I’ve been playing with my precious, sexy iPad for a week now. I’m going to try to keep this review as fanboy-free as possible because nobody wants to watch me go “omgomgomg”.

… Is it too late since I already called a computer ‘sexy’?

Overall, I’m VERY happy with it. There’s something really really nice about relaxing with this thing. It’s so simple and unobtrusive. It’s clear why all the ads for the iPad depict the user kicking back on a couch – that’s EXACTLY where you’ll want to use it (or a bed).

The apps are really what make the iPad shine. My favorites so far are USA Today, Sneezies HD, ABC Player, Flight Control HD, and Pages. I plan on picking up Plants VS Zombies HD soon too.

The large screen makes all the difference and separates it from an iPhone/iPod touch. It’s ridiculous to call it a iPhone/iPod when we all know that size, in the case of technology, makes a big difference. It’s the reason people upgrade their TVs or insist they get a laptop a certain size. It’s the reason you want more ram, or a bigger hard drive, or a faster processor. BIGGER IS BETTER. Oh, and that big size means BIG battery – hello, solid 10 hours of use on one charge!

With all the extra screen real estate, app developers have more room to work with. With this screen, you can comfortably read a book or a newspaper, experience a vibrant/interactive game, watch movies comfortably, draw, etc. I never read or watched a thing on the iPhone because the screen isn’t one you want to stare at for more than a few minutes. I really can’t wait to see new apps come into the App Store over time. And iPhone OS 4.0 will be brillllliant on this.

Some miscellaneous positives:
- It doesn’t get hot. This is part of what makes it nice to relax with. Unlike a laptop, the iPad can sit on your lap for as long as you want and still be as cool as when you picked it up. Even if you watch a movie, this baby is CHILL.
- The screen is beautiful. Video – like digital copies of DVDs and the ABC Player – really show off the capabilities.
- I quickly picked up good typing skills. The catch is you have to have the iPad angled the right way to type optimally. The fact that it supports bluetooth keyboards is convenient. The case I bought angles it at just the right position for efficient typing speed and accuracy.
- I LOVE THE 3RD PARTY APPS.
- Multitasking – which will be available in OS 4.0 – will make this thing near perfect.

Now, to make this as fair and fanboy-free as possible, I will try to compile a list of BAD things about the iPad:
- some sites don’t work how they should because they need Flash. This is the problem everyone is talking about. I don’t use any sites regularly that require flash so this doesn’t bother me much. Moreover, a lot of companies seem to be listening to Steve by supporting devices that don’t include Flash.
- the screen smudges more than the iPhone’s does. annoying when you view the iPad at an angle and see smudges.
- it’s a little heavier than I expected.
- they should have introduced folders with this. The Weather, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Calculator apps are missing and this is likely because they didn’t want to clog up the screen with apps. I’m guessing they’ll add these smaller apps once folders are available in OS version 4.0.

That’s about it for now. I’m eager to start reading books on this and seeing how it is on the eyes. I stare at screens a lot as it is so I’m not too worried about my eyes going crazy about another screen.

Have you used/purchased an iPad? What do you think of it?

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