The iPad doesn't arrive in stores until Saturday (in the US), and most tech reviewers, like civilians, will need to wait until then to get their hands on one. As usual, though, Apple provided early review units to journalists from a few major newspapers and other media outlets.
The big surprise in these reviews is...well, there aren't any big surprises. Everyone's impressed. Everybody brings up both pros (the interface, the form factor, the general level of polish) and cons (lack of Flash, no camera, inability to replace a laptop in every circumstance) that we already knew about.
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The most significant new positive factoid: Apple's battery-life claim of ten hours seems to be conservative. And there are a few new quibbles (did we know that the iPod app doesn't do Cover Flow)? Bottom line: It's the extremely slick first-generation device we thought it was.
After the jump, summaries of the reviews that have hit the Web so far. You might want to read ‘em all, but if you can only read one, see Tim Gideon's piece at PCMag.com-it's by far the most detailed look at the gizmo.
Walt Mossberg, The Wall Street Journal, "Apple iPad Review: Laptop Killer? Pretty Close"
Star rating equivalent (on a 1-5 star scale): ****
The good: "So I've been using my test iPad heavily day and night, instead of my trusty laptops most of the time. As I got deeper into it, I found the iPad a pleasure to use, and had less and less interest in cracking open my heavier ThinkPad or MacBook."
The bad: "If you need to create or edit giant spreadsheets or long documents, or you have elaborate systems for organizing email, or need to perform video chats, the iPad isn't going to cut it as your go-to device."
Battery life: "For my battery test, I played movies, TV shows and other videos back-to-back until the iPad died. This stressed the device's most power-hogging feature, its screen. The iPad lasted 11 hours and 28 minutes, about 15% more than Apple claimed."
The last paragraph: "All in all, however, the iPad is an advance in making more-sophisticated computing possible via a simple touch interface on a slender, light device. Only time will tell if it's a real challenger to the laptop and netbook."
David Pogue, The New York Times: "Looking at the iPad From Two Angles"
Star rating equivalent: ****
The good: "The iPad is so fast and light, the multitouch screen so bright and responsive, the software so easy to navigate, that it really does qualify as a new category of gadget. Some have suggested that it might make a good goof-proof computer for technophobes, the aged and the young; they're absolutely right."
The bad: "When the iPad is upright, typing on the on-screen keyboard is a horrible experience; when the iPad is turned 90 degrees, the keyboard is just barely usable (because it's bigger). A $70 keyboard dock will be available in April, but then you're carting around two pieces."
Battery life: "Speaking of video: Apple asserts that the iPad runs 10 hours on a charge of its nonremovable battery - but we all know you can't trust the manufacturer. And sure enough, in my own test, the iPad played movies continuously from 7:30 a.m. to 7:53 p.m. - more than 12 hours. That's four times as long as a typical laptop or portable DVD player."
The last paragraph (okay, the last two paragraphs): "The bottom line is that the iPad has been designed and built by a bunch of perfectionists. If you like the concept, you'll love the machine. The only question is: Do you like the concept?"
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