All about the Apple IPAD

Apple's development of a tablet computer began with the Newton MessagePad 100, first introduced in 1993. This effort led to the creation of the ARM6 processor core with Acorn Computers. Apple also developed a prototype PowerBook Duo-based tablet computer, the PenLite, but did not sell it to avoid hurting MessagePad sales. Apple released several more Newton-based PDAs, and discontinued the last in the line, the MessagePad 2100, in 1998.

Apple reentered the market in 2007 with the iPhone. Smaller than the iPad but featuring a camera and mobile phone, it pioneered the multitouch interface of iPhone OS. By late 2009, the iPad's release had been rumored for several months with iSlate and iTablet among speculated names. The product was announced on January 27, 2010, at an Apple press conference at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
Three days later, at the 52nd Grammy Awards, Stephen Colbert used an iPad in announcing the nominees.


The iPad has a fairly minimalist selection of external ports and it only has a dock connector for general input and output and a 3.5mm headphone jack for plugging in headphones to listen to audio. It also has a speaker and a microphone.

The iPad and its iPhone-based OS are controlled using the multi-touch touchscreen that takes up most of the device's front side. The iPad also has external buttons for sleep, screen rotation lock and controlling the volume as well as a button to return to the home screen. It also has an accelerometer (for motion sensitivity) and a digital magnetic compass. Unlike the iPod, the iPad supports 180° screen rotation, essentially meaning that the device functionally has no "up" or "down" no matter how the device is held—from the perspective of the user, only the position of the home button changes. The switch that was originally used to mute the device was replaced by a button that locks the device's screen rotation just before the device's release, which was reportedly intended to improve the device's ease-of-use when lying down.


Apple will sell several iPad accessories, including
-Keyboard Dock with hardware keyboard, 30-pin connector, and audio jack
-Case which can be used to stand the iPad in various positions
-Dock with 30-pin connector and audio jack
-Dock Connector to VGA Adapter for external monitor or projector
-Camera Connection Kit including a USB Type A connector adapter and an SD card reader, for transferring photos and videos
-USB Power Adapter with 2A (10W)



Like the iPhone, with which it shares a development environment (iPhone SDK, or software development kit, version 3.2 beta onwards), the iPad will only run software downloaded from Apple's App Store. The iPad will run almost all third-party iPhone applications unmodified (they can be displayed at iPhone size or enlarged to fill the iPad's larger screen); developers can also create new apps or modify existing ones specifically for the iPad's features.
The iPad will come with the following applications: Safari, Mail, Photos, Video, YouTube, iPod, iTunes Store, App Store, Maps, Notes, Calendar, Contacts, and Spotlight. The iPad syncs with iTunes on a Mac or Windows PC. Apple ported its iWork suite from the Mac to the iPad; the Pages, Numbers, and Keynote applications will be sold in the App Store. Although the iPad is not designed as a cellphone replacement, a user can pair it with a Bluetooth headset and place phone calls using a VoIP application over Wi-Fi or 3G.