Andy Ihnatko: iPad is pure innovation, one of best computers ever

Uncle Walt has weighed in, and most of the other big tech pundits are starting to weigh in on the Apple iPad. The Chicago Sun Times columnist and Mac geek extraordinaire Andy Ihnatko has offered his input, not only in the first of what he says will be many posts about the device, but also in an interview on Leo Laporte's TWiT Live MacBreak Weekly.

The headline says it all -- Ihnatko says that the iPad is one of the best computers ever. He starts his review by saying that the iPad meets or exceeds all of the hype that preceded the release, and then goes on to mention that "it's a computer that many people have wanted for years."

As in Walt Mossberg's review, Andy comments that it can easily last 10 hours on a charge, it can hold just about any piece of media you ever want to carry with you, and that it does the "dull compulsories of computing (Mail, the web, and Microsoft Office-style apps) so well" that the iPad will, in many cases, take the place of a standard laptop computer.

Ihnatko, who has had the pleasure of playing with an iPad for the last week, gushes about Apple's innovation, saying "I'm suddenly wondering if any other company is as committed to invention as Apple. Has any other company ever demonstrated a restlessness to stray from the safe and proven, and actually invent things?"

The result? As he says, "The iPad user experience is instantly compelling and elegant... It's a computer that's designed for speed, mobility, and tactile interaction above all other considerations."

Ihnatko thinks that Apple got the design of the iPad right because "the excitement slips away after about ten seconds, and you're completely focused on the task at hand... In situation after situation, I find that the iPad is the best computer in my household and menagerie."

During his TWiT Live interview, he stated that "battery life is frickin' incredible." With the most aggressive use, he was able to get 6 - 7 hours of use, but when he set the device for more sedate battery usage (volume and brightness both turned down), he was able to get over 11 hours of use. For those of you who are used to getting your laptop scorched by a Macbook, you'll be glad to hear that the iPad never gets warm. Ihnatko was demonstrating web browsing on the device, and was amazed at how fast scrolling occurred.

We'll try to get Andy's TWiT Interview link up a bit later for your viewing pleasure.

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