With the highly anticipated Apple iPad due for release in just a couple of days, what better time is there to do a quick review of the product. There has been a lot of hype surrounding the product since Apple announced the development of the product a few months ago and since then there have been a large amount of speculations concerning the item. Some people predict it will be Apple’s biggest accomplishment yet whilst some people predict it will be their biggest failure. So let’s have a look at what you get with the Apple iPad.

Screen

The first thing to mention when we are talking about the iPad is its large screen size. The iPad actually has a 9.7 inch screen which will make it perfect for watching those high quality videos and movies. The screen is of a very high quality, similar to that of the Apple iPhone, the only real difference is that it will be much bigger. The screen will feature the same touch sensitive technology that Apple has previously used with the iPhone and iPod touch meaning that the screen should be highly responsive and a pleasure to use. Apple also claims that the screen will not produce any glare in situations that have a lot of lighting, for example when using the device in direct sunlight. This is of course yet to be seen but if Apple can pull this off (Which we are sure they can) it will be a great little addition to what is already shaping up to be a fantastic device.

Memory

The Apple iPad is going to be available to buy in two different models, each of which will have a different amount of memory. You will be able to purchase a 32GB version or if you are feeling extravagant you can opt for the 64GB version for a little extra cost. Both of these models will probably have enough memory for all the basics (storing your music collection, files etc) but if you are a serious movie lover and you just have an extensive collection of high definition movies and TV shows then the 64GB version should be perfect for you. This amount of memory should be enough to store all the movies you could ever watch and with the iPad’s beautiful screen, watching them should be a pleasure too.

Connectivity

As with the memory for the iPad, there will also be two different versions available featuring different connections. The first of these, which is due for release in just two days time is the Wi-Fi version of the iPad. This will essentially be like an iPod Touch and will only be able to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi. This will probably be perfectly adequate for most people and with Wi-Fi hotspots becoming more available throughout most of the US the lack of 3G connectivity will probably not be a problem. However if you are willing to wait a little longer for the iPad, Apple will be releasing a version that will have both Wi-Fi connectivity and 3G connectivity. The 3G connection will be acquired in the US using the AT&T network and although the device will cost a little more than the standard Wi-Fi only version. For people that like to use the internet on the move it will be well worth it. The problem is with this device that it will not just be a one off cost to use AT&T’s 3G network, you will have to pay a monthly fee to them, a little like a mobile phone contract. These contracts start from quite a modest fee (around $20) a month but can escalate.

Battery life

Now if you own or have used an Apple iPhone for a long period of time you will probably have noticed that one of its main problems is the lack of battery life it seems to offer. This is especially noticeable when using a 3G connection or using the device to play games and before long you have to plug your iPhone back into its dock for charging. Well with the iPad Apple seem to have solved this problem and have claimed that the device will have 10 hours battery life of constant use and up to 30 days of battery life when on standby. Now you may think that this is just a prediction from Apple and that when we actually buy the device for ourselves the battery life will be nothing near this amount. This is where you are wrong. From the professional reviews of the iPad that have been released within the last couple of days it seems that the battery life has actually managed to exceed Apples claims and last even longer than the predicted 10 hours.

eBooks

One of the main reasons that this device was developed was the try and revolutionize the eReader market. This market is currently dominated by Amazon’s Kindle device which has a huge 90% market share at the moment. Apple’s iPad is hoping to steal quite a big chunk of this away from Amazon and from what we’ve seen of the device it may just manage it. The iPad has a larger screen than the Kindle device and also has a beautiful color display. Apple is hoping that this will give it the edge over Amazon’s Kindle device by giving the customer a better reading experience. The full color screen will allow eBooks to contain pictures and images and will look fantastic on the vivid screen.

So there we have it, a quick overview of a few of the main features that the iPad will have. But the question we set out to answer is yet to be answered. Should you buy one? Well, we don’t feel that we are in a position to tell you definitively whether or not you should go out and buy this device on the launch date. However we do feel that if you are looking for a great mobile device that has the ability to play a variety of media then this is a good candidate. We also recommend that you consider the Amazon Kindle as this is also a fantastic device.

Photos courtesy of Apple.com

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