iPad. And There It Is...

Hmm...

That just about sums up my initial reaction to the iPad. First, the form factor is far more square than expected. The iPhone has a better ratio for content than the iPad. Second, the bezel around the screen is much wider, and looks, as much as I hate to say it, like a knockoff of an Apple product. 

Obviously Apple wanted to be able to say this device started at under $500 with the low-end $499 model, but six different models to choose from seems like a lot. Why would you buy a wifi-only model with 64GB of storage? At the same time, the idea of unlimited data at $30/mo with no contract is quite appealing. Could this bargain basement data pricing be the real reason the device lacks a camera? When you can't take photos or shoot video, your bandwidth requirements shrink pretty quickly.

Most disappointing to me though, was most of the content looked similar to how we can find it now on the iPhone, or in iTunes. Movies with chapter selections are great, but I don't know that I need another device to watch that on a 9.7" screen.

Maybe we in the Mac community blow expectations way beyond reality, but it really feels, with the exception of data pricing, that this really is more or less, just a large iPhone, with a keyboard accessory, and lacking a camera, or phone.

Our Final Tablet Predictions

The hour is near, when we can put all the speculation behind us, and finally find out just what Apple has in store for their slate/tablet/thingamabob.

But, since it's not quite here yet, Ryan Ritchey and Jamie DeGrazio from TDL Live offer their last minute predictions on the key features of the device. And for the record, Jamie's track record has been better in previous predictions.

Screen size:

Jamie: Ten inches seems to be the sweet spot, So I"ll go with that. Don't think there will be multiple sizes, like the iPhone one size fits all.

Ryan: Agreed. One screen to rule them all. Ten inches.

Screen type:

Jamie: Not OLED! Still too pricey at that size. Whatever the iPhone is, but at a higher resolution.

Ryan: I'll say OLED. I think Apple alone can get the price down to a reasonable level.

Functions:

Jamie: Music, video, web, photos (front facing camera). Games! Games! Games! Plus all the stories about books, newspapers and magazines are true. Expect a very slick interface for handling that content.

Ryan: This device is all about media, but as I mentioned earlier today, I think the twist wil be using it as a portable Apple TV of sorts, sending content to the TV wirelessly when you're in the living room, and have all your media with you the rest of the time. 

Name:

Jamie: iPad...yea it's awful, but we'll get use to it.

Ryan: I'm sticking with Canvas. It differentiates it from all of the existing/soon to be existing tablets and slates. iPad? Not sure I can get used to that. Then again, I was in the camp that thought iPod was a terrible name too.

Price:

Jamie: One model $799
Ryan: Two models: $599, wifi only, $799 with 3g connectivity.

Carrier subsidized?

Jamie: Yes. $599 with At&t. Not an exclusive however. Other carriers coming this year.

Ryan: I'd like to think that like the Kindle, this will have an included 3g connection. It's a stretch, but I'm holding out hope.

Data plan required?

Jamie: Nope. Wifi included.

Ryan: The only way a data plan would work is if there's a provision for those of us already shelling out $100/month for the iPhone.

Ship date?

Jamie: March-ish

Ryan: March at the latest. Remember, Apple got to set the timetable for this announcement. I've got to think if it wasn't going to be ready until June, they wouldn't be announcing it now.

iPhone OS announcement?

Jamie: iPhone OS 4.0 talked about slightly. More details coming soon. New SDK available today with support of the Tablet. Apple streamlines the process for porting apps from one device to another. iPad will NOT run native iPhone apps.

Ryan: iPhone OS 4.0 available in March. SDK available immediately. Existing apps just need to be verified to run on the new device, much like OS 3.0 rollout.

Wildcard announcement?

Jamie: Flash announced and demoed for iPhone 4.0 and iPad.

Ryan: Steve's been overheard saying this is the most important things he's done. What if, just if, the "one more thing" is Jobs laying out his timetable to leave the company. Go out on top, not risk pulling a Favre.

The Award For First Slate-Related Press Release Goes To...

We know that shortly after Steve wraps up tomorrow's unveiling of Apple'S LATEst creation" we will be inundated with press releases from app developers, eager to re-assure everyone their apps will be optimized for the new device.

In hopes of getting out in front of that avalanche, we've just received a press release from the app PR agency Appular, letting us know Stand Alone's Crosswords app will be ready for the new device:

 Stand Alone, Inc. today announced that they are in the process of designing a larger version of their Crosswords iPhone App. The company has been refining the digital Crossword solving experience on the iPhone since the App launched at the opening of the App Store. In keeping with this aggressive innovation, Stand Alone has been fervently preparing to be among the first to modify their Crosswords App for the new form factor. With the influx of traditionally print media coming to the tablet, it’s only fitting that Crosswords also be at the forefront!

So without giving out any specifics (although they do use the name 'iPad' in the release title) we have our winner in the PR race to capitalize on the tablet/slate release. Can an iSkin be far behind?

(full release)

The Tablet: Our Most Expected Unexpected Feature

We're busy baking today at TDL: Why not put some icing on the speculation cake... Tomorrow, unveiled for all will be "Apple'S LATEsted creation." While we know absolutely nothing for sure about the device, that means it's a perfect time to talk about a feature we expect to see on the Canvas/iSlate/iPad that we haven't heard people talking about anywhere else.

If the new device is indeed media oriented, that means portable movies and tv shows on a screen bigger,brighter, and crisper than the iPhone. If, as expected, the device has a ten inch screen, that will make it awkward to hold for a full feature film. There's always the chance it will have some sort of stand built-in, but there's probably a better chance of the MacBook getting firewire back (again) before that happens.

Keep in mind that the potential customers who have $600-$1,000 to buy a tablet on day one, also are likely to have a large HDTV at home. Isn't that a better way to watch a movie if you're already at home to begin with? Enter our expected feature: Wireless HDMI. A small dongle shipped with the device could attach to the HDMI port on the television, and turn the tablet into a wireless AppleTV when you're at home. True, a dongle isn't Apple's style, but not having the function sleekly built into the tablet certainly is. If you're going to have a dongle, it's best to have it hidden behind the TV, right?

What feature do you think might surprise us all tomorrow?

TDL Live This Week: (1/18 - 1/25)

Tablet, tablet, tablet. There were other tech stories this week, and of course we take a look at them, but the big news was the confirmation of the next Apple event "slated" (haha) for January 27th. A great deal of this week's show is also focused on my belief that we've figured out the name of the elusive device, and Jamie offers up a conspiracy theory involving Fox, Brett Favre, and pants: