I finally made the pilgrimage to my local Apple Store to spend some quality time with this new things the kids are all talking about, the iPad.  Here’s my assessment of this gadget without having to actually buy one …even though I wanted to, very badly…

The Look & Feel:
It’s gorgeous, and I know every reviewer says that, but gosh darn it’s true!

Heavier then one would expect, but in a good solid, in a it-better-be-for-$500 sort of way.

The few buttons are totally natural if you’re a iPhone/Touch user, even if not pretty easy to catch on to.

As an e-reader:
A gadget freak and a “real” book lovers delight. The faux hardcover bindings, a peek of said cloth binding at the edge of each page, the screen edge mind you. The ease of turning pages back and forth with your finger …this ain’t no Rocket eBook reader! And Full Color, what will they think of next!?

iPad is easily the one to beat, even Amazon senses this as you can read all your Kindle books on the iPad too.

Only quibble was that I noticed pixel in the text if I looked closely. This might have something to do with now wearing bifocals and trying them out at any opportunity 😉

As a Productivity Tool:
Otherwise known as the “office suite,” only Apple currently offers a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation slide program through it’s iWork for iPad. I was most interested in the slide program Keynote which I ‘m a big fan of on the Mac (similar to PowerPoint). I was most curious if I could use an iPad instead of a laptop for presentations. And I think the answer is yes, and “man that would be sooo cool!”

Using your fingers to manipulate menus and layouts on the slides takes getting use to, but it is fun (when is the last time you described Office as fun?) and becomes very natural very quickly. Granted, creating a slide show is not the same as typing put a dissertation, but I can’t wait for touchscreens to be the norm on all computers!

As a Gaming Device:
This blows touch-screen handhelds like the Nintendo DS out of the water, and I luv the DS.  On the iPad I played both a racing game, Real Racing HD,  where you turn the iPad to steer …and you feel the motion and rumble of the engines in your hands, very very cool.   I also played the iPad version of one of my fav iPhone/Touch games, Flight Control. The bigger screen and crisp graphics had me sold, it’s a delight.

Overall:
Yes, I wish it had a camera.
Yes, I wish it had more memory.
Yes, I wish it could multi-task.
Yes, I wish it was cheaper.
But it will, and so will all it’s competitors. This genre of tablet / pad / slate computers is going to take off. Mark my words the days of the single use e-reader and laptop are numbered.

Bottom line…
Yes, I wish it had one, right now!

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BTW – I wrote this post (except for minor edits and added links) using the WordPress app on my iPhone.  It works pretty well if you don’t mind typing with one finger (I don’t mind) and remember to save like crazy because the app doesn’t save automatically (guess how I learned that?). And it was a lot easier to add a photo then in the full version of WordPress.

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[PHOTO] My first STT blog post about the iPad on an iPad! …those bright dots are from the intense lights at the Apple Store, not an iPad screen feature ;-).
Photo by my ye olde iPhone.  Hah! It sez, “I can take pictures, take that iPad!”