The Apple ipad has arrived and almost immediately, its critics dismissed it as a glorified ipod touch. Yet on closer inspection, it seems that this accusation was far from the truth. Size isn’t its only upgrade.

The first thing that hits you is how thin it is measuring a mere 1.5 inches. Most of the surface is taken up with the 9.7 inch screen framed with a thick, black bevel around the edge. Another factor that should be taken into consideration is the weight. Coming in at 1.5 lbs, the pad can start to feel a little weighty after a time and might actually become a strain on the hands if held for a long time, for example, if reading an e-book without any other external support.

Available in three different capability sizes, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, each with a corresponding price tag, the ipad works on technology based on ARM principles. It has all its major functions such as 3D graphics, audio play, storage and power management on one chip making it far more power efficient. Simply put this will allow for a longer battery life and the ipad gives just that allowing for ten hours of battery power when surfing on the web.

It’s easy to switch from an ipod touch to an ipad as most of the buttons and layouts are the same, just on a bigger scale. On the outside, there are the usual functions such as volume, power and headphone jack but there is also a screen orientation locker which is a real plus as it can be so frustrating to have a screen suddenly flip to another mode when you’re least expecting it. It may seem slightly strange that there is no web cam included but there again, perhaps Apple wanted to keep this back for the second generation.

Any review of the ipad, though, would not be complete without a complete overhaul of the screen itself. The display is excellent. Vibrant colors and true blacks are complemented by a brightness which can be manually adjusted to suit a person with even the most sensitive eyes. This adjuster makes it easier to read long swathes of text and is less tiring on the eyes. IPS(In-plane switching), however, should make you cautious about reading top secret messages on the bus home as this allows you to read the screen from practically any angle.

Other functions which need mentioning are the virtual keyboard and the tap and hold ability. The virtual keyboard in landscape mode dispenses with the need for single finger typing – it’s big and eminently usable and tap and hold, although not a new concept, gives you more functionality and interactivity the longer you press down on an item.

Many ipod touch apps are compatible with the ipad and can even be made to fit the bigger screen but the ipad has more and more apps developed for its sole use as well, giving the user an all enveloping experience in the world of game apps.

The Apple ipad has already made its mark globally and the world is already looking forward to the next installment from Apple.

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