Forget the iPad for a moment. In my eyes, the iPad is the rare exception to the rule in the line of products that Apple has to offer because of the price to features ratio. But bearing in mind buying an iPad would be part of the perpetuation of the Apple brand and the consumerist smug levels that users seem to have, I will no doubt be avoiding it anyway.

Over a year ago, I bought myself an iPod nano – the fourth generation version which had just been released. It was a birthday present to myself and it was the cheapest iPod for a long time. I may as well give it a shot, I thought.

A couple of days later, I get a phone call from my bank, supposedly being the fraud department. I was suspicious of the call, so I called my bank back directly and yes, it turns out that in fact it was the fraud department. Better to be safe than sorry. As soon as the transaction went through from my debit card for the iPod touch nano, my bank had cancelled my card and stalled any transactions taking place, citing “suspicious activity”. When I confirmed that it was in fact a genuine payment and it was a birthday present to myself, they put the order through and I got the iPod the next couple of days.

It wasn’t as if I had bought a dozen of the same thing and sent the delivery to my non-billing address, but I should have seen that as an omen, frankly.

Since then, the scroll wheel became faulty and the battery lasts only so long. The absolute necessity to install iTunes to manage your music detests me (though SharePod works a treat, but not sadly it is not widely known about), and frankly the sound quality was knocked into second place by a BlackBerry of all things.

Switch for a moment from the iPod to the wider picture. The two are not necessarily connected or mutually exclusive to each other. An argument for poor build quality or raising the issue of a device which barely makes it through the year, perhaps. It boils down to one thing, in my opinion. Social class.

This isn’t about Windows or Linux, or even Mac OS X as such. This isn’t an argument of who should use what or the comparison between the operating systems. No, most definitely not. In fact, just to make a point to those who say I’m simply anti-Apple because I’m pro-Microsoft (which frankly makes me laugh), I would definitely advocate open-source technology and operating systems over Windows since my last experiment. The problem is, it’ll never happen.

Though many will no doubt argue that I could not possibly comment after buying a lone iPod nano. Over the last few months, I have experimented in great deal with Mac OS X, the iPhone, and other Apple products. I can surely appreciate the technology, the user interface and experience, the quality of the devices and suchlike. But the technology world seems to have infiltrated the class system in my view, meaning those who buy an Apple product – in particular the notebooks such as the MacBook Air or Pro – use it as a tool of raising their place in the social hierarchy. A device for fashion and statement, rather than that for function and necessity.

To see the technology and specifications packed into say, a MacBook Pro, a relatively powerful device which let’s face it, could be far cheaper and more powerful from another hardware manufacturer. Apple products are staunchly overpriced for what they offer and are not designed to be bought and therefore used by the average student.

Only the other day, was it pointed out to me the privately owned and run Seton Hill University expect students to pay thousands more for a degree programme than most other universities in the US, while at the same time jumping on the Apple bandwagon and offering every new student an iPad. The private university rakes in the tuition fees and spends it on technology of the upper classes – their students who can afford it. The tuition fee debate was sparked off in the comment section a couple of days ago, with my reply also.

They may well be perfect for the silver spoon student who has their tuition fees paid by their father’s trust fund, but to the average, proletariat, working to middle class background student who just about makes it through each academic year, “disposable” devices which are cheap and just about get the job done will have to suffice.

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Apple on Monday announced that it sold more than 300,000 iPads in the U.S. on the first day of sales, April 3. But is it enough?

That figure, taken through midnight Saturday, includes deliveries of pre-ordered iPads, deliveries to channel partners and sales at Apple retail stores. But I can’t help but think that the number is a little low.

There are a few reasons this may be:

A holiday weekend: Many folks who celebrate Easter were traveling and otherwise preoccupied;

Split availability: 3G models, which are more expensive, were not a part of the launch;

Proof: the iPad is a bit harder for consumers to digest than an iPod or iPhone. An iPod makes music. An iPhone makes phone calls. What the heck does an iPad do?

Apple also announced that iPad users downloaded more than one million apps from the App Store, and, interestingly, more than 250,000 ebooks from the iBookstore on the first day.

It appears to me that Apple has quite a bit of work ahead of it. The iPad has been accepted and impatiently awaited by technologists around the world, but the mass market still is merely curious about the device — and that curiosity isn’t strong enough to plunk more than $500 to take it home.

My take: Give it time. The technologists need to have time to crow about the virtues of the iPad to their non-techie buddies, who in turn will buy the device at Best Buy, rather than an Apple Store.

In the meantime, Apple needs to flood the airwaves with its iconic commercials featuring the iPad, not iPhone. Once it can show the average consumer what it can do, perhaps then they will bite.

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Announced earlier this year, the Apple iPad will now be available in the US on Saturday, April 3 – the Wi-Fi model that is and late April will see the availability of the Wi-Fi + 3G model. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April, which is also when international pricing will be announced. The iPad will be shipped to additional countries (yes that includes us) later this year.

From March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple’s online store or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.

“iPad is something completely new,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

iPad will be available for a suggested retail price of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB.

The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB.

The iBooks app for iPad including Apple’s iBookstore will be available as a free download from the App Store in the US on April 3, with additional countries added later this year.

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Apple has finally announced their much anticipated, (almost prayed for) tablet, and it’s called the iPad.

The bridge between a smartphone and a laptop, the iPad has a 9.7- inch touchscreen. It’s reportedly half an inch thick and weighs 1.5 pounds. iPad is powered by A4, Apple’s next-generation system-on-a-chip. Designed by Apple, the new A4 chip provides exceptional processor and graphics performance along with long battery life of up to 10 hours. Apple’s advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology deliver up to 1,000 charge cycles without a significant decrease in battery capacity over a typical five year lifespan. It also has built-in iPhoto, iTunes, a calendar and address book.

The iPad will come in three sizes – 16, 32, and 64GB – and features a speaker Bluetooth and WiFi.

Stay tuned for more updates from Apple’s conference or follow us on Twitter.

A new iPhone SDK has been announced which will allow developers to tweak their apps for the iPad.

Update:The iPad has no flash support for the browser but has a magazine, newspaper and Ebook reader.

Apple also introduced a new version of iWork for iPad, the first desktop-class productivity suite designed specifically for Multi-Touch. With Pages, Keynote and Numbers you can create beautifully formatted documents, stunning presentations with animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions and formulas. The three apps will be available separately through the App Store for $9.99 each.

Greenpeace rejoice. Each iPad enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy-efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iPad contains no brominated flame retardants and is completely PVC-free.

The iPad will cost $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB.

Apple’s iPad can be used as a canvas with artists optimizing the multi-touch display to the fullest.

For convenient typing the iPad will come with an optional keyboard dock and camera connection kit.

iPad features 12 next-generation Multi-Touch applications. Every app works in both portrait and landscape, automatically animating between views as the user rotates iPad in any direction.

iPad runs almost all of the over 140,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for iPhone or iPod touch.

iPad syncs with iTunes just like the iPhone and iPod touch, using the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable.

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