First look at over-the-counter UK iPad

What you get for your money

Do you need one?
If you want to be one of the cool kids: definitely.

If you're after a souped-up iPhone with a big screen and battery life enough to let you browse in comfort from the sofa... maybe.

The only reason that's not a definite 'yes' is because of Apple's refusal to support Flash. Hollywood studios including Warner Brothers have declined to convert their catalogue to iPad format, saying the Internet is a Flash-dominated environment. So unless they cave in, or Apple decides to rethink its stance, you'll have to get used to seeing a lot of messages telling you that online content is unavailable to you.

If you're after a serious work tool, the picture's a bit less clear.

As a presentation device to hand round to clients, it beats a notebook hands-down. As a workhorse for typing, it's a bit of a chore.

All in all, it's a lovely toy and a must-buy for fanboys. But we think we'll wait for the dust to settle and some basic features such as (cough) printing to be added. Maybe they might have shaved a few shekels of the price by then, too. Here's hoping…