This review is about the WIFI version without a sim-card slot and 3G. It accesses the internet via WIFI only. The ipad is by far the most coveted gadget on the planet. Since its debut in 2010, Apple has sold over 15 million ipads in the first 9 months of going to market. The ipad is the market leader for tablet computers and currently has a market share close to 70%. I spent some time with the ipad 2 and was left with nothing but good things to say about Apple’s ubiquitous tablet. Read on for my impressions. Technical SpecificationsThe ipad front face is dominated by a 9.7 inch capacitive screen with a resolution of 1024X768 pixels. Other features include a dual core A5 processor, 512 MB of RAM, a front and rear facing camera, 3.5mm head phone port, built-in speakers and the ability to connect to a TV . Connectivity is covered by WIFI and Bluetooth. The ipad is rated at 10 hours on one charge. Using the ipadThe ipad is a multi-purpose device but it is well suited for surfing the web, watching videos, viewing photos, reading books/magazines, playing games and listening to music.Using the ipad is an effortless experience. The bright screen is a joy to look at, the touch-screen is very responsive and the whole device registers your every touch and shake. Like Steve Jobs said “It just works”.AppsThe ipad is all about apps. You need apps to unlock the full potential of the ipad. Apple’s vast catalog of apps has something for everyone.Out of the box, the ipad comes pre-installed with close to 20 core apps. These include the music player which basically turns the ipad into a giant ipod, the youtube app, mail, safari mobile browser, photo viewer, camera, video player, notepad, Google maps and the app store.To install apps, you need itunes installed on your computer and an itunes account, which is free. Once your account is up and running, you are ready to start installing apps. After some investigation, I found out that the ipad will be able to install apps directly without plugging into the computer. This fuction is available in the latest ipad software update.There are tones of apps some free and others have to be paid for. There is basically an app for any task imaginable. Here are some of the apps that really caught my attention. FlipboardThis app lets you create a digital magazine from your news feeds. You can flip through the stories like you would in a physical magazine. You have to see in action to appreciate how awesome this app really is.Angry BirdsThis is one of the most popular mobile games at the moment. It is available on most platforms including iphone, ipad and android. The ipad’s giant screen makes playing a delightful experience. If you haven’t played Angry Birds, what are you still waiting for? IbooksA free app from Apple which lets you read and access books from Apple’s 200,000+ catalog. EvernoteEvernote is a note-takin app which saves notes online and also lets you share your notes on facebook and other social media websites. You can also attach photos to your notes. Your notes are accessible on other mobile devices such as smart-phones, tablets and computers. Pulse Similar to Flipboard, Pulse is basically a news reader which aggregates your news feeds from different websites, blogs etc. It also supports offline reading. Stories are stored in the memory for you to read later even if you have no internet access. What I liked about the ipad- Extremely good battery life. You can play with the ipad for hours without worrying about the battery dying on you.- Very responsive to the touch. - Plenty of apps to install - Brilliant high resolution screen What I didn’t like - Relying on itunes to load content and download apps.- No provision to expand the internal memory - Expensive. - Limited video format support. Some of the common formats such as xvid and divx cannot be played by the ipad.ConclusionThe ipad is a great device. It’s a true post-PC gadget which ably bridges the gap between a laptop and a Smartphone. As much as I enjoyed using it, I still cannot justify the price tag. Maybe it’s just me being frugal. If you can afford one, I would say get it. You won’t regret.Thanks Wilbroad for lending me your ipad for this review.
