Going on the mass of press coverage leading up to the launch of Apple's iPad in the United States and Europe, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the plans for Apple's - at the time latest - device had come into the hands of Steve Jobs through some kind of divine intervention.
Sure, it’s shiny, and pretty, and well… shiny. That huge 9.7-inch touch screen, finished with a glossy black border and a silver metallic back is simply gorgeous. It all screams buy me but should you? Well if you’re looking at the iPad based on its internal and external hardware, then you’re looking at it the wrong way. Don’t worry; this is an Apple product, and as you’d (usually) expect, the build quality is top-notch but the real star of the show is the operating system.
iOS – and the applications that run on it – is what makes the iPad so special. Freed from the confines of the iPhone’s small screen and bolstered by the 1GHz A4 chip at the heart of the device, iOS really shows what it is capable of. The device deals effortlessly with any swipe, twist and turn you throw at it.
