MCT
The iPad, Apple’s newest innovation, is now available at the Kennel Bookstore to demo and purchase.
The bookstore announced the arrival of the iPad in its store on Monday, April 12. Customers can find three sparkling new iPads in the Apple demo area to test the new technology before committing to buying one.
Travis Williams, a music education major, ventured down to the first floor of the bookstore in hopes he would be able to check out the iPad.
“I thought it would be here,” he said while using his fingers to navigate on the multi-touch screen.
Next to him, English major Vivian Hernandez said her mom wanted to buy her the new gadget. Unsure, Hernandez was trying out the product to see if it was worth adding to her collection of a laptop and iPod Touch.
“My mom’s more into this stuff,” she said. “The other day she called and said ‘do you want one [iPad] because I can get it for you.’ I’m like I don’t even know what it is.”
Hernandez and Williams frequently asked the other about a new app they found or another feature they wanted the other to check out. The company’s Web site boasts that over a thousand new apps were created just for the iPad. The product can also run apps from the iPhone or iPod Touch, compiling over 150,000 possible apps.
“I like using the notes” she said as she swiveled the screen around to better mimic a keyboard. “I like doing it on my iPod Touch, but I like that the keys are bigger.”
Both students said having the item available for students to try out at the bookstore was a big selling point. They both agreed that they expected the price to be more expensive because the iPad is an Apple product.
“I think if you have everything already, it probably isn’t necessary,” she said. “If you’re looking into buying a laptop maybe you would think about buying this. But if you already have a laptop there’s probably no point, unless you have to keep up with the trends.”
Chuy Archuleta, a digital media major with a collection of about eight iPods, two iPhones and a MacBook, said he was anticipating the release of Apple’s newest invention.
“I already did research on it days before it came out,” he said. “I went ahead and started downloading them and started researching the applications so I could be better prepared for it.”
He said the price was reflective of Apple’s reputation for product superiority. At the Kennel Bookstore prices for the iPad start out at $499 and increases with the amount of gigabytes the product comes equipped with.
“For an Apple, you pay for quality because overall that’s what you’re paying for,” Archuleta said.
Since purchasing the iPad on Monday, Archuleta said he’s replaced transporting his MacBook to campus with the light, 1.5 pound iPad.
“I hate carrying around my MacBook as much as I love it,” he admitted. “There were days that I wished it was smaller. There’s an application I’ve been using every day since I’ve brought it to school called Pages, which is kind of like the Mac version of Word. It’s been really helpful.”
The iPad is the future of computing, Archuleta said. The senior recommended students who are beginning their college education should purchase an iPad because it will become an essential tool to use in the classroom.
“I honestly think that it’s going to be a normal thing for everyone to have an iPad,” he said. “It’s the best of both worlds. It’s like having an iPhone and a Mac but putting them together without having to carry heavy luggage. I use it [iPad] every day. I have it at work with me right now.”
To learn more about the iPad, visit the first floor of the Kennel Bookstore or check out Apple’s Web site at http://www.apple.com/ipad/.