If you want to know where you can order the ipad, you've come to the right place. This site aims to advise you which retailers (USA and UK) sell the Apple iPad tablet online - both iPad 1 and iPad 2.
We also list some of the ipad's main alternative's so that you can compare and contrast and make sure you are getting the right tablet PC- see the sidebar for details
iPad Specifications and Features
The iPad is simply the coolest gadget to come along since, well, the iPhone was first launched. Here are some of the features:
- 9.7 inch multi-touch screen
- backlit LED display
- 1024x768 pixel resolution
- 1GHz Apple A4 chip
- Apple Safari Browser
- Battery life 10 hours (1 month on stand-by)
- built-in iWork 2010 software
- supports ePub ebook format
- supports books in Apple's iBooks format
- plays videos, movies, games and music
- choose from 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flash memory
- Connectivity through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with optional 3G
The iPad 2 has the following features in addition:
- 1 GHz dual-core Apple A5 chip
- two web-cams, front facing and back facing
- one third thinner, and lighter weight (1.3 pounds
- choice of white or black tablet
- built in Facetime app which allows you to video chat with other people who have the iPad 2 or iPhone 4
Those interested in using the iPad as an ebook reader should note that the iPad supports the ePub format - which means that you should be able to buy books from ebook stores other than Apple's iBooks. iBooks itself has signed up an impressive amount of publishers such as Penguin, Hachette, Macmillan, Simon and Shuster and Harper Collins. Amazon.com have also issued a free Kindle for iPad/iPhone/iPod app, which means that you should be able to buy Kindle ebooks and read them on your iPad. If you have PDF ebooks, you will have to be read through the iWork part of the iPad, rather than in the book section (it means you can't store the PDFs in the bookshelf on the iPad but instead have to store them in the office suite).
iWork 2010 is Apple's office software and is used on Macs, 2010 being the most up-to date version. It can create and read documents, spreadsheets and presentations. It can import and export Microsoft Word and Excel files and can create and read Adobe PDFs. Note that the iPad doesn't have a built-in USB port - so if you wish to transfer documents or files to your PC, you need to purchase either a dongle or the keyboard dock, which as a port built in.
When browsing the net you will be using the built-in Apple Safari browser - note that you won't be able to download and use Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome.
When deciding which is the best iPad to buy, think about your needs. The 3G ipad will require you to get a contract with a 3G broadband supplier, whereas a Wi-Fi version does not need a contract and can be used where there are Wi-Fi hotspots. If you see yourself storing a lot of ebooks, documents and media, then go for the 64GB version. If you are simply going to use it to surf the web and keep in touch on the go, then choose the lower memory versions.
Both the iPad and iPad 2 allows multi-tasking (so you can use more than one program at a time).
Here are some things that the iPad doesn't do: It does not recognise Flash when browsing the internet. This is because Apple wanted to make sure the iPad worked swiftly and that the battery lasted. All consumer feedback suggests they have succeeded. Other tablets such as the Archos 9, which allow flash are much slower and also don't have such a long battery life. If the speed of the tablet is more important to you than viewing Flash on the internet, then go ahead and purchase the iPad. If having stuff such as a USB port is important to you, then wait for the iPad 3, or purchase one of the ipad alternatives.
The writer Stephen Fry wrote a cracking review of the first iPad - click here to read it. Click here to read customer reviews of the iPad
Here's the official video for the iPad:
Before you purchase an iPad, you might want to compare it to other tablet PCs, such as the HP Slate, please see our list of iPad Alternatives in the sidebar.
