The iPad's on-screen keyboard is great

Apple's cheapest laptops, the white MacBook and the 11-inch MacBook Air, both sell for "under $1000" -- meaning $999. But as it turns out, they now have a new budget machine that compares favorably price-wise to PC notebooks. It's called the iPad 2.

Can it do everything a PC can? Arguably. As Apple likes to say, "there's an app for that." Most of Apple's iLife and iWork apps are already on the iPad, while third-party developers have found ways to turn the iPad into everything from a business tool to a guitar tuner. There are some extras you'll need, though, if you're planning on making an iPad 2 your main machine come March 11.

External screen and adapter

The old iPad supported AirPlay, which let you stream movies and pictures to your TV and music to your speakers. The problem was, that was all it could do. Worse, it required AirPlay-compatible speakers and/or a second-generation Apple TV, and it only worked with Apple's official apps.

The iOS 4.3 update, a new version of the operating system that powers the iPad, is opening up AirPlay to third-party developers, letting them write AirPlay support into their apps. More than that, though, the iPad 2 (not the original iPad) will also support Video Mirroring, which will let you plug the iPad 2 into an HDTV or PC monitor (depending on which adapter you buy). Good for presentations ... better for people whose primary machine is their iPad 2.

Bluetooth wireless keyboard

This one is obvious. The iPad's on-screen keyboard is great, if a bit awkward to use with your thumbs even in portrait mode. If you actually want to get writing done on it, though, you'll need an external keyboard. Google Docs, iWork and the official WordPress app all support it, as does anything else that allows for text entry. There are even some keyboard shortcuts available, although you'll still be tapping the screen a lot (no, it won't work with a mouse).