First Impressions of the New Apple iPad | Walt Mossberg | Mossblog | AllThingsD

See the full review (no wsj.com subscription required) for details – interesting that Walt Mossberg evidently didn’t have a preview iPad to explore; perhaps that explains why his weekly print WSJ column this week is about Mozilla Thunderbird 3 rather than the iPad

It’s about the software, stupid. While all sorts of commentators were focusing on how much Apple’s new $499 iPad tablet computer looks like an oversized iPhone, the key to whether it can be the first multi-function tablet to win wide public acceptance probably lies in whether consumers perceive it as a suitable replacement for a laptop in key scenarios. And that, in my view, depends heavily on the software and services that flow through its handsome little body.

I have only spent a short time hands-on with the iPad–too short to fully run it through its paces and formally review it yet. But, after attending the rollout of the new device today, and trying out some of its features for myself, I have some first impressions.

First Impressions of the New Apple iPad | Walt Mossberg | Mossblog | AllThingsD