iPad

Looking for a solid iPad review? Look no further – Engadget has a detailed rundown on the iPad, a review piece that’s in the proverbial ‘league by itself”…

The following sections are covered:

a) Hardware
— Industrial design
— Internals
— Display
— Other hardware
b) Software
— Operating system / User interface
— Included applications
— Third-party apps
— Battery life
c) Wrap-up

Needles to say, there is a generous number of photos attached to the post – dig around and you’ll find a couple off videos too…

Here is the Wrap-up Note:

At this point we’ve run the full spectrum on iPad opinion. It should be clear that there are aspects of this device which we love, and others which we clearly do not. In summarizing our feelings about the iPad, we’re forced to take two paths — one which analyzes the device’s position in relation to the advancement of the personal computer, and one which clearly speaks to whether or not we think you should spend your money on this thing.

Path one: the iPad as a computing revolution. Does the iPad evolve the personal computer in a significant way? Yeah, actually, it kind of does. Despite what you think right now, and despite the limitations Apple has put on some aspects of this device, what it says to the market is significant. The iPad is powerful, elegant, and largely unlike any computer you’ve ever used. You know how first generation games for a console look kind of dated when you put them against titles released after years of honing? Imagine what will be happening with something like the iPad in a year or two. This stuff is legitimately important. It’s not magical, but it’s a little bit revolutionary, and you have to at least give Apple that. They’ve pulled off a cohesive touch computing platform with very few rough edges — and that’s no small feat.

Path two: should you buy into the revolution today? The first thing that must be said — although we’ve already stated it — is that we don’t think the iPad is a laptop replacement. Not yet. What that means is that if you need a laptop to work in something like Excel, Word, or countless other PC or Mac applications, you shouldn’t expect the iPad to take its place. But, if you’re like a lot of computer users, you don’t really do much on your system except for listen to music, casually browse the web and read news sites, watch some online video, play games, and keep in touch with friends via Twitter, IM, and Facebook. If you fit that description, you might just fall in love with Apple’s $499 bundle of joy — because it does the majority of those things much better than its laptop counterparts (granted, one at a time, and, er… not online video).

So the verdict? The buyer of an iPad is one of two people, the first is someone who sees not just the present, but the potential of a product like the iPad… and believes in and is excited about that potential. This is also a person who can afford what amounts to a luxury item. The second is an individual who simply doesn’t need to get that much work done, and would prefer their computing experience to be easier, faster, and simpler. Does that sound like anyone you know?

David Pogue at NY Times has a non technical review of the Ipad – check it out here.

The post has a video component as well, I am embedding it here – scroll down and push the play button (you’ll have to endure a gruesome 20 sec Toyota ad though).

Here is an excerpt (emphasis added) – my focus is on the non-tech segment:

The Apple iPad is basically a gigantic iPod Touch.

The simple act of making the multitouch screen bigger changes the whole experience. Maps become real maps, like the paper ones. Scrabble shows the whole board, without your having to zoom in and out. You see your e-mail inbox and the open message simultaneously. Driving simulators fill more of your field of view, closer to a windshield than a keyhole.

The new iBooks e-reader app is filled with endearing grace notes. For example, when you turn a page, the animated page edge actually follows your finger’s position and speed as it curls, just like a paper page. Font, size and brightness controls appear when you tap. Tap a word to get a dictionary definition, bookmark your spot or look it up on Google or Wikipedia. There’s even a rotation-lock switch on the edge of the iPad so you can read in bed on your side without fear that the image will rotate.

If you have the cellular model, you can buy AT&T service so you can get online anywhere. (Cellular iPads aren’t available until next month; I tested a Wi-Fi-only model.)

But how’s this for a rare deal from a cell company: there’s no contract. By tapping a button in Settings, you can order up a month of unlimited cellular Internet service for $30. Or pay $15 for 250 megabytes of Internet data; when it runs out, you can either buy another 250 megs, or just upgrade to the unlimited plan for the month. Either way, you can cancel and rejoin as often as you want — just March, July and November, for example — without penalty. The other carriers are probably cursing AT&T’s name for setting this precedent.

Here is the video:

• Doubleclick opens a message, PDF attachment viewed, Keyboard demo.
• Video play demo, Chapter switching, double tapping zooms into the video and making it full screen, doubletap to get out, single tap calls the controls, speakers next to 30 pin conector, microphone view, on/off switch, volume on/off.
• New Yorker page previewed, New York Times page previewed, Bookmarks icon click, double Tapping fills the screen.
• Calendar a week view as well as a single day view.
• Bookshelf concept previewed, Tapping a book opens fullscreen, Page-dragging works, book font size changeable, single tap opens controls.
• Facebook app fills the screen, Starwalk (app lets you view and identify stars – star tapping idenrfies a star).

Here is the video (PC Mag via YouTube):