In our iPad stress tests--a supersize version of the that we performed with Apple's smartphone--the tablet computer started showing damage after a few drops onto a carpeted floor.

Though the touchscreen itself held up well and still responded to touches and gestures, a strip of garbled pixels appeared at the top of the display after we dropped the iPad from a seated position three or four times.

Water isn't very iPad-friendly, either. Our stress-test unit started malfunctioning immediately after being doused with coffee and water, even though the iPad connector port was somewhat covered. Water entered the iPad's innards via the headphone jack on the top, and within a minute or two, the touchscreen display became unresponsive and splotchy.

Apple's tablet is extremely resilient in a few ways, however. Surprisingly, all that glass on the front is practically invulnerable when it comes to everyday wear-and-tear.

Its well-coated screen is literally scratch-proof: We couldn't produce any scratches on the display even when we tried to etch it with a nail; you definitely won't need to buy one of those stick-on screen protectors.