The iPad page on the Amazon site, has appeared then disappeared over the past few weeks, leading up to the April 3rd launch. Interestingly enough from yesterday the product seemed to reappear here on the Amazon site. It seems that at this stage, only the 16GB WIFI (MB292LL/A) model is available for the premium price of $689.95 .
Archive for the ‘iPad News’ Category
Will Amazon sell the iPad?
Thursday, April 8th, 2010FIRST official reviews of the iPad are now available
Saturday, April 3rd, 2010The FIRST official reviews of the iPad are now available. Read on.
Critics from both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have praised Apple’s iPad for its ease of use and its phenomenal battery life which according to tests actually lasted longer than Apples claim of 10 hours.
The reviews from both newspapers said that the tablet PC, which will go on sale in just 2 more days, works extremely well for both surfing the web and consuming media such as eBooks and video content.
One reviewer said, ‘If you’re mainly a web surfer, note-taker, social-networker and mailer, and a consumer of photos, videos, books, periodicals and music… this could be for you’. However the review did add that the device does have some quite annoying limitations.
‘The email program lacks the ability to create local folders or rules for auto-sorting messages, and it doesn’t allow group addressing. The browser lacks tabs. And the Wi-Fi-only version lacks GPS,’ he said.
The reviewer described the 9.7″ tablet as ‘so bright and responsive’, but added: ‘The bottom line is that you can get a laptop for much less money with a full keyboard, DVD drive, USB jacks, camera-card slot, camera, the works.’
The eReader War:
The two reviewers were split over whether or not the iPad could beat Amazons Kindle device as the most popular eReader on the market. Currently the Amazon Kindle has a 90% share of the eReader market and is on sale for a similar price as the Apple iPad.
While The Journal’s Walt Mossberg said he preferred the iPad to the Kindle, David Pogue from the New York Times said the device was much too heavy for reading when compared to the Amazon Kindle. The iPad weighs a staggering 1.5lb’s whereas the Amazon Kindle is a fraction of this weighing in at just 10oz.
He said: ‘You can’t read well in direct sunlight’ and ‘You can’t read books from the Apple bookstore on any other machine, not even a Mac or iPhone.’
Apple’s iBook store will not come preloaded on the iPad however which will allow other companies, including Amazon, to create online bookstore apps for the device. Readers will therefore be able to buy eBooks from a number of different suppliers but read them on their iPad.
Amazon said the company would ‘look forward to making Kindle for iPad available very soon,’ but didn’t confirm if the App would be ready for the U.S launch on Saturday.
Once again we will have to wait until the launch of this device to see who wins this eReader war that has developed but from the reviews so far there is no doubting that the iPad is going to be a revolutionary device.
iPad App Store open for business
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010Are you an app developer? Do you believe that miracles can happen? Would you like to submit a new app that you have developed entirely on a simulator and then hope that it will work on the hardware? Would you like your app to be in the app store? Well, now is your chance.
In the past few days Apple has opened up its submissions system and is now accepting iPad application submissions. You can submit your app today through iTunes Connect and you will then shortly be informed whether or not it is ready for the grand opening of the iPad app store.
As well as this, simulator only apps that have been developed with the iPhone SDK 3.2 BETA 5 can also be submitted to Apple from now on for initial review. Simply upload your app to the app store and the review team will send you an email with feedback on your submission and how close your application is to making it into the app store. Apple will also send you information regarding submitting your applications for the final review before the iPad ships, which for most of us, will be before we even get our hands on the hardware.
If you are thinking about waiting for a while before you submit your app to the app store then you need to rethink your plans. Apple has explained that only the apps submitted for the initial review will be considered for the grand opening of the iPad App Store. An Apple spokesperson said “We are looking forward to having a great line up of apps available on April 3rd when we launch the iPad and are hoping that we will see a similar success as with the iPhone app store”. The iPad app store is due for launch on the same day that the iPad device is released.
A lot of developers have expressed some excitement over the new iPad apps and a lot of devopeler have also expressed some concern. One iPad developer said “I think it is a pretty risky start being as we can never be sure that app’s which work on the simulator will work entirely with the device”. A lot of developers have insisted on testing not only the hardware but also a wide range of models of the device with a wide range of firmware installations before they submit their applications. Getting the compatibility of an app correct is extremely hard, especially when you have to develop the apps entirely on a simulator that is not true to life.
We will see how well the simulator has managed to do its job on April 3rd when the grand opening of the iPad app store will commence. This will be both and exciting and nerve-racking time for Apple as the success of the iPad will depend a great deal on its first impressions. If the apps don’t work on the day of launch apple could be in real trouble.
Apple iPad Gets Ready to Take on Publications
Saturday, March 27th, 2010One of the main things that set’s the Apple iPad apart from everything else on the market and its competitors is the fact that the device is extremely portable. In fact, we think that the device is easily as portable as say a magazine or newspaper.
The devices 9.7 inch screen will provide a much better viewing experience than any Smartphone on the market at the moment. The experience should be similar in quality to that of a laptop or a net book but with one main difference. Unlike both of these devices, the Apple iPad will be truly portable weighing only a few hundred grams. Being so lightweight and thin the Apple iPad will slip nicely into the user’s hands and can instantly be picked up and used much like you would pick up a newspaper or magazine. Computers and laptops are much more cumbersome than a tablet PC or the iPad when it comes to portability and accessibility.
In the past the internet has never quite managed to beat p[publications and this is probably due to the fact that before the Smartphone was invented, there was no real way to access the internet except from a computer or laptop. With the Smartphone we saw all of this change, however publications still never really caught on with Smartphone’s, this was probably due to the small screen size on the devices meaning there was only a limited amount that could be done to make the content look good and more often than not it was just too fiddly.
So, this is where the iPad comes in. The iPad is hoping to change all of this by making publications available on the device and we can’t see any reason why this shouldn’t be the case. If the reason that viewing these publications on an electronic device before has not caught on is down to portability and screen size as we have thought, then the Apple iPad should eliminate the problem and make reading publications on the electronic device a pleasure. Of course even if this does catch on there will be many other tablet PC’s being released in the near future so the iPad will not keep its monopoly in the market but we feel that as with the iPhone, Apple will once again lead the way and set the trend for all other devices to come.
One of the main benefits of reading publications on an electronic device such as the iPad will be that it will save the world a vast amount of paper and fuel. As well as saving the environment these digital versions of the newspapers and magazines will be easily updatable, ensuring that the content the user is reading is always up to date and accurate each time the consumer uses the device.
With devices like the iPad soon to hit the market it will not be long before printed materials start to get phased out and personally we can’t wait. It is going to be a very exciting time.
Steve Jobs uses iPad and iPhone to answer questions
Friday, March 26th, 2010Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple computers has been reported to have taken to his iPhone and iPad to respond to some customers email messages. There have been at least nine instances so far when the CEO of Apple has used his iPhone or iPad to reply to emails that he had received from a select few customers. The emails were customer concerns over the iPhone, the iPad or the Macbook range of laptops.
In the past two weeks, Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple computers, which is one of the biggest computer manufacturers in the world, has said to have responded personally to several customers email messages. The CEO used his iPhone and iPad to reply to a number of concerns that a few customers had about Apple Products.
This move by the CEO, which has been seen as a replacement to reported controlled leaks from the Cupertino company certainly sheds some like over what Apple’s future moves are likely to be, without giving too much away to their competitors of course.
Every single one of the email headers that have been disclosed suggest that the email replies are certainly from Steve Jobs himself, below is a roundup of the emails that have been sent.
Steve Jobs is said to have received an email which asked whether or not we were likely to see a universal mailbox on the iPhone in the near future. This is probably one of the most requested mail application features since the iPhones launch in 2007 and it will also be very popular on the iPad. Steve jobs is said to have replied “yes” to this email, confirming that this feature will be available in the near future.
He is also said to have received an email asking whether the iPad and iPhone will be able to tether together (sharing the iPhone or iPads internet connection). It is reported that he replied “No” to this email thus conforming that this feature will not be available in new versions of the iPhone or iPad. This will come as a disappointment to a lot of Apple enthusiasts.
Another email that the CEO is said to have received is from a customer asking whether or not we will be able to transfer Google Docs to iWork.com or even iDisk. Steve jobs is said to have replied “Yes” to this email confirming this feature on the iPad. It will be great if this is true as it will be very handy for business people and anyone wishing to use this feature.
Another question asked by a customer was whether the iPad will be compatible with Google’s Picasa format. Steve Jobs is said to have replied to this using his iPhone giving the response “No, but iPhoto on the Mac will have much better Faces and Places features”. This is good news for Apple enthusiasts although it would have been nice to see Picasa support.
Overall this does clear up a few rumors as to what Apple will be offering over the next year and it will be interesting to see if any of these rumors turn out to be true.
Microsoft Courier Vs. Apple iPad
Thursday, March 25th, 2010The year of 2010 is shaping up to become what will be known as the year of the tablet. We have heard about the release of the iPad from US manufacturer Apple and the release of the Kindle from Amazon but it seems there is a new product now in production from Microsoft. It is called the Microsoft Courier and Microsoft are hoping that it will be better than all of its rivals including the Apple iPad. But how does it compare to the iPad? Well, let’s take a look.
The Basics
This new device from Microsoft will be much more unconventional than the iPad and will feature two screens. While the iPad basically just scales up the software and technology that we have previously seen with the iPhone and iPod touch, Microsoft has much more ambitious plans. The device’s two screens will be laid out much like a book and it is for this reason that Microsoft has dubbed the product a “digital journal”. It will be interesting to see how this shapes up against the Apple iPad and what having two screens will really offer.
Portability
The fact that this new device from Microsoft will fold up much like a book makes it a clear winner against the iPad for portability. When folded up the Microsoft Courier will measure approximately 5×7 inches whereas the iPad will measure around 7.5×9.5 inches. This new device from Microsoft will also be much more resistant to damage as it will fold up nicely whereas the iPad will always be open to the elements and may easily get scratched and scraped around in your bag. From what we have heard so far about this new product it is a clear winner when it comes to portability.
Watching Movies, Playing Games and reading eBooks
Doing all three of these things well is what both the iPad and Microsoft courier will aim to do. The iPad has a significantly larger screen than the Microsoft courier will have and for this reason will probably be more suited to watching Movies and reading eBooks. The iPad can however be quite fiddly to hold and as the Microsoft courier will be shaped exactly like a conventional book and even feature 2 screens we think that it will give the user a more natural reading experience.
As for games we aren’t quite sure what to expect. Apples iTunes Store already has thousands of games available for the iPad straight from the launch date whereas the Microsoft courier will have to have an entirely new selection of games created for its launch. So far it looks like a daunting task for Microsoft to try and beat the success of Apples iTunes Store but it could be done nonetheless.
Overall we are not really sure what to expect from the Microsoft Courier as very little information has been given about its features but with the iPad due for launch long before Microsoft’s device, Microsoft will have to work hard to take over the tablet PC market.
Apple Signs Deal With Perseus Books for iPad content
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010FFBBHB8Q88F9 UK bookies are predicting that the iPad will be nowhere near as successful as the iPhone. The iPhone went on sale in June 2007 and within 74 days of release it had sold 1 Million units. This was probably due to the touch screen technology being a novelty at the time. With the iPad however experts are predicting that it won’t sell anywhere near as many units as the iPhone due to it being less practical and basically being an oversized iPod touch.
Apple is doing its best to prevent this from being a reality and today came news that Apple has signed a deal with Perseus Books who are one of the largest book publishers in the world. Perseus Books also have 330 smaller imprints such as Zaget and Harvard Business School Press and as of today Apple has secured the deal to resell its books in electronic format on the iPad.
Both Apple and Perseus Books have confirmed that this rumour is in fact true and that they will follow the same business model that Apple currently uses for its App Store. This is where the publishers set the retail price for all of their products and Apple makes their money by keeping 30% of the sales as a form of commission.
This latest partnership between Apple and Perseus Books could prove a much needed boost for Apple. Recently we have seen a variety of products being developed by other manufacturers designed to be competition for the iPad such as the Amazon Kindle and the HP Slate. Amazon currently holds a 90 percent share of the market for eBooks.
Some experts have predicted that with news of this new partnership between Apple and Perseus Books that the iPad could threaten Amazon’s dominance in the eBook market. One analyst suggested that Amazon could see this market share fall from its current rate of 90 percent to just 15 percent. This would be a huge blow for Amazon and if true then it could mean that the iPad would become the market leader for portable eBook readers.
We must remember that at this point these speculations are just that; speculations. There is no telling who will come out on top; we will just have to wait until the iPad is released to find this out. There is no doubt that the iPad will be a huge success for Apple as it seems that everyone cannot wait for the product. Since Apple announced its release there has been a huge hype surrounding the product and the scale of its success will depend on a variety of factors such as how it compares against the Amazon Kindle, one of its main competitors.
With just a few weeks until the release of the iPad in the US we shouldn’t have to wait long to find out who comes out on top and from what we have seen, the iPad is a fantastic product and is well worth the hype.”