iPad has been launched but what is the iPad?
It's a Tardis waiting to be discovered.

The main question I hear being asked about the iPad is "why should I buy an iPad"? Well this article will hopefully explain more and help you decide for yourself. The way I see it, it's a great business tool, which is lightweight, quick and easy to use. If you're a designer it's a great way of showing your portfolio, but it won't replace your laptop.

In a nutshell the iPad is for everyone and anyone. It's a blank canvas waiting to be discovered. Like the iPhone there are thousands of Apps out there to suit. The iPad comes with some preloaded apps, which include Safari, Mail, Photos, Notes, Calendar, Contacts, Maps, Videos, iPod, iTunes, App Store and YouTube. You can have 226 apps on an iPad at any one time.

The iPad comes in the usual white box with apple logo that shouts style and quality even before you open it. Once you open the box and got over the "WOW" factor you're looking at a sleek touch screen with fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating (you still gets tons of fingerprints to clean off). It has a built in easy to use touch screen keyboard but for those of you who like the QWERTY keyboard you could use one of Apple wireless keyboards or iPad Keyboard Dock that combines a dock for charging your iPad with a full-size keyboard.

What else is in the box? Dock Connector to USB Cable, 10W USB Power Adapter and documentation (I feel they could have put a booklet in here to explain more).

SPECIFICATIONS
Height: 9.56 inches (242.8 mm) Width: 7.47 inches (189.7 mm) Depth: 0.5 inch (13.4 mm) Weight: 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) Wi-Fi model; 1.6 pounds (0.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model.
The iPad has a built-in 25- watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, which will last up to 10 hours. The only downside is that you can't replace the battery yourself this has to be done by Apple.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

MAC SYSTEM REQUIREMENT

• Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
• Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later
• iTunes 9.1
• iTunes Store account
• Internet access

WINDOWS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• PC with USB 2.0 port
• Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later
• iTunes 9.1 or later
• iTunes Store account
• Internet access

GOOD POINTS

• Fast connection for surfing the web, sending and receiving email, or getting directions.
• Fantastic photo viewer
• Like the iphone the iPads orientation changes when you rotate the iPad but there is a button on the underside to lock the screen in place
• Built in digital compass and location-aware software technology (assisted GPS) easy to use software system
• Wi-Fi in all models and Wi-Fi with 3G available in some models. Micro-SIM card tray in Wi-Fi + 3G model only (don't go thinking you can pop your mobileSIM card in here as it won't fit). You can get a micro-SIM with data included starting from £7.50 a month. The good news it comes officially unlocked so you can choose which network provider you want to use
• Built in speaker and microphone but you can buy Apple In-Ear Headphones with remote & microphone
• Read iBooks clearly with highlight and bookmark facilities
• Watch DVD's and play music
• Twitter – download the Tweet deck app for sending your Tweets
• WordPress bloggers iPad app
• Bluetooth at high speeds over short distances
• Airplane Mode on some models for business travel
• Enable restrictions for those with children
• Excellent detailed calendar
• Browse multipages at once
• If you're a cyclist, walker or an outdoors person you will love the maps especially the Memory-Map app (more expensive than the usual apps but fantastic)

BAD POINTS

• You need a Mac or PC to connect the iPad to for it's initial set up
• No web cam, so for anyone who uses companies like Skype to video call you can still speak to the person but won't be able to see them
• No SD card but you can buy an iPad Camera Connection Kit gives you two ways to import photos and video's from a digital camera with a camera connector and SD card reader
• No USB connection
• If you want to read PDF's you will need to download an app called good reader or PDF reader Pro before you can read them but it's quick and easy
• Needs to have a more details user guide in the box when you buy it so I would advise you go buy a book or research the web

THE COST
Starting from £429 and the top of the range IPad with Wi-Fi + 3G, 64GB will cost you £699

FINALLY
If your seriously thinking of buying an iPad and still unsure about it go along to an Apple store where you can ask questions and get to try them out.

Transfer from Mac or PC to the iPad

The first and main thing I needed to do was load a portfolio and documents onto my iPad. The iPad has no USB so this was going to be a challenge. I found you could do this in a number of ways via e-mail, iTunes sync, using desktop transfer software or Dropbox. I found Dropbox the best, it's fantastic and I use it all the time.
Here are a few things you can do using Dropbox's official iPad app:

• Browse the files in your Dropbox folder easily.
• Open images and other media directly through the app.
• Upload photos to all of your computers at once.
• Share links to your files over email.
• Search through your Dropbox instantly.
• Export files to other apps.

To get a FREE account go to
http://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTk5MTc2NDk5

Photographs from digital camera to iPad

Download photos from your digital camera to your iPad with the iPad Camera Connection Kit at around £20. I would advise you take your camera to an Apple store and try before you buy The iPad Camera Connection Kit includes two connectors, each with a different interface:

1. The Camera Connector features a USB interface. Just plug it into the dock connector port on your iPad, attach your digital camera or iPhone using a USB cable (not included). The iPhone 3G is not supported. 2. Use the SD Card Reader to import photos directly from your camera's SD card. Connect it to your iPad, and then insert your digital camera's SD card into the slot.
After you make the connection, your iPad automatically opens the Photos app, which lets you choose which pictures to import, then organizes the selected photos into albums. When you sync iPad to your Mac or PC, the photos on your iPad are added to your computer's photo library.
iPad and the Camera Connection Kit support standard photo formats, including JPEG and RAW.

iPad Apps

iAnnotate
A PDF reader and a powerful annotation tool that allows you to work with your PDF's. You can open documents from emails, Text Notes, Underline, Free-Form Drawing, Book- marks, and much more. The best bit is you can add highlights or underline with the drag of a finger!

Unlike other apps that only let users draw on top of a PDF, iAnnotate fully integrates its annotations directly into the PDF such that they will be available to any standard PDF readers like Adobe Reader or Preview. You can transfer PDF's via Dropbox, email and iTunes syn.

Scrabble
I found this ideal for passing the time at the airport and chilling whilst on holiday. It works brilliantly; by the way it is possible to beat the computer. It's just like the real thing except you don't loose the pieces – result.

TweetDeck
TweetDeck for your iPad is the best way to stay in touch with what's happening now on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. TweetDeck's iPad optimized interface shows you everything you want to see all at once on one screen. Send message to one or all at the same time without logging in. Stay organized and up to date wherever you are - www.tweetdeck.com/ipad

ibooks
iBooks is an amazing way to download and read books. iBooks includes the iBookstore, where you can download the latest best-selling books or your favourite classics – day or night. Browse your library on a beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it, flip through pages with a swipe or a tap, and bookmark or add notes to your favourite passages.
Like a real bookstore you can read a free sample of any book on the iBookstore before making it a part of your collection. Once again it's great for carrying around espe- cially on holiday and takes up less room than a book.

BBC News
Keep up to date with the latest news from the BBC and a global network of journalists. Save the trees, keep the ink of your fingers and create less waste, surely a good app!

Bento for iPad
Organize your busy life in one iPad app! This app comes with 25 ready-to-use database templates (Time Billing, Classes, Contacts, Customers, Digital Media, Donations, Equipment, Events, Event Planning, Exercise Log, Expenses, Files, Home Inventory, Inventory, Issue Tracking, Items Sold, Membership List, Notes, Products, Projects, Recipes, Student List, To-do Items, Diet Log, and Vehicle Maintenance). These can be customized easily to organize virtually any type of information. Use as a standalone or synchronize with Bento 3 for Mac!

Numbers
Numbers, a powerful spreadsheet application made for the Mac, has been completely redesigned for iPad. Create compelling spreadsheets in minutes. With over 250 easy- to-use functions, an intelligent keyboard, flexible tables, and eye-catching charts, all the answers are at your fingertips.

Keynote
Keynote, is another powerful presentation application for Mac, which has also been completely redesigned for iPad. It makes creating a world-class presentation with animated charts and transitions easy.

Penultimate
Take notes and make sketches easily. Use colours or stick with classic black. The pen technology is second to none. Three different paper styles are available, lined, graphed and plain. Send single pages or entire notebooks to your colleagues or friends. PDF is supported for full notebooks.