14 DAY TRIAL // Budget carrier of Qantas Airways Ltd. Jetstar has announced plans to kick off a trial of Apple Inc.’s iPad tablet computers for inflight entertainment later this month. According to a Jetstar spokeswoman, the airline will charge passengers A$10 ($8.40) to use the iPads for movies, books, games and television programs, while Internet browsing will be disabled.
Andrea Wait, speaking on behalf of the Melbourne-based Jetstar, has confirmed in an e-mailed statement that the airline has acquired “several hundred” devices, which will be available on flights lasting more than 90 minutes. Oz residents were introduced to the iPad just last week, a BusinessWeek report informs, adding that Apple has sold more than two million units in under 60 days since the tablet’s April 3 debut. The information comes straight from Apple, which, just yesterday, issued a press release confirming the milestone.
“Given the demand for the iPad so far, I anticipate it will have strong appeal amongst our passengers,” Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Bruce Buchanan said in the email statement. “Based on demand for the iPads as part of the trial, we’ll be looking to roll out the devices across our entire domestic and international network later in the year.”
The report goes to include a few technical specifications about the tablet device, saying it boasts a 9.7-inch touch-screen display, which is great for reading books and magazines, viewing videos, and playing games. While web browsing is one of the iPad’s key features, the measure to not provide the ability to browse the web had been taken to keep with the airline’s policy on the use of mobile phones and computers, Andrea Wait reportedly said. Finally, BusinessWeek acknowledges that Apple has been named the world’s most valuable technology company, with a market value of about $234 billion.