Apple iPad 2 Wi-Fi - Tablet - 16 GB - 9.7" IPS ( 1024 x 768 ) - rear camera + front camera - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth - black

I'm sure the vast majority of those buying an iPad 2 will be very pleased with it. For the most part it lives up to the hype and is a very seductive piece of kit. After downloading iTunes onto the computer and registering, setting up the iPad is a doddle as it's simply a case of connecting it to the computer and the automatic 'synching' process does the rest.

Connecting to the internet via Wi-Fi with my 'N' router was as easy as entering the password and I have to say the response time of the Safari web browser was very impressive, with pages loading very quickly making web browsing a joy. The screen is a gem being bold and bright and large enough to be regarded as a serious web browsing monitor. The only slight criticism, which is often referred to, is how quickly the screen becomes covered in fingerprints. But I hasten to add the need to clean it only becomes apparent after you've turned the thing off and isn't a problem during use.

Of course, Apps are a huge attraction and there's a lot of fun to be had from browsing the App Store and downloading from the huge amount available, many of which are free and even the paid ones don't exactly break the bank. And apps can be downloaded directly onto the iPad, there's no need to sync them from the computer to the device.

If, like me, you enjoy keeping up with the news and catching up with missed TV programmes then apps like BBC iPlayer, Sky news for iPad, and the (currently free) Channel 4oD are obvious choices and are very impressive on the iPad. A YouTube app also comes as standard and there have been comments about losing Wi-Fi connection whilst using it which I did experience a few times. This may need to be fixed in a future update but it reconnected quickly and wasn't a big problem.

Criticism is bound to be subjective but there are a few things I'd refer to. Firstly, it seems that most people don't appear to have a problem with setting up their email account on the iPad, but for me it was a non starter. I have Outlook Express on my desktop PC and have never had problems setting up email accounts before. But my iPad just wouldn't receive emails - sending emails, yes, but it wouldn't receive them. I spent the better part of two days trying to beat this problem, but tech help both at Apple and my ISP along with lots of forum trawling couldn't resolve it. I tried setting it up manually, then synching OE from the computer, but all to no avail. Others seem to have had no problems in this respect so maybe it's just my bad luck.

The second thing is battery life. In just about every iPad review I've read, 10 hours seems to be the boastful claim and I notice other reviewers here are similarly impressed. Well, perhaps that 10 hours is possible with Wi-Fi turned off. But in my experience using the iPad with Wi-Fi turned on drained the battery in half that time. So, maybe time between charges depends on how much you surf the net. If not, then maybe mine had a substandard battery.

My third criticism is maybe due to the success of the iPad design. It's a beautiful thing and deceptively solid and strong, which is a good thing, right? But it's sleek, slim, highly polished profile makes for quite a 'slippery' unit. Using it on your lap or a table is fine but holding it as, say, an ebook reader (and iBooks, together with the Kindle app, are excellent by the way) can sometimes be a little frustrating as you try to work out the best way to hold it for any length of time.

Then there's the lack of Flash support which means that if you're someone who likes to watch video clips on the internet, or indeed any video content that requires Flash, then you're going to be frustrated by Apple's stubborn refusal to allow it to run on the iPad. There are a few apps and freeware programs out there which attempt to get around this issue but I wouldn't put too much faith in them at present. But if Flash is of no concern to you then obviously this can be discounted.

And finally, there's the price. Although the iPad2 is good value when compared to the original I think those of us in the UK still get legally mugged. To some extent we can thank the VAT hike to 20% which means that no less than a hefty £90 of a 64Gb iPad2 price is VAT. Of course, that's no fault of Apple but it does make the overall cost an important consideration.

If price isn't a concern and you don't mind shelling out so much for something that will probably be superseded by iPad3 in less than a year - and you're not frustrated by the email account problems I had and the niggles I refer to above then I'd say the iPad 2 is a serious contender for anyone looking for a tablet which, by all accounts, sets a standard in terms of design, build, and sheer usability that the 'android' competitors are still struggling to compete with.

To be honest I wasn't really in the market for a tablet. But after I found I was using my smart phone in which to check my mail, check the news and finding myself getting somewhat frustrated at the small screen size I decided; "What the heck" and did a trawl for the best tablet for me. Initially the I-Pad was out of the running simply because of the price. But after looking around at the competition it soon became very clear, that actually the I-Pad was the only worthy contender: Dual Core Chip, fantastic build quality, capacitive touch screen and best of all it is so intuitive in use.

I ordered off of Apple (Got the free engraving) and through their website was able to check its progress: China, Middle East,Germany,England. The I-Pad arrives fully charged, however if like me and this is your first Apple product you need to download I-Tunes in which to register the product. (No other-way to get it working)

Well, to turn it on, you depress the wee button on the top of the Pad, It's up and running within seconds and I mean seconds. To access your mail touch the mail app (Ok,you do have to enter your e-mail details first) and again within seconds you are checking your e-mail. Check the internet, touch the Safari app (Safari is the Apple version of Window Explorer/Firefox/Opera etc) very smooth again within seconds I'm surfing the net.

The battery lasts around 10 hours and takes up to a couple to recharge.

Now I suppose the main selling point for a lot of people will be the applications (Apps) that are available. I simply bought a couple of pre-paid vouchers in town and entered them into my I-tunes account. Its as easy as that and you don't have to enter any bank details anywhere. Every-time I purchase an app within a few days I receive a receipt (e-mail) from apple informing me of my purchase.

I've downloaded a backgammon app. (Ok) the Daily mail app (Don't laugh as the app is really something else.) Which costs £[] for the year and as somebody who reads the Guardian on a daily basis and the Economist on a weekly one I will be purchasing it once the free period runs out in Aug. What I'm saying here is from what I've seen of the difference in Android and Apple apps. Apple wins hands down in the quality stakes.

I've downloaded the bookshelf app and currently have 4 books downloaded. To be honest I just wanted to know what they would be like and as the books were a lot cheaper than the usual paperbacks I purchase I thought I'd try them out. Well reading them is no different to reading a real book and you get the bonus of being able to instantly check out what any word means. Simply by moving your finger across the screen the pages move back or forth. However I can't see myself giving up the pleasure of reading a real book any-time soon. For a start you never ever worry about a book.

I also purchased a plastic screen protector. Now having fitted a Zagg Invisible Shield to my phone I knew fitting one to the I-Pad would be a job and a half. Guess what it was. However I recommend buying one of the wee packs (3 or 6) in which to get used to fitting a screen protector without coming up with something that looks like an aero bar.

All in all, I am most impressed with the I-Pad, my only gripe is how anything connected to Apple is so damn expensive. On the other side of the coin you get what you pay for. At the moment the I-Pad2 is the best tablet on the market with the most peripherals, yes there are lots of competitors in the background. But if you want the best, then there's simply no contest.

So, you're thinking of buying an iPad however, you're not so sure of what it can do and how it works. So, here is the "Dummies Guide to the iPad" to help you make that decision. "I promise to keep the jargon down to a bare minimum" :))

To begin with the iPad must be paired to an existing Laptop or Desktop PC. These can be normal Microsoft Windows or Mac PC's. Once paired you can use the iPad by itself. It only has to be paired once. Although, there is a rumour that the next generation will work straight out of the box.

You will be able to:

-Touch and pinch the screen to type words and move things around
-Send and Receive Emails
-Browse the Internet including Online Banking, Internet Shopping and more...
-Listen to Music, including the Radio when there is a Wireless (Wi-Fi) connection
-Watch Videos and Movies
-Write and Print Letters (see the section on 'Printing' further down)
-Download and Play Games
-Become a Smarter Person (more on this later)
-Display Pictures - it is an electronic Picture Frame too!
-Take Pictures and Movies, if it has the onboard camera (iPad2 and newer)
-Have a chat with the relatives abroad using Video Conferencing technology
-Download THOUSANDS of books into a snazzy Book Reader that you can actually turn pages on the screen with
-There are loads more - I'll leave them as a surprise if you decide to buy one :)

You will NOT be able to:

-Watch a special type of animation or movie using a technology known as 'Flash' - don't worry about this though, you'll hear lots of people complaining about it. It really is no big deal and you'll learn to live without it. Over time, many of the popular web sites will move away from using Flash and use a newer technology that DOES work on iPads.
-Insert a CD (there is no slot and you don't actually need one)
-In fact, there is not much else you can't do with an iPad :))

THE WIZARDS

No, not the ones' from Oz! Wizards are helpful programs that magically pop up and automatically configure things like the Internet and Email connections for you. The iPad has more Wizards than you can wave a wand at! When you first switch it on and whenever you need to set something up it will automatically present you with a Wizard. Therefore setting things up is as easy as 1-2-3.

The iPad is also an iPod!! - Loading music is done in one of two ways.

1 - install the free version of iTunes onto your normal PC and follow the Wizards instructions to download your music from the 'iTunes Store' or transfer your music from your favourite CD collection. Then, connect the iPad to your computer using the supplied cable and it will automatically 'Synchronise' your music to the iPad. Yup, you guessed it - using yet another Wizard!

2 - iTunes is a built in application (or App) on the iPad itself. Tap this App to search for and download your music directly to the iPad. You could even download a movie or your favourite episode of 24 too!

Once the music is on there just tap the iPod App to listen to it. Easy-Peasy!

APPS

The iPad extensively uses Apps. Apps are downloaded, using Wi-Fi. This is why you don't need a CD drive. These are the icons that are displayed on the screen.

Apps are downloaded from the Internet using yet another App called: "The App Store". Tap this icon to search for or see a list of the most popular Apps available, some are paid for and some are free! Tap the 'Install' button next to the one you'd like, follow the Wizards instructions and the App will automatically download and appear as a new icon on the screen.

LOADING PICTURES

These can be loaded onto the iPad using iTunes, Email or the 'Camera Connection Kit' - this is a separate adaptor (£25) that plugs into the bottom of the iPad. Just insert the memory card from your camera into the adaptor and it will automatically load the pictures into the built in Photo App.

THE PICTURE FRAME

When the iPad is locked (by pressing the button on the top-right side) and then back on again, you'll see a little icon in the lower right side corner of the display. Tap this and the Photo App will automatically display your pictures in full screen mode, converting the iPad into a digital Photo frame! It is a great feature. This means that you can leave the ipad on the shelf, literally as part of your rooms decor! You may want to purchase a 'Dock (£25)' to have the iPad tilted and supported at just the right angle.

Tip: if you need a reason to justify buying an iPad to your wife - use the Picture Frame one!!

PRINTING

Printing is done wirelessly, however you MUST use one of the wireless printers detailed on the apple.com website. Typically, it will not print to anything other than one of those printers. There is one caveat to this statement, it is possible to print to any wireless printer if you pay for and download a third party App that is available via the App Store - use the search keywords 'wireless printing' to find it.

It is also possible to email whatever you'd like to print and pick it up on your normal PC for printing.

Finally, I mentioned that you could become a Smarter Person by using an iPad - in fact this is not a joke. There are thousands of educational Apps including ones' for learning Astronomy through to learning how to read and play music and even Apps that will help you learn a new language. The possibilities are literally right at your finger tips!!

If you're unsure of which size to buy just buy the largest one you can afford. I have a 32GB version and have only used half of its capacity even with some very large Apps installed.

The iPad is many things to many people and the information above is just scratching the surface.

"I hope this review helps you make the right decision and I also hope that I did not use too much confusing jargon."

Good luck!

*** update 12th October 2011 ***

Apple have released their new Operating System (iOS 5)

Amongst many new and enhanced features there is now the ability to synchronise data across multiple Devices. They call it 'iCloud' - think of iCloud as 'Virtual Filing Cabinet' to store your Documents, Diary and a record of your downloaded media from iTunes. Always accessible as long as there is an internet connection.

iCloud also allows the iPad to be used without having to 'Pair' it with a computer. It will now work straight out of the box!