Slash LaneBelow are links to, and select quotations from, five of those reviews:
Walter S. Mossberg - The Wall Street Journal
"For the past week or so, I have been testing a sleek, light, silver-and-black tablet computer called an iPad. After spending hours and hours with it, I believe this beautiful new touch-screen device from Apple has the potential to change portable computing profoundly, and to challenge the primacy of the laptop. It could even help, eventually, to propel the finger-driven, multitouch user interface ahead of the mouse-driven interface that has prevailed for decades."
David Pogue - The New York Times
"In 10 years of reviewing tech products for The New York Times, I’ve never seen a product as polarizing as Apple’s iPad, which arrives in stores on Saturday. […] The bottom line is that the iPad has been designed and built by a bunch of perfectionists. If you like the concept, you’ll love the machine. The only question is: Do you like the concept?"
Andy Ihnatko - The Chicago Sun-Times
"The most compelling sign that Apple got this right is the fact that despite the novelty of the iPad, the excitement slips away after about ten seconds and you’re completely focused on the task at hand ... whether it’s reading a book, writing a report, or working on clearing your Inbox. Second most compelling: in situation after situation, I find that the iPad is the best computer in my household and office menagerie. It’s not a replacement for my notebook, mind you. It feels more as if the iPad is filling a gap that’s existed for quite some time."
"The first iPad is a winner. It stacks up as a formidable electronic-reader rival for Amazon's Kindle. It gives portable game machines from Nintendo and Sony a run for their money. At the very least, the iPad will likely drum up mass-market interest in tablet computing in ways that longtime tablet visionary and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates could only dream of. […] Apple has pretty much nailed it with this first iPad, though there's certainly room for improvement. Nearly three years after making a splash with the iPhone, Apple has delivered another impressive product that largely lives up to the hype.
"Aside from Apple enthusiasts, many of us wondered who would drop hundreds of dollars for this not-quite-computer. But having used the iPad for some time, I can tell you that the device just makes sense. When you combine basic-but-essential work tools with iWork, an improved browser, e-mail, iPod, and photo applications, a well-executed e-Book platform with iBooks, and throw in thousands of downloadable apps and games, and package it all in a gorgeous, slim slate with a beautiful 9.7-inch touch screen, you have yourself a winner. Is the iPad cheap? No. Is it flawless? Not at all. Omissions including support for multitasking, a built-in camera for video chats, and Flash support in Safari leave room for improvement, but otherwise, the Apple iPad is a very convincing debut. And it will undoubtedly be a driving force in shaping the emerging tablet landscape.
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Charles Martin
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
Malcolm Owen
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
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186 Comments
It's magical®.
Hmmm?
'Favorably' is all good and well, but it's hardly the 'magical' device that Stevie J so enthusiastically proclaimed it to be.
We'll See How This Plays Out...
'Favorably' is all good and well, but it's hardly the 'magical' device that Stevie J so enthusiastically proclaimed it to be.
It might be magical to AAPL shareholders. At this point, that's all I want out of the iPad. I'll consider buying one when version 2.0 hits the streets.
HOLD ON ONE MINUTE!!!
Before you all fly off in some iPad fantasy remember that the publishers have a big interest in the iPad.>Edit: seems like other agree see this
http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune....eviews-are-in/
>/editWith that I give you some balance with quotes from David Pogue:
It might be good at finger painting, but the finger lacks the detail a pointer and input devices provide.
If a painting app arrives, which I'm sure it will, it would have a lot of zoom control.
The Woz also echoed this assessment, I fingered the youth market before either of them.
Regular people are varied, as soon as one needs Office, or access a Flash based site or something else in software the iPad or the App Store won't approve, they are going to be screwed with the iPad.
So really the people using one will have absolutely no need for a open machine that a lot of established software runs on. That means the young and the older markets chiefly, but not exclusively.
He repeats this twice, it is dependent upon a computer, it's not a standalone device or a tablet computer.
Likely because only the technical and the affluent can afford to buy a iPad. Wall Street Journal is charging $10 more for the iPad version than the online version.
Actually glossy screens are hard to read just about anywhere except a dark room. Back to heat trapping anti-glare films that peel at the edges and collect dirt.
Ouch! No wonder one needs to keep their legs up to support it. How long before it slides off your leg if you fall asleep reading only to accidentally step on it when you get up?
Does the iPad need it's own ceiling hanging bungee cord?
Ouch, "barely usable!" Talk about turning the iPad back into a laptop!!
Yikes! Years!
Reports might be that this is going to change soon.
And you get a built in monitor stand too!David didn't mention how the iPad screen is going to weather wear and tear unfortunately.Other than those drawbacks and the high price, I say the iPad is a very interesting and fun device to consume media, play games and do the basics.
Again, I just wanted to bring some balance to the spin and let people know everything about the iPad before buying one so they know well in advance if it's right for them.
And if it is, good for them! A informed decision is a good decision. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/te...anted=2&src=mv
I saw Mossberg's review about an hour after it went up. I thought it was pretty close to a rave.
But in the comments section, man, it was a bloodbath. Everything from "it won't even replace my $1,500 laptop" to "if I can't take the battery out myself it is dead to me" to "it has no keyboard/USB port/Flash = Fail!!!1!1!!" [yes, yes. I'm paraphrasing despite using quotes. I didn't feel like wading back into that mess again for actual quotes...]
There are some angry techies out there, and if this device succeeds (where other attempts at a tablet have clearly not) I'm afraid some might actually explode.
Funny thing is, they were (mostly) all valid complaints if you expect the iPad to be what it is not. Few seemed to be willing to look at it as a new type of device and judge it on its merits. I am extremely curious to see what the general population thinks when this hits the street!