The hardware. There are two key components that make the iPad an iPad: its big screen, and Apple’s A4 processor. The screen, which is 9.7 inches, has a resolution of 1024×768 pixels — much more than the iPhone’s 480×320. The large, multi-touch screen opens up a lot of possibilities for the user to experience. But that gorgeous screen wouldn’t be anything without some power to back it up — Apple’s A4 processor. Apple claims that this, the first processor they designed, actually saves battery power without sacrificing the need for speed. But until we spend time with the device, we won’t be able to tell just how different the processor is from others that are similar enough in the mobile market.

The OS. A lot of people were disappointed to find out that the iPad runs the iPhone OS; but it would be a mistake to underestimate it. As you may already know, the iPhone OS is a modified version of Mac OS X — so thinking it is a simple phone OS is a mistake. The fault here was on Apple’s part by naming it the iPhone OS instead of something that better describes it, like Micro OS X — yes, I know that name actually sucks, but I did a better job than Apple this time.

The apps. Apple did a superb job in adapting many of the basic apps into ones that offer eye-candy and actually improve the user experience with all the extra screen space. The one I’m more looking towards too is the calendar app which pretty much emulates a datebook — that is, if it ends up with the same support for push syncing Google Apps (using the iPhone’s Exchange support) like the iPhone (haven’t found a reference to it yet). After the basic apps, there’s some new ones like iBooks, Apple’s answer to the Kindle and the Nook (more on that later) and the iWork apps, which will be going for $10 a piece. Oh, and Apple claims for out-of-the-box support for all existing iPhone apps — not to mention what exiting new ones we’ll see designed specifically for the iPad.

The iBookstore. Better later than never, Apple finally enters the ebook market to face the reigning champion, Amazon’s Kindle, and another newcomer, B&N’s Nook, with the iBooks app for the iPad. The iBooks app will be a free download, and initially available only to the US, which features the iBookstore — an iTunes-esque book store just like the App Store is an iTunes-esque… app store. Some time back it was apparent this was going to be the next market for Apple to enter; and with the popularity of iTunes, Apple already has some muscle to shove itself into. Now, Amazon has all the right reasons to be concerned. But the question is whether it will take off with a price of $500 for the reader (and so far, no plans of an iPhone or computer version of the reader), that is, if the iPad is not to be considered something beyond a reader to some potential customers?

The developers. Developers are more than excited with the iPad — even if the appeal is not immediately evident. After playing around with the beta SDK for a while, I managed to see that appeal. I won’t be able to talk about it since Apple has us under an NDA again — so let’s just say that we’ll see some pretty exciting apps soon enough. In fact, I’m interested in adding some iPad support to a not-yet-released app of mine in the future.

The preorders. The preorders were a huge hit since day one — some put the number at around 100,000 units. As a good Apple enthusiast and interested developer, I placed my preorder for the base model iPad to be picked up at one of the local Apple Stores on April 3rd. So expect to see some hands-on to appear here over the iPad’s launch weekend.

In the end, the iPad is already surprising the world — and it has not even been released yet. Only time will tell if all the hype surrounding the device has a basis on reality; personally, I already do see it as another big hit for Apple.

After a long absence, I think it would be fair to outline what is going on around here. The rumors of MacRecon’s death have been greatly exaggerated — at least they would’ve been if such rumors had surfaced. The truth is, MacRecon is going to have some big changes around here hopefully soon.

MacRecon is going to take a step away from the blogging business and get more into the computer science business. It’s no secret that I am currently studying just that at the university, and TipAgent for the iPhone was the first step.

If you kept up with my tweets, you may have gathered that I already had a second app finished since last summer; legal and personal issues kept me from advancing. I should note, though, that the app is another one that I made last year was to further explore the iPhone SDK and follows Apple’s “there’s an app for anything” philosophy we’ve seen — nothing earth-shattering.

I’ll have this app, in the same form as I left it last year, hopefully available soon in the App Store. After that, I shall begin working on some updates for this new app and TipAgent, since it’s obvious they’re in need of one. And who knows… maybe add something special for the iPad? A tip calculator may not scream iPad material, but I do see the newer app as a great iPad one once it is updated out from its cobweb-gathering status.

I also have more than a handful of ideas for new apps — a couple are amazing ideas that have me very excited, but most require expertise in Objective-C and the iPhone SDK I don’t actually possess yet. It’s been very bad on my part to abandon this programming area for nearly a year and not advance my knowledge there.

And as for content for this blog — as I mentioned — I’m not abandoning it entirely. I’m just taking a step away from it. I shall have some pieces also available for reading if you’re one of the few that truly have enjoyed them.

Well, that sums it up. If you have any comments, as always, feel free to post them.

Livescribe Pulse Pen. I previously had a look at its beta, and was impressed despite the many limitations. Now that the beta version has long ended, the final version has only added much to help students with Macs in its current, near-perfect state. What the smart pen basically does is capture whatever you write in special dot paper, and links it to the audio that was recorded as you were writing. Then, it all syncs to the computer where you can review your notes in digital format and even share them online; the pen also plays back the audio directly if you tap with it at the notes you wrote down. This is one of the best tools out there for the modern student who likes to capture as much out of a lecture as possible.

Things for Mac and iPhone. Things is one of the best GTD apps out there, which can certainly be adapted for student use. With the syncing that it provides over its Mac and iPhone clients, the student can easily keep track of every task that must be achieved — no matter how small. For the full review of the Mac version of Things click here.

Evernote for Mac and iPhone. Yes, I am mentioning Evernote for the one-hundreth time, but that’s just how great a tool it can be — even for the average student. Using either the web app, Mac app, or iPhone app, it is possible to capture all kinds of notes to be synced so that they can be accessed from anywhere. Creativity has also been shown from its users regarding how it can be used for more than taking notes, such as using it as an online recipe keeper — although students can be more creative on its use when working on campus.

Schoolhouse. For those seeking a solution exclusively geared towards students, one of the greatest Mac apps out there would have to be Schoolhouse. Although it has yet to see a major update in some time, it still works perfectly. And the best part of the deal? It’s free. (But donations are appreciated!)

iStudiez Pro. This iPhone app was recently featured in the App Store, and it’s not difficult to understand why — it has a great interface to go with its equally great functionality; organization will be a blast for any student armed with an iPhone. While it may still not have the perfection students demand (one of the missing features being a weekly overview) — it’s one of the best from the App Store.

That just about sums what some of the best choices are for the Mac and iPhone. But if you liked reading this, be sure to check out the following posts that were also geared towards students in the past:
Five free iPhone apps for the student mind
Going Mac to school while you save some green
Five more apps for the Mac student
Five essential apps for the Mac student