Quick Hands-On: iPad + 3MiFi

I popped into 3mobilebuzz HQ to have a play around with the Apple iPad. My impressions of it are very promising.

The iPad is an intriguing device which is aiming to take over a market which has existed for long time, but hasn't really been filled by anyone. The iPad can be described as a large iPhone without the phone functionality. It's a cross between netbook and tablet. There is plenty of information on the Apple website about the specific functionality of the device.

Whilst using the device which was coupled with a 3UK Mifi I still haven't figured out what usage I may possibly bring out of it, but I know I definitely want one. Accompanied by the 3UK MiFi, webpages loaded pretty fast, Youtube did play initially (although my experiences was hindered by data being used up on the MiFi account), which indicates more than anything that the iPad needs a data connection and large amounts of mobile data. The screen is beautiful, responsive - I was urged to try touch typing, which I found very quickly to be accurate and comfortable. Videos payback on it smooth, no frame drops, no jittering or ghosting. It's very vibrant, the colours are well saturated and vivid. Apps like Marvel Comics were astounding to view. Watching trailers from the Apple website is a pleasure.

The only negative is the glossy screen, having had a glossy Macbook previously I can say the glossy screen is a no go for me. It reflects every single bit of light from every single angle. Using it in well lit conditions or even outside on a sunny day will not be a good experience, unless done at a precise angle. Taking pictures of the screen was a struggle as can be viewed from pictures taken; and these are some of the decent ones.

I still don't quite know what I'll use one for, but video consumption, e-mail, web and games is very much on the agenda. It's a great alternative to carrying around a netbook or small laptop. Whilst it does lack a physical keyboard, the onscreen keyboard is adequate enough and very accurate. It will take a little getting used to when it comes down to using functions like shift, characters and numbers as there is a need to toggle rather than the shift or number pad found on most keyboards. That in itself is a process of moving away from the traditional form of input - just like the single mouse button, touchpads and multi finger gestures found on Apple products such as Macbooks and iMacs.

Pricing information of the iPad for the UK and a few other locations have been announced:

• £429 (inc. VAT) for 16GB Wi-Fi iPad
• £499 (inc. VAT) for 32GB Wi-Fi iPad
• £599 (inc. VAT) for 64GB Wi-Fi iPad
• £529 (inc. VAT) for 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad
• £599 (inc. VAT) for 32GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad
• £699 (inc. VAT) for 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad

There is a £100 price difference between the WiFi and 3G version of the iPad, which begs the questions; is it worth getting the 3G version and paying the extra £100 premium? I personally think not. a 3UK MiFi costs £49.99 and is a great alternative and comfortable companion for the iPad. There is the option of addon data bundles required whilst saving over £50 on initial purchase of an iPad and 3G data connection.

Posted in: 3UK,iPad,MiFi