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There were many rumors the last half year about a tablet PC apple was going to announce. Like before at almost every big Apple release or announcement like a new iPod or the iPhone, the internet was flooded by “top secret” information about features and reports on Apples purchases of component parts etc. The new product has been hyped long before its release. And at the day of the official announcement Apple always matched the high expectation, except this time.

When Steve Jobs presented their new baby, the iPad, everyone waited for the unexpected feature Jobs would name soon. But there was no super stunning feature. Though the iPad seemed cool, it was not the revolutionary tablet PC everybody was waiting for.

One of the reasons for this is, that the OS of the tablet will be a pimped iPhone OS, not a adjusted version of Mac OS Snow Leopard as hoped by many potential customers. The iPad seems to be just a really big iPhone or iPod touch. Another critic point is that Apples new mini computer won’t support Flash. Apple don’t like to support Flash, because they think it’s an outdated format and caused many errors on the OS. Especially with the slowly upcoming HTML 5 which is meant to replace flash, Apple had a reason to ignore it. While many customers are upset about Apple’s ignorance on flash, others are more than happy with this decision. The dependency of a lot of content in the internet just from a privet company like Adobe isn’t a good solution, so some people see Apples’s politics as a chance to make Flash dispensable.

Additionally criticized points for the iPad are the leak of multitasking for most applications (the ability to open several programs at the same time), a missing cam for video chat and the fact that only software from the App Store will run on the iPad.

People expected a equivalent to all the netbooks out there, just with Apple’s and Jobs’ touch, but got something else. Apple didn’t try to make a better netbook with touchscreen, they are going to offer a whole new product. The iPad was a disappointment for those who expected a real mini computer like a windows or mac PC. If you look at the iPad from a neutral perspective it’s not that bad at all.

The iPad is a product that’s made for a market which grew just in the last years. It’s a simple gate to the portable internet, to information and fun everywhere. And that’s what it’s meant to be, the iPad is made to offer people an easy access to the internet. If you have to look up something quickly, if you’re sitting on the couch and like to surf or if you just want to read newspaper articles or ebooks, the iPad is a great solution. Especially the last feature mentioned above is something Apple tries to improve with their tablet computer. The New York Times already announced an application to offer paid content you normally only get with their printed media. Apple also tries to beat Amazon’s popular ebook-reader Kindle.

So you have to think about all this and for what reason you like to have an iPad to be clear if it’s something for you. But one thing is for sure, the iPad will sell as almost all Apple products do. At least the hype and the design will contribute enough to make this true.

While waiting for the iPad pimp your iPod, for example with an iPod Dock
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Is it a large iPhone? Is it a small laptop? What can you do with it? More importantly, what can’t you do with it?

Just 9.56 inches by 7.47 inches and half an inch thick, The Apple iPad looks like a tablet or slate computer with no keyboard or mouse. The main feature is its high-resolution, multi-touch screen. This highly responsive screen is obviously great for games, videos and photo sharing but the jury is still out on its usefulness as a serious business tool.

Here are some of the ways you could use it:

As an e-reader: Catch up with newspapers and magazines or read an e-book while travelling. Text on the iPad’s backlit screen appears crisp and easy to read, although some people might find it a bit too bright for prolonged reading. Its weight – 1.5 pounds for the Wi-Fi model and just a fraction more for Wi-Fi +3G – makes it as comfortable to hold as a large paperback.    

For emails: The iPad works with all the popular email providers. Use the on screen keyboard to write your emails and save or delete incoming mail with a few taps on the screen.

Working on business documents: Apple’s iWorks software for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations has been redesigned with new features for use on the iPad. One drawback is that you can’t multitask as you might on a computer. For example, you can’t have a browser window open while you’re working on a document or spreadsheet.

Organisation: Calendars, contacts, notes and maps are all available to keep your business on track.

For presentations and meetings: The screen uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology to give it a wide viewing angle. This means you can see a sharp picture with excellent colour whether the iPad is flat on a desk, held up vertically or tilted, and the people on either side of you will see it equally well. It’s perfect for displaying photos, graphics, text and videos in group situations, and is easily handed round when more than one person is involved in creating or editing a piece of work.

The iPad will be able to use nearly 140,000 apps currently used on iPhones and iPods, and more are being developed specifically for the iPad. We’ll just have to wait and see how useful some of them will be for business.  

Adam Donoghue is the MD of Woodford Computers; an Essex-based IT company that specialises in ‘making the complex simple’ and providing cost effective solutions. Woodford Computers works closely with small to medium sized businesses to improve and enhance their IT systems so that they run efficiently and consistently. The team includes expert MCP and MCSE certified engineers and CISCO network engineers. To find out more and to book your free, no-obligation IT audit, visit http://www.woodfordcomputers.com
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