Oklahoma State University professor Bill Handy has big plans for the Apple iPad this fall. If the text messages he has received since the school announced he would test the tablet-style e-reader in some courses are any indication, students are eager to get their hands on the devices, too.

Handy, who teaches in the School of Media and Strategic Communications, is quick to stress that his intent is not to celebrate the new technology so much as to evaluate its effectiveness in the classroom.

A touch of brilliance for your writing.

Pages for iPad combines robust writing and advanced layout tools with the simplicity of Multi-Touch. So you can create all kinds of documents — including newsletters, reports, brochures, and flyers — using just your fingers. Text is crisp, clear, and very readable on the large, bright iPad screen. And the handy page navigator lets you scroll through your document in thumbnails, so you can quickly jump to any page you want.

It’s easy to be good with Numbers.

Who knew making spreadsheets could feel so natural? Numbers is the most powerful spreadsheet app designed to work with iPad and Multi-Touch technology. With a few taps, you can create tables and charts, add photos and graphics, and enter and edit data. Numbers isn’t just a spreadsheet application — it’s a flexible canvas. Which means you can add multiple tables and charts anywhere on a sheet and move them wherever you like.

Incredible presentations. Incredibly easy.

Keynote is the powerful presentation app you love from iWork, completely reworked for iPad and Multi-Touch. So you can do everything on iPad with a tap or drag of your finger — from creating your first slide to presenting your work.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who got his iPad 3G last month, unveiled the tablet at a meeting in Staten Island on Tuesday.

As the Daily News reports, Bloomberg bought the device at the behest of his scheduler, Shea Fink, and used it on Tuesday in place of his daily briefing book. The mayor told his audience that the device will save both time and paper.

"He wants to try using it for speeches, as well as...for reference - things like news clips, key budget documents," a spokesman for the mayor said in an email.

Incredible presentations. Incredibly easy.

Keynote is a powerful presentation software that comes with iWork for your desktop computer. Keynote is also an app that can be downloaded to your iPad. When used on the iPad it allows users to engage their audience with exciting featuers that take advantage of the Multi-Touch display. So now you can do everything on the iPad with a tap or drag of your finger — from creating your first slide to presenting your work.