Whatever you think about its moniker, the iPad looks pretty cool. It’s not perfect by any means, and I’m not going to rush out and buy one, but we may all have one (or a version of it) down the road.

However, it’s not going to be cheap. Let’s look at the prices. These are all in American dollars — it’s still unclear how much it’ll cost in Canada, but it’s safe to say it’ll be around the same price.

There are three models the 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB and two ways you can get it, with WiFi only or with WiFi and 3G (so it runs on a cell phone network when you’re away from a wireless Internet connection).

Now, there’s no reason to get the WiFi only option. Yes, there are arguments to be made for no 3G, but if you want to get the most out of this device you’ll be surfing the web, downloading content and viewing movies everywhere you go. So pick a size. I’ll go with 32 GB for this example.

If you purchase the 3G unit, you’ll have to get a data plan. In the States, Apple’s teamed up with AT&T to offer a $14.99 plan for 250 MB or a $29.99 plan for unlimited data. I use about 500 MB of data on my iPhone a month, so let’s go with the unlimited plan. (The price could very well be higher in Canada — this country is notorious for its high cell phone rates.)

The iPad does come with a virtual keyboard, but if you want something more familiar, you’ll have to buy an external one. A wireless Apple keyboard, that will likely connect via Bluetooth, is $69. (Other wireless keyboards vary in price.)

You’ll need a case for sure. Something this thin with a screen this big will easily get scratched. These can run anywhere from $20 to $40 or higher. We’ll go with the mid-range carrying case at about $30.

If you want to plug a USB chord into the iPad you’ll need to buy an adapter. That could cost about $35 from Apple.

When that’s all said and done, you’ll actually want to use the thing. That means purchasing apps, (music too, but for this example we’ll assume you’re just going to transfer your CDs or existing downloads to the iPad), which could run anywhere from $0.99 to $100. Let’s say you buy five apps at $2.99.

So far we’re up to $908.00 American.

The reason everyone was so excited about the iPad in the first place was that it was supposed to revolutionize the way we consume newspapers, magazines and other media. This model won’t do that, but it’s possible future editions will. So let’s talk about the currently hypothetical newspaper downloads that I discussed in a recent post.

Most news websites are still free, but the Wall Street Journal charges $104 a year to access their entire site. That seems like a reasonable price. For this example we’ll say you’ve got a subscription to the Globe and Mail and The Wall Street Journal at $104 each. You’ve also purchased GQ and The New Yorker. The latter mag does offer access to its digital archives, but only with a magazine subscription, while the former is actually offering $2.99 iPhone downloads of the current issue. (It’s pretty basic though, and if it did become a full glossy interactive publication, you can bet they’ll charge more.)

Tally that up and you’ve got $208 for newspaper subs and $126 for magazine subscriptions. Media total: $334

Grand total: $1,242.00, not included taxes and Apple care. (Apple’s extended warranty — usually runs about $200 for a computer.)

Is it worth it? Maybe, but it’s not chump change. I still need to see how it will change my life before I invest in one.

It has been a banner year for the Top 200. The stock market bounced back nicely from its March low and our top stocks have fared even better. Just as we advised, last year provided some truly tantalizing buying opportunities.

It all seems easy in retrospect but, as you well know, it was anything but. It takes more than a little nerve to buy stocks in the middle of a panic. It’s one thing to acknowledge that the best bargains appear in bear markets, but it’s quite another to buy when the rest of the world is selling. If you braved the markets and bought in near the bottom, congratulations — you’ve likely been handsomely rewarded.

If you bought last year’s Top 200 All-Stars, you fared particularly well. These stocks scored well on both their value and growth prospects. We selected them last November and they’ve gained an average of 41% since then, not including dividends. Over the same period, the S&P/TSX Composite (XIC) advanced 7.5%, so our All-Stars beat the index by an impressive 33.5 percentage points.

Our five-year results are similarly stellar. If you had bought equal amounts of the All-Star stocks and rolled your capital gains into the new team each subsequent year, you’d be sitting on a 19% average annual return. By way of comparison, that’s more than 14 percentage points higher than the annual return of the S&P/TSX Composite, which sported 4.7% annual gains over the same period.

It’s been quite the ride, and it got me to reminiscing. Several years ago a former professor of mine came to visit with my performance record in hand. “Did you know that you’ve outperformed most mutual funds?” he asked. I didn’t. But it was a gratifying observation. That memory prompted me to look up Canada’s mutual fund performance over the past five years. It turns out that the Top 200 All-Stars beat every single Canadian equity mutual fund over that period. We topped the best by about 3 percentage points a year and the second best by about 7 percentage points a year. The median Canadian equity fund trailed by 14 percentage points a year.

To be fair, the comparison is not entirely precise. The performance period in question doesn’t match exactly, although it’s close. The Top 200 started life in the middle of October, and this year’s list was reformed in early November, whereas only month-end performance figures are available for mutual funds. Also, we haven’t included trading commissions which, although low these days, vary from investor to investor. As well, no mutual fund invests in only a small handful of stocks because concentrated portfolios tend to be volatile. On the other hand, the gains of the All-Stars don’t include dividends, whereas the fund returns do.

As you might imagine, we’re very pleased with our performance record, but we want to stress that uncovering good stocks can be a hit-or-miss business. We’ve done well over the last five years, but we fully expect to stumble from time to time. As veteran market watchers, we know that nobody can expect 41% returns as a matter of routine. We’re keenly aware—and you should be too—that our top picks could fall flat this year.

Still, while nothing is a sure thing, we hope our track record will whet your appetite for this year’s Top 200. We took a hard look at Canada’s largest companies and graded each of them for their investment appeal. Our sixth annual MoneySense Top 200 is designed to be easy to use, logical, and appealing to all types of investors. In fact, we think the Top 200 provides you with a more objective look at large Canadian stocks than you’re likely to find from any other source.

Among other virtues, the Top 200 offers a very honest approach to selecting stocks. Our results are based entirely upon the numbers. Our feelings and opinions about a company don’t influence the grades.

To arrive at the Top 200 grades, we begin by identifying the largest 200 companies in Canada by revenue. Using data supplied from Bloomberg, we evaluate each stock, first for its attractiveness as a value investment, then on its appeal as a growth investment. (Value investors like profitable stocks that trade at low multiples of book value and pay juicy dividends.Growth investors like companies with momentum and expanding earnings.) Our value and growth screens employ sophisticated measures of financial merit, but in the end we reduce everything about a stock to two grades: one for value appeal, one for growth potential.

The grades work just like they did back when you were in school. The best stocks earn an A. Solid students get by with a B or a C grade. Those in need of improvement go home with a D or even an F.

A select group of stocks—those that manage to achieve at least one A and one B on the value and the growth tests—make it to our All-Stars list. Only 16 stocks made the team this year.

But before we talk about our new All-Stars individually, here’s the lowdown on how we rate all 200 stocks.

The value test

Value investors like solid stocks selling at low prices, so we begin by looking for stocks with low price-to-book-value ratios (P/B). This number compares the market value of a company to how much cash you could raise by selling off the company’s assets (at their balance-sheet prices) and paying off the firm’s debts. Low P/B ratios provide some assurance that you’re not paying much more for a stock than its parts are worth. To get top value marks, a stock has to possess a low price-to-book-value ratio compared to the market, as well as a low ratio compared to its peers within the same industry.

We also like to track price-to-tangible-book-value ratios. Tangible book value is like regular book value, but it ignores any intangible assets (such as goodwill) a firm may have. So, it’s an even sterner test of how much a company would be worth if it had to be closed down and sold off for scrap.

Other factors matter, too. Good companies produce profits, so we award higher scores to firms that have positive price-to-earnings ratios (this backward-looking figure is known as the trailing 12-month P/E ratio). We also reward a company if industry analysts expect it to be profitable and have a positive P/E over the next year (this number is known as the forward P/E ratio).

Because we like our investments to pay, we award extra marks to dividend-generating stocks. Investors looking for income should pay particular attention to such stocks. Canadian dividends offer tax advantages and stocks that pay them tend to outperform.

To ensure a company won’t capsize from excessive debt, we penalize companies for living on credit. We award the best grades to firms with low leverage ratios (defined as the ratio of assets to stockholders’ equity) compared to their peers.

Finally, we combine these factors into a single value grade. Only 20 out of 200 stocks got an A for value this year.

The growth test

The first mark of a good growth stock is, not surprisingly, growth. We start by awarding high marks to any stock that achieved robust earnings-per-share and sales-per-share growth over the past three years. (This year, even a small amount of earnings growth was something of a feat.) We also track each firm’s growth in total assets over the past year to get a sense of recent trends.

We want to be sure that the market is taking note of a company’s improving situation, so we hand out additional marks to stocks that are strong performers relative to other stocks. In particular, we favour stocks that have provided good total returns over the past year.

As great as growth is, we don’t want to buy into fads, so we hedge our bets by checking out each stock’s return on equity. This important statistic measures how much a firm is earning compared to the amount that shareholders have invested. It is a key indicator of the quality of a business. Only those stocks with healthy returns on equity compared to others in their industry earn our top marks.

Finally, since no one wants be the last buyer in a bubble, we examine each stock’s price-to-sales ratio. This ratio measures the stock’s price in comparison to the company’s sales. Low to moderate price-to-sales ratios indicate stocks that are reasonably priced and we award them extra marks. In contrast, firms with high price-to-sales ratios may have become detached from sensible expectations and could be due for a correction.

Putting these growth and quality indicators together, we arrive at a final growth grade. Only 20 out of 200 stocks earn an A for growth this year.

The All-Star team

After we crunched the numbers and awarded our letter grades, we found 16 stocks that earned at least one A and one B on our value and growth tests.

We were pleased to see three stocks that returned from last year’s All-Star list. The returnees are Velan (VLN), High Liner Foods (HLF), and Canadian Tire (CTC.A).

Velan produces industrial valves and hails from Montreal. It was the only stock to pick up an A for both value and growth last year and it remains highly ranked this year. High Liner Foods, from Lunenburg, N.S., serves up seafood to millions and good value to investors. Canadian Tire’s earnings held up quite well given the economic headwinds, but its stock is down more than 35% from its 2007 highs. This sharp drop in price may offer you the opportunity to “save like Scrooge” by snapping up a few shares.

Three new retailers join Canadian Tire on the All-Star team this year. Leon’s Furniture (LNF), originally of Welland, Ont., sells furniture, appliances and electronics. It has an enviable growth record and currently represents good value. Sporting goods retailer Forzani (FGL) just squeaked through despite slipping into the red in recent quarters. But it usually scores big profits in the holiday season. Our last retailer is Indigo Books & Music (IDG), which has a lock on the big bookstore business in Canada. The company is in an enviable position now, but it may be difficult to maintain its monopoly due to looming threats from the Internet.

Our largest All-Star company is insurance firm Fairfax Financial (FFH), which is run by value investor extraordinaire Prem Watsa. Remarkably, Watsa guided the firm to profitability both as the markets fell and as they rebounded. Based on his recent record, it’s no wonder that he is referred to as the Warren Buffett of the North. But, as a long time shareholder, I could be a little biased.

Uni-Select (UNS) and TVA Group (TVA.B), two Quebec-based firms, scored top marks for both value and growth this year. Uni-Select runs the leading auto-parts distributor in Canada and is rapidly expanding in the United States. TVA Group, a subsidiary of Quebecor Media, operates the largest private French language TV network in North America and sells a slew of consumer magazines.

Premium Brands (PBH) of Richmond, B.C. serves up specialty foods in the West. It also recently converted from an income trust into a stock. Lassonde (LAS.A) makes and markets fruit and vegetable juices in Canada. It also imports foreign wine to quench the thirst of Canadians.

ATCO (ACO.X) is a utility and energy conglomerate run out of Alberta. Aecon (ARE) is a large Canadian construction and infrastructure development company, which should benefit from the recent stimulus spending.

Rounding out this year’s All-Star list are Dorel (DII.B), Viterra (VT), and IESI-BFC (BIN). Dorel makes bicycles and products for children, Regina-based Viterra delivers grain and agri-products worldwide, and IESI-BFC cleans up in the solid waste management business.

Before you rush out to buy any stock, do your own due diligence. Make sure that its situation hasn’t changed in some important way. Read the firm’s latest press releases and regulatory filings. Scan newspaper stories to make sure you’ve figured out all the important developments and breaking news. That way you’ll be more comfortable with your holdings and increase your chances of success.

Norm Rothery, PhD, CFA, is the founder of StingyInvestor.com. He holds some of the securities mentioned in this story.

But whatever Apple reveals, there’s no doubt publishers are desperate for new revenue models. Print is dying, but is digital the future?

Yes, yes, this isn’t a tech blog, so I won’t go all nerd on you here. What I’m wondering, and what I think concerns MoneySense readers, is how much would you pay to read something online? We’re not talking about an article — this would be the full paper or magazine in all its glossy, illustrated glory. You’d subscribe to MoneySense and every issue launch date it would show up on your tablet ready to be read. This could revolutionize the internet — you wouldn’t have to venture over to our website anymore; instead you’d just click on the MoneySense icon and voila the issue and its digital extras would appear. But, of course, you’d have to pay.

No matter what I would find the money for my $90 New Yorker subscription. I would also subscribe to MoneySense (if I do say so myself) if I didn’t get it for free by working here. I wouldn’t pay $401 a year for the Globe (which is how much a yearly subscription costs for the daily paper) — that’s too steep for my daily news. I’d probably pay half that to access it on an iTablet, as long as it looks good and has lots of bonus content.

It’s great if this new invention lives up to the buzz, but hopefully consumers — and especially us wannabe savers out there — won’t be priced out of the revolution. (And I didn’t even mention how much it would cost to buy the device.)

How much would you pay to access news online? And how many publications would you subscribe to?

In demand? An aging fleet of big-rig operators means jobs aplenty for a new generation of drivers.

What you need: A few weeks at a truck driving school, then pass the provincial tractor-trailer driver’s test and you’ll be hollering “10-4, good buddy” in no time.

It helps if: You don’t mind diner food.

What you can earn: Even 18-wheeler newbies can pull in $40,000 a year. An experienced driver can make $70,000.

Welder 

In demand? All skilled trades are in demand these days, but those who know their way around a torch will benefit the most from government infrastructure spending and a resurgent oil and gas sector.

What you need: A one-year college certificate.

It helps if: You know a bit of math (and like melting stuff).

What you can earn: $30,000 to start. Become an apprentice and get your journeyman’s ticket to earn $90,000.

Air Traffic Controller

In demand? NAV Canada says it’s always looking for recruits.

What you need: If you do well in an online test, you’ll be invited in for an interview and more tests. The chosen few then spend anywhere from four to 14 months in the classroom, do a few months of paid training, and are guaranteed a job somewhere in Canada.

It helps if: You have ice in your veins.

What you can earn: Your salary will rise as fast as a 747: anywhere from $60,000 to $125,000 a year.

Web Designer

In demand? The world is moving online. Someone has to make the place look good.

What you need: A streamlined one-year course in web design, offered by some colleges, is enough to launch your career.

It helps if: You’re the creative type.

What you can earn: Up to $45,000.  At first you’ll be doing the grunt work on the web support desk and maybe creating those annoying little banner ads, but with promotions, you could move to $60,000 within a couple years.

Financial adviser

In demand? Banks, insurance companies and investment firms are constantly looking for people to sell their financial products.

What you need: Many colleges offer one-year financial services programs.

It helps if: You’re a natural-born salesman, as most companies pay on commission.

What you can earn: $40,000, plus up to another $20,000 in bonuses. If you’re talented, expect to make six figures soon.

Public Relations Professional

In demand? PR used to be all about pitching articles to journalists. Now it’s everything from acting as gatekeeper of your company’s reputation, to organizing marketing events, to writing the CEO’s blog.

What you need: If you have a university degree already, a one-year certificate program at a community college will fast-track your PR career.

It helps if: A gift for gab and writing attention-getting copy.

What you can earn: $30,000 to $60,000 to start. Seasoned PR experts can make $90,000 and up.

Office Administrator

In demand? Don’t call them secretaries. Today’s office administrator keeps businesses humming smoothly. And, yes, they’re in demand.

What you need: A college certificate in office administration.

It helps if: You’re super organized.

What you can earn: Around $30,000 to start. Don’t expect big raises, however.

Cobbler

In demand? Shoe repair shops are bustling places these days and expert cobblers are hard to come by.

What you need: Convince a shoe repair shop to hire and train you.

It helps if: You love shoes. (Honest, that’s what veteran cobblers told us.)

What you can earn: Around $22,000 while learning the trade. Qualified shoe repairman can make over $30,000.

Health care assistant

In demand? As our population ages, nursing homes and seniors’ residences are staffing up.

What you need: A certificate from a one-year community college program.

It helps if: You enjoy helping people.

What you can earn: Around $30,000.

Note: Story updated on Feb 22, 2010

New tickets
Your best bet for getting tickets directly from the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) is to keep checking their website, www.vancouver2010.com. More new tickets may be released if sponsors return them or if venue configurations change. VANOC’s tickets generally sell for between $25 and $175, although some popular events, such as figure skating, run around $450. VANOC is also offering tickets by auction. Bobsleigh and speed skating were selling for $200 to $300 each in late January. The only authorized Olympic ticket vendor in the U.S. and Canada, CoSport (https://vancouver.jetsetsports.net/tickets/), might also have tickets, although its mark-ups can be high.

Ticket brokers
There are a plethora of scalpers—ahem, ticket brokers—selling tickets online, and there will likely be scalpers outside of Olympic venues too. But even though scalping is legal in B.C., you need to be careful. Some fans who bought tickets online for the Beijing Olympics never received them or ended up with counterfeits. Avoid eBay and Craigslist, and look for a professional broker that is a member of a trade association, such as The Canadian Ticket Brokers Association or the National Association of Ticket Brokers. Use a credit card and avoid low-ball offers that might be scams. Be flexible and you’ll have a good chance of getting
a bargain. For example, as countries are knocked out of competition, often people from those countries decide to sell their tickets to brokers, and prices drop. Mario Livich of ShowTimeTickets.com, a Vancouver ticket broker, says if Canada is in the men’s hockey gold medal game, tickets will be worth $3,000 to $5,000 each, but if not, they could go for as low as $600. You can also aim for less popular events, such as early round hockey and curling. As of late Jan­uary, brokers were selling tickets for all events, with prices ranging from $100 (biathlon) to $2,000 (figure skating).

Fan-to-fan
In December, VANOC decided to fight back against brokers by launching its own ticket resale marketplace (you’ll need to register to see the fan-to-fan tickets). Tickets are subject to fees, but they are verified as legitimate. In late January, most of the fan-to-fan tickets were selling for $75 to $275. But you’ll need Visa—it’s the only payment accepted.

Update as of Feb. 22, 2010:

Face-value tickets currently available from  VANOC:

Women’s ice hockey semifinal $100-200
Women’s curling qualification $65

Tickets currently available by VANOC auction:

Women’s 5,000 meter speed skating final $95-185

Women’s Ice Hockey gold medal game $125-325

Women’s free program figure skating $150-450

Women’s gold medal curling $125

Men’s gold medal curling $125

Short track speed skating $50-150

Figure skating exhibition $175-525

Tickets currently available on VANOC’s fan-to-fan marketplace:

Many event tickets still available, including curling, alpine skiing, speed skating, ice hockey figure skating, cross country skiing, bobsleigh, victory ceremonies. Most prices range from $22 to $420. (Note: you’ll need to set up an account before you can see the available tickets and prices.)

Tickets currently available to Canadian buyers from CoSport:

Women’s two-man bobsled $109

Closing ceremonies $661-1,022

Cross country skiing $109

Women’s qualification curling $101

Icedancing free dance $412-670

Freestyle skiing $79-191

Men’s and Women’s ice hockey $227-301

Men’s speed skating $279-799

Victory ceremony $46

This week (Feb 16-19, 2010) some of Canada’s top financial advisers are standing by to answer your RRSP questions.

Below is the complete list of questions that have been answered so far by our advisers, Karin Mizgala from LifeDesignFinancial, Warren MacKenzie and Ken Hawkins from Weigh House Investor Services and Barbara Garbens from B L Garbens Associates. Feel free to throw in your own opinion by commenting on the answer.

We’re still taking new questions and will post new answers throughout the week. To post a question, just write in the comments field near the bottom of this page.

Questions:
Should I use my refund to pay down debt?

Will I save money if I withdraw on maternity leave?

Should we withdraw to pay down our mortgage?

What can my stay-at-home wife withdraw without incurring tax?

Who should have seg funds in an RRSP portfolio?

I’m new to Canada and want to save $200 a month. How can I best save for retirement?

Not paying income tax this year — should I withdraw?

Is a TFSA better than an RRSP?

Will there be a tax hit if I withdraw from a TFSA?

Should I max out my RRSP contributions or invest some money in something else?

Should I transfer the money in my overseas account into my RRSP?

If I take money out now, what year will I report it in — 2009 or 2010?

How are Couch Potato fees different than Management Expense Ratios on mutual funds?

What’s the best way to rebalance my Couch Potato Portfolio?

Using funds to purchase an income producing property

When can I retire and what will my income be?

I can’t get rid of my debt, should I withdraw from my RRSP?

Should I mix currencies in the Couch Potato Porfolio?

How can I get better returns on my funds?