Everything iPad

It’s that time again. We hope you’re comfortable. This last week has been quite the interesting one, and we can’t wait to get into the thick of things with you. After all, with you by our side, we surely can’t get lost within the mess of analysts, complications, delays, announcements, and whatever else may lay ahead of us on this unknown trek of ours. (Of course, it’s well known what’s ahead, considering we’ve already covered it, but that’s not important!) So, if you’re ready, let’s get this show on the road.

We started the week easily enough: analysts were telling us that our beloved tablet was going to be delayed. Sure enough, unknown problems were causing a veritable bottleneck in the whole manufacturing process. The analyst informed all of us that if Apple did succeed in getting the iPad out the door, their numbers would be drastically decreased. He even went as far to claim that a mere 200,000 units would see initial release. And then, from out of nowhere, unnamed employees over at Foxconn (the overseas manufacturer of the iPad), came forward and announced that the manufacturing process for the iPad was on schedule. That, in fact, there weren’t any problems causing any kind of delay. While word from Apple would have been the most ideal, hearing this from sources within the manufacturing company itself works just as well. But then, that wasn’t the end of it. Yet another analyst came forward the following day, and professed his inside knowledge. Yes, actually, there was some kind of hold-up occurring, and even though no one could provide a reason for the slow down in manufacturing, it was still happening, and we were told to believe.

Major publisher Condé Nast has informed the world that they’re bringing some of the largest publications to the iPad. Wired, GQ, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Glamor will see staggered releases throughout the year to come, and offer up differentiating price schemes, as well as different models of publication. Some will infuse original interactivity, and still others may just be more of the “traditional” approach, even as they are placed in the digital field. This fell within our Flash Wars heading because the publisher has long worked with Adobe’s platform, and this was just yet another piece of the puzzle. And as a little pin, in other publisher news, The Wall Street Journal also came forward and announced that their iPad application was currently in development. Penguin also showed their vision of eBooks (or iBooks, as they relate to the iPad), and managed to blow all our minds.

On the gaming side of things, Sony made their intentions for the future quite clear: they’re gunning for Apple. While the company still believes their PSP/go are still viable products in the market, they are beginning to focus a lot of their energy on what has been dubbed the “PSPad” around the Interwebs. It’s meant to take on the iPad directly, but right now, there isn’t any hard evidence the thing exists outside Sony executive’s imaginations. So, we’ll just have to wait and see if anything like this happens. But the iPad is only gaining speed, and we’ve got the first iPad game to prove it. Zen Bound 2 is a sequel and revision all in one, and the team that created it are using the success they witnessed in the App Store from their days on the iPhone and iPod Touch to create an even better product. It’s scheduled to be released around the time the iPad hits store shelves, so hopefully this’ll be one of your first purchases.

And finally, the biggest news of the entire week: an official release date. That’s right, Apple came right out and announced it, press release and all. You can start pre-ordering your iPad starting March 12, and you should expect to see it in your palms after April 3, when it officially launches. We hear that people are already starting to plan their line parties, so you should probably get on that as well. This is going to go fast, and considering all those rumors about production problems, let’s hope that Apple can cover it.

That brings another week down, leaving us wanting more, and highly anticipating the weeks to come. Let us know if you’re going to pre-order, or why you don’t plan on it. We’d love to hear your reasons.