How The iPad Keeps You Connected, Wherever You Are

Thanks to the major marketing boost that the iPad received from parent company Apple, we now have the impression that it is the best device to experience the Web, watch online streaming video, and connect with friends via social networking services.

The opinion is backed with good reason and real results because the iPad is filled to the brim with Internet-savvy features and services. Despite the initial skepticism expressed by most industry pundits when the computing device was unveiled at a press conference in San Francisco, positive reviews by tech experts who had the privilege of testing the first few commercially available iPads from Walt Mossberg to the guys at Engadget had to admit that, indeed, Steve Jobs has unleashed a worthy competitor to netbooks.

It is equipped with built-in, high-speed 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, which makes downloading files and streaming videos fast and easy. You can forget about buffering, which takes up so much time that it lengthens a four-minute video into eight minutes of waiting. Although some connections may tend to slow down particularly when there is heavy gateway traffic or when too many subscribers are using the network it is not going to affect your iPad browsing experience, thanks to its combination of a beefed-up Safari app (which is Apple's answer to Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer), and the latest Wi-Fi standard.

Browsing most of the online content that you'll be accessing on an iPad is mainly handled by a specially designed mobile version of Apple's proprietary web browser called Safari, an app that, according to Apple engineers, is the fastest browser among its league. Considering its reputation as the fastest app to render mobile webpages and the degree of advanced Wi-Fi technologies that are built into the iPad, it can be predicted that browsing the Web for information on the device will take your breath away at lightning speed.

These days, Wi-Fi hotspots are easy to come by; one does not need to remain in highly metropolitan areas to stay online because even rural towns and suburban communities have Internet access. However, that is not to say that we are entirely wirelessly connected. Some Internet connections can be accessed through 3G technology. Fortunately, the iPad does not only operate on Wi-Fi but on 3G as well. That means you are not solely tied up to Wi-Fi and feel completely powerless when a hotspot is not available because 3G, via your mobile telecommunications provider, will keep you connected.

Depending on your location, most major network providers have 3G service contracted by Apple. For instance, AT&T has monthly Internet plans that allow you to swiftly switch from a Wi-Fi network to a 3G connection seamlessly. All the processes can be completed online on your very own iPad, so there is absolutely no need to go to an AT&T store or contact their customer support to purchase the plan.

When you have used up all your surfing minutes, an interactive push notification will pop up to tell you about your impending state and will provide you with two options: switch to the latest Wi-Fi standard with a frequency emanating within your vicinity or upgrade to the next data plan. Data usage and plan information can be monitored and managed on the iPad itself because that, too, has its own app.

iPad The Quest for a Perfect Device

Now that the excitement towards Apple's iPad has now calmed down, people can think more clearly about the device that has received more hype than all other new devices in recent history combined. Naturally, there are some disappointed techies and ordinary end users out there who rant about anything from the lack of built-in camera to the fact that the device heats up in direct sunlight. And of course, there are always those who are eager to say everything that is good about Apple's newest creation. So what really is the score with this 'magical' and 'revolutionary' device? Here's our take.

iPad's Shortcomings
It does not multitask. Well, this isn't entirely true. iPad can multitask when its running its own applications. Multitasking stops when you begin running third-party applications such as IM apps.

For the most part, this is bearable. Not many users complain about the fact that they can't update their tweets on Twitter, while commenting on a post thread in a forum or Facebook and at the same time watching live TV and writing emails. This doesn't seem to bother the majority of users. But if you are a techie, this is a huge disappointment. $499 doesn't justify the device at all. Na ah.

It doesn't support Flash. Apple has some issues with Flash. It's unstable, vulnerable to bugs among other things. So the company is not supporting it, and will probably not, ever. Not that the company does not offer an alternative. It does. It is, in fact, pushing its own HTML5, which is recently making waves online. But with less than one percent of all websites have converted to HTML5. This poses some major risks of not being able to surf the web without a glitch. Well, not supporting Flash is definitely a bummer.

It doesn't support a built-in camera. Prior to iPad's launching, rumors have spread that it comes with a camera. Well it doesn't. At least not yet. And that definitely has caused uproar among disconcerted enthusiasts of anything that bears Apple's logo.

It doesn't allow users to do real work with it. Well, it does, only to a certain degree. Apple seems to have a penchant for eliminating documents and files within its power so it's apps, apps and apps all the way. But it does offer Keynote, Numbers and Pages, which by the way are superb tools you can work with. And the list goes on.

iPad's Offers
From an ordinary user's point of view, there is nothing that you can't love about iPad. We won't enumerate all the things that make iPad a very beautiful, all-around device here. There's just so many, you may fall in love with it and want to marry it.

But maybe, just maybe, iPad's detractors are looking for a perfect device that can do everything everyone could ever wish for. Or perhaps, they are looking at the device the wrong way. Many are taking the wrong approach to the device, comparing it with netbooks and laptops and other devices in between. Apple is perhaps trying to create a new device that is a hybrid yet performs at par or better than existing devices.

But for all its worth, iPad is definitely ushering in a possible future for personal computing technology and user interface.

The iPad at a Glance (overview)

Design-wise, there really isnít much to comment on iPad. There's just the 9.7 inch, 1024 x 768 multi-touch LED backlit display that takes much of the bulk of the iPad's surface. But quite frankly, that is what most people love about Apple's products. Minimalist, sleek, yet very functional. But we'll go to that later. Let's first take a look at the iPad, from its exterior.

Unboxing the iPad

It is a beauty to behold, undoubtedly. Although un-boxing the device is the least marvelous thing about the beast, few people can say that much thought was not given to how the device is packaged. Since it's an Apple product, you can't doubt the fact that countless hours were spent over how the device would look when packed. And people are not disappointed for Apple's thoughtfulness.

The packaging is superb. It matches the general appeal of the device. For starters, the box of the iPad has a touch of MacBook Air in it. If you loved MacBook Air or other MacBook products, you will surely fall for the box of the iPad. It's so nice, you can hang it on a frame and display it in your living room.

Moving on, inside the box is the iPad itself, a thin information packet, which you would probably not use at all because even 2-year-old kids can understand the simplicity of the device, a wall power charger, and the famous USB 30-pin dock connector. If you have opened any Apple devices before, you are at home with these things.

How iPad's Size and Weight Measure Up

The closest comparison you can get is Amazon's Kindle DX. Not identical, but nearly there. iPad measures 9.56 inches in height, 7.47 inches in width and .05 inch in thickness. It weighs 1.5 pounds for the WiFi model, 1.6 for the WiFi plus 3G model. In comparison, Kindle DX stands at 10.4 inches, is 7.2 inches wide, .38 inch thick, and weighs at 1.2 pounds.

For a device that does more than the Kindle DX does ñ if it alone is the point of comparison, the thickness of the iPad is forgivable, acceptable in fact. If the size and function of the iPad were to be used as parameters for judging whether or not iPad is better than Kindle DX, it is not a stretch to say that it is a killer. With its thoughtful eBook reading applications and the diverse selection of eBooks available for use with iPad, many say Kindle will soon be replaced with iPad.

Despite its revolutionary thickness, many people still seem to complain about the .5 inch thickness of iPad. Sure, it may feel awkward and may prove more difficult to handle in one hand for a few hours than Kindle DX, but considering how and what the device does, this is nothing more than nitpicking.

The Verdict

Well, it's obvious. There is no other device in the market that has what iPad has. That does what iPad does. The glossy glass face alone is a winner. And we haven't even talked about the functions and great ipad accessories.