The iPad is enjoying its first week of public use, and so far, all signs are good for the traveler. Aside from the fact that it weighs just slightly more than a pound, is just under an inch thick, and boasts a battery life that will get you across the country (or the Atlantic, for that matter) without a problem, the iPad is also a breeze through security. According to the Transportation Security Administration, iPads don’t need to be removed from your bag – so walk on through.
One of the reasons the new devices are ok to be tucked away is the lack of gadgets that come with it. iPads don’t have CD-drives and other attachments to make visibility difficult during screening. The TSA is currently in the process is streamlining new security methods for the iPad, but so far, bringing one through the line is just as easy as not bringing one at all.
Travelers can use iPads just as they would a laptop- to access Wi-Fi (and to connect to 3G this spring), play with iTunes, watch videos, and use features like maps, calendars and contacts. What makes the iPad more innovative (aside from its physical ease) is that it also allows VoiceOver – the world’s first gesture-based screen reader that helps the visually impaired navigate through its all-touch design. It also offers closed captioning for the deaf or hearing impaired.
iPads also provide split-screen views of mail, access to the App Store, iBooks, and the option for portrait and landscape viewing. Prices start at $499.
