Apple changes game again with iPad

In 1984, they revolutionized the computer industry with the Macintosh. In 2001, they introduced the iPod and coupled with iTunes, changing the music industry forever.

In January 2007, the iPhone was introduced and revolutionized the cell phone industry.

On Wednesday, Apple introduced its newest product: the iPad.

The iPad is the latest in the line of Apple products that change the way people use technology in their everyday life.

For starters, it's incredibly easy to use and anyone who's used an iPhone or an iPod Touch will already know how to use it because the user interface is similar. Also, the iPad will be compatible with the 140,000 other apps that are currently in the iPhone App Store right out of the box.

Not only does the iPad run every single app, Apple is providing their developers with the programming to make their apps run even better on the iPad, instead of running a sized up version of the original iPhone app. Apple's native apps, such as the Calendar and iTunes, have been beefed as well to provide a unique desktop-like experience on the iPad.

iTunes on the iPad will run almost exactly like iTunes on your Mac or PC. In addition, the Calendar app has an even better feel than the desktop version.

Aside from the applications, the iPad has several other impressive features, including its display. It features a 9.7 inch LED display that utilizes in-plane switching (IPS) technology which allows the screen to be viewed at an angle as high as 178 degrees.

The display features the same multitouch technology found in the iPhone and iPod Touch, so all the same gestures that have been found in the iPhone are in use on the iPad. Another feature that stands out was its battery life of 10 hours without having to charge. That 10 hours includes watching videos, surfing the Web, listening to music and everything else iPad does.

All of these features will run using an Apple-produced processor that packs 1 gigahertz of speed into a small form, which is much faster than the 600 megahertz found in the iPhone 3GS. For storage space, there are three options to choose from: 16 gigabites (GB), 32 GB or 64 GB. As a baseline, the iPhone 3GS has the option of 16 GB or 32 GB, and the iPod Touch offers a 64 GB model.

All of this hardware is packed into a beautifully small 9.5 inch by 7.4 inch body that is half an inch thick and weighs 1.5 pounds.

So the question you might be asking: Why should I buy the iPad?

Well, it's quite simple really: the iPad is going to make everything you do easier than it was.

Just like the iPhone changed the way people used their phones, the iPad will change the way people do day-to-day tasks.

There'll be some people that'll say the iPad is nothing more than an oversized iPod Touch. That statement couldn't be further from the truth. The iPad isn't designed to be a replacement for a MacBook, not yet anyway.

What it's designed to do is find its niche with users who've a use for something small and portable that can travel anywhere, take up less space than a MacBook but do much more than an iPhone or iPod.

Picture this, you have a presentation to do, you can download the Keynote App from the App Store and put your presentation together, plug your iPad into a projector and do your presentation at 720p resolution using the video out feature.

Although too big to be used solely as an iPod, the 9.7 inch display makes for an excellent video player when on the go. The iPad will also find its way into the gaming world very quickly. Although the iPhone and iPod are already established as gaming devices, iPad will take it one step further with a built-in accelerometer that's even more sensitive than the iPhone's, giving the iPad better controls than we're used to.

Also, the 802.11n Wi-Fi connection will provide a fast connection for online multiplayer gaming that'll rival that of any home computer.

A user using a first generation iPhone from 2007 can enjoy all but a few of the new features introduced since then that's included with the iPhone 3GS. The iPad is sure to enjoy the same benefits.

One feature that iPad users will enjoy are all the add-ons that are made possible through the 30 pin dock connector that's also found on all iPod and iPhone models. Using the dock connector, the iPad will be able to add accessories such as a dock with a hardware keyboard attached to complement the on-screen software keyboard.

The dock connector is also utilized with adapters that allow it to become a standard USB port or an SD card reader for digital cameras.

As with any product, there'll be people that say, "But the iPad doesn't have this feature or that feature."

To those people I say this: the iPad is a killer device that is jam-packed with great features and 140,000 apps in the App Store with more being added everyday. It's going to kill other devices such as the Amazon Kindle E-Reader and the Sony Reader Digital Book.

iPad will make netbooks as useful as a HD-DVD player and will push other companies to try to catch up.

Is the iPad a replacement for a MacBook? Not yet, but it's the starting point for something truly revolutionary.

In a few years, when we've all ditched our laptops for tablet computers of one type or another, we can look back at the original iPad as the starting point for all of this.