New Apple technology disappoints many

Zack Becker, Opinion Editor
January 28, 2010
Filed under A&E

The latest gadget to be announced by computer giant, Apple was released Jan. 27. It is called the iPad, and it is, what many expected would be the next big invention in portable technology. Rumors of the iPad have been around for years and, so many people have speculated on what wonderful features it might include. For many, though, the iPad did not live up to expectations.

Until Wed., the computer-phone hybrid was simply being called the Apple Tablet, or a name that some hoped was official: the iSlate. Appropriately naming something this big is very important. Unfortunately, the name, alone, has already thrown out the dreams of many.

Name aside, what features does the iPad include? For the most part, it is simply a giant-sized iPhone. The screen is 9.7 inches wide, only half an inch thick, and weighs just over a pound and a half. It includes many of the same features as the iPhone, as well, but the catch is it’s all much bigger.

When browsing the Web (run on the Safari browser), a user will see that the screen looks more like a computer dispay rather than a phone. Photos can be uploaded to it, as well as full length movies and any other videos. Users still have access to the App Store and, of course, iTunes, too. The advantage the iPad has over the iPhone, is size.

New things that recieved much hype are newspaper apps and iBooks. Newspapers, such as the New York Times can be viewed and are formatted like real newspapers. The app iBooks, allows users to download and read a wide variety of books.

However, the iPad is missing lots of features that people were expecting. There is no multitasking, so only one app can be in use at a time. It doesn’t have a camera (only a place to view pictures taken elsewhere). It also doesn’t support flash, just to name a few.

So, what does one expect to pay for this new piece of technology? It will cost only $499 for the 16GB standard model, which only comes with Wi-Fi. The 32GB one costs $600, and the 64GB costs $700. To add a 3G data plan will cost an extra $130. The price seems to be about the only good surprise to all those looking forward to the iPad, who predicted it would cost over $1000.