AT A GLANCE
- 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768, capacitive, multitouch LED-backlit display
- Super long battery life
- Latest OS allows for multi tasking
Let me start off by saying that I'm completely bowled over, won over and overwhelmed. I've fallen in love...with an iPad. When I first got my iPhone I told all who would listen that if it were a boy person I'd marry it....I feel pretty much the same about the iPad. The only thing I'm really disappointed about it the fact that it can't (or won't) bring me coffee in bed.
The first thing I noticed about the iPad is that it pretty much looks like my iPhone on steroids. The surface mostly consists of the 9.7 inch, 1024 x 768, capacitive, multitouch LED backlit display. The border that surrounds the screen seems slightly wider than necessary at first, but I found that it is actually a very clever design from apple. The wide border prevents you from touching the touchscreen while handling the iPad, and therefore prevents you from accidentally activating applications. As with the iPhone, the iPad's surface is adorned only by the 'home' button. The back of the iPad is a simple curved aluminium sheet and gives Apple's latest creation an amazingly smooth and sleek design. Sexy, really.
The iPad sports a volume button, the power/sleep button on the upper right hand side and a screen position lock, which allows you to force the device to remain in either landscape or portrait mode. This comes in very handy when you are watching a movie and you don't want every slight movement you make to adjust the orientation of the screen.
The first thing I wanted to test was how easy typing would be on the iPad. Let's face it, the iPad is slightly too big to hold as you would your phone and type with your thumbs, which at first glance means that you would have to resort to single finger typing. While this holds true when you have the iPad in portrait I was impressed to find that if the iPad is set to the landscape screen, the keyboard size becomes very easy to type on. It takes a little bit of getting used to, because let's face it...we're all use to having to push buttons and 'feel' that we're typing. But once you push beyond the initial strange feeling typing becomes a breeze.
Flicking through pictures, playing games, opening and scrolling through webpages I was impressed to find that the response of the iPad was quick and without a hitch. Applications are quick to open and because I upgraded the operating system to iOS 4.2, the iPad can now also multitask like the iPhone. And it is amazing what a difference this makes.
Once I started working with the iPad and trying to determine if it is an effective work tool or just a fun toy I had to admit that I got annoyed at the lack of a USB port or even an SD card reader. In my opinion these are vital items. Another piece of hardware I noticed was missing is a webcam. While this is not a vital tool for enhancing the work experience on the iPad it does eliminate the possibility of having Skype video calls with friends and family. And let's face it...a video call using the ultra sexy and mobile iPad versus a video call from a laptop is just not comparable.
The iPad comes in either a 3G version, for which you need a microSIM, or a Wi-Fi version. While the Wi-Fi version is mostly practical if you have Wi-Fi at home or if you're sitting at a Wi-Fi hotspot, I found the 3G version super functional and much preferred it as it also allows you to connect to Wi-Fi should it be available. I think once you've had the opportunity to work with a 3G one, you wouldn't WANT to work with the Wi-Fi version. That being said, the 3G iPad is quite a bit more expensive, and this should be taken into account when weighing up which is more suited to your budget.
I was incredibly impressed by the battery life. I could use the iPad for a whole day, playing games, downloading apps, browsing, doing my e-mails, being very vocal on Twitter and there still seemed to be battery left at the end of the day. If I had to venture a rough estimate I'd say the iPad offers about 10hours of battery life of regular use. When using it to watch movies however the battery life decreases significantly, but still delivers an impressive 6 to 7 hours. It's AMAZING! If you're not planning on using it often and if you don't use battery-intensive apps you'll find that you can go a very long time without actually charging it.
I've spent the last couple of weeks trying to figure out what exactly the purpose of the iPad is. Is it an entertainment device? Can it replace my laptop? Or is it simply a beautiful gadget that serves no real purpose?
Let me start by saying that while there are applications you can use to create documents, spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations (although, without a USB port utilising the PowerPoint functionality becomes difficult) I don't think this little device has quite yet reached the level where it can fully replace your laptop. However, I do believe that in a year or two Apple will produce an updated version of the iPad that will. Think about it....if a first generation product can do all of this, what will a second or even a third generation model be able to accomplish?
So. Crunch time. Is it a beautiful gadget with no real purpose?
Not by a long shot! It is an excellent tool to use during meetings and if you merely need to create and e-mail documents and spreadsheets it is perfect. Also, it's the ideal solution to the age old problem of not having space to take a notebook but needing one when you travel. So while I'm not quite ready to throw away my notebook, I have found that I leave it in its bag a lot more often and choose to rather use the iPad.
Turn ons:
- Super sleek and sexy design
- Epic battery life
- Multi-tasking on the new OS
- Easy, normal typing in landscape mode
Turn offs:
- No USB port or SD card slot
- No webcam
