The Apple iPad is finally here

Apple CEO Steve Jobs today unveiled the company's newest gadget in San Francisco. The iPad is a tablet computer that will allow users to read books, newspapers and magazines, show off photos and watch films. Its impressive battery life can be measured in international plane trips: "I can take a flight from San Francisco to Tokyo and watch video the whole time," said an energetic but gaunt Jobs. Tech blog Engadget says the so-called "Jesus Tablet" is good news for films and video games: "Games look amazing," but "a text-heavy app looks lonely or weirdly huge." That could be bad news for publishers who hope Apple's tablet might save sellers of the printed word from extinction (or bankruptcy).


But one publisher appeared optimistic. Martin Nisenholtz, head of digital operations for The New York Times Company, spent several minutes at the iPad launch event presenting his newspaper on the device. The layout mimics that of print newspapers, but with video embedded in articles and text that can be resized with the stroke of a finger.

Bloomberg, the financial news service, commented: "With the tablet, Apple gets a new category built around its iTunes software and store. That gives the company a fresh way to attract consumers, video-game makers and other application developers, as well as publishers looking to capitalize on their content."