We are just days away from one of Apple’s biggest launches to date. Many would argue that the iPad has even managed to surpass the original iPhone, and perhaps some analyzed numbers would help that theory along. Whatever the case, the fabled tablet from the Cupertino-based company is almost here. People all over the United States have begun to receive their notifications in one fashion or another. Whether you have the tracking number on refresh in your browser, or you’ve been told that you need to visit your local Apple Store to retrieve your reserved gadget, each story has the same ending: This Saturday marks the day you can stop wondering what Apple’s tablet would be like, and finally get to play with it. But, what makes it tick? Why should you be interested in the tablet at all? Isn’t it just a big iPod Touch? We won’t dwell on the nay-sayers for this all-encompassing guide. Instead, we’ll take a look at what we know, and skip the heresy. After all, with less than a handful of days remaining before the big day, there’s no room for speculation.
Hardware
We’ll start from the outside, and work our way in. Considering that gorgeous screen, we don’t think there’s any better way to do it, truth be told.
The size and weight of the iPad is one of the reasons Steve Jobs considers the tablet revolutionary and magical. Certainly, tablets of the past (even the recent past) have been bulky, and relatively thick (there are a few exceptions, of course), but that is certainly not the case with the iPad.
- Height: 9.56 inches
- Width: 7.47 inches
- Depth: 0.5 inches
- Weight: 1.5 pounds for the WiFi only model; 1.6 pounds for the WiFi+3G model
As for that display, it looks something like this:
- 9.7-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display; multitouch enabled; and IPS technology
- 1024×768 resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
- Oleophobic coating, to stave fingerprints and other muck
- It can also support multiple languages, as well as several characters, simultaneously
Many people have asked what that IPS technology really means. Put plainly, it allows for the display to deliver a crisper image, while making it possible to view the images displayed therein at extreme angles. If you tilt the iPad to the left, right, up, or down, you’ll still see a crisp image, as opposed to it fading away, or becoming dark. It’s a great way to make sure that your movie watching isn’t impeded by anything as simple as moving the iPad in a certain direction.
There aren’t many external buttons on the iPad (much akin to the iPhone and iPod Touch), but they’re there:
- At the top-right, you’ll see the on/off, sleep/wake button
- Just below that, still along the right side, you’ll see the screen rotation lock switch
- And then still lower, you have the volume up/down toggle
- At the very bottom of the iPad, just below the screen and at the center of the bezel, you’ll find the pivotal Home button
As we dive into the iPad, we get into the main reasons why this tablet has become such a hot topic as of late. Considering the memory allowed, plus the processor that Apple created for the iPad, we’ve got a tablet that’s destined to stay on your counter, your bookshelf, and your bookbag for many years. Or, you know, just until the next version comes out, and you realize you need the newest shiny thing on the block with that Apple logo.
Memory wise, there are three options for your iPad, and that includes both the WiFi only version, as well as the WiFi+3G models:
- 16GB WiFi — $499; WiFi+3G — $629
- 32GB WiFi — $599; WiFi+3G — $729
- 64GB WiFi — $699; WiFi+3G — $829