iPad or iFad, what do you think?

jock101 · 07-07-2010 12:09AM #1

Do you think the iPad is a passing fad or rich mans toy. Or do you think its a really useful tool in this digital media age?:rolleyes:

grizzly · 07-07-2010 12:15AM

I think it's a fun gadget. Although for light users it could easily replace a laptop, except for the fact it needs a computer tied to it.

rordeb · 07-07-2010 08:08AM

Agreed it will keep slot of people away from their computers. The days of sitting at a desk waiting for something to power up are fading.

IamMetaldave · 07-07-2010 08:10AM

I think if you have an iPhone there's no need for them. I know there's a bigger screen for films or whatever, for travel etc a phone is handier.

displaced dub · 07-07-2010 08:45AM

I don't think it's a rich mans toy,I have one and I'm no rich man.

I also don't think it's a fad they've sold too many with massive interest still in unlaunched countries.

I also think the day of the desktop/laptop is coming to an end for home/ personal use, when they get this cloud computing sorted your iPad will back up to the cloud instead of your computer.

As I've said before in other posts I've had this 3 months now and anyone and I mean anyone who gets there hands on it say two things

1. I want one
2. It's not just a big iPod/iPhone

My wife my kids my mother her mother all love it, the mothers are on the notify me on the apple site waiting for the day they can order it.

I use it for travel with work and I will be sitting on the plane tomorrow am and Friday pm watching either breaking bad or modern family.

Basq · 07-07-2010 09:02AM

I started thinking it was a decent little gadget but as I've used it more and more, it's a superb device.

The problem with the iPad is that out of the box, it's grand - impressive but with obvious limited capabilities. But until you pick up some apps - both official (RSS readers, Twitter clients, Keynote, Docs2Go and various great looking games) and some unofficial (Backgrounder) - it becomes an extremely capable device both for business-orientated people (the amount of great looking stock applications, applications to edit any document type sent to you, dictation applications etc) and not so business orientated (OPlayer HD to play almost any audio or video format, Comic Zeal for glorious looking comics etc).

People said it'll never replace a netbook.. with how much it has came on in 3 months after release, I'd starting to think it'll go pretty damn close to doing so IMO.

It's certainly not an iFad.. but I do think you need to spend a fair amount of money to make it a "capable" device.

Einstein · 07-07-2010 09:05AM

Hoping to pick one up when they're out here...Was in California and NY over the last couple weeks and they were out of stock

Ideal for me for sheet music in PDF format, and also instructional videos...that alone is a bonus for me...anything else I can use it for will make it even better

naasrd · 07-07-2010 10:24AM

I'm with displaced dub & basquille. While it's taken over from the laptop in our house for internet use, it's also, due to an app called Pages, proven itself to be very useful for my work, something I never expected and was bowled over when I discovered it. When I heard about it first I did wonder where/who it was aimed at, but now, 1 month on the iPad has become an integral part of my Internet use. Banking, email, work, surfing; the whole 9 yards, it's a serious piece of kit. I've said it elsewhere on other threads it's made my laptop seem clunky and redundant, that's my experience of it.

As for the cost; I've stayed in a couple of weekends since I bought it, cut down on a night out here and there and in doing so have made up more than half it's cost already.

Dades · 07-07-2010 10:46AM

Tablet devices will become huge over the next couple of years. They'll take a lot of business from laptops and netbooks, but by no means replace them.

There is a niche for "couch surfing" and the iPad and forthcoming similar devices will fill it.

Branoic · 07-07-2010 11:10AM

Both my wife and I have iPhones and I've got a kindle and we use the iPad on a daily basis. Certainly not a fad for us.

07-07-2010 11:50AM

The device is complete and utter marketing bs.
Just came across this:

Obviously not having one I cant check this out. But if I wanted something small and light to browse net with I would spend 50% of the cost on a netbook and get 10 times the storage space,webcam,card reader, USB Lan and extension ports, removable battery,flash support, video out and be able to do more than one thing at a time with proper full multitasking!

BrianD · 07-07-2010 11:54AM

I think you can safely say ifad until other competitors enter the market. Reports indicate that 3m have been sold (lets up that to over 3m) which means they are but a small drop in the ocean. Hardly a game changer.

It remains to be seen if apple will spur other manufacturers into the tablet market. The tablet has been hanging around for a few years with no uptake but Apple may well be the ones to lead the charge.

naasrd · 07-07-2010 11:55AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Obviously not having one I cant check this out. But if I wanted something small and light to browse net with I would spend 50% of the cost on a netbook and get 10 times the storage space,webcam,card reader, USB Lan and extension ports, removable battery,flash support, video out and be able to do more than one thing at a time with proper full multitasking!

Good job I don't use my iPad for watching movies then, huh?

Pittens · 07-07-2010 11:55AM

I am a big APple fan and I have one, but for me - though I use it quite a bit - it wont replace the desktop. I need the desktop to work anyway ( i.e. to code) but I also write documents on the desktop - that is what I am doing all day today - and wouldnt use pages. I just dont like the keyboard on the iPad.

And thats enough for it not to replace the machine I am working on. Also it doesnt print. And also - copy and paste is easier with a keyboard.

I realise I can buy one - a keyboard. But I have spent enough this year.

Anyway it is great for surfing and for email etc. Short emails of course. And videos. TV. That brilliant. I dont really use it for music as it is kinda pointless being so big. Apps, so far, are good but not great. Developers have yet to come to terms - for the most part - with the extra screen real estate.

One major flaw. I want to see something online and pass it around to other people. Or leave it lying around. If I do they can see my entire history, or use my emails etc. Rather than a full multi-user experience a lock for safari and email would do it.

Pittens · 07-07-2010 11:59AM

But if I wanted something small and light to browse net with I would spend 50% of the cost on a netbook and get 10 times the storage space,webcam,card reader, USB Lan and extension ports, removable battery,flash support, video out and be able to do more than one thing at a time with proper full multitasking!

look, haters like you are never going to buy an Apple product. So why dont you not post in the Apple Media Devices forum. Your post was typical stupidity. Apple make the dimensions of the iPad clear, and I have no problem - nor does anybody else with a brain - with black lines on top of screens - my TV does that for movies too even though it is widescreenish.

The ANGRY UNWASHED HATERS OF APPLE are getting a bit sad and tired now. go and play in your own sad little sandbox.

And if the response to my post is Fanboy, I point you to my last post where I criticised the iPad from actually having used it, rather than picking up some nerd crap online from comic book guy type losers.

07-07-2010 11:59AM

naasrd wrote: »

Good job I don't use my iPad for watching movies then, huh?

I don't mind what you use it for. But you did get ripped off!

Pittens · 07-07-2010 12:01PM

Reports indicate that 3m have been sold (lets up that to over 3m) which means they are but a small drop in the ocean. Hardly a game changer.

3M is after - what - about two months sale in the US, and one month in 8 other countries? Seems to me they are on to sell tens of millions next year, and a hundred M or so the year after.

I hope they fix the multi-user problem.

Pittens · 07-07-2010 12:02PM

I don't mind what you use it for. But you did get ripped off!

No he didnt. Now piss off out of here to the netbook thread where you can talk with the rest of the comic book guys about evil apple.

Graham · 07-07-2010 12:03PM

Deleted User wrote: »

The device is complete and utter marketing bs.
Just came across this:

Obviously not having one I cant check this out. But if I wanted something small and light to browse net with I would spend 50% of the cost on a netbook and get 10 times the storage space,webcam,card reader, USB Lan and extension ports, removable battery,flash support, video out and be able to do more than one thing at a time with proper full multitasking!

The Mrs and I both get several hours of use a day out of our iPads, obviously this is purely because "the device is complete and utter marketing bs". :rolleyes:

Of course my experience is based on several months of actually using the device and not on the ramblings of a few screen-shots I've found on the internet.

Basq · 07-07-2010 12:08PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Obviously not having one I cant check this out. But if I wanted something small and light to browse net with I would spend 50% of the cost on a netbook and get 10 times the storage space,webcam,card reader, USB Lan and extension ports, removable battery,flash support, video out and be able to do more than one thing at a time with proper full multitasking!

Well.. the device isn't for you - it's as simple as that!

No-one's gonna convince you that you need one. But just to clarify some of your points for other people:

Deleted User wrote: »

But if I wanted something small and light to browse net with I would spend 50% of the cost on a netbook

Very true with regards to cost.. but with regards to "small and light", you'll be hard pushed to find a decent netbook at 0.63kg in weight.

Deleted User wrote: »

and get 10 times the storage space

Good point but I've an NC10 with a 120GB hard-drive, and it's about half used - and it's full of movies and music. I think most casual users will find 64GB's more than enough.

Deleted User wrote: »

webcam

Again.. I suspect the reasoning they left out webcam was that it'd add bulk (same reason I'd say it's never been added to the iPod Touch). They are external cams in development if you plan on using it for video calling etc.

Deleted User wrote: »

card reader

It is available - at a cost. I suspect third party components will surface soon.

Deleted User wrote: »

USB Lan and extension ports

The camera connection kit has support for USB devices (albeit very limited right now) and LAN is not something that concerns me (and I wouldn't say a lot of people would be too concerned about this).

Deleted User wrote: »

removable battery

This was not a surprise given Apple's history but yeah, it's irritating nonetheless.

Deleted User wrote: »

flash support

Let's not get into this debate!

I do think Apple made the right decision in omitting it but there are arguments for and against it.

Deleted User wrote: »

video out

Video Out is available either by VGA or Composite cables - e.gh. http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/d9e8/

Deleted User wrote: »

and be able to do more than one thing at a time with proper full multitasking!

Well.. I've been hugely impressed with Backgrounder (third party app) and apparently it's much better than Apple's suggested method for multi-tasking in iOS4.

BrianD · 07-07-2010 12:08PM

Deleted User wrote: »

The device is complete and utter marketing bs.
Just came across this:

Obviously not having one I cant check this out. But if I wanted something small and light to browse net with I would spend 50% of the cost on a netbook and get 10 times the storage space,webcam,card reader, USB Lan and extension ports, removable battery,flash support, video out and be able to do more than one thing at a time with proper full multitasking!

Leaving aside the 2cheating2, I'm surprised that Apple didn't go with a widescreen format. Most laptops are going this way

vinnycoyne · 07-07-2010 12:14PM

Lads, leave out the personal attacks. Thanks.

Minstrel27 · 07-07-2010 12:14PM

Pittens wrote: »

No he didnt. Now piss off out of here to the netbook thread where you can talk with the rest of the comic book guys about evil apple.

Best not have a bad thought about an Apple product when you are around. One might mistake you for a fanboy.

Pittens wrote: »

And if the response to my post is Fanboy, I point you to my last post where I criticised the iPad from actually having used it, rather than picking up some nerd crap online from comic book guy type losers.

Denial is a terrible thing.

Basq · 07-07-2010 12:18PM

Christ.. can we not have a civilised fecking discussion without it descending into a goddamn Apple / PC flaming match?

Seriously.. it's the Internet equivalent of a pissing contest. Who gives a shiny sh*te?!

07-07-2010 12:25PM

Pittens wrote: »

look, haters like you are never going to buy an Apple product. So why dont you not post in the Apple Media Devices forum. Your post was typical stupidity. Apple make the dimensions of the iPad clear, and I have no problem - nor does anybody else with a brain - with black lines on top of screens - my TV does that for movies too even though it is widescreenish.

The ANGRY UNWASHED HATERS OF APPLE are getting a bit sad and tired now. go and play in your own sad little sandbox.

And if the response to my post is Fanboy, I point you to my last post where I criticised the iPad from actually having used it, rather than picking up some nerd crap online from comic book guy type losers.

Lol, pretty much the response I expected!

Graham · 07-07-2010 12:28PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Lol, pretty much the response I expected!

Nixmix, you're obviously not in the market for/interested in an apple product. Just out of curiosity what brings you to the Apple Media Devices forum?

Gurgle · 07-07-2010 12:31PM

jock101 wrote: »

Do you think the iPad is a passing fad or rich mans toy. Or do you think its a really useful tool in this digital media age?:rolleyes:

Its what Apple do best, showcase technology that everyone else *nearly* has, funded by extracting silly quantities of cash from the wallets of fanboys.

If it doesn't drop massively in price in the next year, it will be eaten alive by Win 7 / Linux tablets with open content and application access.

Multi-touch tablets in general are here to stay, but not in this form.

Bulktohulk · 07-07-2010 12:32PM

It's not a fad. It's also the first generation of what will no doubt be a long line of iPad products. And that's just from apple, lots of companies are making tablets now. So do I think the iPad is perfect? No, far from it. However, I believe it's the best tablet on the market right now, and while tablets haven't fully caught on with the mass market yet, they will in the next few years as the devices get as thin as paper, the price comes down and more features are added. Again, not talking about the iPad specifically here, just tablets in general. If you're an early adaptor and have some spare cash, the iPad is a great buy. I know I love mine.

Basq · 07-07-2010 12:38PM

Gurgle wrote: »

If it doesn't drop massively in price in the next year, it will be eaten alive by Win 7 / Linux tablets with open content and application access.

Engadget did a big comparison (will try and dig up the link) of all the competitors for the iPad - both about to be released and in-development - and the ones that had prices announced didn't seem too far off from the iPad's base price.

I certain wouldn't be an early adopter of Windows 7 tablet regardless. Android definitely appears to be stable and reliable, but who knows how the former will perform?

07-07-2010 12:52PM

Graham wrote: »

Nixmix, you're obviously not in the market for/interested in an apple product. Just out of curiosity what brings you to the Apple Media Devices forum?

To try and understand why people pay over the odds for hamstrung devices.

Basq · 07-07-2010 12:56PM

Deleted User wrote: »

To try and understand why people pay over the odds for hamstrung devices.

Well.. it's your opinion that's it's a hamstrung device - but plenty of people have made informed decisions (myself included) to buy one, and enjoy it.

You could sit here and point out it's flaws.. I agree with some of them (as I've pointed out above) but it's sounds like you've made your decision already that it's a hamstrung device so no-one here can convince you otherwise.

iPad or iFad, what do you think?

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