gdgt

Jason, in addition to the succinct points you made, I've also found the dictation button integrated into the keyboard to be extremely effective. It's already changed the way I reply to most of my email, post tweets, and things of that nature. I feel like Don Draper as I lean back in my chair and dictate my responses.

I'm not sold on the voice recognition to date. Because it has to go up to the network it sucks. I love dragon dictate. That works much better.... but I still don't seem to be using it that often.

Jason - two comments:

1. I used to work with Nuance (we embedded them in our self-service product). A network-hosted solution (like Siri and the iPad) will always significantly outperform a handset-based solution (like Dragon dictation) because the network has room for a much larger vocabulary and the processing power to analyze it. I have Dragon Dictation and Dragon Go on my iPhone and I don't use it because it isn't accurate enough. The iPad dictation solution is startlingly better. Except when the dog barks and then none of it is any good!

2. I hear a lot of people worrying about the network aspect of the iPad dictation feature. They don't understand. There is no more risk than there is in making a voice call on their cell-phone, which also uses the network. The dictation feature is technically a VoIP service (just like calling an automated airline help line or leaving a voice mail for someone) and is therefore protected by law. If Apple were to access any of the dictation information without a warrant, they would be in big legal trouble. People could end up in jail. Just because a person isn't talking to a person on the other end of a VoIP call doesn't mean that the Service Provider is allowed to listen in.

Jason - Nice review. I assume that for someone who is a tech geek like yourself but has held off on buying an iPad ... this is the one to get? Where does it fit into your workflow between iPad, Laptop, Desktop PC and also between work and home? That is what I am trying to figure out. How will it fit for me? Did you get the wifi or the 4G version?
Also, how bad is the heat?

I agree that it's the best consumer electronic device ever made. I bought the iPad because I'm an Apple fan and knew it would be fun. I didn't expect it to become my favorite computer. And it's not just me, I hear the same thing from other people daily.

Everyone should read Jason's post about the "curl up experience" www.launch.co­/blog­/forget­-lean­-forward­-and­-lean­-ba...

The iPad is a more personal and enjoyable experience, and the apps are getting so good that I actually prefer doing a lot of my work stuff on it too.

"the best consumer electronic device ever made. Period. Name me one better...."

- The television

Oh, wait, I just did. Period.

Seriously, this device is very limited. I can't download email attachment and it doesn't have a file manager an I can't browse a lot of website on it (javascript is broken).
-Apps can't interact.
-No SIRI
-Apps stop running some times and I have to restart the device
-Doesn't play mkv videos (with apps is still can't run 1080p and 720p lages sometimes)
-Multitasking is limited

Jason, why do you remove reviews that are anything less than 100% positive? This is supposed to be an objective site to inform neutrals... Not a site by and for fans of a particular product / brand...

Sorry, meant *comments*, not reviews...