iPad: is it worth it?

Thanks for the video and thorough explanation of what an iPad can be used for! You almost managed to get me sold on one And normally I'm not much of a "gadget guy" (borderline old fashioned - only recently got my first Android smart phone).

Since you seem to know a lot about this stuff - are there any Android apps you particularly like/use?

Hmmm … because I distribute my stuff between iPad, iPod Touch, Macbook Pro, Alienware m11x and the Android, I tend to segregate functionality.

The Droid for me is all communications - there are excellent built-in things for calling and managing contacts, text messages, camera and photo sharing, and so on. For 3rd party stuff I use the usual Slacker, Pandora, etc (remember no Spotify in US), WinAMP just came out for Android. For Outlook sync for work I have an excellent utility called TouchDown. I live for PDANet - a USB tethering app … well, I'm using it now! There are also loads of things like barcode scanners, sound recorders, flashlights, ebooks, and so on. Not much gaming - the multitouch interface is inferipor to the iPod Touch, so why bother?

I'm sure others have more ideas - are there specific areas you are looking at?

Originally Posted by txa1265
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.

Pretty opinionated for a moderator

Originally Posted by wynams
Pretty opinionated for a moderator

TXA could quite possibly be the most combative MOD I have ever witnessed on ANY forum. Have witnessed his theatrics for awhile. He ruins RPGWatch personally.

Everybody has their own fav geeky device. To each his own…TXA will tell you HIS FAVS are everyones favs I'm sure. Bless his little heart.

Originally Posted by txa1265
I'm sure others have more ideas - are there specific areas you are looking at?

Well, I don't know. I think the list you just gave is a great starting point for me, for searching the Marketplace. So thanks for that!

There are thousands of apps available on the Marketplace, and to be honest I find it hard to filter out the crap from the useful stuff.. especially when browsing the market from the phone. Initially it was fun just checking out random stuff - but after a while I found myself almost extensively using the "stock" apps that comes with Android 2.1.

I primarily use the phone for email - its very powerful for doing that, if you use GMail. And then also for browsing the Internet (news sites, like this one). Well, and for making calls obviously

But I was actually looking for a good way to access my work email account and calender (Outlook) - so maybe the app you mentioned, TouchDown, would be able to do that. Will check it out. Also sounds cool with the WinAmp for Android

Originally Posted by wynams
Pretty opinionated for a moderator

I'm no mod or team member anymore … just a guy with a passion for gaming and technology. And someone who doesn't take kindly to personal attacks.

Originally Posted by shagwoodtm
TXA could quite possibly be the most combative MOD I have ever witnessed on ANY forum. Have witnessed his theatrics for awhile. He ruins RPGWatch personally.

Aren't you the guy who offered to pay the site if I was gone? Well, I was gone for 6 months, and am no longer a mod, writer or team member anymore. I hope you paid up

Originally Posted by shagwoodtm
Everybody has their own fav geeky device. To each his own…TXA will tell you HIS FAVS are everyones favs I'm sure. Bless his little heart.

Absolutely not - laptops are not right for everyone, netbooks are not right for everyone, iPads are not right for everyone, smartphones are not right for everyone and so on. What I am debating here is NOT about whether someone's choice is 'right' or 'wrong', since that is subjective … I am debating the technical facts used in comparisons.

Originally Posted by KasperFauerby
I primarily use the phone for email - its very powerful for doing that, if you use GMail. And then also for browsing the Internet (news sites, like this one). Well, and for making calls obviously )

I also use the Mail app for Yahoo and .Mac mail, and it works great. I love how everything just keeps getting better. Sadly PalmOS is pretty much dead, and I don't know if Windows Phone 7 will amount to anything … but Android and iOS keep pushing each other to do more things, and do them better.

Originally Posted by KasperFauerby
But I was actually looking for a good way to access my work email account and calender (Outlook) - so maybe the app you mentioned, TouchDown, would be able to do that. Will check it out. Also sounds cool with the WinAmp for Android

Touchdown is great as my work doesn't use a proper ActiveSync-friendly system on the server side since the standard mobile is BlackBerry … and Touchdown has a sync option that works through WebMail and still is great with Tasks, Notes, Calendar and so on.

As for WinAMP … it is really slick! I love the interface and the ease of assigning songs to ringtones - my family was playing with it tonight!

Originally Posted by zakhal
Im not sure I know anyone who uses iTunes. Nowadays everyone has started to use spotify free/paid. Few still buy CDs/Vinyls.
…

Fearing that my credibility will fall below zero, but: I use ITunes (Windows) and it works for me. It has what I need for organizing my collection of albums and, whether I bought it on CD (I still do), from iTunes store or eMusic (I do most of my shopping there these days).

And for keeping Ipod (classic) ut to date. I've tried Spotify, free version - didn't like it because of the commercials. And I like to take the music I listen to with me wherever I go.

I'm sure there are better solutions out there, but it works for me.

And, to be serious for once: I understand perfectly well why someone would want an IPad. Or an IPhone. Lots of nice features. But not for me. I prefer large laptops (> = 17") with a decent keyboard and enouch space to use it as a mosepad as well. Don't mind the 4 kg +, as I carry it in a backpack anyway.

One issue regarding screen size: When you pass level 50, your eye-sight (your accomodation) starts to deteriorate. So small screens with small fonts tend to be more difficult to read (unless you are near-sighted in the -1 to -2 range) - I tried a 11" laptop for a couple of weeks - I found myself lifting it up close to my face to read it. Not very practical.

. I've tried Spotify, free version - didn't like it because of the commercials. And I like to take the music I listen to with me wherever I go.

It is worth to pay for premium…… you get so much music… and it can handle your library too.

iTunes is one of the worst pieces of software I've ever used - but since I'm not interested in jailbreaking the thing - I guess I have to live with it?

Originally Posted by GothicGothicness
It is worth to pay for premium…… you get so much music… and it can handle your library too.

But, as I understand it, once you quit Spotify you no longer have access to the music? You can't buy it and take it with you?

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
iTunes is one of the worst pieces of software I've ever used - but since I'm not interested in jailbreaking the thing - I guess I have to live with it?

I'm ok with it. But then, under I only use it on Windows, and only to store music for my IPod I have other options, it's not forced upon me. The only thing I'll miss if I stop using it is (I assume) the possibility to buy music from ITunes store. No big loss, since most of the music I prefer is available on eMusic (and probably not on the ITunes store, anyway).

Originally Posted by pibbur
But, as I understand it, once you quit Spotify you no longer have access to the music? You can't buy it and take it with you?

If you have premium you can install spotify into your phone and take it anywhere. Also
you can log on anywhere (PC,Phone,etc) where there is spotify installed and get access to your playlists. You can also see your friends playlists all the time and the songs they are playing most.

But when you stop your prescription? And, can you play the music on an ordinary MP3 player?

> You can also see your friends playlists all the time and the songs they are playing most.

Yeech!!!

Originally Posted by pibbur
But when you stop your prescription? And, can you play the music on an ordinary MP3 player?

Ive never bought anything but for one thing you dont need subscription to buy the songs. As for mp3 player:

Spotify isn’t just good for streaming, it’s also great for downloads. With Spotify you can purchase individual tracks and albums and keep them as MP3s. This comes in handy if you use an older iPod or MP3 player and want music on the go. If you like to ‘try before you buy’ you can do it all with Spotify.

If a track or album is available for purchase a little ‘Buy’ button will be displayed next to it. Simply click it and without leaving Spotify, you’ll download the MP3 files.

Music you’ve purchased can be downloaded 3-5 times depending on which label the music comes from. The files are in MP3 format and most of them are either 256 or 320 kbps – the quality is specified when purchasing. The files are also playable in Spotify (under ‘Purchases’) as long as they remain on your hard drive.

http://www.spotify.com/int/about/fea…sic-purchases/

Yes, I saw you can buy music from there. I've reinstalled it on my PC (free version), at least I can use it to listen to music before I buy it.

The selection of music available seems quite good. I found only a few titles from my collection that were not available on Spotify. Spotify is not for you if all you listen to is "The Angelic Process" and "Sunn O)))".

Apple is apparently dropping native Flash support out of the box on OS X. I assume this means Lion, their next release.

I really don't know why Jobs has gotten so antagonistic with Adobe other than the fact they are tight - Adobe doesn't give decent student discounts, for example.

What are the alternatives to Flash with Apple products? Not quicktime - every once in a while Facebook goes kablooie on me because I don't have it installed.

—

BTW Mike, thanks for all your information. Its going to take awhile to sort through it but very useful.

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And why I would buy it when a netbook is just as good or a 17" laptop can last you years…

The reason I took a netbook over a big laptop is because of the issues - namely weight and power consumption. What you pay for a laptop in that size you can get a much better desktop that is lot more modular (just not as portable and not something I can write off as easily).

The netbook has that little, non-standard screen, little keyboard and limited for software and sometimes difficult to install. The MSI I got turned out you couldn't expand it to 2gb which Makes it really annoying.

With an iPad it sacrifices the keyboard for more screen. People are conditioned with the iPhone interface now so they know how to use the touchscreen. Additionally, that operating system has proven to be to be very practical and may be a Windows killer.

I haven't been impressed by the Android based iPad clones yet, especially their small screens. There doesn't appear to be any decent ones slated (pun intended) until after the calendar year so they wouldn't be in my budget.

Originally Posted by Lucky Day
Apple is apparently dropping native Flash support out of the box on OS X. I assume this means Lion, their next release.

Apple doesn't include Silverlight either … if you need it, you install it.

My new HP5103 didn't come with Flash either, but it didn't make the front page of tech sites.

Honestly I think it is good thing: don't pre-load crap ware - let users make their own choice!

the difference between Windows not preloading it and the Mac has been the fact that Adobe does not have an auto-update for Flash on it. Once its installed in Windows it knows to do that. Adobe relies on the auto-update from Apple themselves.

Flash is pretty ubiquitous - ie. Youtube so its a bad move to be so antagonistic. Adobe was one of the few companies to force MS' had with pdf and Jobs is making himself look bad with his own rhetoric.

By calling it crap-ware Mike you put yourself in the same league with the anti-Apple zealots around here - flash is something too important these days not to run on a machine connected to the internet.

Originally Posted by Lucky Day
the difference between Windows not preloading it and the Mac has been the fact that Adobe does not have an auto-update for Flash on it. Once its installed in Windows it knows to do that. Adobe relies on the auto-update from Apple themselves.

There are plenty of other apps on my Mac that are not pre-installed, that know enough to tell me to update. Not to mention browser plugins and so on. All I am saying that if I am in FireFox on Mac or PC, I will get an 'install the plug-in' notice.

Originally Posted by Lucky Day
Flash is pretty ubiquitous - ie. Youtube so its a bad move to be so antagonistic. Adobe was one of the few companies to force MS' had with pdf and Jobs is making himself look bad with his own rhetoric..

YouTube *also* runs HTML5, so I have had *no* problem with iPad and lack of flash.

When I call it crap-ware, it is more that I have *never* seen a web site that is improved by Flash. They are all slower-loading, resource intensive, prone to take down the browser, and on and on.

Little stuff, sure … but I hear all of this 'flash is critical' stuff. ANd what backs it up? YouTube? That is debunked. Flash games? Crap ware. Web sites? Worse for the additions.

Originally Posted by Lucky Day
By calling it crap-ware Mike you put yourself in the same league with the anti-Apple zealots around here - flash is something too important these days not to run on a machine connected to the internet.

Again, I'm making generalizations, but I don't see it as all that 'important'. Sure it is still in a lot of places, but many, many sites are already on HTML5 as well so you never get an error.

I think most reasonable folks agree that Flash is the past, and those who don't think of a PC as something in a box with a separate monitor, etc … but I also agree that Apple seeming to take such a hard-nosed approach in the name of 'enhancing the user experience' is not a very smart position in terms of popular opinion.