When it was first launched, the iPad was one of the most hyped Apple product releases in the tech world. In hopes of being one of the first to get an iPad, many loyal Apple customers waited in line for days prior to the launch. There are a variety of cynics that did not buy into the iPad hype. In their view, the iPad was much ado about nothing– just an enlarged iPhone that must be unlocked in order to freely use.

However, the iPad is an amazing piece of technology. The iPad takes the best of today’s technology – a notebook, a netbook and an e-reader – putting them all into one very useful and portable product. In many ways the iPad will change the way that people think about personal computing, providing the classic Apple interface on the large, easy-to-use touch screen.

The only possible criticism of the iPad is that it tries to do too many things, but does none of them perfectly. Using a flat piece of hardware can be cumbersome for many types of work. The small keyboard can be hard to navigate for those used to a traditional one.

The same operating system that powers the iPod Touch and the iPhone is used to run the iPad, making it easy for users of these other devices to adapt to the technology, however it doesn’t really give a true laptop-type interface or experience that others might be expecting. For those that love their iPhone applications, they easily download onto the iPad which makes it a computer and portable game player.

The particular version of the iPad chosen by the customer will dictate the way it links to the internet. For example, some models connect via Wi-Fi, making it necessary to be in an Internet access zone in order to take advantage of all the features. There are also models able to use either Wi-Fi or AT&T’s 3G network to link to the internet. The 3G network option makes it possible to go online even if you aren’t within a Wi-Fi or otherwise connected Internet area.

The question of unlocking is raised in the context of the 3G versions of the device. In contrast to cell phones, the iPad does not require unlocking for the 3G network to be used. Customers do not have to subscribe to the 3G network from AT&T; in fact, iPad customers will have a variety of 3G plans available for purchase.

Unfortunately, the iPad will not connect to 3G networks that are powered by T-Mobile due to differences in hardware. If you are in a location where you only have access to a T-Mobile 3G network, you will not be able to connect via this source with your iPad. For this reason, you might want to just wait for the next iPad model to be released, which may address and repair this commonly experienced issue. As typical with Apple, there will probably be an amped up version of the iPad available soon anyway.

This week, hosts Lon and guest host Loren Feldman rate the best chat apps in the Planet of the Apps segment, grab a sneak peek of the new Toshiba Folio 100 Android Tablet, look at 7 couture iPad cases and invite This Week in Video Games host Andrea Rene on to review some of the latest games to his the App Store. For more information, show notes and our upcoming schedule, go to thisweekin.com
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