Ever since its introduction at the Apple Event on January 27, 2010, the iPad has dominated the tech news sites with rumors and speculations. As the official release date of April 3 drew nearer, more and more details about the new Apple product became clear, and reviews of the product started to appear. This page presents an overview of reviews by leading technology websites, and video reviews as appeared on YouTube.com.

One of the first to issue a review, was PC Magazine. In their review, they start by stating how they envisioned the product when they first heard of it: “An expensive niche product” that “wouldn't quite eliminate the need for either one.” However, as the review continues, they conclude the product “Just makes sense”. On its size, they comment it is heavier than expected, feeling heavy when holding up with a single hand. They also indicate the iPad is clearly not meant as a laptop replacement, as it sports not a single port, USB or other, focusing repeatedly how the iPad looks and feels like a “big iPod Touch with added features”. The touch-screen response is found to be excellent, while the actual power is about average. The battery life, which was measured on nearly 9,5 hours was considered “respectably close” to the ten hours stated by Apple.

As for the Apps and practical working, the review applauded the working of the onscreen keyboard, which they consider even more comfortable when combined with an iPad case. PC Magazine is very pleased with the supplied Apps, including surfing with Safari (with the obvious exception of missing any Flash support), Mail, Maps and YouTube. They are especially pleased with the iBook, which, according to PCMag, puts Amazon’s Kindle to shame, providing several extras the Kindle doesn’t have.

However, playback of YouTube Videos doesn’t look very well, but that’s in large due to Youtube’s lower quality videos. Other video playback is regarded excellent though. They conclude with: “There may be things it doesn't do, but what it does do, it does remarkably well.” PC Magazine’s final rating is a 4.5/5, stating: “Even an Editors' Choice winner has its downsides, ..> but for the most part, the iPad, ..> is a solid product that lives up to the hype.”http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362040,00.asp

The Wall Street Journal also reviewed the ipad, stating: “I believe this beautiful new touch-screen device from Apple has the potential to change portable computing profoundly, and to challenge the primacy of the laptop”

The Journal states it reads e-books better than the Kindle, but is much more than a e-book or digital periodical reader, and is “far more than a big iPhone”. Their conclusion is “while it has compromises and drawbacks, the iPad can indeed replace a laptop for most data communication, content consumption and even limited content creation, a lot of the time.” Positive findings were its battery life, its overall speed, and the use of the on-screen keyboard. Less pleased, they were with the content creation, which only supports Microsoft’s Word for text, and not even provides 100% compatibility there. Another drawback they stated was the pricing of iPad Apps, which appeared to be higher than their iPhone equivalents, but offering more functionality for the additional price. The iBookstore was lacking in number of titles (60,000 compared to Kindle’s 400,000) and Email and web browser had some limitations. http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20100331/apple-ipad-review/

Other early reviews stated:

• The New York Times:” the iPad is not a laptop. It’s not nearly as good for creating stuff. On the other hand, it’s infinitely more convenient for consuming it — books, music, video, photos, Web, e-mail and so on. For most people, manipulating these digital materials directly by touching them is a completely new experience — and a deeply satisfying one.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/technology/personaltech/01pogue.html
• Chicago Sun Times: “iPad is pure innovation”, and “no company is also nearly as successful at producing a new product that can justify almost any level of excitement that precedes it. http://www.suntimes.com/technology/ihnatko/2134139,ihnatko-ipad-apple-review-033110.article
• USA Today: “Apple has pretty much nailed it with this first iPad, though there's certainly room for improvement. Nearly three years after making a splash with the iPhone, Apple has delivered another impressive product that largely lives up to the hype.” http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2010-03-31-apple-ipad-review_N.htm http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/04/roundup-ipad-reviews/
• MobileTechReview: "As ever, Apple’s walled garden approach frustrates us since there’s no easy way to transfer documents and content to the iPad outside of iTunes. The product is designed for passive media consumption as outlined by Apple’s design group." and "That said, the iPad sets the standard for an entertainment tablet and it’s incredibly fun and easy to use. It’s hard to imagine even die-hard geeks not enjoying it when they take a break from grumbled about its limitations and restrictions. " (See also their complete video review below on this page)http://www.mobiletechreview.com/iPod/iPad.htm