hertenberger.co.za

The Easter weekend saw about 300,000 or more (depending on what figure one accepts as true) iPads being sold in the USA. Some rather exciting announcements regarding software applications available for that application also came along, foremost among them a comic book reader by Marvel, Zinio magazine reader and the Kindle application for the iPad. Whilst I cannot wait to get my hands on an iPad, I fear couple of months wait are still necessary…

Hot on the heels of the iPad release, Apple has announced an event that will lift the lid on the new iPhone OS version. There is a lot of speculation as to what iPhone OS 4.0 will include – a new device may be on the horizon, too.

The iPhone OS 4.0 event is scheduled to take place on April 8.

Fortunate Apple fans in the USA will be able to pre-order the iPad in the next few hours. Though the 3G-enable iPad will be shipped only much later, the wireless model could be in expectant mitts by 3 April. The 3G model will ship only at the end of April.

There is still no information on when the iPad will be available to markets outside of the USA, though it may be possible to purchase and import from authorized retailers soon. The iPad added to my B&H wish list was removed after Apple indicated that only authorized resellers would be able to sell the device. It’s to be expected that the initial volume of sales will occur in a market that precludes non-US residents from purchasing. Once the craziness has died down, everyone will be able to buy one – Apple is into making money, after all.

The iPad is still some way away, but that hasn’t made me worry any less about the micro SIM card the device is purported to require to access a GSM network. Whilst I may initially decide to go ahead and purchase WLAN only model, the real deal is obviously a device that can reach the Interwebs via 3G or HSDPA. Micro SIM cards are not yet readily available and may not be available for some time in certain parts of the world. Some informal digging has resulted in me deciding that the micro SIM can easily created by cutting a current mini SIM down to size.

Based on information found on the ETSI site and Wikipedia, it seems that the only difference between the two SIM cards is the actual size of the cutout. The contact area is apparently identical.

The Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil provides an interesting paper that compares the different form factors.

PDF link here.

That would mean a simple bit of cutting on an existing mini SIM card would suffice to enable the iPad to go online. I wouldn’t suggest anyone try that with their one and only SIM card required for use in another device. But prepaid cards can be had for about ZAR 0.50, which is cheap enough to allow for a bit of trial and error. I’ll definitely give this a go, but that’ll only be possible in another 90 days or so. Or is that already 88

The much anticipated iPad has been presented by Apple and, overall, responses seem to be favourable. To me, the iPad as it has been shown is exactly what I would want. Ever since I’ve become reliant on the iPhone, I’ve been hankering for a device with the same functionality, but a bigger screen. A bigger screen for reading books and magazines and for browsing the web. And that’s really all there is to it: the iPad is an oversized iPod Touch with the possibility of adding 3G network services. The barrier to entry has been set to permit a good number of users to experience the device without having to spend a huge amount of money: USD 499 is not bad for a WLAN only device and in combination with a MiFi, the iPad can easily be taken on a road trip without worrying too much about wireless hotspot availability.

Some responses to the iPad announcement have indicated disappointments with the iPad. The lack of a camera is a frequent point that is raised. No radical change to the way the user interface functions. Lack of Adobe Flash support. To all these I say not important. For me at least. How long did iPhone users cope without the ability to cut and paste text? Quite some time. On a device the size of the iPad, a built-in camera would be handy but not essential. In my usage scenario, I don’t even video call using Skype or iChat when I’m on a decent Internet connection. Would I want to maneuver a 25cm x 18cm chunk of kit to take a photograph of something? Unlikely. It’s impractical and unnecessary. A change to the user interface would have necessitated a new operating system and possibly new applications. The iPad runs a flavour of the iPhone OS. All existing applications will run on the iPad, and newer applications will support the bigger screen. I have tons of applications I’ll simply be able to sync and run. The Zinio magazine reader will function, Amazon’s Kindle reader will function, as will all the photography apps (not requiring a camera) and games I have. That’s significant and means I can get going straight away without considering and learning a new style of interaction. Do I need Flash? I avoid that even when using a full-size desktop machine. HTML5 is a better alternative and existing content from YouTube and other sources is quite widely available for the iPhone without a reliance on Flash.

The battery life is significant even if real-world tests don’t meet up with the claimed 10 hours. 6 hours or more of constant usage would be great. A long standby time a great asset. But where the iPad breaks new ground is in its ability to connect to a Bluetooth or docked keyboard. Better still, Apple has also announced the ability to attach a camera or storage card using special dock connectors. The ability to add external devices and interact with them is now a reality. First promised a year ago when the iPhone 3GS was announced, we may finally see a slew of devices that may be connected to the dock connector to extend the usage possibilities of the iPad. With regard to the camera dock – suddenly editing a large image or creating high-definition HDR images without reliance on a notebook computer is a reality. Tons of applications are already available, and many more will take advantage of this – Photoshop for the iPhone OS may become a far more useful tool to many in this regard. With Apple having taken the lead in producing hardware interfaces, there is no doubt that other manufacturers will take the initiative to produce their own.

Apple‘s online book store may compete with Amazon’s Kindle store. I have a Kindle and enjoy using it. The iPad means I will no longer use the Kindle. Not because I’ll necessarily purchase content from Apple’s iBook store. I’ll be able to read all my Kindle books on the iPad using the Kindle Reader. The iPad has a colour screen and is backlight. There is no way the Kindle can compete with that. Concerns about iBooks not being available immediately in countries other than the USA are of no concern: I’ve been using a US-based iTunes account for ages with full access to all content it provides. I’m able to purchase Audible books from the US store even though I don’t physically reside in that country. Similar access will be available to the US iBooks store. It takes a bit of obfuscation, and that’s it. Nobody’s really perturbed about that, least of all the guys accepting cash for their services.

The only reservation I have is the use of the micro SIM card instead of a standard one. It’s obvious that this is a lock-in to AT&T in the USA. The 3FF SIM (micro SIM) is about 50% smaller than a regular GSM SIM card. Instead of a 15mm x 25mm card the dimensions are 12mm x 15mm.

The availability of the 3FF micro SIM in South Africa is not yet known.

Apple has created a device that is instantly recognizable to millions of iPhone users the world over. It’s easy to use, provides a great feature set and is responsive. Migration of existing applications is a no-brainer, and the addition of special applications such as Apple‘s own iWork for the iPad will lead to greater use of the device in areas where the iPhone previously couldn’t perform. The device will mature, and as it does, those features that irk users will be accepted (like the lack of cut and paste) and possibly rectified. The iPad is an appliance. Easy to use, limited in its functionality to enable it to perform at its peak. That’s the Apple way. In my opinion, the iPad in its current guise is the evolution of a new platform. Subsequent updates to the iPad will enable more features, better and more compelling applications and interaction with various external devices. In a similar way to the iPhone, the iPad will become widespread as its features are discovered by more and more users, possibly in specific vertical markets.

In my opinion, the iPad (at least on paper) is the device I’ve been waiting for. I can’t wait to get my hands on one…

Steve Jobs didn’t disappoint at his presentation of the new Apple product announcement.

The iPad will be available in the next month, with international availability pending. It’s little more than an oversized iPod, but that’s exactly what I was hoping for.

The 9″ device is powered by Apple‘s own A4 chip, running at 1GHz and able to execute the entire library of iPhone applications natively. A choice as to whether the app is run in full screen mode or centered on the larger iPad screen is available, until applications for the iPad are developed. A variety of options regarding configuration are available and the pricing starts at USD 499. The ideal model is the one containing both 3G and WLAN with 64GB of storage. That’s the one to get.

The unit accepts optional accessories, including a stand and keyboard stand. For those with an Apple Bluetooth keyboard, that can be connected to the iPad. It will be possible to upload photos from a camera and possibly use an application to edit and process those. A new version of iWork runs on the iPad.