The iPad is a computing device, developed by Apple, meant for internet browsing, media consumption and light content creation. Released in April 2010, it is considered to have introduced a class of devices between smartphones, and laptops.
Like the older iPod Touch and IPhone devices, the larger iPad runs the iPhone OS operating system and uses a multi-touch LCD display for most user interactions. It runs iPad-specific applications as well as ones written for the iPod touch and iPhone, including e-book readers.
The iPad uses wireless connections — WiFi or a 3G cellular network — to browse the internet, load and stream media, and install software.
Apple's first tablet computer was the Newton MessagePad 100, introduced in 1993, which led to the creation of the ARM6 processor core with Acorn Computers. Apple also developed a prototype PowerBook Duo-based tablet, the PenLite, but did not sell it to avoid hurting MessagePad sales. Apple released several more Newton-based PDAs, and discontinued the last, the MessagePad 2100, in 1998.
Apple reentered the mobile-computing market in 2007 with the iPhone. Smaller than the iPad but featuring a camera and mobile phone, it pioneered the multitouch interface of iPhone OS. By late 2009, the iPad's release had been rumored for several months; iSlate and iTablet were among speculated names. The iPad was announced on January 27, 2010 by Steve Jobs at an Apple press conference at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
Three days later, at the 52nd Grammy Awards, Stephen Colbert used an iPad in announcing the nominees.
Apple began taking pre-orders for the iPad from U.S. customers on March 12, 2010. The Wi-Fi version of the iPad went on sale in the United States on April 3, 2010, at 9:00 am local time, with hundreds of customers lined up outside stores nationwide. The Wi-Fi + 3G version will be released at the end of April. The iPad will also be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK beginning in late May.[26] 3G service in the United States will be provided by AT&T and sold with two prepaid contract-free data plan options: one for unlimited data and the other for 250 MB per month at half the price. The plans will be activated on the iPad itself and can be canceled at any time.
Like the iPhone, the iPad shares its name with existing products. The most publicized is the Fujitsu iPAD, a mobile multi-functional device sold to retailers to help clerks verify prices, check inventory, and close sales. The Japanese company Fujitsu introduced the iPAD in 2002, and the following year applied for the trademark, but the firm found the mark was already owned by Mag-Tek. Fujitsu's trademark application was listed as "abandoned" in April 2009, and the ownership of the mark is unclear. Fujitsu consulted attorneys over what, if any, action it may take. On March 17, 2010 the Fujitsu IPAD U.S. trademark was transferred to Apple.
In the first days after the iPad's announcement, some media and many online commenters criticized the name "iPad", noting its similarity to "pad", the common name for a sanitary napkin. Shortly after the launch announcement, the hashtag "iTampon" became the number-two trending topic on the social networking site Twitter.
