Rethink the iPad

The iPad attempts to be the new phenomenon of 2010. It has built-in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, speaker, microphone, Assisted GPS technology, compass, light sensors, and between 16-64GB of memory. It is clearly a web-browsing, media-loving and book reading device.

What you can do on an iPad:

- View websites. The touch screen makes it easy to use and you can zoom in or out with your fingers.

-Read ebooks with iBooks application.

-Send and receive emails.

-Enjoy and share photos on a nice, large screen and import them directly from your camera.

-Watch videos on a high resolution screen and browse YouTube.

-Find numerous iPad applications from the large selection available from the Apps store.

-Listen to iTunes just like an iPod.

-View high resolution maps, search your location, get directions and find for local businesses as

you would with an iTouch.

-Organize yourself, write notes, and search across the iPad using spotlight search.

Doesn’t this sound like a bigger iTouch? It could be compared to a Netbook but is not as functional.

And there is debate whether the iPad includes a dedicated GPS Chip or whether it’s using Assisted GPS to simulate “real” GPS, or in other words, pseudo-GPS. The question now is: does the iPad have the same GPS functionality as the iPhone 3GS? Apple has yet to respond.

Here are other missing features:

-No phone capability (but this will change with the 3G model)

-No built-in camera (but there are ways to add one as an accessory)

-No flash website support

-Limited to AT&T data plans

-No memory expansion capabilities

-Cannot run multiple applications at once (but this may be added later through a firmware upgrade)

Apple has tried to make the iPad an all-in-one package for connectivity, computing, gaming and other tasks. But there are too many things missing. It appears the next generation is more promising. Right now, it’s too little too soon.

Author: Jay Moore