Apple puts extreme security on pre-release tablet

Apple is requiring that the few pre-release iPad developers with hardware exhibit the same level of secrecy that it implements itself, a rare insight into the process has shown. Those with access to the tablet before its April 3rd launch have had to not only shroud any windows but to tether the iPad to an immovable object. The company goes so far as to have companies take a photo of the room meeting these conditions before they receive their sample units.

The practice is reflective of the secrecy at Apple's own campus, where those working on potentially identifiable products often involves multiple measures to prevent photos or products leaving certain areas. Other steps have included areas that are explicitly off-limits, even to employees at similar levels.

Such conditions have led to many developers simply having no access at all to the iPad itself before launch, even at major iPhone developers like Evernote. The limits have posed a problem for companies whose experiences depend heavily on gauging how the interface works when held in hand. Evernote has turned to creating mockups to simulate the experience.

The development process contrasts sharply with those of other devices, which often have confidential terms but are considerably less strict; by comparison, numerous Android tablets have been leaked or deliberately revealed in advance, which along with Android's open nature has helped developers produce content significantly in advance of release.

By Electronista Staff