Liveblogging the big Apple announcement...
11:10 (CT)
Anticipation among the geeky folk has been stratospheric. Rumored to be a entirely new category of personal technology, the newest Apple product is said to be everything from a souped-up eReader to an "iPhone" on steroids.
Will it be called iTablet? iPad? iBook? What will it cost? What will it do? How soon can I get it? Will it be the "Kindle Killer?" Will Steve Jobs fake us all out and announce something completely different like iPhone availability for a larger neighborhood of carriers—like Verizon, perhaps?
I'll be liveblogging the announcement scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET. In the meantime, what do you think? Will be be wowed or unimpressed? Will you be the first in line to get your hands on it? Join the conversation!
11:31 a.m.
Bob Iger from Disney has just stepped onto the podium for the big announcement. What sort of content sharing from Disney could that mean for the new device? Add to that the leaked info from McGraw-Hill regarding the likely availability of textbooks and more...
11:40 a.m.
Iger is, of course, the Disney CEO--he was responsible for bringing Pixar and Marvel to Disney. Speculation, anyone, as to why he's there?
Noon---here we go...
First 250,000,000 iPods sold.
12:05--"Apple is mobile device company. Apple is the largest mobile device company in the world."
12:06--The main event: A little history of Apple...
12:08
Better than a laptop: Better at browsing the web; watching videos, games, reading eBooks. This is a third category of device. If it's not better "it has no reason for being."
Jobs says the answer is not a Netbook.
12:10
WE think we have it's the iPad
"Best browsing experience..." Can see a whole webpage in any orientation. Manipulate and turn the display in any direction. an almost lifesize keyboard...
Built in calendar, built in address books. Maps and sattelite, music sharing...
And goes right into the iTunes Store
Can watch HD...
"More intimate than a laptop; more capable than a smart phone."
It seems to be an elegant, very high on the cool factor.
"A whole website in the palm of your hands."
In my opinion (BB's) gives a whole new meaning to "personal computer"
12:19
Keyboard looks awesome
Has immense photo album capabilities.
12:22: The iPod is built in to the unit
It looks like a giant iPhone.
12:23: Powerful calendar application and a contacts application.
Article comments
1 - Emm
I think that I might have to have one. I must have been hiding under a rock because I wasn't aware of the announcement yesterday until the BC forums started buzzing about it. But seeing as I have been agonising between buying a Netbook or an iPhone for some time, I think this is exactly what I have been looking for. Something funky to enable me to blog and/or surf on the go with supercool apps and my music collection to boot.
Actually, I definitely have to have one.
2 - Eric Olsen
great job, thanks Barbara!
Emm, I have never had much interest in Apple -- no iPod, iPhone, or iAnything -- but this one does seem to fill niches I might be interested in. Stranger things have happened.