Did you know: the first Apple iPad launched on this very day five years ago
The original Apple iPhone launched in 2007, sending an instant shockwave across the multi-billion phone industry, and crafting the form of the modern smartphone with its App Store and capacitive display in a time where software was limited to Java apps and displays were of the clumsy resistive type.
This was the crown jewel for Steve Jobs.
10 years after he made his comeback as chief executive of Apple, the iPhone proved that the company was not only saved - it was on its way to greatness.
It's no surprise, then, that in 2010, when Jobs was going to unveil the Apple iPad, he already felt the weight of the world on his shoulders: expectations were sky high amongst Apple fans.
The original Apple iPad launched in stores on April 3rd, 2010
The original iPad turned out to be a success almost the level of the iPhone. The device practically kickstarted the era of the modern tablet (previous attempts at tablets were largely failures) with a formula drawn from the start: it ran iOS, it lasted a whopping 10 hours of on-screen time (and weeks when you didn't touch it), and most importantly, it ran apps that were custom-made for the large, 4:3 9.7-inch display.For a quick flash back, here is what we said in our original iPad review back in 2010 about the new gadget:
"So, in the final analysis, we would say that if you need a mobile device strictly for business purposes, a notebook would be best. If you simply need an e-book reader, the Kindle will suit your needs. However, if you need a device that provides functionality typical of both worlds and gives it to you in a shiny aluminum body and ultra bright 9.7-inch multitouch display, then we do see the Apple iPad as the perfect solution."
And just looking at the original specifications, is quite the eye-opener. Take a peek at the spec highlights of the Apple iPad, 2010 edition:
- 9.7-inch display with a 1024 x 768-pixel resolution
- 0.5-inch (13mm) thickness
- Apple A4 system chip with a single-core 1GHz CPU
- 256MB RAM
- no camera
And to put this in perspective, here is a quick size comparison against Apple's current iPad Air 2:
- 13mm vs 6.1mm thickness
- 132ppi vs 264ppi (1024 x 768-pixel resolution vs 2056 x 1536 pixels)
- Single-core 1GHz CPU vs Tri-core 1.5GHz CPU
- 256MB RAM vs 2GB RAM
- 25.7oz (730g) vs 15.4oz (437g) weight
Technology has moved by quite a leap forward in just five years, hasn't it?
It seems that phablets have taken the post-PC place reserved for the iPad
Back to current times, it's interesting that we still feel the same way about the utility of the tablet standing somewhere between a laptop and an e-reader. Apple and Steve Jobs were quick to usher in the post-PC era, and it has largely come. The tablet, however, is no longer the bustling success it originally was, and it actually seems that it is phablets that are taking that post-PC place of the untethered, always-on device that seemed reserved for the iPad. As many analysts have pointed out: the iPad is portable, but it's not truly mobile - you don't always have it with you, and ultimately, this is what seems to limit its future growth.This post is not so much about the future, as a flashback to what the original iPad was, but we're still curious to hear your thoughts on the future of the iPad and tablets in general. For all else, here is Apple's original iPad introduction event, delivered by no other than Steve Jobs - take a look.
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