iPad Fact: No Multitasking, Notifications, TV Subscriptions, Camera or Textbooks

Apple's iPad Fact List

iPad is surely a winner, but despite the accessories, wi-fi and 3G options, there were quite a few things that we do not get. Hopefully OS 4.0 brings a few more rich features. TiPB (The iPhone Blog) has an interesting post of list of things that Apple might have missed. Check it out:

- Camera. Back, front-facing, or otherwise. There was no camera shown off and none visible. While this fits the "big apps iPod touch" metaphor, and allows Apple to do the typical "start limited, add functionality over time" strategy, we still wanted one now.

- Multitasking systems. Apple only showed one iPhone app or iPad app running at once. We've heard it’s running iPhone OS 3.2, and multi-tasking might be an iPhone (and iPad) OS 4.0 feature, but again, we wanted to see it now.

- Notifications. Did Apple show any form of notifications for email, apps, or otherwise? (Badges aside)? Again, we're hoping a better version is coming with 4.0.

- Textbooks. We saw the New York Times app, we saw iBooks for novels, but we didn’t see the much-talked-about textbooks… yet. (We’re guessing they’re coming soon though.)

- Verizon Provider. Only GSM/HSPA networking was announced. No CDMA, which would be required for Verizon to support the models shown off so far.

- TV Subscriptions. While print media is jumping all over themselves to get on the Apple's iPad, TV continues to show nothing approaching forward thinking. Not surprised, but hope that changes.

- Complex multitouch gestures. So far, the multi-touch gestures look like the ones on the iPhone, no swipe 3 fingers and twist in a circle to launch a document. Phew.

- Tethering. No word on whether the Wi-Fi only version of the iPad will tether to your existing iPhone (which would be nice), or if the 3G iPad will allow you to tether another device (we won’t hold our breath).

- HDMI out. Where’s our big fat video out cable so we don't need an Apple TV?

- Cloud. No mention of enhanced cloud-based services. Apple didn’t even mention MobileMe, never mind the rumored iTunes.com streaming media.

Apple's iPad