At Wednesday's press event, Consumer Reports Technology Editor Jeff Fox got to play a bit with the Apple iPad.  In this video, he takes a look at the tablet's iBooks application for reading electronic publications.

As he notes, the LED-backlit screen is brighter than a Kindle's, though how easy (or rough) it is on the eyes after prolonged use remains to be seen.

For more comparison of the iPad and e-book readers, see our previous posts:

• The iPad as an e-book reader: Intriguing, but the story is incomplete
• Comparing the big-screen devices: iPad, e-book reader, & netbook

For more Consumers Reports videos, check out our video hub.

The arrival of Apple's iPad adds a high-profile tablet computer to what was already a two-way battle (e-book reader vs. netbook) between wireless devices with screens bigger than a smartphone and smaller than a laptop.

So how does this three-way tussle shape up for price, utility, and portability? The chart below compares the iPad; the Kindle DX (the leading 10-inch—which is to say, jumbo—e-book reader); and the Samsung N120-12GBK, a recommended netbook from our Ratings, available to subscribers.

There's no single winner in all aspects of expense and use.

THREE 10-INCH-SCREEN DEVICES COMPARED

The Kindle DX is arguably the least expensive, if you factor in both its purchase price ($489) and the cost of its 3G connection (which is zero; access comes bundled into the price of the DX and all other 3G e-book readers, including the smaller Kindle). It's also by far the lightest device, and the thinnest. Battery life is also many times longer than the others, running to days rather than hours.

Yet it's also the least versatile of the trio; while it has some other "experimental" capabilities, it basically does only one thing well: Display monochromatic books.

The Samsung wins on purchase price (it's $325). It's also arguably the easiest to use for most computing tasks, given its very good scores on ergonomics and the limitations of the keyboards on the other devices. (The DX has a physical keyboard with tiny keys, while the iPad has a largish virtual one and an optional physical one, whose price is as yet undisclosed).

But its keyboard makes it the heaviest and thickest device by far. It's also the priciest for 3G access, which would also require a contract (unlike the iPad).

The iPad triumphs on versatility and, as with any Apple product, on elegant design. Yet, while prices start at $499 for Wi-fi-only iPads, you'll pay $629 and up for one with 3G access, which you then have to pay for (albeit for $30 a month, which is less than with a netbook or laptop).

The upshot? All three devices are worthy or at least promising in some ways. Yet none have the universal appeal of a phone or laptop and none, arguably, will become mainstream devices with their present price tags and range of functionality.

—Paul Reynolds.

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In my previous post, I described how the iPad looked and felt
when I tried it out at Apple’s launch event on Wednesday. Now, a bit about how
I found the display.

When I viewed books and other printed material, the iPad’s
display appeared bright and black text crisp, at least to my admittedly
untrained eye.  (When we test the iPad in
our labs, we’ll provide a formal assessment.)

Having read Apple’s patent for a new bright display
technology that I posted here (back when the iPad was still the “iSlate”), I wondered whether the iPad’s display
would remain bright even when viewed from a fairly steep angle, instead of straight on.

To find out, I surfed to the Consumer Reports Online home
page ,
which may have made me the first person in the world to do that on an
iPad. (Would-be Wikipedia biographers, take note!) Then, I twisted the iPad to the left and right, and tilted it forward and backward so I could view it at extreme angles both horizontally and
vertically. I found it quite bright even at extreme angles.

I took a couple of lessons from this experience: You can be
flexible about how you hold an iPad when using it to read a book or newspaper.
Should you read in your easy chair or couch, for example, you’ll be able to
comfortably slouch or lean to one side, if that’s your style, without having to
keep the display surface perfectly aligned with your face.

On the other hand, if you’re reading something on an iPad
display in a public place, such as on a train, bus, or plane, assume that the person to your immediate  left or right can read it, too.

I’ll have more on my hands-on experiences with the iPad in
my next post. Let me and other readers know
what you think of the iPad’s design from what you’ve heard so far. Post your
comments below.

–Jeff Fox

According to Apple, it will be 60 days before most people
get their hands on an iPad. I’m one of the lucky few who got to take an iPad
for a spin yesterday at the San
Francisco launch event. In this and my next few blog posts,
I’ll let you know what the iPad was like for me to use.

For details on other aspects of the iPad, such as its specs, pricing, and pros & cons, see the  postings by my colleague,
Donna Tapellini, who blogged along  with
me at the Apple event, as well as the continuing assessments of the other expert editors here at Consumer Reports.

iPad’s look and feel

As I predicted here on Tuesday, the iPad is very thin and light, much like its smaller siblings, the iPod
Touch and and iPhone. How thin? When I laid an iPad flat on a table alongside a
Motorola Droid smartphone, which is fairly thin, the iPad was only slightly thicker.

The iPad’s case is thickest at the center, where the battery
and most other internal components are located. It tapers off to a much thinner
profile at its edges.

Holding it aloft in one hand was nearly effortless. After
doing so for several minutes, I noticed no fatigue in that hand. That should be
an asset when you use it to read a book or watch a video while lying on your
back.

Holding it reminded me of a couple of other items I’ve grasped: A MacBook Air laptop (though the iPad has no keyboard
hinged to its display) or a clipboard. Based on my experience, if you use an iPad to read a book, a newspaper, to web surf,
or watch videos for extended periods, it should feel natural to
hold.

As a lefty who has encountered many products designed
mainly for righties I always check to see if a new product is
physically awkward for me to use. The iPad wasn’t.You can rotate the display
to portrait orientation or even 180 degrees so it's upside down, and the image
always rights itself.

In fact, I found, there is no proper position for the single
button on the front surface of the case (a button which serves as a power switch and takes you
to the main screen). It’s just as appropriate positioned to the left of the display as
above or below.

I’ll tell you more about my hands-on with the iPad in my
next post. Meanwhile, weigh in below with your own insights and questions about
this interesting new device.

–Jeff Fox