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As would be expected, the design is totally understated, yet stunningly attractive at the same time – an aspect of all Apple products that looks deceptively easy for other companies to emulate. The main portion of the front is taken up by the capacitive, 9.7 inch 1024×768 multitouch LED-backlit display which is surrounded by a glossy black bezel.
I have read that some people say this is ‘too wide', but to be fair it is necessary to stop accidental interaction when handled. As with the other Apple mobile devices, there is a simple HOME button while the rear of the device is a beautifully sculpted piece of aluminum.
It is a substantial device weighing 1.5 pounds but it still proves comfortable to hold at all angles – granted I recommend you get some kind of carrying device for it, because not only would it mark reasonably easy but sometimes it has almost slipped out of my hands (causing a cold sweat). The internals are impressive for a tablet so the fact that Apple have managed to keep it to around half an inch thickness is certainly an achievement.
In operation it is a showcase of how to build a product, because all your focus on is the screen, which is exactly what is needed with a multimedia tablet like this. Extraneous buttons really would ruin the looks and practicality of the device – I hate fumbling on a train to find a specific button within a convoluted row of fifty.
It has a few other buttons worth mentioning but they are on the sides of the chassis out of the way. There is a volume rocker switch which is self explanatory and there is also a screen position lock button which forces the device to remain in either display or landscape mode. There is also a power/sleep button and a headphone jack on either side of the top edge and there is the obligatory 30 pin Apple dock connector at the bottom, right next to a speaker system. Anyone who has used an iPod or an iPhone will feel immediately at home, which I am sure was part of the final goal during the iPad initial design phase.
Typing on the unit is very comfortable, however only when you use it on your lap – if you are moving while typing then one hand is needed to hold it which can becomes a laborious and slow experience. While this sounds like a rather obvious point to mention, something smaller like an iPhone can be held in both hands while typing so it does take a little bit of user adjustment to get the most out of it. Sadly there is no webcam which is a rather glaring omission in my opinion.
