iPad leaves many skeptical
By Jack Wagner
The electronics world has once again been shaken by the Cupertino-based Apple Corporation -- or at least that is what Apple is claiming with the release of their new and highly anticipated iPad.
Although Apple has high hopes for the product, many Santa Clara students are hesitant about the new product, and are confused regarding what niche in the market it is supposed to fill.
Freshman Shaleta Williams is one of these people. "It just looks like a jumbo iPod Touch or iPhone," she said. "They just want to get you out of your money."
Many students are experiencing similar iPad doubt, saying that it is just another moneymaking scheme by Apple and that it is completely unnecessary in their daily lives.
Apple hails the device, which measures 9.56 inches tall, 7.47 inches wide and a half-inch thick, as "the best web surfing experience, the best e-mailing experience (and) the best photo and movie watching experience."
"It's going to change the way we do things we do every day," said Phil Schiller, the senior vice president of worldwide product marketing for Apple.
Steve Jobs unveiled the device on Jan. 27 at an event in San Francisco at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts theater, giving a keynote address to an audience of reporters and analysts. After comparing the device to the highly popular iPhone and Macbooks, Steve Jobs unveiled the device to a round of roaring applause.
"It's so much more intimate than a laptop, and its so much more capable than a smart phone," said Steve Jobs at the event.
Yet, students aren't the only group skeptical about the new product either. Many writers and reviewers of electronics seem unconvinced by the iPad so far.
Charlie Brooker, a columnist for The Guardian, described the iPad as "the spork of the electronic consumer goods world," referring to its attempts to merge the iPhone and Macbook, but not really serving as an improvement.
Technology analysts are split on the product. Many have pointed out that the Apple iPad has relatively no competition and, compared to its Kindle and net book rivals, it is quite a product.
Steve Jobs stated in his keynote speech that he didn't want to make a net book because "they're not better at anything."
"They're just cheap laptops," he said, which is why he says Apple created the iPad.
Others are saying that the iPad doesn't replace the market for net books and is a clumsy device that will leave users disappointed and frustrated.
There will be two versions of the iPad available, one which has Wi-Fi capability built into it and one that will use 3G service and a monthly data plan to connect to the internet almost anywhere.
The prices for the Wi-Fi iPad have been listed at $499 for 16 GB of storage, $599 for 32 GB of storage and for $699 for 64 GB of storage. The 3G models will cost an extra $130 each.
The data plan for the 3G enabled iPads comes in two forms. The first allows for up to 250 MB of data a month, at a price of $14.99 monthly. The unlimited data plan is $29.99 a month. This service will be provided through AT&T.
The Wi-Fi models ship in late March and the 3G models will begin shipping in April.
One of the main highlights of the iPad, the ability to read e-Books using the iBook feature, is also one of the features that critics are picking apart most viciously. They say that with the battery life of only ten hours and the lack of a digital ink screen, the iPad will make it difficult for people to sit down and enjoy reading on the device.
Another critique of the iPad is the size. Many critics have said that it is too large or too small.
Freshman Nick Xydes shares these sentiments. "I think it's going to be a flop," he said. "Why? Its too small and awkward to replace a computer and too big to fit in a pocket."
The final major complaint is that users have no control over the hardware or software that goes on the iPad, as all applications must come from Apple's App Store.
Contact Jack Wagner at jcwagner@scu.edu or (408) 554-4546.