Wifi Revolution

If it weren’t enough to shell out $499 for an iPad – when the device goes on sale April 3 – you might want to bolster your savings account if you accidentally get a lemon. 

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple (News - Alert) said it will charge $99 plus shipping and handling to replace iPads with dying batteries.

According to a special iPad-related FAQ, “if your iPad requires service due to the battery’s diminished ability to hold an electrical charge, Apple will replace your iPad for a service fee.” There’s only one caveat: Your iPad is not eligible for “Battery Replacement Service” if the product has been damaged, for example, as result of an accident, liquid contact, disassembly, unauthorized service or unauthorized modifications, or if the product is not operating correctly as a result of a component failure.

Still, the gadget that Apple hopes tech-savvy users will snap up is plump with perks. For starters, the 9.7-inch sleek beauty is WiFi-ready.

In fact, AT&T (News - Alert) Inc.’s CEO Randall Stephenson told investors earlier this month he expects iPad users to mostly connect to the Internet using short-range WiFi (News - Alert) networks rather than AT&T’s cellular network.

Analysts say this year’s tablet releases – from Apple, HP and other leading vendors -- will truly make 2010 the launch year for this new market segment.

ABI Research’s (News - Alert) in-house expert Jeff Orr said his firm forecasts 4 million media tablets will be shipped worldwide this year.


“While laptops are focused on productivity, and mobile phones are still primarily about communication, the main focus of media tablets is entertainment,” said senior analyst Orr. “Content consumed on laptops and smartphones is increasingly based on Internet services. Home networks and mobile broadband data services make viewing possible without wires. These media tablets could not have come to market any sooner than 2010.”

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