Hands on with iPad

Apple's latest offering, the iPad has been long-awaited. Now that it is out in many parts of the world, it has been described by many as the link that was missing between the iPhone and the MacBook. In a nutshell, it is a device for reading eBooks, browsing the web, checking and replying to emails, showing off photos, watching videos and TV Shows, playing games and navigating. Unlike many older tablets, it uses fingertips for input instead of a stylus.
Apple had begun taking pre-orders for the iPad from U.S. customers since March 12, 2010. Reviews of the product, however, have been mixed. While some customers have criticized it, some have also predicted that the iPads will eventually take over and replace Laptops altogether. Having personally tested the product myself, I truly doubt it. As I see it, the iPad would have to go through a number of generations before it can do that. I have my reasons for having made such a statement.
The first look at its display screen is quite impressive. The sleek looking 7.8 × 5.8” flat screen touchpad is quite a good looker. The fact that you can use your own fingers to browse, instead of always having to carry a stylus around, is reassuring besides being a lot of fun. But do not forget to wash your hands every time you attempt to use it, lest you fill the whole screen with your beautiful fingerprints.
The interface is simple, with a very few items, limited functions and less clutter.
Once you start getting around to using it, you start identifying that you can watch videos, listen to music, read books, play games, browse the internet and navigate. But that's it. That's all it can do. No, you cannot play flash content, no you cannot multitask, oh and if you're thinking of using it for business purposes, forget the prospect of composing your mail with ease or word processing. Did I mention that the iPad doesn't come with a keyboard? The keyboard is a virtual one not hardware, but software. So you have to touch the keys on your screen to type, and believe you me, it can be quite a bother. Besides the slower reaction to your typing speed and higher prospects of typing errors, you will realize that your skills in touch typing with both hands have now become obsolete.
Now that you have painstakingly composed your email, what if you want to keep a hard copy? Well, what do you know? No printer port or USB. Yes, you can connect it via a separate wire to a USB port of a laptop, and then do whatever you need to do, but who needs all that hassle?
In fact hardware-wise, the capability of the iPad is quite limited. There is no CD drive, no phone ports, and virtually no way of being able to connect peripherals like scanners, cameras, etc. Want to take instant pictures and send it to a friend? Oops! No web-cam. All data are stored in its internal storage, with no options for expansion.
Finally, come to think of it, if I needed a gadget that would only allow me to carry out these few functions, I would like to at least be able to carry it around in my pocket. Why would I want to carry around a 700g device, when I would also need to carry my laptop and iPhone along with it? Think about it.
To conclude, it is suggested that instead of giving in to all the hype created by the media, readers use their own discretion to judge whether the iPad truly is worth their buy. In my opinion, it can be purchased to be used as a hobby by the tech-hungry, but if you are looking for long-term uses, you can wait around for the second generation. Otherwise, there are plenty other products in the market.
--Nahid Akhter
We got our hands on an iPad recently and tried it out. Photo: RASHED SHUMON. SPECIAL THANKS TO DR KHALEQUE for his contribution