Last week Apple finally brought iOS 4 -- technically iOS 4.2.1 -- to the iPad along with multitasking, folders, unified inbox, threaded email, AirPlay, AirPrint, and a slew of other long-demanded features. Apple considered the 4.2.1 update enough to make you feel like you got a whole new iPad.

Well, following up on our original iPad review, we asked a bunch of Smartphone Experts and TiPb editors and writers what they thought of iOS 4.2.1.

Chad Garrett, TiPb.com

iOS 4.2 is a big deal. If you have been using 3.2 for iPad, then the new version updates your iPad with a bunch of new features that make it seem "new". For starters, the multitasking we have gotten used to on iPhone is now available on iPad as part of the update. Multitasking has really improved my workflow. I do a lot of app switching from email to web, Evernote to Pages and more. Being able to almost instantaneously switch apps is a great productivity enhancer and goes along way towards making the iPad a producing device rather than a consuming one.

The other features such as Folders, AirPlay and AirPrint are very nice bonus items (especially folders), but for me, multitasking makes all the difference in the world on iPad.

There are some snafus like the 256MB sometimes hindering performance with apps, but I take it in stride as overall this is the best mobile OS to date.

Georgia, TiPb.com

I have an issue with the way Apple markets their products. It seems too overdrawn sometimes. Whether it's the Beatles coming to iTunes being called a day we'll never forget or iOS 4.2.1 being called a whole new magical iPad, it just sets expectations far too high and leads to disappointment when reality never quite matches up with the distortion field.

I do think iOS 4.2.1 for iPad is great. It increases functionality a lot. Since I already had iOS 4 on my iPhone I was happy to get it on my iPad but also frustrated it took so long to get it. I love multitasking, folders, the integrated inbox, but some of it still feels unfinished. I wish I could delete folders without having to take all the apps out first. I like that I can find in Safari pages but it's annoying that only one instance of the search term is highlighted at a time, unlike desktop Safari which gets it right.

But overall they did a pretty good job with it.

Ally Kazmucha, TiPb.com

iOS 4.2.1 has brought my iPad to a whole new level of awesomeness. After 4.0 dropped for the iPhone and iPod Touch, I found myself readily using those devices a lot more than my iPad. I'm now back to using my iPad a lot more under iOS 4.2.1. The biggest addition to me would be folders and multitasking. It was much needed and makes the user experience much more enjoyable. I got so used to folders on my iPhone 4 that scrolling through pages and pages of apps on the iPad became daunting. I also found myself double tapping my home button on the iPad expecting a multitasking tray to pop up. Every time it didn't, I died a little inside. Now that it actually does, my iPad is becoming something I use on a daily basis again instead of something I was only picking up to browse the web casually and play full screen games.

I'm also extremely excited to try out AirPlay and AirPrint. An AppleTV is on my Christmas list and I'm currently looking at purchasing a new wireless printer as our printer died a month or so ago. I hadn't gotten around to replacing it just yet but AirPrint has made me decide to jump to a wireless model. I'm sure AirPlay will be a feature we will implement quite often in our house. Overall, iOS 4.2.1 was just what the iPad needed to bridge the gap between people calling in a large iPod and it actually being a capable tablet. Hopefully we will see improvements to take the functionality even further on the 2nd iteration of the iPad.

Bla1ze, CrackBerry.com

While many folks are in love with the new Airplay features, it's never been a concern for me. That said, I'm pleased as punch to finally have real folders on my iPad, as well as multitasking. Overall, some great additions to iOS can be found in 4.2.1 for iPad users but for me it's still pretty much the same device as before. (nothing wrong with that) Just now, I can keep things better organized.

Kevin Michaluk, Founder of CrackBerry.com

Haven't updated yet so can't really comment yet.

[He's waiting on the BlackBerry Playbook - Ed]

Matt Miller, Editor of NokiaExperts.com

When I purchased my iPad on launch day several months ago I thought I was just buying it as a device to test out and use occasionally since it didn't seem to really fit any need. My iPad is now my constant travel companion and serves in the role of hotel room surfing machine, portable television, airplane seat movie player, gaming machine, and universal ebook reader. I was looking forward to the advantages gained in the iOS 4.2 update and my iPad has turned into an even more useful device with the update.

I find the multitasking/task switching functionality to be a major bonus as I can now jump between Twitter, Safari, Mail, Angry Birds, and more effortlessly. I also had 5 pages of application shortcuts and LOVE having folders that have allowed me to reduce my main home screen to a single page with customized folders.

Many family members are considering the iPad as a Christmas present and some are even thinking of using it as their home computer with basic needs for email, web surfing, and photo viewing. I think the iOS 4.2 update makes this an even easier recommendation.

Rene Ritchie, TiPb.com

iOS 4.2.1 is the grand unification update, the software that brings iPhone, iPod touch, and for the first time, iPad all onto the same version number and at the same time. Yes, it’s the one firmware to rule them all.

While it wasn't critical for Apple to get all devices on the same iOS build, it was increasingly critical to get iPad onto the 4.x branch with multitasking. And the other features. After iPhone 4 with iOS 4 came out iPad went from being magical to being strangely obsolete. It just couldn't do what we expected it to do, what we'd learned from our iPhone or iPod touch to expect it to do.

My usage of iPad post-iPhone 4 actually went down considerably for that reason. When the first iOS 4.2 beta came out, however, it shot right back up. I'll never know what would have happened if iOS 4 had come to iPad in June, whether iPhone 4 hardware alone would have wooed me away for a while but I doubt it. You just get used to double clicking the Home Button and looking at a unified inbox and it's hard to go back.

Now I don't have to. Now iOS doesn't have to. Now we're all moving forward again, in the same direction, hopefully in lock step for a long time to come.

Like I said in the walkthrough:

iOS 4.2 on iPad is a revelation. It’s the way iPad is meant to be. That’s not to say it’s perfect or has every feature on every geek’s wish list — it certainly doesn’t — but it has enough new functionality to make iPad much more valuable.

Like with iOS 4 on iPhone, multitasking and folders extend the existing UI in a way that gives power users what they need, but keeps casual users either grounded in familiar metaphor, and feature-phone types blissfully unaware it’s even there.

AirPrint addresses an important bit of functionality for home and business alike, and AirPlay has the potential to turn the TV video scene upside down.

Sure, non-obtrusive notifications, and glanceable, lock-screen widgets — and hey, AirEasyFileTransfer — would be grand, but iOS 5 beta is only [3] months or so away…

Adam Zeis, CrackBerry.com

I'm not as "seasoned" as other users, but from my perspective I'd say same old same old. While folders definitely add to the organization of things, there not much there in my opinion that keeping apps on separate pages can't accomplish. I suppose you could say I'm a "low level" iPad user, so I VERY rarely use multitasking and Airplay/print not at all. Multitasking is great for killing apps, but honestly doesn't offer that much more for me in terms of how I use the device. I'm a simple guy so really just having things work is fine by me. I do like the folders and think they definitely help keep things more organized and where I need them, but I can totally live without them.

Back in April Apple launched their magical, revolutionary iPad and all this week TiPb's been wondering just how well all that magic and revolution has held up some 6 months later. Rene has already shared his thoughts in an editorial and Chad and Georgia shared theirs during the last iPad live! podcast, but we wanted more.

Here's our original iPad review. Follow on after the break to see how the TiPb writers and Smartphone Expert editors Dieter, Kevin, and Malatesta feel about their iPads... six months later.

Dieter Bohn, SPE Editor-in-Chief

Six months in, the iPad has basically filled in two niche uses for me. First and most important: the iPad is the perfect airplane / airport device. I have the 3G version, so I don't feel beholden to the vagaries of airport WiFi before I get on the plane. While in-flight, I rarely find the environment good for getting actual work done, so the iPad is a perfect device for watching movies and some light reading. The second niche use is as an internet device when I'm puttering around the house. I still don't feel I can effectively get 'real' work done (the browser isn't up to my needs there), but it's great for looking up random stuff and sneaking in a game or twenty of Strategery.

Could I live without the iPad? Absolutely. But I'd be hauling out my laptop, not my phone, to fill those gaps.

Check out PreCentral.net's updates on the forthcoming webOS PalmPad

Chad Garrett, TiPb.com

At first I thought the iPad would be a back-up device to my iPhone. I purchased the 16GB Wi-Fi only model at launch. Though, this worked, I longed to be able to access data anywhere on the device. Over time I have used it more and more, to the point that it is my main computing device. I have since sold my 16GB model and I upgraded to the 32GB 3G version. This device now competes me. Is it perfect? No. But it does what I need it to do very well. Do I still love my purchase? Yes. I love it more than ever.

Georgia, TiPb.com

It's a larger version of phone more than a laptop, so if you want a laptop, get a laptop. iPad can't replace that. If you want something easy to use, for pictures or surfing the web or games, get an iPad. For less tech-savvy parents, for children, it's fabulous.

But it's not perfect. I wish it didn't need that ugly USB adapter for my camera. I wish I could just sync it directly with my iPhone. And I'm upset Apple is taking away my orientation lock in iOS 4.2. Plus, what's with Mac getting FaceTime before the iPad?

That aside I still love it. Go get it.

Ally Kazmucha, TiPb.com

At first it seemed like there weren't a ton of apps that were made specifically for iPad but as that number grew, so did the amount of time I've spent with it. Adding multitasking may make me more apt to spend more time on the iPad than I do with my iPhone 4. After 4.0, my usage switched to being heavier on the iPhone 4. I'm looking forward to see what devs will do with multitasking on the iPad. I think it'll only help people make the decision between an iPad and a netbook. 4.2 should add a lot of features people need and want.

Leanna Lofte, TiPb.com

Six months ago I did not think I would be purchasing an iPad because of the cost. I decided to get one at the last minute and do not regret it one bit. My MacBook has been playing the role of a desktop now and if I had the money, I would actually sell my MacBook, purchase an iMac, and use the iPad for my mobile computing. My biggest complaint about the iPad is that 6 months later, we are still waiting for iOS 4.0. This is unacceptable to me and I'm looking forward to multitasking and a unified inbox when it finally becomes available. Although I absolutely love my iPad, it is still clearly a 1.0 device in my eyes. I have high hopes for the next generation iPad and can't wait to see what Apple announces for it.

Kevin Michaluk, Founder of CrackBerry.com

Yes, I'm the world's biggest BlackBerry addict, but that doesn't mean I hate Apple. Truth be told, I probably own more Apple products than most of the hardcore Apple fan boys out there. When it comes to the iPhone, I've owned all of them -- including the iPhone 4 -- but honestly I have yet to really ever be enticed by any of them.... it's a great consumer product, but for what I do 90% of the time when I have a phone in my hand (communication, critical apps, etc.) for me the BlackBerry simply gets it done quicker, and that's what I want in a mobile device. I don't use a phone to kill time, I use it to get sh!t done. But when it does come to killing time with media and games, which is that that other 10% for me, I really appreciate the iPhone as this is where it excels.

When the iPad came out, I picked one up in the USA long before it came to Canada. And it didn't take me long to decide that for me, everything the iPhone can do the iPad does better. When I travel and have time to kill at the airport and on flights, it really is my best friend. The night before I leave town I always download a few movies and buy a few new games for the iPad. I really like iTunes - it's one of the best things Apple has going for it (though if you own multiple devices it's still a pain in the butt to move your content around between them). For the iPad It's all about that big screen size - why would you want to squint playing Angry Birds on an iPhone when you can have it be nice and big on an iPad? Previously a Kindle user, my Kindle now collects dust too as I now use the iPad as my ebook reader (I use Amazon on the iPad though - not the iBook stuff). Whoever says e-ink is better for reading never grew up with computers - I have no issue reading on the iPad and I do like flipping pages with a touchscreen (I do still find the iPad is a little heavy though for reading when lying in bed - it's bonked me on the head a few times now when I've fallen asleep with my arms outstretched).

The iPad isn't perfect though. One of things I really wish for is multiple user management. The iPad is kind of like a coffee table book for me - I leave it lying around and it's something for guests to play with or my niece or nephew when they visit. The fact I can't set up a guest account on it has forced me to never really start using it as a work tool - I don't put my email on it. I also own enough laptops that I would never send email on it anyways - time is money and I can type 110 words per minute on a real keyboard... so why would I want to do something slower on an iPad that I can do quicker on something else?

The lack of flash really sucks too. I know the web is quickly catching up and going html 5, but still... I wanted to buy an iPad for my girlfriend's dad as a present. He doesn't use a computer but I figured he'd like using the iPad. I showed him mine and he liked it. But the first 3 websites he wanted to check out (mainly the websites for magazines that he reads) had a lot of flash on them so didn't even load. It turned him off immediately.

Things are getting exciting in the world of BlackBerry with the announcement of their first tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook. I'm really excited to get my hands on this one. It'll be interesting to see how I like it. For me, I've never really liked the iPhone because I'm so entrenched in BlackBerry - going away from that physical keyboard and the BlackBerry way of things things (fast!) has just always felt alien for me. But on the tablet front, the iPad is my home. It's what I'm used to in a tablet device. So it's going to be the PlayBook that will have to be fantastic to really impress me. Apple set the bar for tablets high, so we'll just have to wait and see how it goes!

Check out CrackBerry.com's ongoing coverage of the BlackBerry Playbook

Matt Miller, Editor of NokiaExperts.com

I pre-ordered the 32GB WiFi iPad and after six months of use I am still very happy with my purchase, yet I cannot wait until the next OS update with multi-tasking. As I am sure many iPad owners can relate to, I use my iPad while on the couch, sitting at the table, and in other situations where I just want to browse the Internet and I do not need to create content. As I look back at the last six months though, the number one usage for my iPad is as an ebook reader. I have books on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Kobo so it is great to have one device to access and read them all.

The Apple iPad is also a wonderful accessory for the airplane traveler. I have used it multiple times for watching movies and reading ebooks. A couple of times I have even left the laptop behind and traveled with the iPad and a Bluetooth keyboard.

The more I use it though, the more I want to see support for multi-tasking as I find myself jumping in and out of apps and games quite a bit. I understand an update is coming soon and think this will make my iPad even more useful.

The Keith Newman, PreCentral.net

Honestly, by TKN standards, I was a late adopter. 2 months after release and several jokes about how the iPad wasn't magical nor revolutionary, I broke down and gave into my gadget obsession. While the pricing was absurd (like all things Apple) I am finding it to be an amazing device for leisure and work. Yes, we all know the benefits of the "toy" aspect, I mean, it has thousands of games, does gorgeous video and is a giant iPod. However, as an educator, I didn't expect the device to come into handy in the classroom. To my surprise, I have been using it to access student records via web and Excel documents (including rosters, discipline and attendance); I've also been using the iPad to VPN into my Smartboard Mac Book to control the board / display when sitting in the back of the classroom with a student to show the rest of the class. This way, what appears to be a "one to one" coaching isn't anymore and the rest of the students can benefit by just looking up and seeing the math problems with walk through. It was weird at first but the capacitive pen has really come into good use for instances like this. Overall, I feel less guilty for spending close to $800 dollars on this device knowing full well I can now play KenKen's and use it as a teaching aid.

Steve Jobs is still a tool (you can edit that if you like ) [Will do -ED]

Rene Ritchie, TiPb.com

“It’s just a a big iPhone” is exactly right — size is the killer app. Almost immediately I stopped reading on my iPhone or MacBook. I began saving everything I came across to Instapaper so I could read it later on my iPad. (I would even close my MacBook and pick up my iPad just to read long articles, the experience was so much more enjoyable). Browsing the web is fantastic; disintermediating the keyboard and mouse of the traditional PC and touching the screen made for a far more immediate and intimate experience. So much so, in fact, that when Dieter and I wrote our iPad review we focused almost entirely on the experience of the device. Gaming also benefited from the big screen, igniting an ongoing debate in Chad’s heart as to whether the faster launch schedule of iPhone games can equal out the grandeur scale of iPad.

It’s not perfect. It can be heavy and unwieldy at times. When iPhone 4 and iOS 4 launched in June the combination of Retina Display, FaceTime, and especially multitasking and unified inbox had me reaching for my iPad less and less often. Some of that was surely “shiny new toy” syndrome. Some of it was hard limitations of iPad under iOS 3.2. iOS 4.2 for iPad is on the horizon, however, bringing everything iOS 4 brought to iPhone back in June but adding AirPrint for productivity and AirPlay for entertainment, and while the former was needed the second could just be killer.

iPad is Apple's first generation mainstream computing appliance, the Apple I or Lisa, not the Apple II or iMac, and that means it’s certainly not for everyone, not yet and perhaps not ever. But it’s proven over time that it’s for me, maybe not “right” but “right now”. Apple hasn’t nailed the device yet — they might next time, or the time after — but they hammered it hard, harder than I initially thought, and developers have taken it even further.

(That's an extract of the longer iPad: Six months later editorial we ran earlier this week.)

Daniel Rubino (Malatesta), Editor of WPCentral.com

My affair with the iPad has been a mixed one, at best. It all started with a little interest, even a hint of mockery when first announced (okay, more than a hint). But like most people, at one point intrigue crept in and then a sense of fascination, curiosity with a hint of disgust...at myself.

Being ensconced in the Microsoft world (though hardly any allegiance), my interest in Apple is mainly as opposition, though I certainly respect their design aesthetics and recent market prowess. It took me three trips to the Apple store before I committed to buy, so yes hesitation was with me at every step. That all seemed to come to end once I opened it up the box and turned it on--that smooth metal, shiny glass and eye candy of the OS--I immediately fell in like with the device. Over the next few weeks, while not a full convert, I did administer more praise than critique, perhaps surprising a few tech compatriots a long the way.

Fast forward six months and where am I? I'm probably back in the critique camp, though it's not to say the iPad is a bad device--just not the device for me. What changed? A few things--the way I used the iPad, the strength of my Acer Aspire 1410 Notebook (had it before the iPad) and new or refreshed technologies like the Sprint EVO and new Amazon 6" Kindle. First, my Asus just served me better for productivity. As a blogger, typing, searching, copying, pasting, linking, etc. are all just easier on my Asus than my iPad. You could even say I love my Acer--I really do. Likewise, although I can read Kindle books on the iPad, I'm just not a fan of reading on displays with a backlight (my eyes tire quickly, headaches ensue). In this regard, the Amazon Kindle is just amazing--e-Ink is truly a remarkable thing if you're a heavy reader and although the iPad gets great battery life (still impressed by this), the Kindle can go weeks instead of hours. Between the $139 price tag on the Kindle, the battery life and the fact it only weighs 8oz, there's just no comparison between the two for reading for my situation. (And yes, took my Kindle to the beach where it was awesome; never thought about taking the iPad).

And the Sprint EVO? Yes, as it turns out, having a device with a 480x800 4.3" screen with 3G can serve wonders for checking email, twitter and websites (and being a Windows Phone fan, I expect the HTC HD7 to replace my EVO--hello Xbox + Zune). The iPad served as a great couch-companion for looking up things on IMDb, YouTube, or checking Twitter. But with the EVO, I can do all of that but faster. And its easier to handle too. As it turns out, my iPad still does serve a purpose: it's great for watching movies, video podcasts and Netflix. In fact, I use it 90% of the time just for this function. With the great battery life and 10" screen, it makes a good movie player at work (don't ask). Is that worth $500? No, not really.

To conclude, though the iPad is a unique device, one which will have a strong presence and continued success in the market, for my needs it fell short: not good for productivity (a fellow blogger tried using his a the recent Microsoft NYC event--I killed him in publishing), it's not a great eReader and it's just not that fast for doing things. Sure, I have a 3lbs notebook to carry around (5.5hrs battery life), a Kindle and my EVO, but I'm now quite happy with those over the iPad--in fact I'm thrilled with all of them. Still, I do look forward to trying the new OS update and will see if that breathes new life into the device which at this point is more luxury than necessity.

Sorry everyone, no iPhone Live! this week. Nope. Not gonna happen. Instead, this week we're bringing you -- Smartphone Experts Roundtable Live!

Tonight, Wednesday, June 24 at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT, SPE Editor-in-Chief, Dieter Bohn (representing PreCentral.net, AndroidCentral.com, and WMExperts.com), Kevin Michaluk (fearless leader of CrackBerry.com), and Matt Miller (editor of NokiaExperts.com) will be joining yours truly (from theiPhoneBlog.com, 'natch) to talk Palm Pre, BlackBerry Tour, Nokia N97, and our very own iPhone 3GS/iPhone 3.0.

As always, pre-show will start about 5 minutes before if you want to drop by early and reserve a space in our chat room. See you then!

Join in via http://www.imore.com/live

Join Dieter, Kevin, Rene, and Phil as they discuss CTIA and the other big news coming out of the smartphone world in the past few weeks.

• Download it directly with this link
• Subscribe via iTunes
• Subscribe directly to the Podcast feed with your favorite Podcatcher here
• Listen to it here with the player above

Show notes after the break.

• Phil Nickinson for WMExperts
• Rene Ritchie for The iPhone Blog
• Kevin Michaluk for CrackBerry.com
• and Dieter Bohn for PreCentral.net

WMExperts

• Snap! Hands-On Impressions, Video of the HTC Snap
• Marketplace Microsoft gives more marketplace details! Themes!, Upgrades to 6.5!
• Propel Pro Hands-on: Samsung Propel Pro

PreCentral.net

• Classic Classic PalmOS Emulator: Video Walkthrough
• SDK opened up a bit Web 2.0 Expo: Palm Reaches Out to Developers – Extends Invite to Apply for Early Access Program<
• Mojo Messaging Mojo Messaging Service for webOS: More than Just Push

CrackBerry.com

• App World Goes Live - http://crackberry.com/blackberry-app-world-goes-live
• Storm Discontinued - http://crackberry.com/blackberry-storm-officially-discontinued
• BlackBerry gets Shazam - http://crackberry.com/shazam-blackberry-app-world-surprise

The iPhone Blog

• Next Gen iPhone Taking Shape: 3.5mp camera, video recording, voice control, digital compass, and the leaks just keep on coming!
• Google Giveth Gmail and Gcal Goodness: New WebApps leverage advanced WebKit features
• (Google Voice Mobile App: looks pretty sweet as well)
• Music Prices Go Variable: iTunes changes to tiered music single pricing, but so does Amazon MP3 and Walmart.
• AT&T Cracking Down on iPhone users without iPhone 3G plans?

Nokia Experts

• Nokia E71x
• CTIA 09: Nokia release Point & Find beta for camera-enabled devices

Android Central

• Not big at CTIA -- again! -- what gives?

Credits

Special thanks to gmz for the song Parametaphoriquement, licensed under the Creative Commons at CCMixter.org