Apple - News, Features, and Slideshows

Features

• The 8 best iPad apps -- so far

  Apple's iPad has been available for a short time, and you can already find apps to watch streaming movies, manage your Web passwords, use Twitter, do word processing and more.

• Apple's new MacBook Pros not for serious gamers

  Hoping Apple's new MacBook Pro updates might finally be able to chew through GPU-pummeling games like Crysis, Battlefield Bad Company 2, or Mass Effect 2? Keep on hoping for a better future model.

• iPhone OS 4 wish list: What we got right, what we got wrong

  After iPhone OS 3's release last summer, we pulled out our crystal ball, dusted it off, and tried to look ahead to iPhone OS 4. Some of what we wanted to see were big features, others were small tweaks. (Be sure to take a quick look at our original story before proceeding.) How did we fare? Let me put it this way: We won't be going into the psychic business anytime soon.

• Does the iPhone OS need multitasking?

  As we approach the one-year anniversary of the launch of the iPhone 3GS, rumors are beginning to circulate about what we can expect from an iPhone 4G. One of the most-wanted, and most-speculated features for the next-generation iPhone OS is the ability to truly multitask between apps.

• Top 10 features that Apple stole from Windows

  Steve Jobs once said that Microsoft stole Windows from Apple, but there has been plenty of idea snatching on both sides over the years. Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard each contain features that originated in the other OS. Some features were stolen so long ago that they've become part of the computing landscape, and it's difficult to remember who invented what. Here we give credit to Microsoft where credit is due.

• Apple versus HTC: Show me the patents!

  Apple has announced it is suing Taiwanese maker of smartphones HTC for infringing on 20 patents.

• Why Apple is really suing HTC

  Apple's lawsuit against Nexus One maker HTC and its ongoing legal battles with Nokia and Kodak suggest a universal truth: that lawyers start where innovation stops. Maybe smartphone innovation has slowed so much that Apple now finds it easier to play defense than to invent cool new iPhone technology.

• Google, Microsoft and Apple: Which one will thrive?

  Apple, Google and Microsoft are locked in a three-way struggle for industry dominance, competing to varying degrees on hardware, computer and cell phone operating systems, applications, entertainment, Internet search and more.

• Why Apple won't let the Mac and iPhone succeed in business

  Last summer, it looked like Apple was finally going to make its Macs and iPhones enterprise-capable, giving hope to those who wanted a more stable, less failure-prone option at the office.

• Apple iPad vs Kindle DX: Which is better for education?

  If the iPad doesn't succeed as a consumer electronics device--its initial target market--it may find a successful second career as an electronic textbook reader.

• Apple's iPad: What's it really for?

  If there's one thing Apple is good at, it's keeping the rest of world guessing about new products while generating more buzz than the New Orleans Saints making it to the Super Bowl for the first time. Even though the world knew Apple CEO Steve Jobs would unveil a tablet on Wednesday, the announcement created enough of a stir to take down Twitter briefly and slow Web traffic on a lot of sites.

• iPad: IPS screen technology explained

  During Wednesday's unveiling of the long-awaited iPad, Apple CEO Steve Jobs detailed that the new 9.7-inch tablet will make use of In-Plane Switching display technology. So, what excatly is In-Plane Swicthing, what does it do and why is Apple choosing to make use of this display technology for their new device?

• Diary of an iPhone developer: The iPad

  It's finally here! The new iPad is almost exactly what the rumor mill has been churning up for months but somehow seeing the thing officially announced still makes my jaw drop a little. Why? Because it opens up some new opportunities for iPhone developers without making them jump through a lot of hoops.

• Apple iPad: beyond the headlines

  Since its launch on Wednesday, Apple's iPad has made plenty of headlines. So far, most of the coverage has been about the device's capabilities, the content it will display, and whether or not people will be willing to buy it. But, there are a few key points that haven't been given as much attention as they deserve. Now that we're all coming off our Apple Tablet binge, and the iPad hangovers are setting in, here are four things you'll want to keep your eye on moving forward.

• Hands on with the Apple iPad

  I had the opportunity to spend some hands-on time with the long-awaited Apple iPad tablet after today's much-hyped press event. Unfortunately, I was a bit underwhelmed: I can see a lot of really useful applications for the iPad, but the reality is that it looks and behaves like an iPhone (or iPod Touch) on steroids. And that's not exactly a good thing.