iPad tester

1. these are customer driven discussions, so we are all customers here, well most of us are.
2. that is primarily done in-house. employees will do it, or otherwise you are under and NDA so you cannot talk about it or show it to anyone.

Well, no companies do beta testing of hardware to let people have trials - generally their policy is similar to that of Apple's, in that they have trusted people with long relationships with their products.

You can buy one and return it within 14 days ... or you can find a friend who has one and try it out.

You'd have to become a highly regarded and trusted employee of Apple.

Apple don't do consumer focus group testing with the general public.

Then how can someone in the regular public test and keep a ipad?

They can't. What makes you think Apple would do such a thing?