After months of speculation about what Apple’s addition to the growing eReader market will look like, the much-anticipated device has finally arrived.  Rather than going down the one-function route of the Kindle, however, the Apple gadget named iPad is a convergence device, letting you do a myriad of things in addition to reading. surf the web, email, get map directions, store and view photos, and watch movies.

On the surface, the tablet looks just like an overgrown iPhone, with the same curved back (for comfortable hold), flat screen, and silver-and-black skin. The Apple tablet sports a 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD display that is also based on the multi-touch capacitive display technology of the iPhone; it easily responds to swipes, taps, jabs, and sweeps of finger.

Underneath, however, the iPad wants to be a cross between a smartphone and a laptop, and is geared as a device that can do almost everything that a laptop can without the bulk and the weight. Having seen its broad functionality, the market is now interested in seeing how it the iPad affect other eReaders, particularly the Amazon Kindle.     

The Apple iPad WiFi models will be available in March, 2010 at $499 (16GB version), $599 (32GB version), and $699 (64 GB version). The 3G models (powered by AT&T), set to launch in April 2010, will cost $629 (16 GB version), $729, and $829 (64GB version).

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Features – Hardware and Software

Measuring 9.7 x 7.4 inches and a middle of only a half-inch thick, the Apple iPad is one attractive-looking device that fits nicely in your hands. 1 GHz A4 chip costume-designed by P.A. creates extreme productivity. With the iPad, you can watch YouTube videos and TV shows, store contacts list and notes, compose and read emails, and purchase and listen to iTunes music. iWork applications, re-engineered for the tablet, are also included. iPad owners can download up to 140,000 applications from the App Store. 

More power-efficient than a laptop, the iPad has up to 10 hours of battery life, and you can have a choice of 16, 32, or 64 GB flash storage. Integrated 802.11 b/n allows you to access the web over WiFi networks, while built-in Bluetooth and EDR easily connects the iPad to devices like headphones and Apple wireless keyboard. 

1024 x 763 pixel resolution produces remarkably vivid images, making web browsing, watching HD videos, or viewing photos a visual pleasure. The device also features virtual QWERTY keyboard and an accelerometer, which automatically switches page into portrait or landscape mode based on actual orientation of the device. Because it uses IPS (in-plane switching) display technology, the tablet provides a wide viewing angle of up to 178 degrees. 

What iPad lacks are certain connectors (such as USB connectors), but it has 30-pin dock connector. Built-in compass enhances use of map, while built-in mic allows for chatting and speaker (and headphone jack) for listening to music and watching videos.

The iPad will also be rolled out with its own built-in bookstore called the iBookstore. Harper-Collins, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, and other major publishers will provide content to the bookstore. To be able to buy and read books, gadget owners must first download the new iBooks software from the App Store; downloading is free of charge. Once you have purchased a book, it is displayed in your bookshelf, which looks just like a real wooden shelf.

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The Bottom Line

Based on the numerous things that the iPad is designed to do, it seems to be geared at competing against netbooks and laptops rather than eReaders. If you are looking for a device that lets you experience digital books and magazines, webs, music, and photos, the  Apple iPad fits all these and more into a device that’s less than half an inch-thick. It certainly ushers in a new class in mobile computing.