Portable Ebook Reader

Sure the iPhone and the iPod are some of the greatest gadgets ever made. But lately, people around the world are talking about this so called new tablet computer to be released by Apple, the iPad. What’s so special about it anyway? Let us look around into the wonderful world of this device that’s said to make a mark on today’s technology.

First, take a peek at what it has in store - the specifications. This iPad is said to have 9.7” display screen at 1024 x 768 pixels, 16 to 64 GB Flash Drive, 1 GHz Apple A4 Chip, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11n, has optional 3G (by using a new micro-Sim), and has 10 hours battery life (that can even stay alive for a month in standby mode). How cool can that get? As thin as it is at 0.5” (13.4mm) and as light as 1.5 lbs, it is said to be the enlarged iPhone with faster and a mightier processor.

As per the applications, it’s also similar to the iPhone, but has more. It has features like the iBookstore, iWorks, and said to be better in terms of gaming and internet browsing. Question now, Is it safe to say that the iPad is just a blow up of the iPhone?

The iPad is said to be half to be one hell of a gadget. There have been such good reviews from its makers. As the Apple chief executive, Steve Jobs, stated, “We think we’ve got the goods. We think we’ve done it.” In one of his interviews, Jobs asked “Do we have what it takes to establish a third category of products in between a laptop and a smartphone?” After a few seconds, he answered his own question, “We have done it”. And not just from the makers did this earned trust, but even from people who can make use of it as well. iPhone software executive Scott Forstall quoted, “We think it’s going to be a whole ‘nother gold rush for developers as they build applications for the iPad.”

The price range of this device is quite acceptable too. The cheapest one would be sold at $499, and the most expensive ones would be sold at around $1,000. These price differences depend on which add-on features you desire. The basic iPad ones, which cost from $499 to $699, only differ on the storage size. These are the one to be released in March. While those 3G iPad models on the other hand, the ones that will cost between $629 and $829, will be released worldwide in April.

So there ya go, you’ve read some of the most important details about this device. We can’t judge it quite yet, because no one really knows what’s in store and what exactly it can do. All there is are these facts and specifications, all we hold on to are the manufacturers’ words and the brand “Apple” itself. Only thing we can do now is to wait and see for ourselves what really the big deal about this iPad is as soon as it comes out in March.

Watch the keynote video with Steve Jobs

Watch a marketing video

It seems that Amazon has really been stepping up their portable ebook reader game in the last few weeks. They’ve gone from two Kindle releases over a 1.5 year period to announcing something major every week or so. That’s quite a turnaround!

Here’s some of the recent developments from Amazon:

• Kindle DX - This was an expected but still huge announcement on May 6, 2009. It’s the largest ebook reader yet and the first ever to incorporate an accelerometer device, so pages are automatically rotated between portrait and landscape, simply by turning the device.

• Kindle for iPhone v1.1 - Amazon recently released a new version of this popular app which is available from the iPhone App Store. Some of the notable new features include:
  • Pinch screen to zoom images within books
  • Read in landscape or portrait mode
  • Select alternate text colors and backgrounds to improve reading comfort in low light
  • Tap on either side of the screen or flick the screen to turn page

• Amazon Encore - Amazon has joined the “publishing” industry. They’ll reportedly be publishing authors who are currently doing it themselves and are showing promise. Amazon has obviously realized that there’s tons of money to be made in publishing, especially with a lot of their future competitors going under.

• Kindle Publishing for Blogs - Amazon is now allowing bloggers to sell their blogs to Kindle owners through the Kindle Store. This is huge news for web marketers and content publishers as it provides a simple method for generating income from their labors of love.