Once in a while, a product comes along that can really make you feel like it wasn’t manufactured in some warehouse, but instead delivered via some sort of time machine.  The Apple iPad is one such device as it would look right at home in some futuristic science fiction movie where you try to catch glimpses of advanced technology that you wish you could have.  The time has come where the iPad can now be seen among the masses and you can actually see what the future feels like.  Apple definitely knows how to make their products seem magical and the iPad is no exception.

The look and feel of the iPad is very sleek and functional.  It was obviously modeled on the iPhone and takes all of the cool features of the phone and presents them in a tablet device.  The famous touch interface is alive and well with practically every command being on screen with the bottom home button as the main switch to return to the home screen.  There are volume buttons on the side along with a switch to lock the orientation of the screen so it doesn’t rotate while you change the angle of the iPad.  At the top, there is the sleep button which can turn the screen on and off, a headphone jack and a microphone.  The speakers are on the bottom along with the 30-pin connector that seems to be the standard for Apple’s portable devices.   The back is aluminum and has a slight curved shape that feels solid in your hands and doesn’t feel slippery when you hold it.  The front glass is very sturdy, although it does attract fingerprints.  It feels a little heavier than one would expect and holding one while reading might get a bit uncomfortable, but you quickly learn a few tricks on how to hold it or prop it against things nearby.

The actual display is quite impressive.  Watching movies in HD quality, flipping through your pictures, even looking at web sites online all look glorious.  The 9.7 inch display adds a lot of screen real estate that is very welcome, especially to those that have been using the 3.5 inch iPhone display.  Everything is smooth and quick thanks to the 1 GHz A4 processor which also keeps the battery from being drained.  Battery life seemed very good after a lot of internet and media activity left a solid amount of energy left.  The multi-touch interface is a joy to use as you can pinch, flick or drag with natural motions to zoom in on your pictures, delete emails, or scroll through web sites.

Applications are the lifeblood of Apple’s portable devices and Apple has built in several custom apps for the iPad that really make it shine.  The pictures application really showcases all of your photos and adds plenty of nifty effects that really bring the pictures to life.  You can even set the iPad to picture frame mode where it will run a slideshow of your selected photos that will give any digital picture frame a run for its money.  The mail application is presented in a great fashion as both portrait and landscape modes have different views and effects.  The on-screen keyboard seems daunting at first, but the auto-correct feature is very helpful and will have you typing away in a short amount of time.  The video and YouTube applications have easy to use controls and display HD videos with incredible clarity.  Safari is a streamlined web browser that loads pages quickly and in the proper view so you will see the whole page when you first load it.  There is no Flash support so Flash-based sites and components will not work through the web browser.

The App Store unlocks the true potential of the iPad as there are a multitude of applications that you can utilize to maximize your experience.  Do you want an app to determine the best local restaurant?  What about a level so you can check to make sure your shelf is even?  There seems to be an app for every possible need that you have for your iPad.  Some of the best apps out there are games that pull you in for a while.  There have been plenty of times that I just wanted to play a quick game of Angry Birds, but end up playing for an hour.  All applications that work on the iPhone will also work on the iPad; there is even a way to increase the size of the original iPhone screen format.  The quality suffers a little bit, but you could always grab the HD version to really enjoy it on the iPad.  There are several productivity applications available as well that are very efficient and helpful for documents and other office work.

There are two versions of the iPad with several different hard drive capacities available.  The Wi-Fi iPad can only connect to the internet via a wireless router.  Many different restaurants and locations have free wireless access, but you should have a wireless router for your home to really enjoy the benefits of the iPad’s internet connectivity.  The Wi-Fi + 3G iPad has all of the previous capabilities and you can activate a 3G Data Plan through AT&T which grants you mobile access to internet.  Wherever there is 3G service, which should be almost everywhere, you will have access to the internet.  This is essential if you plan on bringing your iPad everywhere you go.  The data plans vary depending how much bandwidth you use so plan accordingly.

There are several iPad accessories that are really accommodating after you get used to holding and using the iPad.  The first is a case that covers the iPad in black microfiber with a plate in the front that swings open, much like a folder.  It makes the iPad easier to grab and protects it from possible scratches.  It can also be folded into a stand for the iPad to be propped up in landscape mode.  An iPad dock can be very helpful by placing the iPad upright while it charges and syncs with your computer.  Activating the picture frame mode is also nice looking on your desk.  You can get an additional power adapter with an extension cord just in case you want to charge the iPad from an outlet the might be a bit too far away for the standard cord.

Overall, the iPad is a very impressive device that has the potential to change the way people view computers.  No longer is it necessary to wait several minutes for your desktop or laptop to power up just so you can check something online.  A bag pack is no longer required if you want to bring your computer and the various components with you to the coffee shop.  The iPad is quick and compact and ready to compete against every netbook you can find.  Just as the iPhone revolutionized the Smartphone market, the iPad has revolutionized the tablet PC market.  Apple always manages to pack the coolness and fun factor into their products which is part of what makes them great.  The iPad may have some limitations, such as the lack of Flash support and no camera, but it still manages to pack in so many features that will wow and impress.  The iPad is easy to pick up and tough to put down.  It has the capability of taking over a lot of tasks that you typically do on your computer, but it really excels at casual computing.  It’s right at home when you sit down on your couch to relax and pull out the iPad to check your email, browse the internet, or a multitude of other tasks.  The Wi-Fi iPad starts at $499 while the Wi-Fi + 3G starts at $629.  Anyone considering a netbook or laptop should try out the iPad first, as it really needs to be touched to be believed.