iPad: tablet computer

The iPad is a tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Apple primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. At about 1.5 pounds (680 grams), its size and weight fall between those of contemporarysmartphones and laptop computers (Dell XPS M1210 Battery) http://www.hdd-shop.co.uk .

Apple released the iPad in April 2010, and sold 3 million of the devices in 80 days.

According to a report released by Strategy Analytics, the Apple iPad had gained a 95 percent share of Tablet PC sales at the end of second quarter 2010. During the second quarter 2010, Apple had sold 4.19 million iPads around the world Dell Studio XPS 1640 Battery .

The iPad runs the same operating system as the iPod Touch and iPhone—and can run its own applications as well as iPhone applications. Withoutmodification, it will only run programs approved by Apple and distributed via its online store Dell Vostro 1710 Battery .

Like iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad is controlled by a multitouch display—a departure from most previous tablet computers, which used a pressure-triggered stylus—as well as a virtual onscreen keyboard in lieu of a physical keyboard. The iPad uses a Wi-Fi data connection to browse the Internet, load and stream media, and install software Dell KM958 battery .

Some models also have a 3G wireless data connection which can connect to HSPA data networks. The device is managed and synced by iTunes on a personal computer via USB cable.

Media reaction to the device has generally been neutral or positive, with more positive reaction after the device was launched Dell Studio 1555 battery .

History

Apple's first tablet computer was the Newton MessagePad 100, introduced in 1993, which led to the creation of the ARM6 processor core withAcorn Computers. Apple also developed a prototype PowerBook Duo-based tablet, the PenLite, but in order to avoid hurting MessagePad sales did not sell it Sony VGP-BPS13 battery .

Apple released several more Newton-based PDAs, and discontinued the last, the MessagePad 2100, in 1998.

With the success of the introduction of portable music player iPod in 2001, Apple re-entered the mobile-computing market in 2007 with the iPhone Sony VGP-BPS13/B battery .

Smaller than the iPad but featuring a camera and mobile phone, it pioneered the multitouch finger-sensitive touchscreen interface of Apple's mobile operating system—iOS. By late 2009, the iPad's release had been rumored for several years. Mostly referred to as "Apple's tablet", iTablet andiSlate were among the speculated names Sony VGP-BPS13/S battery .

The iPad was announced on January 27, 2010, by Steve Jobs at an Apple press conference at theYerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

Jobs later admitted that development started on the iPad before the iPhone Sony VGP-BPS13A/B battery .

Upon realizing that it would work just as well as a mobile phone, Jobs put development of the iPad on hold and decided to develop the iPhone instead.

Hardware

Screen and input

The iPad's touchscreen display is a 9.7 in (25 cm) liquid crystal display (1024 × 768 pixels) with fingerprint-resistant and scratch-resistant glass Sony VGP-BPS13B/B battery .

Steve Jobs backed the choice of screen size, saying a 7-inch screen would be "too small to express the software."He said 10 inches was the minimum for a tablet screen. Like the iPhone, the iPad is designed to be controlled by bare fingers; normal gloves and styli that prevent electrical conductivity may not be used, although there are special gloves and capacitive styli designed for this use Sony VGP-BPL9 battery .

The display responds to two other sensors: an ambient light sensor to adjust screen brightness and a 3-axis accelerometer to sense iPad orientation and switch between portrait and landscape modes. Unlike the iPhone and iPod touch built-in applications, which work in three orientations (portrait, landscape-left and landscape-right) Sony VGP-BPS13B/B battery ,

the iPad built-in applications support screen rotation in all four orientations (the three aforementioned ones along with upside-down), meaning that the device has no intrinsic "native" orientation; only the relative position of the home button changes Sony VGP-BPL15 battery .

In total there are four physical switches on the iPad, including a home button below the display that returns the user to the main menu, and three plastic physical switches on the sides: wake/sleep andvolume up/down, plus a third which, as of iOS 4.2, acts as a mute switch Dell Inspiron E1505 battery .

Initially this switch was utilized to lock out the screen rotation function (reportedly to prevent unintended rotation when the user is lying down). However, with the iOS 4.2 update, this functionality was removed and rotation lock is now controlled with a software toggle via the iOS task switcher. There is no means to reassign the physical switches functionality in the official iOS release Dell Latitude E6400 battery .

Connectivity

The iPad can use Wi-Fi network trilateration from Skyhook Wireless to provide location information to applications such as Google Maps. The 3G model contains A-GPS to allow its position to be calculated with GPS or relative to nearby cellphone towers; it also has a black plastic accent on the back side to improve 3G radio sensitivity HP Pavilion dv6000 Battery .

For wired connectivity, the iPad has a proprietary Apple dock connector; it lacks the Ethernet and USB ports of larger computers.

Audio and output

The iPad has two internal speakers that push mono sound through two small sealed channels to the three audio ports carved into the bottom-right of the unit SONY VAIO VGN-FZ Battery .

A volume switch is on the right side of the unit.

A 3.5-mm TRS connector audio-out jack on the top-left corner of the device provides stereo sound for headphones with or without microphones and/or volume controls. The iPad also contains a microphone that can be used forvoice recording.

The built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR interface allows wireless headphones and keyboards to be used with the iPad SONY VAIO VGN-FZ18 Battery .

However, the iOS does not currently support file transfer via Bluetooth. iPad also features 1024 x 768 VGA video output for connecting an external display or television.
Power and battery

The iPad uses an internal rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery (LiPo) SONY VAIO VGN-FZ21E Battery .

The batteries are made in Taiwan by Simplo Technology, which makes 60% of them, and Dynapack International Technology. The iPad is designed to be charged with a high current (2 amperes) using the included USB 10-watt (0.013 hp) power adapter. While it can be charged by a standard USB port from a computer, these are limited to 500 milliamperes (half an amp) SONY VAIO VGN-FW21E Battery .

As a result, if the iPad is turned on while connected to a normal USB computer port, it may charge much more slowly, or not at all. High-power USB ports found in newer Apple computers and accessories provide full charging capabilities.

Apple claims that the iPad's battery can provide up to 10 hours of video, 140 hours of audio playback, or one month on standby SONY VAIO VGN-NR11S/S Battery .

Like any battery technology, the iPad's LiPo battery loses capacity over time, but is not designed to be user-replaceable. In a program similar to the battery-replacement program for theiPod and the original iPhone, Apple will replace an iPad that does not hold an electrical charge with a refurbished iPad for a fee of $99 (plus $6.95 shipping) SONY VAIO VGN-NR11M/S Battery .

Storage and SIM

The iPad was released with three options for internal storage size: a 16, 32, or 64 GB flash drive. All data is stored on the flash drive and there is no option to expand storage. Apple sells a camera connection kit with an SD card reader, but it can only be used to transfer photos and videos SONY VAIO VGN-NR11Z/S Battery .

The side of the Wi-Fi + 3G model has a micro-SIM slot (not mini-SIM). Unlike the iPhone, which is usually sold locked to specific carriers, the 3G iPad is sold unlocked and can be used with any compatible GSM carrier.Japan is the exception to this, where the iPad 3G is locked to Softbank SONY VAIO VGN-NR11Z/T Battery .

In the U.S., data network access via T-Mobile's network is limited to slower EDGE cellular speeds because T-Mobile's 3G Network uses different frequencies.

Optional accessories

The iPad in its case

Apple offers several iPad accessories, including Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21E Battery :

• iPad Keyboard Dock with hardware keyboard, 30-pin connector, and audio jack
• iPad Case which can be used to stand the iPad in various positions
• iPad Dock with 30-pin connector and audio jack
• iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter for external monitor or projector Sony VAIO VGN-FW21E Battery
• iPad Camera Connection Kit including a USB Type A connector adapter and an SD card reader, for transferring photos and videos
• iPad 10W USB Power Adapter with 2 A output (10 W) Sony VAIO VGN-NR11S/S Battery

Technical specifications

Manufacture

The iPad is assembled by Foxconn, which also manufactures Apple's iPod, iPhone and Mac Mini, in its largest plant in Shenzhen, China Sony VAIO VGN-NR11Z/S Battery .

iSuppli estimated that each iPad 16 GB Wi-Fi version costs $259.60 to manufacture, a total that excludes research, development, licensing, royalty and patent costs. Apple does not disclose the makers of iPad components, but teardown reports and analysis from industry insiders indicate that various parts and their suppliers include Sony VAIO VGN-NR11M/S Battery :

• Apple A4 SoC: Samsung.
• NAND flash RAM chips: Toshiba; except Samsung for the 64 GB model.
• Touch-screen chips: Broadcom Sony VAIO VGN-NR11Z/T Battery .
• IPS Display: LG Display
• Touch panels: Wintek. (Got the job after TPK Touch Solutions was unable to fulfill its orders, delaying the iPad's release from late March to early April. )
• Case: Catcher Technologies.
• LCD drivers: Novatek Microelectronics.
• Batteries: 60% are made in Taiwan by Simplo Technology, 40% by Dynapack International SONY VAIO VGN-FZ180E Battery .
• Accelerometer: STMicroelectronics.

Software

Like the iPhone, with which it shares a development environment (iPhone SDK, or software development kit, version 3.2 onwards), the iPad only runs its own software, software downloaded from Apple's App Store, and software written by developers who have paid for a developer's license on registered devices SONY VAIO VGN-FZ220E Battery .

The iPad runs almost all third-party iPhone applications, displaying them at iPhone size or enlarging them to fill the iPad's screen. Developers may also create or modify apps to take advantage of the iPad's features.Application developers use iPhone SDK for developing applications for iPad SONY VAIO VGN-FZ340E Battery .

The iPad has been shipping with a customized iPad-only version of iPhone OS, dubbed v3.2. On September 1, it was announced the iPad would get iOS 4.2 by November 2010. Apple released iOS 4.2.1 to the public on November 22 SONY VAIO VGN-FZ430E Battery .

Applications

The iPad comes with several applications, including Safari, Mail, Photos, Video, YouTube, iPod, iTunes, App Store, iBooks, Maps, Notes, Calendar, Contacts, and Spotlight Search.Several are improved versions of applications developed for the iPhone SONY VAIO VGN-FZ460E Battery .

The iPad syncs with iTunes on a Mac or Windows PC.Apple ported its iWork suite from the Mac to the iPad, and sells pared down versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps in the App Store.Although the iPad is not designed to replace a mobile phone, a user can use a wired headset or the built-in speaker and microphone and place phone calls over Wi-Fi or 3G using a VoIPapplication SONY VAIO VGN-FZ480E Battery .

The iPad has lots of third party applications available for it; as of September 1, 2010, there were 25,000 iPad specific apps on the App Store.The iPad cannot run Xcode since it usesiOS.

In December 2010, Reuters reported that iPhone and iPad users have lodged a lawsuit against Apple Inc alleging that some applications were passing their information to third party advertisers without consent SONY VAIO VGN-FZ4000 Battery .

Digital rights management

The iPad employs DRM intended to lock purchased content—including TV shows, movies, and apps—to operate only on Apple's platform. Also, the iPad's development model requires anyone creating an app for the iPad to sign a non-disclosure agreement and pay for a developer subscription SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31E Battery .

Furthermore, critics argue Apple's centralized app approval process and control and lockdown of the platform itself could stifle software innovation. Of particular concern to digital rights advocates is the ability for Apple to remotely disable or delete apps, media, or data on the iPad at will SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31B Battery .

Digital rights advocates, including the Free Software Foundation, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and computer engineer and activist Brewster Kahle, have criticized the iPad for its digital rights restrictions. Paul Sweeting, an analyst with GigaOM, is quoted by National Public Radio saying, "With the iPad, you have the anti-Internet in your hands SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31J Battery .

It offers [the major media companies] the opportunity to essentially re-create the old business model, wherein they are pushing content to you on their terms rather than you going out and finding content, or a search engine discovering content for you." But Sweeting also thinks Apple's limitations make its products feel like living in a safe neighborhood SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31M Battery ,

saying, "Apple is offering you a gated community where there's a guard at the gate, and there's probably maid service, too." Laura Sydell, the article's author, concludes, "As more consumers have fears about security on the Internet, viruses and malware, they may be happy to opt for Apple's gated community SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31Z Battery ."
Jailbreaking

Like other iOS Devices, the iPad can be "jailbroken", allowing applications and programs that are not authorized by Apple to run on the device. Once jailbroken, iPad users are able to download many applications previously unavailable through the App Store via unofficial installers such as Cydia, as well as illegally pirated applications SONY VAIO VGN-FZ38M Battery .

Apple claims jailbreaking voids their factory warranty on the device in the United States.

Books, news, and magazine content

Reading a book on the iPad

The iPad has an optional iBooks application that can be downloaded from the App Store, which displays books and other ePub-format content downloaded from the iBookstore SONY VGP-BPS8 Battery .

For the iPad launch on April 3, 2010, the iBookstore is available only in the United States. Several major book publishers including Penguin Books, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan have committed to publishing books for the iPad SONY VGP-BPS13/S Battery .

Despite being a direct competitor to both the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook, both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble have made Kindle & Nook apps available for the iPad.

In February 2010, Condé Nast Publications said it would sell iPad subscriptions for its GQ, Vanity Fair and Wired magazines by JuneSONY VGP-BPS13A/B Battery .

In April 2010, The New York Times announced it will begin publishing daily on the iPad. As of October 2010, The New York Times iPad app is ad-supported and available for free without a paid subscription, but will transition to a subscription-based model in 2011 SONY VGP-BPS13B/B Battery .

Major news organizations, such asThe Wall Street Journal, BBC, and Reuters have released iPad applications, to varying degrees of success.

Censorship

Apple's App Store, which provides iPhone and iPad applications, imposes censorship of content, which has become an issue for book publishers and magazines seeking to use the platform SONY VGP-BPS13A/S Battery .

The Guardian described the role of Apple as analogous to that of the distributor WH Smith, a main distributor which for many years imposed content restrictions on British publishers.

Due to the exclusion of porn from the App Store, YouPorn and others changed their video format from Flash to H.264 and HTML5 specifically for the iPad SONY VGP-BPS13AS Battery .

In an e-mail exchange with Ryan Tate from Valleywag, Steve Jobs claimed that the iPad offers "freedom from porn", leading to many upset replies including Adbustings in Berlin by artist Johannes P. Osterhoff and in San Francisco during WWDC10 Dell Inspiron 1320n Battery .

Release

Apple began taking pre-orders for the iPad from U.S. customers on March 12, 2010. The only major change to the device between its announcement and being available to pre-order was the change of the behavior of the side switch from sound muting to that of a screen rotation lock Dell Inspiron 1464 Battery .

The Wi-Fi version of the iPad went on sale in the United States on April 3, 2010. The Wi-Fi + 3G version was released on April 30. 3G service in the United States is provided by AT&T and was initially sold with two prepaid contract-free data plan options: one for unlimited data and the other for 250 MB per month at half the price Dell Inspiron 1564 Battery .

On June 2, 2010, AT&T announced that effective June 7 the unlimited plan would be replaced for new customers with a 2 GB plan at slightly lower cost; existing customers would have the option to keep the unlimited plan. The plans are activated on the iPad itself and can be canceled at any time Dell Inspiron 1764 Battery .

The device was initially popular with 300,000 iPads being sold on their first day of availability. By May 3, 2010, Apple had sold a million iPads, this was in half the time it took Apple to sell the same number of original iPhones. By May 31, 2010, Apple had sold two million iPads and by June 22, 2010, they had sold 3 million Dell Studio 1450 Battery .

Between July 1 and September 30, 2010, Apple sold a further 4.2 million iPads. During the October 18, 2010, Financial Conference Call, Steve Jobs announced that Apple had sold more iPads than Macs for the Fiscal Quarter.

The iPad was initially only available online at The Apple Store as well as the company's retail locations Dell Studio 1457 Battery .

The iPad has since been available for purchase through many retailers including Amazon, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Verizon, and AT&T .

The iPad was launched in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom on May 28Dell Latitude D610 Battery .

Online pre-orders in those countries began on May 10.Apple released the iPad in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore on July 23, 2010. Israel briefly prohibited importation of the iPad because of concerns that its Wi-Fi might interfere with other devices Toshiba NB100 Battery .

On September 17, 2010, the iPad officially launched in China. On November 30, 2010, the iPad officially launched inMalaysia.

The South Korean Minister of Culture and Tourism, Yu In-chon was criticized for using an "unapproved" iPad on a public occasion. It is illegal to use an unapproved electronic device in South Korea Toshiba Satellite M65 battery .

However, iPad was released in South Korea on November 30, 2010 through KT which also carries the iPhone.

The iPad launched in India on January 28, 2011. The 16GB iPad costs 27,900 and the 3G variant of the same is 34,900 Toshiba Satellite M60 battery .

Reception

On May 28, 2010, the iPad was released in Australia, Canada, and Japan, as well as several larger European countries. Media reaction to the launch was mixed. The media noted the positive response from fans of the device, with thousands of people queued on the first day of sale in a number of these countries Dell Latitude D830 Battery .

Reaction to the announcement

Media reaction to the iPad announcement was mixed. Walt Mossberg wrote, "It's about the software, stupid", meaning hardware features and build are less important to the iPad's success than software and user interface, his first impressions of which were largely positive Dell Latitude D620 Battery .

Mossberg also called the price "modest" for a device of its capabilities, and praised the ten-hour battery life. Others, including PC Advisor and The Sydney Morning Herald, wrote that the iPad would also compete with proliferating netbooks, most of which use Microsoft Windows Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Battery .

The base model's $499 price was lower than pre-release estimates by the tech press, Wall Street analysts, and Apple's competitors, all of whom were expecting a much higher entry price point.

Yair Reiner said the iPad will compete against e-book devices such as the Barnes & Noble Nook and the Amazon Kindle while offering 70 percent of revenue to publishers, the same arrangement afforded developers on the Apple App Store Sony VGN-FW11S Battery .

Notably, a week before the iPad's expected release, the Amazon Kindle store increased publishers' revenue share to 70 percent as well.

Several days after the unveiling, Stephen Fry said people must use the iPad to truly appreciate its purpose and quality and commented that common criticisms of the device fall away after use Sony VGN-FW11M Battery .

Fry noted the iPad's speed and responsiveness, the intuitive interface and the richness and detail of the display. Along with Steve Jobs' statements in the announcement, members of the media also said that it established a new class of devices between smartphones and laptops Sony VGN-FW139E/H battery .

Reviews

Reviews of the iPad have been generally favorable. Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal called it a "pretty close" laptop killer. David Pogue of The New York Times wrote a "dual" review, one part for technology-minded people, and the other part for non-technology-minded people Dell Latitude E5400 Battery .

In the former section, he notes that a laptop offers more features for a cheaper price than the iPad. In his review for the latter audience, however, he claims that if his readers like the concept of the device and can understand what its intended uses are, then they will enjoy using the device Dell Latitude E4200 Battery .

PC Magazine's Tim Gideon wrote, "you have yourself a winner" that "will undoubtedly be a driving force in shaping the emerging tablet landscape." Michael Arrington of TechCrunch said, "the iPad beats even my most optimistic expectations. This is a new category of device. But it also will replace laptops for many people Dell Inspiron 300M Battery . "

People have been divided over whether to consider the iPad a personal computer. Forrester Research has argued that the iPad should be considered a form of personal computer in spite of Apple's restrictions on creating and editing files with the iPad Dell Vostro A840 Battery .

In contrast, PC World argued when the iPad was announced that it is not a personal computer due to Apple's omission of several key features, including Adobe Flash.

PC World criticized the iPad's file sharing and printing abilities Dell Studio 1737 battery .

and Ars Technica said sharing files with a computer is "one of our least favorite parts of the iPad experience."

The media also praised the quantity of applications, as well as the bookstore and other media applications. In contrast they criticized the iPad for being a closed system and mentioned that the iPad faces competition from Android based tablets Dell Inspiron E1505 battery .

The Independent criticized the iPad for not being as readable in bright light as paper but praised it for being able to store large quantities of books.

Omitted features

CNET and Gizmodo listed features that were missing from the iPad at launch that they believe customers expect Dell RM791 battery ,

including a camera for video chat, a longer and narrower "widescreen" aspect ratiosuitable for watching widescreen movies, the ability to multitask (run more than one application at once), a USB port, HDMI output, and a more flexible wired-data port than the iPod dock connector Dell XPS M1530 battery .

Apple's iOS 4 unveiling and demonstration on April 8, 2010, promised multitasking for the iPad and multitasking was added to the iPad with the release of iOS 4.2 on November 22, 2010.The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Gizmodo noted that the iPad officially only supports installing software from the App Store Dell XPS M2010 battery .

CNET also criticized the iPad for its apparent lack of wireless sync which other portable devices such as Microsoft's Zune have had for a number of years. The built-in iTunes app is able to download from the Internet as well.

CNN and Wired News defended Apple's omission of a number of features, including support for Adobe Flash, noting that YouTube and Vimeo have switched to H.264 for video streaming Acer Aspire One battery .

They also said that "[multitasking] will not matter at all to the target user", as its absence is responsible for "a large part of [the iPad's] ten-hour battery life." Of the aspect ratio: "16:9 ratio in [portrait mode] would look oddly tall and skinny ... [4:3 is] a compromise, and a good one Toshiba Satellite P10 Battery .

" Of the lack of a USB port: "The iPad is meant to be an easy-to-use appliance, not an all-purpose computer. A USB port would mean installing drivers for printers, scanners and anything else you might hook up SONY VGN-FZ210CE Battery ."

Recognition

The iPad was selected by Time Magazine as one of the 50 Best Inventions of the Year 2010, while Popular Science chose it as the top gadget behind the overall "Best of What's New 2010" winner Groasis Waterboxx Dell Precision M70 Battery .

Usage

Business

While the iPad is mostly used by consumers it also has been taken up by business users. Some companies are adopting iPads in their business offices by distributing or making available the iPads to employees Toshiba Satellite L305 Battery .

xamples of uses in the workplace include attorneys responding to clients, medical professionals accessing health records during patient exams, and managers approving employee requests.

A survey by Frost & Sullivan shows that iPad usage in office workplaces is linked to the goals of increased employee productivity, reduced paperwork, and increased revenue Toshiba Satellite T4900 Battery .

The research firm estimates that "The mobile-office application market in North America may reach $6.85 billion in 2015, up from an estimated $1.76 billion [in 2010]."

Education

The iPad has several uses in the classroom, and has been praised as a valuable tool for homeschooling Toshiba PA3399U-2BRS battery .

Soon after the iPad was released, it was reported that 81% of the top book apps were for children.The iPad has also been called a revolutionary tool to help children with autism learn how to communicate and socialize more easily.

Many colleges and universities have also used the iPad Toshiba Satellite A200 Battery .

Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, began offering three-hour rentals for the iPad for its Fall 2010 semester, in addition to rentals for the Amazon Kindle, laptop computers, and Flip cameras Toshiba Satellite 1200 Battery .

Sports

During the 2010 Major League Baseball free agent season, the agent for the player Carl Crawford was sending iPads to prospective teams interested in Mr. Crawford. These iPads were pre-loaded with video clips highlighting his player, and how it would benefit their team to have him Toshiba Satellite M300 Battery .

Music

The iPad is able to support many music creation applications in addition to the iTunes music playback software. These include sound samplers, guitar and voice effects processors, sequencers for synthesized sounds and sampled loops, virtual synthesizers and drum machines, theremin-style and other touch responsive instruments, drum pads and many more SONY VGP-BPS13A/Q Battery .

Gorillaz's 2010 album, The Fall, was created almost exclusively using the iPad by Damon Albarn while on tour with the band.

The iPod Touch (stylized, trademarked, and marketed as iPod touch) is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, and Wi-Fi mobile platform designed and marketed by Apple Inc SONY VGP-BPS13A/Q Battery .

The product was launched on September 5, 2007, at an event called The Beat Goes On. The iPod Touch adds themulti-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line. It is the first iPod with wireless access to the iTunes Store, and also has access to Apple's App Store, enabling content to be purchased and downloaded directly on the device SONY VGP-BPS13B/Q Battery .

Apple Inc. has sold over 45 million iPod Touch units as of September 2009.

The second generation iPod Touch features external volume controls, a built-in speaker, a contoured back, built-in Nike+, Bluetooth support, and the ability to connect a microphone. It was unveiled on September 9, 2008, at the "Let's Rock" keynote presentation SONY VGP-BPS13B/Q Battery .

The 3rd generation iPod Touch with iPhone OS 3.1 was announced and subsequently released on September 9, 2009. It is available with 32 GB or 64 GB of flash memory. Apple also continued offering the 2nd generation 8 GB version running the 3rd generation OS SONY VGP-BPS13/Q Battery .

The new 3rd generation iPod Touch includes faster hardware (the same microprocessors, graphics engine, and RAM as the iPhone 3GS), a slightly lower battery life, voice control, light sensor, and bundled earphones with a remote and microphone SONY VGP-BPS13/Q Battery .

The 2nd and 3rd generation iPod Touch can now be updated to iOS 4.x for free, but cannot take advantage of features using the iPhone's camera or GPS receiver.

Apple unveiled the 4th generation iPod Touch on September 1, 2010 SONY VGP-BPS21A/B Battery .

It features Apple's Retina display and two cameras; one front-facing camera forFaceTime, Skype, and other video chat applications, photos and high-definition video recording and one rear-facing camera for photos and HD video recording. It also contains Apple's A4 for faster processing, a microphone for communication SONY VGP-BPS21/S Battery ,

voice recognition, and voice memos, which can be useful for recording things, such as an academic tutorial, a voice lesson, or a college lecture, and a three-axis gyroscopic sensor which enables the device to recognize approximately how far, fast, and in which direction it has moved in space SONY VGP-BPS21B Battery .

The device originally shipped with iOS 4.1, which added Game Center to iOS along with the ability to use FaceTime through Wi-Fi.

Hardware

The iPod Touch has a slim rectangular shape with rounded edges, with a glass multi-touch display covering most of the top surface and a physical home button off the touchscreen SONY VGP-BPS21A Battery .

The display functions similarly to the multi-touch trackpad as implemented in Apple's current line of laptop computers. It is also very similar to the iPad interface and the Apple Magic Trackpad. The touch and gesture features of the iPod Touch are based on technology originally developed by FingerWorks SONY VGP-BPS21 Battery .

Software

The operating system that runs all iPhones and iPod Touches is called iOS (iPhone Operating System.) Since iOS 1.0 the operating system has received a major update each year at roughly around the same time. The first major update to the iOS was iOS 2.0 Sony VGP-BPS21A/B Battery .

This version of the iOS introduced the App Store which allowed 3rd party applications to be run on iPhones and iPod touches. iOS 2.0 debuted June 29, 2007. iPhone users received the update for free while iPod touch users had to pay Sony VGP-BPS21/S Battery .

The second major update to the operating system, iOS 3.0 was released June 17, 2009. iOS 3.0 added features such as cut, copy and paste, data tethering and push notification support. As with the previous major release iPhone users got the update for free while iPod Touch users had to pay Sony VGP-BPS21A Battery .

iOS 4 was made available to the public on June 21, 2010. This is the first major iOS release to drop support for some devices. The iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2nd generation have limited features, while the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 3rd generation & iPod Touch 4th generation Sony VGP-BPS21 Battery .

have all features enabled. The iPod Touch first generation and original iPhone are not supported in this release. The major features included in this release are iBooks, Facetime and multitasking.

Comparisons to the iPhone and model comparisons Sony Vaio PCG-5G2L Battery

The iPod Touch and the iPhone, a smartphone by Apple Inc., share the same hardware platform and run the same iOS operating system. The iPod Touch lacks some of the iPhone's featues and associated apps, such as access to cellular neworks (and speaker on older models) Sony Vaio PCG-5G3L Battery .

As a result, the iPod Touch is slimmer and lighter than the iPhone. Steve Jobs once referred to the iPod Touch as "training wheels for the iPhone".

The 2nd generation iPod Touch has an external volume switch and a built-in speaker like the iPhone Sony Vaio PCG-5J1L Battery .

The 2nd generation also comes with the chrome frame seen on the iPhone 3G, making the two almost identical when viewed from the front. However, there are some notable differences, as there is no speaker above the screen, no silent/ringer switch, the back is metal, and the sleep/wake button is on the other side Sony Vaio PCG-5K2L Battery .

The 2nd generation also supports audio input when a headphone or earphone with microphone capabilities is plugged into the audio output (headphone) jack. The iPod Touch 2.0 Software Update supports WPA2 Enterprise with 802.1X authentication. The iPhone OS 3.0 update unlocked Bluetooth capability on the 2nd generation iPod Touch, as the included Wi-Fi chip (Broadcom BCM4325) has Bluetooth support Sony Vaio PCG-5J2L Battery .

The 2nd generation iPod Touch is said to have a yellower cast/tint to the display, as compared to the iPhone or the original iPod Touch. The applications processor inside the 2nd generation iPod Touch runs slightly faster than the processor inside the iPhone 3G, but slower than the iPhone 3GS Sony Vaio PCG-5K1L Battery .

The first generation iPod Touch works with all "Made for iPod" peripherals, but certain changes that Apple made to the 2nd generation iPod Touch prevent some existing peripherals from recharging the updated player Sony Vaio PCG-5L1L Battery .

The Go2ogle Street View feature added on iPhone firmware version 2.2 is absent from the same version of firmware released on the iPod Touch,but is found in the 3.0 update.

Apple has received criticism for charging iPod Touch owners for major updates of iOS that iPhone owners can obtain at no charge, as well as excluding certain features from the iPod Touch software that are included in the iPhone Sony Vaio PCG-6S2L Battery .

Apple has said that they can add features for free to the iPhone because the revenue from it is accounted for on a subscription basis under accounting rules, rather than as a one time payment. At WWDC in June 2010, Jobs announced that Apple had "found a way" to make subsequent OS upgrades available free to iPod Touch owners Sony Vaio PCG-6S3L Battery .

However, iOS 4.0 and onwards isn't available for the first generation iPod touch and some features are only available for the 32 and 64 GB third generation iPod touches released in September 2009 and the fourth generation iPod touches in 2010 Sony Vaio PCG-6V1L Battery .

Requirements

As supplied new, the iPod Touch must be connected to a Macintosh or Windows computer. There is no official Linux support. On either operating system, the iPod Touch must be connected through aUSB port Sony Vaio PCG-6W1L Battery .

This will charge the iPod Touch and Sync any songs that you may want on your iPod Touch. Special cables that plug in to a wall can also be bought separately but can only be used to charge the iPod Touch.

Starting with the second generation, iPod Touch can only be charged from the 5V pin of the dock connector while most previous iPod models (including the original iPod Touch) could also be charged from the 12V pin for FireWire power Sony Vaio PCG-6W2L Battery .

This change dropped support for charging in vehicles equipped with a FireWire-based iPod connection. Most aftermarket manufacturers of such equipment offer cables and/or adapters which convert the vehicle's 12 V to 5 V Sony Vaio PCG-6W3L Battery.

The first time the iPod Touch is turned on, a graphic of the iTunes logo and USB cable is displayed continuously until the iPod Touch is connected to a computer running iTunes.

To use the iPod Touch for purchasing content on the iTunes Store via Wi-Fi, a new or existing iTunes Store account must be associated with the iPod Sony Vaio PCG-7111L Battery .

Apple states that the following are required for the iPod Touch:

• iTunes 10 for iOS 4.0 or later, iTunes 9.2.0.61 for iOS 4.0.x or later, iTunes 8.2 for iPhone OS 3.0.x or later, iTunes 8.0 for iPhone OS 2.1.x, iTunes 7.6 for iPhone OS 2.0.x or earlier
• An available USB 2.0 port Sony Vaio PCG-7112L Battery

Third-party applications

Earphones with an external microphone and controller are compatible with the 2nd generation iPod Touch, and are shipped with the 3rd generation iPod Touch devices.

The only official way to obtain third-party applications for the iPod Touch is Apple's App Store, which is a branch of iTunes Store Sony Vaio PCG-7113L Battery .

The App Store application, available in all versions of iOS from 2.0 onwards, allows users to browse and download applications from a single online repository (hosted by Apple) with the iTunes Store. To develop such software, a software development kit (SDK) was officially announced on March 6, 2008, at an Apple Town Hall meeting Sony Vaio PCG-7133L Battery .

TheiPhone SDK allows developers to make applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch after paying a fee to join the development team. The developer can then set the price for the applications they develop and will receive 70% of money earned. The developer can also opt to release the application for free and will not pay any additional costs Sony Vaio PCG-7Z2L Battery .

Shortly after the iPhone (then also the iPod touch) was released, hackers were able to "jailbreak" the device through a TIFF exploit. The application installed by this exploit enabled the user to download a selection of unofficial third-party programs. Jailbreaking the iPod Touch was the only way to get third-party programs when running 1.1.x OSes Sony Vaio PCG-8Y1L Battery .

These third-party programs could use additional functionality not supported by Apple (such as enabling multitasking, applying themes to the home screen or enable battery percentage indicator. All officially released versions of iOS through 3.1.2, and 4.0, as well as 4.2.1 with some bugs, can be jailbroken, but version 3.1 could not at the time it was released Sony Vaio PCG-8Y2L Battery .

Servicing an iPod Touch after jailbreaking or other modifications made by unofficial means is not covered by Apple's warranty (however, the jailbreaking process is easily undone by performing a restore through iTunes) Sony Vaio PCG-8Z1L Battery .

A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a complete personal mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flattouch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen. It often uses an onscreen virtual keyboard or a digital pen rather than a physical keyboard Sony Vaio PCG-8Z2L Battery .

The term may also apply to a "convertible" notebook computer whose keyboard is attached to the touchscreen by a swivel joint or slide joint so that the screen may lie with its back upon the keyboard, covering it and exposing only the screen for touch operation.

Tablet computers and tablet PCs Sony VAIO PCG-5G2L Battery

As of 2010, two distinctly different types of tablet computing devices exist, whose operating systems are of different origin.

Firstly, older tablet personal computers are mainly x86 based, and are fully functional personal computers employing a slightly modified personal computer OS (Like Windows or Ubuntu Linux) supporting their touch-screen, instead of a traditional display mouse, and keyboard Sony VAIO PCG-5G3L Battery .

A typical tablet personal computer needs to be stylus driven, because operating the typical desktop based OS requires a high precision to select GUI widgets, such as a the close window button.

Since mid-2010, new tablet computers with mobile operating systems forego the Wintel paradigm, have a different interface and have created a new type of computing device Sony VAIO PCG-5J1L Battery .

These mobile OS tablet computer devices are normally finger driven and use multi-touch capacitive touch screens, instead of the simple resistive touchscreens of typical stylus driven systems (also a standard external USB keyboard can be used). First of these was the iPad, with Samsung Galaxy Tab and others following Sony VAIO PCG-5K2L Battery .

In foregoing the x86 precondition (a requisite of Windows compatibility), the new class of tablet computers use a version of an ARM architecture processor heretofore used in portable equipment (e.g., MP3 players and cell phones) now powerful enough (especially with the introduction of the ARM Cortex family) for tasks such as internet browsing, light production work and gaming Sony VAIO PCG-5J2L Battery .

Tablets based on IBM-PC architecture

A tablet personal computer (tablet PC) is a portable personal computer equipped with a touchscreen as a primary input device, and running a (modified) classic desktop OS. designed to be operated and owned by an individual Sony VAIO PCG-5K1L Battery .

The term was made popular as a concept presented by Microsoft in 2000 and 2001 but tablet PCs now refer to any tablet-sized personal computer regardless of the (desktop) operating system

Tablets not based on IBM-PC architecture

Many tablets do not use a traditional desktop OS or use the Wintel paradigm, nor are x86 based Sony VAIO PCG-5L1L Battery .

Most often their OS is a Unix-like OS, such as Darwin, Linux or QNX. The first was the iPad, and others continue the common trend towards multi-touch and other natural user interface features. Some use ARM for longer battery life versus battery weight. Some have 3G mobile telephonycapabilities Sony VAIO PCG-6S2L Battery .

Developing programs for tablet computers

A significant trait to define whether a tablet computer can be regarded as a personal computer is the ability for the final user to install arbitrary or self-developed software Sony VAIO PCG-6S3L Battery .

The new class of devices heralded by the iPad has spurred the tendency of a walled garden approach where the vendor reserves rights as to what can be installed. The software development kits for these platforms are restricted and the vendor must approve the final application for distribution to users Sony VAIO PCG-6V1L Battery .

Proponents of open source software deem that these restrictions on software installation and lack of administrator rights make this category one that, in their view, cannot be properly named personal computers.But newer mobile operating system based tablet computers may abandon the walled garden concept, and be like personal computers in this regard Sony VAIO PCG-6W1L Battery .

History

The tablet computer and the associated special operating software is an example of Pen computing technology, and thus the development of tablets has deep historical roots.

The depth of these roots can be quite surprising to people who are only familiar with current commercial products Sony VAIO PCG-6W2L Battery .

For example, the first patent for an electronic tablet used for handwriting was granted in 1888. The first patent for a system that recognized handwritten characters by analyzing the handwriting motion was granted in 1915 Sony VAIO PCG-6W3L Battery .

The first publicly-demonstrated system using a tablet and handwriting text recognition instead of a keyboard for working with a modern digital computer dates to 1956.

In addition to many academic and research systems, there were several companies with commercial products in the 1980s: Pencept, Communications Intelligence Corporation, and Linus were among the best known of a crowded field Sony VAIO PCG-7111L Battery .

Later, GO Corp. brought out the PenPoint OS operating system for a tablet product: one of the patents from GO corporation was the subject of recent infringement lawsuit concerning the Tablet PC operating system.

One early implementation of a Linux tablet was the ProGear by FrontPath Sony VAIO PCG-7112L Battery .

The ProGear used a Transmeta chip and a resistive digitizer. The ProGear initially came with a version of Slackware Linux, but could later be bought with Windows 98.

In 2000 Microsoft coined the term "Microsoft tablet PC" for tablet PC's built to Microsoft's specification, and running a licensed specific tablet enhanced version of its Microsoft Windows OS Sony VAIO PCG-7113L Battery .

Microsoft Tablet PCs were targeted to address business needs mainly as note-taking devices, and as rugged devices for field work.

Tablet PCs failed to gain popularity in the consumer space because of unresolved usability problems Sony VAIO PCG-7Z1L Battery .

The existing devices were too heavy to be held with one hand on extended periods, having legacy applications created for desktop interfaces made them not well adapted to the slate format, and the specific software features designed to support usage as a tablet were not present in all contexts Sony VAIO PCG-7Z2L Battery .

The tablet computer market was invigorated by Apple through the introduction of the iPad device in 2010.While the iPad places restrictions on the owner to install software thus deviating it from the PC tradition, its uncompromising attention to the touch interface is considered a milestone to the tablet computer development history Sony VAIO PCG-8Y1L Battery .

In May 20, 2010 IDC published a press release defining the term media tablet as personal devices with screens from 7 to 12in., lightweight operating systems "currently based on ARM processors" which "provide a broad range of applications and connectivity, differentiating them from primarily single-function devices such as ereaders" Sony VAIO PCG-8Y2L Battery .

IDC also predicted a market growth for tablets from 7.6 million units in 2010 to more than 46 million units in 2014.

At Consumer Electronics Show 2011, over 80 new tablets were announced to compete with the iPad. Companies who announced tablets included: Motorola, Samsung, Vizio, Toshiba, Asus, and thestartup company Notion Ink WD passport essential (500GB/640GB) .

Many of these tablets are set to be running Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Google's mobile operating system for tablets.

In the Health Sector Tablet Computers can be used for data capture - such as registering patient experience feedback at the bedside WD passport essential (250GB/320GB) .

Touch user interface

A key and common component among tablet computers is touch input. This allows the user to navigate easily and intuitively and type with a virtual keyboard on the screen WD passport essential SE (750GB/1TB .

A tablet presents a more natural user interface to the user than a command line interface or the traditional mouse driven WIMP interface. The event processing of the operating system must respond to touches rather than clicks of a keyboard or mouse, which allows integrated hand-eye operation, a natural part of the somatosensory system WD passport elite(250GB/320GB) .

Although the device implementation differs from more traditional PCs or laptops, tablets are disrupting the current vendor sales by weakening traditional laptop PC sales in favor of the current tablet computers. This is even more true of the "finger driven multi-touch" interface of the more recent tablet computers, which often emulate the way actual objects behave WD passport elite(500GB/640GB) .

Handwriting recognition

The character has two strokes, the first shown here in dark, and the second in red. The black area represents the starting position of the writing instrument WD passport studio for Mac(320GB/500GB) .

Because tablet personal computers normally use a stylus, they quite often implement handwriting recognition, while other tablet computers with finger driven screens do not. Finger driven screens however are potentially better suited for inputting "variable width stroke based" characters, like Chinese/Japanese/Korean writing, due to their built in capability of "pressure sensing" WD passport studio for Mac(500GB/640GB) .

However at the moment not much of this potential is already used, and as a result even on tablet computers Chinese users often use a (virtual) keyboard for input.

Touchscreen hardware

Touchscreens are usually one of two forms;

• Resistive: Resistive touchscreens are passive and can respond to any kind of pressure on the screen WD Elements series(250GB/320GB) .
• They allow a high level of precision (which may be needed, when the touch screen tries to emulate a mouse for precision pointing, which in Tablet personal computers is common) but may require calibration to be accurate. Because of the high resolution of detection, a stylus is often used for resistive screens WD Elements SE(500GB/640GB) .
• Although some possibility exist for implementing multi-touch on a resistive touch-screen, the possibilities are quite limited. As modern tablet computers tend to heavily lean on the use of multi-touch, this technology has faded out and has been replaced by WD Elements SE(750GB/1TB) :

• Capacitive: Capacitive touchscreens tend to have better accuracy and responsive than resistive screens. Because they require a conductive material, such as a finger tip, for input, they are not common among (stylus using) Tablet PCs but are more prominent on the smaller scale "tablet computer" devices for ease of use, which generally do not use a stylus, and need multi-touch capabilities WD Elements desktop(500GB/640GB) .

Other touch technology used in tablets include:

• Palm recognition. It prevents inadvertent palms or other contacts from disrupting the pen's input.

• Multi-touch capabilities, which can recognize multiple simultaneous finger touches, allowing for enhanced manipulation of on-screen objects WD Elements desktop(750GB/1TB) .
• Since mid-2010, new tablet computers with mobile operating systems forego the Wintel paradigm, have a different interface and have created a new type of computing device.These mobile OS tablet computer devices are normally finger driven and use multi-touch capacitive touch screens, instead of the simple resistive touchscreens of typical stylus driven systems WD Elements desktop(1.5 TB/2TB) .
• First of these was the iPad, with others following. In foregoing the x86 precondition (a requisite of Windows compatibility), the new class of tablet computers use a version of an ARM architecture processor heretofore used in portable equipment (e.g., MP3 players and cell phones) now powerful enough (especially with the introduction of the ARM Cortex family)for tasks such as internet browsing, light production work and gaming WD passport essential SE (750GB/1TB)--USB 3.0) .

Some professional-grade Tablet PCs use pressure sensitive films that additionally allows pressure sensitivity such as those on graphics tablets.

Concurrently capacitive touch-screens, which use finger tip detection can often detect the size of the touched area, and can make some conclusions to the pressure force used, for a similar result WD passport essential (500GB/640GB) .

Form factor

Tablet computers come in a range of sizes, currently ranging from tablet PCs to PDAs. Tablet personal computers tend to be as large as laptops and often are the largest usable size for mobile tablet computing while the new generation of tablet computers can be (much) smaller and use a RISC (ARM or MIPS) CPU, and in size can border on PDAs WD passport for Mac(320GB/500GB) .

Booklet

Booklet computers are dual-touchscreen tablet computers that fold like a book. Typical booklet computers are equipped with multi-touch screens and pen writing recognition capabilities. They are designed to be used as digital day planners, internet surfing devices, project planners, music players, and displays for video, live TV, and e-reading WD passport for Mac(640GB/1TB) .

Slate

Slate computers, which resemble writing slates, are tablet computers without a dedicated keyboard. For text input, users rely on handwriting recognition via an active digitizer, touching an on-screen keyboard using fingertips or a stylus, or using an external keyboard that can usually be attached via a wireless or USB connection My book essential 4 generation (640GB/1TB) .

Tablet computers typically incorporate small (8.4–14.1 inches/21–36 centimetres) LCD screens and have been popular in vertical markets such as health care, education, hospitality and field work. Applications for field work often require a tablet computer that has rugged specifications that ensure long life by resisting heat, humidity, and drop/vibration damage WD My book essential 4 generation( 1.5TB/2TB) .

This added focus on mobility and/or ruggedness often leads to elimination of moving parts that could hinder these qualities.

Convertible

Convertible notebooks have a base body with an attached keyboard. They more closely resemble modern laptops, and are usually heavier and larger than slates WD My book elite( 1TB/1.5TB) .

Typically, the base of a convertible attaches to the display at a single joint called a swivel hinge or rotating hinge. The joint allows the screen to rotate through 180° and fold down on top of the keyboard to provide a flat writing surface. This design, although the most common, creates aphysical point of weakness on the notebook WD My book studio(1TB/2TB) .

Some manufacturers have attempted to overcome these weak points. The Panasonic Toughbook 19, for example, is advertised as a more durable convertible notebook. One model by Acer (the TravelMate C210) has a sliding design in which the screen slides up from the slate-like position and locks into place to provide the laptop mode WD My book essential 4 generation( 1.5TB/2TB) .

Sliding screens were presented at CES 2011. The first product to use it is the Samsung Sliding PC7 Series, a tablet with Intel Atom hardware and a unique sliding screen that allows the product to be used as a laptop or slate tablet when the screen is locked in place covering the whole keyboard. The concept still has to prove its reliability, but is intended to combine the virtues of tablet PCs with those of notebooks WD My book elite(640GB/2TB) .