It was impossible for Apple to have created the magical device people were conjuring up in rumors. (No, despite the copious use of the word ‘magical' in Apple's marketing campaign for the device, it's not magical.) Perhaps the iteration they launched here was a bit of a conservative effort.

The most important part of any tablet, whatever the quad-core brigade may say, is the screen. Unlike any internal component, the screen is what you'll still be noticing a week after your purchase, the part upon which all of your attention is focused.

CNET.com 's Donald Bell has written a fantastic and comprehensive review of the Apple iPad that we first published shortly after the tablet's US release, and after using the iPad we absolutely agree with his analysis.

In an act of aggressive tech convergence; Apple has consolidated your Netbook; e-reader; gaming device; photo frame; and iPod into an elegant; affordable supergadget; Bluetooth; 802.11n Wi-Fi; Movie rentals; 10 hours of battery life; Optional 3G wireless; Most-celebrated App Store on the planet

The iPad's large size is as much a hindrance as it is an advantage; The iPad can't entirely mimic many of the specialised products it seeks to replace; Limited multitasking capabilities; Lack of integrated video camera; Flash support; and HD video output

The Apple iPad has been termed "revolutionary" by the venerable Steve Jobs, but how it does it actually perform? Will it render netbooks obsolete? Will the lack of flash and multitasking be a deal-breaker? We spend time with the device to find out.

See the Apple iPad in action and read our review.

Unlike the iPhone , which Apple kept under such tight guard at its introduction that only a few special types got to touch it for a few minutes, there were iPads aplenty available immediately following the product's press launch.

The Apple iPad isn't an eBook reader, which makes it very hard to compare it to other eBook readers. It doesn't use e-ink technology, it's heavy, you can't read out of it in bright places, and the display will strain your eyes eventually.

Amazing design; Most intuitive interface yet; Full-color screen; Wi-Fi and 3G wireless; Will do just about anything

LCD display is hard to read from in bright places and will eventually strain your eyes; Battery lasts only ten hours; Heavy; Costs almost twice as much as the Kindle 2 or Nook; Additional 3G wireless fees apply (around $130

The pricing of the iPad 4 is the same as the iPad 3 when it came out, which is good news – if you want to get an iPad 3 , that is. Yes, the previous model is now cheaper, and it's a better purchase in my opinion.

Apple quietly updated the iPad just six months after the third gen 'New iPad' was revealed. Officially calling the new tablet ‘iPad with Retina display,' is it worth upgrading from the iPad 3? And is Apple's iPad still the best big-screen tablet? Let's take a closer look.

Fantastic build; Improved camera; Amazing screen; 4G welcome addition

iOS still not as flexible as other OS's; 4G doesn't support multiple bands; Minor upgrade

During the event where the iPad Mini was announced, Apple also introduced a new normal-sized iPad. We compared this new iPad 'Retina' with the last iPad. Then referred to as the 'new' iPad, we will now call it iPad 3, and the Retina will be called the iPad 4.