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Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs - Source: Reuters -
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Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs took the wraps off the highly
anticipated iPad tablet and pitched it at a surprisingly low price,
aiming to bridge the gap between smartphones and laptops.
Jobs, who returned to the helm last year after a much-scrutinized
liver transplant, is hoping to sell consumers on the value of
tablet computing after numerous technology companies had failed to
do so in recent years.
The iPad can run movies, games and a gamut of applications. And
taking on e-readers like Amazon's Kindle, Apple announced a digital
bookstore called iBooks that will let users buy from publishers
including Pearson Plc's Penguin, News Corp's HarperCollins, and
Hachette Book Group.
"What once occupied half your living room can now be dropped in a
bag," said Outsell Inc analyst Ned May. "It's pulling together a
variety of needs (in) a universal entertainment device."
The iPad will sell from late March for as low as $US499 for 16
gigabytes of storage. An extra $US130 is needed to equip it with
third-generation wireless capability.
"Pricing is very aggressive, so it's pretty positive from a mass
adoption perspective. It was about $US200 lower than what I was
expecting," said Brian Marshall, an analyst with Broadpoint Amtech.
Other analysts had speculated that the tablet may cost as much as
$US1,000.
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The device is Apple's biggest product launch since the iPhone three
years ago, and arguably rivals the smartphone as the most
anticipated in Apple's history. There is no official launch date or
pricing for the iPad in New Zealand as yet, but it's likely the
devices will start to appear in late April shortly after the
official US release.
Apple CEO Stev Jobs at the official IPad launch
After months of feverish speculation on the Internet and among
investors, Jobs took the stage at a jam-packed theater in San
Francisco and, with his famed showman's flair, began detailing the
device's basic features.
The iPad has a near life-sized touch keyboard and supports Web
browsing. It comes with a built-in calendar and address book, Jobs
said.
Technology enthusiasts had expected to see a sleek, full-color,
10-inch gadget with a touchscreen interface and wireless
connectivity, designed for snacking on all sorts of media from
videos to games to electronic books and newspapers.
Despite the buzz surrounding the launch and Apple's storied golden
touch on consumer electronics, the tablet is not necessarily an
easy sell, analysts say.
Consumer appetite for a gadget that sits somewhere between a
smartphone and a laptop has yet to be proven, though plenty of
devices such as Amazon.com's Kindle e-reader are vying for that
market.
See the official Apple video introduction to the iPad
below
Apple announced a data plan with AT&T Inc, which appeared to
have beaten out Verizon Wireless for the deal. Shares of AT&T,
Apple's carrier partner on the iPhone, rose 1.14% while Verizon
Communications Inc fell about 1%.
Apple hopes to sell consumers on the value of tablets after
other technology companies, including Microsoft Corp and Toshiba
Corp, have failed in recent years. As iPod sales wane, Apple is
looking for another growth engine.
Jobs said there was a need for a new type of device that would sit
between a smartphone and laptop computer, and that can perform
tasks like browse the Web and play games.
"If there's going to be a third category of device, it's going to
have to be better at these kinds of tasks," said the chief
executive, dressed in his trademark black turtleneck and blue
jeans.
The iPad has a near life-sized touch keyboard and supports Web
browsing. It comes with a built-in calendar and address book, Jobs
said, calling it "awesome."
Some analysts said the iPad, with its multimedia bells and
whistles, is a tough competitor for Amazon's Kindle. But others
noted that the Kindle costs less - $US259 for the cheapest version
- and was more tailored for long-form reading.
"This is not an e-reader - this is a device that can be used to
read books," Cowen & Co analyst James Friedland said of the
iPad. "This doesn't change the game - at the same time, Apple is a
formidable competitor and our view is that over time, Apple and
Amazon will emerge as the two largest players" in e-books.
Shares of Amazon took a brief hit but recovered to end 2.7% higher
at $US122.75 on Nasdaq.
In an online poll on reuters.com before Wednesday's media event,
37% of more than 1,000 respondents said they would pay
$US500-$US699 for the tablet. Nearly 30% weren't interested, while
20% said they would pay $US700-$US899.
Add a Comment:
Post new commentmaxw said on 2010-04-06 @ 09:20 NZDT: Report abusive post
Ok its got no camera and it doesn't multi-task, that said its still going to be a device everyone will want, you now see so many competitors are suddenly bringing out there own devices in hope to compete with the ipad but sadly they wont as the apple brand is what will keep the ipad far above anyone else. People talk about what it cant do but it is going to be the APPS that will define this device, you only have to look at the Wired App which is going to change the way we viewing news and media