Apple iPad tablet review
Now that Apple’s iPad tablet has been revealed to the public and the industry’s initial enthusiasm has waned, should consumers start planning to buy Apple’s latest toy? The general public still has to wait two months for a chance to buy Apple’s tablet and the big question is will the iPad become another iPod or iPhone and change the technology game or fade into obscurity like Apple Pippin? ? The professional reviews are out, and what they discovered with their initial impressions might surprise you.
The good
Familiarity is the key selling point for Apple’s tablet. The iPad runs a modified version of the current operating system used on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The tablet will sync all your iTunes files, charge and connect using the firmly established 30-pin white connecting cable, let you buy apps from the pre-existing app store you’re used to, and the iPad will even transfer the songs, videos , games and useful apps that you already bought legally (avoiding a “double dip” of a double purchase for the same content).
The screen resolution is beautiful. Every Apple tablet review talks about the high-resolution 1024 x 768 display of the iPad’s 9.7-inch touchscreen. Most of the other tech specs are designed to impress. The CPU runs at 1GHz and provides plenty of ultra-fast power for a handheld device. The tablet’s built-in wireless devices, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, will connect and work just as seamlessly as current generation iPhones and iPods.
The bad
Prepare for the bad, because there’s a lot to complain about with the new iPad. Storage comes in three delicate sizes, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. Regardless of how Apple tries to resize internal hard drives, they are small for a product meant to compete in the netbook market. USB drives come in comparable sizes for a fraction of the cost (another problem with the iPad, but this is true of most Apple products). Do you enjoy watching TV shows and movies on the go? With minimal hard drive space, Apple’s tablet can barely hold a dozen movies and a single season of the average TV show. This won’t really be an issue though, as battery life is expected to last less than 10 hours with heavy use. Basically, it won’t last a full day with constant use on a full charge.
The ugly one
Deal breaker time, and there are many. No built-in USB ports, no flash support for web pages, no webcam, no SMS text messages, no video conferences or Skype calls, and no monthly fees to access AT&T’s exclusive 3G network are just a few. But nothing pales in comparison to the lack of multitasking. Simply put, Apple’s miniature touchscreen tablet with the power of a netbook, the same size as a netbook, costing twice the average netbook, designed to bridge the gap between cell phones (iPhones) and laptops (Macbooks) CANNOT RUN MORE THAN ONE APPLICATION AT A TIME! For a product designed as a mobile device, the inability to run several applications at the same time is undoubtedly its biggest flaw.
Wasted potential vs. crushing reality
Every Apple tablet review talks about the potential of the iPad. It has the potential to be Apple’s next big game changer, but its apparent shortcomings and suspiciously lacking standard apps and hardware specs also leave the door open for a major flop. The best analogy I’ve found compares Apple’s iPad to a concept car. Just like a pre-production concept car, Apple’s iPad tablet features many new technologies, great ideas, sleek and modern design, but its implementation aims for lofty goals and ignores the current market and reality. It lacks basic functionality and there are just too many flaws in the initial version of the iPad. Essentially, wait until multitasking is resolved and for version 2 of the Apple iPad tablet.