

After several hours with an iPad today, the app I was most mesmerized with was Maps. One word: Wow.

When showing off the iPad to others, the Maps app consistently made people's jaws drop (even more so than the Marvel Comics app, which I also find pretty magical), and rightly so. Never have I seen such a fast, intuitive piece of technology for geographical navigation. That's exactly how mapping software should be: immediately responsive and easy to use to keep up with you on the road.

For that reason alone, to me the lack of GPS in the Wi-Fi iPad is a dealbreaker.

When writing Wired.com's iPad buyer's guide, I highlighted the 32-GB iPad 3G as our top pick, listing the inclusion of GPS as one of the key points. But now that I've spent a good deal of time with an iPad, I'm confident to say that that distinction alone should be enough to get you sold on the 3-G iPad, especially if you're the type who travels or commutes, even if only occasionally.

You might think, "Just how would an iPad fit in as a navigator? It's way bigger than most GPS devices." That's why it'd work. You'll no longer have to pan all over the place and squint at a map to get a clear visualization of your route: It's all nicely laid out in the map on the 9.7-inch display.

The fact it's so easy to use is another big factor. Imagine going on a road trip and handing the iPad to a person in the passenger seat and asking him or her to look up directions. I'm willing to bet that even without ever using an iPad, any passenger will be able to launch the Maps app and look up directions within a few seconds.

The Street View mode is even more impressive. Tap the marker of a location and it immediately zooms in and shows a panoramic view (as pictured above), which you can rotate 360 degrees, giving you a visual of your destination.

Speed, ease of use and comprehensiveness: These elements add up to the convenience we've always wanted from a GPS device that no one has delivered until now. Today I bought the Wi-Fi iPad for the Wired office — but for me personally, I can wait for the 3-G iPad, which comes out late April.

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