Introduction

Yes, this is probably the 100th plus review of the Apple iPad that you’ve come across by now and for that, we’re sorry. We wanted to take our time reviewing the tablet for a couple of reasons. 1) We simply believe in putting a product through the ringer before writing up a review on it and 2) the iPad has the potential to alter the mobile computing landscape as we know it. 

Bold assertions I know.. but one that’s not necessarily far fetched. You see, whether you realize it or not, the iPad has made tablet computing relevant to the masses – something Microsoft has unsuccessfully tried to do for nearly a decade now.

AND whether you like it or not, the iPad sets the bar for what consumers will expect out of future tablet devices. You turn it on, finger-swipe to get to the home screen, and launch applications. It just works. There’s no “start” button to worry about, no windows to minimize, no stylus to worry about losing. The iPad just works.

So the real question going into this review is – once you’ve gotten past the coolness factor of it all, do you really need an iPad?  For most consumers considering the iPad ,that’s ultimately the question at hand and one not easily answered by any review. Hopefully we’ll be able to provide enough information to help you make a well-informed decision on the matter.

With all that said, let’s get down to it shall we?

The iPad

First off, there’s no mistaking it. The iPad looks and feels like a gi-normous iPod touch (or an iPhone for that matter). If you’re already familiar with these devices, then you’ll feel completely at home with the iPad.

The slate measures in at 9.56 x 7.47 x 0.5 inches and weighs approximately 1.5 pounds (a bit more at 1.6 pounds for the soon to be released 3G model). Comparatively speaking, the current generation iPod touch measures 4.3 x 2.4 x 0.33 inches and weighs a mere 4.05oz. For those that need a side by side compare, here’s the iPad next to a current generation iPod touch (which we’ve dubbed the “iPad mini me”):

and just for kicks, here’s the iPad next to an iPhone 3G:

The device is comfortable to hold with either one hand or two but it’s also heavier than it looks so be prepared to find other means of propping up the tablet for prolonged usage.

Given that we’re talking about a slate/tablet device, the quality of the display is of utmost importance and the iPad certainly doesn’t disappoint here. The iPad has a gorgeous 9.7 inch multi-touch enabled display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 at an awesome 132 pixels per inch (ppi). This translates to colors that absolutely pop off the screen and text that’s comfortable to read even at small font sizes.  This means the iPad is a great platform for pictures and videos while also ideal for documents and eBooks.

Additionally, the display has a wide viewing angle thanks to Apple’s use of IPS technology. Finally, as with the iPhone and the iPod touch, the display is an absolute fingerprint magnet. However, thanks to the oleophobic coating, fingerprints are easily removed with several cloth swipes of the display. (I’ve made it common practice to always carry a small cloth with the iPad).

As we said earlier, not only does the iPad look like an iPod touch, it operates like an iPod touch. You get all the same buttons and controls with one important add-on – a sorely needed screen rotation lock. This switch lets you lock the screen orientation preventing the built-in accelerometer from doing it’s thing (a.k.a. rotating the display from portrait to landscape and back). It’s an important feature to have, especially if you plan on reading eBooks with the iPad.

Let’s take a quick tour of the iPad shall we?

At the top (pictured above), you’ll find a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, microphone, and the on/off/sleep/wake button.

The right side has the screen rotation lock and volume control (there are no controls on the left side).

The bottom (pictured above) of the iPad features the 30 pin dock connector and built-in speakers. As many owners have already realized by now, the iPad has heftier power requirements than the iPhone or iPod touch. Chances are, connecting the iPad to your computer via the USB cable won’t charge the iPad. You’ll probably need to use the bundled 10W USB power adapter. Not happy with it? Just deal with it. the iPad just needs more juice to power up (Sorry the PowerMat wireless charger won’t work either – I tried).

Finally, here’s a picture of the back of the iPad and it’s beautifully smooth curved surface (yes, I’m going to try to keep this baby scratch-free for as long as possible):

Speaking of things that come with the iPad, you get the iPad, a dock connector to USB cable, a 10W USB power adapter, and some minor documentation. That’s it.

Sorry – there’s no bundled earphones or protective case here. You’d think Apple could at least provide some given the amount of money you’ve just spent for the iPad.

Powering the iPad on the inside is the much lauded custom-designed Apple A4 processor clocked at 1GHz. Thanks to a tear-down analysis by the folks at iFixit and Chipworks, we now know that the A4 is essentially an ARM processor featuring “package-on-packaging construction to improve the speed and efficiency of internal processes.” The A4 apparently has three silicon dies on the inside – two layers for RAM and one layer for the microprocessor which appears to be a single-core ARM processor (which is suspected to be an ARM Cortex A8 derivative).

While we don’t have the specifics of the guts, we can tell you the iPad is pretty damn fast. Everything flies on the iPad – whether it’s getting to the home screen, launching and using applications, downloading web pages, or playing games. This is by far the most touch-responsive device I’ve ever used, making my iPhone 3G look absolutely ancient in terms of performance (and trust me, there are plenty of times I simply want to chuck the iPhone 3G out the window!)

All of this performance is certainly critical to the development and growth of the platform as a whole. Users will certainly not tolerate an application which takes forever to load or to process some action. Having a fast system opens the doors to a wide range of applications and solutions delivered on the platform – much the same way having an extra-large touch-screen display does too.

On the connectivity front, the iPad supports Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. A version of the iPad featuring 3G connectivity will be shipping within 30 days of the launch of the Wi-Fi model. AT&T will provide the mobile broadband service on a contract-free basis. You’ll be able to choose from two different mobile broadband plans – one that offers 250MB of data per month for a price of $14.99 a month and one that offers unlimited data for $29.99 a month.

Storage wise, the iPad is available in three capacities – 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. The system reviewed here is the 32GB Wi-Fi model priced at $599.

Finally, there’s the all important battery life. Apple rates the iPad as having a 10 hour battery while surfing the web using Wi-Fi, or watching videos, or listening to music and they certainly weren’t kidding here. In practice, we easily got between 9 to 11 hours of power depending on the mix of activities we were performing on the slate. If I was simply reading an eBook at nights before heading off to sleep, then I could use the iPad for days on end without charging up the device.

We’ll end this section with some unboxing pictures simply because we know some of you out there simlpy enjoy this stuff.

The iPad is really all about the Apps

OK enough about the specs already. Let’s talk about the all important apps!

But first.. let’s recap how we got here shall we?

There were more than a few out there (myself included) who were sorely disappointed in what Apple announced back in January of this year. The iPad, after all, looked like nothing more than a larger iPod touch.

Perhaps we placed expectations well ahead of reality but seriously, could you blame us? After more than 20 years of tablet computing, we the media (and the public) just wanted something more. We were yearning for something more – something OTHER than the Microsoft Tablet PC. When we got nothing more than a larger iPod touch, some of us simply yawned.

Boy how wrong we were (or at least I was).

You see, what never occurred to me was the idea that the iPhone OS was the perfect platform for a table device. It has the right balance of power, speed, performance, and reliability but more importantly, it has the all-familiar iPhone user interface that millions of us know and love (or hate). Sure it has its share of issues but at the end of the day, the interface and platform is a thing of simplicity. A customer who picks up the iPad will instantly know how to use it simply due to familiarity with the platform and interface.

AND.. if you thought using the iPod touch was fun, wait till you interact with the iPad. Multi-touch, while fun on a small screen, absolutely shines on the 9.7 inch display of the iPad. The increased real estate space allows you to do so much more with your fingers – whether it’s painting your next masterpiece with “Brushes” or flipping through comic book panels in the Marvel Comics app, finger-based gestures just seems natural on the device. Who needs a stylus anyhow and who wants to worry about losing one??

Of course the simplicity and familiarity of the iPhone OS was only one half of the equation. The other half belonged to the realm of applications (or “apps”) and after three years of the iPhone platform, there are now well over 150,000 iPhone apps and thousands of new iPad specific apps. That’s a huge eco-system to draw upon and that’s ultimately the beauty of the iPad. It doesn’t fit any particular niche because the platform can possibly do so much.  Sure you can call it an eReader thanks to the iBooks app.. but it’s NOT JUST an eReader. Is it a gaming platform? Sure.. to millions of folks out there, the iPad will make an awesome portable gaming device. Yet it’s not simply that either. The iPhone OS allows the iPad to truly be whatever you want it to be as long as there’s an application available to make that happen.

Thus, no matter how cool or sexy the iPad might be, the ultimate success or possible failure of the platform resides in the hands of the third party application community.

Which.. leads me to say “It’s all about the content.” Yeah.. I’ve been waiting to say that for some time now.

To set the initial bar and to show you what is possible on the iPad, Apple redesigned practically every bundled application on the iPad to make better use of the larger form factor. Here’s a quick run-through of some of the updated bundled apps on the iPad.

• Both the calendar and the contacts apps have adopted a personal organizer metaphor. Whether you’re in portrait or landscape mode, you see two pages of information side by side. With the calendar, you can see days of the current month as well as tasks/activities for the current day. With contacts, you can see your rolodex of names on the left page while seeing the currently selected name on the right page.

• Maps is just one of those apps which is just so much more fun on a 9.7 inch display. Finger-gesture all you want. Swipe around the map, zoom in to see structures, or of course map out a route. It’s just cool to work with. It’s just a shame there’s no built-in GPS on the iPad (there is one on the 3G model though – thanks Lloyd for correcting me here).

• YouTube is another example of what a redesigned app might look like on the iPad. You see so much more content and thanks to the wider display, you don’t have to click “More” to see more buttons at the bottom.

• As with the iPod touch, videos and music are separated into two applications (videos and iPod apps). Both applications have been redesigned with the iPod now adopting a two pane window design.Oddly enough, the iPod app lacks Cover Flow for some reason.

• Photos is one of those apps that received a complete makeover for the iPad. Individual albums are now displayed as a stack of photos which you can pinch and zoom in on with your fingers. Additionally, you can turn the iPad into a digital photo album simply by pressing an icon on the locked home screen.

• Even the “Settings” app received a much-needed redesign with the app also adopting the two-pane design.
• The two-pane design also shows up in the redesigned Mail application (sorry no picture here). Rotate the app into landscape mode and the list of messages shows up on the left hand pane with the current message in the right pane.

• Safari is pretty much the same as before – except you can actually see the webpage now without needing to zoom in. That makes a world of difference when it comes to usability.
• Need to perform some lightweight productivity on the iPad? Not a problem – Apple has you covered there with the release of iWorks for the iPad. The suite consists of three applications, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, all sold separately for $9.99 each through the App Store.

Of course redesigning existing applications wasn’t the only thing Apple did with the iPad. Just in case you couldn’t figure out a reason to get the iPad, Apple unveiled their eBook initiative with the launch of the iPad in the form of iBooks and the iBookstore.

Interestingly enough, Apple doesn’t bundle the iBooks app with the iPad. You’ll need to download the iBooks app separately from the App Store.

The iBooks app serves three functions – it’s your personal ebook library stored on the iPad; it’s an eReader application; and it’s a gateway to the online Apple iBookstore.

Not sure if you’re sold on the idea of eBooks on the iPad? No problem – check out the bundled Winnie the Pooh eBook (or rather iBook).

A quick perusal through the iBook and you’ll never want to read a book on a black and white eReader again. As I mentioned in my brief overview a few weeks back, the iPad makes reading fun again (I know.. that’s sad).

There are of course some issues with iBooks. First off, there’s no way to annotate or mark-up text on an iBook – especially critical to those in the academic community. Secondly, the iBookstore is somewhat lacking in content at this time but that should be remedied over time as more publishers sign up.

iBooks are nice and all but what if you have a large collection of Amazon Kindle eBooks? Not a problem. Amazon has you covered here thanks to a redesigned Kindle app designed specifically for the iPad.

The Kindle model easily extends to the iPad domain. Buy your eBook at the Amazon Kindle store and then have the book “delivered” to the iPad Kindle app. In fact, I found myself enjoying Kindle books more on the iPad than on a comparable Kindle device.  Thus, the notion that the iPad is a Kindle-killer really doesn’t apply here. If anything, the iPad is more a Kindle device killer than anything else (and maybe it’s not a bad idea for Amazon to exit the hardware business anyhow).

There are still advantages to the Kindle eReader. It has a longer battery life, has built-in 3G connectivity, and it has a display that’s easier on the eye for prolonged periods of usage. However, the iPad provides so much more functionality that it’s hard to argue for the Kindle. As Alton Brown would say – a multitasking device is preferable over a uni-tasking device.

So there you have it – a reason to get an iPad right? Sure if you care about eBooks.. but what about the millions of folks out there who don’t? Again, it falls in the hands of application developers to provide a reason to purchase an iPad.

To that end, here’s a quick list of some of the early notable apps available for the iPad.

• Our favorite app thus far has to be the Marvel Comics application. This single app acts as both a Marvel comics store front as well as a comic book reader application. It’s a perfect example of how the iPad can transform the print industry.

• Although there’s still no sign of a Hulu app, the ABC Player app is certainly a worthwhile substitution assuming of course you enjoy ABC programming. Being able to watch “Modern Family” on the iPad makes this free app a no brainer in our eyes. Yes – free streaming TV is always a good thing.

• WeatherBug for the iPad is our favorite weather app thus far. The app makes looking at the weather report just plain fun.

• Foodies everywhere will love the Epicurious application as it makes excellent use of the larger display. See multiple recipes on a single page, read tons of user reviews, and look at awesome pictures.

• Netflix for the iPad – need I say more? Again – streaming video is good – even if you have to pay for it (though it might not be good if you have a capped mobile broadband connection).

• Create your own personalized radio stations on Pandora and listen to streaming music directly on your iPad. The app makes decent use of the increased real estate space of the iPad.

• Finally, if you’re a Glee fan, then you’ll absolutely love the recently launched Glee app. This app not only lets you sing-along popular Glee songs, it also lets you create your own Glee club with other users on the Internet. Sing by yourself or join in with others who love Glee as much as you do.

While we haven’t subscribed to any paid newspapers or magazine services as of yet, it’s clear the iPad has all the makings of a powerful media delivery platform (or consumption device if viewed from the eyes of the reader).

Just imagine the following scenario: A person wakes up, gets some coffee, sits down at the dining room table, and turns on his iPad to read the morning news or stock reports. No more fussing with the morning paper and more importantly, no more dealing with ink-stained fingers!

Assuming the iPad is a runaway hit with consumers, it could potentially revitalize the print industry. It remains to be seen whether consumers will be willing to pay for news and media they are accustomed to getting for free.

Finally, the larger real estate of the iPad will surely be a boon for gaming applications. The mere fact that Apple is building out a gaming system similar to Xbox Live tells you the importance of gaming on the iPhone platform. With a larger display and a decently powerful processor, game developers can potentially create new and innovative games with the iPad. Throw in some iPhones or iPod touches and you have the makings of a unique platform where the iPod can act as a controller and the iPad, a display.

Case in point – the new Scrabble app for the iPad where users can hold use their iPod touch to hold their tile rack allowing multiple users to play on a single iPad.

But what about all those thousands and thousands of iPhone and iPod touch apps you say? Most of them will work on the iPad without any difficulty although they won’t look too pretty doing so. The apps can be run in their regular screen size or they can be doubled in size to nearly fill the entire iPad display. While doubling makes it easier to view the app, it also results in annoying (and somewhat nasty) pixelization of text and graphics. In the two-plus weeks we’ve had the iPad, we’ve pretty much stayed away from iPhone/iPod apps unless we absolutely needed them.

Remember, we’re still talking about a 1.0 product

Of course, as with many first generation products, the iPad is not without its set of issues.

First off, we’re not fans of the virtual keyboard. Yes it takes a bit getting used to – even if you’re a pro with the virtual keyboard on the iPhone. In fact, it’s easier and faster to hammer out messages with the iPhone than it is with the iPad. With the iPhone you can use two thumbs. With the iPad, you need to place the tablet on your desktop or lap before you can use both hands to type. Maybe we need to give it more time.. but we much prefer the Bluetooth keyboard.

Which leads me to the next annoyance. Yes the Apple Bluetooth keyboard works with the iPad but the Bluetooth mouse doesn’t. Typing on a separate keyboard and then having to touch the display to move a cursor to a different position is just .. strange. We wish Apple would let us pair a mouse to the iPad. Please???

The lack of a built-in camera seems a strange omission for the iPad. There’s a camera on the iPhone and the iPod nano. Why not on the iPad? Perhaps it was a cost issue.. who knows? All we know is .. the iPad could have made for an awesome video chat system.

What’s up with the 4:3 aspect ratio display? Has Apple forgotten the world has pretty much moved to a widescreen display over the last decade? Who wants to double-tap the display to zoom in on a widescreen movie? You lose the left and right sides of the movie for goodness sakes!

Some built-in ports would be nice too. A USB port maybe? A built-in media card reader would be nice too.. but then again that would take money away from the peripherals business wouldn’t it?

Finally, suck it up and provide Adobe Flash support will you? It’s nice that Apple is advocating HTML 5 but Flash is here today and without it, the iPad really isn’t delivering the “full web”.

Coming to a close..

We’re nearing the end now and we still haven’t really answered the basic question of whether you should buy an iPad. The answer, as you might have guessed by now, is – it depends. To us, it boils down to your technical expertise and what you want out of a mobile device like the iPad. To put things into perspective, the iPad competes squarely against low-end notebooks and the high-end netbooks.

IF..

• you’re a technically savvy person (a.k.a if people call you a geek), then the iPad might be a bit simplistic for your needs. The iPad is certainly no replacement for a full-on notebook system. If you need access to powerful productivity apps or high-end multimedia or creativity apps, then the iPad isn’t for you. Stick with a notebook instead.
• you want to experience the “full” web in all its glory (the good and the bad), then the iPad isn’t for you either. It’s glaring lack of Adobe Flash supports means its promise of delivering the “full web” rings only partially true
• you’re looking for a simple means of checking email and browsing news websites, then the iPad is a good alternative to netbooks (albeit more expensive)
• you’re an avid ebook reader and you’re sick of black and white ebooks, then the iPad is the platform you’ll want to be on
• you’re OK with the idea of doing light-weight office productivity work because what matters to you is battery life and portability. If so, then the iPad is certainly a consideration
• you absolutely love iPhone and iPad apps then yes. the iPad is for you
• you want the convenience of reading, viewing, or listening to digital content from the comfort of practically anywhere at home (and we really do mean anywhere.. even on the stool), then the iPad is for you
• you want to be uber-cool in front of all your friends and family, then yes, the iPad is for you.

Chances are, after reading that list, you still haven’t found a reason to get an iPad. We totally understand and we’re not trying to persuade you either way.

See, with the iPhone and iPod touch, it was easy to figure out their primary purpose in life. The iPhone first and foremost was a new take on smartphones and the iPod touch was all about being a cool media player. But.. what about the iPad? Sure you could argue it makes an excellent eReader.. but it has the potential to be so much more than that.

Yet this uncertainty over the purpose of the iPad is also the strength of the platform. Phil’s description of the iPad (from that infamous Modern Family episode) – “It’s a movie theater, a library, and a music player all rolled into one awesome pad” – is really just the tip of the  iceberg here. Throw in some creative third party application developers and the iPad has the ability to morph into so many different possibilities.

At the end of the day, the iPad has the ability to transform the entire tablet industry if not the mobile computing industry as a whole. Yet, it also has the ability to remake the eBook landscape; breathe new life into the newspaper industry; give a jolt to the lagging gaming industry; provide new means of selling products; and perhaps most importantly make geeks who own an iPad pretty cool in the public eye (ok maybe not).

Could it be more? Of course it can. Is it the be-all end-all of mobile devices? Of course not.

Apple didn’t try to reinvent the wheel with the iPad because they didn’t need to. They simply took the best elements of the iPod touch, threw in a larger form factor, a speedier processor, a longer lasting power supply, and came up with a platform with plenty of headroom. They then left the rest in the hands of the third party developers.

The question now is – will you jump on the bandwagon and get one?

AND finally, here’s that quick view overview I created a few weeks back:

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