The touchscreen is a 25 cm (9.7 in)liquid crystal display(1024 × 768 pixels, 132ppi,XGA) with fingerprint-resistant and scratch-resistant glass. Like the iPhone, the iPad is designed to be controlled by bare fingers; normal gloves and styli that prevent electrical conductivity may not be used, although there are special gloves and styli designed for this use.
The display responds to two other sensors: an ambient light sensor to adjust screen brightness and a 3-axis accelerometer to sense iPad orientation and switch between portrait and landscape modes. Unlike the iPhone and iPod touch built-in applications, which work in three orientations (portrait, landscape-left and landscape-right), the iPad built-in applications support screen rotation in all four orientations (the three aforementioned ones along with upside-down), meaning that the device has no intrinsic "native" orientation; only the position of the home button changes. Most third-party iPad applications also support these four orientations.
The iPad has a switch to lock out this screen rotation function (reportedly to prevent unintended rotation when the user is lying down).There are a total of four physical switches, including a home button below the display that returns the user to the main menu, and three plastic physical switches on the sides: wake/sleep and volume up/down, along with the screen rotation lock.
Connectivity
The iPad can use Wi-Fi network trilateration from Skyhook Wireless to provide location information to applications such as Google Maps. The 3G model contains A-GPS while both models have a digital compass.
The back of the Wi-Fi model iPad is made of contoured aluminum with black plastic buttons. The Wi-Fi +3G model also has a black plastic accent on top of the device which helps with 3G radio sensitivity.
TheiPaddoes not have any ports for wired connectivity.
Audio and output
Dual speakers housed inside the iPad provide mono sound via two small sealed channels in the interior speaker assembly that direct the sound outwards toward the three audio ports carved into the bottom-right of the unit. The microphone is within the device. A volume switch is on the right side of the unit, and a 3.5 mm TRS connector audio-out jack provides stereo sound for headphones on the top-left corner of the device. The iPad supports normal headphones and models with microphones, volume controls, or both. Microphones can be used for voice recording.
The built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR interface supports the HSP,A2DP, andHID profiles, which allow wireless headphones and keyboards to be used with the iPad. However, the iOS does not currently support the OBEX file transfer protocol.
iPad video output over VGA is set to 1024 x 768 using a 720p scan rate.
Power and battery
The iPad uses an internal rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery. The batteries are made in Taiwan by Simplo Technology, which makes 60% of them, and Dynapack International Technology.The iPad is designed to be charged with a high current (2 amperes) using the included USB 10 W power adapter. While it can be charged by a standard USB port from a computer, these typically provide lower current (500 milliamperes or 1 ampere). As a result, if the iPad is turned on while being charged with a normal USB computer port, it will charge much more slowly, if at all.
Apple claims that the iPad's battery can provide up to 10 hours of video, 140 hours of audio playback, or one month on standby. The battery loses capacity over time and is not designed to be user-replaceable. As in the battery-replacement program for iPod and the original iPhone, Apple will replace an iPad that does not hold an electrical charge with a refurbished iPad for a fee ofUS$99.
Storage and SIM
The iPad was released with three options for internal storage size: a 16, 32, or 64 GB flash drive. All data are stored on the flash drive and there is no option to expand storage. Apple sells a camera connection kit with an SD card reader, but it can only be used to transfer photos and videos.
The side of the Wi-Fi +3G model has a micro SIM slot (not miniSIm). The 3G model may be used with an AT&T data plan that does not require a contract, Unlike theiPhone, which is usually sold locked to specific carriers, the 3G iPad is sold unlocked and can be used with any compatible GSM carrier. In the U.S., data network access via T-Mobile's network is limited to slower EDGE cellular speeds because T-Mobile's 3G Network uses different frequencies.
Optional accessories
Apple offers several iPad accessories, including:
iPad Keyboard Dock with hardware keyboard, 30-pin connector, and audio jack
iPad Case which can be used to stand the iPad in various positions
iPad Dock with 30-pin connector and audio jack
iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter for external monitor or projector
iPad Camera Connection Kit including a USB Type A connector adapter and an SD card reader, for transferring photos and videos
iPad 10W USB Power Adapter with 2 A output (10 W)
Software
Like the iPhone, with which it shares a development environment(iPhone SDK, or software development kit, version 3.2 onwards),the iPad only runs its own software, software downloaded from Apple's App Store, and software written by developers who have paid for a developer's license on registered devices. The iPad runs almost all third-party iPhone applications, displaying them at iPhone size or enlarging them to fill the iPad's screen.Developers may also create or modify apps to take advantage of the iPad's features.Application developers use iPhone SDK for developing applications for iPad .
Applications
Apple developed the iPad with an improved functionality over that of the iPhone and iPod Touch. The iPad comes with several applications such as Safari, Mail, Photos, Video, YouTube, iPod,iTunes,App Store, iBooks, Maps, Notes, Calendar, Contacts, and Spotlight Search.These applications were borrowed from iPhone’s third generation OS, but improved for the iPad . However, the iPad doesn’t run the iPhone’s 3.1.2 OS and neither the Mac OS X, but an improved version of the third generation iOS, iOS v3.2. Moreover, the iPad will receive the latest iOS, iOS 4 by the fall of 2010.
The iPad syncs with iTunes on a Mac or Windows PC.Apple ported its iWork suite from the Mac to the iPad , deleting several features in the process, and sells the Pages,Numbers, and Keynote apps in the App Store. Although the iPad is not designed to replace a cellphone, a user can pair it with a Bluetooth headset and place phone calls over Wi-Fi or 3G using a VoIP application.
Book and magazine content
Reading a book on the iPad
Further information: iBookstore
The iPad has an optional iBooks application that can be downloaded from the App Store, which displays books and other ePub-format content downloaded from the iBookstore. For the iPad launch on April 3, 2010, the iBookstore is available only in the United States.Several major book publishers including Penguin Books, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan have committed to publishing books for the iPad.
In February 2010, Conde Nast Publications said they would sell iPad subscriptions for their GQ,Vanity Fair and Wired magazines by June. In April 2010, The New York Times announced it will begin publishing daily on the iPad.
Manufacture
The iPad is assembled by Foxconn, which also manufactures Apple's iPod, iPhone and Mac Mini, in its largest plant inShenzhen,China.
iSuppli estimated that each iPad 16 GB Wi-Fi version costs Apple US$259.60 to manufacture, a total that excludes research, development, licensing and patent costs. Apple does not disclose the makers of iPad components, but teardown reports and analysis from industry insiders indicate that various parts and their suppliers include:
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 3G data network
Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system
Processor
1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
Sensors
Accelerometer
Ambient light sensor
Input and output
Dock connector port
3.5-mm stereo headphone jack
Built-in speaker
Microphone
Micro-SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only)
Wireless and cellular
Wi-Fi model
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
Wi-Fi + 3G model
UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Data only2
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
Location
Wi-Fi
Digital compass
Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
Cellular (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
In the box
iPad
Dock Connector to USB Cable
10W USB Power Adapter
Documentation
Audio playback
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Audio formats supported: HE-AAC (V1), AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
User-configurable maximum volume limit
TV and video
Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable
H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 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, 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)
Languages
Language support for English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian
Keyboard support for English (U.S.), English (UK), French (France, Canada), German, Japanese (QWERTY), Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian
Dictionary support for English (U.S.), English (UK), French, French (Canadian), French (Swiss), German, Japanese, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian
