Operating system / User interface
By now you should know that the iPad's interface is nearly identical in every way to the iPhone or iPod touch UI. The reason for that is obvious: it's built on the same operating system, a derivation of OS X for mobile devices. As far as actual navigation on the device goes, it really is exactly like the iPhone. You have pages and pages made up of grids of icons, a dock for your favorite apps (up to six, mind you), and a persistent status bar which displays the time and other information. In our opinion Apple has missed a huge opportunity to open up the "desktop" space on the iPad and allow for micro-apps or widgets on these screens (Sony Vaio VGN-FZ battery).
On the iPad there isn't really a single glanceable piece of information you can get at beyond the time and WiFi status -- and using all of that gorgeous screen real estate just to display a widely spaced grid of icons is not only a waste, but just kind of looks silly. In truth, if Apple's developers believe that it's not helpful to give people more than a single thing to look at at one time, they're not only wrong, but they're contradicting years of improvements to the company's desktop OS. That said, thereare a few new components present in the iPad UI which shows that Apple has put some effort into expanding the language of this OS (Sony VGP-BPS8 battery).
Besides those quirks we've come to know, love, and / or gripe about on the iPhone, the company has augmented the existing user interface with a small handful of tools. Before we talk about the overall feel of using this device, we wanted to break down those new elements (Sony VGP-BPL9 battery):
Pop-overs (modals): Windows which pop up and hover above the content you're interacting with, used to excellent effect within the iPod app for displaying track listings when you touch an album, or getting information on books or music to purchase in the iBookstore and iTunes. These modals have their own navigation and points of interaction separate from the main content you're working with (Sony VGP-BPL11 battery).
Split screens: Exactly what it sounds like. Apple is using all that big real estate to break up what would have been multiple pages on an iPhone, dividing up the content into segments of the same screen. In the mail app, that means you can look at the list of your emails while keeping a message in view, or keep your multi-page work in Keynote available to you even when editing (think how Preview handles a folder of images (Sony VGP-BPL15 battery)).
Tap-and-hold: Now, this is present in some places on the iPhone, but Apple has really expanded its use with the iPad, offering lots of situations where a long press gets you deeper, contextual interactivity and functionality. We're big fans of this gesture on other devices (hello, Android), and it's nice to see Apple putting it to better use within the iPad's UI. We hope this trend continues throughout the company's mobile OSs (ASUS A3000 Battery).
Contextual menus: While tap-and-hold gets you some options for context-specific menus, the iPad interface is littered with other single tap buttons that pop open those same kind of options. The shift certainly seems to be towards these transient menus as opposed to paging through screens like we're used to on the iPhone (ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Battery).
Toolbar drop-downs: Apple hammered on toolbar items with previous iterations of the iPhone OS, but on the iPad, toolbars aren't just links to deeper pages -- they're self-contained menus, often with lots of levels and options for tweaking the work you're doing. They are literally all over the iPad (Dell Inspiron 6400 battery).
Tabs (or Cover Flow) everywhere: You know how Safari handles multiple pages? Well that behavior is used throughout the iPad to navigate through files or lists of options. In Safari, as in other apps, the content is presented as a grid, while elsewhere it's a scrollable list akin to Mobile Safari's present use (or webOS cards) (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ4000 Battery).
Nearly full-sized virtual keyboards: In portrait mode, we were able to tap out some messages using our thumbs, but we mostly did single finger typing. On the other hand, the landscape keyboard is big and totally usable. In fact, we were surprised at how quickly and accurately we could bang out emails on it (Toshiba PA3399U-2BAS Battery).
So what does this all mean for the experience of using the device? Well if you're not getting the message, we'd like to point out that we haven't mentioned files, folders, or windows. That's because there's no such thing in the universe of the iPad. This isn't a computer the way you think of a computer. All of these UI additions to the iPhone vocabulary help you do more and go further than what is possible on an iPhone, and a lot of the applications you'll use on the iPad are far more expansive than what the iPhone offers, but it's not like any computer you've ever used (IBM ThinkPad T40 Battery).
This is something totally different -- a hybrid of sorts -- and while the user interface will feel familiar to most, it's also simply not a PC in any way. You will get work done with it, play with it, consume content with it, but the underlying framework of the real operating system is almost completely invisible. For instance, in applications like Numbers or Keynote, you don't have "files," rather a long, Cover Flow-style list of work to scroll through. Have 200 documents you've "saved"? Tough -- you just have to scroll through them all to get to the last one. To say that sometimes it feels like a computer for beginners might be overkill. But it's close (Dell Inspiron 6000 battery).
There's no question that the route Apple has taken is genius; they've built a "computer" that's so obvious and easy to use that anyone can pick it up and understand it immediately. And there's a lot to like, particularly in some of the innovative and engaging applications being built by third party developers right now, like the Marvel app, TweetDeck, or SketchBook Pro. But there are holes here too -- big ones -- and not just in the user interface (Dell INSPIRON 1420 Battery).
For starters, as we mentioned earlier the iPad doesn't support multitasking, save for Apple's own applications: Safari, iPod, and Mail. Everything else you use on the device is a jump-into and then jump-out experience, which means that for things like IM apps, you're either having a conversation or you're not. For those of us who are used to the iPhone way of doing things, that's at least familiar, but if you're looking to have a conversation while getting your email in order (as you would on a laptop), you're out of luck. The same goes for those of us who like to keep a Twitter app open in the background to monitor updates (Dell Inspiron E1505 Battery).
Even updating settings or downloading software is a chore due to the stop-start nature of the OS. You just have to go one. at. a. time.That's almost acceptable for a smartphone -- you don't expect laptop performance -- but this is different. Admittedly, there aren't a huge number of scenarios where you need to be multitasking, but it's not uncommon for Engadget editors to keep a running IRC session, AIM, a browser, Twitter app, Skype, and music player open at the same time, and we suspect a lot of you out there do the same (or similar). So how much of a stumbling block is the lack of multitasking? The honest truth is that a large number of users won't notice or care, which is why it's easy for Apple to ignore the problem (or claim that their OS supports the functionality because they allow a handful of their native apps to run in the background). For the rest of us, this is starting to feel just like copy and paste -- a problem so obvious and so easy to fix that it's just perplexing Apple doesn't come up with a solution and end the conversation. The iPad may do many things better than a netbook, but multitasking is not one of them (Fujitsu Lifebook S6120 battery).
Adding difficulty to that lack of multitasking is the way the iPad handles notifications. As you know, Apple provides a method of utilizing push notifications to circumvent backgrounding an app. For instance, with AIM set to deliver push messages, you can still see what your contacts are IM'ing at you, and jump back into the app when you need to respond. That's all well and good, but Apple is still handling notifications in the same terrible, interruptive manner that it uses on the iPhone. Namely, pop-up messages that must be dismissed by the user. Imagine if you had to repeatedly click "OK" on a pop-up window which froze you out of the application you were working in every time you got an IM on your laptop, and you'll start to get the idea. Again, this isn't great on a phone, but hey -- it's a phone. On your revolutionary new computer-like device? It's extremely annoying. You can always set the notifications to just a sound and badge, but we know Android and webOS handle this more elegantly, and can't figure out why Apple won't do the same (HP PAVILION DV2000 Battery).
To put a point on the iPad's UI and the user experience: there is no question that Apple has created an engaging, simple, and surprisingly powerful platform for this device. For many of the applications -- especially some of the third party titles starting to trickle out -- the stuff people are coming up with is insanely clever, just plain cool, or both. For many consumers, it will be easy enough to accomplish much of what you would with a netbook or laptop on the iPad, and yet other experiences will extend far beyond what you would do on a typical computer. It's not a laptop replacement, and this OS can't do everything a laptop can do -- but maybe it doesn't have to (HP PAVILION DV3000 Battery).
Included applications
We're not going to go super deep into all of the bundled applications, but we feel quite a few deserve special mention. There are brand new applications that are hugely important to what the iPad is and does, and we wanted to take a moment to give an overview and opinion on what we felt really stood out (ACER Travelmate 2300 Battery).
Mobile Safari
Apple promises that web browsing on the iPad will be, to quote Steve Jobs, "The best browsing experience you've ever had." Let's just go over that one more time -- Steve Jobs says that the browsing experience will be the best you've ever had. So, is it? Well, we can tell you this: the browsing experience on the iPad is amazing (COMPAQ Presario 2100 Battery).
It is smooth, fast, and fluid. The screen displays beautifully in landscape or portrait, the scrolling is buttery, touch response is out of this world, and you can easily pinch-to-zoom all over the place with nary a hiccup. The finger-based navigation really is kind of spectacular, and it makes browsing weirdly like rediscovering an old friend. Other additions to the app like a proper bookmarks bar, use of toolbar drop downs, and an improved tab grid make it a pleasure to use. It is without question one of the best browsing experiences we've encountered. But is it the best? Well, not really (ACER Aspire 3020 Battery).
Why, you ask? Well that answer is simple and extremely complicated at the same time. Currently, there is a web standard called Flash, developed by a company named Adobe, which allows for the easy insertion of rich media into webpages. That's everything from streaming video and audio files, online gaming, to entire websites made using its broad and deep development tools. The penetration percentage for Flash on PCs around the world is something like 98 -- that's almost everyone -- and many, many sites employ the standard on their pages (COMPAQ Presario R3000 Battery).
When we say many, we mean most if not all of the pages you typically visit use Flash to display some of their content. The iPad browser doesn't support Flash, and won't support Flash, perhaps ever. Apple has not only turned away from what is the industry standard for rich media in webpages, but it instead is pushing a newer standard called HTML5. Apple has been very successful thus far in moving its agenda forward and bringing websites into the fold of HTML5, but we're talking maybe, say, one percent of websites on the internet. Probably way less (ACER Aspire 3000 Battery).
So what does this mean for an end user? Well it means that when you visit a site like Hulu, HBO, NBC, Lala (which ironically, Apple just purchased), Engadget, Gizmodo, or many, many others, you will have a broken experience. That means there will be certain elements of these sites (in the case of HBO, the entire site itself) that simply won't work. Now, we're geeks. We get it. We know what's going on when a site shows the broken plugin icon, or says we need Flash. But to the wide world of "everyone" that Apple wants to sell this product to, this will result in a confusing and frustrating experience... a broken experience. That may be fine to Apple, but it isn't fine to us, and shouldn't be fine to the rest of the world (Dell INSPIRON 1420 Battery).
As an aside, we've been surprised other iPad reviews have not been more forthcoming in pointing this problem out -- this is not a small thing; it's is a major deficit in the iPad's browser. Now keep in mind we're not saying we love Flash and want to marry it -- in fact, we'd love to see a less CPU intensive format take its place -- but HTML5 isn't that format, at least not yet. It's important to understand that a lot of users will see the lack of Flash as a drawback, even if Apple doesn't like the standard, and even if Safari on the iPad is a brilliant experience (which it frankly is) (Fujitsu Lifebook S6120 battery).
iBooks
To say Apple is about to put a major dent in Kindleworld is an understatement. The iBooks app is one of the most beautiful and thoughtful uses of the iPad screen real estate on the device. It would be easy to rattle off a thousand words alone on how good of an e-book experience this is, but we'll try to keep it brief considering how much there is to say about the iPad. Simply put, it's a great e-reader with enough options to please even the most strident critic (FUJITSU LIFEBOOK P2120 Battery).
The layout is quite simple; along the top of the page in portrait mode you have a button to flip to your library (a very slick hidden room kind of effect), a chapter button, brightness control, font size and face options, and a search drop down. Within the book you can long press to bring up copy / paste, dictionary (a beautiful implementation which pops up right over your content), bookmark (another perfect implementation), or search options. Besides the incredibly sexy page turning animations -- useless but gorgeous nonetheless -- the entire package is just so airtight. It's the first e-book reading experience we've seen that seems to truly understand the visceral, sensual enjoyment of holding an actual volume in your hand (HP PAVILION DV9700t Battery).
Calendar / Contacts
The calendar and contacts apps on the device aren't exactly groundbreaking, but they are far more usable and information heavy on the iPad. Both utilize -- at different intervals -- split screen, book-like displays. The calendar app actually gives you a proper full month view and lets you interact with your schedule much like the iCal application for OS X does (HP PAVILION DV8000 Battery).
Mail
This is a biggie for Engadget. Much of our time is spent dealing with email, and it hasn't always been a pleasure on the iPhone. Has that changed on the iPad? Not quite. As Gmail enthusiasts, we're sort of locked into the label / archiving / conversation scheme the big G has worked up. Honestly, we think it's a smarter, faster way to handle lots of email from lots of places. On Mail for OS X, Apple at least adopts threaded messages to keep your conversations under control, but no such luck here (HP PAVILION DV5000 Battery).
In other "the iPad is not a computer" news, we couldn't find a way to export a .txt file to any of the applications on the device, thus seriously hamstringing our ability to finish this review on the iPad itself. We also take issue with how Apple wants you to handle attachments here. They have to be done from the source app out into Mail -- what the hell kind of sense does that make? In all, we love the split screen displays and real estate for composing, but still feel like we're floating out in the ether when managing our email. It works, it's fast, it's consistent... it's just not what it could be (HP PAVILION DV6000 Battery).
iTunes / iBookstore / App Store
All three of these money-shredding stores on the iPad hew much more closely to the desktop version of iTunes, which is a really good thing. Finding, previewing, and buying titles is super simple due to the vast amount of data you get in a single view, and the modals which Apple uses to perfect effect here to pop over info about the content as you're checking it out.The iBookstore is a perfect companion to the reader, but we did find the current selection lacking (very little Philip K. Dick and George R.R. Martin -- for shame!)
(IBM ThinkPad T40 Battery).
Downloading was clear and simple, and there are free samples (as well as lots of free titles) to pick up if you just want to test the waters. It's obvious that publishers who aren't yet involved with Apple will see the light on this -- if the company is half as successful at pushing books as it has been at pushing music, this is indeed a game changer. We're not saying there's no room for improvement, because there is plenty (such as a clearer and more coherent periodicals strategy). Still, this is a tried and tested model for the company, and the iPad versions deliver (well, the iBookstore delivers for the first time ever) (IBM THINKPAD R50 Battery).
Video / iPod / YouTube
The entertainment portions of the iPad aren't going to blow anyone away, but they all do an admirable job. The iPod app is actually much, much better than its smaller cousin, though we're surprised that Apple hasn't leveraged its new-ish iTunes LP content here. The iPad is the perfect place to view all that rich media, yet it's nowhere to be found on the tablet. A real miss, guys! Otherwise, the video player takes on the task of running your video (up to 720p, with restrictions) in a solid if spartan manner. We'd like to pause and just mention how sweet the marriage of HD content and the iPad's display is. Video really does look absolutely stunning on this screen -- Apple has done its homework on the tech, and we couldn't be more impressed with the results (SONY VGP-BPS2 Battery).
YouTube makes big use of the segmented windows concept you see all over the device, giving you the option to browse other videos or even comment on what you're watching while it's playing. Of course, it also allows for YouTube HD content, which looks fairly sharp most of the time (TOSHIBA Pa3465u-1brs Battery).
iPhone apps on the iPad
Yes -- the iPad can run almost all 150,000 of the iPhone and iPod touch apps you know and love (not every one is compatible, but the vast majority). It does this in two modes, the first is a scaled down version in the middle of your giant screen, while the other is a pixel doubled iteration. Both of these leave something to be desired, and we can't say that anything besides gaming really ends up looking okay. It's nice that Apple has included the functionality, but keep in mind that you are locked into what is essentially an iPhone simulator, complete with an iPhone keyboard (scaled up if you're using the pixel doubling, which doesn't look that great). It's tremendous because you have access to applications you may need to use, but it's not something you're probably going to spend a lot of time with (Toshiba PA3399U-2BAS Battery).
The iWork suite
If you doubt the claim that the iPad can be a viable tool for creating content -- even stuffy businessman content -- then these apps should seriously make you clam up. They are superb, surprisingly useful, amazingly robust applications. We don't necessarily agree with Apple's saving scheme (in that, there really isn't one), but you can't knock the core functionality of these apps. It's clear that at some point Apple is going to have to open up some kind of shared file repository on these devices to make them truly effective tools, but the combo of Numbers, Keynote, and Pages show that getting work done on these devices is not only possible, but actually kind of good in the right hands (Toshiba PA3399U-1BRS battery).
Our columnist and friend Michael Gartenberg has a done lengthier piece for us right here that goes a bit deeper on these apps -- if you're interested to hear how they fare for a very busy man, you'll want to read it (SONY VGP-BPS8 battery).
Third-party apps
There are really far too many third-party apps to do a deep dive on, but we want to call out a few innovators that we feel are making the iPad seem like a viable fourth screen we want to engage with. Here's a lightning-round rundown of what we saw and liked the most, but you can see a much larger and more detailed list right here (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ Battery):
Marvel: This is just a cool application, and really gets our juices flowing about what will be possible with this larger format. Excellent execution, but they need to convert the whole catalog into this format. When we can re-read the Secret Wars on our iPad, we'll be seriously happy campers (sony vgp-bpl9 battery).
ABC video player: Even though it feels like a sidestep around the Flash issue, this iPad app does a perfect job of managing the network's online video assets. We can only imagine Hulu will stir things up in a similar manner.
Netflix: It's Netflix. On the iPad. And now apparently it's headed to the iPhone and iPod touch as well (HP Pavilion dv2000 battery).
USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times: If this is printed media's last gasp, it's definitely a lungful. All three of these apps show that the big boys still have some fight in them, and while we can't abide the WSJ's zany pricing scheme, we will admit that each of these does a beautiful job of delivering the newspaper in a whole new way. Kudos, boys(Dell Inspiron 1420 battery).
Yahoo! Entertainment: This one was an honest surprise. We didn't expect Yahoo!'s first iPad product to be either handsome or useful... and it's both. The TV schedule and news presentation is top notch, though we're hoping they take things a little deeper in future updates. And when it comes to entertainment gossip, we won't really be satisfied till an US Weekly app appears (Dell Inspiron 6400 battery).
Photogene, SketchBook Pro, and Brushes: Three apps that show the iPad can and will be a content creation tool as well as a content consuming tool. We used and loved all of them, and think they show amazing potential for this platform.
TweetDeck: Just a really, really good way to use Twitter. A lot like the desktop app. If only we could run it in the background...(Dell Inspiron 6000 battery)
Battery life
It's almost impossible to believe, but during our initial tests, using the iPad pretty heavily, downloading and using lots of new apps, doing some 3D gaming, watching HD video, all the while getting email downloaded in the background, we got just about what Apple claims this device will do. In fact, it went a little better -- we managed to get 10 hours and 43 minutes of life out of the iPad before we had to plug it in again in our first run through (ACER Travelmate 2300 Battery).
That's pretty crazy endurance considering what we were doing with it. Now, we were not watching HD video the whole time, or running the music player in the background while streaming Netflix movies, so we can't promise this will be the case in every situation. Still, it did a pretty amazing job of matching up to Apple's numbers, and you may color us impressed (ASUS Eee PC Battery).
We're going to be doing further battery testing once some other team members get their devices, so hopefully we'll be able to report back with a more well-rounded assessment of what this thing is capable (or not capable) of (COMPAQ Presario M2000 Battery).
Wrap-up
At this point we've run the full spectrum on iPad opinion. It should be clear that there are aspects of this device which we love, and others which we clearly do not. In summarizing our feelings about the iPad, we're forced to take two paths -- one which analyzes the device's position in relation to the advancement of the personal computer, and one which clearly speaks to whether or not we think you should spend your money on this thing (Dell Inspiron E1505 battery).
Path one: the iPad as a computing revolution. Does the iPad evolve the personal computer in a significant way? Yeah, actually, it kind of does. Despite what you think right now, and despite the limitations Apple has put on some aspects of this device, what it says to the market is significant. The iPad is powerful, elegant, and largely unlike any computer you've ever used. You know how first generation games for a console look kind of dated when you put them against titles released after years of honing (Dell Inspiron 1525 battery)?
Imagine what will be happening with something like the iPad in a year or two. This stuff is legitimately important. It's not magical, but it's a little bit revolutionary, and you have to at least give Apple that. They've pulled off a cohesive touch computing platform with very few rough edges -- and that's no small feat (Sony VGP-BPS2 battery).
Path two: should you buy into the revolution today? The first thing that must be said -- although we've already stated it -- is that we don't think the iPad is a laptop replacement. Not yet. What that means is that if you need a laptop to work in something like Excel, Word, or countless other PC or Mac applications, you shouldn't expect the iPad to take its place (Sony VGP-BPS3 battery).
But, if you're like a lot of computer users, you don't really do much on your system except for listen to music, casually browse the web and read news sites, watch some online video, play games, and keep in touch with friends via Twitter, IM, and Facebook. If you fit that description, you might just fall in love with Apple's $499 bundle of joy -- because it does the majority of those things much better than its laptop counterparts (granted, one at a time, and, er... not online video) (ASUS Eee PC 900 Battery).
So the verdict? The buyer of an iPad is one of two people, the first is someone who sees not just the present, but the potential of a product like the iPad... and believes in and is excited about that potential. This is also a person who can afford what amounts to a luxury item. The second is an individual who simply doesn't need to get that much work done, and would prefer their computing experience to be easier, faster, and simpler. Does that sound like anyone you know (ACER Aspire 3020 Battery)?
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Apple iPad review
The Apple iPad. The name is a killing word -- more than a product -- it's a statement, an idea, and potentially a prime mover in the world of consumer electronics. Before iPad it was called the Apple Tablet, the Slate, Canvas, and a handful of other guesses -- but what was little more than rumor and speculation for nearly ten years is now very much a reality. Announced on January 27th to a middling response, Apple has been readying itself for what could be the most significant product launch in its history; the making (or breaking) of an entirely new class of computer for the company (Sony Vaio VGN-FZ battery).
The iPad is something in between its monumental iPhone and wildly successful MacBook line -- a usurper to the netbook throne, and possibly a sign of things to come for the entire personal computer market... if Apple delivers on its promises. And those are some big promises; the company has been tossing around words like "magical" and "revolutionary" to describe what many have dismissed as nothing more than a larger version of its iPod touch. But is that all there is to this device? Is the hope that Apple promises for this new computing experience nothing more than marketing fluff and strategic hyperbole? Or is this a different beast altogether -- a true sign that change has come to the world of the PC? We have the definitive answers to those questions (and many more) right here, so read on for our full review of the Apple iPad (Sony VGP-BPS8 battery)!
Hardware
Industrial design
The first thing you notice about the iPad is, well, you don't really notice it. In many ways, there is just not much here -- design wise -- to comment on. The bulk of its surface is taken up by a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768, capacitive, multitouch LED-backlit display surrounded by a glossy black bezel that some will say is too wide but, in practice, is an important design consideration that prevents the touchscreen from being inadvertently activated when handled. There's only Apple's signature "home" button to interact with, and the back of the device is a dutifully simple piece of curved aluminum (Sony VGP-BPL9 battery).
Like most Apple products, it's a beauty to behold, but it's not exactly notable for design flourishes; simply put, it's good looking but not terribly exciting. But if the design of the iPad is an exercise in restraint, it only serves to reinforce how formidable this technology feels once it's in your hands. The device has some heft, weighing in at 1.5 pounds, but is still comfortable to hang onto at most angles. Considering the computing power of the tablet, a thickness that tops out at half an inch is pretty impressive, too. But how does it feel in your hands? Well, that matte aluminum on the back surprisingly communicates warmth (though we don't recommend resting this on any bare flesh on a cold morning), and the rest of the design gets out of the way and lets you concentrate on what is really most important: that screen. And that's kind of the point, isn't it (Sony VGP-BPL11 battery)?
The iPad does house a few other components you should be aware of: a volume rocker and screen position lock (which forces the device to remain in landscape or portrait mode) on the upper right hand side, a power / sleep button and headphone jack on either side of its top edge, and Apple's famous 30-pin dock connector alongside a single thin speaker on the bottom of the unit. There is nothing outwardly notable about the buttons or layout on the iPad -- if you've used an iPod touch or iPhone, you'll find yourself right at home... and that's exactly how Apple wants it (Sony VGP-BPL15 battery).
As far as ergonomics are concerned, the standard seated-with-iPad-in-lap move is a completely comfortable experience, but there are definitely use cases where handling a flat slab becomes a pain. For instance, single finger typing becomes a bit of a game of hunt-and-peck, and that's the situation you find yourself in if you're ever standing with the iPad or holding the device with your other hand. We mentioned that iPad has some weight to it, and while it's comfortable to hold, it is considerably more of a handful than an iPhone. You'll feel that weight in your arms after extended period of keeping it aloft (ASUS A3000 Battery).
Apple promo videos like to show their users happily grabbing the iPad and swinging their legs up onto a table -- Fonz style -- but if you're like us, most of your heavy text entry is done while seated at a standard table or desk, which means that unless you have a dock you're going to be typing on the iPad as a flat surface. The thing is, we actually found the flat-typing experience to be pretty good; it takes a little getting used to, but it's not totally bizarre either. In fact, we'd say it's a much more enjoyable experience than single-hand typing. Still, just as with the iPhone, there is a learning curve here that may diminish some hit-and-run shoppers' interest (ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Battery).
Internals
As you probably know by now, the iPad packs Apple's custom, PA Semi-designed 1GHz A4 system-on-a-chip -- a single Cortex A8 core coupled with a PowerVR SGX GPU. RAM on the iPad hasn't been revealed, but we suspect there's 512MB (at least) inside here -- we'll know more once iFixit or someone else puts the pad under the knife. Also onboard is 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a digital compass, an accelerometer, microphone, and ambient light sensor. The 3G model that ships at the end of the month will add UMTS / HSDPA data along with an AGPS chip. You can purchase the device in capacities of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB. We had the 64GB version for this review (Dell Inspiron 6400 battery).
In our testing, the A4 SOC seemed to deal with whatever we threw at it handily. From opening and rendering webpages to playing the most graphically intensive games (including scaled iPhone versions, of course), it didn't miss a beat. The photo app was particularly impressive, allowing for fast scrolling through high resolution pictures without a hiccup, and handling rotation and zooming with no resistance or hesitation. Applications themselves opened quickly -- not instantly (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ4000 Battery).
Of course, as many detractors have noted (Engadget included), there's no true multitasking here, so seeing a system with this much power perform admirably one app at a time wasn't a huge surprise, especially since we'd experienced the same thing on an earlier version at the January event (more on this in a moment). Still, it seems like the A4 has power to spare, and that's a good thing if the third party apps we used on the iPad were any indication of where things are headed -- more graphically intensive and packing far more functionality (Toshiba PA3399U-2BAS Battery).
The battery -- a 25-watt-hour lithium-polymer (non-removable of course) -- held up surprisingly well in our testing. More on that in the battery section down below (IBM ThinkPad T40 Battery).
Display
As we mentioned at the start of the review, the iPad is all about its screen, and Apple's 9.7-inch LED backlit IPS display does not disappoint. Colors on the screen are vibrant and saturated, while blacks feel true and deep. The iPad can be cranked up to an almost painful brightness, but also handles lower settings well -- that's especially important for readers (they even include a brightness control inside of iBooks) (Dell Inspiron 6000 battery).
Because Apple employs IPS (in-plane switching) for the display, viewing angles are remarkably broad, though we can't honestly say the feature will come in handy for us -- we usually want to keep people's eyes off of our work. The screen is, as we mentioned, capacitive and multitouch, and handled input excellently -- if you're used to the iPhone, then you know how very good Apple's input technology is. To call it best in class would not be an overstatement; we've never used a more responsive screen (Dell INSPIRON 1420 Battery).
We know there's a lot of talk about reading with this type of display versus a Kindle or other E-Ink device, but we'll just be straight with you -- it didn't hurt our eyes to use this as a reading device. You're able to crank the brightness down a significant amount, but it's also just a matter of adjustment. After a few minutes we didn't see the device or the screen tech anymore -- we saw a book. We won't speculate on what prolonged use will feel like, but there is data out there that suggests the technology might not be as important as some people think it is when it comes to e-reader displays (Dell Inspiron E1505 Battery.
Other hardware
For the most part, there's not much else to say about the iPad when it comes to its physical attributes. The home button is your only point of hardware interaction with the software, though you have those volume controls and rotation lock switch. The speaker actually does a rather impressive job of outputting clean, well balanced sound given its size, but let's be honest -- you're not going to be using this as your party sound system. The 30-pin connector is standard issue for Apple's mobile products, but we have to take serious issue with the lack of a USB port or SD card reader (Dell Inspiron E1505 Battery.
The company offers both of these as an accessory as a means to transfer photos and video onto the device, but it seems like such a glaring oversight to not have built these in that it bears mentioning. If Apple wants to compete with the netbook market -- which it presumably does -- there should be some port options beyond its proprietary dock connector. This just feels like a money grab and a waste of potential for third-party peripherals (Fujitsu Lifebook S6120 battery).
One piece of hardware you won't find here is a webcam, which we already mourned the lack of when we first saw the device. It's a bit of a crime that the iPad won't allow you to carry on an iChat or Skype video conversation, because holding this in your hands while talking to a friend or family member not only seems like a match made in heaven, but the total realization of one of our sci-fi fantasies. We know Apple couldn't possibly cram every component Engadget editors might have hoped for, but this one seemed like a no-brainer, and its omission has left pretty much everyone scratching their heads (HP PAVILION DV2000 Battery).
And one other item of note -- Apple chose to place the headphone jack at the top of the device. We don't know about you, but we think the idea of draping our headphone cord across the screen or snaking it around back is a tremendously bad idea. And guess what? In practice, it kind of stinks. Why the company didn't opt for putting the plug in the logical place -- say, the bottom of the iPad, or the side even -- is a mystery that will undoubtedly haunt our every waking moment (HP PAVILION DV3000 Battery).
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Batteries Power New Talk of Cheating in Cycling
Cycling’s long history with doping means that any dramatic victory is as likely to create suspicion as admiration. But the whispers surrounding Fabian Cancellara’s decisive wins in two of this spring’s most important races have a novel twist: they accuse him of using a tiny electric motor to help power his legs (Sony Vaio VGN-FZ battery).
Although no one offered proof, and Cancellara dismissed the allegations as “stupid,” online speculation reached such a point that on Wednesday it crashed the Web servers of an Austrian company that makes an invisible motor system for bicycles. And the International Cycling Union, while carefully noting that it is not investigating any specific rider or team, is reviewing the need for a new bicycle inspection system to detect motorized cheating (Sony VGP-BPS8 battery).
Several weeks have passed since Cancellara, an Olympic champion from Switzerland, won the Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. The suspicions about his winning methods were outlined in a report shown last week by RAI, the Italian broadcaster, that did not mention his name (Sony VGP-BPL9 battery).
In the report, Davide Cassani, a cycling commentator for the network and former professional rider, displayed a racing bicycle that looked normal. When he pressed a button hidden under the rubber hood of a brake lever, the pedals began turning, powered by a motor and batteries tucked into its frame (Sony VGP-BPL11 battery).
Cassani, 49 and long retired, said the assistance of a motor might enable him to return to racing and win a stage of the Giro d’Italia, which ended Sunday. Such bicycles, he said, had been used by professional riders in races, but he offered no names (Sony VGP-BPL15 battery).
The idea of motorized cheating strikes many in the cycling world as absurd. Nevertheless, some prominent professional riders are concerned that some of their race competitors may be motoring away from them. Marco Pinotti, an Italian who races for HTC-Columbia, said that when he first heard about the hidden motor, “it seemed a stupid thing (ASUS A3000 Battery).”
“But then I came to know the technology,” he added, “and I started making connections.”
Because he lacked hard evidence, Pinotti, who finished ninth over all in the Giro d’Italia, declined to say who he thought might be using motorized assistance or in what races it might have been used (ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Battery).
Cancellara is an exceptionally powerful cyclist and, as a result, often the subject of rumors. His victories in the Paris-Roubaix and Flanders races followed unusually strong attacks, swiftly prompting speculation about conventional doping in the cycling world (Dell Inspiron 6400 battery).
The talk turned to mechanical cheating after Michele Bufalino, an Italian, posted a YouTube video combining Cassani’s RAI report with video from an electric motor system maker and footage of Cancellara’s big moves in the two spring races (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ4000 Battery).
Bufalino slowed the action, somewhat like analyzing the Zapruder film, to focus on Cancellara’s hand movements. The video’s suggestion was that Cancellara pressed a hidden button to switch on a motor (Toshiba PA3399U-2BAS Battery).
“It’s so stupid, I’m speechless,” Cancellara told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday. “It’s quite funny, but it’s become a bigger story and is no longer so funny. It’s a sad and really outrageous story (IBM ThinkPad T40 Battery).”
The speculation in the cycling community is that the powered bicycle contains a Gruber Assist motor from Austria.
Monika Schweitzer, the chief executive of Gruber, said she was surprised by the suspicion that her product could be used for professional-level cheating. Her staff struggled to revive her company’s overwhelmed Web site on Wednesday (Dell Inspiron 6000 battery).
The company’s product, which sells for 2,000 to 2,200 euros, or about $2,400 to $2,650, depending on the battery, was intended for the aged, the injured and the infirm, and for recreational cyclists who want the boost of an electric motor without the embarrassment that comes from riding an obvious electric bicycle (Dell INSPIRON 1420 Battery).
“It’s an old person’s look,” she said of other electric bikes.
The Gruber Assist boosts riders’ efforts rather than transforming their bicycles into motorbikes. Schweitzer said the system supplements a rider’s input by an additional 100 to 110 watts. Given that a pro cyclist might typically produce about 400 watts during the final 30 minutes of a race, the device offers a significant gain despite a weight gain of about four pounds for the stock system (Dell Inspiron E1505 Battery).
Cyclists speculated that it would be used only to provide a short boost during races.
To accommodate a Gruber Assist, Schweitzer said, a racer’s bike would have to be modified to hide the batteries inside the frame (they normally rest in an obvious saddle pack) and to alter the motor’s gearing to match a high pedaling rate (Dell INSPIRON 1525 Battery).
When operating, the Gruber Assist emits a distinctive whir, although Schweitzer acknowledged that the sound could easily be overwhelmed by the noise from crowds, helicopters, motorbikes and team cars that surround riders in major races (Fujitsu Lifebook S6120 battery).
Bicycle inspections are rare. Sometimes before high mountain stages in major races like the Giro d’Italia, they will be checked for compliance with minimum weight rules. Time trial bicycles are also scrutinized for compliance with complex aerodynamic regulations (HP PAVILION DV2000 Battery).
In a statement, Cancellara’s employer, Team Saxo Bank, dismissed the accusations.
“We are confident that the majority of those people who have come across this video see it for exactly what it is: a creative amateur artist’s attempt to express a purely hypothetical idea that has no basis of fact or truth,” the team, which is based in Denmark, said. “We are confident that the public can see through the nonsense this myth has presented and respect Fabian for what he is (HP PAVILION DV3000 Battery).”
The cycling union expects to issue a statement on its plans, if any, to look for motors within two weeks, Enrico Carpani, a spokesman, said from Switzerland.
“Maybe we are facing a general problem,” he said. “You never know with technology (HP PAVILION DV6000 Battery).”
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Get in Line for 4,600 Free Electric Car Battery Chargers
Get in Line for 4,600 Free Electric Car Battery Chargers
Early adopters who buy an electric car, already set back by the cost of the vehicle, may have their mood further soured by the need to also buy a home charger, with an average price of about $2,000. But some city dwellers are in luck, because a federal grant will allow them to get the charger for free (Sony Vaio VGN-FZ battery).
The goal is to make it easier for consumers and communities to get started with E.V.’s. Nine United States regions will receive 4,600 free chargers for public and private use through the ChargePoint America program, funded in part by $15 million in stimulus funds administered by the Energy Department. Ford, General Motors and Smart are partners (Sony VGP-BPS8 battery).
California-based Coulomb Technologies makes the program’s ChargePoint chargers, which were shipped to 130 customers in 2009 (Sony VGP-BPL9 battery).
“We’re excited to be part of this program, because it gets both public and private infrastructure installed in key areas of the U.S.,” said Mike Tinskey, manager of vehicle electrification and infrastructure at Ford (Sony VGP-BPL11 battery).
Fully funded, the ChargePoint America program would cost $37 million, with some of the shortfall for the actual station installations being addressed, the organizers hope, through state and local grants (Sony VGP-BPL15 battery).
“Some state match funding is highly likely,” Mr. Tinskey said.
Richard Lowenthal, chief executive of Coulomb, added, “We’re working on matching grant opportunities. The worst case is that the recipient of the free charging station pays for installation” (ASUS A3000 Battery).
Businesses interested in installing a charging station can fill out a reservation form at the ChargePoint America Web site. Would-be buyers of E.V.’s or plug-in hybrids like the Chevrolet Volt, electric Smart Fortwo and Ford Transit Connect battery-electric van can get more information about the free chargers on the Internet or by visiting dealerships. More than 1,000 public stations will be installed by December, Coulomb said, with the remainder in place by September 2011 (ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Battery).
In part because of $5,000 direct subsidies for battery cars like the Nissan Leaf, California could be the biggest early-adopter for E.V.’s. Three of the nine communities for the program are in California: Sacramento, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay-San Jose area (Dell Inspiron 6400 battery).
“A third of what we’re doing will be in California,” Mr. Lowenthal said. The others are New York City, Orlando, Austin, Detroit, Washington and Redmond, Wash (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ4000 Battery).
“We’re excited about being in New York, because aside from the Mini E program and the Tesla Roadster, it hasn’t seen much E.V. action,” said Mr. Lowenthal. “We expect to have a great reception there (Toshiba PA3399U-2BAS Battery).’
The stations in the program are networked, with the ability to send “charging complete” or “charging interrupted” messages via text or e-mail message. Network users will be able to find local (and unoccupied) charge spots onMychargepoint.net (IBM ThinkPad T40 Battery).
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
BMW Test Prompts Electric-Car Questions
DETROIT—Limited numbers of battery-powered cars are expected to hit American roads over the next 12 months, but a test of one electric vehicle is raising questions about how far drivers will be able to go before needing a recharge (Sony Vaio VGN-FZ battery).
Bloomberg NewsA Mini E electric vehicle is driven during a media preview of the New York International Auto Show (Sony VGP-BPS8 battery).
For the past year, BMW AG has leased about 300 electric Mini Cooper compacts to regular consumers in the New York metro area, New Jersey and Southern California. In a survey by BMW and in interviews, participants said they have been getting about 100 miles, or 161 kilometers, per charge—about a third fewer than BMW had expected (Sony VGP-BPL9 battery).
"The Mini E was supposed to have a 156-mile range," said Tom Moloughney, a Montclair, N.J., restaurateur who leased a Mini E. "But that only translated into a real-world range of 100 to 110 miles (Sony VGP-BPL11 battery)."
The Mini E's range estimate was based on a driving test used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for generating fuel-economy ratings. The test didn't reflect real-world conditions, said Dave Buchko, a BMW spokesman, who said that drivers found the range they got from the Mini to be enough for almost all of their needs. The EPA hasn't signed off on using the test for electric vehicles and is working on a new methodology for them, said Cathy Milbourn, an EPA spokeswoman (Sony VGP-BPL15 battery).
How far electric cars can go before their batteries give out is seen as a key factor in whether sales take off. Many U.S. consumers say they would like to drive electric cars but fear running out of power on the road (ASUS A3000 Battery).
Later this year Nissan Motor Co. is supposed to launch an electric car, called the Leaf, that the company says will go about 100 miles before needing a charge. That range was predicated on the same EPA driving test, Nissan said. The Leaf is part of an ambitious, $5 billion plan by Nissan and its alliance partner Renault SA to jump ahead in the electric car race. Nissan is building a battery plant and retrofitting an assembly plant to produce the Leaf in Tennessee in hopes of selling 150,000 a year starting in 2013 in the U.S (ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Battery).
Mark Perry, who leads Nissan's product planning in North America, stands by the 100-mile estimate while acknowledging the actual range will vary depending on how people drive and other factors, such as the weather. Heavy use of the car's heater or air conditioner will also reduce the range (Dell Inspiron 6400 battery).
"You are going to see people who get more than 100 miles and people who get less than 100 miles," Mr. Perry said. "The most impact on range really is how hot and cold you have set your interior cabin (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ4000 Battery)."
Nissan's Leaf will have a less powerful battery pack than the Mini E. The Leaf is slated to get a 24-kilowatt pack, compared to the Mini E's 35-kilowatt unit (Dell Inspiron 6000 battery).
General Motors Co. is planning on launching its Chevrolet Volt this year. It is supposed to get 40 miles before its power runs run down, but it has a gasoline-powered generator on board to recharge the batteries on the go. Other electric models from Ford MotorCo., Chrysler Group LLC and other manufacturers are expected to follow (HP PAVILION DV2000 Battery).
The Mini experience suggests that pinpointing the range of electric cars in real-world driving is a tricky matter. The best any driver reported was a range of 127 miles on a charge, according to BMW. Most others got 100 miles, and some less (HP PAVILION DV3000 Battery).
"The most I've ever gotten was about 104 miles," said Greg Boyer, a 52-year-old attorney who lives in Laguna Beach, Calif., and leased the Mini E (IBM ThinkPad T40 Battery).
BMW is planning to come out with another test fleet electric vehicle called the ActiveE, based on a BMW 1-series, beginning next year that is expected to have a 100-mile range. For 2013, it plans to offer a full-production model of an electric car called the Megacity Vehicle that will use carbon-fiber body panels, which will make it lighter and require a smaller battery (IBM THINKPAD R50 Battery).
Several Mini drivers interviewed reported the car did well in stop-and-go city driving. But extended highway driving at speeds of more than 70 miles, or 113 kilometers, per hour—which requires constant, high output from the battery pack—cut the range. "If you were going 70 [mph] the whole time, you'd probably get a range of 60 or 70 miles," Mr. Boyer said (ACER Travelmate 2300 Battery).
Some potential customers are concerned. "I'm hoping the Leaf is closer to 100 than 60, and maybe the car is a little bit lighter and the battery technology has improved from what Mini had done," Mr. Boyer said. He also paid a $99 deposit to buy a Leaf when the car is available (ACER Aspire 3000 Battery).
Mr. Moloughney has also put down $99 to reserve a Leaf. "I really hope they haven't oversold the range," Mr. Moloughney said. "If they start selling these cars and they run out of charge at 60 miles, Nissan is going to have a huge black eye, and it's going to set them back as well as the whole EV [electric vehicle] industry (Dell INSPIRON 1420 Battery)."
Magna sees opportunity in batteries
Siegfried Wolf, Magna’s co-chief executive officer, said: “We believe that the market for hybrid and electric vehicles will continue to grow, and we hope to capitalize on the opportunities that such growth could provide to capable suppliers (Sony VGP-BPS8 battery).
“We are reviewing with potential joint venture partners some of the opportunities available, including opportunities to supply batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles (Sony VGP-BPL9 battery).
“At this point, other than our current contract to supply battery packs to a European OEM, Magna has not been awarded any such battery business, either directly or through a potential joint venture partner,” Wolf said (Sony VGP-BPL11 battery).
Wolf also said any investment in battery manufacturing or a potential joint venture involving Magna has to meet sufficient market demand to justify an investment, conclusion of joint venture terms with technology partners and the availability of financing and the settlement of other key terms (Sony VGP-BPL15 battery).
Currently, Magna is one of the world’s most diversified automotive suppliers.
However, the interest in electric vehicles has set off a scramble that resulted in new alliances and partnerships (ASUS A3000 Battery).
Last week, Ford Motor Co., which has close ties to Magna, announced plans to expand its electric vehicle program, which will be based in the Detroit suburbs.
Meanwhile, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has said the Japanese automaker has taken nearly 20,000 advance orders for the Leaf battery car, which goes on sale late this year (ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Battery).
Toyota, the leading Japanese carmaker, and Tesla also recently announced a new alliance, centered around building a new electric vehicle at the old New United Motor Manufacturing plant in California (Dell Inspiron 6400 battery).
Last week, Mahindra & Mahindra, one of India’s largest manufacturers of farm equipment and commercial vehicles, purchased a controlling stake in REVA, an electric vehicle builder based in Bangalore, India, which had been a partner in a joint venture with General Motors Co. GM terminated its relationship with REVA immediately after Mahindra’s announcement (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ4000 Battery).
Daimler AG also signed an agreement with BYD, the Chinese maker of battery powered cars.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Rechargeable Batteries
Battery makers in heated rivalries
Powerful, long-lasting rechargeable batteries may be key to a future green society — especially if they can become widely used to power electric vehicles (Sony Vaio VGN-FZ battery).
Many Japanese companies are racing to develop high-quality battery cells for digital devices and vehicles, striving in the process to lower the costs (Sony VGP-BPS8 battery).
What kinds of rechargeable batteries are available and what changes may they bring about? Following are questions and answers regarding such cells:
What kinds of rechargeable batteries are in use and how do they differ from conventional cells?
The past two decades have seen a constant evolution of rechargeable batteries that can power devices for ever-longer periods with just one charge, resulting in wireless gadgets becoming more compact and lighter (Sony VGP-BPL9 battery).
Whereas conventional disposable batteries may be cheaper, they are limited to one use, unlike their more expensive rechargeable counterparts.
Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in particular have been improved over the past decade and are now the main cell in use. Their volumetric energy density has more than doubled in little more than 10 years since their market debut, according to the Battery Association of Japan (Sony VGP-BPL11 battery).
Other major rechargeable batteries include the nickel-cadmium (NiCad) and nickel-metal hydride types.
Lithium-ion batteries accounted for 69 percent of overall rechargeable cells and 51 percent of all batteries in terms of sales, according to 2009 data from theMinistry of Economy, Trade and Industry (ACER Travelmate 2300 Battery).
Because lithium-ion batteries have the potential for further improvement, their manufacturers are in heated competition.
What companies are key play
ers in the battery market?
Sanyo Electric Co., a subsidiary of Panasonic, boasts the world's largest share of rechargeable batteries, saying it holds 25 percent of the lithium-ion market, 35 percent of the nickel-metal and 35 percent of the NiCad sector .(ACER Aspire 3020 Battery)
Other companies, seeing future growth in the electric vehicle market, have been forming alliances with automakers to develop and supply batteries.
In 1996, Panasonic set up a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp. that makes lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries for hybrid cars, including the Prius, and plug-in models (ACER Aspire 3000 Battery).
NEC Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. formed a joint venture in 2007 to supply lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles made by Nissan and its French partner, Renault SA.
In the same year, GS Yuasa Corp. launched a joint venture with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. to make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and another venture in 2009 with Honda Motor Co. to make cells for hybrids (ASUS A3000 Battery).
South Korean firms Samsung and LG Chem Inc. have meanwhile actively invested in recent years in new production plants to supply lithium-ion batteries for U.S. and German automakers.
Amid the fierce competition, the global share of lithium-ion cells produced by Japanese makers slid to 48 percent in fiscal 2008 from 64 percent in fiscal 2003, while the share of batteries produced by South Korean firms grew to 14 percent in 2008 from 10 percent in 2003, according to Sanyo (ASUS Eee PC 900 Battery).
How do the rechargeable cells differ and what can they be used to power?
NiCad batteries were created more than 100 years ago by Waldemar Jungner of Sweden. They use nickel oxide hydroxide as anodes and metallic cadmium as electrodes. With their relatively lower internal resistance, they are used in cordless and wireless telephones, electric tools, shavers and emergency lighting, according to the battery association (ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Battery).
Then nickel-metal hydride batteries came along. They are similar to nickel-cadmium cells but more powerful.
Panasonic Corporation Energy Co. and Sanyo began mass-producing them in 1990 (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ4000 Battery).
Because nickel-metal hydride batteries use a hydrogen-absorbing alloy for the negative electrode instead of cadmium, they can have larger capacity than an equivalent size nickel-cadmium battery.
They became widely used in cell phones, laptops, camcorders and digital cameras in the 1990s and are still used in small electric devices, including digital cameras (Sony VGP-BPL15 battery).
Lithium-ion cells, first mass-produced by Sony Corp. in 1991, are more powerful and lighter than other renewable batteries. Their higher energy density and lower rate of losing their charge make them the cells of choice. They are now commonly found in laptops, cell phones and digital cameras, according to the battery association.
Nickel-metal hydride batteries have been in wide use in electric vehicles, but automakers are shifting to lithium-ion cells. For many years, rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles have been heavy and expensive. But recent vast improvements in lithium-ion cells are making electric vehicles more of a viable option (COMPAQ Presario M2000 Battery).
Do lithium-ion batteries still have hurdles to overcome?
Lithium-ion cells can overheat and in some cases even ignite. The problem grabbed attention in 2006 when Sony recalled 9.6 million lithium-ion batteries used in laptop computers because of the fire danger (COMPAQ Presario R3000 Battery).
Lithium-ion batteries have been improved since then and are now used in larger products, including electric vehicles and bicycles. But industry sources say the cells may still have the potential to ignite.
Lithium-ion batteries also are expensive, require rare metals and lose their charge over time.
What does the future hold?
In June 2008, Toyota announced it will develop "next-generation batteries" by 2030 that can outperform lithium-ion cells, which have been widely touted as the expected power source for the green cars of the future (Dell INSPIRON 1420 Battery).
Although Toyota didn't elaborate on the types of batteries it plans to develop, the automaker, a pioneer in gasoline-electric hybrids, said it set up a new battery department July 1 with an initial staff of 50 that will be increased to 100 this year and include domestic and overseas experts, and university academics (Dell Inspiron E1505 Battery).
How will future competition shape up?
Industry sources expect the lithium-ion battery market to grow rapidly as demand for electric vehicles surges and manufacturers that can stay ahead in terms of technology will be in the best position.
Japanese manufacturers so far lead the lithium-ion cell market, and it will take time for overseas rivals to catch up (Dell Inspiron 6400 battery).
The Weekly FYI appears Tuesdays (Wednesday in some areas). Readers are encouraged to send ideas, questions and opinions to National News Desk
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