For now, Apple pitches the iPad as a computer that fully engrosses you in a web page, your e-mail, or media because-apart from playing music in the background-you can't really do two things at once on it, and its non-finger input solutions are still in their infancy.

An impressively built tablet computer; featuring a clean industrial design borrowed from Apple's MacBook Pro computers; internal components derived largely from its iPod touch and iPhone pocket devices; and stable; multi-touch software.

Cannot serve as a standalone computer; in addition to iTunes dependence, horsepower is presently shortchanged by limited, iPhone-class multitasking that forces all third-party applications to occupy and waste entire screen; lack of camera similarly limits value for video communications.

After having worked, or rather, having played with the iPad for a short time, the question remains about what kind of effect the iPad will have in the long run. After discussions with some of the first iPad users, among others, it seems that the iPad quickly becomes a device often used in the living...

Definitely a superb present, judging by how much it has been used in the past few days.

Verdict: Is it worth it? Put it this way. If you never bought one, you wouldn't miss it. But buy it and you'll soon wonder how you lived without it.

Brilliant user interface; lovely LCD screen; great form factor and design; WiFi support

Quite an expensive gadget; expensive accessories; no Flash support

The iPad is Apple's first tablet device. It comes with a 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen, 16, 32 or 64-gigabyte of built-in storage, 1GHz Apple A4 processor, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR while Apple's own iOS is running the show.

Verizon 4G LTE network is incredibly fast; 32GB microSD card included; Integrated kickstand works in portrait and landscape

Battery life is among the worst weve ever seen; No 4G LTE power toggle option; Kickstand in landscape orientation blocks microUSB port

APPLE DIDN'T CALL the newest iPad the iPad 3 or the iPad HD-just the iPad. And that's fitting, because while it's a handsome upgrade to the best tablet on the market, it's not a huge leap forward.

Same price; quad-core graphics; better camera; LTE speeds; gorgeous high-resolution display

iPads with A5 and A5X processors haven't been jailbroken; same storage capacities as iPad 2

Entertainment Tablet. Is the iPad the heralded revolution? Can it replace a notebook or a netbook? We have dealt extensively with Apple's tablet over several weeks in our long-term test.

Precise touchscreen use; Outstanding IPS screen; Silent; Good battery life; Appstore and iPhone compatibility; Workmanship; design; interaction

Arrow keys are missing (virtual and hardware; Only Apple Apps permitted (no alternative browser; Few expansion options; iOS4 not yet available; A few functions of a full-fledged operating system

Thanks to its simple, iPhone-like user interface and responsive screen, Apple's iPad is the first tablet computer with the gadget x-factor. It won't replace your laptop for anything but the basics, but, for Web addicts, iPhone fans and technophobes, it's a tasty slice of gadget goodness

Huge capacitive touchscreen; Wi-Fi connectivity; attractive design; App Store is filling up with apps and games; compatible with iPhone apps; intuitive user interface; fast and responsive; easy to sync and back up

Awkward to hold; heavy; no camera; no Flash support; limited multitasking capability; on-screen keyboard can't compare to a physical keyboard

Of course the iPad is not solely an entertainment device. It offers serious functionality such as such as simple-to-use email and a fine e-reader for, y'know, "books." At the same time, it lacks the goods under the hood to make it a viable alternative to a true "tablet computer," for mainstream work...

Big; gorgeous screen; Works with current iPhone/iPod touch apps; Up to a 64GB of memory (and 8+ hours of battery life) in a slim package; Movies; music; internet and more; big enough to share and intuitive to operate

How are we supposed to hold it for long periods of time; Onboard sound is severely limited; No flash support; Charging is not as simple as it could be

A good tablet I owned it for about a year and a half and the battery life still awesome as a new one. The camera is bad but the display is good I give it 7 out of 10 and the ipad 2 is pretty smooth and fast for general uses

This tablet is smooth and fast; YouTube is awesome on it

Bad camera