HANDS ON WITH THE iPAD

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The Apple iPad mobile tablet computer is reviewed. The iPad feels like an oversized iPhone. It mixes some elements of the first-generation iPhone (aluminum back) and the 3G and 3GS models (with a gently curved, not flat, back). But it's obviously much bigger and squarer than any of them. The iPad feels comfortable in the hand. The screen conforms to the 4:3 aspect ratio common on pre-HDTV television sets. In one way, it's a step backward -- your favorite widescreen videos will play with black bars above and below. To start using the iPad, you have to unlock it. As on the iPhone and iPod touch, there's a Slide To Unlock screen. While the iPad doesn't have a built-in camera, it does have a revised Photos application. That app lets you sort through stacks of photos (based on albums or -- if you're syncing with iPhoto -- Events, Places, and Faces). The iPad is certainly a lust-worthy gadget.