Ipad

For a long time, the world has been waiting for the arrival of a hybrid device between a mobile phone and a notebook.

While some would say that the netbook was one such hybrid, I would argue that they’re really just a scaled down and more affordable version of a notebook – not exactly the mobile evolution that most of us had hoped for. However, with the launch of the iPad, many are saying that the new device is the answer to our mobile phone and computing needs. Is the iPad really the all-in-one solution for computing, connectivity and media consumption? Let’s see.

The new ‘i’
At first glance, the iPad looks like a super-sized iPhone. But looks aside, there are loads of added features in the iPad that differentiate the two.

The iPad boasts a 9.7-inch screen and a fast Apple-designed processor, on top of a few user interface elements and functionalities that aren’t typically available on smart phones. In fact, it has apps that work more like computer software.

The iPad photo programme, for instance, fucntion more like iPhoto on a Mac compared to the photo app on an iPhone. One of the apps in the iWork productivity suite, the iPad photo programme is more powerful programme than the phone-based office suites for the iPhone or BlackBerry. Apple is only charging US$30 for it.



iPad’s pros and cons

Despite iPad’s size, the device is light and comfortable to hold and use. The screen size is ample and its processing speed is amazingly brisk. Onscreen reading is easy on the eyes too.

Most impressive are its multi-touch capabilities, which work anywhere on the massive screen. Since I was already familiar with the iPod touch and the iPhone, it didn’t take long for me to figure out how to use it. In fact, the larger footprint made the multitouch experience so much better than on the smaller iPhone.