Apple iPad Released

The Apple iPad is the latest in a long line of products to bring our computer technology closer to that seen in the Star Trek series. Before you judge those who watch and enjoy Star Trek remember that those who have invented most of what makes our computers do what they do credit Star Trek as their inspiration. It took them about 20 years to do it but the iPad looks and functions a lot like the pads used by Captain Picard and his crew.

The iPad is not a replacement for a computer. The first drawback I noticed was that there is no way to directly print anything from an iPad. That does not mean that it can't be used on a daily basis to perform most of the functions a normal computer can do. As long as you can access a wireless network you are able to browse the internet, send and receive e-mail, store photos, music, movies and books. You can even view and create Microsoft Office files using the Apple equivalent software.

The iPad does not have a USB port so you cannot plug in an external hard drive to backup the device or add additional storage space. It does come with a cable to allow connection to a regular computer. To import photos from your camera you would need to either purchase another adapter or import them to another computer first then transfer them with the included cable.

There is also the part about the battery that may give some people pause. The battery is not customer replaceable. Apple will replace the entire unit for about $100 but the process takes a week or more and you lose everything stored on the unit. That means you need to make sure you are backing up to your normal computer using the iTunes software on a regular basis.

The iPad is available now and comes currently with three different memory options. Starting at $499 you get 16GB of storage space. For a hundred dollars more you can double the storage and for two hundred more you can quadruple the space (64GB). Apple plans to have three more models available at the end of April which add the ability to connect to the internet via 3G cellular service. The highest price model will sell for $829.