Apple’s newest invention, the tablet personal computer, or iPad, has garnered mixed reviews from both the public and tech users.

But that hasn’t stopped them from flying off the shelves like any other brand-new Apple product.

The tablet computer has been a vision of both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs since the late ‘90s, but both Microsoft and Apple struggled with the innovation. Now that Apple has its first version, people are asking the question: So how does an iPad fit into a person’s life? Better yet, how does it fit into a college student’s life?

Kelli O’Donnell, a junior at St. Edward’s University, was one of the first to get an iPad the day they were released.

“I haven’t found the exact way I’m going to use it to get the best use out of it,” O’Donnell said. “It has some great features though. It does have 32 gigs of memory, so I will be able to store a lot of books, movies, television shows, music on it… it’s [going to] be great to check e-mails, browse the internet, share documents and take notes on.”

This is not O’Donnell’s first Apple product. She has used an iPhone for a few years but recently switched to a Blackberry. She also has a Macbook laptop.

Similar to the iPhone, the iPad comes with the basic applications installed but there are a variety that can be downloaded in iTunes. Just weeks after the launch of iPad, there are over 10,000 applications with an average price of $3.61, which is only $0.11 more than the average iPhone application.    

O’Donnell says that can be deceiving though.

“The Kindle app is free, but you still need to buy the books which start around $10,” she said.

O’Donnell has discovered that her favorite application is the Major League Baseball At Bat application, which allows users to watch any game live on their iPad.

Despite the different applications available and the ease of use, O’Donnell is not sure if she knows where the iPad will fit into her life.

“I love it, it’s so cool,” O’Donnell said. “I’m an Apple fanatic, but I don’t really know about the practicality of it. It’s really expensive, especially when you add up the cost of the apps and the accessories. It’s fun to play with, but I don’t think it will be replacing laptops right now. I really hope it doesn’t replace books anytime soon either.”