Help Key: Everything you need to know about the iPad


When will I be able to get one?

If you hit the stores, I suspect your local Apple store may have some in stock. This isn’t iPhone level hysteria. If you order one now on-line, though, you won’t get one via UPS until April 12.

If I go today, will I still be able to get one?
Call first, but I doubt they’re totally sold out everywhere.

WiFi/3G or WiFi-only?

I’d say 3G, but that’s just me. I’d love to be able to use this at press events without WiFi. Your mileage and use case will vary.

Can I jailbreak it?

Not yet, but GeoHot has been working on a method that may soon work.

Will I break it?

Probably not but get the case if you plan on traveling. It’s really nice.

Will I scratch it?

The screen is really big but on par with a standard laptop screen. The back is made of aluminum. It won’t scratch any more than a MacBook Pro will.

How are ebooks?

Aah-mazing! The Winnie the Pooh title I read so far was great – pictures were excellent – and the rest of the media, including The Elements, are fascinating. This is not CD-ROM era stuff. This is the Diamond Age.

How are the games?

The HD games are great. I’m trying more out as we speak, but Real Racing HD is great.

How are movies?

I wish I could take a long flight. Having this on my lap would be great.

What size?

Go big or go home. 64GB.

I travel a lot and want to read. I can sometimes leave my Kindle “on” but will they make me turn it off when the plane takes off and lands?

Heck yeah. This thing will definitely set off bells.

How about PDF/doc support?
Most of the methods I expected to see for PDF and Word doc support did not appear to be in place. Dropbox and iDisk apps didn’t download the actual files but rendered them on the screen.

Typing: Doable?
You betcha. Works just fine. I do a two thumbed thin in either mode and holding it up is fairly comfortable.

Should I get one?

This is 1st Gen Apple hardware. You pay the price for early adoption. There is the potential for a built-in camera down the line. Are do you already own a Kindle and just want it for ebooks? Don’t get this right now. Are you a fan of Apple and must have everything they produce? Get thee to the iPadery.

Do you want this to be your music iPod? Don’t get the iPad. It’s awkward to listen to music on this thing. Imagine running headphones to your laptop bag. It feels and looks a bit dopey.

Do you want to watch movies on the plane? Get this thing.

Do you want to get a little work done on the road? The jury is still out, but I’m leaning towards the idea that this may be a productivity tool and a media device.

Again, there’s no telling what iPad 2.0 will be like but if history is a guide, it will be slight hardware improvement and some new features. It’s not like the iPod Touch got a camera last upgrade, right?

Do you have more questions? Ask me in comments or Tweet me. I’m happy to answer as they come in.