scroll down to go to the bottom of the site, display the website in landscape or portrait display – think of anything you want to do with the website and you can do it with an iPad. All using just your finges. It is like discovering web browsing for the first time.
To top these off, you also have the usual perks you get from surfing the web with other personal computing devices like bookmarks bar, tab grid, and toolbar drop downs – all with marked, even spectacular improvement. But do all these give you "the best browsing experience you've ever had"? Well, not exactly.
The main drawback with browsing the internet with iPad – in fact, one of the main things people gripe about iPad in general – is that it does not support Flash, a web standard. Nearly all websites in the world use Flash to seamlessly insert rich media into the webpage. Rich media covers anything and everything from audio and video files, to online games. Entire websites are even made using Flash. Nearly all websites use it. Where there are video files or audio files in the website, there is Flash being used in there somewhere. And since iPad does not support Flash, and may not even consider using Flash, ever, this creates a huge dent in the web browsing experience that can be had with iPad. And while Apple has been quite successful in trying to replace Flash with its own HTML5, the websites that support this tool are probably fewer than 1% of all websites on the web.
So you see, there's a huge problem. Even when Apple has taken web browsing to a newer level and even when Apple ensured that the device has nearly everything that is needed to enhance the experience of browsing the web, end users may still get a generally bumpy experience when surfing online. For an end user like you, you may never expect a perfect visit to many many websites. Certain elements of many websites may not work. And even if they do, they may not work well. If you love visiting websites that are fully supported with Flash, like HBO, for example, you may find that the website will not work on the iPad.
Quite frankly, this love-hate relationship with Flash is a major blow in the browsing experience offered by iPad. Even when surfing with Safari is weirdly brilliant, not being able to load some of websites' contents may prove to be a very frustrating experience.
The commercial craze surrounding iPad gave us the impression that this nifty machine is small enough to trot yet packed with superior apps that would put an ordinary smart phone to shame.
Apple has made it a point, in fact, a selling point, that thousands of apps were designed specifically to iPad consumption. These apps range from the leisurely and educational to the business centered. At present, additional apps are still in the process of been developed to ensure that all kinds of processes are possible to be accomplished in the iPad.
Interesting apps are present in the iPad, which may not appear to be immediately useful, but to some extent, is on a good-to-know basis. For instance, there exists a table of elements app called The Elements that has absolutely no use for corporate individuals and just about everyone else. Unless we are still attached to academic Chemistry or have great propensity to create our own potions, the Table of Elements seems like a whimsical addition to iPad's list of apps. But it does not hurt to find this app, for one, it could come in handy in the face of an alien take-over.
One useful app would be the Epicurious, a comprehensive indexed cookbook. The user could randomly search for a recipe by simply using one of the ingredients names as the search keyword. It will return a list of recipes that includes the key ingredient and the user can further narrow down the search by adding more key recipes.
Other lifestyle apps are offered too that can supplement the Epicurious app such as the Grocery IQ and Mcormick Recipes apps among others.
Games and entertainment apps have a wide array of selection from scholarly to mundane to high speed racing. Even the game apps have been specially redesigned for iPad. Gaming is such a great experience on the iPad because of its rich display, ultra fast processor and multi-orientation screen. The user can flip the tablet from portrait to landscape to better enjoy the gaming activity.
Scrabble and Soduko are two of the most popular educational game puzzles that were integrated into the iPad apps. Puzzle games such as Labyrinth, Monkey Flight, Traffic Rush, Superstar Chef, Bloons Light and more. For the puzzle addict, iPad sounds like a stairway to arcade/puzzle games heaven.
Racing games have so many incarnations in the list of iPad apps such as Real Racing HD, Asphalt 5, F1 2010, Fast Lane Street Racing Lite, Fast and Furious The Game Test Drive, Need for Speed: Undercover among others. There are about hundred of racing games to choose from.
The iPad owner can decide which apps to download on the iPad depending on his lifestyle or tastes. Everything is available on the App Store and almost all of it has been rehashed to adapt to the iPad's specifications. With over a hundred thousand of apps to choose from, it would be impossible not to find one that will spark one's interests.
Many waited in line for the release of Apple's 'revolutionary' tablet PC, the iPad. But many, too, shrugged their shoulders with indifference and dissatisfaction over the fact that this almighty device would not deliver on its promise. Well, these two opposing views clearly show how polarized people are with iPad. Let us take a look at a few things that make iPad a not-so-hot item for some.
iPad 2.0 will be available soon, so why bother? This is a big issue. The currently released iPad is a big disappointment for many and that doesn’t help much with Apple's efforts to make its newest tablet PC a big hit. Whether the disappointments of the general public – techies, mostly – are justified or not, it still hurts Apple's sales. It still, in many ways, discouraged quite a huge number of people from buying the product.
But on top of this issue is the expectation that Apple will release a new, upgraded version soon. (Maybe this time, iPad will come with a built-in camera.) People would rather wait for the upgraded version, which many expect will offer a substantially improved version of its predecessor. Following this line of thinking, people would rather wait for one full year or two than dole out their more than $500 on a device that will soon be replaced.
It doesn’t support Flash. Ok, big deal. Apple seems to have a thing for Adobe's Flash, a standard on the web. Flash is what most websites and rich media are built with. It's the program that runs videos, audios and games that have saturated the online world. But Apple seem not to like it. The company prefers a more stable, less vulnerable to hack platform. It prefers its own HTML5. It only makes perfect sense that all Apple's products – iPad included – runs on this platform and not on Flash.
What most people don’t quite get though is that nearly all websites on the internet use Adobe Flash. For the end users, this means that when visiting websites using iPad's browser, Safari – glorious and beautiful as it is – there would still be some problems that may be encountered. Big problems. No Hulu and HBO for now, buddy.
No built-in camera. Na ah. Before Steve Jobs formally presented iPad to the public, everyone thought it's a no-brainer that Apple will attach a camera to the device. Apparently, iPad doesn’t carry one and there seems to be no clear indication that iPad 2.0 will have one. For now, iPad can’t be used for taking snapshots of yourself or for making video calls over Skype or YM.
You only get to multitask when running Apple's native applications. iPad runs on iPhone's OS, fine. What is not okay though is that the same limitations on iPhone are experienced with the iPad. Say goodbye to multitasking.
If you are a regular user and if you see iPad as nothing more than a sophisticated, multifunctioning multimedia player/toy/laptop hybrid, it won't be much of a problem. But if you live your life online, you'll be stumped. There is no way you can listen to iTunes while making a video call using Skype.
Technology that's revolutionary, unique, and breakthrough—such are the adjectives that were attached to the iPad as it was launched by Apple early this year.
Its launch was arguably graced with one the most massive marketing concepts since the iPhone. Apple has a way of making grandiose statements about their products that result to great commercial interest. Sure, there exists a considerable gap between the positive and negative feedback, but these only fuels up the interest that is surrounding the latest Apple ingenue.
A lot has been said about the iPad's features and performance. iPad detractors have belittled its purported presence in the industry. Most of the comments belie on the gadget's lack of special qualities to actually take over one of the more popular devices today.
It cannot take over the iPod Touch primarily because of the difference in size. The main selling point of the iPod Touch is its handiness. For a relatively miniature piece, the iPod Touch can store so much files and deliver outstanding performance. It can play movies, videos, music, and games. In addition to that, an iPod Touch can connect to the Internet through wireless technology. It is practically the best amongst the slew of music players that came our way.
It cannot take over the iPhone or any smartphone in existence. The iPad does not support SMS, which is an inherent characteristic of a mobile phone. Moreover, it cannot perform the most important mobile feature: voice calls and its advanced sister, video calls. It cannot make video calls mainly because it does not have an integrated camera. It has a detachable camera that is sold separately as an accessory. It sounds fussy, definitely not the kind of device you would like to tote every day.
The iPad cannot take over the ominous laptops, whatever brand is in question. A laptop is heavy duty; its clamshell design protects the screen. It has a keyboard and a mouse and provides various input and output channels such as USB ports, flash drives, memory card slot, CD-ROM and HDMI socket. A laptop is a one-stop device that will enable you to accomplish your tasks in one sitting. Most importantly, a laptop is designed to support multitasking by allowing the user to open and run more than two programs at once.
Although it does have a case, which again, is sold separately. The iPad case is dual purpose; aside from protecting the display screen, it also serves as an iPad stand. A keyboard dock accessory is also available for those who prefer the convenience of typing away in an actual, physical keyboard.
For sure, a lot of iPad supplements will be introduced in the future, like an external hard drive or a mouse. In a practical sense, would anyone really want a gadget that offers the same features as the existing gadget already does? Not to mention the existing gadgets that have all the features tucked in without the need to purchase one accessory after the other.
From its inception, the iPad has been touted as a media consumer's appliance. It is largely known for its flawless image rendering, video playback and vast storage space. Nonetheless, the iPad's purpose does not begin and end on entertainment and leisure alone. It is also purposeful for business-savvy users who would like to experience Apple's newest addition to its roster of technologically advanced products.
Apple is not entirely detached from Microsoft-based productivity programs; as a matter of fact, the iPad has built-in support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and 2007. The manufacturer understands the proliferation of Microsoft's Business Email service and would not let their users be left behind in business if they choose to go with an iPad.
The Microsoft Exchange support will enable push email service and will be made available to the user's calendar events and contacts' information stored on their Microsoft profile. It is also possible to manage specific calendar details, search global address lists and inbox messages through this enhanced software feature.
Security is of utmost importance on an iPad; at the owner's preference, multiple complex passwords can be assigned to ensure that confidential information remain inaccessible to unauthorized persons. Data exchanged over-the-air or through the Internet can be encrypted to ensure security. Additionally, corporate communication over-the-air is highly protected by a certificate-based authentication process via Exchange and VPN. Even an unfortunate event such as loss or theft of the iPad will not leave important data vulnerable because information on it can be securely deleted through a remote command.
Specialized apps such as business metrics tracker, proposal reviewer, travel organizer, and flight tracker have been developed with the iPad's business users in mind. Much like the enterprise edition of the BlackBerry RIM, Apple also hosts the iPhone Developer Enterprise Program. The difference of the iPhone Developer Enterprise from the Blackberry RIM is that the Apple-supported initiative will enable businesses to create their own specialized apps. Their very own apps will be shared to their employees and will be deemed proprietary by the client company.
Moreover, iPad profiles can be easily configured for businesses. Companies can set up their own profiles, complete with details such as VPN, e-mail, wireless network, and password and share it with colleagues on the iPad through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or the Internet.
Most importantly, iPad supports iWork, Apple's office productivity suite of apps that enables the user to create and browse documents, spreadsheets and presentations. These apps have been redesigned to complement the iPad's multi-touch system.
Keynote slides can be presented, created, and enhanced through the touchscreen device. iWork's mobile versions of Numbers and Pages can also be managed by tapping elements on the multi-touch screen. These documents can be shared in different ways; for instance, a VGA adapter can be used to connect the iPad to a projector to allow larger displays for a roomful of audience. Microsoft documents can also be imported into the iPad. Presentations, spreadsheets and text documents can be shared on a wider scale by uploading to iWork.com where the public can view these files.
Thanks to the major marketing boost that the iPad received from parent company Apple, we now have the impression that it is the best device to experience the Web, watch online streaming video, and connect with friends via social networking services.
The opinion is backed with good reason and real results because the iPad is filled to the brim with Internet-savvy features and services. Despite the initial skepticism expressed by most industry pundits when the computing device was unveiled at a press conference in San Francisco, positive reviews by tech experts who had the privilege of testing the first few commercially available iPads—from Walt Mossberg to the guys at Engadget—had to admit that, indeed, Steve Jobs has unleashed a worthy competitor to netbooks.
It is equipped with built-in, high-speed 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, which makes downloading files and streaming videos fast and easy. You can forget about buffering, which takes up so much time that it lengthens a four-minute video into eight minutes of waiting. Although some connections may tend to slow down—particularly when there is heavy gateway traffic or when too many subscribers are using the network—it is not going to affect your iPad browsing experience, thanks to its combination of a beefed-up Safari app (which is Apple's answer to Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer), and the latest Wi-Fi standard.
Browsing most of the online content that you'll be accessing on an iPad is mainly handled by a specially designed mobile version of Apple's proprietary web browser called Safari, an app that, according to Apple engineers, is the fastest browser among its league. Considering its reputation as the fastest app to render mobile webpages and the degree of advanced Wi-Fi technologies that are built into the iPad, it can be predicted that browsing the Web for information on the device will take your breath away at lightning speed.
These days, Wi-Fi hotspots are easy to come by; one does not need to remain in highly metropolitan areas to stay online because even rural towns and suburban communities have Internet access. However, that is not to say that we are entirely wirelessly connected. Some Internet connections can be accessed through 3G technology. Fortunately, the iPad does not only operate on Wi-Fi but on 3G as well. That means you are not solely tied up to Wi-Fi and feel completely powerless when a hotspot is not available because 3G, via your mobile telecommunications provider, will keep you connected.
Depending on your location, most major network providers have 3G service contracted by Apple. For instance, AT&T has monthly Internet plans that allow you to swiftly switch from a Wi-Fi network to a 3G connection seamlessly. All the processes can be completed online on your very own iPad, so there is absolutely no need to go to an AT&T store or contact their customer support to purchase the plan.
When you have used up all your surfing minutes, an interactive push notification will pop up to tell you about your impending state and will provide you with two options: switch to the latest Wi-Fi standard with a frequency emanating within your vicinity or upgrade to the next data plan. Data usage and plan information can be monitored and managed on the iPad itself because that, too, has its own app.
Anyone with half a brain can use iPad at its basic level. Well, iPad, in fact, is very basic, even 2-year old kids can work well with it. There's no such thing as learning curve, and definitely, if you have used an iPhone before, using an iPad for the first time is a day at the beach. It is made to be that way.
But still, even when things have already been simplified by Apple for you, there are still some things about iPad use that may take time before you know. Here are a few.
Soft Reset Apple's iPad does not necessarily come with an insurance that it will perform the same way it did the first time you bought it. Although there are no moving parts in the device, which generally means the device deteriorates very slowly if at all. There are still some risks though that some of its parts may not function in the long run. In case something goes awry with iPad, you can always find consolation in its Soft Reset function.
Soft Reset comes in very handy when the system freezes. It can be performed by just holding the top or power button simultaneously with the front or Home button for a couple of seconds. This will force your device to restart. Not happy with how an app is working and want to force quit it? Hold the Home button the same way, this time without holding the power button, and the device will exit any running app.
Cut- and Copy-Pasting It's a pain to copy long texts on iPad so Apple created an easy solution that will let you copy an entire paragraph without necessary stretching the blue knobs that appear on your screen. To do this, tap any text four times and this will highlight the entire paragraph. This trick can be done only though if you are copying an editable text. Otherwise, you're stumped.
Importing Free eBooks There are still some free things in this world. Free eBooks on Apple's iBooks for example. If you want to download old books that have fallen out of copyright, you'll find that there is an extensive collection of free eBooks downloadable on iPad. So long as you stick to the classics, you're a happy man with iBooks.
Easy Mute When embarrassing moments are on the horizon because you frequently forget to turn off the volume of your multimedia device, you'll find that iPad gives you a break. It has an easy mute function that allows you to automatically turn the volume off. For two seconds, press the volume down and you'll have peace and quiet back.
Supersized Screenshots Now the screenshot of your driving simulator would look more like a windshield than a tiny keyhole. Take giant screenshots on your iPad by holding the power and home buttons simultaneously for half a second.
Bringing the Virtual Keyboard Back Switching between keyboards – real and virtual keyboards – is not as hard as many people confess. You only have to hit the eject key on the real, physical keyboard to bring the virtual one up.
