Can the iPad really be used for work? Could I use it to edit a spreadsheet?

The iPad is absolutely NOT a laptop replacement. You can do some small things on it, but as you need to use the same screen for text input AND viewing, spreadsheet editing, text production etc are not the iPad's strengths. Yes, you can do small things on it, type an email, read some documents, but that's about it.

The iPad is NOT a laptop, and doesn't allow installation of many standard office products. When compared to an actual laptop, the many drawbacks of the iPad (including its lack of connectivity, or multitasking) clearly stand out. The iPad is much more like the iPhone/iPod Touch, than it is a laptop/netbook.

That's also why it doesn't have OS X, it has the iPhone OS. This means it also has the options (and even less, as it doesn't have a webcam, nor phone options) or a smartphone. Now, if you were asked to exchange your laptop or desktop for an iPhone, would you accept?

I don't think so.

What I have understood after reading lots of info floating around the web here are my opinions. If you’re mainly a Web surfer, note-taker, social-networker and emailer, and a consumer of photos, videos, books, periodicals and music— Ipad could be for you. If you need to create or edit giant spreadsheets or long documents, or you have elaborate systems for organizing email, or need to perform video chats, the iPad isn’t going to cut it as your go-to device.

The word and excel files have misaligned text on the Ipad.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.