The Apple iPad has been touted as the next big thing in personal computing for months prior to it’s release date. As a former staunch supporter of everything Microsoft, I consider myself to be one of the newly enlightened. Only recently converting to a Mac Mini for most of my applications, did I consider what a device like the iPad could do for me in terms of productivity. Following are five reasons that the Apple iPad successfully lives up to the pre-release hype, with a few minor quibbles in the interest of full disclosure.

*The iPad is revolutionary and has introduced a new way of computing*

As with many Apple products, there are different price points (from 9.00 to 9.00, according to Apple’s official site, depending on the model you choose). This aids in allowing more people to purchase the product, thus getting more people to buy the product and acclimate to the technology overall. What this means is that this very convenient way of computing will affect more people’s lives in a positive way.

As an affiliate marketer, I appreciate the ability to take a break from my computer chair or couch/ laptop to have a lighter, more portable computing solution. As light as the iPad is, it can be a bit awkward to hold for long periods of time, depending on your position. The long rumored technology of flexible screens would be a giant leap forward. As innovative as Apple is, it wouldn’t be ridiculous to assume that this technology would be implemented as soon as possible on the iPad.

*Easy web browsing from anywhere (just about)*

The integration of the Wifi/ Wifi 3G solution for access has been a mostly successful affair, with the exception of some users complaining on message boards about problems connecting. Certainly a new product is going to have some bugs to work out and firmware/ other software updates will likely fix most users’ issues. I personally find the dimmable backlight to be very handy for webpages that use a lot of bright space and graphics, which can be tough on the eyes. The lack of a webcam is a minor annoyance for some, but will almost certainly be provided on future models, allowing face to face chatting on your iPad.

*Most responsive screen*

Although there are benchmarks set for screen responsiveness, the best experience for most people (myself included) is actual experience with the device. I am a fast typist, so I appreciate a keyboard that’s easy on the fingers and can handle the speed with which I type. I have tried many touch screen keyboards and have always been disappointed with them, relegating them at least in my mind to acceptable use only on phones.

Especially when rotated to the landscape position, the keys are large (pretty close to full size and just about right for me) and spaced like a physical keyboard. Typing ahead of the buffer is a problem for me with many devices, but not with the iPad. Someone could make a lot of money inventing a system to keep the screen from getting so many fingerprints on it, which is one reason why I prefer a physical keyboard. The next generation iPad will be even better, if the leap forward in improvement from the original iPod to the iPod touch is any indication.

*The iPad is intuitive to use*

This is the point where the engineers and designers working on the iPad should be congratulated. Just about anyone can pick it up and understand how to use it in just a few minutes. Especially if you’re used to the iPod Touch or iPhone interface, this interface will come very naturally to you.

With just a few minutes, I was able to show an older adult in my life how to use the iPad. It bears mentioning that this person had a difficult time with both the iPod Touch and iPhone previously. I’d think a market would exist for older folks who like to have larger buttons to work with.

*The iPad is better than the Kindle for reading ebooks*

Particularly for those of us who read a lot of e books, the previously mentioned dimming backlight makes the iPad easy on the eyes. Putting e books on the device is simple in the tradition of Apple user interfaces. As with other e book readers, the iPad supports different methods of doing just this and that make it a pleasure to use as an ebook reader. The entire layout of the iPad is superior to the Kindle, from the ability to rotate to a large screen. With some very minor (at least to me) quibbles that will likely be worked out in revisions to software, the Apple iPad has lived up to the hype preceding it’s release.

You can read more about the Apple iPad at my Apple iPad Hype Blog. You may also find my Apple iPad Hype Lens interesting. My name is Jim McClinsey and writing helpful articles is my passion.