The
iPad is a tablet computing device product from Apple Inc. The device was announced on January 27, 2010, at a press conference at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The device was rumored for several months, with iSlate and iTablet among rumored names.
The device is expected to incorporate a 10-inch (26 centimeter) multi-touch display made by Innolux, a subsidiary of Foxconn. The price is expected to be more than the iPhone but less than an Apple notebook computer.
The iPad's lowest grade model with a 16GB hard drive will run for $499 dollars with the 32 GB running for $599 and the 64GB running at $699. Buyers will also have the opportunity to purchase the iPad with 3G connectivity with the lowest grade model starting at $629 and going up. The Wi-Fi models will ship in late March while the 3G models will ship in April.
Yair Reiner claims the iSlate will compete in the market against dedicated e-book devices such as the Barnes & Noble nook and the Amazon Kindle while offering 70% of revenue to publishers, the same arrangement accorded developers of the App Store. These arrangements would also extend to print publishers who currently receive less in digital work royalties from companies like
Amazon.com.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISlate
Overall though, I'm interested to see if they adapt this to be used by graphic designers in the place of a graphics tablet and computer - it could really cut out a step for them.
I'm waiting to see how this product evolves..I'm sure once people actually buy it and have it we will have a better understanding of what it's good for!
Thanks for the review!
In my iPhone 3GS review, I quoted a thinkgeek tweet, which said, "Today in Geek History: In 2001, Apple presents $400 5 gig iPod; RIAA calls it fad & majestically backflips into pool of cds". I think people are being too harsh on the iPad as they were the iPod when it first came out, and look at iPods now. I bet the iPad is going through the same thing and that it will be a success.
I don't know much about the eReaders, but can you not read books on a regular computer?