Apple iPad 3G 64GB review

The iPad is probably the most overhyped portable computing device since the iPhone. Although it’s tempting to dismiss Apple’s 9.7in touchscreen tablet computer as nothing more than a large iPod Touch, it’s much more than that thanks to its larger, higher resolution screen.

We were dazzled by the rich and accurate colours of the 9.7in screen as well as its wide viewing angles. It’s almost painfully bright with good levels of contrast. Unsurprisingly, its glossy finish picks up fingerprints very easily, although these are easily wiped off.

Although its resolution of 1,024×768 pixels isn’t much higher than the 1,024×600 resolution of most 10in netbooks, it doesn’t feel as cramped due to the minimalist interfaces of most iPad applications and the ease of zooming in and out of content. Photos can be imported from SD cards, but bizarrely a SD card slot isn’t built-in – the adaptor costs an extra £25.

The iPad uses a modified version of the finger-operated iOS operating system used by the iPhone and the iPod Touch. Multitouch gestures such as scrolling through long web pages and documents, zooming in and out of images and tapping buttons feels very smooth, accurate and responsive. An orientation sensor allows the screen to be switched seamlessly between portrait and landscape mode. It makes most of the Windows 7 touchscreen tablet PCs we’ve seen look and feel amateurish in comparison.

Like Apple’s range of MacBook Pro laptops, the rear of the iPad is machined out of a single block of smooth aluminium, so it feels very robust yet looks stylish too. It connects to your computer for transferring your existing media files and documents using the familiar iPod dock connector cable. It weighs just 702g which makes it very easy to carry around all day. On the other hand, this heft also makes it tiresome to hold up when you’re using it so you’ll have to find a place to rest it, such as your lap.

Apple’s iBooks app allows you to buy and read DRM-protected eBooks, but you can also use it to read non-DRM protected ePub and PDF eBooks. The use of an LCD rather than an E-ink screen allows for colour illustrations and faster, smoother page refreshes, but it is impossible to read in bright sunlight and can cause eye strain more quickly.

This is a shame since the iBooks app is a pleasure to use. Screen brightness can be adjusted within the app, while tasks such as creating bookmarks, highlighting interesting passages, looking up definitions and searching for keywords is a snap.

Holding the iPad horizontally allows you to see two pages simultaneously, while a handy side-mounted physical switch locks the screen orientation so you can read in bed without the screen orientation constantly changing. The choice of books is rather limited though, but other eBook readers and stores, such as Amazon’s Kindle and Marvel Comics, are also available as downloadable apps. Despite the richness of Apple’s software, Apple’s hardware choices makes the iPad better suited for reading in short bursts than extended periods.

Apple is also aiming the iPad as a netbook as well as an eReader replacement. Text is entered on the iPad using an onscreen keyboard which slides out of view when not in use. It takes some getting used to, but with some practice it works well enough for typing short emails and brief documents. Typing on a screen that’s resting on your lap quickly becomes uncomfortable and the lack of tactile feedback impedes accuracy, so you’ll need to connect a Bluetooth keyboard for any serious typing.

Even with such a keyboard, it’s not as comfortable as working on a laptop since you need to prop up the iPad at a comfortable viewing angle which can be tricky. The iPad is better designed for reading documents than it is for writing them.

Browsing the Web is a pleasure thanks to the minimalist interface of the Safari web browser, the responsive touchscreen and, ironically, the lack of a physical keyboard which makes it feel less like a computer and more like a book. The popular Flash web technology isn’t supported, though. Apple claims Flash would negatively affect battery life and system stability, but without it many websites are unusable. This is partially offset by the growing number of apps and websites that don’t need Flash, such as the bundled YouTube app.

Third party applications are downloaded through Apple’s App Store with a large selection already available. Although most iPhone apps will run unaltered on the iPad, they don’t take advantage of the iPad’s higher resolution screen. iPad specific apps that do feel more pleasurable to use than their iPhone equivalents. For example, sifting through large quantities of email is much more efficient on the iPad than it is on the iPhone since the iPad’s bundled Mail app shows both your inbox and your current message simultaneously.

All iPad models have WiFi built-in, but if you want built-in 3G mobile broadband then you’ll need to pay extra. For example, our 64GB 3G model costs £699 while the WiFi-only version costs £130 less. You’ll then need a micro SIM card and subscription from a provider, such as Orange, Vodafone or O2. The deals are varied. For example, on Orange you can pay £2 on a day you need access for 200MB download all the way up to £25-per-month for 10GB of data.

Battery life is great. When playing the same H.264 movie repeatedly and checking for email in the background, the iPad lasted for 11hours and 11 minutes. It lasted three hours more with all wireless connections disabled.

The iPad is mostly a pleasure to use, but Apple’s odd design choices and high price means we can’t give it an unconditional recommendation. If you already own a netbook or laptop and an eReader, it’s hard to justify dumping them in favour of the iPad. If you don’t, or if you’re looking to replace a very old laptop, then the iPad might be for you but only if you can live with its limitations. For better or for worse, the iPad is the tablet computer by which others will be judged.