Although It's Been Said Many Times, Many Ways: The iPad is the Future

the ipad is a peice of shit, it can only run one app at a time, apple owns the device so they can do w.e they want to it when ever they want, the thing doesn't use flash, and it doesn't have any use other than the apps you HAVE to buy from apple, if this was any other company people would be crying foul for a monopoly. If i want a touch screen portable laptop i'd go buy one that at least has USB functionality.

Agreed. Had the potential to be revolutionary, but apple loves to toy with the market; all they should have done was make a touch mac book with integrated iPhone and itouch OS for the apps feature. Check out Always Innovating, that looks promising.

While I am not going to outright pan the iPad as many people are doing, I am still slightly skeptical. I've owned over a dozen incarnations of the iPod and iPod Touch but beyond that? I am not much of a fan of Apple. Their laptops and desktops are repellent and the iPhone is just not worth switching over to AT&T. Everyone seems to forget that most reviewers for such devices live within or near a city - if you live in those areas wonderful! If you do not... AT&T is most likely not your friend.

For now my current 32gb iPod Touch will hold me. I am still not entirely friendly with the idea of actually having to make a reservation with an Apple store should your device run afoul. And with the iPad I am definitely not overjoyed with the prospect of having to pay to have the battery replaced at the cost of my data. For now I think I will wait six months, see where the OS updates have gotten it, and whether or not the data plan holds up to snuff. If it doesn't change (the data plan) then AT&T better expect one of the first Jailbroken apps to be Google Voice or Skype. I'd much rather drop my cell coverage, pick up one of those numbers and just make calls from my iPad if I could. It is also much cheaper.

Anyone who's commenting, please say whether or not you've used an iPad before writing. Thanks!

Sorry, just another un-needed toy stupid people will buy with money they do not have to impress others who do not give a sh*t..
(and no, I didnt and not going to use it in the near future).

I don't see the comparison to the ipod being valid. Before the ipod, there wasn't really anything of its type. There were other ipods, but those were bulky and skipped frequently. The ipod DID change the portable mp3 player market because there was user want for something like it that no one else could effectively fill.

the ipad is filling a market that is effectively covered and it doesn't even put its foot in very well either. no multi tasking, no flash, no usb, having to buy from only apple. no thank you. a laptop or netbook can fill the place of the ipad and for a better price as well.

(and no, i don't have or don't plan on getting one. i don't need to have a pile of crap to know that i don't want one.)

i haven't used the ipad, but i have used it's miniaturized version that's even able to make phone calls! but even that has it's share of problems. this thing...this is not the future of computing i imagine or want. it fits no niche in my life and does nothing i need that i don't already have in equally convenient methods. and on top of all that it doesn't provide me, the rabid level of fanaticism is already at disturbing levels, so much so that even the mere mention of the device now causes my stomach to churn with an acidity level not healthy for my well-being.

in a more even-keeled world, i may have looked at the device and thought to myself "hmm, that seems like an interesting leisure device that i may indulge myself in at a given time in the near future". instead however i seem to have only hallucinations, because the ipad begins to look alot like a cool glass of kool-aid these days...

I can safely say that having not used an iPad, i've used an iPhone.. I do not have a pocket big enough for a version of the iPhone that's 5 times larger.

All it can possibly do for me is make me look like a douche in-front of my friends because it's a pseudo 'status symbol' and a complete waste of a luxury item.

The 'do you need an iPad' part could've been written much better, mp3 players and mp3 cd players were a little more popular then tape decks at the time of iPod's launch. And even in this respect, an iPod brought something new to the table: a great(compared to what was out there) interface, easy usage, and a wide wide media market, not to mention the storage capabilities were ten-times that of competitor mp3 playets. The iPad brings html5 and an oversized iphone screen to the table. Any mention of why it's better because of software is like comparing a windows service pack 1 to windows service pack 2 on the same OS. I can do 95% of iPad 'things' on an iPhone, and likely 100% on the next gen iPhone.

The only thing good i see with this release of this useless beer coaster is that the economy is picking back up.. because who in their right economic mind would imagine that 300,000 were going to be sold on release.

I could go on for days, but it's useless to convince apple-fans of the lack of usefulness of one of their products. I am by no means a fan or a 'hater' of apple products, there are some magnificent ones that I use every day. In the end, I believe this will lead to many nice breakthroughs in how we use a personal computer, and this might as well be a necc. evil. Plus, the economy thrives on ignorant buyers.

check BBB befor using Patsco Windshield Repair!

Don't forget to buy the Apple man purse to carry it to Starbucks.

Dear John Mahoney,

To be honest with you, I can't stand your review. First, I was completely turned off by how ridiculous the title is considering this is a magazine about science. Even a paid advertisement article will have something that sounded more impartial.
Before you ask people to state in their comment whether they have used an iPad, why don't you answer a more important question first. Did you BUY the iPad that you are reviewing? Have you thought about the possibility that you can't find enough favorite comments about your review because your review actually is not convincing at all?
How DID you use your iPad? Did you try to open an attachment from an e-mail and found that you can't open it because it’s a Visio diagram? Did you try to open a link to an URL that someone had sent you only found out that you can't see any of the cool stuff because it has Flash content? Did you try to watch a true 1080p HD movie but can’t see it native resolution? Have you tried to hook the iPad to a printer near-by to print a document that you are working on rather than fascinated by the fact that characters do appear on screen as you type? Hello, it is not 1980 any more? Oh, yes, did you, or were you able to, write your review on this iPad? Were you able to open the proof from your editor and mark your corrections on the the proof while opening a browser to find some references and check on some facts? How can you say this is the future of computer when iPad can't do any of that!!
If you have any dignity left in you and want to continue to contribute to Popular Science (as suppose to Popular Fad), then you should consider retract your review.

It's funny how so many people can find so many words to simply say that they don't like the iPad because it's popular.

Then the key gripes come out that only reflect what other sites have posted since the naysayers don't have/won't get iPads to give any form of honest feedback.

Soon, the online community itself develops excuses for not liking something just because it's popular while jumping from each deflated point. Even now, you guys are jumping on the "it-doesn't-fulfill-a-need" bandwagon. I've never heard that the device intended to fill a need. I was under the impression it was supposed to refine a device class that a lot of you, myself included, ignored up until this point.

It's not the next iPod, it's not a ground breaker in that manner. It's groundbreaking because another simple device that just works. It doesn't have USB because you have plenty of devices that have USB. There's no optical drive because you have plenty of those. There's no flash, but that doesn't mean that'll always be the case.

It doesn't fulfill a need because you don't need anything. What it is a re-imagining of our old, stale means of doing things.

I'm not trying to use a keyboard and mouse for the rest of my life. I've spent years imagining a device like this with remarkable accuracy and now we have it. This is a portal to new ways of interacting with all the media we take for granted. It's a platform to experiment with new development techniques.

As the author stated, as time goes by, this device will be anything you want it to be.

Quit getting so tangled up in what it can't do and imagine the possibilities. This can help doctors, this can give children huge headstarts, this can help young adults through college (Imagine digital versions of textbooks on that thing in a tiny slate rather than a large, heavy bag).

It's a shame so many intelligent people are being so closed minded when the future is right in front of their faces...

I do not have an iPad...

Ok I have used the ipad and I am sorry to say I will be sending mine back minus the restocking fee. After careful use here are my thoughts.

Though most reviews talk about the feel of the screen and I agree with them in that it feels so much better and can't really be described, i dont think that pushing the screen a thousands times to get in between different apps is very comfortable after more than a few hours. In fact its down right annoying.

I also didnt likes its round backing made typing a hassle when your on the bus. If it was flat i thought it would have been much better.

Yes everyone has said it but having no flash support really sucks. I know everyone is either going to html5 or some other video encoding but until everyone adopts it forget about going everywhere you wanted to go. People that enjoy Stumble forget it.

Even though it is bigger I can't get my self over the feeling that this is my iphone and ipod touch all over again. The ipad is as elegant as everyone says when coming right out of the box but after some use (36 hours straight to be exact) I found myself with the over all impression of using a giant ipod.

so I would rather just use my ipod and wait for the next generation of ipod to get better resolution then buy an ipad right now. Maybe in the future when it does something more than its counterparts do (video chat) than I will give it a second look.

For what it's worth, it think i is a great device, not quite magical, but very close :) can't wait for the one I ordered to arrive :)

Ivan Malagurski

"It's funny how so many people can find so many words to simply say that they don't like the iPad because it's popular."

Seriously? spread misinformation much? or was just pissed at someone's particular comment?

What part of oversized iTouch do people not understand? Popularity has nothing to do with peoples' problems with this device. I actually praise Steve Jobs for being able to make money from ignorant consumers.
(Disclaimer: Not all consumers or iPad users are ignorant..for the most part I think they are)

It is not worth arguing over, many who understand how limited its use is, won't buy it. Many who own an iPhone or iTouch that think the iPad is an over-sized version of what they already have won't buy it. Many who don't have an iTouch or iPhone and wanted one, might buy the iPad. Many who are apple fans or like having shiny 'cool' status symbols will buy it. Telling these above people how bad or good it is will probably not change their views.

There are already set lists of pros and cons of this product. For many of my friends, the cons outweigh the pros and there are too many other alternatives out already(or soon to be). The 'intelligent' people on this site sometimes know what they're talking about. Why do they think it's useless? Everything it can handle, a smaller version (itouch) can handle. (Remember when we strived for smaller and smaller electronics?) And everything it claims to do, a netbook already does for cheaper, and includes more memory, a physical keyboard, cameras, etc. Not to mention windows 7 now supports touch screen and they already weigh next to nothing. Why is the pad already so successful? Apple knows how to market their products better then Satan himself.

Many times I've said there's plenty of good that can come of this device actually being in this pad-shape: a (ported) easy to use computer interface for the average consumer. Yes it already existed, but now it resembles a netbook. A future possibility of use in engineering and business, and any other field to ease communication obstacles. A interactive, dynamic notepad to use in college. Fully versatile touch screen systems on manufacturing and robotics equipment. However, it's a useless step that could be carried out a lot better, but better is not the issue apple faces, money is.

I've said enough, there are many different boxes for people to think in, don't let someone else's full you into thinking you're outside of yours vera.

Nope, don't have one, never used one, probably never will.
It's probably cool, but there do seem to be some holes. The lack of multitasking would make it a nonstarter for me, if I had any real interest.

Otherwise, I think that a couple of things prompt the negative feelings from myself and others

1. Media insistence that it's a world changer -- probably not. It could end up to be a Segway -- great engineering, but not everyone's cup of tea.
2. The greed factor Microsoft/IBM have been pilloried over the years for their antics. Apple is creating a business model that makes them look like pikers.

BTW, despite the hoopla, mainstream America is not all that interested. Yes, Apple is enjoying good early sales, but
the loud buzzing seems confined to members of the media.

True, it could all be done better, but the fact is that the best way it's all soo to be done is through the iPad.

You're obviously intelligent, like so many great posters here (I mean that), but for some, whenever Apple pops up, people get sticks up their butts and criticize, criticize, criticize. Even in your own remarks is some seething hatred for the company.

I rarely come across comments in these iPad articles where folks can put their bias aside for one second and actually entertain the idea of what kind of impact this apparently limited device can have.

I'm not telling anyone to buy one. I'm asking people to take their fingers out their ears and to stop yelling long enough to get some honest feedback.

Yes, a netbook is a cheaper solution with much more going for it out of the box. In a value for dollar equation, the netbook wins, but that is because a netbook is the same old stale way computing. An iPad presents a different perspective to computing much like how I hope my comments are presenting a different perspective on this largely one-sided debate.

I didn't buy a MacBook because I wanted a better computer and I didn't buy an iPhone entirely because I wanted a better phone. I got these devices after years of PC computing and keypad equipped phones because I wanted something that behaved differently.

I completely agree with the money issue, but that won't always be the case. Prices come down, the tech gets better, the complaints diminish. Look at the PS3's 3.5 years of life.

I have no problem with rational folk that just plain don't like the device based on empirical evidence. I take issue with folks that are slandering the product just because the world is excited about it.

We can jabber on and on about everything the device doesn't have and why there is no room for it, but eventually we'll have to look at what the product does offer and how the combination of those things changes the way we should look at computing.

The iPad is a tiny slice of the Minority Report computer. Just to be able to use that interface to do what I want is reason enough for me to want the device. Most of you need more to justify being interested in something.

If folks want to look at a newborn baby and say it'll never make anything of itself, there's nothing I can do about it but wait a year or so until the kid actually does something or nothing at all to base such an opinion on (Not talking about your opinion)...

I think I prefer the Tegra-2 powered ICD Gemini running Android OS. Bigger screen, more RAM, Flash-support, two cameras, FM-radio, SD-slot, USB port, Dual speakers, 1080p support, GPS, Compass, can make video phone calls ... and more.

That list of specs is what the iPad should've had, but Steve Jobs knows that people will still buy the iPad as is, then they will "improve" upon it in next year's model and then those same people will buy it again and again.

I don't know the price of the Gemini yet, but if it's in the same price range ... I'm sold.

Ipad is a revolutionary device. It's easy to see Apple being the dominant computer company in the USA and the world. They make things that work. Period. That are easy to use and fun to use. Ever use a PC? it sucks. Ever use a cell phone not used by apple? it sucks. Ever use an e reader? They suck. Apple makes computers better and now they made the internet better. I will buy three iPads. for myself and family.

@chiefscientist

Are you really that arrogant of an asshole to feel the need to write several paragraphs simply smashing the excectution of this guy's article?

That really doesn't seem necessary and it detracts from the focus that many people are looking for so they can make an educated decision on spending a fair amount of money on this "toy"

By the way I have used an iPad for several days and think it is really cool, and a bit more than a "Huge iTouch" the only problem I see is the keyboard's funtionality. The whole devise is sort of in no man's land size wise.

@kormiko Here is what may make me stay with the decision of buying an iPad in the next few months: the battery.

Granted, the battery replacement service and fee is a little harsh - Apple has a great track record with portable electronics and their internal batteries. At least from my experience. I've only had problems with a rapidly dieing battery in one out of all of the iPod's I've ever owned. And I think I've owned somewhere in the range eighteen or twenty. My iPod Touch is a year and a half old now, but I cannot detect any change in battery life. And from what I've read, the iPad's battery can last up to 6 hours on very stressed applications. Now - if other tablets can't make it near that number on just a general day of activities then I am going to have to ignore them.

waste of money

well you don't really need the ipad but you don't really need your tv xbox wii ps3 phone or computer we only have them because we like them and if you haven't used the ipad then don't complain.

@SJak

That's fine. You can get an iPad. I'm not one of the ones that has a love for Apple nor do I hate Apple either. I use Final Cut Pro, but I don't own an iPod.

I do like that Apple lights a fire under other manufacturers to do something similar. Sure, there have been other tablets before, but why can't someone else create something original for a change?

I don't like the fact that Apple overcharges for their products and they don't put certain things in them when they easily could ... such as a removable battery, SD card slot, Flash. It's a business, I know, but they want to make sure you don't do anything with the Apple products you buy without their approval.

A third of the sites out there use Flash. So, all those free Flash games ... can't play them on an iPad. HTML5 may be the future, but I don't want Apple to decide that for us.

The Gemini does have a removable battery pack, btw.

@SJak

I just re-read both your comments.

You've either owned "over a dozen" or "eighteen or twenty" iPods?! That's crazy!

It's no wonder you don't notice any change in battery life. You don't own the product long enough to notice something like that. A normal person would only own like 2 maybe 3 iPods since they first came out. Batteries tend to lose its charge after about three years.

I have used an iPad, and for all you haters, it's much better in person than the specs might indicate.

I've never seen such a polarizing device. I think the problem is that people are viewing this as if it were a computer, when in fact it's a media appliance that happens to contain a computer. Once you think of it more like an interactive television than a hobbled pc, it makes more sense.

I'm a Windows developer so I'm naturally biased against Apple products, but this really is a neat device, and I'll probably buy one when the price comes down, or a similar Android tablet if a good one is released.

I completely agree with the comments by Chiefscientist , this puts into clear words exactly everything that is wrong with the iPad and this review .

I have not used an iPad , the reason being that Im not buying one and nobody that I know has bought one either .

I like to read the reviews and from those determine what a device does, what its capability is and so on . So far it seems the iPad could be a great device but Apples new brainchild is severely handicapped.

I dont use an iphone because I find that they dont do smartphones as well as any other phone running Android , sorry but android does it better.

I dislike that with apple products you have to go through itunes for everything, they try and make a buck on everything that you do with your computer.

I dislike that apple has alot of restrictions built into their devices so that they can only do what they want you to do .They force users to use the device as they intend, not let users define how to use it .

But my biggest peave with apple and devices like the iPhone and now the iPad is that they build a new device and hype it all up like its a "revolution" or its "game changing technology" to get all their fanboys in a frenzy ( they do it everytime and you fanboys still fall for it) only to release a device that is obviously lacking in some important ways ( but the fanboys buy them up anyway jsut to have them as a status symbol), then every 9 months they fix the problem but only on new devices so everyone that already bought one buys another one and the old one is now basically junk .

This iPad would be much better with a webcam built in like my laptop computer has , but dont worry because iPad 2 will have that . multitasking would be nice , I bet iPad 2 will have that . it will go on and on ,iPad 3 introduces Flash , iPad 4 has .... oh wait is there an iPad 2 already on the horizon as we speak ? I suppose there is , its got 3G connectivity ,

wow , so make a device with potential but handicap it in the extreme *delibrately*, then slowly release devices with upgrades to string the devotees along forever $$$$$$$$ lol , Apple will never get my money .

@vega. I do have to agree, there are people that refuse to take their fingers out of their ears. And I do have some hatred towards apple, I try to put it aside for the most part. Good post.

mobileme account WTF

Unbelievable is it free ??????

First and most importantly:

Stevie Wonder is probably so pissed at apple for turning everything into a touch screen. Popsci did an article on this before, but Apple's devices are extremely unfriendly to everyone except the average idiot.

Second and also quite important:

WTF is going on through all you media people's minds? Saying the iPad is a game changer for the media industry? It offers absolutely nothing new or different except extreme limitations on what our computers are capable of. If you think people's habits will change just because you are trying to limit their abilities to manipulate everything digital you are sadly mistaken.

Even all the pro's listed in this article about why the iPad is good all stem from it's immense limitations. The screen is really nice and responds extremely well to touch? That's because it can't run anything that needs heavy processing. I'd bet in any attempts to make the damn thing useful (by adding multitasking) all perceived pro's would disappear, especially its touch screen response. Generally I find that every computer runs extremely fast and responsive when running only one simple application at a time.

The only lasting benefit to computing this device will contribute is touch screens will become more standardized. And to the author John Mahoney (who is clearly the least professional and most biased writer associated with this publication) I suggest you get yourself a touch screen for your computer if you like creating content that way (and actually being able to do other necessary tasks at the same time - like maybe research... but I guess you don't know much about that...)

And no I will likely never use an iPad because I'm not stupid enough to buy one or be friends with the arrogant morons who will. And yes I do generally hate apple - they have an extremely adequate design team that focuses on perfecting the look an feel of the device instead of its usability.

Perfect example:
Can anybody in the world explain how to uninstall a program on a Mac without downloading 3rd party software?

"Perfect example:
Can anybody in the world explain how to uninstall a program on a Mac without downloading 3rd party software?"

1) Go in your Applications folder

2) Find the program you wish to delete

3) Either:

-a. Drag it to the Trash
-b. Press Command + Delete

4) Either:

-a. Open the Finder menu and select Empty Trash
-b. Press Command + Shift + Delete

No third party software necessary. Telling you how to do it takes eternity compared to actually doing it.

Sometimes programs come with uninstallers or the uninstaller is on a disc/the net and if those are necessary, they are equally painless with 1 or 2 less steps.

Don't let the simplicity fool you. You're missing out on some good tech and some friends who use it...

It's easy to see why mainstream media is contributing to the iPad hysteriathe iPad is

" designed to support and enhance the experience of aquiring and consuming multimedia and apps ..."

Mainstream media has a vested interest in a successful iPad .

Hey Apple biggie sized my ipod touch while itunes serves up mp3's and tv shows like so many cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets .

Apple wants the digital content world modeled after the fast food industry and that no good .

I am coming into this conversation a little late but I was very impressed with some of the comments against the IPAD.

Sure the IPAD has potential "vega" but APPLE could have totally made a innovative new product and instead they created a sub-par product. They knew it was a sub-par product, but they created it anyway, just like "steve28" pointed out; only so that they could string you along with all there small planned upgrades.

Yea...Ipad...its nice so is all the gadgets everyone mentioned in this forum. Whats upsetting though, is that Apple thought consumers were stupid. They marketed the IPAD as if it was revolutionary and everyone was ready for it, but than it just turns out to be an overpriced mediocre toy. Its true Apple will go back and make the IPAD all over again and perhaps it will be exactly what everyone here is asking for.

However, this "IPAD" at this "Present" time SUCKS balls. Everyone including Apple should know it.

Kudos to steve28 and cheifscientist. I enjoyed reading your comments. This article is painfully trying to sell you something and Mahoney should be ashamed to have his name on it.

I don't own an Ipad and don't plan to.

Cheers!

It is unfortunate that most people do not understand what IPAD is designed to accomplish. I applaud Apple for sticking to limited functionality of the IPAD. For those who would like a do it all computer, they should go get a lap top.

The IPAD limited functionality makes it a better platform for reading without the distracting computing junks that fill up the lap-top and the pc. The more function advocates will find out when HP comes out with Windows version of their pad with Windows junks and viruses. With Apple controlling the contents from only the ITunes, no rogue/virus application will snick in.

By the way, why does it APPLE to always come with something before the industry wakes up. Since the Iphone, Samsung had built about one thousand smart phones without a significant impact on Iphone. Micro$oft had come up with Zune, which is a complete failure. Also, Micro$oft came up with BING(Bing-Is-Not-Google)in pursuit of Google; Apple and Google are some of the companies that have a thought-out product line.

Micro$oft is a technology polluter. Windows is a mess. I have followed Micro$soft history and could not find one product that is original to the company. Leave Apple alone, if you don't like the IPAD go build your own.

Emeka

Vega_Obscura, sorry but your post clearly shows you don't understand how applications work on a computer. The method you explained does nothing except delete the shortcut to open application - something far different and quite a bit less useful than uninstalling the application.

You see, applications are not completely contained in the icon you use to open them, nor in the folder you find that icon (who would have thought I had to explain than in a PopSci post?). Almost all applications install various files and folders all over your system in order to function correctly, and no, there is no way to delete all the files associated with running a program on a mac without 3rd party software.

Vega I suggest you quit acting like some kind of authority on anything computerized since you don't understand very basic concepts of how they work.

oh and @ Emeka, "It is unfortunate that most people do not understand what IPAD is designed to accomplish."
The problem with this statement is that it doesn't matter what it was designed to accomplish - you can make any product sound great by saying hey this thing does exactly what we designed it to. The problem is that its designed to accomplish something stupid - severely limit functionality of a computer.

I do not have an iPad.
I just wanted to tell you how very much I enjoyed reading your article. If you would have written about crunchy peanut butter, using the straight-forward informative style you displayed in this article, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it just the same.
Thanks, keep up the excellent work.

p.s. I was so impressed with your writing that I registered, waited for the confirmation e-mail, logged in and searched for this article again just to comment on it.

"The iPad is the Future"
said Apple's marketing department.

but in reality it is definitely not.

I think what many people seem to forget is that the hardware design is basically an open slate (no pun intended). It's so simple, that it gives Software the ability to entirely change the functionality.

There WILL be multitasking, and most likely flash support, once Adobe learns how to use the litter box properly (sand box). And, BTW, taking this thing into the bathroom and sitting on the toilet...gross! We don't need to hear about that:)

Most people who are complaining about not having certain types of connectivity like USB, are also not fully on board with a Cloud Computing model. The fewer holes this thing has, the better. There will be Bluetooth/USB conncectivity.

Personally, I'm waiting until more functionality evolves, because I would want to use it for much more than reading. I would consider jail-breaking it too in the short term, so that I could access flash-based video.

Lastly, in my opinion...for all you anti-ipad/iphone/ipod/apple people who are so negatively emotional about it... if you don't like it, then don't buy it.

Although I don't yet own an iPad -- I can wait a bit until the bugs are worked out an the price drops -- it points the way to a better way to consume content.

It's not for creating the content, since lots of those devices exist already. It's for replacing paper books or dedicated portable DVD players. It won't be replacing my iPod anytime soon, since a primary use for the iPod is running and the iPad is just too bulky for that. It also won't be good for syncing content (umm no USB)and limited capacity. My audio library is way over 64GB.

Those who compare the iPad to a netbook are completely missing the point. Netbooks are designed for creating content and communicating. The iPad is about consumption. Back to the gym, I like to read a magazine while I'm riding the bike or doing stairmaster. Once I get an iPad, I can easily prop it up and read whatever I want. Or watch videos. A Netbook fails for that.

What the iPad provides DOES NOT exist in the market, except for eBook readers in a limited way. Yes, you do/will need one or you will be left out.

@bdhoro87 - Everything you say about uninstalling an application is correct... on a PC. On a Mac all the files for the application ARE completely contained in the Application Icon. How? A .app is actually a folder. The executable itself is stored in, for example, Gimp.app/Contents/MacOS/Gimp. The resources for the app are contained in, for example, Gimp.app/Contents/Resources. This can be seen on any Mac by right clicking on an application icon and selecting "Show Package Contents"

For the majority of apps the only file put anywhere other than the application icon itself are preference files (very tiny, don't actually need to be removed but can be) which get stored in ~/Library/Preferences or for some /Library/Preferences. The other place a third party might grab files from is ~/Library/Application Support or /Library/Application Support, generally these are temporary items such as the Google Earth cache.

It's hardly impossible or difficult to clean up after an application manually.

I bought an iPad to consume web content. It is much more convenient to use while sitting back on the couch watching tv or walking around the house. It replaces much of what I use my laptop for.

I rarely use flash content, regularly block it, so not having it in the first place is not much of a loss. Flash sucks on the Mac OS, Adobe could better their chances if they fixed it there first

Things like embedded youtube video load and play within Safari, I can even surf the Youtube website and watch videos without opening the app. Ditto Vimio. I just wish my desktop had the same simple and fast player as on the iPad.

My wife brought an IPAD home from work yesterday. She is in the magazine business and her magazine has a new IPAD version.I spent an hour and a half browsing, and I think the IPAD may be the future of the magazine business. Last year over 450 magazines closed their doors. The financial model doesn't work any more, paper costs too much,distribution is expensive and labor intensive, advertising has dropped off. No one has created a newspaper or magazine that really works on a computer. Its hard to explain why this is so, it has something to do with the tactile experience, how you encounter content, the physical experience of reading paper vs a computer screen, and the quality of pictures in a paper vs a computer format. As important, is portability. You need to be able to sit on the toilet or in your favorite chair, or stand on the subway and read your magazine or newspaper. Paper lends itself to portable functionality, so far computers do not. Computer versions of newspapers and magazines do not currently provide an experience that can satisfactorily replace the paper versions of magazines and newspapers. Similar issues apply to books. Nicholson Baker wrote a wonderful essay on this subject, perhaps in the New Yorker. It was about how unsatisfying the experience of reading on a kindle can be and why. He does a much better job of analyzing this than I have in this post, but my point here is that the IPAD may be the answer.The IPAD may be a device that can deliver newspaper and magazine content without the costs associated with paper, printing, and distribution, while providing an experience that, while different from reading a paper version, is pleasing,both to me the reader, but also to the advertiser, whose advertisements literally come to life on the page. Maybe this is why a Popular Science editor is so high on this product.

So a mobileme account isn't free ,big surprise there , it costs 99 dollars a year , not counting the thousands of people that signed up for the free trial and were charged 200 dollars to there credit cards or bank cards ,but why would that be a big deal has Apple reimbursed these people yet ? I dont think that they have.

So if you can't figure out how to transfer a file or you've never heard of an sd card or a usb cable don't worry because Apple has you covered for around 10 buck a month .

Is mobileme the only way to get your favorite photos onto your iPad ?
Without a usb connection this process is decidedly inconvenient , and it wouldn't be free if this is the case.
So my. IPad and my digital camera are basically incompatible and the iPad has no camera of its own , am I missing somthing here .

Is everyone ok with the idea that the apps being released for the iPad are quite a bit more money than apps were when they were on the small screen ? Bigger screen means what as far as the price when concerning an application ?

If the iPad is the future of computers then without a credit card there won't be much left for you to do .

For everyone posting that the iPad isn't a computer its webtv or e-reader then you must have lots of money because Apple wants it all .

Apple is the salesman how answers the question " how much does it cost ?" With " how much do you have "

Has anyone seen stargate atlantis? The touch screen hand held computers look awsome on that show.

Oh yah why would anyone use an "Ipad" on the toilet

In the Paragraph
"I'm Typing on the iPad RIGHT NOW" the 2nd line, 6th word needs to be capitalized.

I have not yet handled an iPad, but I'm looking forward to messing around with my buddy's. He bought the third one his reseller unwrapped. I won't buy one myself - I never buy the first of anything. I wait for the bugs to be ironed out (pardon the mixed metaphor).

Anyway, did everyone forget how things evolve in the real world? The iPad is at best a Beta version of the first generation of a very new way of connecting and using the net. Apple was the first, but they won't be the last. The flaws and missing trinkets will be added/fixed/improved. There will be at least ten different machines all bearing a striking similarity to this one by the end of the year, one or two likely from Apple themselves. One of these might just change the mindset of a few of you and one or two of you just might buy one of the next generation machines. Maybe. Face it - the iPhone is the first of a long list of similar devices. It's probably the best so far, but the time is coming where it will be relegated to a lower status.

As for John Mahoney's article, it's a review. He has the right, and his editor's permission, to get this to "print", so settle down already. And I'll use mine on the toilet. Why not?

IPad at the gym ??!! No way that's a serious comment briane99 , only the biggest douche on the planet would do that . Plus another device already exists which allows you to listen to music aswell as surf ,somthing the pad can't do, my Android powered smartphone , and it fits in my pocket afterword so I can still listen to music when I go to lift wieght , mabey if the only weight your lifting is the iPad itself then it might work for you but I highly doubt ill see an iPad at the gym anytime soon . Not to mention all the bikes and elliptical trainers at my gym have screens on them already.

If the iPad replaces books and newspapers the future will be a sad place . It's funny that its well known that the best way to make sure information is conveyed to future generations of people is to make the form of communication as simple as possible to decode . We still have cave paintings from 30 000 years ago or whatever , a proper bound hard cover book can also last thousands of years , can a dvd discy even last 100 years , can we say for certain wether technology will exist in 100 years to even read a dvd disc ?
What of my parents national geographic collection if an iPad like electronic device came out in the 1970's would any of those be around at all ?

If the technology in the future for whatever reason doesn't exist to decode any of the e-books or newspapers that are migrating to iPad like devices then much of the information from our time may be lost forever .

Sorry got a bit off topic but this future that Apple is selling just seems so wrong

I got my iPad on Saturday. I have few disappointments and this review is pretty much spot on. The way multi-tasking needs to be addressed is pretty well stated IMO. My photography explodes off this screen like nothing else and people easily adapt to the interface to browse my images. For a professional photographer, this device will increase his sales by showing clients the highest quality images imaginable
The apps that I've added show large increases in usability compared to the iPod versions. The Bloomberg financial app is a thing of beauty on the iPad. I'm not much of a gamer, but I did download RealRacing HD. I got dizzy playing this game. It feels almost real with the larger screen. The screen is the steering wheel and you totally immerse into the visual environment. Amazing app.
I have a laptop for heavy duty stuff, but it is going to get very lonely as I use the iPad for almost all my web browsing and email activities.

Lee

@bdhoro87, well then can you explain why deleting a program that required and consumed 2.5GB (Or any amount of disc space) at the time of installation returns that same exact amount of space upon being deleted from a Mac without 3rd party software, slightly cumbersome add/remove aaplications or leaving a trace of it's existence? I'm not telling you what I think, I'm telling you what I know based on years of experience with the machine. Thanks for the assist Stupendoussteve.

Mac and PC function in two VERY different ways and like you, I made a lot of PC based assumptions when I got a Mac. I'm just a little amused how you ask a question then tell someone they're wrong when they give you the answer.

The simple removing of programs is one of the many reasons why Mac outperforms the competition. On paper, Macs may look underpowered, but when you actually go to work on them and take the time to understand how they work, you see that they greatly outperform the competition.

PCs may have higher performance capacity, but Macs have higher quality performance. In a sports analogy, I'd take a team of nobodies who play really well together over a team of superstars that don't. The superstars have the higher capacity for performance, but the nobodies have higher performance quality.

This is just how I feel and I'm not pushing it as fact. A lot of you obviously feel differently. All I can say is play around with a Mac for a while before writing it off or making assumptions...

All the iPad bashing seems to be coming from people who think they are tech gods and not a one of them has worked with an iPad yet. Interesting.

As an owner of an iPad, it is the non-tech crowd that will really understand this product. They are getting very tired of computing gear that barely works and presents a very complicated user environment. My PC owning friends are now owned by the security software they are forced to run. And they still are being hit with malware and viruses. I suspect the iPad will prove to be much more secure as long as people don't jail-break it. On my friend's laptop with 4 Gig of memory and VISTA, it took 5 minutes to pull up a 1 page word document than then it would not see the network printer and he could not print. Took another 30 minutes to transfer to a memory stick and physically haul it to the machine with a printer. Pain in the A...

I'm reading the Wall Street Journal, TIME Magazine, Kindle Books, and Popular Science on my iPad and much prefer this format to physical paper. Now I can travel with the equivalent of 100 lbs of magazines and newspapers all nicely contained in the iPad 1.5 lb package. And, I get extremely high quality color image display that is as good as my 31" Samsung, color profiled display. And, I can see videos within the WSJ as I read it. And the list goes on and on and on. And, I only need to charge it once/day. Oh.. and multiple years of photos on my iPad too.

NEC has a nifty 1.5 lb netbook... Battery life is 1 hour!!! Add 2 more lbs to the device and you can get 3 hrs of battery life. Nah... I like my iPad with it's 10 hours of battery life.

Love my iPad!!!!
Lee

Hey... Pop Sci!!! You want to tag me $5.00 / issue.... Oops. I love my iPad, but I don't think I'll be subscribing to your mag on the iPad at this price.

I have a regular subscription. Would convert it to online in a heart beat. But $5.00/issue... Buzzzzttttt. Bad move.

Lee

Those that are hacking on the iPad are die hard PC users that can see the forest through the trees! It would be like admitting that a Apple product is better than Windows!

No, I have not used an iPad, although I have purchased one and it seemed like the perfect solution to a problem we had. I am also surprised @ the # of people with the lack of imagination that think of this as just another gadget! There are other uses, if you think about this. It doesn't have to be an addition to your electronics stable, it can be a tool!

Example: We purchased a Pad for my Mother-in-Law, who is 86 years old, has had a stroke, but still very mentally active. Unfortunately, she only has the use of her left hand, which I believe makes the Pad a no brainer as it can be easily run with 1 hand. Think about a keyboard for one minute, using only 1 hand for control-alt-delete (if needed).

She had a computer years ago for a few months (this was a phone modem setup) and she let it go as so many people changed things on her, it got confusing for her as a beginner.

She's a beginner again and this time around, she got the Pad, cable modem and a system administrator. She not only has control of the only computer in the house, but she can now easily view photos from her many children (all over the US), her grandkids and her great grandkids.

It was a bit pricey, but her access to all of her family is priceless.

We don't expect her to answer mails, if she get to that point, great, but she can now see her family on a daily basis, hear from her family on a daily basis and, I believe, have the time of her life! Mom is excited to be an iPad/internet user!

She already has her iTunes account set up, if she wishes to download a book, a crossword or get involved in a scrabble game and the phone is right beside her on the sofa, if she wishes to call us or when we call her and ask if she has seen a photo or a mail.

So photos with a phone call is better than she has had in years! This a quality of life issue/improvement for some, I don't know how many, but the one person I care about WILL benefit from the iPad, even though many feel it is a bust!

There is a purpose for the Pad, maybe you all just need to find it?

When I bought my 1st PC, I asked the IBM guy why the keyboard was so junk? Because, he said, the IBM Word Processing guys were afarid it would cut into their market. And they trashed the PC keyboard. So when you think of the pieces missing from the iPad, ask yourself: "Would adding that to the iPad hurt sales of the iPhone, or the iPod, or the MacBook?".

This is NOT a major breakthough. It's just an evolutionary niche product: better than a Kindle (i.e. color); bigger than the iPhone; and a lot smaller than the Surface.

I have not used the iPad. I have nothing against Apple. I use both Macs and PC’s, I have an iPod and I would by an iPhone if a better, slightly more expensive version didn’t come out every time I had enough money to buy one. I think steve28 pointed that out, one version seriously lacking comes out then systematically improves with each version making each previous version obsolete. How does this revolutionize computing at all? That would be like selling the first airplane because it will revolutionize transportation. Yes, it is a different field, different purposes but how can you say it will revolutionize anything when the whole thing is planned out for the next few years until the newest break through. That’s why Apple always comes out with the newest invention; they make the simplest device then continuously upgrade it, with obvious needed and easy to add upgrades, to keep people happy while working on the next big thing.

Right now it is a pointless gadget, no, it doesn’t have to fill a need but it is utterly pointless now. The iPod has a purpose, the iPhone and so on. The iPad has no purpose at the moment. It is not the future it is merely something that has been done already on a smaller scale. The revolution is going to come when another company outfits a similar device for doctors, children and students as Vega_Obscura wishes for us to see this as. Yes I can see something similar to this, maybe not in its oblique size but as a device seen in so many futuristic films used everywhere from construction to medicine. Until then like I said before it is quite useless.
@dleepenn, I am one of those non-tech crowd people and I know at I at least want something that can play music while I use it if it has a music playing feature. I don’t fancy switching back and forth constantly because it can run only one app at a time.

I have seen the iPad being used and I do think it is a marvelous thing, just very lacking and definitely not a revolution of anything.

It doesn't have a diskette drive? Oh Heavens!!

Vega_Obscura wrote:
"... when you actually go to work on them and take the time to understand how they work, you see that they greatly outperform the competition."

So true. I work with PCs all day. When I go home, I want to HUG my Mac.

Despite not having touched an iPad, I can completely understand John Mahoney's brain stem comments. Apple products are like that. Their use can prequently lead to euphoria.

The iPad is over priced. A netbook is a better buy and less likely to break.

I hoped that iPad would tackle the major problem that all laptops and netbooks have. The lack of a ergonomic key board. The iPad is too small to program a ap to create a ergonomic keyboard. The person who makes a laptop with a ergonomic key board like the Goldtouch makes will be the person who takes personal portable computing in the direction it needs to go. Until then, I will stick with my PC and my PDA.

I believe the iPad has potential, but if Apple want's to unlock it, they're going to have to get over their desire to block the web and certain applications. They're also gong to need to bring the app prices down. Five, ten twenty bucks more just for higher resolution? Come on. If Apple doesn't pull together and redo this device, other competitors will steal the idea and take over with cheaper apps, improved models and UNblocked internet. For example, the iPod came out, followed by the Zune. The iPhone came out, followed by a sea of touch-screen phones from literally every major cell phone company and carrier. The iPad may seem revolutionary, but it can be improved. I'm sure using it is an awe-inspiring experience, but nothing much will be different from my iPod Touch.

I recently have used the iPad, John Mahoney, and it was great. I still think Apple could mprove upon the things listed in my earlier comments, but I want to hear your opinions on the app prices. With respect, Flu17.

I'm always amazed at how polarizing apple products can be.

I feel that the iPad is not as earth shattering as the original mac or iPhone, but conversely I think it has a much brighter future than the Newton or AppleTV.

For the Apple consumers that have gone fanatic. Apple is a great company that's more legitimately innovative than most, but at the end of the day its just another Brand/Corporation trying to make a buck, not a movement or a cause. Just cause you showed up early to a party that became madly successful doesn't necessarily make you a seer or better than others, it just means you were fortunate and probably like parties.

To the Nay Sayers, sure you have a right to be annoyed by the over irrational exuberance of others. I mean with the way some fans go on you would think god delivered the 10 commandments via iPad. But do you really need to rain on other peoples parade? If buying and iPad makes others happy at no cost to your own happiness, why deny them their moment.

Let me state the OBVIOUS first: The iPad ISN'T for everyone.

Next choose a category: Do you... NEED it? WANT it? or COULDN'T care less for it?

People who COULDN'T CARE LESS for the iPad should exercise restraint in posting comments - precisely because a) they are NOT the intended market for the product, b) they are of no help to people looking for a decent review, c) by definition of their indifference, they are either a NEUTRAL or NEGATIVE party to this discussion and will lack the OBJECTIVITY which can only be gained by actually USING the device AND other similar products. If you are from this category, you wouldn't or shouldn't have been READING THE ABOVE ARTICLE in the first place. Unless you just wanted to know more about what the iPad is and how it works.

People who WANT the iPad have lots of sub-groups. The gadget freaks, apple fanatics, filthy rich folks who can afford overpriced toys, "cool" people who have the latest "in" thing (+ the wannabe's), and the people who THINK they need it but actually really don't. These people are the ones who lined up at the mall last weekend prompting haters to call them "freaks" and "idiots".

Put in the perspective of car buying, If you need a vehicle you look for one that suits your lifestyle (and maybe your family's as well). If you have a bigger family, you may need a minivan or SUV. But buying a Cadillac Escalade is not a need, it is a LUXURY - something parked outside an MTV Cribs mansion or wrapped around a tree with a billionaire golfer sticking out from it.

Make no mistake though, the iPad is a LUXURY item. But the tempting part is that it's a luxury item with a tag price that many of us can actually AFFORD. Now I know an average college kid won't be able to park that Escalade on campus anytime soon, but being able to step into Starbucks armed with THE iPad that everyone is talking about? Those marketing peeps at Apple know exactly what they're doing.

There are very FEW people who actually NEED an iPad or at least THINK it may address their needs. It is for their sake that articles and reviews like this should be written. That said, these write-ups must have a priority of giving the consumer the details necessary to make an informed decision or at least offer the public a glimpse as to why there's so much buzz about it.

SO WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
I clicked on this article because I was considering getting an iPad as a present for someone with a hectic schedule who LOVES reading books. I saw it as an alternative to Kindle that can surf the web and run other applications for about $140 more (comparing basic models).

As an e-reader, i must say it's far beyond others in the market. It really boils down to price. Does the higher tag justify the purchase despite the limitations? Maybe, maybe not. But you have to concede, all the other "stuff" it can do sure makes it pretty darn cool. So much so that I think with all the features it has, many people end up naturally comparing it to a laptop - which i think would be a little unfair.

Just because it allows you to surf the web, type a magazine article, watch movies, etc. doesn't mean it's a LAPTOP. A bicycle gets you around the block, but don't go putting it side-by-side to a Ducati just yet.

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY - ASK THE "EXPERTS"
The first thing any smart consumer should do is to RESEARCH more about the product, right?

The problem is, the web is filled with both useful advice and useless garbage. Some people posting comments here limit themselves to whatever they read about the iPad, ride on whatever bandwagon, and go straight to bashing Apple, Steve Jobs, and the Mac fanatics. I could write my own review just compiling all the pros and cons I've already READ about.

NEVER trust the opinion of someone who hasn't at least bothered to go to the store and get first-hand user experience. Same thing with a car review, would you listen to an owner or a shopper?

NEVER trust a review that does not offer you a comparison against other similar products available in the market. Keep in mind that companies send media people a bunch of freebies and sometimes ship them a product ahead of everyone else so they can ooh and ahh about it, spread the gospel, and generate the necessary publicity. It is not impossible or unheard of for an author to give glowing reviews for free loot.

Not to say that the author here is on the "take"... but really the only other products this article even mentions are iPod, iPhone, iTunes, and "the list of physical real word objects the iPhone has made irrelevant". Apart from the Android mention, no other brand is even used for comparison. It reeks like a sales pitch for Apple that even the "cons" of the iPad that were discussed are all "curable" in future editions.

As far as reviews go, this article is garbage. (And no, I'm not a Mac basher, I own a Mac and managed to convince my ENTIRE family and a few other friends to buy Macbooks) But the iPad? I'm not yet completely sold. I just wish there was a better comparison.

Apple touts it as a "magical and revolutionary product". And when you think about it, it's really just a "PRODUCT" - it's not really a laptop, but it's more than an e-reader. It's not a replacement for your GPS unit, but then again it CAN navigate you from Point A to Point B.

SURELY there are many devices out in the market that can do the individual tasks that an iPad does far better and cheaper. I don't think we're talking about dumping our laptops and cellphones just yet. The thing is, however, none of them can really mesh all of those tasks into one single piece of portable machinery that you can carry around and fit into your purse (or man-purse).

FLASHBACK:
When cellphones came out years ago they were so big they had to be carried around in bags and most people thought they didn't NEED that expensive clunk that was surely only for the Secret Service and company CEO's. The dialtone at home was just as good as any. Today, cellphones are UBIQUITOUS. Texting. Twittering. Facebooking. This IS the mobile generation.

Yes it is true, you don't need an iPad today. At least not yet. But in the future, when software developers and applications start catching up, left-click and right click may soon be a thing of the past. Science fiction writers use their IMAGINATION to dream of what the future will look like. Engineers get to build concept models. And here is Apple with a device that lets you touch it and feel it. For 500 bucks.

Yes, the price of admission to the next wave doesn't come cheap.
But finding your digital soulmate? PRICELESS.

Stupendoussteve you are pretty close to correct but this whole uninstalling situation still makes my point pretty clear(that apple's great designers focus mostly on how their products are perceived, not on actual utility). Properly uninstalling an application is not a native function of the Mac OS. Yes you can go manually search for each file associated with an application, (and if you haven't used it at all this is pretty easy) but as I've said before, to properly uninstall you also need to search for support files, preferences, and cache's which would all lead to a very cluttered drive if you let them build up. The more complex and powerful a program, the more likely files will be left somewhere that has been overlooked, and more space will be taken. It just shows little foresight that apple wouldn't think of just having a way to uninstall the apps completely without having to go download AppZapper or an uninstaller specifically for your application.

@Vega
"I made a lot of PC based assumptions when I got a Mac. I'm just a little amused how you ask a question then tell someone they're wrong when they give you the answer."

Actually I'm telling you this because I've used Mac's and have had this problem many times until I realized you need to download AppZapper (which is a great app and solves the problem). Maybe you are amused, but the fact is, your answer was completely wrong (and I should have had the foresight to realize that some idiot who doesn't know what they're talking about would propose to just put the app in the trash). Thats actually part of the problem with Mac's - they give most ignorant people who use their computers the appearance that everything is easy and simple, but most users don't even know how to really get rid of any of their applications.

@dynamo that first big paragraph is just completely ridiculous. You're saying that some people reading and commenting on this article aren't in the intended market for an iPad? If that's true something is seriously wrong. I'd say that every single person who visits this web domain should be considered an important part of the market of consumers for such a device. All the backlash that you get on tech websites just proves that although we are part of the intended market, most people who this product is intended for see it as a gimmick.

Useless if you are a blind person!
And blind people represent 10 percent of the world population.
That is a fair chunk of the market being ignored.

It surprises me that so many people refuse to think critically , and instead just eat up whatever they they are told.
I prefer to think for myself and when sombody tries to tell me that some new device will revolutionize computer or the internet I take notice , and start reading things and researching . I've done nothing but laugh ever since the iPad was released because the revolution was a big joke .
Take research itself ,that's somthing Google actually revolutionized with its search engine . Apple is trying to lockdown the internet so that it can package it all up and sell it to you bit by bit , and this is the opposite of what I believe the internet should be .

@bdhoro87, well, you obviously know more than me. The way I do things works for me and I haven't noticed any discrepency, so I'm not tripping.

If you want to nitpick over miniscule preference files to make your point valid, go right on ahead...

Steve-o forgot a layer. An important one.

Yes, we have an iPad and our second one will arrive by the end of the month. First, it is not a piece of $h!t as some commenters would have you think. It is an amazing device. In the hands of our children, the look of wonder is uncanny as they touch their way through Dr. Seuss "Cat in the Hat." We now have to battle for time on the device. I thoroughly enjoyed the PopSci magazine app. It is the future of the industry. Someday, all magazines will be a mixture of multimedia and interactive text.

Do I need the iPad? No. But, I don't really need any technology. I want it. I want this and I want my promised jet-pack. Growing up in the 60s and 70s, this is the kind of technology we dreamed of while watching man walk on the moon. This changes everything, but it is only a starting point. Future apps will showcase the great potential of the device.

With my coming 3G model, I'll never be away from the Internet again. The optional camera kit will provide me with a highly mobile onramp to get my digital images posted immediately. The audio apps will allow me to send an immediate podcast from an event. The books are something my wife already adores. I don't mind paying the Apple premium. If I choose to drive a Mercedes, it is my choice. The guy who chooses to naysay the device without ever trying it is missing the boat in my opinion. But hey, his loss.

this thing is pointless. just get a new Toshiba tablet so you can actually multitask

After reading d200guys comments and thinking about, it the image of his kids reading Dr Suess on that thing is a pretty good one , and it got me thinking.

This issue of the iPad being or not being a piece of junk stirs up in people alot of emotion .

I can only say for myself, but I think alot of people who read popsci would agree with me on my point .

As a college level technically educated person who is good with computers and interested in technical devices, the internet , science ect , I generally don't like it when I get treated like an infant , and thats exactly what the ipad does, it treats you like your an infant, like youve never seen a computer before ,and that might be wonderful if you still sleep in the fetal position but sorry I dont anymore .

apple was telling us that this pad was the future of computing , that sort of infers everybody will be included , then we find out the specs and its a huge let down to alot of people . So that sets off emotions that lead to comment sections that seemingly go on forever .

iPad is a great device for infants and people that already have apple stuff at home, and even the elderly because lets not forget they grew in a time when computers didnt exist, but not for me and Im fine with that.

History tells us its always a safe bet to wait when it comes to technology , its ever increasing advancement is accelerating. The article on Memristers was really interesting . Truely revolutionary computers are coming it seems , Im saving my money for that :) .

I wouldnt keep coming back to this site if it wasnt a great site , keep it up popsci

I have one, and really like it, but it is over priced.

I am amazed at how many of the negative commenters here feel the need to personally insult the author and other commenters. This is totally unnecessary and unprofessional.

I have not yet tried the iPad but I do have an iPhone and love it. I anticipate I will enjoy the iPad's interface too. Many of you compare this device with Netbooks. It is not designed to be a netbook replacement and personally I prefer having something that 'just works' and runs apps it was designed for. You talk about devices running Windows. Please, PC's need to be rebooted more often in a day than I care to mention. Sure Win7 is an improvement but still, I have clients who struggle on a daily basis with simple tasks such as connecting to a wireless network. I see there's lots of gripes about Flash support. Personally I hate it and regularly have to kill browser windows running Flash content that drives the CPU usage to 100%. This is true on both PC and Mac, and on different browsers.

To the commenter who mentions opening email attachments such as Visio, please tell me what email client can display these by default. A PC cannot even display PDF attachments without 3rd party software. Let's not even talk about Word or Excel docs. Let's not even talk about having to install other mandatory 3rd party nonsense like antivirus software.

To the other commenter who claims that Macs need 3rd party software to remove apps, you are so wrong. You have just been brainwashed by the MS way for so long that you think all operating systems work this way. They don't, on a Mac all the application's files are stored 'under' it's icon and as others have mentioned, dragging it to Trash effectively uninstalls it.

The gripe about multitasking and backgrounding apps I do however agree with, definitely miss being able to receive IMs etc. whilst doing other tasks, but I'm sure the developers are working on that...

Is Apple paying popsci or what? Are you guys done publicizing their products so much.

If they made something with tabs, like each app has its own real estate to remind you of stuff and each tab can be dragged like a browser, that would be awesome. But the ARM and RISC CPUs are just SLOW! So that is impossible. Maybe someone could make an app that can run other apps with this interface. Although that would be weird.

I am sick and tired of people talking bad about the ipad why because you all are treating it unfairly first of all its not a computer so what if it doesn't have usb capability yet* its not like your running programs on it there freaking apps. And for the multitasking its just an issue of the software theres going to be an update in the fall.and thinks too the miracle of mirror software capability with the i phone you will be able to to group your apps in what apple is calling a folder for multi-tasking as for {File folders} theres an app for that specifically for the ipad now currently apps that make file you can only access them trough that app but also with the update you'll be able to use files associated with other apps
{Printing}theres an app for that its wireless though so your going to either have to have a wireless printer or a printer set up on your home network

in conclusion the ipad is not a computer it wont immediately replace your COMPUTER!BUT IT WILL MAKE YOU USE IT LESS OFTEN ESPECIALLY WITH PAGES ITS COMPATIBLE WITH WINDOWS DOC. AND DOCX. ASLO THE REMOTE DSESKTOP

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT IT-WILL EVENTUALLY REPLACE IT THOUGH BECAUSE ITS AN APPLE PRODUCT THE MADE THE FIRST COMPUTERS

No flash. no multitasking, named after a madtv skit, no deal. I will wait until the HP Tablet comes out!

www.dzinerfusion.com

I've never laid my hands on an iPad, but that's because the specs revealed that I shouldn't bother. According to PC Magazine, "About 43 percent asked Apple to include the ability to run multiple apps at once." That's a lot of disappointed people. Myself included. And with that request being fanned away like dust on the shoulder, many of us who wanted to like are fanning the iPad off our shoulders like dust.

Sure I haven't used an iPad. But I didn't bother to look at it for the same reason I don't bother to test drive cars without wheels. There's just no point. I know I won't like it.

none of the above comments speak to that. The fact is that hardware wise there is absolutely nothing revolutionary about it. The Only revolutionary thing I have seen is the incredibly high level of press coverage. What's it normally cost to get David Letterman to lick your product on camera I wonder? How about the cover of time. The reviewer here doesn;t seem to be saying anything other than that he's been hit with the same advertising tidal wave we all have. Me I'm waiting for all the fuss to settle down.

I was an iphone believer, and wound up eventually ditching the thing. It's actual functionality is now below that of other phones on the market, and the cost is still astronomical. Apple concentrates all of it's design power o what it's like to use the object for the first 5 minutes while you are still in the store (smart move btw). The problem is after you take it home and actually have to do work on it for more than a few hours the simplicity of the gui starts to take it's toll. Apple products simply are not about doing work efficiently.

Ok, let me say this about the iPad. Firstly I think that this tablet type of computer is revolutionary and will, in my opinion, change the market substantially. That being said I also think that the iPad is heavily overrated. I am extremely sick of apple releasing one identical product after another with only slight tweaks and a full price tag. I know every company does this to an extent, but Apple is the master. I would've had to pay for 3 iPhones to get tech that should've been included in the first one. I will give apple one thing though, they seem to have a way of really kicking the rest of a given market in the arse. Before the iPod, the mp3 market was stagnant, before the iPhone smart phones were pathetic and now with the iPad we will see more and more tablets. I would also suggest that before anybody goes out and buys an iPad that you should definately do a little research on what is coming out in the future. The joojoo(which I think is already out), Notion Ink adam, and HP Slate are all supposed to be coming out very soon and are all serious contenders. Those are my top 3 interests, but there are many more that are in various stages of development. I'll be honest and say that I didn't read all the comments on this page so if I said something that was already said then I'm sorry.
I did get to use an iPad for a little over an hour at a big box electronic store and was impressed with the elegance of it, but was disappointed with the function.
To the author, this definately reads like an advertisement and not a review....I'm just saying.

This is a product for a certain type of person. It meets neither my needs nor my wants which is what I have come to expect from apple devices. Which is fine. I am not a person who needs an operating system to hold my hand so that I dont mess up. I do not become afraid if an error box pops up on my screen for a missing DLL. I am a person who likes and needs my operating systems both on my phone(Android OS) and on my computers (XP/Windows 7/Linux) to do what I need them to do at any given time and Windows/Android does this flawlessly. Apple doesn't provide that functionality. This is a comparison of feature-centric products and style-centric products.

Seriously an operating system that can only do one thing at a time. How is that still acceptable? Its acceptable because the type of person targeted here doesn't really need any thing. They simply want. Its exactly as the author of this review described. When they get that new toy and see how shiny and pretty it is and they touch it they get what they want. Incidentally at that point theyve also sampled all the iPad has to offer. If you want features DO NOT BUY AN IPAD.

"Making the world’s most advanced smartphone look like a baby’s toy is something Apple can’t be excited about"

Please say you are not referring to the iPhone. It is trash compared to real phones. I have a G1 from T-Mobile running an Android OS it had built in GPS (as opposed to assisted GPS which relies on towers), a compass, and MULTITASKING well before the iPhone. Its been well over a year and finally the iPhone is catching up but the new android phones are still out doing it.

You betray an obvious bias in favor of apple products by making such a blatently ignorant statement. It is by far not the most advanced smart phone. It is in reality barely keeping pace with the industry standard.

Please read that sentance:
"Making the world’s most POPULAR smartphone look like a baby’s toy is something Apple can’t be excited about"

Try to learn some editorial neutrality.

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT IT-WILL EVENTUALLY REPLACE IT THOUGH BECAUSE ITS AN APPLE PRODUCT THE MADE THE FIRST COMPUTERS

Have you ever heard of a little company called IBM. I'm pretty sure they invented the first consumer computers. Before that they had countless other technological advancements that made computers possible. A few years after IBM released thier first consumer computers Apple released the Apple I. Of course you being an apple biased consumer you would see things the way you want. The reality is a bit different.

i have maybe a life changing revalation.APPLE ISN't worth it.what i mean is that apple is just so fustrating to use with it's dang one click thing.and no i dont believe those myths anymore that say there is a double click.To me i think the ipad is just an oversized iphone.Plus while i dise apple i must also comploment it by saying it's very simple and sorta safe.the conclusion is that:JUST GET OVER IT

ITS A FREAKIN IPOD. i mean ipad is ipod wit out da o think bout it

We have not been this excited about a device since the launch of the 128K Mac in back in 1984.

The discussions today around "Why an iPad" reminded us of trying to explain to all the IBM PC-DOS folks of what a GUI was and why it was better. They would keep saying..."why would anyone want a mouse? Our arrow keys work just fine for moving the cursor up and down lines of text."

A little more than 25 years later, we find the same type of folks asking, "Who would want to use their fingers? My mouse and keyboard work just fine."

Sometimes, all one can do is just smile and wait for everybody else to catch up.

While it is often quoted that Windows has 95% of the market. That is all fine. However, at this moment, AAPL's market cap is $215.09B and MSFT's is $257.24B. Hmmm....

The Apple iPad is here. It is going to be the most talked about gadget ever and the enthusiasm is completely justified.

The "sunsetting" of the mouse/pointer interface has started. The mouse/pointer paradigm is over twenty years old. Multi-touch for the masses has arrived and it is about time.

With the introduction of the iPad Apple has made accessible an entirely new way to interact with not only a computer but information itself.

For more of our "views"...go check out:
www.rainydaymagazine.com

I have been using my iPad since day one. I have been very pleased with the interaction. Is it the wave of the future, you bet! Everyday day, I find new ways for it to make itself useful. For example, last night I found that My wife and I had missed an episode of a weekly tv show that we watch. We needed to view that one before this weeks episode aired. Yeah, I usually go to my home computer and watch it there but on a whim, I searched it out on the Internet and watched it in bed! The sound was great and the picture was sharp and clear. Lying in bed watching your show beats the heck out of gathering the family around the computer.

Earlier, we used the iPad to listen to music out at the hot tub. My XM radio app worked great and I didn't have to drag out extra speakers.

Surfing the Internet couldn't be easier! Just tapping my way through an article opened hyperlinks that was of interest to me. Multitasking that is coming out in Apple's next iPhone/Pad software update will make it even easier when you can keep multiple windows open.

I had a Sony E-reader for 3 weeks. It got returned because all it did was sit there and let you read books. Look out Kindle, you have got some serious competition.

Yes, it is an iTouch on steroids but the steroids gave you a bigger keyboard, a speaker, and a display you can share easier with someone else.

Before the iPad came out, people were trashing the Apple case for the iPad. Boy, where they ever wrong! Not only does the Apple case protect your investment with a non-slip case but it's functionality of standing up or lying down at an angle gives you hands-free use that the iPhone or iTouch can't. If you buy anyone else's case, you have to do somethig with it when you take your iPad out of it. Something else to lose or take up space. The apple cover for the iPad becomes an essential part of your iPad. The only thing I added was a screen protector from Bodyguards. It helps to keep the scratches away.

If you are interested in an E-Reader, get yourself an iPad today. If you already have an iPod or iTouch, maybe you can wait until you find a greater need. If you just want to own something cool, something on the cutting edge of technology, get in line and get yours when you can!

I have read many articles throughout PopSCI for a few decades now. I must say that yes some of the articles are "biased" due to endorsements and advertising dollars. However, that does not mean that everything they experience does not apply to the average user.

With that being said...for all of you are negative in these posts and want to do nothing but ridicule and tarnish the article and the writer just shut your pie holes! It's a shame that people like you who don't see the vision of other peoples work as the future of computing, gaming, PMD, and daily interface device are living in a glass house with only mirrors on the inside!

I am a dual user of Apple devices and MS based devices. I have owned every major MP3 player on the market including the Zune (all flavors) and converted to Apple based devices due to the lack of SUPPORT & COMPATIBILITY for MS Based devices. Especially, on the prized and famed MS OS!! I have seen it all, had over a dozen MS support cases opened to solve their issues on the software...so I have seen enough to justify this comment. Unlike most of you, you just can't accept change.

YES! I bought the iPad with my own money and have been using it since its availability. I bought for use as an e-reader and a PORTABLE device for surfing the web and creating/editing simple files. I have found it to be very versatile as a traveling computer and it is easy to use from a HMI (thats Human Machine Interface for all of you glass houser's) perspective. It is not meant as the master of all devices, it is meant to be convenient and easy to use. It by far performs those tasks adequately.

I will continue to use the iPad as a SYMBIOTIC device to my Apple MBP! It is not mature enough to replace my primary computer but it is close. Perhaps Gen II will be more all-in-one solution to provide a smaller form fitting device that is similar to a MS based netbook. The iPad will change the way people read and watch mass media .

I hope this comment gets your blood pumping if you live in a glass house...and for those of you who are not afraid to try new innovation and make tomorrows technology a reality...I salute thee!

A *tablet* may be the future; but the iPad certainly isn't. If it had better battery life, the HP slate would be better than the iPad in every shape and form.

Devices like the slate are REAL computers. Powerful, expandable, capable. As it's been said for month, the iPad is just a glorified iTouch. There's a long list of things it can't do, yet it has the typical apple pricing.

As usual with any Apple device, it's 2 years behind in technology, dumbed down, and overpriced. The only thing Apple is good at is marketing... and maybe buying up small, innovative companies for their patents and claiming that Apple developed the technology.

Apple is a status symbol- nothing more. I saw a young child today with 2 apple stickers on his nintendo DSi. I know he does not own nor use apple products nor does his parents (who I work with). The apple logo is like the Nike swoosh of the 1980's.

this thing is pointless. just get a new other tablet so you can actually multitask.

I always sort of was interested - the first time I ever came in contact with multitouch I loved it. So when I saw the news about the iPad, I couldn't help being interested - another multitouch screen, but four times the size? Just seeing the huge improvement on the hand gestures in Apple's video and watching game developer's demos of their games made me even more excited. I did refrain for a while from telling myself I'd ever need one, since it didn't multitask, but then pretty much right away the announcement about OS 4 came out. I really, really want an iPad now. I do think that I'll wait a year, though - all the rumors about front-facing camera references and iChatAgents in the SDK have piqued my interest enough that I can stand the wait.

And no, I have not used an iPad. If you haven't guessed from my review. But knowing Apple's amazing talent when it comes to devices, I know I won't be able to help liking it, even with its flaws.

OK wow there have been a lot of great and interesting comments on this article. Personally I found the article to be a little bit of a miss. Not a miss because I thought it was misleading or that I am worried that Steve Jobs is slipping John a cool check under the table, or really anything wrong with the content in general.

What I found off with the article was just the direction it took considering the depraved and techie-spoiled audience that PopSci has here. We are a relentless bunch of option requiring, OS hacking, spit and shine needing, depraved lunatics. Is the Ipad the future, not for me or probably 95% off the readers of PopSci (especially on-line readers! ;). I can't do anything on the Ipad that I would truly want to do on a device that I am shelling out hundreds of dollars for, but I of course am not Apples demographic.
That is why I stay away from Apple products. I don't have an Iphone I have a Droid. (and yes it is rooted) Alot of people have really missed the main points that John was making though. Apple makes products for the non-techie. Believe it or not there are people out there that don't know how to configure a network, reformat their hard drive, or still use technical support. Those are the people that apple caters to, with closed systems and dumbed down options so that the little old grandmas, cheerleaders, hell four year old children can easily navigate any apple system. That is what made the Ipod so popular and that is why the Ipad will be popular. It takes things which we the Techie elite have been doing for a long time and brings it simplified and easy to use to the average lay-computer user. I have used an Ipad and sure it's neat and pretty, but I won't be getting one, because for me the Ipad would be a step backwards, but for most it is the future.

So don't be so hard on John he is right after all, he just forgot for a moment who he was talking to. A bunch of lunatics, but that is why we all love PopSci!

i do not have an ipad and will probably never get one. the latest ipod i have is an ipod video 5.5g but ive used an ipod touch before and it wasnt all that exciting. the myriad of missing features on the ipad are the reason i will never consider getting one. i got a motorola droid for my birthday a little over a week ago and i absolutely love it. sure i cant surf the web while im in a call like i could on at&t but that doesnt really matter to me because i hardly ever use my phone for calling. i love the notification bar because of the multitasking it does. if i get a new email new im or even a highlight in one of my irc channels my phone lets me know without interrupting me. the ipod has bluetooth great. why not give it a 3g network to connect to so you can sync your bluetooth headset and make calls? then since it would be on at&t like the iphone you could be sitting in starbucks with your bluetooth keyboard and your bluetooth headset and be making calls while surfing the web or typing an article or basically whatever you want. hey throw skype mobile in there and you could be connected to starbucks wifi and not even have to use your data or minutes to do the same things.

there is a comment above mentioning how annoying it is to navigate back and forth between apps using the touchscreen. my droid has a touchscreen as well and yes it does get annoying if youre using it a lot but its still really awesome. i use an ibook at home but a lot of times ill be sitting in front of my computer surfing the web on my phone because it is just so cool to be able to poke a link rather than track the cursor over it and click.

the severe lack of features make it really surprising to me to see how popular the ipad is especially in the apple community. it is indeed a wonderful piece of technology but it seems to have blossomed prematurely. give me an ipad-like device that has bluetooth wifi and 3g but runs android. id probably buy that without looking twice.

All the negative comments posted are dinosaurs in their thinking. You need to make a paradigm shift about this device. First, you don't need all those connections you blabber about because you have wireless connection. Second, the only users who need multitasking are the ones who can email, blog, and fix a picture on photoshop at the same time while wiping your arse in the bathroom.

Why buy an Ipad. I've thought about it and yes I want it. Sure I could put my money to better use. Pay down my credit card a bit, make an extra payment on my car or house ,take a short vacation to no where particular, but why? I don't understand the big deal. Why do people hate Apple so much? They have been cutting edge for the masses. They make the hard stuff you computer geeks do easy for everyone else. Not to knock you geeks I wish I had the ability to Hack and use computers to their full access and the like , but I'm honest I don't. I'm not dumb just not a geek . I don't sit around and figure out how to make things easier and better. I leave that up to others and I enjoy what they provide. I Love Tivo, my ipod and my Apple TV. For the simple reason they make my life more enjoyable. I can go outside sit on a park bench and watch my favorite show or listen to my favorite music. Thanks Steve I appreciate it. I don't hate you because you block out other programs IE Flash or the like. I don't run point my middle finger at Apple of Microsoft for what they have done. They made my life more enjoyable. Darn right I'm going to buy an Ipad, and its not to have the shinest babble or coolest new toy , Ill enjoy it for what it is . Its something to make life more enjoyable. So stop complaining about all the other jazz like its a waste of money its a waste of this or its that. Enjoy it. And if you don't want to buy it then ..... don't. No one will ever know unless you tell them. But if you have the extra cash and want something to enjoy then by all means get one, of whatever it is. By the way Ill be waiting for you complainers to invent the next really big thing to enjoy . So take the chip off your shoulder , relax a bit and have some fun. Invent something really cool , the world needs it.

@simumaster: i in fact can email blog and fix a picture in photoshop at the same time as wiping my arse. also your wireless connection is going to be pretty useless if youre not in a location that has free wireless. if you had 3g on your device youre already paying for internet access so its pretty stupid to use your wireless especially when so many hotspots especially in airports and such require you to pay for access.

dont get me wrong im not knocking the ipad for its revolutionary aspects. they are amazing aspects such as the enormous screen and the huge amounts of speed it has. those pros are rather outweighed however by the huge cons it has. this has been noted in several earlier posts.

I bought my iPad last Sunday and took it to Japan on Monday. I have lots of positive comments and some negative ones. But the main reason I bought the iPad was the ability to read scientific papers ( with lots of math symbols). I can say categorically this feature of the iPad is a 5 star winner for me. Worth every penny. So to those scientists and engineers out there this "toy" is perfect for this task. Very happy! The apps I have tried to view scientific papers are: GoodReader, Papers, MobileSudio. Do not have a definite recommendation at this time, though I am leaning towards GoodReader based on price and features

OK, well the comments so far have forgotten one key thing, the iPad can(and has) been jailbroken, therefor on MY iPad I have Multi-Tasking, and can connect to my iPhone and tether by the use of a app called MyWi(from Cydia)

Oh, and Flash in not why I surf the 'net on the go, I have a PC for that(XP, still sadly)
I'm not a Apple fan-boy, yes the iPad has flaws, but if the end user has brains, the flaws can be overcome.

(yes, I bought mine, not as a status symbol, but as a tool(16gb ver.), so for crying out loud, just try the thing.)

Side note, does anyone else think the iPad is a copy of the PADD from Star Trek? it just seems odd that apple should call it that....

I have used the iPad a lot lately because i live less than a mile away from the Apple store and i love to use it. I know everyone has been writing that the iPad and the iPhone don't have multitasking, well Apple is already working on that and they have released a iPhone OS 4 for developers. It can do so much more. You can have a background image for the iPhone and multitasking for all devices running iPhone OS 4. It will be released this summer for iPhone and iPod touch users and fall for iPad. Also this is straight from Apple, I didn't get this info from some rumored Japanese site. Apple just announced iPhone OS 4 on April 8th.

@new: "All the negative comments posted are dinosaurs in their thinking. You need to make a paradigm shift about this device."

An appeal to novelty, with a big dash of personal attack. Was this one-two punch of fallacies intended to rebut something? Or communicate something?

I haven't touched one myself yet, but I do have a lot of experience with an iPhone, which really is excellent. I don't think insulting others to tell them I think they're wrong is a good way to communicate that, though - instead I'll just do what I feel is appropriate and let others make their own judgments, in their own time. (This will probably include going to a store that has an iPad soon, to give me a chance to evaluate it for myself.)

Nice article! I don't have an iPad, but I plan on buying a 3G model when they are out. Not sure why all the negativity, but to me, the lack of multitasking is a plus. I don't run multiple things on my computers. Keeps it very "zen" for me. I cannot wait to get one. Thanks again.

I have to wonder why there is such extreme negativity in much of the posting here. Yes, any time someone claims to have created something better there will be some backlash, but there are posters here who seem quite personally angry at Apple for making the iPad, or even more generally for Apple claiming to innovate. And people are so eager to tear Apple down that they are investing made-up "facts". Sure, it is easy enough to document that the Apple II came out before the IBM PC, that deleting Mac Apps really is as simple as deleting the application, etc. but the real question is: what is motivating the attacks? Do readers of PopSci resent innovation? Or do they think that Apple doesn't innovate? Are they really angry that Apple improves their products over time?

On the actual topic of the iPad, one aspect that I find interesting is that Apple is treating it like a video game console, and not a 'computer'. That is, it is a controlled, limited environment that is simple and 'just works' (i.e. like an Xbox) rather than an open environment that is more complex and requires support (i.e. like a PC). This may feel weird for people who haven't written console software, but to me the Apple Store feels a lot like the Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft approval process, etc. (though much cheaper and faster).

Jailbreaking makes everything better ^_^

I was curious so I went over to the Best Buy and played with one for about 20 minutes. I'm not that impressed. The graphics look good, the touch screen is responsive, but I just don't see the appeal of a 1-page touch-pad. Closed systems do this to me. I'm playing by Apple's rules (high cost; good looking but limited functionality, no multi-tasking, limited or no expandability, no upgrades) and they're stacked totally in Apple's favor.
I think we need to hold out for a more functional computer tablet based on the standard two-page layout. I think we're in an age where someone will develop one in the next year or two. Don't be Apple's guinea pig. I did that with their Apple Newton and it sucked.
I'd like something with an 8x11 touch surface on one side and a viewscreen on the other page. Something like a notebook tablet I can use a stylus to write notes on. Color of course. Whole thing under 1.5 pounds. Battery operated for a week.

If the iPad is the future, we're screwed. It is no way the future. the iPad is a regression in technology. operating systems that can only run one application at a time only have a place in cheap phones and cheap mp3 players. Furthermore, its tied to Apple's application market. Does that sound like an illegal monopoly to you? I might have to reconsider my position that Microsoft is the worst company trying to limit computer advancements. They're not going backwards.

The spread of the iPhone OS is frightening to me. My theory is that Apple plans to eventually have desktop computers running their restrictive operating system.

Furthermore, what is the market for an iPad. Its too big to be an mp3 player, it won't replace the iPod touch, its too small and powerless to replace a computer.

The ipad's chinese counterfeits are more advanced than the real thing, they've got USB and multitasking!

I only used the iPad for about 30 minutes but I had a dickens of a time holding on to it. It looks great, but was much better in my lap than holding/cradling in one hand and trying to navigate it with the other. I was in constant fear of dropping it.

Anyone else have difficulty holding on to it?

Alrighty, let's start off with saying that I've never used an ipad. Also, i'm not really an Apple hater. I deeply admire their ingenuity.

Anyways, in my opinion, I think, that like most other products, the ipad is an excellent idea, just poorly executed. Same thing with the iphone/itouch. They could be the greatest social networking tools on Earth, but lack some key features. Still, they serve their purpose. (Personally, I own a Zune HD, and love it, but...) The ipad is another great idea. Multitouch is definitely the future of computing, as well as tablets. Unfortunately, like others smarter than me have said, its lack of flash, multitasking, and near-complete control by Apple make it fairly annoying to use. Plus, it's kinda hard to fit in your pocket. :] I really liked Microsoft's Courier idea, as it takes the intuitiveness one step farther, feeling just like a notebook when you go to open it up. But, now it's cancelled, and i'll just have to wait for something more suitable to come out.

Also, you gotta give some credit to Apple's marketing team. They gotta be some of the smartest people on the planet, with the success rate they've got going. :D

Having read all of the above comments and having spent several weeks struggling over buying an iPad. There seems to be a lot of negative feedback yet it keeps getting good reviews. PC Magazine gave it 4.5 out of 5. The person that reviewed it thought is was an amazing device.

I then went into an Apple store and played with one for about an hour. That was all it took. I bought one. Took me two weeks to get it from Apple. Its the 64G 3G version. I got it a bit over a week ago and have already taken it on a business trip.

A little bit about myself since several of you think this device is meant for morons. I have two graduate degrees to include one in Computer Information Systems. I run a major website on the Internet that has over a 140,000 registered users. I also work for a major defense contractor as a Systems Administrator. I have several industry certificates and have been working with computers for over two decades so I consider myself to be very competent working with computers. I also script in several Unix shells, write many perl programs so I think I would not be the average iPad user that this group thinks this device is meant for.

First, if you do any traveling at all this device is amazing. It only weighs 1.5 lbs and with 3G turned on, I can get online nearly anywhere.

True, there is not multitasking but the author of this article points out a major deal to him is lack of instant messenger while doing other things. This is not entirely true now. I use BeejiveIM and it uses push to notify me when a new message has arrived. So yes, you can monitor IM while doing other things. Also, as I'm sure most have already read the upcoming verison 4.0 of the software is going to support multitasking so this is a non issue as far as I'm concerned.

On my last business trip I used my iPad to watch several movies on the plane, check email, watched several movies through Netflix, got caught up on three shows I watch on ABC through their iPad app, kept abreast of my website, checked system logs, and updated software (via SSH app), read a book I had bought for my Kindle using the Kindle App, read this months Popular Science (Guys $4.99 really??? I like the subscription you are about to come out with but I'm thinking $1.99 a month), read USA Today, and played several games to pass the time. I especially loved playing Scrabble with my wife back home.

Oh, I also found the MyRoutersPro app very helpful to check on my routers from the road. Thumbs up on that one!

I did many other tasks but I think I made my point. This device can be used to so some pretty cool stuff right out of the box and it works well for my needs.

Someone please show me any other device with this footprint that has a 10 hour batter life and can do all of what I did with it this week?

Go a head and keep talking about what the iPad can't do and how evil Apple is and I'll keep loving mine.

Compound Exercises Only Workout created by Damien Mase from Muscle http://kidneyr.typepad.com/blog/