0 iPad, revolution in mid

Bello is also beautiful, it is certainly technically gifted. But it is enough to disrupt a market of millions of pieces such as the netbook? The new iPad, shown by Steve Jobs in shape (but still thin) to the public of Journalism Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, the intent of Apple should do what they do today, the small 10-inch laptop, but better: if will really be able to make a difference is still early to tell, certainly in Cupertino have decided to tackle a risky bet.

Apple iPad What is a tablet according to Apple: is used to browse, check your email, looking at photos, listen to music and read books or magazines. Also playing. The 9.7-inch screen (1024x768, 132 ppi), multitouch, looks bright and effective for this purpose: sure, the choice of using an LCD has its advantages and disadvantages, namely the IPS technology to improve contrast and viewing angle against a battery life of just 10 hours. Sufficient autonomy to compete with most netbook around, but that pales before that of several days afforded by the various screens and-ink e-reader on the road: It is good to remember that the main advantage of LCDs, namely the colors, is destined to dwindle by the end of 2010 with the release of the first color e-reader
All this is sustained by a system-on-a-chip (SoC) ARM 1GHz (called A4) designed by Apple and realized through the skills of the PA Semi acquired long ago. The operating system the device is the same iPhone OS, updated to release 3.2, running on the iPhone, a move also to ensure the compatibility of the more than 140 thousand applications already nell'App Store, but that cuts the legs all aspirations for Flash on the platform. During the demo of Jobs on stage, the familiar icon of the plugin is missing from the screen was the terminus of iPad, and this restriction does not seem destined to disappear soon, at least to understand what has been possible up to this point.
On the option, in the words of Jobs, there are the usual suspects: WiFi, Blutooth, optional 3G (which possibly carries the A-GPS), speaker, microphone, 30-pin connector like the iPod, which came 3 , 5mm standard headphones, accelerometer and compass. Absent (unwarranted?): Camera, USB. A side note, we would point out that Apple iPad meets all its environmental commitment in terms of flame retardants, arsenic-free glass, no mercury and high recyclability. Prices (this is a surprise) from $ 499 for the 16GB version, go up to 599 for the 32 and 699 for the 64GB and if you want 3G you will have to pay, from April, respectively, 629, 729 and 829 dollars.
What is missing really iPad, however, has a purpose. It makes the phone, the 3G connection is present (there are attractive offers for the U.S., Europe will need to wait for the spring) but does not serve that purpose. It is not a computer, although Apple has made a new release of iWork made for his tablet and a dock with keyboard (alternative to touch screen) fits the same OS of the iPhone is "condemned" in the category of smartphones, with all the advantages and limitations that this imposes. You can forget multitasking, you can forget the Finder in Mac OSX: no folders in which to store documents, iPad is a kind of cross between the iPhone and iPod Touch devices, and therefore an essentially "closed."
Another mystery is the format chosen for the book sale: Apple, as usual, decides to go it alone and create a new app for the purpose, called the iBook Store. Connecting style iTunes Store, you choose what to read, you can buy and there, this is reflected in its virtual shelf. Mystery about what will happen if you want to lend a book to a friend, or if these titles are interoperable with other platforms: let the user is in possession of a library in epub format, regularly experience or from the public domain, what will if he decides to jump on board iPad? Mystery also on which and how many books will be available for iPad, and what are the costs: it lacks clear guidance on the possible price range for paperback and hardcover, and obviously we will have to wait for the launch localized nation by nation to know which publishers have chosen to enter the Apple team.
Speech in hand, we must do so for applications: Scott Forstall, took the stage, shows that all there is in circulation in the App Store at the time it works all right on iPad. But, and here come the problems, those who wish can update your SDK and start developing (or adapting) for the new device: therefore, after having begun to distinguish between the original iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch original, and finally 3GS new and second-generation Touch, shoppers will start to make an application also attention to the compatibility of your device with the software you intend to buy.