Commentary

iPad: The Ad, Tethering, What We Don't Know

Despite its flashy debut in January and the recent television spot that aired during the Oscars, there's still a lot we don't know about the Apple iPad. Steve Jobs did, however, take the time to respond directly to one user email about tethering the iPad to the iPhone.

Despite its flashy debut in January and the recent television spot that aired during the Oscars, there's still a lot we don't know about the Apple iPad. Steve Jobs did, however, take the time to respond directly to one user email about tethering the iPad to the iPhone.Every now and then, Steve Jobs will surprise people by replying to their emails. It's rare, but it does happen. Recently, a Swedish user named Jezper SÖderlund decided to take the risk and email Jobs directly. He wrote:

"I'll keep it short. I'm Jezper from Sweden, a long time Apple fan, currently about to replace the very last computer at home with a brand spanking new iMac i7. I'm also awaiting the release of the iPad. However, I have one question: Will the Wi-Fi-only version somehow support tethering thru my iPhone? Two devices, based on the same OS, with already built-in technology to share one data plan suggests a secondary contract could possibly be redundant. From the look of your keynote, where the iPad sits well between my MacBook Pro and my iPhone, I was hoping the three of them could interact as seamless as possible. All the best, Jezper SÖderlund
As is His Jobsness' style, Steve replied with a single word: "No."

Well, I guess that clears up one issue. But there's still tons of stuff we don't know about the iPad at all. Some questions I have about the iPad include:

  • Will the iPad connect to the iPhone in any way, such as Bluetooth to share files or other data?
  • What about a direct cable connection to the iPhone?
  • Can the iPad make use of the iPhone's camera?
  • What about a 30pin-to-USB accessory to allow for easier data transfer?
  • Are accessories going to be as ridiculously overpriced as those for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and pretty much every other Apple product out there?
There are tons more questions, but you get the point.

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Last up, Apple debuted the first television ad for the iPad during the Oscars. In the ad, everything about the iPad looks pretty slick, but will it be slick enough to make the iPad a hit device?

You can watch the ad here.


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