Apple's new iPad tablet takes ebooks to new level

Apple revealed it's new iPad tablet yesterday to mostly great reviews from the tech crowd, now let's see how it'll impact the rest of us.

The iPad is designed to fit the niche between smart phones and laptops allowing users to view email, surf the internet, listen to their music (like iPod application), and a whole bunch of other useful applications already available on the iPhone. The iPad itself is due for release in the next 60-90 days depending on which version you're interested in. Apple has redesigned many of the iPhone apps specifically for use on the iPad, including maps, calendar, contacts, etc. as well as created new user interfaces including their iBooks feature. This iBooks application is built similarly to the iTunes store allowing users to "one click" purchase (download to their iPad) the book of their choice. No word on pricing of books yet, but expected to be in line with Amazon's Kindle prices (i.e. $9.99 per title and up). The cool design of the books on the iPad is a "bookshelf" graphic representation of your "books" with their cover art showing. (See pic above)
 The Apple website reports: "Once you’ve bought a book, it’s displayed on your Bookshelf. Just tap it to start reading. The high-resolution, LED-backlit screen displays everything in sharp, rich color, so it’s easy to read, even in low light." 
This technology is different and more user friendly than the Sony e-reader, the  Kindle, and Barnes & Nobles' Nook. Those readers show only black text and "turning the page" is cumbersome, slow, glitchy (especially in the case of the Nook, which also shows a flash and a delay when the page screen changes which can be annoying and interrupt the flow of one's reading). No such problems with what we've seen of the iPad so far. Using the Mac's OS seems to be super fast and capable of handling these issues easily. Plus the size of the device, with virtually the entire face a glass screen, is larger at 9.5" X 7", yet light at under 1.5 pounds. Oh, and the great thing is the battery life is approx. 10 hours on a single charge (much better the best laptops at around 5-6 hours of battery life).
The iPad also does much more than simply download books, it plays video, it operates much like an iPod for music, and it comes with (among many other apps) iWork, Apple's version of word processing and spreadsheet functions, installed. 
I predict many people who only use a computer for email, picture viewing / sharing, gaming, and simple word-processing will use this device instead of a full laptop or desktop computer. Unfortunately, no camera or phone for now. However, Apple will surely add these in the future. We'll report more when the iPad is available for purchase sometime in March or April. Starting price is $499.00 with internet plans at $14.95 p/month. Considering the Kindle is now priced at $259 and offers only the 'book' feature, this seems a bargain.


More details at the Apple website>>>