Introduction

But while competitors like Samsung and Dell release their Galaxy Tab and Streak Apple's sleek iPad offers a stylish allure that's uniquely its own. Its main features include a large 9.7-inch touch screen display, similar to the one found on the iPhone 4, a fast 1-gigahertz processor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and a choice of 16-, 32- or 64-gigabytes of storage. It also comes with, or without, 3G.

To many people, the iPad is just a larger iPhone. And it seems that way at first glance -- they share the same iOS interface and features, such as email, Internet and music. But the iPad is actually a fully-functional computer. It has a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation programs. And while it uses the iPhone's multi-touch gesture interface, it does quite a lot through it.

The question most buyers will have to ask themselves is whether they can carry the iPad instead of a laptop. The answer is, of course, it depends. If you're someone who uses their computer mainly for browsing the Web, checking social networks, viewing photos and videos and playing games, then the iPad is just for you. But if you type long complicated documents, create giant spreadsheets, or like to video chat -- which the iPad doesn't support -- then it might not do the trick.

Design

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs likes slim. And the iPad is much thinner and lighter than any laptop, weighing just 1.5 pounds. It's made of aluminum and glass for a thin 0.5-inches profile, making it ideal for consumers looking for a more lightweight and portable alternative to notebooks and netbooks.

A 9.7-inch screen takes up most of the front, with a familiar "Home" button -- like on the iPhone -- on the bottom. The right side houses a screen rotation lock and volume keys. It also has a fairly loud speaker, a small microphone, 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack and dock connector port.

Similar to all Apple mobile devices, the iPad's battery is sealed inside.

The tablet has a slim, minimalist feel and feels great in the hand. Its simple touch interface is so easy to use that it just might revolutionize the way consumers use their computers. Overall, it's a sophisticated alternative to more traditional laptop computers.

Out of the box, the Apple iPad comes with a USB cable, power adapter and customary documentation. Consumers can buy additional accessories such as a keyboard dock.

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