New iPad could change e-reader market, learning experience

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Steve Jobs would have you believe he is a miracle worker and Apple’s newest device is hewn from pure magic.

But is he right?

The iPad tablet computer was unveiled Wednesday at an Apple keynote presentation in San Francisco.

The device resembles an enlarged iPod Touch or iPhone with a 9.7” multi-touch display and a minimalist design. It weighs 1.5 pounds and will be available in late March.

“It looks so crisp and clear, you can see the whole page,” said Brandon Davenport-Gray of the internet browsing experience.

The Canton senior was the first to pre-order an iPad at MicroChips in the Bovee University Center.

While pleased with the overall package, he would have preferred the addition of a front-facing camera for video conferencing applications such as Skype. He also would have preferred a different name.

Students are not the only ones excited by possibilities the new foray into the tablet market may bring.

“I can easily imagine walking around campus with one of those tablets, hopefully in a few months,” said Roger Rehm, vice president for Information Technology at Central Michigan University.

Rehm said the iPad might prove to be the device “that makes portable technology on campus comfortable.”

Many students and faculty feel awkward using laptops at meetings or in class. The more natural interface and consumer-oriented nature of the iPad may alleviate that in classes and meetings, Rehm said.

“The whole idea of interacting with the visual image with no interface device is a cool idea,” he said.

Features

One of the most potentially revolutionary aspects of the iPad is in its iBookstore marketplace, where electronic books and publications can be purchased and viewed.

Though e-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle have similar services, they also are largely limited to reading books and articles.

The iPad also can run many of the iTouch or iPhone applications and an iWork office suite of its own, which could make Apple’s product more successful, said Daniel Bracken, associate director of the Faculty Center for Innovative Teaching.

He said many textbook publishers are working to make their books available through electronic means. This means that even if professors do not widely adopt the tablet, students could still read and take notes on required books digitally.

Bracken’s favorite feature is the large screen which gives a more effective use of the multi-touch interface than the relatively miniscule iPod Touch and iPhone.

“The display looks like it’s stunning,” he said.

Detroit sophomore Darryl Maxwell accompanied Davenport to MicroChips, but decided to hold off from pre-ordering.

“I think I’m going to wait until they get all the kinks out of it,” he said.