The tablet computer is a fairly old idea. In fact, Bill Gates presented his Tablet PC to the public almost 10 years ago, in 2001. HP, Dell, and other computer manufacturers have been selling many different models of tablet computers since then. However, none of them have really caught the public’s attention.

The iPad, on the other hand, has managed to draw so much attention that the line awaiting the launch at Apple’s flagship store in New York City started on April 1st, two days before the product was released.

Clearly, there is something that sets the iPad apart from other tablet computers. Unlike other tablet computers, this one is widely believed to have a chance at replacing normal computers and notebooks. But is it really good enough at everyday tasks to replace a normal computer?

Overall, the answer is “somewhat.” Basically, the iPad would only be viable to replace a normal computer if that computer was only used mainly for reading, not interacting.

As far as the speed and quality of hardware is concerned, the iPad is top notch. When using it, I found the display to be excellent, with very vivid colors. However, the extremely glossy screen could be a problem when using the iPad outdoors. I was amazed at the speed of the iPad’s unique A4 processor, which Apple created itself for the iPad. Apps were loaded in seconds, and I could see no breaks in the smooth animations. I was unable to test the battery life, but if the Apple statistics are to be believed, it should run for an astounding 10 hours on one charge.

The design, as with most Apple products, is a strong selling point. The device is extremely thin and light, and uses the dark glass and brushed aluminum look that is present in the current iMacs as well.

The software, too, is well designed. The iPad’s operating system is basically a expanded version of the iPhoneOS used in the iPhone and iPod Touch, so it remains extremely intuitive and easy to use. Like its younger siblings, the iPad supports multi-touch gestures that make browsing the web and looking at pictures very simple and enjoyable. It retains the finger friendly controls, so operating it isn’t a hassle. The applications that come installed are a great fit for the iPad.

The iPads unique design and software make it a good eBook reader as well. The iBooks app makes the iPad behave very much like a real book, with nice animations to simulate page turns. The iBookstore has a vast variety of eBooks, which you can buy anywhere there is a WiFi connection. Although many people believe that the iPad will replace the Amazon Kindle, I disagree. The Kindle is much better suited for reading eBooks. It has an e-ink screen, which makes the screen look like a printed page, thus causing less eyestrain. Also, the Kindle screen is better for reading outdoors or in bright light, as it has a matte finish, unlike the iPad. Finally, the Kindle comes with a free 3G network, so you can download new books almost anywhere. The iPad, on the other hand, only has WiFi on its base $499 model. The model with 3G support costs $629 to start, with monthly pricing starting at 14.99 for 250MB per month.

The internet browser is very smooth, and shows web pages zoomed so that they fit perfectly on the screen. It is very easy to move around the page, all using your fingers, which, as Jobs said, makes the experience much more personal.

However, there are some flaws with the software as well. First, the iPad can run only one application at a time. That means its impossible to write an email while listening to Pandora radio, for example. This kind of functionality made sense for the iPhone and iPod touch, since most people wouldn’t use those devices to do two things at once, and the limitation made sure that the processor wouldn’t get bogged down. However, the iPad markets itself as more of a real computer than the iPhone did, and thus its disappointing as well as frustrating to see that Apple hasn’t removed this limitation.

Another problem that exists in the iPad is its limited browsing experience. The browser included (a mobile version of Safari) has no support for external plugins. Since much of the interactive web depends on these plugins (such as Adobe Flash Player, Microsoft Silverlight, etc.) Browsing is pretty much limited to reading and looking at the web. For example, since the recent Olympics used Silverlight to show the videos, it would be impossible to view them in the iPad.

Perhaps the most limiting flaw in the iPad’s design would be its keyboard. Although Steve Jobs did claim it was “a dream to type on” when he unveiled the design, when I tested it, it was extremely cumbersome. When I tried touch-typing, I realized that in order to do so, I would have to hold my hands in such a way that they did not touch the screen, so I could touch only the key I wanted to press. Not only does this get extremely tiring, it becomes hard to stay on the correct keys, because one’s hands could easily move forward or back without one noticing. This problem rules out using this device to write documents or make anything that requires a lot of typing. In some ways, typing with my thumbs like one type on the iPhone was actually more accurate. However, this method of typing has its own problem. The size of the iPad makes it really hard to reach the middle keys on the keyboard with one’s thumbs when one is holding the iPad with the fingers of one’s hand on the back as support. If one holds the iPad with only one’s fingertips, it’s easy to reach the keys, but uncomfortable for your fingertips. Overall, typing on the iPad’s virtual keyboard is cumbersome.

Even though these limitations mean the iPad isn’t suited for productivity applications, Apple is selling its iWork office suite for the iPad. The 3 applications that are part of the suite, Keynote, Pages, and Numbers, have all been redesigned for the iPad’s smaller, touchscreen display. Although they work very smoothly, I doubt they will be very useful. Since typing is a hassle on the iPad, these applications will probably not be used to write or create whole documents, but rather edit them. I find the presentation application, Keynote, to be especially out of place on the iPad, because the device only has one port: the same one as the iPod. Therefore, you can’t actually connect the iPad to a projector unless you buy the $30 adapter to turn the port into a normal VGA port.

Since the iPad is so thin and simple, you need to buy extra adapters to get things that you would take for granted in a normal computer. The USB port adapter and an SD card reader cost $30 more together. A stand for the iPad which charges it costs another $30. If you want a dock that has a physical keyboard attached, you need $70.

Basically, in order to make the iPad more like a real computer, you need to buy a lot of accessories. Thus, its clear the the iPad is not designed to be a computer replacement. However, if one uses a computer only for reading web pages, writing emails, and looking at photos, the iPad would be a perfect alternative.

The iPad is like many of Apple’s products. They have been designed with simplicity in mind, not simply with a goal of cramming in all sorts of features. The iPad doesn’t do that many things, but what it does, it does really well. However, the limitation makes it seem as if Apple might be overdoing the simplicity here.