You may remember that earlier this year we predicted the forthcoming Apple iPad to be one of the gadgets of 2010. Turns out we were right.

Launched in the United States last Saturday, 300 000 iPads were sold before the day was out. But there have mixed reactions to this new tablet style computer with many people disinterestedly calling it just an impractically gigantic iPhone while others expressed their love by dressing up as a giant iPad themselves.

We are on the fence, so thought we would simply bring you the facts.

What the iPad does have:

A glossy 9.7-inch screen
Wi-fi or cellular capabilities to get online
Access to 150 000 Apple Apps
An e-book reader app
A really fast processor

What the iPad doesn’t have:

A camera
USB jacks
The ability to make phone calls
Compatibility with Flash software
A mouse pad or traditional keyboard

So they are pretty equal then. Time we got off the fence. A few people in the office are lucky enough to have one already, so we roped them into the discussion.

The more cynical of the bunch admitted that after being wooed by the shiny screen and the flipping around the web for a while, he did end up asking himself (with his fully functioning laptop next to him) what exactly he was going to use the iPad for.

Ben, the slightly more optimistic of the two, countered that with that it is perfect for sharing and most importantly allows you to watch YouTube and videos with friends without spilling beer on my expensive laptop.

The online community seems to be just as torn. Comments on the New York Times review range from calling the iPad “...a giant screen just waiting to be scratched” to “a one and half pound instant-on internet access device that easily fits in my side shoulder bag – very desirable!”

Oh, and then of course there were the people who queued through the night to buy an iPad… and then smashed it.

What about you? Where do you stand on the Apple iPad?