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Overall, Apple's iPad looks and behaves like a scaled-up version of an iPod Touch or iPhone, but there are some key differences that distinguish the iPad from its pocket-size comrades. One of these differences, surprisingly, is music playback.

Clicking on the iPod icon sitting in the virtual tray at the bottom of the iPad opens up a music browser that looks nothing like any previous generation of iPod or iPhone, but instead, works like a stripped-down version of Apple's iTunes music software. There's the familiar iTunes gray bar running across the top, with playback controls, a volume slider, a search box, and the little progress/scrubber bar. Playlists are perpetually pinned to a sidebar, along with icons for audio books, music, music videos, and podcasts.

Across the bottom you'll find buttons for creating genius playlists or standard playlists (the latter, oddly enough, being a new feature), along with tabs to sort your music by songs, artists, albums, genres, or composers. I also noticed that pressing on the cover art in the bottom left corner will expand the artwork to full screen.

Music on the iPad feels more like iTunes than the iPod or iPhone.

(Credit: Apple)

But in spite of how much the iPad's music browser looks and acts like iTunes, it's really a bit of a hybrid between the iTunes interface and the capabilities of the iPod's browser. For better or worse, there are no extensive preferences to tweak, no sorting options beyond the previously mentioned tabs, no importing of audio beyond over-the-air purchases and media transferred from your computer, and no smart playlists.

Also, oddly enough, there's no Cover Flow view on the iPad--which seems like a shame, given how much the device feels like a throwback to the album era. Which brings up another surprise: no iTunes LP support. Surely with all this screen real estate and processor power, Apple's media-enriched iTunes LP format would make a perfect fit for the iPad. In fact, it seems like such a no-brainer, I suspect that compatibility will be announced once the iPad goes on sale in April (along with some other announcements, perhaps).

So that's the iPad's music browser in a nutshell, based on my brief time with it. For a video demonstration showing how to create standard music playlists using the iPad, check out my short hands-on video. If you have any other questions about the iPad's music features, feel free to leave them in the comments.

I often encounter iPhone and iPod owners who are surprised to learn that they can plug their devices into a speaker dock for headphone-free music enjoyment. If you're one of those people, well, surprise!

For today only (meaning until midnight Eastern time, January 28), deal-of-the-day site Yugster has a refurbished Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus speaker dock for $36.97, plus a reasonable $5 for shipping.

So where's the link? It's hiding, kind of. To get this deal, you need to create a Yugster account (which basically entails signing up for its newsletter). Once done, click the Sneak Preview Offer tab on the Yugster home page.

Needless to say, there are a zillion speaker docks out there, but surprisingly few have the shielding necessary for iPhone compatibility. Since Logitech shielded this one, it works with all iPhone and iPod models that have a dock connector. There's also an auxiliary input for use with virtually any other MP3 player on the planet.

You can get the full poop on the Pure-Fi Express over at Logitech's product page, but here are the highlights: front/rear speakers that promise omnidirectional sound; a wireless remote; a clock with alarm; and the option to go portable (using six AA batteries).

An FM radio would be nice, but cheapskate beggars can't be choosers. The Pure-Fi Express sells new for $99, so getting out the door for around $42 is pretty sweet. I should note, however, that the warranty is only 60 days--that's the price you pay for saving 60 percent off its retail price.

Remember, this deal is available today only. If it happens to sell out (and it might), here's my backup deal:

Backup deal: Photo service Shutterfly is offering 25 free 4x6-inch prints, no strings attached. Just use coupon code FREE25PRINTS between now and February 8. Shipping on prints will cost you about $2.50.

The Apple iPad.

(Credit: Apple)

The Apple iPad is a bit of a misfit. Like an iPod Touch with a glandular problem, a complicated pricing scheme, and a name that will fuel weeks of late-night comedy monologues, the iPad has a rough road ahead of it.

Fortunately, I'm fond of misfits. I mean, I'm the guy who thinks the Chumby is a good idea.

More importantly, I'm a fan of disruptive technology--and for all the snickering, jaded, eye-rolling comments the iPad will get, it is going to change the way we think about mobile technology beyond the smartphone.

I'll get on my editorial jag in a minute, but first, let's spell out the specs. The iPad measures 7.47 inches wide by 9.56 inches tall by 0.5 inch thick, and weighs 1.5 pounds. Held in your hands, the dimensions and heft have a natural, magazine-like feel.

Apple iPad from every angle (photos)

The screen is a glass-covered, oleophobic, LED-backlit, 9.7-inch capacitive touch screen that uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology for above-average viewing angles. Maximum screen resolution is 1,024x768 pixels. Video output is available using a dock adapter, but HDMI is not supported, and output resolution is constrained to 480p. Below the screen is a home button that looks and behaves exactly like the button found on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Matte aluminum wraps around the backs and sides of the iPad, tapering a bit around the edges. If you've ever held one of the latest unibody MacBooks, you know exactly the kind of feel and finish of the iPad's aluminum. Unlike the polished chrome of the iPod or glossy plastic of the iPhone, the back of the iPad seems less likely to show fingerprints and wear. Like any Apple product, though, expect to see a boatload of cases and screen protectors for the iPad by the time it launches in April.

The buttons, switches, and ports around the edges of the iPad will be familiar to any iPhone owner. A 30-pin dock connector sits on the bottom, along with a small integrated speaker; a volume rocker button and mute switch sit on the right side, and a screen lock, a headphone jack, and a pinhole microphone sit up top.

Under the hood you're looking at a 1GHz A4 processor of Apple's own making, along with 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 2.1, and a compass. Battery life is rated at 10 hours, and three storage capacities are available, including 16GB ($499), 32GB ($599), and 64GB ($699). A line of iPads with 3G wireless data support (microSIM) are due out in May with the same capacity range, only it will cost $130 extra for each respective model (i.e., $629, $729, and $829). If you go the 3G route, you'll also need to pay for an additional data plan (currently provided by AT&T with no contract), setting you back $14.99 a month for 250MB of data, or $29 for "unlimited" usage. As data plans go, those prices are very reasonable, but they are tied to the device and can't be shared with your phone or other Internet-capable devices.

The iPad photo app organizes images into stacks, which can be unfurled and manipulated with intuitive touch-screen control.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Features
Man, oh man--where to start? First off, let's be clear that the iPad is running a version of the iPhone OS (version 3.2 on the model I handled), and not a version of Apple's full-blown Mac OS. Aside from a few new features (such as iBooks) and a handful of interface tweaks to take advantage of the larger screen, the iPad operates very much like a scaled-up version of the iPod Touch.

Apps that have been around since the iPhone's beginning, such as e-mail, photos, notes, an iPod, calendar, contacts, maps, YouTube, and the Safari Web browser, are all installed on the iPad. Each of these apps, however, has undergone a makeover for the iPad's larger screen size. For instance, apps such as contacts and calendar now offer a split-pane view, allowing more content to spill out onto the screen. The iPod app now looks and behaves like a pared-down version of iTunes, complete with multiple library views, and the capability to create both standard and Genius playlists.

The most impressive app makeover by far, though, is Apple's photo app.... Read More

Pardon me while I check out my iPad, people.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

In case you missed it, Apple on Wednesday unveiled the long-rumored and even longer-awaited iPad, a tablet computer in the same family as the iPod Touch and iPhone. Some of my friends and colleagues are excited about the device. Indeed, it features a fairly amazing design, has a 10-hour battery life, and already has 140,000 apps in the iTunes App Store that run on it. And the inclusion of Amazon's book store is a coup.

But it's not at all what it could have been.

It's not that it isn't cool--it is, technically. But I was underwhelmed. And it's not because of the rampant rumors flying around the Internet in the last few weeks but rather because there are some simple things I had hoped--and a couple I had assumed--would be featured that aren't. Here are just five of them.

The aspect ratio isn't wide screen
When the iPhone was introduced, Steven Jobs specifically said it was a "wide-screen iPod." People had been clamoring for one for a while, so Apple delivered it as an iPhone component. Sure, it wasn't the actual 16:9 many wanted, but it was better than the standard definition 4:3 that the current crop of iPods was sporting.

And the latest versions of the Nano are also wide screen. Apple TV supports 16:9 natively, so why is the iPad--with 1,024x768 pixel resolution--stuck in the world of 4:3? Apple says it plays back HD video, which technically it does, but with down-converting. HD video at 720p, which is what the iPad supports, is 720x1,280. With a maximum width of 1024 pixels, the iPad really plays back true 720p--which uses 16:9, anything else isn't truly "720p"--video at 576x1,024. That's not much better than 480p.

There are LCD screens out there in the same relative size range as the iPad that are true HD-proportioned. Why didn't Apple use one of these?

Video output is supported but only at 480p
I could have forgiven the limited screen size if the device offered true HD output. It doesn't. Again, why not? The new proprietary Apple processor seems powerful enough to power 720p video, yet it's restricted.

It may be to keep from cannibalizing sales of the Apple TV, a device that Apple is somehow still supporting and one that truly does output crystal-clear 720p video. ... Read More

Wondershare DVD Ripper Platinum should rip any DVD you own, but it's not the fastest in its class.

(Credit: Wondershare)

I own J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" reboot. The DVD's bought and paid for. Needless to say, I'm not about to give Apple another $14.99 so I can watch the movie on my iPhone or iPod Touch. That's as ludicrous as buying the MP3s of an album I already purchased on CD.

Alas, though it's easy to turn a CD into iPod-friendly digital media--iTunes can do it, as can Windows Media Player--ripping a DVD requires a bit more muscle. That's why I tested the latest versions of two popular products: WinX DVD Ripper Platinum ($29.95) and Wondershare DVD Ripper Platinum ($39.95). (Apparently platinum is the, um, gold standard when it comes to ripping utilities.)

Basically, I wanted to see how well the two tools handled a new release like "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" and an older one like "Back to the Future." Again, these are movies I own; I believe creating a digital copy constitutes fair use, same as ripping a CD does.

For these fairly informal tests, I opted for medium-quality MPEG-4 conversion using preselected "iPhone" profiles. Also, my system has a quad-core AMD processor with 6GB of RAM, so performance results will undoubtedly vary unless you have similar hardware.

From a feature standpoint, the two programs are pretty similar. Both give you an abundance of conversion options, meaning you can rip your DVDs for viewing on devices other than just the iPhone and iPod (everything from Apple TV to Zune).

Apple and Nokia each control big chunks of the worldwide mobile market and are duking it out for more.

In the final quarter of 2009, Apple's iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPhone operating system reigned in markets in Western Europe, North America, Latin America, and Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, and nearby countries), according to an AdMob report (PDF) released Thursday.

Meanwhile, Nokia's mobile devices and the Symbian OS led in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe,

AdMob sells text and banner ads to publishers on mobile platforms; as such, it tracks and measures which phones and mobile devices are used in which global regions.

Worldwide, Nokia lost market to Apple throughout 2009, with its share of ad requests on the AdMob network dropping to 18 percent in last year's fourth quarter from 33 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008.

On the flip side, Apple's share of requests on AdMob's network rose to 36 percent in the fourth quarter from 9 percent in the prior year's fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, handset maker HTC saw its share rise to 6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 from 1 percent in 2008's fourth quarter, thanks in part to robust sales of its phones with Google's Android operating system in North America and Western Europe. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion stayed flat with a 3 percent share.

Though smartphones accounted for only about 14 percent of all mobile devices shipped last year, they cooked up 39 percent of the traffic generated on AdMob's network. Overall, traffic from Android phones rose to 16 percent in last year's fourth quarter from 1 percent in the prior year quarter.

Across specific regions in the fourth quarter, in North America, Apple won a 40 percent share, followed by Samsung's 17 percent, and Motorola's 11 percent. In the arena of operating systems (as opposed to manufacturers), Android's cut of the market in North America hit 27 percent in the fourth quarter--the largest for Android in any region tracked by AdMob.

Apple also led Latin America with a 39 percent share of the market, leaving Nokia with 15 percent and Sony Ericsson with 11 percent.

In Western Europe, Apple devices took home more than two-thirds of all ad requests tracked by AdMob, while Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson lost ground. In the Oceania region, Apple again saw its market share surge, accounting for the vast majority of traffic seen by AdMob.

But Nokia stayed firm in its corners of the globe. The company is the leading cell phone maker in Asia, grabbing 53 percent of AdMob's traffic there in the fourth quarter.

In Africa, Nokia won 54 percent of the traffic. And in Eastern Europe, Nokia lost some ground but still held a strong 35 percent cut of the market in the fourth quarter, followed by Apple with 23 percent.

Update at 10 a.m. PST: The AdMob graphic was swapped out for a different one from the company's report.

(Credit: http://www.old-picture.com/united-states-history-1900s---1930s/Sharing.htm)

This week's Apple tablet rumors are incessant and ever-mounting, but a big rumor rundown from the Wall Street Journal that posted late last night introduced several new wrinkles to the expected Apple tablet, the most notable in my eyes being the use of the tablet as a "shared media device."

According to sources, not only will the tablet (or iWhatHaveYou) aim to reinvent the concept of shared media, but the device will focus on multi-user sharing, with concepts such as sticky notes and a camera that could identify the user and, possibly, bring up their personalized content.

The real question, however, is this: can a shared device really work?

I say this because I'm relentlessly territorial over my own gadgets. My home laptop is a device I prefer to use myself, and when my wife uses it I'm overcome with a sense of invasion. I've learned to relax this feeling, but the truth is she has her own laptop but prefers the software on mine (and its capability to play Hulu).

The possessiveness doesn't end there, though, especially in Apple's own concept of ownership. iPods and iPhones are the very definition of personal devices, and the way they sync to one's personal media libraries is a one-to-one mapping. Most of my personal gadgets, with the exception of cameras, are devices I tend to use for myself. I certainly would love the idea of a more open, shared approach to media from Apple, but with a device as lustworthy as a potential Apple tablet, would anyone really want to share theirs with anyone else?

Of course, the most likely reason for a shared approach could be price. If the tablet is $1,000 as some have guessed, and it's being sold to people who already own MacBooks, iPhones, and perhaps even iPods, a "one per household" approach might be the only way to sell such a device to consumers until a future date when the price becomes more manageable.

How do you feel about personal gadgets? Do you play nice and share? Or is Apple about to teach us a whole new way of using our bright and shiny new toys with others?

During a recent visit to a Borders bookstore, I got my first hands-on look at the Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300--and I was impressed.

It's less expensive and much more compact than the Amazon Kindle 2, and it supports the increasingly popular EPUB file format--meaning you may be able to "check out" books from your local library.

If you don't mind buying a refurbished unit, the SonyStyle store has the Reader Pocket PRS-300 for just $159.99 shipped (plus sales tax in some states). That's $40 less than the original price on a new unit. (Note: new Reader Pockets are on sale for $179.99 until January 23.)

Don't let the name fool you: This e-book reader won't fit in most pockets. However, it's quite a bit smaller (and much cuter, in my opinion) than a Kindle. Also, it's definitely lighter at 7.7 ounces. Thus, it's easier to tote around.

Of course, you don't get any kind of wireless capabilities, so you'll need to use a PC to load the reader with e-books.

Other than that, how does it compare with other e-book gizmos? You can find out by watching CNET's video review of the PRS-300 and reading the accompanying write-up. CNET liked it overall, but the reviewer had a few notable complaints.

Personally, I think if you're looking for the ideal e-book reader, you should get a refurbished iPod Touch (like this 8GB model for $159). It offers e-book apps galore (including the killer Kindle app). Of course, the iPod Touch does way more than just display e-books.

That's just my two cents. If you want to read more of my thoughts on e-book readers, I wrote an iPods versus Kindles article last July. Some of the pricing has changed, but my opinion has not.

Apple has formally announced a special event for Wednesday, January 27, in San Francisco to reveal to the public its "latest creation."

Part of the invite for the January 27 Apple event, as sent to CNET Blog Network's Jim Dalrymple.

(Credit: Apple)

Whether the company will open the curtains on a tablet, slate, big iPod Touch, or a bit of all three, invited guests will find out for sure at the 10 a.m. event to be held at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater.

With the invite teasing people to "Come see our latest creation," no one knows for sure exactly what Apple has up its sleeve. But the rumor mill has been busy speculating on some type of tablet device that would let people surf the Net, watch movies, read e-books, and probably perform other tricks conjured up by the mind of Steve Jobs.

Sources have reportedly told The Wall Street Journal that the device would be a 10- or 11-inch touch-screen tablet offering wireless access and sporting a price tag of $1,000. The rumored device of the day, however, is a reported 22-inch tablet PC.

Further details are of course sketchy now, and we probably won't know much more until January 27 arrives. But we'll keep you updated with any further information as it comes in.