Seven reasons to buy the iPad

Apple's much-hyped iPad goes on sale in the US from tomorrow and from what we have seen and heard, there is interest all over the world in the device. Even in India, people are wondering whether they should ask their friends in the US to pick one up for them. Well, we have come up with a seven-point checklist for users to make up their minds about the iPad. You need an iPad if:

1. You basically want a very portable device with a large screen (hey, the iPad weighs under a kilo and comes with a 9.7 inch screen), for accessing the Internet and messing around with multimedia and games.

In other words, you are looking for something that can combine most of the functions of a netbook, an e-book reader and a gaming console.

2. You do not do too much typing and even if you do, have no problems doing so on a touchscreen using an onscreen keyboard.

3. You take lots of pictures and videos and would love to edit and share them while on the move with minimum fuss.

4. You want a device with lots of battery life as you are constantly on the move, and often have no power outlet at hand (the iPad has almost ten hours of battery on it, eleven if you believe Walt Mossberg!)

5. You prefer doing things one at a time and are not by nature a heavy multitasker who loves leaving seventeen windows open on his or her desktop

6. You are a download freak and love downloading and trying out new applications, games and the like all the time.

7. Your budget is on the lines of what you would spend for a high-end netbook or a low-end notebook.

Note how we have not included the impulse to be seen with the latest gadget in town -- if you have that, then you would not need to do much thinking about getting the iPad anyway.

Nimish Dubey, techgazing.com