Apple iPad 1st Generation 16GB, Wi-Fi + 3G (O2), 9.7in - Black

I bought my Ipad 2 for giving presentations, as my laptop is bulky. Keynote is quite good for basic presentations and accepts powerpoint ppt files too. Ipad is a very unique experience if u have only used PCs before. Advantages are :
1. Zero noise compared to laptops, if you hate that nagging fan noise.
2. Easy app installation and quite a lot of them( app hunting can be addictive). More than 300,000 apps, some useless and some good and useful for a nominal price.
3. RSS feeders are excellent for news, magazines etc. Reading magazines is good in Ipad bcoz of the right screen size ratio. Apps like Goodreader is good for PDF files and good for students, if u need to annotate PDF files etc.. (my biggest use now).
4. Lots of pod-casts and audio-books on various topics; some even in HD ( very few regular ones).
5. Excellent battery life, 10 hours- biggest plus point. ( Steve Jobs did not want to compromise this with Flash playing, Well its a trade off to put up with)
6. Excellent finish and quality as with all Apple products, and the built is quite robust. Ipad is portable... hence u WILL drop it sometime or the other like me, and u will thank its sturdiness then, another trade off there with the weight, I guess.
7. The operating environment IOS 5 is very secure, with no known viruses yet and hence good for secure sites and on-line banking.
8. Driving games are so good and easy to play with Ipad, but only a few are worth paying the £.

Disadvantages that I have experienced are quite numerous (so do your research well to see if the Ipad suits you).
1. Limitations in controlling file layouts and deleting stuff compared to Windows, which has improved recently with the IOS 5.
2. No USB port ( using a camera connector give message "too much power required" even for normal USB data stick)
3. The need to connect to PC with Itunes for checking free disk space, deleting pod-casts, movies etc was a problem before, which is resolved now with IOS 5.
4. "Limited" Multi-tasking.
5. Poor quality of still camera. ( I am still to find any use of this as my phone camera is better than this).
6. Unable to download files from website with Ipad Safari browser, although other independent apps allow some funcionality in this respect, but much limited compared to Windows.
7. Only plays MP4 movie files, not the common AVI, MKV, XVID etc, but some recent apps have "acceptable" compatibility with most of them now.
8. I run out of space with 32GB, so get a 64GB.
9. Cannot read ebooks for long periods compared to ereaders due to eye strain from LCD screen.
10.Cannot view video content on websites with Safari browser like flash content, but a separate youtube app ( free) is helpful.
11.You still need a Laptop or Desktop as main computer.
12.The need to switch alphabet and numeric layout in keyboard is irritating, but it allows connecting to a bluetooth keyboard with ease.
13. You cannot change the battery yourself. Need to send it to Apple and they will send back one with a new battery for a price of 100 dollars.

I may be too critical about the Ipad, but it didn't meet some of my expectations, but surprised me in the amount of apps and pod casts available. So I give it an Average rating. But most reviews by tech gurus still rate is as the best tablet around, which others are struggling to emulate or beat. Overall I don't regret buying my Ipad, but I expect more for the price; would have been happy if it was -200£

The ipad one 64 wifi + 3g is the top of the range original model. dont let the 64 gb size put you off getting one, its plenty. Also worth noting is that this was bought for a family member as I already have an ipad 2. I mention this solely as I honestly do not believe it is worth buying an ipad 2 over an ipad original version. Yes the 2 has a camera (a very dire low resolution camera) and allows for facetime, along with a slightly faster processor and a slightly thinner case, but that is all it brings over the ipad one. Personally, the ipad one actually 'feels' better in the hands. the power switch is easier to get to and use, while the actual hands on use is no different to using the newer model. the screens are even the same resolution so nothing logical about the ipad 2 as a choice other than it being newer. No ipad is a direct replacement for a pc or mac (indeed, you need to connect it to a pc or mac as soon as you buy it to actually get it working). But as an about town gadget, with data access for internet and wifi for when within range of a network, it is a good tool. games are steadily pushing the hardware ever more, and all in all, the ipad is still a tablet of choice. nig enough to watch a film, small enough to carry and with a fantastic battery life for such a large screen. I tunes is still a nightmare, those that love it stick to it, while others use copytrans or similar to break away from apples control of the device. If you jailbreak you open up a wealth of better options over the stock unit. Ebook readers alone improve massively over standard as you can read other formats beyond epub and pdf. as a portable tablet 'pc', once set how you want it, it is very good indeed, out of the box and first set up though? not quite, for something aimed at the none tech savvy it is somewhat convoluted in needing itunes so much. once you get it how you want it though? brilliant device. you will need a decent cover or case for it though, not something to be left around without one.

The Apple iPad. The name is a killing word -- more than a product -- it's a statement, an idea, and potentially a prime mover in the world of consumer electronics. Apple has been readying itself for what could be the most significant product launch in its history; the making (or breaking) of an entirely new class of computer for the company. The iPad is something in between its monumental iPhone and wildly successful MacBook line. The company has been tossing around words like "magical" and "revolutionary" to describe what many have dismissed as nothing more than a larger version of its iPod touch. But is that all there is to this device? Is the hope that Apple promises for this new computing experience nothing more than marketing fluff and strategic hyperbole? Or is this a different beast altogether -- a true sign that change has come to the world of the PC? Here you find the definitive answers to those questions and many more.

The bulk of its surface is taken up by a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768, capacitive, multitouch LED-backlit display surrounded by a glossy black bezel that some will say is too wide but, in practice, is an important design consideration that prevents the touchscreen from being inadvertently activated when handled. There's only Apple's signature "home" button to interact with, and the back of the device is a dutifully simple piece of curved aluminum. The device has some heft, weighing in at 1.5 pounds, but is still comfortable to hang onto at most angles. Considering the computing power of the tablet, a thickness that tops out at half an inch is pretty impressive, too.

As you probably know by now, the iPad packs Apple's custom, PA Semi-designed 1GHz A4 system-on-a-chip -- a single Cortex A8 core coupled with a PowerVR SGX GPU. RAM on the iPad hasn't been revealed, but we suspect there's 512MB (at least) inside here -- we'll know more once iFixit or someone else puts the pad under the knife. Also onboard is 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a digital compass, an accelerometer, microphone, and ambient light sensor. The 3G model that ships at the end of the month will add UMTS / HSDPA data along with an AGPS chip. You can purchase the device in capacities of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB.

Apple's 9.7-inch LED backlit IPS display does not disappoint. Colors on the screen are vibrant and saturated, while blacks feel true and deep. The iPad can be cranked up to an almost painful brightness, but also handles lower settings well -- that's especially important for readers (they even include a brightness control inside of iBooks).

The browsing experience on the iPad is amazing. It is smooth, fast, and fluid. The screen displays beautifully in landscape or portrait, the scrolling is buttery, touch response is out of this world, and you can easily pinch-to-zoom all over the place with nary a hiccup. The finger-based navigation really is kind of spectacular, and it makes browsing weirdly like rediscovering an old friend. Other additions to the app like a proper bookmarks bar, use of toolbar drop downs, and an improved tab grid make it a pleasure to use.

Iphone apps? Yes -- the iPad can run almost all 150,000 of the iPhone and iPod touch apps you know and love (not every one is compatible, but the vast majority)

It seems this summer's hot product has just arrived......

For some the Ipad is like a added extra to an array of apple products, but for thows of you with a wider and in some cdases wiser view the Ipad is a perfect replacement for old bulky laptops, Its swift sleek deminer and workings are perfect for you avrage internet user and the best equipment for keeping up to date on the go.

I decided to choose the wifi only over the 3G purly beacus of cost but there have been no hinderences as of yet.
now with Apps the 32 Gb is far more less hastle than the 16Gb, but are not as good as the 64Gb so as i said with apps like internet drop box you can have anything you need with you all you need is a nice good connecting wifi.

Battery life is thrugh the roof, eisaly lasting apples said 10 houres doing everything it needs to do, but will happly do a 15 with the brightness down.

so to keep you from bordham i will end this review giving it a 5* and this is not an ok 5* for once it is somthing that can really Have a 4.8* but sadly there isnt one there, the only little probles is the price tag on it, but its well worth penny saveings :D
God Bless.

When this was first announced I thought it looked great and it was certainly a fun and funky novelty, but I couldn't fully see the point. But then when the hype had died down a bit, I used one....

The first thing you notice is the impressive display, as soon as you see it you are compelled to touch it and the responsiveness is incredible. It responds with precision to every finger flick and you can glide between the screens with ease. I was dubious about using the onscreen keyboard but it holds up well. The keyboard is easy to see and (perhaps more importantly) easy to type on. Turning the iPad re-alligns the screen so you can view things in landscape or portrait. If you've used an iPod Touch or an iPhone then you'll be familiar with the two fingered zooming in and out, this is great when viewing photographs or when web-browsing.

Web-browsing should be a disappointment, the lack of Flash support is infamous and cited as the main iPad flaw. I was ready to criticise it but I have to admit that I was impressed and found web browsing to be a very enjoyable experience. Like most other Apple Mac products it feels intuitive and without reading a manual or receiving a demo you already instinctively know how to use it - and for an item of high-technology that's a rare a pleasant thing.

This device is best used along with a standard laptop or desktop Mac/PC to synchronise with iTunes and so that you have a main machine for file storage, but if you find yourself baffled by technology and struggle with a laptop then this could be the perfect solution if all you want to do is a bit of web browsing. My dad has a cheap laptop which takes an age to boot up, takes a further age to get on the internet, pops up many confusing messages about conflicting software, and crashes - often. All my dads needs his laptop for is web access but the poor experience it provides means that he has since given up - for him the iPad would be perfect.

There is a standard set of apps which come installed on the device, you can't remove them and to be honest you wouldn't want to. They have been incredibly well developed and have a strong pedigree now as they have lived on other portable Apple products for the last few years. The range of apps available for the iPad is nothing short of fantastic, and every time you check the AppStore there's more! There are thousands of free apps, and plenty which cost only few pence. Once you've searched for Apps and added them to your iPad you have a fully customised device tailored to your own tastes and requirements. Whether you want utilities or games you cannot fail to find things you like. To be honest, the iPad is a worthwhile gadget purely on the basis of the AppStore alone!

Apple have created a gadget which isn't quite a laptop and is more than a tablet PC - it's a new class of gadget which can easily fit in with your lifestyle and become a device you find yourself using every day. You can read books on it (the iBook app is a great virtual bookcase), surf the web, or even watch TV (via the BBC iPlayer!).

In a nutshell: If you're buying this as a laptop replacement then you may be a bit disappointed if you're wanting to do a heavy amount of word-processing, spreadsheets, photo manipulation - the sort of thing you can only really do well on a `proper' computer. But for many this is the perfect solution, a beautiful looking item which is easy to use and can do far more things than it can't do. If I were reviewing