Apple drops the iPad 

CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, announced the Apple iPad on Thursday, the infamous Apple tablet that has had an internet of tech-fundis speculating and rumouring as to the devices capabilities. Although it falls short in some respects, the devices is somewhat innovatory and also puts Apple into the competitive eBook reading market.  

The 9.7-inch display makes the iPad an oversized iPhone-come-MacBook, with WiFi and the option for 3G wireless connection. The great addition of an eBook reader, catering for Apple’s upcoming online store iBooks, allows eBooks to be displayed in full colour – but with no flash.  

The incompatibility of the iPad with Adobe’s Flash player is a mystery to many a tech-junkie, as is the absence of a camera, multitasking, SD card slot, HDMI or high-res video output support. That’s not to say however, that the device is a failure.  

According to Cnet’s Molly Wood – offering constructive criticism for the tech world –  the device is ahead of its time. In “three to five years time, when every publication is available as a feature-rich, interactive reading experience” the iPad will be well-worth its price. The buyers remorse and first-gen problems need to be fixed and a Newsstand Application developed to allow newspapers and magazines to be downloaded before the device becomes mainstream.