The Launch of the IPAD

“The best browsing experience you have ever had,” was the how the iPad was introduced by Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs on Wednesday, January 27th at a San Francisco unveiling. When it was released, there were many critics who claimed it was just an over-sized version of the beloved iPod Touch. It is said to be an “incredible experience”, being able to manage multiple tasks with only your fingertips. Originally, the price was set to $999.00 but with the skepticism that it would not sell to the majority of consumers, the retail price was cut in half, making it an affordable $499.

To many, it seems like a reasonable bargain, but there is a catch. For $499 you only receive 16 GB of storage, which is not much for corporation managers, or even the average Joe who wants to watch a couple of movies on the couch. So how much will it cost for additional internal storage? For an added 16 GB its another $100 increase, and for a 62 GB iPad it is going to cost another hundred dollars. Despite the huge reduction in the starting cost, the remaining fear among Apple executives is: will it sell?

It is a device that is described by those who’ve experienced it, to be somewhere between a smartphone and a PC. It could go the route of its predecessor, the Microsoft Origami, which was a flop and had the same $500 price tag at launch, or it could be another of Apple’s bar-setting technological titans. What could be the future for this new generation of tablet computer? Only the consumers can decide. Described to be “a dream to type on”, and “absolutely amazing”, the iPad is anticipated to be 2010′s promising product.

By Justin Ollivierre