iPad - worth it?

Elessar

I have been seriously tempted by the iPad lately but I am hesitant to buy. Among other things, I'm afraid it will make redundant my 2010 Macbook Pro!

Anyone care to share their experiences with iPad? Has it left your main computer for dust?

Or is it a gigantic iPod touch that you don't really need? For someone who browses the net frequently but uses his MBP for other things too (downloading/watching films etc) is it really worth it?

I had a quick play with one in the Belfast Apple Store and tbh I was less than impessed by the display, which came across as very pixelated...

Decisions desicions........

Sad Professor

I can only speak for myself, but so far I am very happy with mine. I bought it some what impulsively on the day of the Irish launch and worried that I might regret it, but it was totally worth it.

It certainly hasn't eliminated my need for a real computer, but I find it has replaced my MBP around the house. I now have my Macbook hooked up to an external display and am using it almost exclusively as a desktop.

The real test, however, is using it beyond the house. I'm back in college shortly, and while I'd love to use my iPad during the day, I'm not sure it's really up to the task. It is so compact and light, it would be very convenient, but it would be totally impractical for note taking or writing up assignments. I am considering getting the keyboard add-on, but it still doesn't seem ideal for college work. Still great for around the house though.

A giant iPod Touch? When you first turn it on, pretty much, yes. But once you start installing apps like GoodReader, DropBox and Reeder it becomes something much more. The iPad has enormous potential and developers have only just scratched the surface. Having said that, 4.2 can't get here fast enough. I really do miss multitasking, folders, etc.

(Posted from my iPad )

padraig_f

I have one and it gets a decent bit of use, but I'd say hold out for the next version if you can. It won't make your laptop redundant, I still much prefer browsing on the laptop, the extra resolution, the keyboard (for typing posts like this), the firefox plugins I rely on (TreeStyleTabs, Feedly, Xmarks, ReadItLater etc.). These make browsing on a laptop more powerful and a more enjoyable experience for me.

Most things you can do on an iPad, you can do better/easier on a laptop. Where the iPad stands out is its physical form. You can carry it round the house easier. You can hold it closer to you when reading (much more like a book than a laptop is), easily flip it between portrait mode and landscape mode.

It's a device of great potential, but in it's current form is flawed. It's killer app, for me, is reading e-magazines/comics/newspapers. But, here's the fatal flaw: the screen's too small, or has too low resolution to display an A4 page without zooming. When you have to zoom in to read a magazine article, the whole effect is lost. You can't scan the page and start reading, you need to zoom out to scan, zoom in to read, and it ruins the whole experience.

I'm sure iPad v2 will be at least 50% bigger (or higher res) to address this problem. With higher resolution, it'll be a great device. I use my mainly as a browsing device around the house (what it has made redundant is using my iPhone for this purpose). I also use it a fair bit to read comics/graphic novels, which are more readable because they're more visual and the text is bigger (though I still use it in landscape mode to zoom in). It's nicer to read them on a device like that than a laptop, a pity I can't read e-magazines in the same way.

jack presley

All I use my netbook for is for internet and Itunes so when the Ipad gets a USB port and I'm able to use it as my host computer to synch my Ipod from, I'd love to buy one.

DualFrontDiscs

Hi,

I have an iPad 16GB WiFi only.

I also have an iPhone 3GS, an iPod Touch, a Macbook, an iMac 27", an AppleTV, you get the picture.

The kids enjoy the kids' apps on the iPod touch and similarly enjoy the iPad.

It's also great for watching movies on the go and it's a great way of looking at photos (especially for visiting grandparents).

The iPad doesn't really to it for me though. I have yet to come across an app or use case that the iPad fits better than my phone, laptop or desktop.

DFD.

keefg

Can anyone comment on how good the iPad is as an e-reader vs the Kindle?

AlanD

With an iPhone 3GS, an iPhone 4 and a MacBook white in the house i wasn't sure where the 16GB wifi iPad would fit in. Opened the box and thought, how will i use it. As expected, my wife was even more sceptical. But it has now slotted in so well in to our lives. We use it much more than the MacBook now. The convenience of it is amazing. I have a 3 mifi for the very odd time i need it out and about. Tried the jailbreak MyWi in trial mode, but I'll be upgrading my iOS next week to lose the jailbreak as i don't really need it.

Kindle on it is pretty good. Impossible to use outside for sure. But that's ok. Goodreader is excellent. AirVideo is excellent. Surfing and email are excellent.

If you buy it, you will find a place for it in your life. It's like apple invented their very own market we all didn't think was really there.

I'll be upgrading to the next version if it comes with a camera for sure. Facetime for when im travelling.

Worse aspect. Screen scum from my oily fingers.

jeromeof

For me it doesn't fully replace my laptop, but it is my goto device around the house. When I am watching TV and get a little bored the iPad is immediately picked up and used. The battery life is so good you forget about wires/cables etc. It was never meant as a laptop replacement though, but I could see long term people buying say a MacMini (though not at the current price) and an iPad instead of buying a MBP/iMac. With the MacMini working as more of media server and as a desktop computer (when plugged into a HDTV) and the iPad used for more causal activities. And depending on what you do possible a work laptop brought home when serious amounts of work need to be written.

While this might sound sad, I find the iPad is a great way to spend more time with the family or at least be in the same room. So rather than go and do "computer stuff" in a different room (which usually ends up being browsing the internet and doing some email) I now typically sit on the couch and do this while the kids are watching whatever they want to watch. In fact, I would say I find it much more compelling than TV now. I have started to check the news now by using some of the iPad news Apps rather than the TV (BBC and Sky Mobile TV, even still using the iPhone targetted RTE App), I even watched a few matches on sky sports on the iPad as it meant less fights over the access to the TV).

I too can't wait for 3.2, as lack of folders and multitasking is a bummer especially when you get used to them. But there are some tremendous applications already available, I used the Atomic Browser mainly for browsing now, as it provides those Firefox/Chrome extension like capabilities you get used too, like AdBlocking, proper tabs, offline saving, UserAgent Spoofing, Full screen support, PrivateBrowsing etc. Goodreader and even the iBooks app are brilliant for reading books/PDF, though I would agree that some PDF's which are tailored for A4 size look blurry, I have found this is typically with PDF of magazines/books downloaded from the Internet which are typically larger form factor than the 9.7 inch screen on the iPad. So, say the ecomonist, time magazine, national geographic are stunning on this screen, larger form factor magazines when resized down to the screen size/resolution can look blurry depending on the fonts they use. This is all down to the resolution/pixel density not really the screen size, eventually say a 1376x1024 resolution screen might be made available for the iPad but I wouldn't wait on it as it could be 2 iterations away.

I find some of the games and other applications available absolutely stunning. The Twitter app released the other day is so much better than the website or another other twitter application, Flipboard is a brillant way of turning the internet into a cool magazine, the comic readers (Marvel etc) are stunning, IMDB, TVGuide, RealRacingHD, PlantsVZoombies, AirVideo, Fotopedia, StumpleUpon, CineXPlayer etc. the list of Application which I actually find myself using on a daily basis is amazing really.

So, in summary is not a replacement for a laptop but depending on what you mainly do with your laptop you might find it replaces it around the house.

Hobbes

keefg wrote: »

Can anyone comment on how good the iPad is as an e-reader vs the Kindle?

It is excellent. I use Stanza over iBooks/Kindle as it felt to be the best of the three.

Kindle books are normally formatted for ebook readers, so there is a lot less to read on screen. For comics I use Comic Zeal.

For watching videos it is OK, games are excellent on it. Productivity apps are also very good. Wide screen keyboard is big enough to type normally. You just need to get used to tapping the screen.

I have the 64GB/3G. Overkill for most people but was well worth the money. It is the most used item in the house (electronics wise). My son prefers the iphone though as the screen is more his size for his hands (5yr).

Badly needs an OS upgrade though. The OS4 is much nicer.