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Technical Details
- 3G & WiFi enabled. Data Plan sold separately through AT&T
Product Description
3G & WiFi enabled. Data Plan sold separately through AT&T. No contract required.Similar Products
Customer Reviews
2010-09-08
By Hank Quense (Bergenfield, NJ USA)
I bought an Ipad in June and have had a chance to use it extensively since then. My evaluation? An outstanding device. I use it in three principle areas; a book reader, entertainment i.e. games and for work. I'll talk about each in turn.
As a book reader. Very easy to use and easy to read. I downloaded the Kindle and Barnes and Noble apps so I have access to three separate bookstores and can download books from all of them. The Ipad thus is much more flexible than dedicated readers that allow access to only a single bookstore.
As a game machine. If my grandkids are around, I can't use my Ipad because they are queued up to get a turn. I have apps that the three-year-old can use, the four-year-old can use and other apps the older ones can use. The amazing thing about the younger ones, is that the apps are educational and they love use them. I enjoy the apps the older kids use, namely Doodle Jump, Angry Birds and Plants vs Zombies
For work. This is where the Ipad really shines. I'm an author. I spend hours each day chained to my computer in my office writing stores or revising them.
In addition to writing/ revising stories, there are other business aspects of writing. A brief list includes creating new characters and plots, writing blogs, marketing work, email responses etc. In the past I had to stay at the computer or use a pad and pen if I worked away from the computer. Now I use the Ipad and I'm freed from the desk and computer. It makes writing and creation a pleasure. I'm writing this review while sitting in a recliner in the TV room. Earlier, I worked on a different writing project outside on the porch.
Overall, I have to say that the Ipad changed my work habits and improved them. It fitted almost seamlessly into my work. How seamlessly, is amazing, but then I'm an Apple fanatic and I expected nothing less from the Ipad. To be clear, the Ipad doesn't replace my computer; it is an adjunct to that computer, but one that gives me a large measure of freedom.
As you might suspect, I give the Ipad five stars out of a possible five. With the Ipad, my Iphone has been downgraded to a cell phone, for the most part.
Tales From Gundarland: Eight humorous stories from the land of the incongruous
2010-09-05
By SteamaZon
The PAD fills that nebulious space between a notebook and a smartphone. Smartphones offer the ultimate in portability plus a camera and the ability to place calls. Notebooks offer a reasonable amount of computing power plus an expectation of portability especially in the 13 to 15" screen size areas.
However, smart phones are very difficult to use because the screens ARE so small. Web browsing , reading and responding to email are a chore. Notebooks provide all the functionality of desktops except expandability and usually video cards required by high end games are lacking. But even though they are transportable, for many simple functions that such as email and web browsing, they can be cumbersome to set up and take down. Any larger screen size than 15" and its unlikely it will leave home. The cost of laptops has fallen considerably over the years and from being primarily a business tool, laptop owners use the machine as their primary computer for personal use. The laptop is unobtrusive, can be moved from room to room especially if wireless internet is available, and does not have the dearth of cords and junk that seems to easily collect around an embedded laptop. Still, in spite of its portability, many people would just rather leave the laptop behind if their travels do not require work specific needs.
Sensing a need for an email machine, web browser and the ability to run regular programs should the need arise, the computer industry introduced the low cost NETBOOK. There was certainly some interest in these machines as they allowed a very convenient way of checking email and web browsing while traveling around town without the bulk of a laptop. A NETBOOK could literally be folded up and placed in a purse or cargo pants pocket.
However, consumers soon noticed limitations and annoyances about the NETBOOKS. Durability was in question. Cheap production meant a cheap product which easily broke down. Installs of software had to be downloaded or an external drive hooked up to it. The screen was small and especially for older eyes, hard to read and make out was was being viewed.
NETBOOKS were still computers and required all the maintenance of one: anti-virus had to be installed / updated or else it was susceptible for infections by any type of badware. Startup programs had to be monitored to insure "too much junk" was not loading or its already slow boot times would be further impeded. Many programs ran sluggishly, creaking along primarily on ATOM processors. The Windows 7 Starter edition was a crippled version of Windows 7, lacking functions and the ability to run certain programs which ran under "normal" Windows 7, diminishing some of its expected capability.
Though the NETBOOK could be taken anywhere, its optimistic battery times were usually half its advertised rate under real world operations and begged still for the presence of a desk or other table like furniture to set up upon for proper control and use of the cursor.
And then Apple announces the iPAD, a tablet style computer. Tablets existed before and many of them were just morphed Windows machines into the tablet form factor with styluses that often found their way into toilets, sewer grates, and dog maws. And a Windows tablet is typically priced 20 to 30% higher than a corresponding laptop. It seemed a little overkill to check email and web-surf.
Few guessed how well the iPAD might sell. SuperGeeks decried the lack of a true USB port, camera and the fact DOSBoX could not be installed nor a game controller, let alone a boot configuration into Linux. They foresaw little use for such a device and predicted its utter failure. But since its release a little less than a million a month have been selling. Granted the Flash, Python, MySql, sed, XCode, and Linux demographic were entirely ignored; but the habitual e-mailers and Websurfing crowd was not. And especially at these two tasks, the device excelled. Add in some other useful tasks such as e-reading, to include comic books (previously a chore on a PC or even Mac with incessant mouse / key scrolling / zooming and clicking), and some games with various other programs and the iPAD became an overnight sensation.
At once other companies began to announce various tablets of their own. Microsoft and HP each announced products based on Windows 7, but bailed when it became apparent their technology and Windows could not deliver what they originally envisioned. Other companies instead decide to work with the Android OS, already in use on phones and scale-up to tablet seemed much more promising.
This is all fine and good, a summary of this slice of industry from my viewpoint--so HOW does the PAD benefit me?
1.=The iPAD is available NOW (though not on Amazon at a reasonable price YET). Announced products that are canceled or have uncertain release dates are of little use.
2. = The iPAD is unbelievably portable and unlike a smartphone, the screen quite readable.
3.= I have not read a comic book in years. This allows a small collection available at all times.
4.= The entire works of Shakespeare are available FREE in a 1.6 lbs form factor. And the type can be ENLARGED.
5.= Scads of translations of the Bible are available FREE in a 1.6 lbs form factor. And the type can be ENLARGED.
6.= The Quran available FREE in a 1.6 lbs form factor. Jewish friends may be upset because they don't see the Torah's Icon, but remind them the 16 translations of the the Bible's first five books is the Torah. And FREE. Also the type can be enlarged.
7.= If WiFi is there, the WEB is there.
8. = EMAIL is very easily accessed, ALL ACCOUNTS. If one has multiple accounts, the iPADs interface makes it easy to monitor them without going around to various websites to log in and out of them
9.= Drawing / sketch apps allow direct sketching on the screen. Previous technology required cabled Wacom tablets or a Wacomized computer with propitiatory stylus.
10. = Artists often make use of reference material to better paint or draw an accurate representation of an object. Researching on a computer usually requires the expected Google search (or library visit in the olden days). Once an image was found, it had to be added to a paint program, resized and printed out then taken over to the work area. The iPAD allows one to go to Safari, pull up an image, save it, then go into the photo album and resize it for easy display viewing while it is being painted or drawn paint it. Other pictures of various subjects can be switched over to easily. The iPAD's size and the fact it has no spill vulnerable keyboard, makes for an easy unobtrusive. insertion next to an artists work area.
I give the product 5 stars less one for, well I'm REALLY trying to knock it down one star, OK maybe for the lack of a USB port for printing to my non wireless printer, and perhaps some nuanced things like the included NOTES text program--no re-sizable fonts, or that I cannot delete spam without opening the email first. But it is really hard to deduct that star.
2010-09-01
By Felipe Cruz Ferrero (San Jose , Costa Rica)
The topic of my review says it all ,,, I simply can do anything with the iPad, I'm a sys admin and programmer and use vnc and ssh to connect to my datacenter, it's simply awesome. Highly recommend the 3G version, I got a data plan from my carrier in costa rica and adapted the sim to fit the mini Sim slot ... All perfect! No hassles and i got my iPad to work everywhere.
I'm delighted with this device
2010-08-23
By Robynn (Seattle, WA.)
I do miss FLASH sometimes but all in all this is the best device from Apple. Mine never leaves my side :) I bought the WiFi version and three days later upgraded to the 3G. I like to have the option to use it when I choose and because of the GPS function. I could careless about the absence of a camera. Originally I was going to wait for the second generation but I am so happy with my device.
2010-08-19
By R. Smith (MN United States)
When the iPad was first announced in January my reaction was ho-hum. I thought it was just another uninteresting gadget. Then, in April after they were released I tried a couple of them at a univerity and immediately felt that I must have one.
This is the kind of device I have long waited for, a fantastic tool for reading technical manuals and books, access to internet, weather radar, GPS information, e-mail, etc. Having communications available anywhere anywhere I can get wifi or AT&T cellular is more than just a novelty for me, it has become important and useful. iPad is a surprisingly good tool for writing. Some really excellent apps, like the iAnnotate PDF reader, which is vastly better than the Adobe reader (and it allows you to create your own bookmarks and annotations in the PDF.) In summary, the iPad redefines what a personal computer is for me.
Addressing some concerns I and others have had:
1) It requires you to have a PC or Mac so you can initially set it up, and you need to connect to your PC to perform some kinds of operations, like setting up some e-mail accounts.
2) Eye strain has not been an issue for me, and I use it mostly for reading. The display is fantastic.
3) The keyboard seemed at first glance like it would be horrible. This is not the case at all. I am surprised at how good it is, and I can touch type with it efficiently when using the wide screen, or use it in Blackberry fashion when using the narrow screen.
4) There have been some usability issues on web sites because not all of them support the iPad yet, at least not fully. There seems to be an effort afoot to replace Flash with a new standard, but meanwhile many videos cannot be viewed because the iPad does not support Flash.
5) Magazine subscriptions are not widely available for the iPad.
6) I am a life-long "book person", and have had bad previous experience with electronic books and PDF documents. I must honestly say that reading with the iPad has been superior to using a physical book in all ways but one: the ability to pre-read the book quickly, and as I use it more, I think I will find ways to approximate the value of a good preread. It's truly amazing. I have not tried the latest Kindle and similar devices, but I assume they are comparable to the iPad in readability and responsiveness. If you are a book person and resist these electronic gadgets, as I did, I recommend you try one out at a time when you can spend at least 15 minutes with one. It may sell itself when you become familiar with it.
