The iPad is one of the most eagerly anticipated products in the Apple range. It is an all in one touch screen entertainment system that can also function as an e-book. After months of speculation last year Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, officially launched the iPad on the 27th of January 2010. Within an hour after the launch the iPad was mentioned in 177 000 Tweets.

So what is the fuss? Touch screen and e-book technology is not new. The difference is the ipad’s versatility. The iPad was built to fill the gap between laptop and smartphone. It is very versatile and gives a unique social media experience. It is also powered by Apples vast app store.

• The iPad weighs only 0.68 kilograms for Wi-Fi model and 0.73 kg for the Wi-Fi + 3G model.
• Its height is 242.8 mm and width 189.7 mm. Its depth is only 13.4 mm.
• The most impressive feature is the 9.7-inch widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology. The iPad takes touch screen technology to a whole new level.
• It makes navigating the web very easy – to scroll you simple flick up or down with your finger on the screen. You can zoom into a picture by simple pinching on it.
• The iPad also has an onscreen keyboard.

The photo and video quality gives the user a different experience of using Facebook and YouTube. The pictures appear in crisp quality. The photos in an album appear as if they in a stack. You can flick through them with your finger. You can also zoom in or out of a picture by touching it . You can watch YouTube videos in HD quality. To select a video you just tap on it. To change from small screen to large screen you just double tap. The iPod is integrated into the iPad. You can flick through your favourite songs with your finger and tap on it to play it. iTunes also comes standard with the device, allowing you to buy and rent movies and music. The iPad has very good internet access. Steve jobs said “the iPad is the world’s best Web browser. He said “It’s like holding the Internet in your hands.”

The device also functions as an e-book. You can read a bestselling novel or even a school textbook on the iPad. This means the iPad is now a rival to the Amazon Kindle. Some publications have indicated that they want to leave Amazon for the iPad. Many experts say that the iPad has more functions to offer than the kindle but that it is more attractive in design. The iPad looks very futuristic and stylish while the Kindles design looks something from the early nineties. The Kindle can’t rival the iBook function. Once you have bought a book on the iBook it appears on your bookshelf on the screen. To select a book you just tap on it.

The device also has maps, notes and contacts functions. The most exciting aspect of the maps is that you can view your required destination from above using a satellite image. You can zoom in until you find the exact street of where you want to go. The high resolution, HD screen, lets you watch movies and play games in style. The e-mail function is compatible with most e-mail providers these include MobileMe, Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, and AOL.

The fuss and excitement over iPad is worth it. Apple has upped the stakes, and they are going to kill any direct competition in the short term. Touch screen, IPS and Wi-Fi technology is not cheap, but Apple has set a very affordable and competitive price for the ipad. It costs $449. It is geared for mass consumption. It puts a wide variety of media at your fingertips. It will be very easy to become a Twitter or Facebook celebrity while using the iPad. The IPad is not yet available in South Africa but this kind of technology means well for the future growth of social media and the digital industry in the country.