Apple iPad and IOS5
The Apple iPad was the first modern tablet device to come to market, and is considered by many still to be the best all-round performer available at the moment. This is due, at least in part, to the fact that it has the most mature infrastructure surrounding it. At time of writing Apple has in excess of 65,000 apps available for the iPad alone, plus hundreds of thousands more developed for the iPhone, which will also work on the iPad.
The Apple iPad 3rd generation (Wi-Fi and 3G version) has the following specifications:
Size and Weight
- Size: 241mm x 187mm x 9.4mm
- Weight: 652 grams
Storage capacity
- 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
Wireless and 3G
- Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
- 3G model supports: UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Display
- 2048 by 1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi)
- Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
- Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Chip
- Dual-core Apple A5X custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip with quad-core graphics
Cameras, Photos and Video Recording
- 5-megapixel iSight camera
- Autofocus
- Tap to focus
- Face detection in still images
- Video recording, HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio
- Video stabilization
- FaceTime camera with VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second
- Photo and video geotagging
Power and Battery
- Built-in 42.5-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
- Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
- Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
- Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system
Input/Output
- 30-pin dock connector port
- 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack
- Built-in speaker
- Microphone
- Micro-SIM card tray (3G model only)
Sensors
- Accelerometer
- Ambient light sensor
- Gyroscope
Location
- Wi-Fi
- Digital compass
- Assisted GPS
- Cellular
- Wi-Fi
- Digital compass
- Assisted GPS
- 3G
Audio Playback
- Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
- Audio formats supported: HE-AAC (V1 and V2), AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV
- User-configurable maximum volume limit
- Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound pass-through with Apple Digital AV Adapter (sold separately)
TV and Video
- AirPlay Mirroring to Apple TV (2nd and 3rd generation) at 720p
- AirPlay video streaming to Apple TV (3rd generation) at up to 1080p and Apple TV (2nd generation) at up to 720p
- Video mirroring and video out support: Up to 1080p with Apple Digital AV Adapter or Apple VGA Adapter (adapters sold separately)
- Video out support at 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cable sold separately)
- Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
Mail Attachment Support
- Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)
Accessibility
- VoiceOver screen reader
- Support for playback of closed-captioned content
- AssistiveTouch interface for adaptive accessories
- Full-screen zoom magnification
- Large fonts
- White on black display
- Left/right volume adjustment
Environmental requirements
- Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
- Non-operating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)
- Relative humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing
- Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
System Requirements
- Apple ID (required for some features)
- Internet access
- Syncing with iTunes on a Mac or PC requires:
- Mac: OS X v10.5.8 or later
- PC: Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later
- iTunes 10.6 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
Pros and cons
Pros
- Considered by most magazine reviewers to be the best all-round performer
- Mature infrastructure
- Apps must be approved by Apple, so there is little chance of downloading a "rogue" aqpplication
- Good battery life
- Connects to Eduroam and Unimail (via Exchange Activesync)
- Fast 1GHz dual-core processor
- Excellent screen and ergonomics
- Large base of accessories available
Cons
- Tied in to Apple's iTunes for apps and file transfer
- No extra storage capacity available via external memory
- Proprietary connections require purchase of specific cables, etc.