The news is finally out, you can now pre-order the latest Apple iPad right now ! Apple’s online store has been swarmed with pre-orders ever since the news got out on Friday morning, & so far word is that Apple sold no less than 50,000 iPads in its first two hours alone !   

You can either pre-order it from the online store & have it delivered free to your doorstep on Apr 3rd, or you can reserve one & pick it up at your favourite Apple retail store on Apr 3rd. It comes in 2 models - the Wi-Fi model as well as the Wi-Fi + 3G  model (which will be released in late Apr). So if you’re all set to get your hands on the iPad, then just head on over to Apple’s online store below :

Pre-order Your Apple iPad

If however you’re still considering whether or not to get one for yourself, then this article might be of help to you :

5 Things To Consider Before Pre-ordering The Apple iPad

All set & eager to get the Apple iPad ? Well, you’ll finally be able to get your hands on this latest cool device in the U.S. beginning 3rd Apr next month.   

Apple announced yesterday that the Wi-Fi version of the iPad will launch in the U.S on that date, followed by the Wi-Fi + 3G version later in the month. Both versions will subsequently hit Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and the U.K. in late April.

However, consumers who simply can’t wait till then can start preordering both the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models starting from 12th Mar from any Apple online store. They can aso reserve a Wi-Fi version to pick up from any Apple retail store on 3rd Apr itself.

“iPad is something completely new,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said Friday in a statement. “We’re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

The iPad’s Wi-Fi only version will sell in the U.S. for $499 for 16GB of memory, $599 for 32GB, and $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G edition will sell for $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB, and $829 for 64GB.

Prices for the other countries will be announced in April itself.  The iPad will be made available through Apple’s online store, Apple’s retail outlets, and also specific Apple authorized resellers.

So will the Apple iPad be a phenomenal hit just like its previous “cousin” the  iPhone ? What do you think ?

 Looks like my comments from my previous post is fast coming true, as there seems to be yet another iPad competitor just round the block, & this time it’s from the UK.

A UK based company called X2 Computing will be shipping its own brand new tablet computer in Apr as well (no pricing details yet), about the same time that Apple is releasing its new iPad to the world. And its name ?  The “iTablet”.  Now I’ve no idea why X2 decided to come up with a name like that, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Apple kicks up a big fuss about it when the time comes….

But in the meantime, how does their new “iTablet” compare to the iPad ?

Well, what I know so far is that the iTablet supports both Windows and Linux operating systems, has an Intel Atom processor, comes in either a 10.2 inch or a 12.1 inch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 768, has a 250GB hard drive & also comes with both Wi-Fi & Bluetooth capabilities. 

At the same time, compared to the iPad, the iTablet also comes with a 1.3 megapixel camera, supports Flash, has 3 USB ports & you can also open several applications at the same time. And since the iPad doesn’t come with any of the 4 features mentioned above, it looks like the iTablet is gearing up to be one really stiff competitor for Apple when the time comes. 

“iTablet will empower users with unlimited technology and advanced multimedia access across multiple platforms without being restricted to exclusive content providers,” said Jonathan Wharrad, R&D Director of X2 Computing.  

Well that certainly might be true, but with a name like “iTablet”, I really hope X2 is preparing itself for a possible confrontation with Apple when the time comes. Especially if it comes in the form of Apple’s legal attorneys asking X2 to change the name of its new tablet computer….

Another possible contender to Apple’s iPad has just been announced at this week’s Mobile World Congress 2010 held in Barcelona – this time it’s OpenPeak’s new OpenTablet 7.

The OpenTablet 7 is a 7-inch slick touch-screen tablet that’s designed to handle multimedia, Internet communications and social media, while at the same time also functioning as a phone. And it measures just 9 inches by 5 inches and is only just 0.6 inches thick.

It comes integrated with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, provides portable access to media and telephony from anywhere in the home, has two cameras (one for stills and another for high-definition video) and it also comes with what’s called a HDMI output for pushing media to any big screen. You can check out more details of its features at the link below :

OpenTablet 7 Features

Another thing to note is that the OpenTablet 7 doesn’t run on Windows or Linux, instead developers use the Adobe Flash CS4 software to create apps. Furthermore, OpenPeak has rolled out what it’s describing as “an end-to-end deployment solution” so that app developers can sell apps to customers and provide the latest content on the tablet.

At the moment however, OpenPeak hasn’t made any announcements on the pricing for its OpenTablet just yet. But consumers can expect to see the first units roll out sometime in the second half of 2010.

Which makes one kinda wonder – will there be any other newer contenders coming up as well to engage Apple in this brand new “tablet war” ?

Not to be outdone by the recently released Apple iPad, a Singapore start-up company Fusion Garage has decided to go into full production for their latest new breakthrough product – the Joojoo web tablet. And according to the Joojoo developers, the first shipment of this new web tablet is expected to reach consumers by end February this month.

The Joojoo – an African word meaning “magical object” – is a brand new web tablet created by Fusion Garage that provides instant Internet access and enables users to easily tap into various web applications & services online. Other details of this 12.1 inch tablet include Wi-Fi capabilities, an ambient light sensor, an accelerometer (for toggling between landscape/portrait views) & the ability to handle full Flash !

Check out Joojoo’s official site below to know more about this latest web tablet that has just entered the market :

  https://thejoojoo.com/

Also check out the following series of 5 videos in which Chandrasekar Rathakrishnan - CEO of Fusion Garage – talks about Joojoo & gives a demonstration of justwhat it can do :

So at the moment, it looks like the Joojoo might pose a serious challenge to Apple’s iPad for now. But who eventually will be the ultimate winner in this ”tablet war” between the 2 products ? 

Only time will tell….

It’s finally here ! Steve Jobs has just released his much anticipated brand new Apple web tablet to the world today.

Its name – Apple iPad.

Watch Steve Jobs give a “live” demonstration of what this new Apple iPad can do :

Following CES 2010 and related announcements of new technologies and efforts from Google and Nokia, Apple has announced today that it will be holding a major press event on Wednesday, January 27, leaving many industry insiders with the expectation of an unveiling of the long-rumored Apple Tablet. Being held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco, California, Apple offers the media to “come see our latest creation.”

The latest rumors suggest that the Apple Tablet will offer 3G functionality and follow in the footsteps of the company’s very popular iPhone handset; many insiders have suggested the tablet will be nothing more than a very large iPhone. Whether or not the tablet will be sold through a carrier partner remains to be seen.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the Apple Tablet could ship as early as March 2010.

Note: The image above is a creative graphic designer’s mock-up of what the Apple Tablet could look like – it is not official in any way.