The iPad is here!

Posted: Monday, April 5th, 2010 by Gene

Like I mentioned in our last blog post, we were able to get our greasy little mitts on an iPad and do some playing around with it. I only got the device for just a little bit of time (it’s the personal iPad of our CEO) and wasn’t able to install any apps that I’d really like to test since it’s not my device, but I wanted to share some first impressions that I’ve got so far with it.

First and foremost, the screen is AMAZING! Although it is a major fingerprint magnet, the glass screen is fantastic with every app I’ve run on it and movies look great:

The Mail app works just like it does on my iPhone, full sync of Mail, Contacts and Calendar and the keyboard is bigger and better than it is on the iPhone (well, duh, Ted, you’re working with so much more real estate!) and typing really flies. I appreciate the modifications they’ve made to the larger screen with the Contacts and Calendar. It actually looks like a bound book!

I bought myself a Barnes & Noble Nook a few months ago and, while I love it, I should have listened to my coworker who told me to wait for the iPad and its ebook reader. Color me impressed, the reader is really fantastic! When you turn a page, it actually has a cool little page-turn graphic that takes you to the next page:

Page turning on the iPad is soooo much faster than on my Nook, it’s ridiculous. Kevin here in the office actually noted that turning a page on an iPad is faster than switching pages in a real book!

So, that’s my first impression of the iPad, I’m dying to get more time with one that I can install apps on and really spend some quality time with.

Do you have an iPad? What do you like or dislike about it? Feel free to leave a comment on the blog and give us your opinion!