The Eagle Eye

Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: News

The Apple iPad was released in late January. www.dailymail.co.uk

The Apple iPad is said to be the most revolutionary device since the iPod or various smart phones such as the iPhone or the Google Droid. As Steve Jobs said when unveiling the iPad, "It's unbelievable, its way better than a laptop and way better than a smart phone." Though, is also said to be in another category of consumer electronics altogether.

The iPad can stream music and videos, view pictures, surf the web with WiFi and 3G capabilities, read e-books downloaded from the iBook store, and download many more applications off of the Apple Store.

Even though the format of the iPad and iPod touch, Apple stated that the iPad can do much more with applications than the iPod touch. The screen is bigger which makes it possible to navigate easier through websites and read text. The keyboard is the same in which many consumers complained about in the past, as it is "hard to use and very sensitive." Apple will release an external keyboard which will be a docking station and charge the iPad while it is in use.

USB is a challenge to many users because the consumer must purchase an external port in order to use other devices which connect via USB.

The iPad gives a great gaming experience as the user can use the touch screen to navigate with ease. It has a multi-touch capability that can be useful to multitask while playing games with weapons or items.

The iPad sounds great, but it comes with some downfalls as well.

Many users complain that Flash is not compatible with the iPad, which is necessary for browsing many websites leaving website access slightly limited.

Google maps make it easy for the iPad user to get from one place to the other. There are satellite views to help a person plan out where to go. Unfortunately, the iPad is not GPS compatible. The only way it can find your location is with the WiFi hotspots or 3G network.

The iPad's cost starts at $499 but costs about $150 extra for the built in 3G network. Along with that, the 3G network costs an additional $30 a month. Depending on hard drive space and 3G capabilities, the price range is between $499 - $899. Apple made an agreement with AT&T to provide 3G coverage to Apple iPad users.

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