Apple unveiled its “magical” and “revolutionary” iPad tablet computer yesterday — leaving hordes of techno-junkies salivating at the chance to tap their fingers on one, and others twiddling their thumbs.
The much-anticipated iPad is aimed not just at replacing stripped-down “netbooks” or black and white “Kindle” e-book readers.
It’s Apple’s full-frontal assault on laptops — looking to replace the vast majority of them with a sleek, user-friendly device that plays lots of different media, surfs the Internet and does most of what ordinary consumers want out of their computer.
“We want to kick off 2010 by introducing a truly magical and revolutionary product,” a visibly gaunt Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, said at a packed San Francisco press conference.
“It’s so much more intimate than a laptop and it’s so much more capable than a smartphone with its gorgeous screen,” said Jobs, 54, who took off nearly six months last year as he battled pancreatic cancer and underwent a liver transplant.
“Isn’t this awesome?” he asked as he demonstrated the device, which at first blush looks like an oversized iPhone or iPod Touch. “Watching is nothing like getting one in your hands.”
Tablet computers in recent years have been introduced to much derision, and Jobs acknowledged the challenge.
“We think we’ve got the goods. We think we’ve done it,” he said.
Like the iPhone, the iPad lets users interact with the device through its 9.7-inch touch screen.
Users can surf the Web, watch videos, play video games, handle e-mail, share photographs and use Apple’s suite of iWorks computer business applications.
There’s even a separate physical keyboard accessory to make prolonged bouts of typing faster.
“Just keep one of these in your den, and when you have to write ‘War and Peace,’ just plug your iPad into it,” Jobs said.
The gizmo wirelessly connects to the Internet, allowing users to purchase more than 100,000 applications from Apple’s “App” store.
The first three iPad models, available in March, will sell for $499, $599 and $699, depending on the amount of on-board memory — far less than the initially rumored $1,000.
Then, in April, pricier versions able to connect to cellphone networks are set to be released, starting at $629 and going up to $829.
“It’s more compact than a laptop and can do everything and more,” gushed medical student and iPhone owner Josh Imkrye, at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue.
Imkrye, of Battery Park City, hopes the iPad can run the medical software he uses.
“If this can do that, it’s perfect,” he said. “With this I could ditch the PDA, the laptop and my books, and always watch high-definition videos when I’m bored.”
But Upper East Sider Andrea Figuroa, 22, said her iPod Touch is good enough.
“I can listen to music, download apps. This is just something unnecessary to buy,” she said.