The iPad is a tablet device about the size of a magazine, it has a touch interface that allows you to touch it to interact with the software that you have installed.  This software is called an app and comes into existence through the process of

iPad app development.  Many software companies offer this service alongside other software development services, however many of these companies are not specialists in the field.

The development process for the iPad is certainly much different to the process for websites or traditional desktop software.  The user interaction through the touch screen interface is very different to using a mouse and requires much more intuitive design to achieve a good user experience.

There are two version of the iPad though many of the technical features are different there is much they have in common with each other.  The original iPad is slightly heavier and larger though the screen resolution and quality remain the same across the pair of devices.  The iPad 2 see’s the addition of forward facing and away facing cameras, adding to the photography base in the iPhone product from series 3 forwards.  

The front facing camera enabled the use of Facetime which as the iPad 2 is adopted further will be integrated into iPad application development for a much richer consumer experience.

Both iPad’s have GPS which is very useful for delivering location based services from advertising to mapping, the iPads retain the use of Google Maps for finding places and planning routes.  The larger iPad screen than the iPhone devices give a much easier on the eye experience, especially when navigating maps to find out where you need to go, iPad app development companies are integrating google maps and using the GPS in many apps to provide a new way of interacting with the consumers environment away from the screen.  Augmented reality apps that make use of the camera to provide contextual information about the surroundings are being developed many using the layer technology commonly used by iPad app development companies.

A significant difference between the two iPads is the processor which is claimed to be twice as fast as the original iPad, this will not have a great deal of effect in the short term as iPad app development companies will continue to develop software that will work on the first generation of iPad but within 12 months to a year as consumers replace these, better performing applications will come to market to push the tablet interaction further than anyone could of imagined.