Notebook Hunter

The Apple iPad 16GB is the base model of Apple’s unique line of tablets, and for $598 it’s a well priced special. Comparisons will be drawn with netbooks, but the iPad is really not the same at all. It's a tablet computer that can play movies and music, surf the internet, and run a bunch of simple office and entertainment applications. A netbook may not have such a slick multi-touch user interface, but for word processing, managing spreadsheets and similar office tasks it’s a superior option.

The iPad's processor is the Apple A4 (1GHz) that is designed to work optimally with the Apple iOS operating system. You won’t notice any slowdown when running HD movies on the big 9.7in (1,204x768 resolution) multi-touch screen or any of the now thousands of applications from the Apple Store.

A 16GB solid state drive is very small, and if you frequently use iTunes or similar you’ll notice it fill up very quickly. That just means being careful about the volume of files you have on the iPad, and moving them to external storage as the flash drive fills up.

The iPad weighs only 0.68kg and it's 242.8mm wide, 189.7mm deep and 13.4mm thick. There aren’t really any standard ports on it, save for the dock connector port, through which you can charge the battery and establish a USB connection with another device.

Test the iPad in store before sinking the money into one, as its touch interface and other idiosyncracies may not be what you’re looking for. It’s portable, it’s functional, but it isn’t like any netbook or notebook you’ll have handled before. Also be aware that this entry-level model only comes with Wi-Fi, not 3G. This could be an issue if you want to take full advantage of the iPad's exceptional portability and stay connected once you slip beyond the range of your Wi-Fi's hot spot.

While Big W has a slightly lower price than RRP on all of its Apple iPads, only the 16GB version, plus the 32GB 3G for $898 ($30 off RRP) and 64GB 3G ($51 off RRP) models offer noticeable discounts. Bigger flash drives provide obvious benefits, while 3G ensures your iPad stays connected at all times.

See the iPad in the Notebook Hunter database here.

See the special below.