Posts Tagged ‘Apple iPad’
Before You Purchase: 12 Things To Know Concerning The Ipad
(CNN) — You’ve seen the television commercials and the product reviews.
But maybe, like many gadget lovers, you’re still debating whether you really need this new touch-screen computer from Apple.
To help you make sense of the hype, here are answers to 12 common questions about the iPad, Apple’s much-anticipated “slate” computer, which goes on sale Saturday.
Buying an iPad? What will you do with it?
Is there anything else you’d like to know? If so, please post in the comments section below and we’ll do our best to answer your questions.
1. How is the iPad different from a laptop?
The word “laptop” is getting somewhat brushed aside for a truckload of new, confusing categories.
The Apple iPad falls into the slate (some people say tablet) category of portable personal computers, because, unlike a laptop, it doesn’t have a hardware keyboard.
Another key difference: To type and to navigate through files and photos on the iPad, you touch its screen in the same way you operate an iPhone or iPod Touch. That’s possible on some laptop models, but not many.
2. How is the iPad different from e-readers like the Kindle?
Reading digital books on “e-readers” like the Amazon Kindle is becoming increasingly popular. The iPad acts like an e-reader and like a personal computer, but there are some notable differences between the two.
For one, the iPad has a color display. The Kindle, by contrast, is only black-and-white. Some people think the iPad, partly for this reason, will be popular with students who read textbooks with colorful diagrams. Others say the Kindle’s screen, which isn’t backlit, will be easier on the eyes over long periods.
There’s an aesthetic difference, too: The iPad will display books horizontally, with two pages showing, or vertically, zooming in on a single page of text. The Kindle only works in vertical mode.
Perhaps more importantly, the devices access books from different online bookstores. iPad users buy books from Apple’s new digital bookstore, called the iBookstore, which supports an open e-book format called ePub. Kindle users must buy their books from Amazon.com.
3. How much does the iPad cost?
Prices range from $499 to $829. The more expensive versions have more storage space, which means you can put more music and videos on the device.
iPads that connect to the Internet with Wi-Fi only are less expensive than those that can connect through Wi-Fi and through AT&T’s mobile Internet network.
4. Do you have to sign-up for an AT&T contract when you buy the iPad?
You don’t have to buy an AT&T mobile Internet contract to purchase the iPad.
If you buy a Wi-Fi-only version of the iPad and have a Wi-Fi connection at home, or you want to use the iPad primarily at coffee shops or public places that have wireless Internet connections, then you probably won’t have to deal with AT&T at all.
Pricier versions of the iPad are able to connect to AT&T’s mobile 3G network, allowing them to browse the Web from many more locations.
Surprisingly, you don’t need a contract with AT&T to use this service, either.
Users can pay by the month and cancel at any time without penalty, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said at the iPad unveiling. The unlimited data plan with AT&T costs $29.99 per month.
The Wi-Fi-enabled iPads go on sale on Saturday. The AT&T-enabled iPads will ship in late April, according to the online Apple store.
5. If there’s no keyboard, how do you type on the iPad?
Instead of being a piece of plastic with physical keys, the iPad’s keyboard is a graphic that pops up on the device’s touch-sensitive screen — an interface that will be familiar to iPhone and iPod Touch users.
iPad users type by touching pictures of keys on the screen. The iPad keyboard is about the same size as the one on your desk, but you can’t feel the keys.
When he unveiled the device in January, Jobs said the iPad is “a dream to type on.” But some bloggers, including this writer, have complained that the iPad’s touch-screen keyboard is difficult to use.
6. What does the iPad do best?
The iPad is designed for consuming various types of media — reading books, browsing the Web and watching videos, in particular.
It’s also marketed as a portable gaming device, and there are hundreds of games for sale in the iPad App Store.
The device doesn’t have a DVD player, but you can download videos from Apple, or stream them from the Web.
The iPad is best suited for people who would, say, want to read their e-mail, but wouldn’t have to compose lengthy responses.
It’s better for a blog reader than a blog writer.
7. Can you create documents, spreadsheets and presentations with the iPad?
Apple created a new suite of “apps” specifically for the iPad. These iWork programs, which cost $9.99 each, let users create documents, edit spreadsheets and create business presentations from the iPad.
It’s unclear how easy these programs will be to use. Some reviewers say it’s easy enough to compose business documents on the iPad. Others say serious users will need another computer to be productive.
The iPad has a Wi-Fi connection, which, in theory, could be used for printing documents wirelessly through your printer. There is some debate online about what apps will perform this function.
8. Can you view any Web site on the iPad?
A certain format of online video, called Flash, does not play on the Apple iPad.
While there are some workarounds for this, many Web sites are redesigning themselves, using a type of code called HTML5, so they will work on the iPad.
That code allows video display on the device, but you may notice some sites will have holes because the iPad doesn’t support Flash video.
9. Will the iPad replace my current computer? Or do you need both?
Some technology writers and critics say the iPad is an all-in-one machine. Others argue that it’s more of a portable accessory, and that most computer users need a desktop or laptop computer in addition to an iPad.
What works for you really depends on what you use your computers for. If you spend a lot of time typing or creating things with your computer, it may be easier to use a laptop. If you just want to surf the Web, read books, play games, watch movies or send an occasional short e-mail, the iPad might work.
Apple and others sell keyboards that can be attached to the device in case you need to write a longer e-mail and don’t want to fiddle with the touch-screen keyboard.
10. Is the iPad lighter and smaller than other laptops or e-readers?
The iPad will be about a half-inch thick and weigh about 1 pounds.
Its screen is 9.7 inches across, when measured diagonally.
That’s smaller and lighter than some laptops. A 10-inch netbook from Dell is similar in size but weighs about a pound more.
Amazon’s Kindle DX is slimmer than the iPad, at only a third of an inch thick, and it weighs slightly less: 1.2 pounds, according to Amazon.
Its screen is the same size as the iPad’s, but it doesn’t display color.
11. Can you subscribe to newspapers and magazines on the iPad?
Some magazines and newspapers have said they hope the iPad will help save their struggling industries. A number of them have reformatted their publications for the iPad’s screen and are offering new digital subscription plans.
The Wall Street Journal, for example, will charge $17.99 per month for an iPad subscription to its newspaper.
12. Are there iPad alternatives?
Apple is not the only computer maker offering a slate device. Some are on the market now and others will come out soon.
HP briefly showed off its slate computer before an audience at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Dell has announced plans to make a personal computer in the slate category.
Viliv and Asus have tablets on the market, too.
Ipad Launch Sellout Indicates Robust Enterprise Demand
Apple has sold out of iPads. Estimates suggest that Apple has sold hundreds of thousands of the tablet device which doesn’t officially launch until April 3. The overwhelming demand for the iPad indicates what recent polls have suggested–business professionals have big plans for the consumer-oriented media gadget.
There are a fair number of Apple faithful that will purchase anything with a half-eaten fruit logo on it sight unseen, and probably also a significant number of consumers interested in putting the iPad “magic” to use. But, with prices starting at $500 for the 16gb Wi-Fi model, and going up to $830 for the 64Gb 3G model, it seems reasonable to assume that there aren’t 300,000 plus consumers with that kind of disposable money to throw down just so they can watch Star Trek on a larger screen while riding the train.
A survey commissioned by Sybase found that “the number one reason U.S. consumers would use a device such as the Apple iPad is for working on the go.” The nearly 2500 survey participants indicated business use over watching movies or playing games.
Face it; the iPad has some advantages over traditional netbook and notebook form factors. First, it is instant-on rather than having to wait for the system to boot up. It has ten-hour battery life (as do some netbooks–so that is not a clear differentiator). It has a large display, yet can be held and read one-handed, and has a multitouch display with no need for touchpads, tracksticks, or an external mouse.
It may not have Flash, and multitasking is still just a rumor on the horizon, but there are a variety of situations where a slim, lightweight tablet can perform all of the tasks a mobile business professional needs just as well or better than a heavier, more cumbersome notebook computer.
Granted, intentionally limiting initial supply to create a false sense of demand is a common marketing tactic. Nintendo created hype for the Wii gaming console by limiting supplies and forcing consumers to shop aggressively and wait in line for hours to get one. Users who may not be interested in the iPad, or who are on the fence, may be compelled to jump on the bandwagon when they hear that it is so successful that you can’t even get one anymore.
Of course, it could also simply be a matter of poor planning or a lack of confidence by Apple. Perhaps, Apple underestimated the initial demand and failed to adequately ramp up production, or maybe Apple wanted to hedge its bets by intentionally lowballing initial production. Doing so enables Apple to see what the real-world demand is before going crazy with production, and still creates a sort of false sense of success even if initial iPad sales are underwhelming.
Apple has never had any self-esteem issues, so it is more likely that Apple simply underestimated initial demand, or intentionally limited production to create a false sense of demand for marketing hype–or both. Either way, with estimated pre-sales of 250,000 to as much as 500,000 units, it would seem that the iPad is on track to prove the naysayers wrong.
Business professionals that didn’t get in on the pre-order stampede have little to fear, though. Analysts estimate that Apple could sell as many as five million iPads during this calendar year, and Apple apparently has big plans to sell as many as 13 million over the next five years. Apple is alleged to have an $800 million, five-year agreement with LG to produce 10 million iPad displays, and is also rumored to have entered into a $250 million, three-year agreement with Samsung for an additional three million displays.
I pose the question to the PCWorld Bizfeed readers. Have you pre-ordered an iPad? Are you considering purchasing an iPad? If you are joining the iPad revolution–do you plan to use it for business or work functions as well, or strictly as a consumer media gadget? What advantages or disadvantages do you think the iPad has, and what business functions do you plan to use it for?
The responses could be interesting and help clarify the reality of iPad business use from the hype and speculation.
Tony Bradley is co-author of Unified Communications for Dummies
. He tweets as @Tony_BradleyPCW
, or contact him by email at tony_bradley@pcworld.com
.
Hulu Eyes Charge For Ipad Users
Hulu Eyes Charge for IPad Users
Ars Technica reports: Your favorite shows from Hulu may be coming to the Apple iPad after all, but only if you’re a paying customer. Sources speaking to MediaMemo say that Hulu is considering a pay version of Hulu on the iPad as part of its larger plan to eventually charge for content.
The company has been entertaining the idea of introducing some kind of pay model to its TV and movie offerings since at least mid-2009 and probably earlier. Since then, Hulu has been discussing the possibilities a little more publicly, with the most recent talks involving the idea of putting back episodes of shows behind a paywall while keeping recent TV episodes free.
The latest report has the company considering moving from a one-screen model (keeping shows limited to your browser) to a three-screen service: computer, TV, and mobile. “Just three screens alone is pretty enticing,” one unnamed executive told MediaMemo.
Indeed, the browser limitation was one that we heavily criticized when the idea of Hulu charging for content first came out; if the company allowed TV and mobile streaming as part of the subscription plan, but kept browser-watching free, it could very well entice consumers to fork over a few dollars every month. “Everyones concerned about making a strong offering at a good price, and not undercutting the existing business,” another source said.
Such a move move wouldn’t be surprisingit’s a common practice for companies that offer multiple tiers of service to only make extras available to paying subscribers. The bigger question would be how Hulu plans to bring its content to mobile devices when Flash support is still missing from the most popular of those devices (iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad included).
The company isn’t stupid, thoughwe were told recently that Hulu listens closely to customer requests and is constantly evaluating how it can improve the viewing experience. Translation: we’ll consider ditching Flash for other technologies if our customers want it bad enough (and we can convince the content providers to go for it).
Jacqui Cheng is an Associate Editor of Ars Technica.
Source: www.portfolio.com