It’s difficult, nearly impossible I’d say, to write a review of the iPad and say things that haven’t already been said over and over again.

Yes, I’ve got an iPad. I’ve bought a 16GB model from the United States (Apple Store of Charlotte, to be exact) and imported it to Italy using the UPS Express service. It took 2 days for it to arrive and be cleared at customs. But anyway, I’ve got an iPad.

Let me state this straight up: it is magical indeed. But in a way that it doesn’t do anything revolutionary or out of this world - it’s the realization. The “how” it does things and makes you feel home right after 10 minutes you’re using it.

I could focus this article on the technical specifications and features it has. At this point, I think it’s best for me to keep this personal, and talk about the story with the iPad so far.

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Every day we think about Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple. But every single day we forget that Steve Jobs is just a man, who goes through the difficulties and misfortunes of life, just like us. And we also know that he had to face pretty bad difficulties in his life - like a liver disease, which forced him to get a liver transplant last year.

BusinessInsider reports an email from Steve Jobs in response to James, a guy from Cupertino who lost his girlfriend last year due to a melanoma that quickly spread to her liver. He shot an email to Steve just to say thanks for his interest in this cause and, surprisingly enough, Steve replied.

This is not an email about business, it’s about life. It’s about the human side of Steve, the one we forget about every single day. Maybe this is not as interesting as the latest iPhone market share in Japan, but we think that sometimes stories are more important than numbers. Check it out after the break.

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Daniel Jalkut from Red Sweater Software (developer of MarsEdit, FastScripts and many other applications) has published a post about the removal of the Downloads section from Apple.com navigation bar, and the recently discovered lack of updates:

“But Apple is riding the success of the Mac, too. The Mac is still the heart of everything that Apple does. Imagine an expansive desert where no life seems possible. A settler discovers a spring, churning out water, in the middle of this wasteland. Soon others join in, and a town emerges. Eventually a government is formed, businesses are born, and a thriving economy springs to life. When the brilliant new Town Hall is erected, everybody agrees it is the crowning achievement for the town. It represents every forward-thinking inclination the citizens of this place have, and yet it would not be possible without that water. Without that gushing spring, the town is dead. The Town Hall is worthless.

The Mac is that spring of water that allows life to thrive in Apple’s ecosystem.”

Sure Apple doesn’t have any intention to stop supporting Mac OS X developers, and Mac OS X itself. Even if iPhone OS 4.0 is the priority now, and even if everything that can’t kill Android must wait, Apple just won’t stop caring about Mac OS X.

Because after all, that’s where iPhone and iPad apps are developed.

Interesting post over at Technologizer, analyzing many emails Steve replied to before 2010. Let me quote just one from the collection:

“Mr. Jobs,

I was first in line for this phone. I paid a premium. The screen broke from a short drop. $250 dollars?

I have sold at least 3 of these things for you. I feel dirty.”

Steve’s reply:

“Imagine this for a car:

I was first in line for this car. I paid a premium. Then I crashed it. $2500.

I have sold at least 3 of these cars for you. I feel dirty.

Sent from my iPhone”

Someone should write a book about these mails.

Link

“In short, we believe Apple is far too important to continue its role as the Howard Hughes of our industry.”

Marc Maiffret, popular hacker and security expert, told CNET’s Elinor Mills during an interview that Microsoft cares more than Apple about security and that the Apple community is ignorant to the risks they’re exposed every day.

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Very difficult subject, and a simple and clear take about it over at Parollo’s blog.

Link.

“Now I have many friends who actually buy application and games for their iPod Touches or iPhone, and I almost see it as a half miracle. Mainly, because it is easy to get apps.

If you want to sell things, make sure that it is easy to buy them.”