Can an Ipad be used for word processing, powerpoint etc..

Yes it can be used for word processing, presentations and spreadsheets. Apple has an iWork suite (Although you have to buy the apps seperately, but they are only $9.99 apiece.) The word processor is called Pages, the presentations creator (think PowerPoint) is called Keynote, and the spreadsheet app is called Numbers.

My wife just bought a new iPad to hopefully replace her netbook. The problem is getting files on and off of the iPad. Since it doesn't have a USB port to onload and off load files you have to either email them to yourself and then open them in the appropriate app, OR (And I just read about this but haven't had a chance to test it out yet) you can connect your iPad to your computer, open iTunes and then just drag files into iTunes to add them to your iPad. Once they are on your iPad you can upload them to iCloud and then have access to them on any iDevice.

I think, and again I haven't had a chance to test this out so someone who has experience please chime in here, that you can also copy files from your iPad back to your computer the same way.

I have been playing with the apps and they are really good but if you are new to Apple software there is a bit of a learning curve on how to navigate the interface.

Yes, within limits of using a virtual keyboard unless you get an external BlueTooth keyboard to use with it. There is no Office for it but Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote applications are also available as apps for the iPad. There are also several other third-party apps.

There are a number of apps that support word processing, spreadsheets, powerpoint documents (Microsoft don't make app versions of their programs).

The options include, from Apple :

Pages app for Word docs

Numbers for Excel spreadsheets

Keynote for Powerpoint

Third-party apps (which support all three document types in the one app) :

Documents To Go and their 'premium' version which supports editing powerpoint (the 'normal' version is view only)

QuickOffice HD

If you want to do a lot of word-processing and editing then you'll need an external keyboard, the on-screen version isn't ideal for extended typing.

I have documents to go and one feature of it that I really like is that, once you buy it, you can download a 'docx to go desktop', where you can designate a folder(s) on your desktop to be sync folders...and you can move documents to and from that folder without going through iTunes. You just open the desktop application, open docs to go on your device, hit the sync button and the documents update over a wifi connection. (one limitation, they do need to be on the same wifi network)

it works great for me for lists, etc. update on the road, sync back at home.