Apple iPad (First Generation) MC497LL/A Tablet (64GB, Wifi + 3G)
- 1 GHz amd Athlon
- Memory 64GB
- 9.7″ IPS TFT – LED backlight – Multi-Touch, 1024 x 768
- WiFi 802.11n
- Weight 1.6 lbs
The best way to experience the web, email, photos, and video. Hands down. All of the built-in apps on iPad were designed from the ground up to take advantage of the large Multi-Touch screen and advanced capabilities of iPad. And they work in any orientation. So you can do things with these apps that you can’t do on any other device. A large, high-resolution LED-backlit IPS display. An incredibly responsive Multi-Touch screen. And an amazingly powerful Apple-designed chip. All in a design that’s thin and light enough to take anywhere. iPad isn’t just the best device of its kind. It’s a whole new kind of device. 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology, 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi). Wireless and cellular 3G: UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz) GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), Data only2, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology. Capacity: 64GB flash drive.
List Price: $ 829.00
Price: $ 499.99
A leap in the right direction,
I’ve now spent the better part of a day playing with the new iPad, and while it excels in many things there are still some things anyone considering buying one should probably keep in mind.
First the good sides:
This thing is very fast, opening and closing applications is quick, the screen is incredibly responsive, there is no lag while typing, and the built in Safari browser does a great job of quickly loading even graphic intense pages.
The not so good sides:
As has been thoroughly pointed out, there is not presently much in the way of multitasking within the iPhone OS, but with most expectations pointing towards a summer release of OS 4.0 this might be remedied by mid summer, and almost certainly by a generation 2 release. That said, it should be kept in mind that on such a little screen being able to view multiple applications at once will likely never be something you’ll use, and the speed by which you can open and close applications makes this less a headache than you might think. It isn’t as fast as moving between open apps, but it isn’t a deal breaker by any means. The lack of a camera in this generation is a little surprising, while I’ve purchased my iPad already, I honestly believe that with the number of competitors expected over the course of 2010 we’re probably going to see a generation 2 by Christmas with a camera. It’s still an amazing device, but the ability to video chat with it would definitely put it over the top, that’s a feature worth waiting for. The lack of Flash support isn’t as irritating as I expected it to be, but still something to consider. Many major sites have evolved to html5, or are in the process of doing so. This allows for full viewing by the Safari browser, and where it exists, it works great. The remaining sites still using Flash show up with annoying little boxes looking for a plugin that is likely never going to exist. If you spend a lot of time on flash heavy sites it really probably is worth considering holding out to see how the Slate/Android Tablets look in a few months, but if you’re mostly just e-mailing and checking facebook (no Farmville) the lack of Flash support probably won’t bother you too much.
As a laptop replacement:
The inclusion of the iWorks utilities gives this device a little bit of a laptop personality. Don’t let that persuade you into believing that you don’t need a computer though. You might be able to get away with ditching a laptop if all you really do is e-mail or very light word processing, but if you do anything more than that you’ll like the freedom and ease a full computer offers for more complex tasks. That said, this device is a tremendous leap towards a future tablet style device that may very well be a replacement for your computer, but for now it is more of a casual use device than something you can really expect to do substantial work with. I have put together a presentation in keynote, which was easy enough to do, but pages isn’t as intuitive as I’d have liked, and taking lengthy notes or writing long letters/e-mails/reports will probably make it worth considering buying either the keyboard dock or the wireless bluetooth keyboard.
Battery life seems to live up to the claims, I managed to get about 7 hours before getting the 20% remaining battery life indication, which puts it about right for 10 hours or so of total use. One very important thing to realize about charging the device is that presently (at launch) there is some issues with charging via USB from many computers. The iPad is different than other iPod products, it requires a bit more power to charge up, and unfortunately most USB ports aren’t set up to support that higher power draw. This is something that may be fixed in a firmware update to allow for a slower charge, or it may simply be that you’ll need to either rely on a new Mac (seems like they can handle the power issue) or rely on the wall charger. Just don’t be surprised if you plug it into your computer and it doesn’t show that it is charging.
All in all, the iPad is an impressive device that might make for a reasonable replacement of a netbook for casual users. For people who need something to really do a lot of work on, you may find that for the price that a netbook or laptop still offers the better value for your needs. Future generations of this device will probably transition into fitting that market better than this first generation. However, if you’re an avid reader, casual gamer, music fan, who doesn’t do much more on the web than check a few sites, and e-mail. This thing is definitely worth considering! If you’re on the fence, nothing about this product is so incredible as to justify running out and buying one right now, but it is worthy of your consideration if you’re thinking you might like a tablet style device. I definitely would encourage you to go play with one at best buy…
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|Everyone wants things to be simpler, and along comes this simple thing.,
The main difference between this item, and the wi-fi only version, is of course the sim card with 3G. So, before I talk about the iPad in general, I’d like to explain my take on the 3G.
3G Performance:
The BOTTOM LINE: Works good as long as you aren’t using it in a moving car. I ran an internet speed test on it and in the metro area it was 1.2Mbps down and 210kbps up, which is decent.
The DETAILS: If you are doing basic computing, you will be able to be anywhere within a 3G service area to enjoy the internet. (If 3g service sucks in your area, don’t buy an iPad 3g) Here is the only problem: when you pass from tower to tower the signal can hang as the data has to be rerouted to the new tower. Lets put this another way. If you are using the iPad netflix app to stream “Kim Possible season 3” videos to your iPad while driving at 60 MPH it will “hang” during the 22 minute show. In summary: The AT&T 3G works the same as my 3G expresscard from Verizon.
2G Performance: Yes, you can use your iPad on AT&T’s 2G EDGE network as needed. The data is slow. You won’t enjoy it.
3G setup:
3G setup is simple:
– press settings button, choose cellular data, press set up cellular service.
– put in your *iTunes* password. (AT&T is “invisible” except for a logo.)
– put your credit card into the iPad
– voila! you have service for 30 days
Its very slick and takes less than a minute. Its how it should be.
Avoiding the 3G data charges: If you are an iPhone user, and you have an iPad, you can avoid paying for 2 data plans by swapping sim cards. Of course, you might miss a few calls while your sim is in the iPad because the iPad doesn’t support phone calls. If you have an older iphone: Older iPhones use large SIM cards and the ipad uses small microSIM cards. You would have to cut your large sim card down to the microsim size, and put it in your iPad (you will need a needle to pop it out). You would need to buy a little adapter (sold on the internet) to make your small sim fit back into your iPhone (so, buy the adapter first!) But this isn’t a great long term solution, because, if you want to use the iPad as a GPS in the car you will not be able to use your phone quickly or easily until you switch them back out again. Here it is on Amazon: Microsim Adapter for Ipad Iphone4g Convert Micro Sim to Regular Sim Adapter
DO YOU WANT THE 3G INTERNET?
Despite my little princess being vexed at Kim Possible hanging, the answer is yes. Certainly, its wonderful to have the 3G access. Everything about the iPad works better because its a bigger screen, and being able to access the internet (almost) anywhere is very, very useful for me.
Now, the question begs to be asked: why the ipad at all?
I have to say I originally joined the legion of pundits who said “hey, its just a big ipod touch” and “it won’t replace my laptop”. Certainly, this has to be the two most common things you hear people say about the ipad, right? And yes, that can be the truth you choose.
iPad vs. Laptop: If your idea is to buy an iPad to replace your laptop, and get an external keyboard, and a docking station, and bla bla bla… then you will be disappointed. This is a different kind of device, and you can’t put a square peg in a round hole. The iPad is for even more mobile computing than a laptop can provide. ***A laptop needs a desk. But the iPad doesn’t.*** Thats the point, and if its not compelling for you, then consider carefully before buying an iPad.
iPad vs. iPod Touch: To say its just a big iPod touch is not really fair. The processor is much more powerful, allowing you to do a LOT MORE. You also get a big screen. And the 3g with this version. So to refuse to upgrade from the ipod Touch is similar to refusing to upgrade from a Kia Rio on the grounds that all other cars do the same thing.
But the biggest reason the iPad+3G will work for you, is that after a few weeks with it, you will want learn how to make it work for you. You will *enjoy* using it and it will be easier to use. You will say “how can I change what I do so I can do it on the iPad” not “how can the iPad do exactly what I did before”.
For an example: here is a day with the iPad.
I get up in the morning, and if I’m not being lazy, I get on the treadmill. I prop the ipad up on the treadmill while I walk. I watch some news video on the iPad, read some email, play a game, catch up on facebook. I’m usually not done with this after my walk, so I head downstairs. Its like carrying a magazine, its so easy. I bump into my daughter in the hall and show her a picture from her Grandmother, with the iPad securely held in…
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