Is This Microsoft’s Tablet? March 16, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Rumors, microsoft, tablets , add a comment
With the iPad launch nearing, things in this rejuvenated tablet market look to become much more interesting– and much more intense. Now there’s been word for a while of rumors of Microsoft making their own tablet– codenamed “Courier”– and recently more shots of what this device is have leaked out, and I, as someone who views the iPad as a possible the perfect school computer, and is really considering buying my own iPad once it comes out (though I might wait that little extra time for the 3G version)– would really consider dropping those plans immediately for this. Yes, this looks to be that good.
The Courier truly is a very unique and very cool device– with dual multi-touch screens (reminds me of an open notebook), a very stylish and sleek interface (while rumored to be based off the Windows Phone 7 Series OS, this is not just plain copy of a Windows 7 or Windows Phone 7, but something different that looks to be perfectly designed for this type of device), a camera (something we all know the iPad is missing), and a special “Courier pen” that can be used for writing notes onto the tablet. Seriously check out this video of the Courier from Engadget:
Whether or not you like Microsoft or are “an Apple fanboy,” you gotta admit this looks amazing. There also is said to be a headphone jack for media playback, some really cool artistic apps for all you creative types out there, an eBook app (as seen below; maybe this is also Microsoft’s attempt to get into the very hot eBook game, as the iPad is Apple’s), and as you saw in the video, a dedicated website for uploading your work and sharing it with the world. I mean, imagine this– your taking notes in school miss a day. You upload this and your friends can come in and instantly fill in what’s missing (as well as save the notes if they needed). Projects and collaboration couldn’t have been made easier.
The web looks great here as well (exactly as you’d expect on your laptop or desktop)– and if this thing can do some gaming like Windows Phone 7 Series, I’ll be the first to line up!
I’m really hoping Microsoft fesses up to this soon (as of right now, we still gotta categorize this as a rumor as of course Microsoft hasn’t acknowledged that this thing even exists), and before I and many others give in to the temptation and go for the the iPad. But seeing as the iPad goes on sale in only a couple of weeks– which tablet would you rather go with– the iPad, Courier or are you looking at some other tablet?
Pix, video and info via Engadget
iPad Launching April 3rd, Pre-Orders Begin Next Week March 6, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, tablets , add a comment
Are you ready for possibly one of the biggest (if not the biggest) tech launches of the year? Have you been desperately waiting to get your hands on an iPad ever since it was announced in January? My friends, that wait is almost over (at least for the WiFi-only version anyway) as Apple today announced that pre-orders on this exciting new tablet will begin next week on the 12th, with a full release of the WiFi version coming early next month, on Saturday April 3rd.
The WiFi+3G version of the iPad will launch later in April, while our international friends in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK can pick theirs up in late April as well.
For those who aren’t sure on pricing of the iPad line, here’s a quick reminder; and see here for all the details on what exactly is the iPad, as well as here for some personal thoughts.
Pricing:
- 16GB WiFi only — $499
- 32GB WiFi only — $599
- 64GB WiFi only — $699
- 16GB WiFi + 3G — $629
- 32GB WiFi + 3G — $729
- 64GB WiFi + 3G — $829
So, anyone getting ready to pre-order some iPad “magic”?
A Student’s Take on the iPad February 5, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, Opinion, tablets , add a comment
Since Apple announced the iPad last week, opinions are abound, with many predicting failure for a device whose capability seems to lie somewhere between Apple’s MacBook and iPod Touch in the company’s attempt to replace or reinvent the traditional computer. In that regard the iPad isn’t well suited in its current stage: it lacks a video camera so you can’t iChat, there is no iLife for content creation, for some reason multi-tasking is still a no-show even with the iPad’s bumped-up specs, and in terms of using this for browsing the web, it’s good but not great, lacking the Flash support that is used on many web sites across the web, like ESPN and Hulu.
As a student, though, even with all these flaws I see a lot of potential for the iPad. I actually believe that this could be a great device, and am really eager to pick one up for this reason alone—this could finally be the perfect school computer.
iPad Accessories—The Break Down February 4, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, tablets , add a comment
Last week we covered exactly what the iPad is, now let’s take a closer look at some of the accessories Apple plans on rolling out alongside the new device. Apple announced 5 main accessories along with the iPad; let’s take a close look at what exactly they are:
- Keyboard Dock– This is a must have add-on in my book—a dock that props up your iPad for ideal vertical view, as well as including a full-sized, physical QWERTY keyboard. The dock, which comes with a keyboard very similar to the Apple wireless Bluetooth keyboards for Macs, also gives you a iPod 30 pin connector for syncing with your computer, charging, or using other add-ons like the ones below, as well as an audio jack let’s you connect to better speakers if you want. If you plan to use the iPad as, say, your computer in school for taking notes or writing papers (for example, using the Pages app), this truly is a must-have, even at it’s price of $69.
- iPad Case– This is Apple’s case for the iPad, that not only protects the screen while keeping it usable for typing and, well just using the device, it also has a built-in stand that can be used in many different ways, such as setting on a table for viewing slide shows or videos. The iPad Case will be priced at $39, though we’re sure there will be many other cases coming out for much less than that.
- iPad Dock– Pretty much the Keyboard Dock, minus the keyboard. It’ll cost $29.
- iPad Camera Connection Kit– This takes the regular iPod dock connector on the iPad and turns it into either a USB port or SD card slot for importing pix from your digital camera right to your iPad. This is some of the most basic functions found on even the cheapest netbooks and we would’ve really liked Apple to have put both of these into the iPad from the outset, but I guess thinness has it’s price. The price for this add-on kit is also $29.
There also is an extra power adapter for charging off of a regular outlet (with a greater range, thanks to a 6-foot cable) and a VGA connector for hooking this up to a computer screen or TV with a VGA port available.
So there you have it—a round-up of all the iPad accessories Apple plans to sell alongside the new iPad. The big thing here of course is the new keyboard dock, which should definitely throw a whole new dimension on what this device can do (we all know how much people wanted a real keyboard on the iPhone).
The Apple Tablet is Real– Meet the iPad January 27, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, Computers, tablets , 2comments
The Apple iPad
Well, it’s official. Apple has finally ended the months (and years) of speculation today, with the announcement of the iPad tablet. What is the iPad? Well for starters, think of it as an iPod Touch– just on so much steroids that it would make Jose Canseco jealous.