New Ipad in the house

[sailor55330]

So for the anniversary, I got LOML the Ipad 2 she was wanting (waited a year for V2 to come out).

I am not an Apple fan, but I have to admit, after playing some with it, I am totally unimpressed. What an underwhelming, gimmicky piece of marketing. Many will probably defend them, but I find it hard to hold, the touch screen is a pain to use, and the slightest movement sends the screen into rotation, which I don't like. On top of that, it drops signal very frequently to my wireless router. There are 2 laptops and a desktop in the house and none have that problem. I guess as long as she likes it.

Kudos to apple for finding a way to sucker millions.

Do you have an Ipad? If so, do you like it and why?

[mclear6]

you can stop the screen rotation by sliding the lock tab.

the ipad is a consumption device not so much a creating device. Yes you can create, but a laptop creates better. My 4 year old, 2 year old and wife have hijacked my ipad and I hardly use it. I use my macbook pro. I have not have any problem with a dropped signal.

[Cubsfan]

Love mine. I think it's just some people like them and some people don't.

Mine probably replaces 80% of my laptop usage (which surprised me. I'm a software engineer and would probably be considered a power user). Not only are a lot of the apps great, but it allows me to use apps and surf the web in places/positions that I wouldn't be able to before (for instance, I find it horribly uncomfortable to use my laptop while sitting out on the patio. I use my iPad all the time)

I really do think that some people just don't like the form factor, and I think others just have a hard time changing the way they use technology (or anything really).

I don't think calling it suckering people is really fair. I'm not really a fan of sports cars but I don't think I'd say that any of the car manufacturers are suckering people by making them.

Now, to be fair there's things I hate to do on my iPad. Typing more than a few sentences is not fun. And, at least at the moment, multitasking is still mostly there, but not quite.

[jackellis]

I have one, purchased primarily so I could carry all the aviation maps I need for a trip in the cockpit without having to scrounge paper copies (some are good for only 56 days, others for only 6 months).

It's definitely better for consuming content than for creating it, but it's lightweight, and I find the screen easy to read and the interface very intuitive. The battery lasts much longer than laptop batteries. I can carry all the reading and entertainment I could every want for long plane flights on it, in addition to all of my aviation maps and charts. I regret not getting the 3G version, which has a GPS that would be a handy backup in the cockpit.

However I agree it's not for everyone, especially if you create a lot of content. Regular computers are better suited for those tasks. Creating e-mails is a pain, but carrying around 5 or 6 extra pounds is a bigger pain.

[Warren]

Got mine for Father's Day. Does exactly what I need it to do . . . and extremely well. I'm a PC user, but this little item is perfect as a portfolio for my photography business. The back lit screen is very sharp with excellent color fidelity.

"Angry Birds?' I've become a bit addicted. Maps? Superb!

No more hauling the lap top around for file access. Jail break an iPhone and you don't need the 3G model, the phone become a hot spot. Leave the iPod behind. Watch movies.

It has a "smart cover" so I usually have it on a table or resting on the steering wheel (I'm parked! I'm parked!). Even with my rather big fingers I can easily use the key board with the pad in the wide aspect.

I wouldn't want to use it for long periods of reading, Kindle is much easier on the eyes, but for maps, manuals and recipes it beats dead tree products.

For it's intended purposes I really do not believe there is a better product on the market and I looked into a bunch of other pads before hinting that I wanted one.

[sailor55330]

Well, I guess I'm in the minority then. The two main things I don't like are the touch screen because it doesn't seem to "register" my touch. I am wondering if it is because I play guitar and have callouses on my left hand finger tips. I can touch the screen 3-4 times and nothing happens, but if I flatten out the finger, it does, but that leads to pushing the wrong "keys" or multiples. The other thing I don't like is the app-based system. I find them annoying that I have to go to the web, search out one single app among thousands, download it, and potentially pay for it. Then, for the next thing I want to do, do it again.

Gimmicky marketing might have been a little strong, but I honestly don't think it's the end-all, be-all machine Apple is presenting at. As someone who uses Excel, Word, and PPT extensively in business, I can't see this machine being very helpful for me on a day to day basis.

[BigguyZ]

I hate apple, but I must say that the iPad is pretty cool. However, I'd much rather get a Android tablet. I'm heading back to school, and I'm thinking of getting a tablet instead of a larger laptop. If I were to do any serious gaming, I'd do it on my desktop machine. So yeah, I'm still a bit jealous.

[cabinetman]

My wife loves it. Doesn't have any problems. Wanted a case, so she made one from cutting up two pieces of tempered Masonite, and used a quilted material to make a sleeve, with a velcro connection.

.

[leehljp]

Gimmicky marketing might have been a little strong, but I honestly don't think it's the end-all, be-all machine Apple is presenting at.

To be honest, neither did Apple expect the kind of acceptance and expansion that it generated from the beginning. Your perceptions, likes and needs are the same as mine and I have come to accept that I am much more of a "creating content" person than "content consumption" kind of person. For, you, many tech savy folks (and IT type) and me too, we are like the mechanics of the 30's and 40's wondering why in the world a person would want an automatic transmission.

For me, in spite of being an apple fan, (Macs has run circles around Windows in simultaneous multi language support since the late '80s') I have held the iPad on several occasions and find them bulky and heavy for their size. I held a samsung? model a few weeks ago and it was plum heavy. They don't sit well in my lap and are too heavy to hold. But that is because I am a content creator and used to a laptop and desktop.

I feel sure that LOML and two of my daughters would do well with an iPad, but my youngest daughter (and me also) are far too much into creation to settle for the consumption mode as primary.


What I have questioned is why the iPad hit such a gargantuan home run with the general public when the "netbooks" barely even achieved a niche market. The only conclusion that I can come up with is that the overall tech culture has greatly misread the consumer folks for years.

As someone who uses Excel, Word, and PPT extensively in business, I can't see this machine being very helpful for me on a day to day basis.

I am sure that these apps will grow in power in the next 3 to 5 years on the iPad. It will not replace the content creation of the computer, but it will handle content creation for the average content consumer group.


One thing that we will need to get used to is that we are seeing a paradigm shift in computering. With StarTrek The Next Generation, the control panels were touch screen. Even those creators back then noted that the hardware computer was not the controller of the software, but the software controlled the hardware. This is specifically where the iPad paradigm shift is occurring. Currently with laptops, desktops and even netbooks, the hardware controls and dictates the software limitations. With the iPad, the reverse has been brought into being. The future is in the software and the machine/hardware will be transparent to it.

It is difficult for most of us to fathom this, but the younguns coming up with this (iPad [touch along with voice input] paradigm) will take this world into a future that most of us have a difficulty of fathoming.

[robaer]

Well, I guess I'm in the minority then. The two main things I don't like are the touch screen because it doesn't seem to "register" my touch. I am wondering if it is because I play guitar and have callouses on my left hand finger tips. I can touch the screen 3-4 times and nothing happens, but if I flatten out the finger, it does, but that leads to pushing the wrong "keys" or multiples. The other thing I don't like is the app-based system. I find them annoying that I have to go to the web, search out one single app among thousands, download it, and potentially pay for it. Then, for the next thing I want to do, do it again.

Gimmicky marketing might have been a little strong, but I honestly don't think it's the end-all, be-all machine Apple is presenting at. As someone who uses Excel, Word, and PPT extensively in business, I can't see this machine being very helpful for me on a day to day basis.

That's possible... it uses a capacitive based registration and the calluses may be interfering with that... try a capacitative stylus sometime and see if it improves. I use one for writing on the tablet as its more precise then my fat fingers.

[robaer]

Some Apps I use in the shop

I like it and have found a couple of apps that are really helpful when I am looking to build something custom for someone.

there is an app called "measures" that uses the camera to take a picture of something (ie the kitchen wall where I would be building cabinets) and right on the screen you can start drawing lines and putting dimensions in. It really helps when I get back to the shop... particularly for things like what the windows looked like if I am going to line up lighting/stiles etc with them. Also handy when referring to changes etc.

Another is the Construction calculator for rise/run metric conversion and doing math in feet/inches. I also loaded BuilderPro which has a lot of building code references etc just in case I need to look up electrical load limits etc...

Lastly... having the web at my fingertips when someone says "I would like a dresser that has that sort of "shaker" look to it... I can grab my own pics or images off the web to get an idea right there on the spot if we are on the same page. The screen size is much more friendly to old eyes than the iPhone.

[dbhost]

I am no Apple fan. But I do like the fact that they have a UNIX based OS on their stuff, but then again, Android is just a phone / tablet oriented utility set on top of a Linux kernel. For what it's worth, I would MUCH rather have a big Android tablet like a ViewSonic G-Tablet 10"... A colleague of mine has one with a dock and kickstand that he uses for meeting notes and such. it really is a nice little tab. It will run X servers no problem, so creating media on it is no big deal. Yes they are oriented more toward consuming content, but they really do excel at creation when set up with the dock...

[sailor55330]

Does it bother anyone that Apple keeps such tight control on devices and allows very little consumer maintenance? For example, my wife's Ipod stopped working (first gen) and "crashed" according to the support desk. It was less than 1 month old and the only option they gave was to send in the machine and accept a refurbished machine as replacment. We fought them as much as we could, but in the end, we had no alternative. To me, they lost all credibility right there. Had a similar issue with an Iphone 3 (btw, none of the devices were mine). I also really dislike the fact that you don't have many options for upgrades, but rather have to buy a new model (I might be wrong)--for example, Ipad 1 can't have a webcam retrofitted into it, yet the indent is there in the case for it, making me suspect Apple always intended to add a webcam at some point. Instead of a $50 webcam, you have to spend $400 on a new Ipad (numbers may be off). Maybe that's what is giving me such a bad taste in my mouth about Apple.

[Cubsfan]

Does it bother anyone that Apple keeps such tight control on devices and allows very little consumer maintenance? For example, my wife's Ipod stopped working (first gen) and "crashed" according to the support desk. It was less than 1 month old and the only option they gave was to send in the machine and accept a refurbished machine as replacment. We fought them as much as we could, but in the end, we had no alternative. To me, they lost all credibility right there. Had a similar issue with an Iphone 3 (btw, none of the devices were mine). I also really dislike the fact that you don't have many options for upgrades, but rather have to buy a new model (I might be wrong)--for example, Ipad 1 can't have a webcam retrofitted into it, yet the indent is there in the case for it, making me suspect Apple always intended to add a webcam at some point. Instead of a $50 webcam, you have to spend $400 on a new Ipad (numbers may be off). Maybe that's what is giving me such a bad taste in my mouth about Apple.

Especially for small consumer devices, what you want isn't really possible. Take a look at one of ifixit's teardown's (http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPad-Teardown/2183/). They go through a lot of trouble to save weight and space. Leaving spare connectors, or allowing for upgrades, costs space and weight, which are two things Apple tries to minimize (which shows when you use their products). Other companies do allow this flexibility, but you pay for it in increased weight and size. The same argument can basically be used for laptops vs. desktops. I can replace the motherboard/CPU in my desktop, but not in my laptop. The smaller products are, the less chance you can replace anything in them.

But, that being said, I think that's fine. There's other companies out there that do allow some upgrades (the Motorolla Xoom allows a 4G upgrade and has an SD slot I think), but in general the smaller a device is, the less you can mess around inside of it.

As far as refurbished, I'm not sure why you have a problem with that? It carries the same warranty as the rest, so I'm not sure why you'd be upset about that.

[sailor55330]

I'm not completely sure that it is ok to not at least have the option for factory upgrade, but everyone will have their own opinion.

As for the same warranty on refurbished, she got either 60 or 90 days, which isn't the same. Maybe that has changed? The iPod was first gratin video so that was several years ago.

Now for a hypothetical. You can have the new iPads engraved on the back. I wonder if you had to take refurbished unit if they would replace the engraving.