The iPad grail

S

scotsmanspride

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Jan 6, 2009
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Well my wives pc finally died and we needed a new setup for her school stuff. I could not stand the pain of bringing another PC into the home only to have it crashing and what not two days later so..... I let her have my MacBook pro and I went down to the apple store and picked up a new toy. I got the new 64gb iPad. I initially was getting the 32 and then my wife told me it's only $100 more for the upgrade so get it. She didn't have to say that twice. Well lemme just say I know this Is not a full on laptop... But this is the next evolution in electronics IMHO. I mean for most people we use mainly internet and mobile media. I have used iworks on this and it to is a truly wonderful interactive experience. This thing just begs to be used and it is almost painful to put down. Also for those who are skeptical about the battery life..... This thing truly goes for 10 hours!!!! Just thought I would put my .02 out there.
 
I suppose you didn't need 3g, because the 3g version is scheduled to come out at the end of this month.
 
Well I am definitly not on the Apple bandwagon and when the iPad first came out I belittled it. I did not see the purpose for a large iPod touch and thought the idea was nuts but I have started to come around on the idea of it though.

My situation seems to invite its use. I have a work laptop that I travel with half the year as well as its use when I am back home. My personal laptop and desktop are starting to crap out on me after years of faithful service but over the last year or so of my job I have used them less and less. When I travel I obviously don't bring the desktop but I also don't like lugging around my personal laptop, a 13" Dell XPS, or even when I borrowed a friends net book because they both were to large and didn't serve enough purpose. I haven't purchased the iPad yet mainly due to the fact that I am currently overseas and that it is a 1.0 version.

I have read many reviews and the main points against it are lack of Flash, no multitasking and non-computer feel. To me that isn't that important because I have no intention of replacing a computer but simply complementing one.

I would like to hear more opinions on this machine by both owners and non-owners.
 
Man guys, way to take a dump on a guy who's excited about a new toy. Classy.

The iPad looks to be a lot of fun, certainly nice for that 'lounging around' kind of web surfing. I don't think it was ever meant to be the kind of mobile workstation that a laptop is, it's bridging a gap between what a laptop gives and an iphone gives.
 
Holding out for the 3G version myself, my PC Laptop is ready to quit and the iPad will really cover my work/travel needs. Nice score.
 
I have the 32gb model and I will say that I am very pleased. As others have said it makes a great companion piece of gear for web surfing etc.

However, I also found that I can replace the steno pad I normally tote around everywhere with me at work. In the office I deal with a lot of different projects, people and departments which require changing gears quite frequently. I have found that I can take good notes (that can be searched), manage my pending job tasks (Things is a great app, esp if you are into the GTD method), get my email (great exchange integration),and to make sure I'm not double booking myself on appointments( outlook calendar sync). Having one thing with me that allows access to basically everything is very handy.

The battery life really is 10+ hours. I calculated approx 6.5min of use for 1/% of battery life.

There are lots of great applications. As the market settles and people have some time to work on the apps, I think they will just get better with time.

With the keyboard in landscape I can type nearly as fast as a regular keyboard. However, the keyboard in portrait for me is basically useless.

If I had to complain it would be lack of an FTP client and lack of wireless printing.

I also am beginning to see the limitations of just wi-fi. At the house and at work I have wi-fi that is easily accessible. I do think that if someone is on the fence and really plans to use the device away from the house I would get the 3g model.

Overall I would give it a 9 out of 10. I do really think that this device has the potential to cause a paradigm shift in the world of personal computers.

Just so I don't sound like a giant fan boy. I am a regular user of Microsoft products. I work for a software development company working in an all Windows environment. I always have been and more than likely always will be a PC user. I just think that Apple is really on to something with the user experience and interface.

Also, if you don't know already iPhone OS 4.0 will be out this summer which will include multitasking(only supported on the 3gs + devices), a unified inbox for multiple mail accounts, and the concept of folders. Just to name a few new things.

Billyp
 
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I thought it was a waste of money...until my nephew brought one here this past week when he visited us. After using it for a couple hours, I can see a niche for the thing. It definitely has "cool factor," but realistically I don't need it right now (come on guys, it's the same cost as one nice custom knife or a bunch of good productions; I NEED those! :D). If I were to get one, it would be with 3G.

- Mark
 
With the 3G model, would you have to buy a service plan from AT&T or Verizon in order to use it?
 
I know I have some people thinking I am nuts for buying the first gen. However one thing that all you pc users fail to realize is that macs hold their value EXTREMELY well. My 4 year old macbooc was purchased for 1100 and to date the things setup exactly the same were fetching around $600. So I owned a laptop that did everything I ever asked and to date 5 plus years without a single hiccup for $125 a year. When the second gen stuff comes out if it is worth it to upgrade I will probably take a $150 hit but I was caught in a situation where my wides laptop died. So it was either do a MacBook pro for $1200 or this. Also for those outdoor guys out there I have found a very sweet fungus identification App with help for what is edible and what isn't. Also found another animal scat and track ID app that is pretty cool. Also they are talking of releasing college textbooks on this very soon and as far as the iBook reader it kept me occupied for 2 hours yesterday. I was reading a new release book that is only out in hardback for $30 and I picked it up on here for $9.99. This is certainly not a do it all machine however this bridges the gap and then some for most of peoples needs. The keyboard is odd for the first several days but give it time and it gets pretty fast.
 
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The niche of college textbooks with note entry and document/powerpoint 'readability' will be a huge market for them. If this could replace all the things you have to bring to class with you on a regular basis, it's easily worth the price. I've spent that much on textbooks for one semester.
 
I got one for work typing on it now! I truly believe this to be the next generation of personal computing. The only draw back that I see right now is that everything has to be run via iTunes. Thus you are not free to download your own software which for business applications I see as a problem. there are plenty of fun apps for free and as a web,emai, video,etc it's the greatest thing ever!
 
SpookyPistolero said:
Man guys, way to take a dump on a guy who's excited about a new toy. Classy.

The iPad looks to be a lot of fun, certainly nice for that 'lounging around' kind of web surfing. I don't think it was ever meant to be the kind of mobile workstation that a laptop is, it's bridging a gap between what a laptop gives and an iphone gives.
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I'm indifferent towards it. I'm always open to new ideas and concepts.

Still...the name is just so easy to make fun of. What were they thinking? lol
 
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