Is The Apple iPad Worth All The Fuss?

We know by now that Apple are the kings of hype! Before they launch a new product, they hype it up so much in the media, that the actual features of the product get pushed to the background by all the ruckus and hullabaloo. Well, not to worry tech junkies, The Insyder is going behind Apple’s well oiled PR machine to bring you the facts about this new, over-hyped gadget. Is it really worth all that noise? Make your own decision…

After months of speculation, Apple has unveiled its tablet, called the iPad. The slim, large screen device evokes much of the same user interface as the iPhone, but it’s bigger and has some surprise features including Apple’s own custom chip. Here’s the rundown on specs and some highlights of the device. • The tablet is 0.5 inches thick and weighs about 0.3 kgs. • It has a 9.7-inch display with 1024 x 768-pixel resolution. It also has capacitive multi-touch that’s similar to the iPhone. • The device runs Apple’s own processor, a 1-GHz Apple A4 chip • The iPad will have 16-GB to 64-GB flash storage. • It includes speaker, microphone and accelerometer (the technology that allows you to use the device in both landscape and portrait mode – as in you can turn it around 90 degrees and the image on the screen also turns 90 degrees). There’s also a compass. • It has up to 10 hours of battery life and one month of standby time. • It offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity • It will include optional 3G access from AT&T (and hopefully Safaricom – kindly note that no other network in Kenya currently has 3G). But Safaricom has to up its data game coz at the moment they’re way too expensive. Check this out: For as little as KShs. 2,200 a month, users can get unlimited 3G data. • The iPad will cost about KShs. 38,000 for 16 GB, KShs. 45,600 for 32 GB and KShs. 52,300 for a 64-GB model. But if you want 3G connectivity, add another KShs. 10,000 to the price tag. Considering importation costs (there is no tax on computers in Kenya, and technically, the iPad is a computer – and those dimwits at customs won’t know the difference anyway), and mark up expect the 16GB iPad to retail about KShs. 70,000 – if you pay anything more, it will just be a rip off! The iPad will start shipping in two months. The 3G models will be available in 3 months. Complete specs of the iPad from Apple. However, despite its gorgeous hardware and glossy look, the iPad is missing some key features. • There’s no camera on the iPad. • Though Apple is yet to confirm it, on-stage demos of the device during the launch indicate it might not support Flash. That could mean broken pages and some websites that might be off-limits. • No multitasking. Apple hasn’t commented on this, but it looks like the iPad works like the iPhone when it comes to apps. It can run just one app at a time and there’s no background processing. • There’s more to the iPad than just this. It will run apps designed for the iPhone, new custom apps and double as an e-book reader. • And no GPS for the Wi-Fi model. Though the iPad has Google Maps, the lack of GPS means you can’t use it for turn-by-turn navigation or in areas where’s there’s no wireless connectivity