So, you've done your homework. You read the previews months ago, then the reviews a week ago, then the user impressions days ago - but you're still understandably on the fence about picking up the latest tech toy. We've all been there, and after a week of owning my iPad, I'm here to give you the definitive answer! Possibly.

I've never seen a single device be so incredibly divisive, both in the tech community and in the minds of average consumers. If you tell someone you bought one, reactions range from excitement and jealousy, to the questioning of your sanity, and everything in between. Some of this, I believe, is due to Apple's absurd marketing campaign, which as history has taught us, will often serve to create an equal-and-opposite backlash. "Magical and revolutionary" it is not - at least not yet.

 

That said, I think there is more going on than just a simple - and expected - outcry against that which is popular and trendy. More so than any other device I've owned, the iPad is a very personal experience. So that's the kind of "review" this will be - a retelling of my personal experiences with the iPad and how I've incorporated it into my own life, rather than yet another listing its features and failings. If the lack of Flash support and multitasking are a deal-breaker for you, then it's likely you've already made your decision.

Like many people, I came away from the iPad announcement in January completely underwhelmed. I simply saw little use for it, considering I already owned what quickly became known as an iPad 3G Mini. So, a week after the announcement, the device was largely out of my mind.

Last week, of course, the device returned to the forefront with its massively hyped release. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. As with the iPhone before it, it seemed that while the operating system and hardware might in some ways be lacking, the creativity of third-party application and accessory creators would thrive.

So, after going to nearby stores a couple of times to actually get a feel for the hardware, I made the plunge and picked up the 32 gig model. Surprisingly, the familiar feeling of buyer's remorse I expected never came, and as of now, still hasn't. I believe this is largely due to all of the roles it has taken in my life. It is literally a blank slate where (nearly) anything may eventually be possible, depending on the creativity of Apple and its partners.

In the week I've owned one, here are the “forms” it has taken:

Web content device (browsing, e-mail, social networking, etc.)

Portable media entertainment (both around the house, at work and, most importantly, at the gym)

Sketchpad (or it would be, if I could draw)

eBook reader/comic book reader

Game console

Board game

Word processor (the first draft of this review – which was actually longer – was written entirely using the iPad's landscape keyboard)

Remote desktop client (both to my home PC and my virtual machine at work)

Does it do any of these as well as a dedicated device? Probably not, but the fact that it can effectively be so many things – in a single device not much larger than a piece of paper – is really the big selling point to me. Best of all, I've found its form factor and interface ensure I can perform many of these tasks while I get in my daily workout, which for me, is a game changer.

It is admittedly not the first device of its kind, and it certainly won't be the last. It is, however, almost certainly the most publicized, and I believe this will prove important for one major reason – the more widespread the use of a device is, the more likely third parties are to jump on board and add to that device in a variety of ways.

All of the uses I listed above are just what I've found in the first week of the iPad's existence. As other companies get more and more creative, I believe it possible uses in my life will only increase. My iPhone is certainly not the same device I purchased over a year and a half ago, and that has less to do with Apple and more to do with those who saw the iPhone as a popular platform that was well-worth investing a large amount of their creativity.

Some people will see the iPad as nothing more than an overpriced luxury item - and they aren't wrong. It simply doesn't have a place in their lives. Lacking a mobile computing device besides a smart phone, it has become my ideal laptop or net book analog. Can it do everything a laptop can? No, not quite, at least not yet. However, it can also do things - and, perhaps more importantly, be used - in ways a laptop simply can't. For my every day life, those aspects make it far more valuable to me than a laptop could ever be. Having a simple, multi-use entertainment device that fits into my daily workouts is much more important to me than viewing Flash websites or being able to do "serious work" (in my case, software development) on the go.

So, the important question - should you buy one? I can't tell you. There is little doubt that no one needs an iPad, any more than one needs a laptop or smart phone. Just like any other luxury purchase, it comes down to the value you believe it adds to your life and whether or not that value is worth the price of admission.

I leave you with this advice - go to the Apple Store or a Best Buy. Play with one for 15 or 20 minutes to get a feel for it. Use in all the ways you think you would want to - open up iBook and read a few pages, fire up Safari and view a few of the websites you visit religiously every day, give yourself a typing test to see just how fast you can use its virtual keyboard to take notes. Whatever you can think of.

Then - this is the important part - envision in your daily or weekly routine, and think of all the times you would - or wouldn't - find a use for it. Consider all the other on-the-go gadgets you have and when using the iPad would be preferable to them, and why. Hopefully, this will give you a better answer than any online article possibly could.

Jason Kallelis is a guest blogger from Tucson who is a gadget junkie, especially if the gadgets can go to the gym with him. You can find him on Twitter @silellak.