The New Apple iPad, starting at $499.

Today Apple announced its newest, long anticipated and highly gossiped product, the Apple iPad.  Rumors about the new iPad have been running rampant on the Internet as Apple fans and technology commentators quickly spread any gossip to help satisfy curious and die hard Apple fans.   

Steve Jobs presented the new Apple iPad to a packed room full in San Francisco.  Reporters hung on every Steve Job’s every word.  Steve Jobs heralded the new iPad as “phenomenal,” “unbelievably great,” and ”way better than a laptop, way better than a smartphone.”  

The iPad is only 1.5 lbs, a half inch think, and has a 9.7 inch screen.  With all of it’s capabilities, the iPad is surprisingly affordable.  It is available in either a 16 gb of flash storage ($499), 32 GB ($599), or 64 gb storage ($699).  Later, Apple will add 3G to the iPad which will ad an extra $130 to the price.   The battery is estimated to last 10 hours and is WiFi enabled.    

What Can You Do with the Apple iPad?

• Read- it is an ebook – displaying books, magazines, and newspapers — in color
• Write – emails on a pop up touch keyboard
• Surf – the Internet comfortably and with the ability to see a full screen view of a web page
• Keep your Calendar – track all your appointments
• Showcase your Pictures- in true Apple form, flip through your pictures, enlarge them with your fingers, change their orientation just by rotating the iPad, set slideshows to music, etc.  In addition, you can use the iPad as a digital picture frame when it is sitting in its docking station.  Pictures can be imported, sync’d with your computer, downloaded from e-mail, or uploaded from your camera via the Apple Camera Connection kit.
• Watch Videos- YouTube, TV shows, music videos, podcasts, you name it
• Store Your Contacts – and click on “map” to find their addresses
• Search Maps – to find business close to your location.  Street level views are available from Google, giving an incredible view of the business/address you are looking for.

What Content Can You Get for the iPad?

Many of the apps available in Apple’s App store is available for the iPad.  The iPad includes an iPod and music can be downloaded from iTunes.  A new storefront called iBook will allow you to browse for books and magazines to download.

A Mom’s Perspective  

Steve Jobs believes the new iPad is “so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smartphone.”  The iPad does seem to bring about a closeness to a person’s online experience as the device is small, lightweight, and is all finger controlled.  It’s  very much like using the iPhone, just amplified in size.

 I would liken the iPad to a netbook and eReader, only more convenient due to its touch and orientation manipulation.  The iPad ties up a lot of neat features in this bundle that make it very enticing. However, on the flip side, there are some visible oversights that are important to note if you’re thinking the iPad will act as your new netbook.  Specifically, the iPad does not include:

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