iPad Plans Mean NPR Will Be At Your Fingertips

If you're among the estimated 120,000 Apple enthusiasts who signed up to get an iPad on April 3, rest assured that you'll be able to experience the NPR Web site in all its glory.

Our designers and developers have been hard at work the past few weeks adapting the site to the iPad's unique requirements.

From day one, iPad users who visit the NPR Web site will get an experience that is optimized for the device. Features like the NPR audio player have been given greater visibility and adapted for the unique technical requirements of this new platform; we've modified the navigation and made the site more "touch" friendly; and we've improved the sponsorship experience — all without changing the main site.

The good news is it was all relatively easy to accomplish because of changes we made about nine months ago that make it simpler to adapt our systems to new platforms and new devices.

At the same time we're optimizing the Web site, we're also developing a companion "app" for the iPad — one that builds on what we've learned from the iPhone, but takes full advantage of the new device's larger format. Like the iPhone app, the iPad app will prominently feature public radio streams and on-demand programming from around the nation, in addition to plenty of reading material.

So you'll have your pick of NPR experiences on this new device. It's all part of a broader effort to make NPR and member station content available wherever and whenever you want it and to position ourselves at the forefront of innovation.

As we get closer to launch, the NPR staffers who have been most closely involved in the effort will describe some of the work that went on behind the scenes. In the meantime, they're racing the clock to make sure we're ready for the April 3 release.

Kinsey Wilson is Senior Vice President and General Manager of NPR Digital Media.