iPad: is it worth it?

I have an annual laptop budget and I really don't need another laptop (got a netbook last year).

I'm probably going to blow it on an iPad and I wanted to see what others think about theirs. The kids at the university really like those - I'm pretty sure all of those folks are iPhone owners, if not outright mac abusers.

The most obvious thing is those screens get dirty pretty quick. Also Amazon is going on about the glare in their commercials.

I've had one for a couple of weeks and I like it a lot as the experience is more satisfying. I think this is because of the immediacy of the experience: the abstraction of the pointer is removed. For me, it's a bit like the difference between playing a game in 1st person versus 3rd person.

The screen gets smudged up, but I have never noticed it as a problem. Yes the screen is very glossy and, while I have never tried, I imagine it is impossible to use outside in the sun.

If you get one, Undercroft is free now and is amazing on the iPad.

Here is the old fashioned person again.... but how anyone could pay a small fortune for an IPAD is beyond my understanding?

So if anyone could give me a reasonable explanation as to why.. that would be great.

You wrote you already have a netbook from last year? what exactly is it the ipad can do that you can't do with your netbook? that is except touching the screen with your fingers?

Unless you really need the big screen and the less comfortable transportation aspect, I'd go for a 4th gen Ipod Touch... Much cheaper and exactly as capable.

Lucky Day said:

I have an annual laptop budget

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Why?

If you don't mind me asking. I mean, a quality laptop should last you at least 3-4 years.

DArtagnan said:

Unless you really need the big screen and the less comfortable transportation aspect, I'd go for a 4th gen Ipod Touch… Much cheaper and exactly as capable.

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As I own both I can tell you this is NOT true. You are basically saying that if I have a smartphone with physical keyboard that I don't need a netbook. Sure there are similarities, but the fact that the screen is 6x bigger, allows for full-size on-screen keyboard, and so on ... it just isn't the same. Also, the 'HD' iPad apps add functionality to take advantage of the added screen real estate.

There is a reason that everyone is saying the iPad is a netbook killer. For me, the moment I got the iPad I stopped using the netbook for anything but playing classic games, and now I have moved that to my Alienware m11x, so my netbook is gone.

I use my iPad for, well ... EVERYTHING! Including:
- Email - the universal client works great
- Web browsing - no slowdown with 9 active windows (unlike a netbook!)
- RSS feeds - I like NewsRack, but there are plenty of others. Again, integrated web browsing to quickly read the articles and top-notch performance.
- Document editing: Documents to Go works with 'cloud' services like Google Docs and DropBox seamlessly. Also the iWork apps and QuickOffice are nice, but Docs2Go is my fave
- Spreadsheets ... again Docs2Go is a great cloud-sync'd Excel-alike ... and performs a billion times better than Excel on netbook ... and doesn't have the user-abusive 'ribbon bar'
- Presentations - Keynote rocks ... gave a presentation to the regional statistical society recently using nothing but my iPad hooked to the projector!
- Mind Manager ... if you use one of these (I have MindJet's MindManager on Mac & PC), then iThoughtsHD is phenomenal
- Blogging / reviewing / article writing ... WordPress & Evernote are excellent on the iPad and allow you to get some quick writing in wherever you go.
- Music - sure it isn't Digital Performer , but stuff like Virtuoso, GrooveMaker, iElectribe, Etude, and so on allow for some reasonably satisfying music on the go.
- TV Guide / Weather Channel - quick and easy apps give you much more detail than on a phone, and more quickly than on the web sites.
- Hulu / Netflix - stream TV & Movies easily ... and without killing your battery. I have run a full length movie and two hour long TV shows without breaking a sweat in terms of battery. Same with streaming music via Pandora / Slacker.
- Twitter - I find the iPad to have the best (and, unlike Seesmic / TweetDeck / etc, also the lightest) client
- iPod / iTunes / App Store - gives a solid user experience and a full browsing on the go. I rarely buy from my home computer anymore.
- Keyboard Dock if you prefer a physical keyboard, as I do ... the keyboard dock is excellent. I am secretary for the regional quality society, and use Docs 2 Go with the keyboard dock for every monthly board meeting.
- Games - ah yeah, Games ... not replacing my PC anytime soon, but some really good stuff coming out. Shooters work better than PSP or DS, adventure games are starting to find a great home here as well ... also City builders. And of course RPGs like the upcoming Ossian Studios game will only help.
- eBooks - I have eReader, Kindle, Nook, Kobo and iBooks all loaded on my iPad. I had loads of ebooks from eReader & MobiPocket back from Pocket PC / Palm / Psion days, as well as plenty of Kindle ebooks from the last few years. My wife has a nook, so we can share those books as well. Is the iPad heavy compared to the nook? Sure, but if you have it in landscape orientation it is pretty much two nooks/Kindles side by side.

OK, so I have told you the good stuff, and why I use my iPad as an integral part of my life. What about the downside?
- Computer tether - you can't even get started without plugging it into a PC and activating it through iTunes. You can BUY content on the iPad from iTunes, Kindle, etc and access through Google Docs / DropBox ... but to get to your existing stuff you need to connect a cable. No wireless sync.
- Closed ecosystem - on my Android phone I can get developer apps to test / review just by checking the 'install from unknown sources' box. This allows for experimental apps, drivers, codecs ... on the iPad everything goes through Apple.
- App Limitations - anyone who used a Handheld PC 2000 Windows CE system like the HP Jornada 728 knows that the Office Apps were severely gimped. Nothing like that here, but many of the apps - while better than iPhone apps - are still less full-featured than their desktop versions.

Some general thoughts:
- iOS 4 - the multitasking, folders and wireless printing will all be a wonderful addition when they arrive next month!
- eBook screen - this is NOT E-Ink, it is a computer screen. Anywhere it would be hard to read a PC screen ... same for iPad.
- Screen Dirt / Scratch- get a protector right away! Head to Meritline or Buy.com or NewEgg one of those types of sites and get a relatively cheap 3-pack. Best money you can spend!
- Case - Also, get a case of some type. I have the basic Apple case and love it. I can't use it with the keyboard dock, so pretty much at least once every week I remove it from the case to use that dock. For light stuff I use the Apple case as a wedge stand and use the on-screen keyboard.
- Bluetooth - I also have an Apple BlueTooth keyboard, and that works great as well ... and is a few $ cheaper. Depends on how you will use it, really.
- Music - notice I didn't mention music? Sure I have ~16GB or so of music on there, but unless I am in the office and just plug into the dock (I have a Dell external monitor with speaker bar attached to my laptop) I seldom use the iPad as an iPod. Honestly, I think the iPod Touch and iPad are the worst iPods I have used in terms of pure music playing ... I like physical controls so I keep my 2nd gen iPod Nano around.
- 4th Gen iPod Touch - DArtagnan mentioned this ... and it is awesome. I had a 1st gen, and just got the new one. Cameras are adequate, not as good as my Droid camera / Flip Video combo I usually have, but not bad either. The screen and speed are amazing ... I love gaming on it!

There you go ... feel free to ask any questions you might have!

txa1265 said:

As I own both I can tell you this is NOT true. You are basically saying that if I have a smartphone with physical keyboard that I don't need a netbook. Sure there are similarities, but the fact that the screen is 6x bigger, allows for full-size on-screen keyboard, and so on … it just isn't the same. Also, the 'HD' iPad apps add functionality to take advantage of the added screen real estate.

There is a reason that everyone is saying the iPad is a netbook killer. For me, the moment I got the iPad I stopped using the netbook for anything but playing classic games, and now I have moved that to my Alienware m11x, so my netbook is gone.

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Did you miss this part: Unless you really need the big screen?

What I'm saying is actually 100% true - regardless of what you personally think the screen size is worth.

Again, if you don't mind the small screen - I'd go for the 4th gen iPod Touch. Primarily because it's MUCH cheaper and fits so nicely into your pocket.

I should probably add that I recently got one myself, and I tested the iPad of a friend beforehand. I saw nothing on the iPad worth the extra cash, but then again - I wouldn't argue against others having a different opinion. It's about what you're going to use it for.

I find reading on my Touch quite comfortable, but that would be ONE aspect that I would prefer the iPad for. That's about it.

This still doesn't explain why someone would get an IPAD instead of a netbook?

In fact.... what is written above is you get something much more exspensive with much worse software, that you have to activate through your PC and apple control everything you buy..... just confirms how stupid people are I guess At least sales were not as good as expected and made the apple stocks go down... perhaps there is hope for humankind.

GothicGothicness said:

This still doesn't explain why someone would get an IPAD instead of a netbook?

In fact…. what is written above is you get something much more exspensive with much worse software, that you have to activate through your PC and apple control everything you buy….. just confirms how stupid people are I guess At least sales were not as good as expected and made the apple stocks go down… perhaps there is hope for humankind.

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People can have different "needs" than you, and yet not be stupid.

DArtagnan said:

Did you miss this part: Unless you really need the big screen?

What I'm saying is actually 100% true - regardless of what you personally think the screen size is worth.

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OK, while I think we basically agree we'll have to agree to disagree on some of the fine details. My comment was about the 'exactly as capable'. Technically they are very similar, and many more or less similar apps work across both ...

But I made the analogy about smartphone to netbook intentionally. I use my smartphone for a bunch of stuff, but the physical realities of tiny screen and mini keyboard actually matter when you start using it for more than a simple little device for 'consuming media' as the PR goes.

It may sound stupid given the $ I spent, but I had no idea the extent to which the iPad would infiltrate my life until I started using it!

GothicGothicness said:

This still doesn't explain why someone would get an IPAD instead of a netbook?

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Hmmm ... let's see ...
- Because it is more powerful than pretty much ANY netbook?
- Because any netbook that is comparably powerful (i.e. uses the ION chipset) costs MORE than the iPad!
- Because it doesn't bog down running more than a couple of apps?
- Because it has instant-on, fast app launching, and state-saves?
- Because it has >2x the battery life of a netbook?
- Because you can watch HD video without the fan spinning out of control, frames dropping, and battery life dropping to less than 2 hours?

GothicGothicness said:

In fact…. what is written above is you get something much more exspensive with much worse software, that you have to activate through your PC and apple control everything you buy….. just confirms how stupid people are I guess At least sales were not as good as expected and made the apple stocks go down… perhaps there is hope for humankind.

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So ... you are a blind 'anything but Apple' bigot, I take it? And are therefore trolling this thread to call those who like any of their products stupid? Reflects pretty well on you, I must say ... particularly with the level of ignorance you've shown here.

iDon'tKnow.

There is a Windows 7 Tablet called the exopc that is coming out the 15th of november (endgadget should have a review up in the next week or so). Here is the link

www.exopc.com

The tablet is powered by a 1.6ghz atom processor vs 1ghz samsung processor for the ipad. It has 2gb of ram vs 256mb in the ipad. It has 2 USB ports, an sd card reader and a front facing camera, all of wich the iPad doesnt have. It has an 11inch screen, better resolution and supports HD. It has an app store with 1000 apps at launch, but this is almost irrelevent because you can install any program that works on windows on the exopc. It also works with flash. Plus the exopc has what is called a UI layer, wich is basically a touch user interface, seperate from the windows ui. You can see videos on the website or better do a search on youtube for exopc. It's also the same price as the iPad and is a true netbook replacement. The only thing better on the iPad is that the battery life lasts twice as long (9-10 hours for the iPad and between 4-5 hours for the exopc). But the ipad is also a lot less powerful.
You can do a search on youtube to see the exopc in action. (You can call me an exopc fanboy if you want, I have mine preordered )

Thank you for making my point, hope it can also make someone like TXA who call everyone a troll even if they are just developing a new great free mod for a game to see some reason.

Also I don't know about the prices for the ipad in US, but you can get a netbook with better specs than the ipad for 75% of the price here… could be the US is very different though.

People can have different "needs" than you, and yet not be stupid.

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Yes, I agree with this for sure…….. but it doesn't mean I understand why they'd need an IPAD

GothicGothicness said:

you can get a netbook with better specs than the ipad for 75% of the price here…

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Do they have have a touch screen?

zzajin said:

Do they have have a touch screen?

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I don't see the point of the touchscreen. The convenience of the iPad is not that it's touchscreen, it's the form factor that's great, for reading or browsing the internet when sitting on a couch,... Typing with a virtual keyboard is a hastle compared to a real keyboard.

If someone bought it, enjoys it, and doesn't regret it - then it's worth it.

It's that simple.

Personally, I don't see a need for the iPad that's big enough to justify the price. It certainly isn't particularly powerful - it's just very "slick" and it does serve a few unique purposes - like the touchscreen interface that's very natural and easy to use - and it's comfortable compared to a laptop that you have to open and find space for a mouse for, unless you want to use the touchpad. Also, the power lasts longer.

The problem with the iPad is that it doesn't support gaming outside of the closed Apple market - but then again, the Apple market is growing at an obscene rate. Personally, I would never play "seriously" on an iPad or a Touch - because the games are simply not something I can invest that much into, but they're great for the travel experience - and they're simply "cool" in a cute kind of way.

I've bought a few serious cRPGs for the platform, just to check them out - but I just can't sit down and play The Quest or Rimelands for long when I have Fallout 3 or Arcania on my PC. I will never run out of good PC games that i'd rather play than a cute little throwback to the old days. At least, I'm not seeing it happening.

But, that's me, and some people obviously think that kind of gaming is worth their time - and they're fine with paying that price for what you get. That's not "wrong", that's just a different set of wants and needs.

But "need" is the wrong word. It's a consumer product invented for people to throw money at, and have a bit of fun with. It's not a "need" - it's a luxury.

That's how I see my Touch, anyway - and I'm fine with that. Turning it into this vital piece of equipment is hard to grasp, but to each their own

My wife wants one pretty badly, thankfully it is not in our budget. I always wondered if users feel confined with the fact they have to use Itunes exclusively for their downloads, unless I'm mistaken here. I'd feel like I was in Jail. I do see Dell and another manufacturer coming out with Android versions of the Ipad and I'm sure it will be cheaper and not so confined. I consider Apple products to be more of a luxury item.

GothicGothicness said:

Thank you for making my point, hope it can also make someone like TXA who call everyone a troll even if they are just developing a new great free mod for a game to see some reason.

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No, and don't be dishonest and use that as a means as an attack against me - someone who digs up 2+ year old threads to self-promote is not such the victim as you claim, and you know it. Sure it was arguable that 'spammer' would have been a more precise term, but either way THEY were at fault for the improper usage of the forums, not I for imprecise term usage.

You entering to call people stupid? Yeah, I guess I still see that as a troll move.

GothicGothicness said:

Also I don't know about the prices for the ipad in US, but you can get a netbook with better specs than the ipad for 75% of the price here… could be the US is very different though.

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Please, do provide specifics. I have given many, many examples. You have given personal attacks. You want me to see reason, then show me some details.

Heck, I have owned three netbooks - HP Mini-Note, Lenovo s10, and brand new dual-core Atom powered HP 5103. Guess what? The iPad is faster, more responsive and more powerful than ANY of them! I love the new HP, but it is still a way-scaled-down real PC ... it is all about the compromise.

We all know that the GHz wars are over, and there were many articles early this year showing that 500MHz Cortex A8 outpaced a 1.6GHz Atom!

k1000 said:

I don't see the point of the touchscreen. The convenience of the iPad is not that it's touchscreen, it's the form factor that's great, for reading or browsing the internet when sitting on a couch,… Typing with a virtual keyboard is a hastle compared to a real keyboard.

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Wait ... what? How can a person who has pre-ordered a tablet not see the use of a touchscreen? You obviously haven't used one much ...

k1000 said:

There is a Windows 7 Tablet called the exopc that is coming out the 15th of november (endgadget should have a review up in the next week or so). Here is the link

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Windows tablets have been around for years ... and the iPad has sold more in 6 months than the entire decade of Windows tablets. Why? Because the Windows interface doesn't play well on tablets - it is a failure, and has been shown to be a failure year after year after year. Windows is not made for a touch interface - it is a kludgy add-on layer. I hope that this new tablet is better than the hundreds of past ones ...

But think about this - the A4 is more powerful in real usage than the Atom. Windows XP was extended BECAUSE of how poorly newer OS worked on Atom. Now you have to add a touch processing software interface (i.e. more overhead) to an already bogged-down system.

Oh ... and they don't even use the proper Atom name on their web site ... not exactly a confidence booster.

sherwinz28 said:

I always wondered if users feel confined with the fact they have to use Itunes exclusively for their downloads,

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That was what I said before. Apple didn't ever intend this as a main computer for someone, but as teh bridge between smartphone and main PC. Therefore it remains 'slaved' to that system. On the other hand, the ability to interface via AirTunes, AirPlay, Remote and so on to work between Mac & iPod Touch and iPad ... you will NEVER get that on Android, and certainly not on Windows.

GothicGothicness said:

This still doesn't explain why someone would get an IPAD instead of a netbook?

In fact…. what is written above is you get something much more exspensive with much worse software, that you have to activate through your PC and apple control everything you buy….. just confirms how stupid people are I guess At least sales were not as good as expected and made the apple stocks go down… perhaps there is hope for humankind.

Click to expand...

You know, thats just unfriendly.

Face the iBand