Reviewers lucky enough to get their mitts on an pre-release model of the iPad have been passing their verdict on Apple’s eagerly awaited device, and for the most part it’s very positive.
The NY Times David Pogue declared the iPad to be a ‘a gigantic iPod Touch,’ and found a lot to love – except the keyboard which was dismissed as ‘a horrible experience.’
The iPad is so fast and light, the multitouch screen so bright and responsive, the software so easy to navigate, that it really does qualify as a new category of gadget. Some have suggested that it might make a good goof-proof computer for technophobes, the aged and the young; they’re absolutely right.
And the techies are right about another thing: the iPad is not a laptop. It’s not nearly as good for creating stuff. On the other hand, it’s infinitely more convenient for consuming it — books, music, video, photos, Web, e-mail and so on. For most people, manipulating these digital materials directly by touching them is a completely new experience — and a deeply satisfying one.
The bottom line is that the iPad has been designed and built by a bunch of perfectionists. If you like the concept, you’ll love the machine.
The only question is: Do you like the concept?
Tech legend Walter Mossberg found the battery life to exceed Apple’s already-impressive claims, reaching over 11 hours, and ended up using his laptop less and less in favour of the iPad.
All in all, however, the iPad is an advance in making more-sophisticated computing possible via a simple touch interface on a slender, light device. Only time will tell if it’s a real challenger to the laptop and netbook.
Tim Gideon at PC Mag awarded the iPad 4.5 stars out of 5, criticising the tablet for the lack of multitasking and Flash support, but declared the device to be “a very convincing debut. And it will undoubtedly be a driving force in shaping the emerging tablet landscape.”
