Apple officially announces the iPad
Geoffrey Blain
Issue date: 2/2/10 Section: Technology
When Steve Jobs walked out on stage last Wednesday, there was little doubt about what he would be announcing; after months of speculation, Apple Inc. has finally introduced us to the iPad.
Apple's newest offering, a tablet designed to bridge the gap between smart phones and computers, lived up to the hype that had been surrounding the tablet for months on the Internet. Speculation about the tablet had been building for several weeks leading up to the announcement. It was topped off by a comment made the night before the announcement by McGraw-Hill Chief Executive Terry McGraw which suggested the product announced the following day would run on the iPhone operating system, which in fact it will.
Jobs, who addressed the San Fransisco, California crowd of Apple faithful in his trademark black turtleneck and bluejeans, called the iPad "a magical and revolutionary product".
The iPad will feature a full on-screen touch QWERTY keyboard, which Jobs used to demonstrate how the device can send e-mail and browse the Web. According to Jobs, the device is about half an inch thick and weighs no more than 1.5 pounds. The iPad also boasts a 9.7 inch touch screen and a battery that will last for 10 hours, or more than a month when in standby mode.
Every iPad will come equipped with WiFi but only some will be able to connect to 3G cell phone networks. US buyers will be able to get a data plan from wireless carrier AT&T but there is no word on which wireless carrier will support the iPad in Canada. Jobs mentioned that international carriers will be announced in June or July, leaving the possibility for a summer release in Canada.
The price of the iPad will depend on the size of the hard drive. The 16GB model will retail for US $499 and the 32GB model for US $599, while the largest model, the 64GB drive, will cost US $799. Adding the capability to connect to 3G networks will cost you an additional US $130.
The first non-WiFi iPad models will ship in the US in 60 days while the WiFi editions will begin shipping in 90 days.
Apple's newest offering, a tablet designed to bridge the gap between smart phones and computers, lived up to the hype that had been surrounding the tablet for months on the Internet. Speculation about the tablet had been building for several weeks leading up to the announcement. It was topped off by a comment made the night before the announcement by McGraw-Hill Chief Executive Terry McGraw which suggested the product announced the following day would run on the iPhone operating system, which in fact it will.
Jobs, who addressed the San Fransisco, California crowd of Apple faithful in his trademark black turtleneck and bluejeans, called the iPad "a magical and revolutionary product".
The iPad will feature a full on-screen touch QWERTY keyboard, which Jobs used to demonstrate how the device can send e-mail and browse the Web. According to Jobs, the device is about half an inch thick and weighs no more than 1.5 pounds. The iPad also boasts a 9.7 inch touch screen and a battery that will last for 10 hours, or more than a month when in standby mode.
Every iPad will come equipped with WiFi but only some will be able to connect to 3G cell phone networks. US buyers will be able to get a data plan from wireless carrier AT&T but there is no word on which wireless carrier will support the iPad in Canada. Jobs mentioned that international carriers will be announced in June or July, leaving the possibility for a summer release in Canada.
The price of the iPad will depend on the size of the hard drive. The 16GB model will retail for US $499 and the 32GB model for US $599, while the largest model, the 64GB drive, will cost US $799. Adding the capability to connect to 3G networks will cost you an additional US $130.
The first non-WiFi iPad models will ship in the US in 60 days while the WiFi editions will begin shipping in 90 days.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Applin
posted 2/02/10 @ 9:27 PM EST
I would like to make a correction on the end of paragraph 4. You said the 'non-WiFi models shipped in 60 days.' All ipads have WiFi. You must mean the 3G models are not shipping till 90 days. (Continued…)
Mike
posted 2/03/10 @ 4:38 PM EST
The iPad is going to be so much fun! The apps on the iTouch are amazing for such a small hand held, now we will be able to play them on a big screen! The only thing i find a disappointing are the hardware specs. (Continued…)
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