They are constructed of polished white ABS plastic with a matte black steel grille. Each speaker is 4″x6″x2″, so they are quite small, but can still produce a good sound.

The speakers come from designers Mihoko Ouchi and Sherwood Forlee, who have also designed Anti-Theft Lunch Bags, a “New” Lamp, and Stacked Cups.

Availability is by early summer for $120, although there will only be a thousand sets produced.

Images of The Speaker have been included below.

[via Unplggd]

The same reaction came when the first iPod was released, as well as the first iPhone. These two products revolutionized the two industries that they entered, and although there were other devices that allowed one to listen to music and answer phone calls, they were different, tying the software, hardware, and interface together. We’re at the point in Apple’s history where this same reaction is occurring again, and application developers: get ready!

Why I Will Repeat Myself

I try to offer both sides of the discussion and debate surrounding the new product from Apple. While it isn’t being sold at the moment, there have been outrage over the name, the features (or the lack thereof), and the ultimate question of “why should I buy an iPad?”Just a few hundred people have held the device, and the consensus from them has been remarkably positive, ranging from “stunning screen,” to “a generation faster than the iPhone 3GS,” to “the iBooks eBook reading application is fast and clean and feels a real advance on the Kindle’s monochrome.”

There is a circle of followers who insist that the iPad is nothing much than a bigger iPod or iPhone, yet many of these are the same that claim the Zune would overtake the iPod in sales. Recent sales figures of the Zune (after between two and three years on the market) at the February 2009 time frame put sales at 3.2 million. The original iPod was released in late October 2001, the Zune in mid-November 2006.

There were a whole lot less MP3 players in the market in 2001, but there was still a lot of interest in the market when the Zune arrived. All iPods were still hard drive-based, and the iPhone was just a rumor. During the first two years of the iPod, Apple sold 1.313 million devices, and 5.729 in the first three years. Considering Microsoft has had at least 92% of the OS market during this three-year period, and Apple introduced the original iPod as Mac-only, sales of the Zune dwarf in comparison to what Apple was able to achieve.

The iPad is no different, and won’t be a flop until this time next year, when sales figures come in. If analysts’ projections of the device were extremely high, then we know that there really isn’t a market for a “large iPod touch/iPhone,” but instead that it is a niche market. Again, this isn’t like Apple is introducing a revised iPod. It’s as though they’re testing the waters for a whole new market – the market that includes tablet computers, netbooks, eBook readers, as well as portable media players, photo frames, and to an extent, iPods (some would consider the iPad rather than an iPod touch or an iPhone).

Onto the Kindle, a device that entered a relatively non-existent market. People were reading digital books, but has now proven to be a successful market. More digital books are being sold than print, and the market for newspaper and magazine content sold in the traditional paper format will continue to dive. Estimates of sales of the three main Kindle products—Kindle, Kindle 2, and Kindle DX—range from 1.5 to 3 million, taking place in the 2.5 year period since release. The Kindle is a dedicated device for reading books and other forms of print content. Browsing the web is essentially non-existent on the device, as Amazon wants you to stay on their site for purchasing books and magazine subscriptions. Pricing for the original Kindle (6″ display) was $359, a price many criticized the company for setting, as profit margin was later revealed to be very high.

The Kindle and Zune are two devices released in the last four years, both of which have seen a mild level of success and each helped define what can be accomplished by multi-billion dollar companies. One is the leader in the category, while the other isn’t. Hint: the leader in the Mp3/entertainment industry isn’t Microsoft.

The Size Comparison

Toting around a netbook instead of a large-scale 13-17″ notebook has become common for many on-th-go computer and web surfers over the past few years. The screen sizes, cramped keyboards, and “light” size have made these devices great for people who want to browse the web and open up an occasional text document. The only reason they sell is due to their price – they are quite a bit cheaper, but they offer a level of performance similar to the price – cheap.

In the graphic above, you can compare a MacBook Pro with an ASUS Eee PC 10.1″ netbook, as well as the iPad. Some say that you should aim for having the most power in a small package, but with the above graphic, there is obviously something people are missing with netbooks: they are quite bulky, especially compared to the iPad or other eBook readers. Would you want to put a netbook in your pocket? No. The iPad was never meant to be placed in a pocket, nor will it ever be. It’s meant to replace (or complement) a full-size (13″ or above) laptop while you are on-the-go or consuming content.

Another question for those who claim the iPad is just an oversized iPhone or iPod touch: why do people demand larger computer displays, while they also promote smaller phone displays? The resolution of the iPad is at 1024×768, which is perfectly ideal for viewing most websites and working on the device. The same can’t be said for similar resolutions of 480×800 pixels, or 3.7″, found on “powerful,” “multi-tasking” phones. Try typing, let alone reading small text on a screen of that resolution without constantly trying to zoom in.

While traveling, weight is a bigger consideration than size. You’re more likely to simply carry an iPad with you that weights in at 1.5 pounds, rather than a netbook, which offers a far-worse experience (at least compared to many users’ experiences) weighing in at 2.9 pounds or more. Most 13″+ laptops are double that.

Now, the Kindle may be slightly slimmer, but only does one thing (but well), and that is reading books. When you need to browse the web and access applications while on the road, you won’t want to carry a Kindle, phone, and netbook with you, but an iPad alone, as it offers the ability to access 95% of what an iPhone or similar phone can do.

Multi-Tasking: Uh, Why?

There are people who can concentrate on multiple windows at once, work on multiple projects at once, then there are those who only want to read a book or answer a phone call, without being distracted or weighed down by background processes. The iPhone and iPad will be able to run the basic programs in the background on top of other applications. For example, while you are reading a book or browsing the web, you will be able to listen to music. On any screen of 10″ or smaller, there really isn’t a benefit to having multiple windows open and multi-tasking unless you have a processor that can handle this.

In Apple’s eyes, when you use the iPad (like the iPhone), you intend to only do one thing at a time. Even though they have excluded the ability to “multi-task,” this doesn’t mean they aren’t working on a way to solve the problem or waiting until they get their hands on faster processors. For all we know, iPhone OS 4.0 might include better management of application processes to conserve battery and function better. At this point in time, it doesn’t make sense to offer this ability, due to the experience trade-offs.

A similar stance can be taken with Adobe Flash, although I wont’ get into that discussion again. Apple follows an emerging trends, develops that trend, and then others follow in their footsteps.

Price Comparison

Apple shocked us with the price of $499. Pundits questioned why someone would pay this much for a large iPod touch, and Apple answered, yet no one listened. The iPad will be a great solution in the medial and design industries, as well as any market where “visuals” come into play. It will beat carrying around a 13″+ laptop, as it can also be used to create presentations, display them through projectors, and show latest reports. The App Store is what will continue to deliver the experience needed to convince millions it offers the highest-quality applications.

The eBook reader niche is continuing to be carved out, and the tablet/slate PC market is just starting to grow. How will other companies combine these markets, and if they do, how will they stack up against the iPad? HP is bringing to market a Slate product later this year, which, like many of the other products Steve Ballmer showcased at CES 2010, mimics a large-scale iPod touch. Nothing was impressive about the device, other than the fact that he positioned the device exactly where Steve Jobs did – in-between a phone and a laptop. Pricing details, specs, and is rather just a prototype at this point, offering nothing more than Windows 7 with touchscreen capability. What actually lies on devices like the HP Slate to differentiate it from the next eBook reader/hybrid tablet than the processor, memory, storage, etc.?

I expect many of the devices to be released in the $400-$800 price range, and if anything else, they will trend higher as time goes on. These devices could one day replace the netbooks, although it may be a number of years before the processors are powerful enough and users are comfortable enough with the experience they offer. For now, we only have a chart that has been compiled, which compares some of the latest eBook readers/slate computers into one convenient chart.

A link to the full-size image can be found here.

Conclusion

Share your thoughts on these topics in the comments area – will you be purchasing an iPad, and how do you think it will evolve?

We’ll take a look nearly ten years down memory lane to see what reaction was to the first iPod. At the time, there were some devices available for playing back and managing music, but they lacked the interface and integration that Apple has become famous for providing. Now, these are simply comments (like we’ve seen on the 27th) from Apple fans and others who were looking at purchasing the device.

• “Gee! An MP3 player with a HD. How original!”
• “$400 for an MP3 player!…It’s not really functional.”
• “Come on everyone, you’re all saying it sucks before you have even held it in your hand. I mean 5GB in a tiny little think like that, it’s amazing. ‘No one else has made anything like that.’”
• “20GB hard drive for $199, MP3 player for $50 from Best Buy, saving you $150 plus you get an extra 15GB of storage.”

The Template

This template has been used and abused already (through Twitter and other sites), but you can see the progression from where the idea started. Even though you think you have no purpose for the device now, you’ll need one down the road just like the first iPhone and the first iPod.

We want to hear from you what you think about the iPad – will you buy one, why do you personally think it is just a larger iPod touch, and what could Apple do to improve it come the second generation or through a firmware/software update? We look forward to hearing from you.

What the iPad Has and Doesn’t Have

• Wireless: Yes, through either WiFi on all models, and 3G with a plan and specific models.
• Screen: Includes fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating and multi-touch technology.
• Sensors: Accelerometer and ambient light sensor.
• GPS: Included on WiFI + 3G model.
• In the Box: iPad device, dock connector to USB cable, 10W power adapter, and documentation.
• Environment: Arsenic-free display glass, BFR-free, Mercury-free LCD display, PVC-free, with recyclable aluminum glass enclosure.
• Accessories to be Available: Keyboard Dock, Case, iPad Camera Connection Kit, and power adapter for wall charging.
• Flash Support: No, there will still be no Flash support, as it will likely cut into the sales of music and movies through the iTunes Store.
• No Multitasking: While you can run nearly 140,000 apps on the device, there will be no multitasking when released.
• No Camera: This is what many people wanted in the device, but it doesn’t have it.
• Not Widescreen: To keep costs down, Apple likely used a more “square” design, based off the resolution of the Kindle and similar devices, but it is better for reading devices and browsing the web.
• The Name: Some are already making jokes about the name. Personally, I would have preferred it to be the Apple Slate, or just iSlate. It makes more sense, as I’ve already been referring to this as an iPod.

Finally, here is a gallery of photos of the new device from Apple.

Some have said that this is simply a larger iPhone or iPod touch, although I have some reasons listed below to indicate that it isn’t. Some say that the device is “closed” and simply indicates that Apple will try to restrict the Apps that are on it. However, what Apple has done is that they have opened up their marketplace to developers, offering an opportunity for people who needed a large target market – and they delivered, and are continuing to deliver.

Apple has defined its competition, and the integration of both software and hardware has allowed the company to get where it is today.

iPad Overview

From YouTube comes a video that was taken from the Apple site.

The iPod Touch

The iPod touch is priced at $199, $299, and $399 for 16, 32, and 64GB and wights 4.05 ounces, with a 3.5″ screen. It is roughly 2.8 times smaller than the new iPad, and offers a resolution of 480×320 pixels.

It can fit in your pocket, it makes it easy to consume movies, music, and the Internet while on the go. The iPod is Apple’s flagship product for helping Apple come back from a period when the company was looking at bankruptcy and never returning. Without the iPod and iMac, where would Apple be today? Probably gone.

The iPad is different from the iPod touch due to its size. When you want to listen to music or quickly catch up on email, you would bring with you the iPod touch. When you want to share content with others, you will use the iPad. It’s a completely different market, and until you realize the differences between the two, you will view them as one and the same.

No headphones come with the iPad, which clearly separates the intended market. Adding pictures, movies, and more to the iPad is much easier than any device currently available, especially with the iPad Camera Connection Kit.

The iPod Touch: Ideal for anyone who wants to take their entire music collection on-the-go. Pricing ranges from $199 to $399.

The iPad: Ideal for people who want to read books, connect with others, read email, create documents, and replace a basic computer. Prices range from $499 to $699.

The Kindle

We’ll be comparing the 9.7″ Amazon Kindle device (the DX). The device is at just over 1/3 of an inch, compared to 1/2 an inch for the iPad. The Kindle only displays black and white (like real paper) with 16 shades of gray. There are no contracts, no monthly fees, allowing you to download more than 3,500 books to the device. It lasts for on week on a single charge. Pricing for New Releases is $9.99, which appears to be the price point for many books through the new iBook Store.

The pricing for the same-sized device as the iPad is just $10 less than the 16GB device Apple released, making the iPad a much better deal. Unless you hate the way Apple runs its business and its products, you’ll continue to look at the Kindle as the ideal device. The Kindle does one thing extremely well – and that is reading books and magazines, as well as some basic websites. Amazon never intended to create an all-in-one device, but they wanted to bring it to the masses. Initially, the Kindle was more expensive ($399 for the basic model).

The Kindle: The Kindle is solely for reading books, and the price point for the 6″ model is competitive compared to some other e-book readers, but not great for anything else. The iTunes Store makes the iPad an extremely affordable product compared to the Kindle.

Netbooks

Anyone looking for a basic computer for basic gaming, typing documents, and browsing the web may look at netbooks for their size and convenience. However, they also fail at what people want – convenience. Sure, you can install early any operating system or applications on them, but they don’t make great devices for long-term use.

The average netbook is in the 8-to-10.1″ range. Hard drive vary greatly, but for the price range of $280 to $500+, netbooks typically include 160GB hard drives, a 1.60GHz Intel Atom Processor, and 1GB of memory. Only very basic wireless connectivity has been built-in, and their weight is nearly double that of the iPad.

On the iPad, the resolution of 1024×768 is quite similar to the resolution of many netbook computers, as well as some larger desktop computers at lower resolutions. With the 9.7″ resolution, it makes the pictures extremely clear.

The processor in the iPad is a 1GHz is an A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip processor.

Updates: We’ll be updating this in the near-future if more details and discussion comes in from people who are looking at this device.

Apple unveiled its latest creation today, called the iPad. While many thought it would be called the iSlate to differentiate it from the iPod, Apple decided to keep the names quite similar, and to the point. The device may be seen as just a larger iPhone, but what lies underneath is a powerful processor for a mobile device and plenty of features, ideal for professionals, consumers, and the media industry as a whole. We have a complete roundup of what the device offers, as well as more of the specs as they are released (and likely placed on Apple’s website).

The device will fall between the smartphone and the laptop, and it is designed for browsing, email, photos, e-books, and videos, as netbooks are heavy, have low-quality displays, and of course, run Windows and its associated software. Apple saw this space and will likely be expanding in this space over time.

Overview of Specs

Here is an overview of all the specs.

• Pricing starts at $499.00, with the most expensive 64GB/3G model at $829.00
• 16-64GB of Flash storage.
• Bluetooth 2.1..
• 802.11n wireless.
• 10 hours of battery.
• Speaker, microphone and 30-pin connector.
• Fully multi-touch.
• 9.7 inch IPS LCD.
• Half an inch thick.
• Accelerometer and compass.

With these features, the Kindle will have a hard time competing. Kindle is 6″ and only reads books and some websites. For just $240 more, you can watch movies, get access to the App Store, as well as carry around your entire music library.

Pricing

Pricing came in at $499, making it one of the most affordable portable computers created in the past number of years. 16GB will run for $499, with 32Gb for $599, and 64GB for $699. 3G with 64GB will be priced at $729. Availability in 60 days, worldwide availability. 3G models will be available in 90 days, 30 days after the first models will be shipped.

iBook Store

Through iTunes, an available iBook store will become available, which will add hundreds of thousands of books and magazines in the future. This will likely become available when the device is released.

Case and Keyboard

A keyboard extension, dock, and case have been made available, exclusively through Apple. I can see the accessory makers not liking this, as this is typically their market.

3G and Wireless Plans

All 3G models are unlocked and use the new GSM wireless technology. Two plans are available through AT&T in the United States, with new plans for international users in June. For 250MB plans, the price will be about $14.99 per month, while unlimited will be $29.99 per month. Free use of AT&T WiFi hotspots will be included. No contract – cancel any time.

iWork

As many expected, a new iWork has been released specifically for the device. Apple’s elegant productivity/office suite now has a specific version for the iPad, making it extremely easy to create professional presentations, spreadsheets, and word documents within the device. It’ll be great for displaying them, too with the high resolution screen. Tabs display at the top, ideal for displaying multiple tables and charts.

Movies, Music, and More

Like the iPod touch and iPhone, the iPad focuses on delivering content very well, and it contains a large number of features that makes this experience well. Photo slideshows have also been integrated into the device.

Gaming

Every iPad comes with all the games that are available for the iPhone. All the apps have been re-written for the display. The iPhone SDK supports development for the new resolution/upscaling.

More Photos

We have showcased some of the best photos from the presentation, which showcases the great presentation that Steve Jobs and Co. put together. The device will truly change the industry – ranging from the Kindles to the netbook.

The photos were originally obtained by Engadget, but can now be found around a number of tech blogs.

The dimensions of the device are apparently between 9- and 10-inches, which supports the many rumors that stated this would be the dimensions. At this point, there is still a lot of speculation, as we know that there will be a tablet (especially with this many “realistic” photos being released), however we don’t know whether all these features (such as a front-facing camera), 3G connectivity, or how we will be able to interact with the device.

Pricing at this point can run between $800 to $1,000, as it will cost obviously higher than an unsubsidized iPhone of $599 to $699, although Apple could have gotten a great deal to ensure that prices remain competitive. No clues have pointed to specifics on how much storage it will have, but 64GB at this point sounds like a good bet.

At the event, there may also be an updated suite of iLife/iWork applications. If not, they may wait until later this year or may even skip the year, as a result of Apple’s planning.

An iPhone announcement may also be made, but the event will be all about Apple’s latest creation, rather than anything else.

View the photos below of the new, rumored tablet. Let me know what you think of the tablet, once it is released, and whether you will be purchasing one.

While there is a lot of speculation surrounding these images, they are fairly close to what the actual product may look like, in terms of actual size and what its intended function may be. However, other users have pointed out that the reflections and noise is slightly off, although this was obviously intended to be a “leak” photo.

They were posted by Dustin Curtis, a user interface designer, who supposedly got them from a friend.

A later tweet said is as follows: Dustin Curtis: 1; Internet: 0, with a link to a live stats page showing the amount of traffic he is currently receiving.

Obviously: If they were in fact real, Apple would already have issued a cease and desist letter to take the photos down.