iPad Review
I bought one ten days ago. It's really cool, but I'm not convinced it's worth the price. It doesn't do one key thing that I was told it would do (see below), but it does a lot of neat stuff. Although I only got the 16 GB model (the cheapest), I also got the bluetooth keyboard, anti-glare screen, carrying case, and dock station. It's basically a whole new laptop. Thing is, the total cost, out the door, was $775. For that, you can get a very good laptop. I want it primarily for reading, though, and it's far better in that area (screen readability and other features), but I'm not sure it's worth the extra cabbage. If the total cost were, say, $550, I'd definitely endorse it over a laptop (for my uses).
My biggest objection to the iPad: I wanted to be able to download and read ebooks on it, so I could cut-and-paste stuff from the books to place on my blog, forward to clients and friends via email, whatever. However, I've now found out (undisclosed by Apple on its site, and I searched hard before buying) that you can't cut-and-paste from books whose copyrights haven't expired (a/k/a the vast bulk of books people read). That's a major drawback for my blogging.
Also: Based on a few quick price comparisons, it would appear that the ebooks for the iPad are a little more expensive than the Kindle versions. If a hardback goes for, say, $23.99, the Kindle might go for $10.99 and the iPad ebook for $12.99. That being said, the prices are ALL OVER the board. I found one ebook that was actually more expensive than the new hardbound version.
One thing I really like about the iPad: I have erected it in a corner of my family room. It sits in the charger (docking station) all the time. Any of us can grab it whenever we want, plop in a chair, surf/read, whatever, then put it back. It's a lot more convenient than sitting down at a computer station or hunkering down with a laptop.
