Steve Jobs finally unveiled (here in San Francisco) Apple's latest gadget: the Apple iPAD !

Scroll near bottom of link to watch the video of Job's iPad announcement.

Scott

It's got potential and could be a Kindle killer? Maybe. Scott I'm at work so I have just read some scattered reports, my question is do you have purchase a data plan with the Wi-Fi only option or is a data plan required ?

Hi Steve. Not sure, but guessing a data plan is ONLY required if you opt for the 3G version of the iPad. Only time will tell if the iPad will rein over Kindle or not. Either way, it's great to finally see Apple come out with an 'all in one' Tablet PC/eReader/phone device promoting further competition & innovation in this area. I suspect this 'all in one' tablet device approach portends the demise of Freehand's MusicPad Pro Device.

Scott

And Scott, MUCH cheaper than I thought it would be...Looks good!!

On our news this morning they are saying $500 USD for the base model, which is quite reasonable.

Dennis

Scott,
I think you're on to something

Right Scott/ Steve, but of course the pad is a 12 inch screen. Maybe they will create an app that would be great on this ipad.

[This message has been edited by PraiseTheLord (edited 01-27-2010).]

I agree with that. But I think that there will continue to be a high end market for Music Pad Maestro with which you can view two full sized pages at once: http://www.wwbw.com/Freehand-Freehand-Musicpad-Maestro-Digital-Sheet-Music-Pad-241899-i1432347.wwbw.

Beakybird

Good gosh, that is highway robbery! $3600! That thing could probably be used as a teleprompter type lyric display on the floor, so the audience doesn't notice it. But at $3600? Hmmm...

Almost everything Apple ever released became MUCH better with the second or third version. iPod, MacBook, iMac, you name it...

To be honest, I think they are missing one VERY important feature that even their blasted iPod Nano has, let alone the iMac or MacBook Pro... A video camera! This would be the killer app, IMO. Video conferencing, the personal videophone, a personal journal recorder... With the 3G option, it's frame rate ought to be pretty spectacular.

Why did Apple miss this..? They obviously thought that video recording (even more so than audio recording, strangely), on the iPod Nano was a feature that everyone would appreciate. So why not the iPad?

I'm a big Mac fan, as most here know, but even I'm not tempted quite yet. Wait for the 2G or 3G version, IMO...

The only people that could afford it would be members of high paying orchestras, but there is no other product that I have seen that offers two full pages of electronic display.

Beakybird