I have been quiet about this so-called revolutionary iPad amidst all the hype for a week…but I cannot hold my peace any longer!

I had questions! Lots of them!

… Was it just a super iPhone, without the Phone? Yes! With a bigger screen, and ibook store.  Will I have to fork over between $499 – $829, depending on my choice of device,  and still pay for data transmission?

Will I have to sign a contract with AT&T (yes the love relationship continues) to get my hands on one of them.

It turns out I don’t have to sign a contract, but I still have to pay $30 / month for an unlimited data plan or 14.99/month for up to 250 MB which give you free use of  AT&T Wifi hotspots.

Can I do without this data plan if I buy the iPad? No! If I don’t pay the $30, I get zero data. What use would the device be to me then? None! Unless of course, I find another way to stream the data to the device.

Is it a direct competitor to the Amazon  Kindle 2? I think I can answer that one really quickly. Yes! It is an eBook reader and much much more which is what makes it so attractive. Just like the kindle, you can download books directly  to the iPad, except of course you can also download, music, photos, movies, games, browse the internet, watch  youtube videos in HD,  and much more…

The one noticeable difference in favor of the Kindle is that you pay zero for data transmission.

What about the specs? 9.7″ screen (nice size), 1 GHz processor, fully touch-sensitive screen, 16-64 Gb flash hard drive, 1/2 inch thick, bluetooth, Wi-fi, 3G, 10 hour battery (more like 6 hr)…

Since it is so much a computer in the palm of your hands, will I be able to download other “stuff” from the internet not “istore” related?

Well it turns out I will be able to sync it with my computer, which I am assuming will allow me to do just that…will just have to wait and see what are the limitations.

How many models are available? Two: a Wifi and a Wifi + 3G.

What will it cost me?

I got to tell ya! These guys at apple are visionaries. They understand what move consumers to spend money. A gadget like this is certain to make its mark.

That’s it in a nutshell. So what do you think? Will it be a hit or a miss?

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To get comparative customer reviews on most of all the ereaders now available on the market go to Ereader-reviews.net

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3 Responses to “Apple iPad – The Low Down!”

1. Iceman Baldy says:

   February 20, 2010 at 4:47 am

   I think the iPad will be a miss for three quick reasons:

   1. Backlit screens are hard on the eyes over the long term for people that do a lot of reading.
   2. The larger screen is nice, but it’s not as likely to be carried around with you all the time like a mobile phone.
   3. If you have an iPhone and a laptop computer, though the concept is great and it’s a stylish execution of an in between device, do you really need an in between device that’s not as portable as your phone and not as powerful as your laptop? Those who don’t have an iPhone or aren’t heavy laptop users will be the target audience–whoever they are.

   Bottom line–nice device, but not sure of how much it will be used or by whom.
2. Glinda Frazzano says:

   May 20, 2010 at 11:08 pm

   Thanks a lot for the article post.Really thank you! Much obliged.
3. Iceman Baldy says:

   July 5, 2010 at 1:32 am

   Eating crow. Got an iPad and I completely love it–simply outstanding.