iPad Gets a Little iPhonier

iOS 4.2, the new version of the mobile device operating system Apple pushed out Monday, includes several new features for iPad users -- and a few of them are features iPhone owners have been using for some time. The update puts all three types of iOS devices more or less on equal footing in terms of features. In addition, users will now be able to use the Find My iPhone feature for free.

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) released iOS 4.2 on Monday, managing to put the update in users' hands within the month of November. Some users, however, had expected the completed iPhone, iPad and iPod touch update to be released earlier this month.

The delays were reportedly due to bugs that required fixing.
The latest release of Cupertino's mobile device operating system incorporates several new features, including AirPlay and Game Center for iPad.
It also incorporates the Find My iPhone feature, which is now available free.
Another new feature lets users rent TV episodes directly to the iPad.
Apple also released an Apple TV update, version 4.1, in a move that could be interpreted as injecting power into AppleTV in a bid to fend off Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) TV.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Details of iOS 4.2

The iOS 4.2 update works only with the iPad, the iPhone 3G and later and iPod touches released in late 2009 or afterward with 32 or 64 GB of storage.
For iPad owners, the OS update also lets users organize their apps into folders using drag-and-drop, a feature that iPhone users have already been able to use. The iPad's Mail feature has a unified inbox, and it offers fast inbox switching and a threaded message view.
Another feature, Game Center, lets iPad users play games online or be matched automatically with new opponents.
The iOS 4.2 update includes AirPlay, a feature that lets users stream music, video and photos wirelessly from their iDevices to Apple TVs. Users can also use AirPlay and AirPort Express to wirelessly stream content to stereos or powered speakers, or directly to AirPlay-enabled speakers. The latter will hit the market soon, Apple disclosed.
Another feature, Find My iPhone, is now available for free as part of iOS 4.2. Previously, users had to sign up for the MobileMe service at $99 per year in order to use this feature.
The OS update lets users rent TV episodes directly on their iPads through the iTunes app. They get 30 days to watch the episode and 48 hours to view it once they begin playback.
Further, iOS 4.2 lets users easily find and highlight specific words and phrases on Web pages in Safari. It has enhanced enterprise support capabilities with increased security and better device management.

Parity With the iPhone

Release 4.2 of iOS lets iPad users multitask, switching between apps on the fly. This feature has been available on the iPhone for some time, so iOS 4.2 unifies the two platforms.
"The major value of iOS 4.2 is bringing iPhone 4 parity to the iPad," Carl Howe, director of anywhere consumer research at the Yankee Group, told MacNewsWorld. "For the past six months, iPads have had the bigger screens, but lacked many of the features of the iPhone 4. Now, consumers can choose between them based on hardware preferences, not software differences."

AirPlay Gives You Content Anywhere

AirPlay lets users stream content through their homes wirelessly. The technology will be fully integrated into speaker docks, AV receivers and stereo systems from companies such as Bowers & Wilkins and Denon, Apple said.
AirPlay will likely be used to boost the profile of Apple TV, a product Apple CEO Steve Jobs has repeatedly described as his hobby and one which only began taking off recently after being updated and having its price slashed to US$99.
In launching iOS 4.2, Apple said AirPlay transforms Apple TV into a great accessory for iPad, the iPhone and the iPod touch.
Apple helped things along by releasing its 4.1 update for Apple TV Monday. This will reportedly enable full video streaming and offer spoken menus.
"Airplay is Apple's way of increasing the value of its ecosystem and further differentiating its ecosystem from those of the competition," the Yankee Group''s Howe opined.
With Google TV generating considerable excitement, Apple needs to boost Apple TV if it wants to remain a player in the streaming TV game.

Where in the World Is My iDevice?

The Find My iPhone feature, which is available for free in iOS 4.2, may give rise to some controversy for Apple.
The feature lets a user locate an iOS devices if it has been misplaced. Previously, users had to sign up for the MobileMe service, which costs $99 a year.
The newly free offering "is actually the best feature of the upgrade," the Yankee Group's Howe said. "My wife and I used that just last Friday -- we'd gone to a restaurant for lunch, but then stopped back at my office when she couldn't find her phone. I used Find My iPhone on MobileMe to discover it was still at the restaurant, displayed a message for the wait staff that we were coming back to get it, and when we went back to collect it, it was waiting for us at the front. That's not just a product feature; it's a valuable consumer service."
Will Apple provide a refund of the fee consumers paid for MobileMe in order to use the Find my iPhone feature?
"MobileMe provides synchronization across multiple devices as well as backing up data in the cloud, and Find My iPhone is only one of its features," Chris Hazelton, a research director at the 451 Group, told MacNewsWorld.
"While Find My iPhone is arguably the most valuable capability of MobileMe, it's not likely that Apple will refund users, although it may feel some pressure to reduce the price of MobileMe," Hazelton said.
MobileMe provides access to email, contacts, calendars and photos.