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If you ask me, the iPad‘s prowess as an e-book reader lies not in pulp fiction, but in kids’ books. Think about it: the latest Grisham novel is just raw text, which any old Kindle can deliver. But children’s books are all about big, splashy pictures and wild colors–elements perfectly suited to iPad screens.
And needless to say, the iPad can do a lot more than just display static pages. It can read stories aloud; it can enrich a classic tale with touch-powered extras; and it can even render pages in 3D. Let’s take a look at five dazzling e-books for kids, starting with an eye-popping rendition of "Alice in Wonderland."
1. "Alice for the iPad" This lavishly illustrated 52-page abridgment of the classic tale incorporates animation like no other e-book to date. Readers can tilt the iPad to make Alice grow and shrink; shake it to watch the Mad Hatter’s bobblehead bobble; and so on. The frantically paced demo video (above) is a little over-the-top, but there’s no question this is a showpiece iPad app. Thankfully, there’s a free Lite version you can try before splurging on the $8.99 full version.
ABC is the only television network so far to offer an application for watching its shows free—with ads—on Apple Inc.’s new iPad tablet computer, and it says its business model is proving fruitful.
The network said that in the 10 days since the iPad’s debut, its TV-show watching app has been downloaded 205,000 times, giving the Walt Disney Co. unit a presence on nearly half the 450,000 devices that Apple says it has sold. Moreover, users have watched at least part of 650,000 television episodes using the app, generating “several million” ad impressions, according to an ABC spokesman, although the precise number is still being calculated.
Disney-ABC television President Anne Sweeney says the network is pleased with the initial results.
Advertisers on the iPad so far include Clorox, Lexus, AT&T, Heineken, Sears and Target. For now, Disney is delivering the same kind of 30-second spots seen on television. Starting in the fall, it expects to sell the kind of interactive ads featured on its Web player. Also, ABC eventually expects to give local affiliates the ability to sell ads that would be seen only by iPad users in their markets, a capability that already exists on its Web-based player.
On the heels of the popular GrooveMaker app for the iPhone / iPod touch, IK Multimedia (musicians first) has released GrooveMaker for the iPad. Perfect for that upcoming house party (DJ set) you’ve been planning. If you’re into house, hip-hop and drum ‘n bass style music (mixing loops and samples into endless differing arrangements and combinations) then GrooveMaker is definitely worth having a look at. IK Multimedia’s press release says:
GrooveMaker for the iPad offers the same smart features and streamlined workflow as the iPhone version, but also takes advantage of the new larger multi-touch surface to provide enhanced operation with an integrated, advanced controller.
Users will find a convenient mixer-like environment with large slider controls for volume, pan and master volume of the 8 controllable loop tracks, plus instant access to tempo, solo and mute functions all on the same screen.
Also, GrooveMaker for iPad adds even more control when working with loops, providing a new level of creative flexibility. Users can now switch "snapped" grooves with a single touch, plus control the number of loops that are automatically combined during a random mix. GrooveMaker iPad is the perfect addition to a DJ set, providing unlimited creative flexibility in live remixing and DJ applications.
Apple on Wednesday revealed that demand for the iPad is far higher than the company predicted, with more than a half-million U.S.-only sales in the first week. As a result, it has delayed the international launch of the iPad until the end of May.
"Although we have delivered more than 500,000 iPads during its first week, demand is far higher than we predicted and will likely continue to exceed our supply over the next several weeks as more people see and touch an iPad," Apple said in a statement. "We have also taken a large number of pre-orders for iPad 3G models for delivery by the end of April."
The press release continued: "Faced with this surprisingly strong U.S. demand, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the international launch of iPad by one month, until the end of May. We will announce international pricing and begin taking online pre-orders on Monday, May 10. We know that many international customers waiting to buy an iPad will be disappointed by this news, but we hope they will be pleased to learn the reason — the iPad is a runaway success in the U.S. thus far."
Consumers looking for one of Apple’s more affordable iPad models may still have trouble finding one at the company’s nation retail chain, where the device continues to sell out during its second full week of availability.
A survey of 15 Apple retail stores conducted this week by investment bank J.P. Morgan found that while 11 stores had the 64 model available for purchase, only 4 stores had stock of 16GB and only another 4 had the 32GB model.
“While the sample stores represent a small fraction of the 221 U.S.-based Apple stores, we believe the targeted stores offer a decent barometer given their geographic distribution and importance,” said analyst Mark Moskowitz.
For example, stores that were completely selling out of all 3 iPad versions at the time of the analyst’s field checks included Palo Alto, Greenwich, CT, and Miami Beach. In contrast, stores that were completely stocked with all 3 models included Chicago, San Francisco, and Kansas City.
How do old favorites hold up on the iPad? In our "From iPhone to iPad" series, TUAW revisits iPhone applications that have transitioned to the iPad. We look at their latest incarnation and see how the new measures up to the old. Today, TUAW looks at Flick Fishing.
I’ve been a big fan of this application for some time now so I was eager to give it a try on the iPad. Flick Fishing is a fishing simulator. You cast out a line, you wait for a fish, you reel in your catch, and then repeat. The trick lies in managing your line tension, choosing the right distance to cast your hook, and nursing your fish along — as you hope the latest catch is a record breaker. It’s an addictive game that worked beautifully on the iPhone.
To move to the iPad, the game needed to make some compromises. For one thing, the notion of "flicking" the reel had to go. While the iPhone easily fits in your hand, the iPad does not. Instead of casting your line by moving the device, you now use a "Cast" button. The reel control, formerly placed right next to the rod, appears well across the screen. The physical iPad realities drove those design changes and the game suffers, however slightly, as a result. You can imagine the iPhone as a hand-held fishing pole; you cannot do the same with the iPad.
ABC is the only television network so far to offer an application for watching its shows free—with ads—on Apple Inc.’s new iPad tablet computer, and it says its business model is proving fruitful.
On the heels of the popular GrooveMaker app for the iPhone / iPod touch, 
Consumers looking for one of Apple’s more affordable iPad models may still have trouble finding one at the company’s nation retail chain, where the device continues to sell out during its second full week of availability.
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