Each video features a narrator telling you about the iPad’s various feature, while an anonymous pair of hand (and crossed legs to support the device, which seems to be the only way to hold it comfortably) demonstrates exactly how to use the feature being described, including how various gesture controls work within that app.

Needless to say, the narrator is quite enthusiastic about how easy, simple, and innovative everything is, though I suppose if they were strictly relaying information this would be a third-party walkthrough, not an Apple marketing tool. In most cases, iPhone owners will already be familiar with many of the gesture controls and interface elements, but the iPad does have quite a few unique features owing to its greater screen size.

Not all of the claims made in the videos are completely defensible. Saying that a keyboard that’s “nearly the same size” as a standard one makes for “effortless typing,” for instance, doesn’t really convince me, especially when the guy doing the demo is hunt-and-peck typing fairly slowly while you’re saying it.

Seeing all the features detailed and laid out in this way definitely does make me want an iPad even more than I did before, though. A lot of the elements seem, upon reflection, to fill gaps present on the iPhone’s OS. Meaning that things I wish I could do on my iPhone, but can’t for lack of space or other reasons, are implemented on the iPad.

My favorite elements are the iPhoto integration in the Photos application, which should help make iPhoto much more interesting, the iPad camera connection kit, which finally means I can shelve my 30GB iPod Video with its camera connector on trips, and the much-improved YouTube app, since using the iPhone version is one of my favorite time-killers.

If you’re still not sure what all the fuss is about, or if you’re just getting anxious waiting for the delivery guy to show up at your door Saturday morning and want the next best thing to a hands-on experience, check out Apple’s Guided Tour series of videos. There’s 11 in total, covering topics from Safari to the iWork suite, and they’re much more rewarding than either the iPad announcement event or the iPad video that features Apple execs waxing poetic about how awesome the thing is sitting in front of a white background.

Apple have announced a new series of developer events aimed at those creating software for the iPhone. The event will be touring various locations in the USA, as well as Europe, Asia and India, starting with Paris and San Francisco on October 22.

Attending the event will be completely free, but Apple are warning that space is limited and requesting that those interested register early to avoid disappointment. You need to be registered as an official iPhone developer to attend (this is also free, and can be done online). According to Apple, the events will allow you to:

Learn about the tools and technologies you’ll use to create great iPhone applications, then work with the experts to optimize your code, refine your user interface, and apply the knowledge you gain from the sessions to enhance the capabilities of your iPhone application.

There are full details of the various events taking place throughout the event on the Apple site, which include Introductory Seminars, User Interface Design, Maximizing Performance and a Technical Q&A. Schedules differ slightly in non-US areas, presumably due to the varying size and scope of the events.

Interestingly, this has only been announced since the lift of the NDA ban on iPhone development. Before this, it wasn’t possible for developers to freely communicate their experience and ideas between each other (meaning that a conference dedicated to that very idea would have been impossible).

Hopefully, this new series of events and invigorated communication between developers will lead to a wave of innovative and feature-packed iPhone applications.

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At around 15 minutes long, it really does cover just about everything you’d need to know about the new iPod touch.

You can stream it or download it here.

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