If you're in touch with the modern world at all, then you will know all about the Apple iPad. The device was released just over a week ago in the US and is soon to be released all over the world. Before its release, there was a huge hype surrounding the iPad, the media and even consumers just could not wait to get their hands on it. But was the iPad really worth the hype? In this quick review, we will discuss what the iPad has to offer.
Responsiveness: 9/10
I feel that one of the most important features a handheld device could possibly have, whether it is a netbook, mobile phone or even a tablet PC is good responsiveness. I'm glad to say that in this department Apple has done an excellent job. Much like the iPhone, the iPad is extremely responsive to your touch. This is probably due to the iPad using almost the exact same operating system and the same touch screen technology that Apple has previously used in the iPhone and iPod Touch. The fact that Apple have managed to incorporate this same brilliant piece of technology into an even larger device is fantastic and the iPads 9.7 inch touch screen really shows the technology off.
Display: 8/10
As you probably already know, the iPad features a 9.7 inch touch sensitive screen. This screen is fantastic for watching movies and TV shows on as the screen quality is excellent. Apple is once again using the same technology as they did with the iPhone to make the colors on the screen as vivid as ever. You can watch almost any video on the iPad screen and it will come across so clear and crisp that it will be a pleasure to view. It is hard to see how Apple could improve the screen at all. The only problem we can see with the iPad screen is that it might become a bit cluttered when reading an ebook or magazine. This is a shame as this is one of the main tasks that the iPad was built for. Sure, the vivid colours and bright display are excellent when viewing the web or watching a video, but all you really need in order to read an e-book is a black-and-white screen. Having said this, one of the advantages that the iPad does have over its competition is the fact that the full colour screen will allow e-books to contain photos and pictures. A lot of other e-book readers, such as the Amazon Kindle can only dream of doing this as they only have a black-and-white screen.
Connectivity: 7/10
Apple plans to make the iPad in two different versions; the first version will only feature WiFi connectivity, while the second version will have both WiFi and 3G connectivity available. For a lot of people, the WiFi version of the iPad will probably do just fine, but if you are a businessman or just want to read your mail and access the web on the move then it is well worth waiting for the release of the 3G version. The only problem with the 3G version is that you will be required to sign up to a monthly contract with the American network AT&T. Although this is available are quite modest price ($15 or $30 per month), we feel that after paying such a high price for the device itself, the cost of 3G connectivity should be included.
Accessories: 8/10
The iPad connects to your PC or laptop using the same universal connector as both the iPhone and the iPod. This means that the iPad is compatible with many of the accessories that are already available for the iPhone and iPod touch. There are also many accessories available that have been made specifically for the iPad, these include cases, docks and much more. The iPad dock is a great addition to the iPad as it allows you to use the device much like a desktop computer. This does come at a price however and it will be up to you to decide whether or not buying is worth it.
iPad app store: 6/10
When Apple released the iPad in the US, they also released the iPad app store on the same day. Although it is possible to use any of the apps that have already been created for the iPhone and iPod touch with the iPad, Apple also opened an entirely new part of the app store for apps that are designed especially for the iPad. So far, there is only a very small amount of apps available, but the amount of apps in the store is increasing every day and will hopefully soon contain thousands of fantastic apps that have been created by many third-party companies. Because the iPad has a much larger screen than the iPod touch and iPhone, there are many possibilities when creating new apps. It will be interesting, and exciting, to see what these companies come up with in the next few weeks for the iPad. The only reason we have given the iPad app store just 6/10 in this review is simply down to the store only containing a very limited amount of apps. We are sure that in the near future, this rating will be able to be increased as more and more new apps are added to the store.
Overall, the iPad is a fantastic piece of technology and although a lot of people are saying that it is just a larger version of an iPod touch or iPhone, we still feel that Apple has done an amazing job and that the device has a lot to offer. Of course, as the device was only released a few weeks ago, we are yet to see whether or not it will revolutionize the market as the iPhone did, although we hope it will. With many other companies already planning the rival products for the iPad, we will just have to wait and see how the device stacks up against the competition. However, there is no denying that the iPad is a fantastic device is well worth buying.
