Radar 360° first review
WORDS LUKe PeteRS aND MaRK HaRRIS
3
FIRST REVIEW
the details
1 3.5MM soCKeT
apple’s bundled ’phones won’t cut it. add your own
2
The most widely used phrase when seeing the iPad for the first time is, “It’s just a big iPod Touch.” And yes it is, but as well as being super-sized, it’s also super-charged. Apple’s new 1GHz A4 processor allows apps, multimedia and screen transitions to fly. Playing back a HD episode of Doctor Who, downloaded from iTunes, motion is fast, without judder and free of lag or distortion when rotating the screen. With its superb, LED-backlit, richly coloured screen, it’s a slicker, quicker experience than the iPod Touch or iPhone. It feels like a computer, not a phone or PMP. Following the “it’s a big Touch” comment, the most widely used phrase on actually picking up the iPad is, “Ooh, it’s heavier than I expected.” This is also undeniable. At 680g, it’s lighter than any netbook on the market, but it does have a certain heft. We managed half-hour bursts without wanting to use it flat, but put it this way: the first company to make a decent stand or other support for the iPad is going to do a roaring trade… Reading books, papers and magazines on the iPad is an enjoyable experience. The brightness and colour of the screen can be adjusted to suit your preference, and it’s definitely easier on the eyes than we initially feared. Although in direct sunlight, it’s +
Specifications
VoluMe & sCreeN loCK
5
4
an iphone-style volume rocker and handy accelerometer lock 243mm
3 iN The BoX
Unpack your ipad and you’ll find a USb cable and plug adaptor, so you’re not limited to charging from your computer
4
190mm
13.4mm
hoMe BuTToN
press this and you’ll instantly return to your personalised desktop
5 doCK CoNNeCTor
allows you to sync, charge and attach a keyboard or other accessory
4 6 T3 JUNE 2010
US PRICING From $499 for 16GB and Wi-Fi to $829 for
64GB, Wi-Fi and 3G
PRoCeSSoR 1GHz A4 StoRaGe 16GB, 32GB or 64GB solid state drives SCReeN 9.7-inch LED-backlit, 1024x768, multi-touch
with in-plane switching (IPS) tech
CoNNeCtIvItY 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR,
7.2Mbps HSDPA (3G models only)
BatteRY 10 hours web surfing via Wi-Fi (quoted) SIZe/WeIGHt 243x190x13.4mm/680g/730g (3G models)
J U N E 2 0 1 0 T 3 47
t
1
s
t3’s hottest gadget of 2010 marks a new era in how people will use computers
2
e
COMPUTING REDEFINED
S
t
APPLE iPAD
o, the iPad. It’s been talked of, hyped and critiqued by millions before it’s even hit the shops. It’s bemused many as to where it will fit into their lives. But before you get stuck into our review, consider these questions: how many people do you know that are still confused by computers, and what do you think the majority of the population actually use a computer for? Now, let us continue…