Apple Ipad Portrait

Reviews of the iPad have been generally favorable. Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal called it a "pretty close" laptop killer. David Pogue of The New York Times wrote a "dual" review, one part for technology-minded people, and the other part for non-technology-minded people. In the former section, he notes that a laptop offers more features for a cheaper price than the iPad. In his review for the latter audience, however, he claims that if his readers like the concept of the device and can understand what its intended uses are, then they will enjoy using the device. PC Magazine's Tim Gideon wrote, "you have yourself a winner" that "will undoubtedly be a driving force in shaping the emerging tablet landscape." Michael Arrington of TechCrunch said, "the iPad beats even my most optimistic expectations. This is a new category of device. But it also will replace laptops for many people."
PC World criticized the iPad's slim file-sharing and printing abilities, and Ars Technica said sharing files with a computer is "without a doubt one of our least favorite parts of the iPad experience."
Reaction to the international launch
On May 28, 2010, the iPad was released in Australia, Canada, and Japan, as well as several larger European countries. Media reaction to the launch was mixed. The media noted the positive response from fans of the device, with thousands of people queued on the first day of sale in a number of these countries. The media also praised the quantity of applications, as well as the bookstore and other media applications. In contrast they criticized the iPad for being a closed system and mentioned that the iPad faces competition from Android based tablets. With regard to its books application, The Independent criticized the iPad for not being as readable in bright light as paper. However, they also praised the device for being able to store a large number of different books.