Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Thursday, 28 January 2010 17:00
Opinion and Analysis
Page 1 of 3
The secret is finally out, with the iPad name and shape like a giant iPod Touch now confirmed for all to see, and while the doubters have come to shout “meh”, it’s easy to see they couldn’t be more wrong.
The Apple iPad. Like many others, I too predicted some time back that this would be the perfect name for Apple’s tablet computer, synching so perfectly with the iPod and iPhone names, and dovetailing nicely with the fact Apple has made “pads” before with the Newton MessagePad.
As we all know, tablet PCs have been with us for years and years.
Apple and Microsoft have both tried and failed in the past, and while Microsoft has made great strides in improving its tablet computing experience through Windows 7 and multi-touch support, the “touch screen” experience on a Windows 7 tablet still needs to be tweaked by the end user to get certain screen elements large enough to be finger pressed comfortably.
When Vista was around and Microsoft’s “Origami” mini-PCs hit the market, an “Origami Experience Pack” delivered some of these finger-touch-friendly elements to Windows, but sadly, the Origami Experience Pack refuses to install on Windows 7.
However, when the iPhone came along, it smashed the touch-screen paradigm forever, bringing forth a true finger-based interface that required no stylus, and was truly comfortable to use.
Ever since the first iPhone, people have been wondering why Apple didn’t release a larger iPhone device, much like the one that has just been released. Now it is here, and the reason why it has taken so long is clear - and is on page 2, please read on!
