iPad
Apple has already tested tablet computers years back. The first one - MessagePad 100 powered by Newton OS was introduced in 1993. The most attractive feature of the pad was handwriting recognition and the most limiting factor - a short battery life. There were few other attempts to engineer a smaller and more portable “computer” but without a notable success. The last MessagePad 2100 was discontinued in 1998. More than a decade later Steve Jobs unveiled the new device, iPad at the Apple press event on January 27, 2010. The press release called iPad as the “magical & revolutionary device at an unbelievable price”.
The iPad was introduced as a revolutionary device that bridged the gap between smartphones and laptops. It featured a sleek, thin design that was both lightweight and portable, making it easy to carry around. The customizable home screen allowed users to arrange their apps and widgets according to their preferences, providing a personalized experience. In order to make iPad successful this “personalized experience” had to be much better than using a smartphone, iPhone or a computer, MacBook.
The success of any computing device depends on its software collection, its ability to deliver entertainment and productivity to an average user. The first iPad shipped with a suite of built-in apps that enhanced productivity and convenience.
This collection addressed everyone’s daily needs. The calendar app helped users keep track of their schedules and appointments, while the address book app stored and organized contact information. The maps app provided detailed maps with satellite views and turn-by-turn navigation, making it easy to find directions and explore new places. These built-in apps were designed to work seamlessly with the iPad's hardware and software, providing a smooth and integrated user experience.
In addition, software packages iBooks and iWork enhanced Pad’s attractiveness as an entertainment and productivity device.
iBooks
The iPad marked Apple’s debut in the e-book reader market. With the free iBooks app, even today one can explore a bookstore filled with bestsellers and textbooks from major publishers like HarperCollins, Hachette, Penguin, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster.
Similar to iTunes, the iBooks store organizes titles by popularity and genre. Users can preview the first few pages before purchasing, and downloaded books go straight to reader’s virtual bookshelf. Unlike most e-book readers, the iPad lets you read in both portrait and landscape modes, with the latter showing two pages at once. One can adjust text size, search within the book, use a built-in dictionary, and navigate using a table of contents.
The iPad lacks e-ink technology, which can strain the eyes and drain battery life faster. However, iPad’s screen displays rich colors and paper-like tones, fast page turns and intuitive navigation offer a great reading experience indoors. Unique features like in-book music and video playback, and one-touch dictionary definitions, set it apart from other e-readers. In case of magazines, travel guides, photo essays, and graphic novels, the iPad’s color screen excels. Its light-sensing screen adjusts brightness for comfortable reading in various lighting conditions. However, reading in direct sunlight may be challenging.
Despite drawbacks, even the first iPad offered a beautiful and engaging reading experience, especially indoors. The iPad’s ability to integrate multiple e-book formats and third-party stores, made it one of the most versatile e-book readers.
iWork
Apple expanded the first iPad’s capabilities beyond entertainment by introducing the iWork suite, redesigned for iPad. This suite, familiar to many Mac computer users, included Pages (word processing), Numbers (spreadsheets), and Keynote (presentations). These apps even today enable users to create and edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations on iPad on the go. More importantly, iWork demonstrated iPad’s potential to compete with inexpensive Netbooks running Microsoft Office. The iWork apps could open and edit common Office documents, save in their native formats or as PDFs.
The built-in apps together with iBooks and iWork already provided lots of value to iPad users. Since the first iPad had the iPhone OS 3.2 operating system it was able to run nearly all the apps specifically designed for iPhone. In January 2010, the iPhone App Store was a year and a half old already having more than 140,000 apps. The availability of so many third-party apps right from the start greatly enhanced the functionality of iPad, allowing users to customize their device to suit their needs. It did not take lots of time to re-build the majority of the iPad apps taking into account iPad screen size and the powerful hardware.
During the iPad presentation Steve Jobs noted that the new device is so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smartphone with this gorgeous, large display. Apple sold more than 300’000 iPads during the first sales day on April 3, 2010.
Many reviewers praised iPad primarily for its multimedia capabilities. iPad supports e-books, music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and YouTube in high definition. The built-in speakers deliver clear and crisp audio, while the vibrant display ensures an immersive viewing experience. Nevertheless, one may still ask - is iPad much better than a mobile phone and a computer?
Better than iPhone
It is almost obvious that iPad is better than any mobile phone simply because it is a bigger, more powerful device at the same time it is still very light and portable. The main advantages of iPad over iPhone usually are
Larger screen - iPad’s larger display makes it ideal for watching videos, reading, and multitasking.
Productivity – enhanced multitasking features (below) and Apple Pencil support (since 2015), the iPad is more suited for productivity tasks such as note-taking and drawing.
Battery life - iPads generally have longer battery life compared to iPhones, making them better for extended use.
Enhanced multitasking - iPad allows for more advanced multitasking capabilities, including Split View (running two apps on the screen at the same time) and Slide Over (using a second app in a floating window above a full-screen app) that were introduced in 2015
Better audio - iPads often come with better speakers, providing a superior audio experience for media consumption.
Better than MacBook
It is less intuitive why iPad needs to be better than, say, MacBook Air, which is already very light and portable. However, iPad has some advantages.
Portability - iPad is lighter and therefore more portable than any Mac computer making it easier to carry around.
Touchscreen interface - iPad’s touchscreen interface offers a more intuitive and interactive user experience, especially for those who like operating computers with hands.
Apple Pencil - iPad supports Apple Pencil (since 2015), which is great for artists, designers, and note-takers.
Battery life - iPads typically have longer battery life compared to MacBooks, especially for casual use. Apple advertises that iPads have over “a month of standby time” while for MacBooks a standby time is “up to 30 days”.
App ecosystem - iPad has access to a vast library of apps designed specifically for touch interaction, which can enhance productivity and creativity.
iPad offers a perfect balance between the portability of a mobile phone and the functionality of a computer. Its larger screen enhances productivity and entertainment, while its powerful apps and multitasking capabilities make it ideal for both work and amusement. Unlike a mobile phone, the iPad’s screen size and performance are better suited for tasks like reading, writing, and creating presentations. Compared to a computer, the iPad is more portable and user-friendly, with a touch interface that makes navigation intuitive and engaging.