Transferring items from a Mac to an iPad

I'm thinking about buying an iPad to carry with me on the road. I have a MacBook; is it fairly simple to transfer files, pictures, etc. from a Mac to an iPad? Sorry if this is a "dumb" question but I'm also a Mac newbie. Still trying to UN-learn all the Windows data in my brain. Thanks very much in advance.

P.S. If I buy, it'll be the 32GB 3G but I won't initially sign up for the 3G.

It's kind of a dumb question.

I am of course just kidding. As with the iPod, information you sync with the iPad is all handled by iTunes, so it's important that you keep up-to-date on iTunes.

The iTunes program doesn't HOLD all the data; it just coordinates with iPhoto (et al) to give you a central place to manage what gets put on the iPad. Since most of what people put on the iPad is apps, music and video, and all that stuff is bought through and stored in iTunes, it makes sense to use that as the management app.

Syncing iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch with iTunes