I've tested the new iPad and found it irresistible.The touch screen is marvellous to use. Smooth as butter (wipe after using), intuitive as your fingers, clear bright images. Fast, very fast.
Out of the box, there's not much to it -- looks like a big iTouch. There's a USB cord to plug it into a computer and that's it. Once you'd done that and downloaded the most recent version of iTunes, you're good to go.
The first impression is that it really is just a big, version of the iTouch -- with a book store. This is clearly Apple's challenge to e-books, Kindle, Sony, the Nook and all those yet to come. To get you started, there's a free copy of Winnie-the-Pooh which looks just about as good sitting on it's virtual wooden book shelf as it did when you were six years old and were given a fresh copy by your Grannie. Take it down an give it a flip thru, you won't be disappointed. The coloured pictures are lush, the type crystal clear.
The iTunes store offers a stack of new apps for the iPad from the games to the Wall Street Journal. The latter opens instantly and gives you a pared down version of the paper, like the NYTimes, it's free. There's music and movies to sample, buy or rent, e-mail, a calendar, contacts, notes, maps and YouTube.
Using the device for work is not quite as easy. You'll want to buy the wireless keybaord for starters. Then, you have to download iWork which consists of a word processor, a spreadsheet and presentation software. Each cost $9.99 US. You can e-mail your creations or upload them to the iWork website and then invite others to see them there if you and they wish. It's finicky and ties you firmly to Apple as Mr Jobs intends.
What it can't do or doesn't have: a camera, a phone, a usb connection for anything but itunes, flash video, multi-tasking, copying between programs, say, word processor to Safari, which, incidentally, is the only browser iPad uses.
What it does have: battery life of 10+ hours; the ability to mesmerize. iPad makes you wish you could use it for all your computing needs -- you can't.
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