Techno Babble

Everybody else is writing about it (I detected 75000 news articles within minutes of the announcement yesterday!) so here’s the info/pictures.

Looks like a big iPhone to me.

The screen is a 9.7 inches (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-touch display  and supports a resolution of 1024×768 at 132 ppi. Touch technology is capacitive – same as on the iPhone.

Available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB (flash drive) versions with an Apple custom designed high performance low power 1GHz system on a chip and allows up to 10 hours web surfing on the Wi-Fi version

Has built-in Digital Compass, Accelerometer and Ambient light sensors and a range of accessories including the iPad Keyboard docking station that allows you to use a full size keyboard.

And what about applications?

Almost all of the 140000 applications currently available on the App Store will run on the iPad

An application that hasn’t been specifically modified to run on the iPad will run in its original size or you can expand it to fill the screen.

One of the target markets for this device will be as an eBook/eReader and the iBooks app has been designed for this purpose. Download the free app from the App Store and buy books online from the iBookStore.

And pricing ? – available in 16GB ($499) 32GB ($599) and 64GB ($699) versions targeted in the UK from June … (in the US from March for Wi-Fi versions and April for 3G versions)

All the details including videos and more at

http://www.apple.com/ipad

In the light of strong rumours that Apple is about to launch a slate (tablet) device – to be revealed at the end of January for general availability from March – is there a new Tablet PC in the offing from Microsoft ?

First mentioned in September 2009, Gizmodo showed details of a device puported to come from Microsoft.

http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet

Although this may simply be a concept video, it is interesting to note another video demonstrating something similar as a prototype.

More information may become available today as rumor has it that Microsoft will be unveiling a HP-built Courier at this years CES.

You can watch the pre-show keynote address to be given by Steve Ballmer and Robbie Bach, President of the Entertainment & Devices Division from

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/ces/

scheduled to be broadcast on 6th January at approximately 6:30pm PST

A recent article in WorldCAD Access is reporting a recent Patent application from Apple for manipulating 3D models on multi-touch displays.

http://worldcadaccess.typepad.com/blog/2010/01/apple-appears-to-have-patented-multitouch-zooming-and-moving-3d-objects.html

Read the patent application in its full glory at

http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220090303231%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20090303231&RS=DN/20090303231