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When the iPad was announced by Apple earlier this year, we were all left wondering whether or not there would be any really good app’s available for it, and just how soon they would be released. One of the best things about the iPad is that it has stunning video quality and great graphics. The Netflix app really makes use of these and the overall app works extremely well. Here is a quick review. (more…)
With this fantastic little app, you will be able to produce hilariously funny pictures with ease. For someone who isn’t naturally very creative, this sort of app is great for me. However, when I see apps like this available I immediately develop concerns to just how good it really is, and this was certainly the case with this app as it promise to help the user turn normal photos into hilarious pieces of art. (more…)
cnets Natali Del Conte unboxes the new Apple ipad and some of the tablets accessories.
With the Apple iPad due for release in just a few days, what better time is there to take a look at what you get for your money with the iPad. We will take a look at what comes preloaded on the iPad when you buy it, not the apps you can buy. The question is; is it really worth the money? Let’s take a look.
Safari: As with the iPod touch and iPhone the Apple iPad comes preloaded with the Safari web browser. Now there is not much difference between the browser on the iPad and the browser on the iPad but although this might seem like Apple is cutting corners, we think it is a good point. The fact that the browser is not much different to the previous version we have seen will mean that it will be extremely easy to use and will not require the user to learn anything new. It will also be possible to sync your bookmarks from your Mac to your iPad meaning that if you update something on one of the devices, it will automatically update it on the other devices.
IPod: Now we are all familiar with the iPod and what a revolutionary invention it was and the fact that they have put this technology into the iPad is another great reason to buy it. The iPad, which comes in two different models, one with 32GB of memory and one with 64GB of memory. This will really make good use of the iPod feature. The fact that the iPad has such a vast amount of memory will mean that it will be possible to store thousands of songs and videos on the device for you to watch and listen to using the iPod. The iPad’s 9.7 inch screen will take watching videos on a mobile device to a whole new level also and will allow you to watch better quality videos on a larger screen, so no more squinting at that tiny iPhone display.
Mail: The iPad will also come with the Mail App preinstalled. We have seen this previously on the iPhone and iPod touch and it has worked well. However the iPad will make this app seem even better. Having such a large display when compared to the iPhone or iPod touch will make viewing email attachments (PDF files, Images etc) much more pleasurable. The larger pop up keyboard that the device features will allow make it much easier to type when compared to the iPhone, which a lot of users found to be quite fiddly and awkward.
Of course these aren’t the only apps you get preinstalled with the iPad, you will also get the usual Contacts App, Calendar App and pretty much everything else we have seen previously on the iPhone device. And don’t forget that from the launch date there will be thousands of apps available from the app store that will really make use of all the iPad’s features. So should you buy one? Well that’s entirely up to you.
Are 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.
ipad is the best way to experience the web. See how the Safari app on ipad lets you view whole pages in portrait or landscape on the large multi-touch screen.
One 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.
The 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.
FFBBHB8Q88F9 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.”
amazon kindle ipad app
There is a lot of hype surrounding the iPad at the moment and how Apple hopes it could revolutionize the industry. Apple plans to open a new store along with the iPad called the iBook store which will allow the customer to download and purchase eBooks directly to their iPad. Today came news of the Kindle App that has been developed by Amazon especially for the iPad.
This new app is Amazons version of the iBook store and will be Apple’s main competition for eBook downloads on the iPad. Amazon already has a Kindle App available for the iPhone but the new iPad app has had a lot more work put into it and a complete redesign. Instead of simply porting the existing app that they have available for iPhone, Amazon has hired a team of 14 developers to make the new iPad app something really special. The developers have worked on making the iPad Kindle app look great on the bigger screen that the iPad features.
Amazon has given a demonstration of this app to the New York Times who has actually worked with Apple to create its own app specifically for the iPad. In the demonstration Amazon showed a completely reworked and redesigned home screen which displays the covers of all the eBooks against the image of a silhouetted boy sat reading under a tree. The sun in the background both rises and falls depending on the time of day.
Amazon also claims that as well as the features that Apple will offer in their iBook store, such as swiping the finger across the screen to turn a page, their app will offer much more. For example Amazon claims that with the new Kindle app it will be possible for the user to highlight text in different colours as well as alter both fonts and sizes of the text.
Along with these extra features and tweaks Amazon has made they will also include a variety of features that we have previously seen available on PC, Mac and the iPhone. These include the ability to synchronise bookmarks, notes and page information across multiple devices. You will also be able to import your Kindle library and access the Kindle Store.
With Apple’s iPad set for release in just a few weeks in the US it will be interesting to see how this pans out for Amazon. If this App is more popular and more refined that the iBook store that Apple is going to offer then it could see the end of this dream for Apple. Both companies are going to have to battle it out for number one spot. If you are currently in the UK however I’m afraid you are going to have to wait a little bit longer for both this App and the iPad as Apple plan to release both in late April.
ipaduniverse.wordpress.com – A look at some non-geek ipad applications of Apple’s ipad tablet computer device and who needs one.
I heard that the iPad is not good for business but what if you’re a fourteen year old girl?
I don’t really need something all business-ish. I just want something that I can listen to music, play around with some cool apps and enjoy. I heard that it does not have Flash. That is one thing I am worried about though. Does that mean that I can’t use youtube or open files that are sent to me by email? Can I use email without it at all? The iTouch seems more like what I’m looking for, but I just don’t want to get it, and then not be able to get the next big thing. Should I get the iPad? Remember, I do not need all the business stuff. Just stuff that your average teenage girl loves! I don’t want it as a replacement for my phone either.
Oh and one more thing..
To Charge it.. Do you need to plug it into another computer? And I heard that it only lasts ten hours?
Steve Fox and Jason Snell, editorial directors of pcworld and Macworld, respectively, give their impressions of Apple’s new tablet.
Hands-on with the new ipad at Apple’s media event, Jan. 27 2010. Credit: appleinsider.com