Apple iPad Without the Hype is iPod on Steroids

Just buying an Apple iPad is quite an experience. It is sold only online at www.apple.com or at Apple retail stores, so there are few opportunities to test drive it. Either method of making the purchase is quick and painless, but walking into an Apple store feeds the need for instant gratification.

Apple Store Experience

In the Apple store I visited there were eight iPads available to check out on the official release day, April third. There were no long lines as there were for the first Iphone sales, but a quiet crowd gathered around the test models. The only sales person in the immediate vicinity was in constant demand which indicates a lot of interest in the iPad.

Unlike so many retail stores today, the sales force in the Apple store did not intrude or talk to my back or shout across an open space and were genuinely helpful when asked a question. The sales person I spoke with didn't blink an eye when I pulled out a letter size sheet of paper covered with questions, and he rattled off answers without hesitation.

Test driving the iPad was easy. Because I've used an iPhone for nearly a year there was no difficult learning curve associated with choosing an application from the screen, but I did find some of the games almost intimidating. The larger screen on the iPad compared to an iPhone produced sharp images, and using the entire tablet as a steering wheel or joy stick took some practice.

Setting up the iPad

Getting the iPad set up and synced with iTunes and other applications on my PC was an experience of another color. In spite of the research I'd done online and the questions I asked in the Apple store there was still information missing. Although the iPad does not come with a manual or even a quick start guide, once it is turned on a very clear image of a usb cable (included) to be plugged into a computer was self explanatory.

But that's where easy stopped. Like the iPhone, the iPad automatically starts iTunes software. Because I'd been told that the iPad will run many of the iPhone applications, I chose the backup from my iPhone option which led to many hours of frustration. This option did provide some of the basic preloaded applications, but insisted on an extended backup that took over seven hours, and still did not sync any other applications. Accepting the challenge I spent several more hours reading online iPad forums and the installed user's manual all to no avail. After uninstalling and reinstalling the iTunes software, the option to set up a new iPad was once again available, and I chose that option. A few simple steps later my iPad was in sync and all the applications were ready to use.

Many applications designed for iPhones will work on an iPad, but the screen view is the size of the iPhone. The size can be increased, but becomes pixilated which makes viewing or reading more difficult. Some of the iPhone applications won't work on the iPad, and the most common reason for this is that the iPad does not have the accessory needed for the function such as a camera and lens for using different bar codes readers.

Battery Life and Surfing the Web

Battery life is reported to be up to ten hours of continuous use but depends on what applications are being used. This might not be enough for a traveler that spends most of a day in airport terminals, in flight, in taxis or busses without access to a charging source. Another concern is the low or nonexistent battery charging when connected to a computer's high speed USB port.

Connecting to or surfing the Internet is slow. This first model is configured only for WI FI connection (wireless networks), and when comparing download times with my PC on my home wireless Internet connection, the iPad appears to be about four times slower than the PC. Another drawback to having only WI FI is the necessity to be within 100 to 200 feet of the WI FI hot spot. A newer model to be released later this month will be able to connect to the Internet via WI FI, 3G, and Edge.

As with the iPhone, only AT&T will be providing 3G services for the iPaD. Two levels of service will be available, but neither will be included in the phone bill of AT&T customers who already pay for 3G service with their cell phones. This means users who already use the AT&T 3G network with cell phones will pay twice for the same service.

Final Grade

All in all the Apple iPad is a nice toy; expensive, but nice. Not quite a tablet PC, it does have many useful software applications available and the number is growing daily. Its greatest asset is the larger screen size when compared to its smaller predecessors, the iPod and iPhone, but the size can be a drawback if you want to carry it in a pocket. Overall it rates a C+ to B-.