First-day Apple iPad buyers eager and effusive

Consumers Saturday finally got their hands on Apple's shiny new iPad tablet computer, marketed by the company as "magical and revolutionary."

After picking up his at the Apple Store at Roosevelt Field mall, Steve Rubel, 40, of Westbury, said he tried out The New York Times and USA Today newspaper applications and synced photos and music from his other computer.

"I really, really like it," he said. "It's very durable. The battery life seems great."

Rubel, who got up at 4 a.m. to download iPad programs, arrived at the mall around 8. "I have to be the first one on the block to get it," he said.

He was among dozens waiting for the doors to open at 9 a.m. Apple employees in blue iPad T-shirts counted down the final seconds, cheering and high-fiving customers once the doors opened.

Beginning March 12, consumers could reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up Saturday at an Apple or Best Buy store. Online shoppers who pre-ordered for free home delivery were promised delivery Saturday, but Apple abruptly changed that to April 12 for some. The Wi-Fi models cost $499 to $699, depending on the size of memory.

More than a dozen people camped out Friday night in front of the Best Buy in Westbury, where doors opened at 10 a.m., general manager Peter Conway said. "It's been selling well," he said, declining to provide specifics. "We have stock right now."

Models offering Wi-Fi and 3G cell network access will be available late this month from $629 to $829. The network requires a monthly data plan from AT&T of $14.99 to $29.99, but in a significant industry departure, no long-term contract is required.

Best Buy shopper Marilyn Budd, 64, of Oceanside, a retiree, said she was eagerly awaiting the 3G version. "It's as much fun to play with as you think it's going to be," she said. "Once you touch it, you've got to have it."

With its 9.7-inch screen, the iPad seeks to create - and fill - a gap between laptops and smart phones. On a portable tablet, users can browse the Web, access e-mail, view photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games and read books.

Apple says about 150,000 applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch can run on the iPad, though many don't run well, or at all, in full-screen mode. Some 1,000 applications retooled for the iPad's larger screen are available, the company says. One allows users to flip through pages, much like a real book.

Self-described "Apple freak" Oscar Maldonado of Wantagh did have a minor complaint: He has to pay again for iPad versions of games he has for his iPhone. The graphic artist snapped up an iPad at Roosevelt Field Saturday, his 39th birthday. "I like the screen. The pictures are really crisp," he said.

Detractors note the device does not have a camera, USB ports or the ability to multitask third-party applications.

"You want to be able to listen to Pandora [Web radio] while you're working on a word processing document," said Rubel, who advises companies on how to use social media. But he said what would really make the iPad appeal to more users is when software developers "start to go to the full screen and take advantage of the processing power."