So then, the Apple iPad, the long awaited Apple tablet, has been unveiled. My first reaction, being the Apple fanatic that i'm, was "I want one now!" However, as the smoke cleared and I started weighing up the benefits and drawbacks of the device, I think I'll have to give it several more thought before I buy one. That's not to say that I won't do so, but I want to be sure. There are numerous of factors both for and against the Apple iPad device, and below are a few thoughts to mull over, in no particular order:

Pro: The Apple iPad is a marvel of design, sleek and light and easy to carry. It looks great.

Con: It has no way of protecting the screen other than a pouch/sleeve that is separate to the device itself.

Pro: It has the same great touch-screen capabilities of the iPhone and iPod Touch and seems to be a wonderful thing to use.

Con: It runs the phone OS instead of a full OS, which limits what you can do with it.

Pro: The Apple iPad is great for watching movies, TV shows and podcasts and playing games along with surfing the web.

Con: It doesn't support flash, which will limit the amount of use it is for surfing.

Pro: The Apple iPad is a good way to stay online when on the go, easy to set up and very fast, and the variety of capacities would mean there's one for everyone.

Con: While it's fast, there aren't any USB ports and there's no way of expanding the capacity. Plus, the larger sized drives are incredibly expensive.

Pro: The Apple iPad is superb for travelling and being online when relaxing thanks to the superb UI and the marvellous display.

Con: It doesn't appear to be much good for doing any work on, which is what many people would want out of it if taking it when travelling.

Pro: It presents a fantastic new e-reader experience for books, magazines and websites to be enjoyed on.

Con: True, but you'll be able to say the same about the ipod touch, the iPhone, the Kindle and the Sony e-reader, which are cheaper by a very long way.

Despite its drawbacks, I still want one as they look fun and very cool for casual surfing and entertainment. The lack of capabilities for using it as a work device is the thing that's turning me off the device right now, but like several people, I am fascinated by this pretty cool new gadget, and am eager to have a play and see exactly what the Apple iPad tablet can provide me.