- The ipad is particularly marketed as a platform for audio and visual media such as books, magazines, movies, music, and games, as well as web content.

- The iPad runs the same operating system as the earlier iPod Touch and iPhone

- Like iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad is controlled by a multitouch display

- The iPad uses a Wi-Fi data connection to browse the Internet, load and stream media, and install software. Some models also have a 3G wireless data connection.

- The device is managed and synced by iTunes on your computer via USB cable.

Before I show it to you in action Doctor MacIver will tell us a little bit more about the ipad.

SIDE NOTE:

Hello I'm Doctor MacIver....

An eye pad or more commonly known as an eyepatch is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye.

It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, or an adhesive bandage.

It is often worn by people to cover a lost or injured eye, and by pirates in many literary and cinematic works.

Now the eye pad or eye patch can have therapeutic effects... Ah...What?

That's not what we're talking about? Yes I AM talking about the eye pad...

What do you mean apple eye pad? Eye pad made of apples?

Oh... well in that case I have no idea what you're on about. Doctor MacIver out.

Ok now before we switch it on let's look at it physically.

- The design is stunning, sleek and most importantly rugged.

- The build quality is excellent. The aluminium back feels great under the finger

and nothing feels cheap.

- There is an audio jack connector for headphones, and a microphone for apps that need it. The speaker is on the bottom of the device.

- The audio quality from the speaker is only ok so my advice: use headphones whenever possible.

- The volume button is accessible and active whenever the iPad is playing something.

- Battery life is outstanding – over 10 hours of streaming video watching or 11-12 hours of reading or if you're listening to music with the display off a few days seriously.

- switch it on

- High resolution

- Shift of the screen

- Anything and everything is literally one touch away

- The bottom six apps are constantly there – talk bout each of them

- Video

- Photos

- youtube app

- Games

- Music playing apps – piano man, perfect pitch

- Draw free

- so many free apps

What is the iPad great for?

I have not tried every possible applications on the platform, but this is personally:

- Web browsing, Email

- Browse my Netflix account and Watching streaming video.

- Read news & comics

- Watching movies on a plane or if you have a long commute

- The Map application looks great on the iPad.

It's (really) instant-on: unlike my laptop, the iPad turns on and off instantly and in situation where I would turn things on and off a lot (in my couch) it's pretty convenient.

What the iPad is not great at

This is my personal preferences, but here's what I don't like to use the iPad for:

Writing a lot: Don't get me wrong it's comfortable enough to use the onscreen keyboard but after a long time it can be tiring. Plus you can buy an actual keyboard of the ipad.

Hardcore Gaming: I love the games on the app store and they are very creative but I'm a hardcore gamer, I like game consoles.

Productivity apps: While the iPad is capable of doing things like Word Processing, Presentations or even Spreadsheets, I would rather do that on a classic computer.

Main disadvantages

- No multitasking.

- You have to already own a computer. In fact you need a computer to activate the ipad for the first time.

- Relatively expensive. The basic model right now costs $549. You can get a pretty decent laptop for less than that.

Final Thought

No doubt that this is a revolutionary product and will definitely change the habbits of how we receive media.

But in general, the iPad it's not a Netbook killer because only performs a subset of the things that one could do with a classic computer.

It can't be compared to it. It's just "different", let's accept it.

Let's be real: most people currently don't *need* an iPad in the way they do "need" a phone or computer.

Right now, it is an entertainment device that could make one's computing and entertainment life a little better if you find the right apps.

It has a lot of great qualities: Ãœber-portable, pretty, responsive, tons of apps, great display, excellent battery life... But it also costs $549 in its simplest form, and this is not pocket change.

If you can afford it, and if your usage needs are in sync with what it does, the iPad is a great device to have.