hanks to the major marketing boost that the iPad received from parent company Apple, we now have the impression that it is the best device to experience the Web, watch online streaming video, and connect with friends via social networking services.
The opinion is backed with good reason and real results because the iPad is filled to the brim with Internet-savvy features and services. Despite the initial skepticism expressed by most industry pundits when the computing device was unveiled at a press conference in San Francisco, positive reviews by tech experts who had the privilege of testing the first few commercially available iPads—from Walt Mossberg to the guys at Engadget—had to admit that, indeed, Steve Jobs has unleashed a worthy competitor to netbooks.
It is equipped with built-in, high-speed 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, which makes downloading files and streaming videos fast and easy. You can forget about buffering, which takes up so much time that it lengthens a four-minute video into eight minutes of waiting. Although some connections may tend to slow down—particularly when there is heavy gateway traffic or when too many subscribers are using the network—it is not going to affect your iPad browsing experience, thanks to its combination of a beefed-up Safari app (which is Apple's answer to Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer), and the latest Wi-Fi standard.
Browsing most of the online content that you'll be accessing on an iPad is mainly handled by a specially designed mobile version of Apple's proprietary web browser called Safari, an app that, according to Apple engineers, is the fastest browser among its league. Considering its reputation as the fastest app to render mobile webpages and the degree of advanced Wi-Fi technologies that are built into the iPad, it can be predicted that browsing the Web for information on the device will take your breath away at lightning speed.
These days, Wi-Fi hotspots are easy to come by; one does not need to remain in highly metropolitan areas to stay online because even rural towns and suburban communities have Internet access. However, that is not to say that we are entirely wirelessly connected. Some Internet connections can be accessed through 3G technology. Fortunately, the iPad does not only operate on Wi-Fi but on 3G as well. That means you are not solely tied up to Wi-Fi and feel completely powerless when a hotspot is not available because 3G, via your mobile telecommunications provider, will keep you connected.
Depending on your location, most major network providers have 3G service contracted by Apple. For instance, AT&T has monthly Internet plans that allow you to swiftly switch from a Wi-Fi network to a 3G connection seamlessly. All the processes can be completed online on your very own iPad, so there is absolutely no need to go to an AT&T store or contact their customer support to purchase the plan.
When you have used up all your surfing minutes, an interactive push notification will pop up to tell you about your impending state and will provide you with two options: switch to the latest Wi-Fi standard with a frequency emanating within your vicinity or upgrade to the next data plan. Data usage and plan information can be monitored and managed on the iPad itself because that, too, has its own app.
The iPad. Well, it definitely is on a league of its own. There simply is no other device like it. It is revolutionary and is perceived to herald a new technology for personal computing. Just like its smaller twins – the iPhone and iPod Touch.
It took nearly ten years for an idea like this to come to fruition. Even the name has been debated on for years. Prior to Steve Jobs' launching of the iPad, big fans of its smaller predecessors have come up with the names The Slate, Apple Tablet, and a couple of other guesses, only to be presented with a name that sounds like a Chinese parody of the iPod. And more disappointments soon came the way of iPad.
Among the most notable is that the thing is only a larger version of the iPod touch, as many argue. Many disappointed ex-iPad enthusiasts even went so far as create images of Steve Jobs presenting the Ipad, only in the picture the device looks like 4 iPod Touch taped together.
Maybe it’s the hype created for the device – it seems so hyped that no other device in recent memory can compare to the publicity it has received – or maybe it's because people have expected so much. For one, they expected to have a device that performs way better than the one they already have – the iPod Touch. But then again, when a device carries an updated software of its predecessor with a few alterations here and there, it would be hard not to compare the two. But really, is there anything to compare aside from what has been already said? Also, is the iPad really just a larger version of the iPod Touch?
Hardly.
The user interface, itself, while for the most parts resemble those already available in iPod Touch has some additions that you can love, know and gripe about, just as you did with iPod Touch. For one, there is a small handful of new tools like Pop-overs or modals, tap-and-hold, split screens, toolbar drop-downs, cover flow, contextual menus and that famous virtual keyboard. All these user interface additions allow you to do more and go further with your iPad. That simply can't be done with its smaller, older twin.
To top these off, the iPad, although not necessarily made as a real personal computer, is packed with applications like Keynote and Numbers that can let you do work on the go. There's a lot more to like to this beast. It allows you access to engaging Apple-made applications and third-party applications, for example, many of which are applications that iPod Touch enthusiasts have come to love.
Still, iPad has some shortcomings that many people are justified to complain about. Huge shortcomings. For starters, iPad does not allow multitasking, although it allows multitasking for Apple's applications. If you're used to doing 5 things at the same time on your computer, you're out of luck with this device, buddy. You can't Twitter and open your email simultaneously. You can’t also hold a conversation over an IM app and run Facebook apps simultaneously. For some users who are used to doing things this way, iPad is a big disappoint. However, for the majority of users, this isn’t much a big deal. This is probably why Apple did not take long to ignore the problem.
See, while many people are disappointed with the close comparison of iPad and iPhone, it is still clear that the former is a revolutionary device that is not comparable to anything available in the market. And what's even clearer is that the iPad is not a bigger version of the iPod Touch.
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