Preview: iPad Can Multitask With iOS 4.2

The latest update to Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 4.2, will reportedly be available for iPad in November. It adds multitasking capabilities - listening to music while reading or viewing e-mails, for example - and wireless printing.

"So we've just had a chance to take our iPad out for a spin sporting iOS 4.2... and it's pretty great. The addition of multitasking, folders, and big improvements in mail (amongst other things) finally make the device feel more like a computer and less like a gigantic iPhone. Ironic really, since these updates rolled out to the iPhone first. In our brief use of the new and improved iPad (and particularly with multitasking), we're impressed to see that there doesn't seem to be any lag or slowdown on the device while swapping between apps (despite the smaller amount of RAM on board here) or throwing together folders. We're pretty heartened to see performance matching what we've come to expect on our iPhone 4 -- admittedly we had reservations about what the experience would be like. Folders are an especially notable inclusion here due to the pure silliness of scrolling through multiple iPad pages, and we're happy to see them intact on the bigger device.

We get the sense that this update is going to be a huge improvement for general navigation, but there's also going to be a learning curve because it changes the overall feel of the iPad (for the better, of course). The device has gone from seeming bulky and sluggish to something far more sleek. With the addition of multitasking and folders (along with sizable usability improvements) the iPad finally begins its evolution into the product it's seemed destined to be -- the middle ground between netbook, game device, and media hub. Keep on reading after the break for a look at some of the major changes in 4.2, as well as a quick walkthrough video of the OS in action."