iPad revealed

By Darren Tossell

So after all the hype, rumours and mock-ups, the iSlate, I mean, iTablet, sorry iPad has been announced today by Steve Jobs.

Think large iPod Touch. Very large in fact. 9.7 inch display, just 1/2 inch think, using Apple’s own 1gigahertz chip and with a ten hour battery life, 30 day standby time. Storage starts at 16GB and goes up to 64GB.

It has everything that your iPhone/Touch has: Accelerometer, speaker, microphone and all the apps available in the iTunes store work out of the box on the new iPad. It also uses Wifi 802.11n for wireless internet, plus Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR

It also has a 3G option. Buy a data plan, plug in the sim, and you’ll be able to surf the net, send mail just as you can with your iPhone, but with a bigger screen.

How this differs to the iPod Touch and iPhone is its power. Apple has developed a version of its office software iWork for the iPad so you can create presentations, do word processing and number crunch on the move.

It’s going to be great for gamers. A powerful new handheld console that will give Sony and Nintendo a run for its cash.

Apple have also created an iBooks app that allows you to buy books on the move from all the major publishers. The reader can buy the books via the app and select the fonts for the print. Will this kill the Kindle? Maybe. The iPad is more than a book reader.

So what’s in it for photographers?

Well, it’s going to show of your photographs beautifully. Slide your finger across your photo albums and arrange as you want them. Create your slideshows and you’ve got the coolest presentation device on the planet. Want to show your portfolio off? Put it on its stand, press play and dazzle your audience.

But to really make use of it, it’s going to be up to developers to create apps that take advantage of the iPad. The Photoshop app is fine for basic editing and retouching, but developers will have to work hard to produce apps for photographers. So Adobe and co, get to work!

But there is time. There is no launch date for the 3G iPad in Europe, but the wifi only version will be out at the end of March. A long wait for Apple fans, but time for Apple to get it right. The cost? No news for us on that either, though US pricing starts at $499. That's an incredibly aggressive price from a premium product and show Apple's determination to continue it's impressive business performance in the face of the worse recession in living memory.

Apple claim its ‘the most advance technology and a magical and revolutionary device’. I think they might be right.

Watch this video for more: www.apple.com/ipad/#video

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Being someone who bought the iTouch as a means of keeping a folio in my pocket at all times I have to point out a few issues that will recur on the iPad. Most noticably on picture quality it clips white and black areas markedly at tones far before the white and black point on even the most terribly calibrated laptop screen. I would only be happy to use the iPad as an exhibition item if they have fixed this or given the option to colour manage.

It also won't support flash, so wave goodbye to your custome

Comment made by: Ruthlessphotography
28.01.10 15:54:29

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