Learning and Leading - September/October 2010

for up to 250 MB and $25 for 2 GB. If you pony up, the iPad will automatically switch between Wi-Fi and 3G depending on availability.

The 9.6-inch color touchscreen is gorgeous and extremely responsive. It is also disturbingly shiny. Glare was a problem in most lighting conditions. Because it is backlit, it looks good in low light and washed out in sunlight.

Apple uses EPUB as its native format, but the devil is in the details when it comes to EPUB and its open (variable) DRM specifications. Buy your e-books from i Tunes, and they stay on the iPad. You could choose to buy and read EPUB books from other vendors, as long as Apple allows the apps to function on the iPad. Educators may be seduced by the iPad’s ability to integrate color illustrations and even video into textbooks— something beyond the capability of E-ink.

At 1. 5 pounds, the iPad is still fairly
light, but I did have problems han-
dling the device without putting it
down on a table (which exacerbates
the glare factor). Using one hand to
move around the touchscreen inter-
face means you’re holding the device
with your other hand. Using the vir-
tual keyboard to type requires you to
put it on a table.

J.V. Bolkan is the acquiring editor for ISTE’s books publishing department. He has been reviewing and writing about multimedia and technology for more than 20 years.