The Apple iPad - Is it worth it?

Blogged by Nahk

Another major buzz these days is the release of the Apple iPad on the 3rd of April.

I don't want to be a buzz killer but the iPad does seemingly has short comings at the moment. The iPad is in many ways one of the first products of its kind.

When it is weighed against high-end smartphones, we should understand that the iPad is not designed for voice calls or text messages (though there are apps that can work around this limitation). Perhaps what matters even more is that the iPad does not include a built-in camera for taking photos or videos.

When it is compared to low-end laptops and netbooks, the iPad can't run common full-fledged applications or even use multiple apps simultaneously. Conventional input and output ports, such as USB, SD, VGA, and LAN are also missing, though some adapters may exist in the market to address this.

Many will point out that the iPad does not support Adobe's Flash media format, which is required to view content on many popular web-sites. Lack of an integrated hardware keyboard or high-resolution video output are also common complaints from the laptop perspective.

And when we compare the iPad to dedicated e-readers (such as the Amazon Kindle), the iPad's reflective glass front and backlit color LCD screen arguably strain the eyes more than a passively illuminated non-glare e-ink display.

But if you still want to get your hands on the new 'Apple' product then here is some dig for you:


There are two versions of the iPad that will available.

Apple recently announced that the Wi-Fi version will launch in the U.S. on April 3, followed by the Wi-Fi and 3G-capable edition later in the month. Both versions will hit Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and the U.K. in late April.

The price differs depending on the configuration. The iPad's Wi-Fi-only version will start at $499 for 16GB of memory, $599 for 32GB, and $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G edition will cost $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB, and $829 for 64GB.

You can preorder both versions starting March 12, and you can order it for delivery from www.Apple.com or reserve a Wi-Fi version to pick up on April 3 at any Apple retail store. Apple also plans to rope in Bestbuy to sell the iPad.

So Apple fans, get ready to lighten your wallets...