After years of speculation and increasing hype from both the computer industry and fans, Apple has revealed their latest product, the iPad. The latest piece of tech, incorporating a multi-touch screen and being only half an inch thick, could herald a new age of interacting with the internet, using media such as film, music and digital books, and playing games.
At a very modest price of £310, Steve Jobs, chief executive at Apple said “The bar is pretty high. The iPad is the best browsing experience you have ever had; iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before,” he explained adding that to the interface would allow all smartphone users to instantly recognise the “magical and revolutionary device” format.
At only 0.68kg, the device is far lighter than many laptops already on the market. iPhone applications will easily sync with the unit working in both portrait and landscape so that the tablet PC can be used at any rotation. Available in approximately 2 months time, the device is also likely to spawn a host of new gaming experiences as developers make a bid to cash in on the latest device which Apple hopes will become the phenomenon that the iPhone became.
Meanwhile, Apple is also to launch an iBooks store, bringing digital literature to even more consumers. With five mainstream publishes including the Penguin Group signed up to the scheme, it is likely to become a direct competitor to Amazon’s Kindle.
