Time Magazine’s list of the top 50 inventions of 2010 is out, and Apple’s iPad is among the devices that made the cut. The multimedia tablet made the list not only because of its feature set, but also because it redefined what had been a failing product category.
“In theory, the iPad is merely a follow-up to such resoundingly unpopular slate-style computers as Microsoft’s Tablet PC,” Time’s article said. “But Apple is the first company that designed finger-friendly hardware and software from scratch rather than stuffing a PC into a keyboardless case.”
That design led to immediate popularity and sales that are still going strong months after the iPad was first released.
iPad makes Time’s top 50 inventions list
Apple introduced the iPad in April. The tablet device includes a 9.7-inch multi-touch display, support for most iPhone apps, the ability to play audio and video files, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and some models include 3G wireless data support, too.
A software update that’s due out sometime in November will add multi-tasking support, the ability to organize apps in folders, wireless printing and wireless audio and video streaming support, too.
Two other iPad-related products made the technology category in Time’s list, too: Flipboard, an iPad app that displays news, Twitter and Facebook posts, and the Square credit card reader. The Looxcie portable video camera, Kickstarter philanthropy Web site, and Sony Alpha A55 camera were in the tech category as well.
The complete list of 2010’s top 50 inventions is available at the Time Web site.