Is the iPad not just a big iPhone?

FruttiTutti

Toying with the idea of buying an iPad. Though I'm struggling with why it's supposed to be so amazing? Can anyone fill me in? Is it not just a huge iPhone?

seamus

Why are you thinking of buying one if you don't know why you want to?

FruttiTutti

seamus wrote: »

Why are you thinking of buying one if you don't know why you want to?

Well I was considering a MacBook but then thought about maybe getting an iPad instead. But I have an iPhone, so is it just a big version of that? Like obviously a macbook is a different ball game but what's so amazing about the iPad? Maybe I'm missing something.. and it's something I need!

Sad Professor

Straight out of the box, yeah it is pretty much a big iPhone. But that's not a bad thing. The touchscreen experience is very different when you are able to use your whole hand rather than just a single finger. The larger screen also makes a big difference for web browsing. And once you start installing apps you'll find yourself doing things with it that you never would do with your iPhone.

But since you already have an iPhone, I would probably recommend getting a MacBook over an iPad.

seamus

You have to think of an iPad as a personal media device, like an iPhone or an iPod. It does a few things very well like music, pictures and videos and the web.

But it doesn't do what you want from a computer. If you're thinking about a Macbook because you will occasionally use it to write essays or manage your photos from a camera or play "proper" games, then the iPad is useless at these things. In fact, so bad at these things that it may as well not do them. But then it's not supposed to do them. It's the kind of device that sits on or under the coffee table with your stack of magazines. "I fancy surfing the web", pull it out, it's on instantly (unlike a computer), you surf the web for a few minutes and then put it down.

If you want a device for consuming content - be that reading, listening, watching, etc - then an iPad is a good choice. If you need something to create content, then it's a very poor choice.

stephendevlin

I thought the same as you op. until I seen one at the weekend. Different experience with the same features. Big screen does make a big difference. bit it aint no laptop/macbook:D

vinnycoyne

seamus wrote: »

If you want a device for consuming content - be that reading, listening, watching, etc - then an iPad is a good choice. If you need something to create content, then it's a very poor choice.

I'd have to disagree with you on this. I use my iPad for creating emails, documents, presentations, mockups, taking notes, and making music.

Of course, it's an excellent consumption device, but with the right apps you can create just about anything on it.

BBMcQ

seamus wrote: »

If you're thinking about a Macbook because you will occasionally use it to write essays ... the iPad is useless at these things. In fact, so bad at these things that it may as well not do them.

Wouldn't neccessarily agree with that. Pages is a steal of an App at €7.99 and coupled with the 70 euro wireless Mac keyboard, you get pretty much a Mac experience for "most people" (at least) 500 euro less. How much is Microsoft Word? I know how limited pages is, but for the basics it covers most things in word processing.

Sure you need a laptop or desktop anyway to sync etc the iPad so any arguments that it can't do what a laptop/desktop can do are pretty much DOA.

floggg

seamus wrote: »

Why are you thinking of buying one if you don't know why you want to?

If he's anything like me, probably because he knows nobody needs one, and its hard to justify €500 plus on an unnecessary product, but...they're just so shiny! and cool!

Cherry_Cola

I must say, before I got one I thought the exact same thing and never really saw the appeal.

Then as luck would have it, I got one as a gift and got into using it. I disagree about it not being good for essays. I use mine all the time in college and it's especially good particularly due to the lack of keyboard noise.

Goodreader is amazing as well for storing pdf's and saves me a tonne on printing.

Pages is what I use mainly for that kind of thing as well as penultimate if drawing graphs or diagrams. I also have keynote and numbers but haven't played with them as much.

On top of all that it's a really handy entertainment tool and is great for long plane rides.

matchthis

I got the iPad and have the iPhone 4. Turns out now I hardly use the iphone and more so use the iPad. iPad specific apps work very well like rye and sky news. I use an app called oplayer hdwhich makes watching .avi files an absolute dream.
In short it's a a big iPhone/ iPod feature wise. But it's the was it displays and uses those features makes it a better experience. Especially for trolling on boards:pac:

Soarer

Cherry_Cola wrote: »

Then as luck would have it, I got one as a gift and got into using it.

I wish someone would give me one as a gift?!

matchthis wrote: »

iPad specific apps work very well like rye and sky news.

Balls! I'm allergic to rye!