 Walt Mossberg ( of The Wall Street Journal ) wrote , " It 's about the software , stupid " , meaning hardware features and build are less important to the iPad 's success than software and user interface , his first impressions of which were largely positive . Mossberg also called the price " modest " for a device of its capabilities , and praised the ten @-@ hour battery life . Others , including PC Advisor and the Sydney Morning Herald , wrote that the iPad would also compete with proliferating netbooks , most of which use Microsoft Windows . The base model 's price of $ 499 ( equivalent to $ 541 in 2015 ) was lower than pre @-@ release estimates by Wall Street analysts , and Apple 's competitors , all of whom were expecting a much higher entry price point . 
