Apple posts up iPad Guided Tours... lots of Guided Tours

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/29/apple-posts-up-ipad-guided-tours-lots-of-guided-tours/

iPad pre-orders are just starting to ship out and Best Buy is getting prepped, but Apple's just posted up a whole slew of its Guided Tours to hold you over until April 3. Sadly, we're not seeing any entries for "How Do You Type While Standing Up" or "Why Do I Need A $30 Dongle To Get A USB Port On This Thing," but the entries for Mail, Safari, iBooks, and the rest do include some revealing new information -- and it certainly seems that tap-and-hold will be a big part of the UI paradigm. We're still watching them all -- let us know if you see anything interesting in comments.

Update: Okay, here's the new stuff we've seen so far:

• iBooks has an integrated search feature, a built-in brightness control, and a dictionary that can pull up any word just by tapping on it. The same dictionary is in Pages, too -- we're assuming it's a system-wide feature available to any app, just like on Mac OS X. We've been told in the past that it supports user dictionaries and spellcheck, but we'll see what actually ends up shipping.
• There's a quick mention of connecting the iPad to your home stereo in the iPod video, but no mention of streaming to the Airport Express or an Apple TV. There's a big missed opportunity.
• Typing with one hand on the portrait keyboard in Pages looks just as silly as you'd expect.
• Numbers has a special formula keyboard.
• Tap and hold is everywhere, and unlike the iPhone, the UI has "windows," which are detailed info panes that float above the main app interface. The iWork apps also all have a "menu bar" area in the upper right that contain several options. You can see how interacting with an iPad will be familiar but still quite different than using an iPhone -- depending on the apps, of course.

[Thanks, John]

Apple posts up iPad Guided Tours... lots of Guided Tours originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Apple  | Email this | Comments