The Apple iPad turns 10 this week! On the 27th of January 2010 this revolutionary device was released.
Tablets were nothing new in 2010. Smartphones had been out for awhile. The original iPhone was released in 2007 and the first Android phone about a year later. In 2010 tablets weren’t considered a serious device to use for really anything, but the iPad changed all that.
Since then Apple has sold about 350 million units. Many of the first generation tablets are still in use and their innovation keeps going.
DIG DEEPER
In addition to a high quality portable device, Apple introduced the idea of a centralized location for getting software, which we now call “apps”. This central location allowed a user to be able to search and download various application software, games, and other resources from a place they knew to be, for the most part, safe. Apple reviews their software so you know you are getting something that has been through a basic testing process.
It is possible to load an app to a tablet (both Apple and Android) without the use of the proprietary app store. This method, called sideloading, bypasses a lot of the requirements and is uncommon.
Changes over the years have included the charging and interface port. This type of changes can have far reaching effects not only because of the need for new power supplies but also the support of third party devices. There are many manufacturers of hardware that can connect to your tablet. If the tablet’s port changes this can cause incompatibilities. The iPad started with a 30 pin port which changed to the current “lighting” format in 2012. This, along with the iPhone, has allowed for a much smaller plug. The biggest complaint was that the lighting format is still proprietary to Apple.
In 2018 the change of the headphone jack in the iPad Pro was an innovation that caused controversy with Apple customers and those who were considering purchase of their product. Throughout the years we have seen progressive upgrades to the processor, memory, screen size and resolution to create what we have today.
Happy
Birthday iPad!
William (Bill) Sikkens has been an on-air technology expert since 2014. With an expertise in I.T., cyber security and software design he has had more than 20 years’ experience with advanced technology. Sikkens conceptualizes and designs custom applications for many professional industries from health care to banking and has the ability to explain the details in a way all can understand. Article edited by Gretchen Winkler, who along with Jeremy Winkler are the co-hosts of User Friendly 2.0 here on The Answer Saturday’s at 5:00 p.m.
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