The IPad and WePad

As of April 3, 2010, you could purchase the iPad from Apple. In July of 2010, you will be able to purchase the German contender to the iPad, the WePad, which is already boasting improvements on the iPad's limitations.

On April 9, 2010, Apple announced that iPhone and iPads will have muti-tasking capabilities as early as this summer for iPhones and autumn for iPads. Iphones currently allow multitasking for some of Apple's own programs, but the lack of multitasking for the iPad has been often cited as one of the drawbacks to the electronic tablet along with lack of Flash and USB ports. The WePad will feature a Webcam, USB ports, and larger screen, all that will be covered in this article.

iPad

The much promoted, hand-held device has raised questions on how the iPad will fit into the business world. Is the iPad merely a beautiful, sleek entertainer or is it a viable business tool that can rival the best netbooks? Apple will sell and ship Wi-Fi versions of the iPad, though the 3G models will not be shipped until late April. (See Sources below for Associated Press reports on the sale as well as official pricings from Apple.)

Apple sold a half million iPads the first week of sales in April, a successful campaign that will affect sales of the iPad internationally. International sales of the iPad will be delayed until May 10 with shipping going out at the end of May.

The iPad comes in a sleek half-inch thick model with a 9.7-inch color screen viewable in portrait and landscape that is operated through a touch screen and a screen keyboard. Three models will be offered in 16GB ($499), 32GB ($599), and 64GB ($699) models, and all integrated with Wi-Fi (802.11n included). There will be an option to add 3G via AT&T service (250MB, $14.99 monthly; unlimited, $29.99 monthly) for $130 extra. Apple promises the following in the box: an iPad, dock connect to USB cable, 10 W USB Power Adapter, SIM eject tool if you have a 3G model, and documentation. Language support will come for English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian.

The iPad's LED-backlit glossy screen may be one of its most appealing features with 1024 x 768 pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch. The large screen should allow reading ebooks more clearly than many of the current ebook readers (access to iBookstore). MacLife reports that the "4:3 aspect ration makes it better for web browsing and ebook reading than a widescreen 16:9 display would have . . . Wider viewing angles are crucial . . . perfect for casually sharing movies, photos, an websites with a few friends." Reviewers at MacLife were impressed with the oleophobic coating on the screen that combats fingerprints.

Additional pluses are its ability to access 150,000 existing Apple applications, as well as the ability to run movies, songs, and games. Video can be played in H.264 video at HD 720p quality. The ten-hour battery life is a major plus, which doubles the power of most netbooks (25-watt rechargeable, lithium-polymer / 30 day life when on standby), a feature that led Guy Kawasaki to say, "I'll believe it when I see it." Future models may have a web cam for videoconferencing. The iPad will feature an arsenic-free display glass, mercury-free LCD display, recyclable aluminum and glass enclosure, as well as being BFR and PVC-free.

IPad comes with built-in speaker, mic, and 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack, dock connector for charging and accessories, and weighs 1.5 pounds (1.6 for 3G models).

To keep prices down, Apple did not include USB ports, SD card slots, and a physical keyboard. Add to the downside the use of the iPhone OS vs. a Windows OS, but it does have new photo and illustration editing software and new versions of Keynote, Pages, and Numbers ($ 9.99 each) that will allow presentation, word processing, and spreadsheets. Ipad's lack of Flash support has been one of the biggest complaints. No Flash support will result in iPad not having the capability of natively supporting such online video sites as Hulu.com. However, rumors already swirl that Hulu will create an application for iPad users, and there may be many more sites like Hulu that will work with Apple to create what iPad users want. Apple may have several plans to bring TV content to the iPad sooner than later. [PC Today, p. 64]

Enter the WePad

Now the German WePad has jumped into the competition. Neophonie's version of the electronic tablet offers a larger screen, webcam, and two USB ports, all improvements on the iPad. Additionally, the WePad does not require a particular kind of software to download music.

The WePad's basic version, which comes with Wi-Fi and 16-gigabyte storage, will cost 449 euros ($600). The larger 32-gigabyte version with a fast 3G modem is 569 euros. The WePad features an 11.5 inch screen and is compatible with Google's Android and all Flash applications, though it will not be available until July of 2010.

iPad's E-books

If you want a book to read on the iPad you will go to iBookstore and purchase books in e-Pub format using the credit card information you have established for iTunes. Downloads come wirelessly that can be read in portrait or landscape.

There is a lot of talk about how Apple will deal with the e-book end of their product. This may be one of the more appealing features of the iPad, especially the ability to read books in color and interact with additional hyperlinks within a book.

So will the iPad and WePad be real alternatives to the netbook for businesses? We will have to wait for review of the WePad, but as for the iPad PC Today writes, " . . . whether an iPad is a viable alternative to a netbook boils down to your intended purposes. Entertainment-wise, the iPad clearly wins out. Although neither the iPad nor a netbook is exactly a productivity powerhouse, netbooks hold several advantages in physical design, component, and OS areas." [PC Today, p. 6] PC Today's Blaine Flamig may have said it best for now when he wrote that the sleek electronic tablet is more "suited for consuming content and not creating it," which in the end may not be all bad.

Sources:

Associated Press report:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100408/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_apple

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100403/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_apple_ipad

Apple prices for iPad currently run from $499 - 829.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad?Email_OID=57b35198356d373bcd2a6e08abcb3795&Email_PageName=P0009218-CONS&cid=CDM-US-P0009218-CONS&cp=em-P0009218-CONS&sr=em

PC Today, March 2010.

General information: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad?mco=OTY2ODA0NQ

MacLife, April 2010.

Specs: http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/