iPad

[craigr]

Well I bought an iPad last week after resisting for months after my friends all got one. I thought it would just be kind of pointless as I already have an iPhone and laptop, but I was wrong. It's awesome. It can almost replace my laptop for daily tasks and for travel I could leave the laptop at home. The virtual keyboard probably shouldn't be used for typing up a novel, but it's surprisingly usable and it can be paired up with a Bluetooth keyboard to do word processing, etc. if needed. The applications for it are growing each day and my already purchased iPhone apps largely all run on it already. The Apple word processing and spreadsheet apps also run on it and are as full featured as what you'd get on a desktop.

I have loaded up the Amazon Kindle and Apple e-book readers and have read a couple books on the device already. I miss the turning of pages a little, but being able to download a book in 30 seconds and not pay shipping is pretty nice. I have also put on the NetFlix app so I can watch movies over any wireless network with my NetFlix subscription. Of course, all my favorite podcasts are available as well. Battery life is extremely good. I haven't used it up yet with heavy use.

Overall I think this device is going to really change the way people use computers. I saw the Windows tablet computers many years ago and just didn't think they'd go anywhere due to the interface and trying to cram Windows OS into an application that it really wasn't designed to do. Now, I can say that Apple did the tablet computer the way it needed to be done. I haven't been this happy with an electronic gadget purchase in a very long time. For the price, I think it's a surprisingly versatile device that is very portable and capable.

[6 Iron]

Well I bought an iPad last week after resisting for months

I have been resisting for months, as well, trying to wait until the first update. I am having a difficult time waiting, though, with the convenience of a birthday next month as an excuse luring me in. You have not made it any easier!

[craigr]

I figure the update will probably have more memory and probably the front facing camera to do video conferencing like the iPhone 4. If this is important to you, then it may be worth waiting. I was thinking of getting an e-book reader and was looking at the big screen Kindle DX. But that is almost $400 which is close to the base iPad and half way to the high-end one. So I decided instead to get the more multi-functional iPad and skip the Kindle. I thought I'd be using the iPad for primarily e-books and other small tasks, but honestly it's so versatile I find that I've been using it quite a bit. It's far easier to have with you than a laptop and can do almost as much.

[Jan Van]

I was thinking of getting an e-book reader and was looking at the big screen Kindle DX. But that is almost $400 which is close to the base iPad and half way to the high-end one.

That might be a problem for Amazon. I had the same thoughts. I've been using the original (small) kindle for a few years now, and love it. But it's really a paperback reader. Any book with graphs is a problem. For example, "Where Does the Money Go?" by Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson was a fun read, but most graphs and illustrations are unreadable. So when they came out with the DX I was hoping it would be much better for that kind of book. And for PDF files. But I think the iPad will be even better. And with the price within striking range and all the extra functionality, I wonder how many people will decide to skip the DX and go iPad...

BTW. I assume you've been posting this using your iPad? :-)

[MediumTex]

I am looking forward to getting one.

My daughter got an ipod touch a while back and I was really impressed with all the things it could do.  The ipad does all of that with a big screen and much better battery life.

[craigr]

I was thinking of getting an e-book reader and was looking at the big screen Kindle DX. But that is almost $400 which is close to the base iPad and half way to the high-end one.

That might be a problem for Amazon. I had the same thoughts. I've been using the original (small) kindle for a few years now, and love it. But it's really a paperback reader. Any book with graphs is a problem. For example, "Where Does the Money Go?" by Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson was a fun read, but most graphs and illustrations are unreadable. So when they came out with the DX I was hoping it would be much better for that kind of book. And for PDF files. But I think the iPad will be even better. And with the price within striking range and all the extra functionality, I wonder how many people will decide to skip the DX and go iPad...

BTW. I assume you've been posting this using your iPad? :-)

Of course I'm typing this on my iPad!

Actually, I have been. Which is one downside to it. It's now so easy to have big screen Internet access with you that I find you can spend too much time on it.

As for the kindle, I think Amazon will be ok. They have the kindle app and the books sell for the same price regardless. So they are making money. I do question how much longer the kindle dx will be viable at the current price. If they could get it to $200 I may consider one. A friend has the smaller kindle and iPad. He thinks the iPad is of course superior to the kindle for reading any type of book with images or technical papers. But he likes the kindle for reading novels.

[6 Iron]

A friend has the smaller kindle and iPad. He thinks the iPad is of course superior to the kindle for reading any type of book with images or technical papers. But he likes the kindle for reading novels.

Craig, I have a kindle, and have enjoyed it, but as you said, anything with images, graphs or charts suffers. Do you know if your friend has access to his full purchased library on both his kindle and  his iPad, or is it segregated based on where he bought the book?

[craigr]

A friend has the smaller kindle and iPad. He thinks the iPad is of course superior to the kindle for reading any type of book with images or technical papers. But he likes the kindle for reading novels.

Craig, I have a kindle, and have enjoyed it, but as you said, anything with images, graphs or charts suffers. Do you know if your friend has access to his full purchased library on both his kindle and  his iPad, or is it segregated based on where he bought the book?

I briefly owned a kindle (for about two days) when I decided to get the iPad. I ordered a couple books on it to try out. When I sent it back and got the iPad I just registered the iPad Kindle app with my same information and all the books were there. They are also present on my iPhone kindle. When you order a book amazon has a drop down menu to tell them where you want it "delivered". You just pick what device and it shows up there. You can also access the books on other devices easily under the respective archives. 

[6 Iron]

I can now vouch for the iPad, but have noticed that when viewing this forum with it, the "show unread posts" feature does not seem accurate, showing far fewer than I have seen. Otherwise it works like a charm.  Craig, or other iPad users, have you noticed this?

[Storm]

I've had an iPad since the day it was released.  It is truly a revolutionary product.  I don't know how much people value an instant-on Internet terminal that is always within arms reach, but it has changed a lot of family conversations where people had a question from "I'll check when I'm at work/on the computer tomorrow" to "let me check right now."  This, by itself is game-changing.  Being able to check email while I'm eating breakfast, or reading news at the kitchen table without killing trees is even better.

[Storm]

Apparently eTrade will give you a $500 Apple gift card if you open an account and move $150K worth of securities or funds into it.  This might be a good way to get an iPad if anyone so desires.  This is to promote their new iPad trading application.

https://us.etrade.com/e/t/jumppage/view ... _id=GFTCRD

[MediumTex]

Well, I have some good news and some bad news.

The bad news is I turned 40 today (that's actually good news, considering the alternative).

The good news is that I got an iPad for my birthday.  It's awesome.  I love it.

I got the bluetooth keyboard (I am typing on it now) and I am happy I did that.  I really like it, though the on-screen keyboard also works fine.

I got the 16GB model with 3G access.  I may not use the 3G but I figured for $129 extra I would rather have it and not use than wish I had it later.  The fact that the data plans are month to month makes this option more convenient (I wouldn't be interested in a 2 year iPad data contract).

I went with the 16GB model because I don't plan to store large amounts of data on it.

Overall, I really like it.

[Pkg Man]

Glad to hear you like it, junior. 

I can certainly see the appeal as I often use my iPhone to browse when I don't want to sit behind a desk.  My iMac, which was my first foray into Apple products, blew me away.  But I can see it being used much less with an eventual purchase of an iPad.

Wish I would have hung on a little longer to those shares of AAPL I bought back in '97...and sold shortly before I began to notice a lot of folks with ear phones plugged into their ears...

[MediumTex]

Glad to hear you like it, junior.  

I have discovered that the key to staying young is to always hang around with people older than me.

[6 Iron]

I got the 16GB model

I really enjoy using it as my primary book reader and opted for more memory. Presently, books do not take up much space, but I can see a big market for digital books with more audio, video and interactive capabilities. This is a tool with great potential, particularly for education.

[Storm]

Happy Birthday, MT!

I went for the 16GB Wifi only model, and I'm fine with not having a lot of space.  The reason is that future trends seem to be cloud computing.  I have a 4TB hard drive attached to my main computer, and downloaded a $2.99 app called AirVideo that lets me stream any format video file from the computer to the iPad.  Also, services like Hulu and Netflix of course take no space locally.

Another factor that helped in getting the wifi-only model - I have a jailbroken iPhone 3GS, and bought this program called MyWi - for $20 turns your iPhone into a wifi hotspot.  So, when I travel for work I can always have an internet connection for my iPad.  I didn't want to have to pay AT&T an additional monthly fee when I already pay for a data plan.

Kindle reader is a great app as well and lets me have access to my previously purchased library of books.

[MediumTex]

FWIW, I got the Griffin "Standle" case with my iPad and I really like it.  It provides a stand for portrait or landscape viewing, as well as a stand to elevate the iPad for viewing and typing on a flat surface.

The Standle also has a fold out handle which is much more useful than you would think.

It was $50.

[Storm]

That's a pretty slick case.  I just got the standard Apple one, which does work as a similar type of stand, but doesn't look nearly as rugged or durable.

[Storm]

Did anyone take advantage of the E-Trade $500 Apple gift card for $150K deposit offer?  It seems like a pretty good deal, but I'm unfortunately not "liquid" enough to easily move $150K over.

[Pres]

I turned 40 today (that's actually good news, considering the alternative).

Here I was, thinking I'm just a kid reading the wise words of older men... Turns out you're actually younger than me.

Happy Birthday!

[MediumTex]

I turned 40 today (that's actually good news, considering the alternative).

Here I was, thinking I'm just a kid reading the wise words of older men... Turns out you're actually younger than me.

Happy Birthday!

I figured some might be surprised.  I don't know how old I sound when I write.

[MediumTex]

I thought I would do an Ipad review after three months of ownership and use.

The good:

1. The "instant-on" function really differentiates it from my laptop.  I only use my laptop now when it is for something that I can't do on the Ipad, and I am always surprised at how long it takes to start up and how many other steps I have to go through (primarily software updates).

2. The battery life is great.

3. The screen is beautiful and does everything I want it to do.  I do not feel the need for a larger screen.

4. The bluetooth keyboard is a must-have.  For anyone doing serious typing, the on-screen keyboard is not enough.

5. All things considered, I think the internet service on the Ipad is faster than on my computer, even when plugged into a faster internet connection.

6. 16 gig is plenty for me.  I don't wish I had gotten more memory.  My daughter has an Ipod Touch with the cameras and hers has 32 gig.  If I were going to get a next gen Ipad with the cameras I would probably want more memory.

The bad:

1. The lack of flash support is a problem.  I wish there was a simple solution to this issue.  Perhaps there will be in the future.

2. It would be nice to be able to use a mouse without having to jailbreak the Ipad.  The touch screen works great, but there are some things that a mouse is needed for (one of them being editing longer forum posts quoting earlier posts; it takes forever to do this on the Ipad).

Overall, though, it has been a great tool and everyone in my family enjoys using it.  Even my three year old enjoys playing Angry Birds on it.

It's amazing that almost a year after its release there really isn't anything out there that seems to be a serious competitor to the Ipad.

[Pkg Man]

As much as I like Apple products, I hate hearing how great they are.  The reason?  Well I purchased 100 shares of AAPL in 1997 for about 17 bucks a share.  Several years later I sold it (after seeing a 500% gain), and soon afterwards I began to notice a lot of folks walking around with ipods...

Had I held on to those 100 shares it would be by far the largest single investment I have, with a gain of around 8,000%. 

That said, I am looking forward to the next generation of iPads.  That is when I plan to purchase one.

Thanks for the review.

[Storm]

Yeah, I have to say the "instant on" feature is probably one of the best things you never really notice about it until you have it.  Having an instant on internet appliance where you can look up anything is amazing for doing research, planning vacations, pretty much anything that involves the Internet.

It has definitely become a ritual for me to always have my iPad on, reading the news, at the breakfast table in the morning.  I think what Apple has done here, is break down the reasons why most people use a computer 90% of the time, and make a device that just does that - a great web browser, email, and games.  Most people do not spend all day crunching numbers in a spreadsheet.  When I need to do that, I head for the real computer.  But for the vast majority of people, the iPad is an instant on, never out of batteries, portable enough you can carry it anywhere device.

[Storm]

If you want to see a meteoric rise, check out ARMH - they license the ARM processors that are inside iPads, iPhones, Blackberries, Android phones, and other portable devices.  From $5 and change at the 2009 bottom to over $30 today.  I haven't regretted my purchase.