The iPad? Apple’s newest revolutionary baby?can be considered a cross between an iPod Touch and a MacBook. It possesses practically all of the iPod’s features and a few of a laptop’s utilities. Judging from that observation, you cannot get rid of your laptop just yet. It would be safe to note that the iPad is simply a supplemental gadget and not an entirely new one.

Just like an iPod, it can play music, videos, movies, and surf the Web. The features a MacBook has lent this new product is its ability to create documents through iWork and its size. The iPad’s interface is pretty much bigger than a netbook’s screen. This relatively large size will enable you to view photos and videos properly.

Despite all of its amazing properties that we were all marketed to believe, it would not be viable to keep this one gadget as replacement for a mobile computer or your iPod.

First, although it has a multi-touch display where you can tap and manipulate the screen at the same time, the iPad cannot multitask. On a regular laptop, we can open several applications while playing music and games. It could even get worse for overconscientious users who open as many programs as they like. On an iPad, you can only open a single program at a time. In order for the user to switch from his Facebook app to iWork, he needs to close the former.

File organization is close to impossible with the iPad. The documents are filed in a single storage bin with the rest of the files in the gadget: think of it as something that resembles Cover Flow on iTunes. The user cannot segregate the documents, so if you need to search for a file, you need to go through a lot of titles.

So what proper use it there for an iPad if it sounds practically impractical? For one, it is useful for people on the go or those whose work requires constant relevant scribbling. These will prove to be of significant value to executive assistants, board meeting attendees, production teams, and marketers. However, it will not work for professors, writers, researchers, accountants, and multitasking geeks. Perhaps it will work for writers but only for taking notes, as writing on a proper computer is more efficient.

A laptop is fussy; if you are on the train and you suddenly come up with a brilliant idea, it will have been lost by the time you are done opening and booting your laptop. If you should decide to store important files on your smartphone or iPod, the screen is just too small for important reading matters.

On the other hand, the iPad is just right; it’s lightweight and easy to flip out when the need to jot down important details arises. It is not designed for hardcore computer use but for immediate short-term work. The sharp contrast between the positive and negative reviews about the iPad is such an interesting and enlightening read?it is a must for those who intend to purchase this gadget.