Reaction to the announcement
Media reaction to the iPad announcement was mixed. Walt Mossberg wrote, “It’s about the software, stupid”, meaning hardware features and build are less important to the iPad’s success than software and user interface, his first impressions of which were largely positive. Mossberg also called the price “modest” for a device of its capabilities, and praised the ten-hour battery life.[45] Others, including PC Advisor and The Sydney Morning Herald, wrote that the iPad would also compete with proliferating netbooks, most of which use Microsoft Windows.[46][47] The base model’s $499 price was lower than pre-release estimates by the tech press, Wall Street analysts, and Apple’s competitors, all of whom were expecting a much higher entry price point.[13][48][49]
Yair Reiner said the iPad will compete against e-book devices such as the Barnes & Noble nook and the Amazon Kindle while offering 70% of revenue to publishers, the same arrangement afforded developers on the Apple App Store.[50] Notably, a week before the iPad’s expected release, the Amazon Kindle store increased publishers’ revenue share to 70% as well.[51]
Several days after the unveiling, Stephen Fry said people must use the iPad to truly appreciate its purpose and quality and commented that common criticisms of the device fall away after use. Fry noted the iPad’s speed and responsiveness, the intuitive interface and the richness and detail of the display.[52]
Expected features
CNET and Gizmodo have listed features that are missing from the iPad that they believe customers expect, including a camera for video chat, Adobe Flash support, a widescreen aspect ratio, the ability to multitask (run more than one application at once), and a more flexible wired-data port than the iPod dock connector.[35][53] The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Gizmodo noted that the iPad will only officially support installing software from the App Store.[35][54] CNET also criticised the iPad for its apparent lack of wireless sync which other portable devices such as Microsoft’s Zune have had for a number of years. At the moment there is no independent proof the iPad lacks this feature, and the built-in iTunes app should be able to download from the internet as well.[55]
While CNN and Wired News criticized the lack of a webcam, they defended other omissions, including lack of support for the Adobe Flash media format: “Who needs Flash, anyway? YouTube and Vimeo have both switched to H.264 for video streaming, and the rest of the world of Flash is painful to use.” Websites that continue to use Flash for some or all of their content are less usable or unusable from the iPad’s Safari web browser.[citation needed] Reporters noted that “[multitasking] will not matter at all to the target user”, as its absence is responsible for “a large part of [the iPad's] ten-hour battery life.” Of the aspect ratio: “16:9 ratio in [portrait mode] would look oddly tall and skinny … [4:3 is] a compromise, and a good one.” Of the lack of a USB port: “The iPad is meant to be an easy-to-use appliance, not an all-purpose computer. A USB port would mean installing drivers for printers, scanners and anything else you might hook up.” [56][57]
Tech reporter Leo Laporte offered a mixed initial review, praising the iPad’s speed but panning the lack of a camera, video output, USB or FireWire ports, and the inability to run multiple applications at the same time, specifically the inability to run a chat application along with other applications.[58] He also mentioned the device’s “locked down”, closed nature, noting that some at the announcement protested Apple’s “full control” of the software. He concluded that the iPad should be viewed as an “appliance” for media consumers, not really a computer in the traditional sense.
Product name
Like the iPhone, the iPad shares its name with existing products. The most publicized is the Fujitsu iPAD, a mobile multi-functional device sold to retailers to help clerks verify prices, check inventory, and close sales. The Japanese company Fujitsu introduced the iPAD in 2002, and the following year applied for the trademark, but the firm found the mark was already owned by Mag-Tek. Fujitsu’s trademark application was listed as “abandoned” in April 2009, and the ownership of the mark is unclear. Fujitsu consulted attorneys over what, if any, action it may take.[59][60] On March 17, 2010 the Fujitsu IPAD U.S. trademark was transferred to Apple.[61]
In the first days after the iPad’s announcement, some media and many online commenters criticized the name “iPad”, noting its similarity to “pad”, the common name for a sanitary napkin.[62][63][64][65] Shortly after the launch announcement, the hashtag “iTampon” became the number-two trending topic on the social networking site Twitter.[64][66]
Digital rights
Digital rights advocates, including the Free Software Foundation, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and computer engineer and activist Brewster Kahle, have criticized the iPad for its digital rights restrictions, which forbids users from installing software unless it has been approved by Apple. At issue are restrictions imposed by the iPad’s design, namely DRM intended to lock purchased media to Apple’s platform, the development model requiring a non-disclosure agreement and paid subscription to develop for the iPad, the centralized approval process for apps, as well as Apple’s general control and lockdown of the platform itself, and that such centralized control could stifle software innovation. Of particular concern is the ability for Apple (or any other authority that can persuade Apple) to remotely disable or delete apps, media, or data on the iPad at will.[67][68][69]
Reviews
In contrast to the initial mixed reaction to Apple’s announcement of the iPad, the critical reception by reviewers who have been able to spend an extended period of time with the device has been generally positive. Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal called it a “pretty close” laptop killer.[70] In his review of the device, David Pogue of The New York Times wrote a “dual” review, one part for technology-minded people, and the other part for non-technology-minded people. In the former section, he notes that a laptop offers more features for a cheaper price than the iPad. In his review for the latter audience, however, he claims that if his readers like the concept of the device and can understand what its intended uses are, then they will enjoy using the device.[71] Ed Baig of USA Today bluntly states that the iPad “is a winner”.[72] Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun-Times calls the iPad “one of the best computers ever”.[73] PC Magazine also praised the iPad; Tim Gideon’s review said, “you have yourself a winner” that “will undoubtedly be a driving force in shaping the emerging tablet landscape.”[74] Michael Arrington of TechCrunch said, “the iPad beats even my most optimistic expectations. This is a new category of device. But it also will replace laptops for many people.” [75]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad
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http://www.epicmath.com
