Apple’s iPad makes everything more magical.

This article originally appeared in the January 29th issue of The Slippery Rock Rocket. It can be found at TheOnlineRocket.com.

In 1984, they revolutionized the computer industry with the Macintosh.

In 2001, they introduced the iPod and coupled with iTunes, changed the music industry forever.

In January 2007, the iPhone was introduced and revolutionized the cell phone industry.

On Wednesday, Apple used their magic once again and introduced their newest product, the iPad.

The iPad is the latest in the line of Apple products that change the way people use technology in their everyday life.

For starters, it is incredibly easy to use and anyone who has used an iPhone or an iPod Touch already knows how to use it as the user interface is similar.

In addition, the iPad will be able to use any of the 140,000 apps that are currently in the iPhone App Store right out of the box.

Not only does the iPad run every single app from the beginning, Apple is providing their developers with the programming to make their apps run even better on the iPad, instead of running a sized up version of the original iPhone app.

Apple’s native apps, such as the Calendar and iTunes, have been beefed as well to provide a unique desktop-like experience on the iPad.

iTunes on the iPad will run almost exactly like iTunes on your Mac or PC. In addition, the Calendar app has an even better feel than the desktop version.

Aside from the applications, the iPad has several other impressive features, including its display.

It features a 9.7 inch LED display that utilizes in-plane switching (IPS) technology which allows the screen to be viewed at an angle as high at 178 degrees.

The display features the same multitouch technology found in the iPhone and iPod Touch, so all the same gestures that have been found in the iPhone are in use on the iPad.

Another feature that really stood out to me was the battery life of the iPad. An owner of the iPad will be able to use the device for up to 10 hours without having to charge.

That 10 hours includes watching videos, surfing the web, listening to music and everything else iPad does.

All of these features will run using an Apple produced processor that packs 1 gigahertz of speed into a small form, which is much faster than the 600 megahertz found in the iPhone 3GS.

For storage space, there are three options to choose from, 16 gigabites (GB), 32 GB or 64 GB. As a baseline, the iPhone 3GS has the option of 16 GB or 32 GB and the iPod Touch offers a 64 GB model.

All of this hardware is packed into a beautifully small 9.5 inch by 7.4 inch body that is half an inch thick and weighs in at a mere 1.5 pounds.

So the question you might be asking, why should I buy the iPad?

Well, it’s quite simple really, the iPad is going to make everything you do easier than it was.

Just like the iPhone changed the way people used their phones, the iPad will change the way people do day to day tasks.

There will be some people that will say the iPad is nothing more than an oversized iPod Touch. That statement could not be further from the truth.

The iPad isn’t designed to be a replacement for a MacBook, not just yet anyway.

What it is designed to do, however, is find its niche with users who have a use for something small and portable that can travel anywhere, take up less space than a MacBook but do much more than an iPhone or iPod.

Picture this, you have a presentation to do, you can download the Keynote App from the App Store and put your presentation together, plug your iPad into a projector and do your presentation at 720p resolution using the video out feature.

While too big to be used solely as an iPod, the 9.7 inch display makes for an excellent video player when on the go.

iPad will also find its way into the gaming world very quickly.

While the iPhone and iPod are already established as a gaming devices, iPad will take it one step further.

With the built in accelerometer that is even more sensitive than the iPhone’s, iPad will have even better controls than we are used to.

The 802.11n Wi-Fi connection will provide a fast connection for online multiplayer gaming that will rival that of any home computer.

A great feature of the iPhone that will surely translate over to the iPad is the constant updating its software will receive.

A user using a first generation iPhone from 2007 can enjoy all but a few of the new features introduced since then that come included with the iPhone 3GS.

The iPad is sure to enjoy the same benefits.

One feature that iPad users will enjoy over users of other devices are all the add-ons that are made possible through the 30 pin dock connector that is also found on all iPod and iPhone models.

Using the dock connector, the iPad will be able to add accessories such as a dock with a hardware keyboard attached to complement the on-screen software keyboard.

The dock connector is also utilized with adapters that allow it to become a standard USB port or an SD card reader for digital cameras.

As with any product, there will be people that say, “But the iPad doesn’t have this feature or that feature.”

To those people I say this, the iPad is a killer device that is jam packed with great features and 140,000 apps in the App Store with more being added everyday.

It is going to kill other devices such as the Amazon Kindle E-Reader and the Sony Reader Digital Book.

iPad will make netbooks as useful as a HD-DVD player and will push other companies to try and catch up.

Is the iPad a replacement for a MacBook? Not yet, but it is the starting point for something truly revolutionary.

In a few years when we have all ditched our laptops for tablet computers of one type or another, we can look back at the original iPad as the starting point for all of this.