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Jealousy flowed through the Internet last week as tech review royals received an early look at the iPad.
Now, as Saturday's public debut looms, the fruits of that review labor are emerging. And surprisingly, there's almost universal acclaim for the device. (I know some people think Mossberg et al are Apple fanboys, but I've found most of the Big Guns to be quite objective with past reviews.)
Here's a snapshot of how these reviewers are rating key aspects of the iPad.
✓ = Reviewer liked this feature
x = Reviewer did not like this feature or omission
(n/a) = Feature not addressed by reviewer
| Reviewer | Source | Interface | Speed | Books | Video | Gaming | Apps | Content Creation |
Drawbacks |
| Ed Baig | USA Today | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x | Limited iBooks selection; heavier than Kindle; no multitasking; no Flash; no webcam |
| Stephen Fry | Time | ✓ | (n/a) | (n/a) | (n/a) | (n/a) | (n/a) | (n/a) | Undefined use case; no Flash; no camera; no multitasking |
| Tim Gideon | PC Magazine | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x | No multitasking; no flash; no camera; no USB; slightly heavy |
| Andy Ihnatko | Chicago Sun-Times | ✓ | (n/a) | ✓ | ✓ | (n/a) | ✓ | (n/a) | (n/a) |
| Xeni Jardin |
Boing Boing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | (n/a) | No camera |
| Walt Mossberg | Wall Street Journal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | (n/a) | ✓ | x | No webcam, no multitasking, no notes in iBooks, letterboxed video |
| David Pogue | New York Times | ✓ | ✓ | (n/a) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x | Tough to read in direct sunlight; heavier than Kindle; limited iBooks selection; no Flash; uncomfortable keyboard; no built-in USB drive |
