Apple’s iPad has taken almost 10 years to appear, but it is now with us – although not yet available for sale. This half-inch thick device has a 9.7 inch touchscreen (1024 x 768) with an LED-backlit IPS display, and possesses several enhancements such as Bluetooth 2.1, a compass and an accelerometer. The A4 1 GHz chip was developed by P.A. Semi, but while the entire package may have been designed and marketed as the next ‘new Apple thing’, the product itself appears to be lacking in many respects.

Before it was released it was named the ‘Apple Tablet’ that reveals a bit about its original design plan, although its other names, viz. iSlate and iTab indicate that there are alternative perceived uses for the machine. It has been compared positively to Amazon’s Kindle that is a dedicated ebook reader, and while there is no real reason to believe that the iPad has been designed specifically as an eBook reader, it is being regarded as such by many people.

So, is it or is it not? Should Amazon, Acer and others who have invested heavily in the eReader business be worried or simply stare in amazement at such a low-level entry into this highly competitive market? For that is what it appears to be – the iPad is certainly not a big player in respect of eBook readers, but neither is it a nonentity. It has some benefits, but by no means could it be described as having the same initial impact as other Apple products such as the iPod or iPhone.