Like the iPhone before it, the iPad has the potential to change your life. No exaggeration: Once you live with one for a few weeks, you'll find it insinuating itself into your daily routine so much that you can't imagine living without it. (If you're a man, get used to wearing a murse.

Impressive power management: Battery chugged along for more than 8 hours on a 3G connection before going kaput; iPad Maps + GPS is absolutely stellar; Unlocked, it will work with any Micro SIM card (if you can find one).

Limited to AT&T's spotty 3G network in the U.S; Typing is a chore on the on-screen keyboard; Restrictive App Store policies may limit your access to porn and political cartoons (though there's always Safari)

0 Flares 0 Flares × ‘Apple' - It is a name synonymous with a strong emotional response. Never has a company evoked such a dramatic reaction from the enthusiast userbase – you either love ‘em or hate ‘em, there is little room for middle ground.

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

See the Apple iPad in action and read our review.

So should you get the iPad? Well it really depends on what you want to do with it. On the one hand, if you're looking for a netbook replacement, you're definitely not going to find it here - while the iPad can do a bit of lightweight word processing and presentations, the many drawbacks mean that...

: Gorgeous screen; long battery life; extensive application support

: No USB port; no memory card slot; closed file system

It's a very expensive but essentially fun toy. Not quite mobile, not quite PC, but engaging anyway.

Fantastic design Easy to use Lends itself well to the average consumer

Incredibly expensive Doesn't know what it wants to be Tough for work No Flash support.

Of course the iPad is not solely an entertainment device. It offers serious functionality such as such as simple-to-use email and a fine e-reader for, y'know, "books." At the same time, it lacks the goods under the hood to make it a viable alternative to a true "tablet computer," for mainstream work...

Big; gorgeous screen; Works with current iPhone/iPod touch apps; Up to a 64GB of memory (and 8+ hours of battery life) in a slim package; Movies; music; internet and more; big enough to share and intuitive to operate

How are we supposed to hold it for long periods of time; Onboard sound is severely limited; No flash support; Charging is not as simple as it could be

Verdict: Is it worth it? Put it this way. If you never bought one, you wouldn't miss it. But buy it and you'll soon wonder how you lived without it.

Brilliant user interface; lovely LCD screen; great form factor and design; WiFi support

Quite an expensive gadget; expensive accessories; no Flash support

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 iPad isn't due in Canada until "late April" as per Apple's website but this hasn't stopped tech-smitten Canadians from crossing borders, scouring eBay and chancing the