After waiting several weeks for the release of Apple’s iPad tablet, tech fans were finally rewarded on Saturday when the gadget was unleashed in the US – with both sales figures and reviews painting the device as a success.
But while the majority of bloggers, analysts and customers have praised the iPad as a step forward in portable computing and innovation, some have criticised the device for not including certain features such as multitasking and Adobe Flash support.
Fans had lined up in front of Apple’s flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York as early as Friday afternoon, eager to be first in line on Saturday morning to get their hands on the gadget.
While Apple has announced two versions of the device, only the Wi-Fi version was available at launch with the 3G-capable model to be sold later this month.
Apple Stores around the country, along with other selected retailers, were flooded with customers eager to purchase pre-ordered iPads. Others simply wanted to try out the gadget, as Apple was eager to keep the iPad under wraps until the last second with only selected bloggers and tech journalists given an early hands-on.
But the release has been dubbed a success, with Apple announcing that 300,000 iPads were sold, along with one million app downloads and 250,000 eBook downloads from the iBooks Store. In comparison, the original iPhone in 2007 only sold 270,000 units in the first 30 hours.
In a statement, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said that “it feels great to have the iPad launched into the world – it’s going to be a game changer”.
“iPad users, on average, downloaded more than three apps and close to one book within hours of unpacking their new iPad.”
Eager to have a hands-on approach to the day, Jobs was also sighted at an Apple store in California, browsing with his family for half an hour and taking questions from customers.
Bloggers and reviewers praised the iPad’s simple user interface, bright screen, long battery life and speed, saying internet browsing was an easier task than on the iPhone.
Engadget wrote the device was a success, praising its large screen, viability for gaming and the availability of several strong third-party apps. However, it also said the gadget was not a laptop replacement, and that the iPad is more targeted towards the casual user.
“What that means is that if you need a laptop to work in something like Excel, Word, or countless other PC or Mac applications, you shouldn’t expect the iPad to take its place.”
“But, if you’re like a lot of computer users, you don’t really do much on your system except for listen to music, casually browse the web and read news sites, watch some online video, play games, and keep in touch with friends via Twitter, IM, and Facebook…[the iPad] does the majority of those things much better than its laptop counterparts.”
Michael Arrington from TechCrunch said he would “rarely be away from this device”, and that it would make his phone less important for non-calling uses.
“With a 3G data plan I’ll use it to read the news, look up movie times and reviews, send instant messages and emails, and lots of other things that I do with my phone. I’m not so sure I need to have the latest and greatest phone device any more, knowing that there’s an iPad within reach.”
“I’d pay $1,000 for a chained to the desk iPad. The fact that tomorrow I’ll get the one I pre-ordered for just $500, chain free, makes me very happy indeed.”
David Progue from the New York Times said the iPad was fast, light and responsive, and praised the gadget’s battery life saying he was able to play video files continuously for more than 12 hours.
“And the techies are right about another thing: the iPad is not a laptop. It’s not nearly as good for creating stuff. On the other hand, it’s infinitely more convenient for consuming it — books, music, video, photos, web, email and so on. For most people, manipulating these digital materials directly by touching them is a completely new experience — and a deeply satisfying one.”
“The bottom line is that the iPad has been designed and built by a bunch of perfectionists. If you like the concept, you’ll love the machine.”
Walter Mossberg from All Things Digital said the iPad was a winner, but was annoyed by some limitations including no ability to create folders or rules for email messages, no group addressing, no tabbed browsing and the lack of a GPS chip in the Wi-Fi versions.
“All in all, however, the iPad is an advance in making more-sophisticated computing possible via a simple touch interface on a slender, light device. Only time will tell if it’s a real challenger to the laptop and netbook.”
But Paul Thurrott from WinSuperSite.com wasn’t as generous, saying that anyone who believes the iPad will be a game changer “is a tool”.
“The iPad is nice, as we knew it would be. But it’s bigger and much heavier than I’d like for a movie player or eBook/newspaper reader, and those were my own personal primary use cases. That so few early reviews called this out says a lot about those reviewers. My kids would get tired just holding an iPad. Is it made of lead?”
However, the majority of bloggers praised not only the device, but also the availability of apps.
Several thousand iPad apps were available at launch, with developers eager to have their programs among the first available for the new device. Several apps have been designed just for the iPad, with the bigger screen allowing for more interactive features, while other programmers have simply updated their apps and increased the price.
But despite all the hype, international users are still in for a wait – Apple has yet to announce any details of the iPad’s launch in different countries, only saying an Australian launch will take place “in late April”.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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