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MauerFan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2012
223
0
I just got my iPad mini today, and it has totally been worth the buy. I've never owned an iPad, and the experience is awesome. One question though - has anyone tried pages/numbers/keynote on the mini?
 

joshi3joshi

macrumors regular
Oct 1, 2007
188
10
I just got my iPad mini today, and it has totally been worth the buy. I've never owned an iPad, and the experience is awesome. One question though - has anyone tried pages/numbers/keynote on the mini?

ive tried pages and keynote and both of them work great. Pages i use for taking notes or writing papers (mainly using apple bluetooth keyboard) and i use keynote for going through lecture slides of my classes. don't really use keynote much for creating any powerpoints, but it seems like it would be easy enough. both programs work well, good mobile versions of the apps from mac
 

MauerFan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2012
223
0
ive tried pages and keynote and both of them work great. Pages i use for taking notes or writing papers (mainly using apple bluetooth keyboard) and i use keynote for going through lecture slides of my classes. don't really use keynote much for creating any powerpoints, but it seems like it would be easy enough. both programs work well, good mobile versions of the apps from mac

Good to hear. I would also use pages for notes and other school assignments on the go. It'll be nice to not have to carry my laptop everywhere.
 

DanMacApple

macrumors 6502
Jul 1, 2010
264
2
I was actually wondering the same thing so that is good to know those apps should work fine on the ipad mini.
 

AppleRobert

macrumors 603
Nov 12, 2012
5,726
1,132
Did you get the 16gb and what did you pay if you did? Even sweeter if you got it for $299 new. Never owning an ipad until this past winter has me wondering why I never took the plunge sooner.

I never tried those apps. Apps that are free I can live with for my needs with using the ipad.
 

MauerFan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2012
223
0
Did you get the 16gb and what did you pay if you did? Even sweeter if you got it for $299 new. Never owning an ipad until this past winter has me wondering why I never took the plunge sooner.

I never tried those apps. Apps that are free I can live with for my needs with using the ipad.

I got the 16gb and missed out on the $299 by like two days, haha. Oh well, it's all good!
 

MauerFan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2012
223
0
I've only used my laptop twice since I got my mini yesterday. It is really something else.
 

Silvereel

macrumors 6502
Jan 19, 2010
349
1
I just got my iPad mini today, and it has totally been worth the buy. I've never owned an iPad, and the experience is awesome. One question though - has anyone tried pages/numbers/keynote on the mini?

Can't speak for the Mini (yet!), but iWork is great on the full sized iPad and on the Mac. Is this your first Apple product, or just your first iPad?

If you have any questions, there's lots of smart people here who'll be happy to help :apple:
 

MauerFan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2012
223
0
Can't speak for the Mini (yet!), but iWork is great on the full sized iPad and on the Mac. Is this your first Apple product, or just your first iPad?

If you have any questions, there's lots of smart people here who'll be happy to help :apple:

First iPad, I also own a 2012 MacBook. I use Microsoft Office (easiest for school), is it possible to convert pages to Microsoft Word so that i could work on something on my iPad, and then transfer it to my macbook using iCloud?
 

Silvereel

macrumors 6502
Jan 19, 2010
349
1
First iPad, I also own a 2012 MacBook. I use Microsoft Office (easiest for school), is it possible to convert pages to Microsoft Word so that i could work on something on my iPad, and then transfer it to my macbook using iCloud?

I've only done this on Pages, but I'll be honest about the experience: it all depends on formatting. If it's a paper with text and a simply formatted photo between a paragraph now and then, it generally works fine. If you've got a lot of fancy formatting (columns, text boxes, text wrapping around images), you might end up with a bit of a mess. Still, I've converted many basic Pages documents without a problem.

You've got other options, too. Microsoft has some web apps bundled with Hotmail/Outlook that 'sort of' work with iPad, although I wouldn't want to use them for much more than jotting down a tiny note. You could also always export the document as a PDF once your finished, so it'll stay the same across different devices.
 

MauerFan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2012
223
0
I've only done this on Pages, but I'll be honest about the experience: it all depends on formatting. If it's a paper with text and a simply formatted photo between a paragraph now and then, it generally works fine. If you've got a lot of fancy formatting (columns, text boxes, text wrapping around images), you might end up with a bit of a mess. Still, I've converted many basic Pages documents without a problem.

You've got other options, too. Microsoft has some web apps bundled with Hotmail/Outlook that 'sort of' work with iPad, although I wouldn't want to use them for much more than jotting down a tiny note. You could also always export the document as a PDF once your finished, so it'll stay the same across different devices.

Interesting, thanks! I might try out Pages to see how it works, because it'd be nice to work on papers without carrying my Mac around. Do you have any other app recommendations? Preferably productivity apps, because that's a big reason why I got the mini. Although i have some games/social apps, but who doesn't? :p
 

Silvereel

macrumors 6502
Jan 19, 2010
349
1
Interesting, thanks! I might try out Pages to see how it works, because it'd be nice to work on papers without carrying my Mac around. Do you have any other app recommendations? Preferably productivity apps, because that's a big reason why I got the mini. Although i have some games/social apps, but who doesn't? :p

Hmm... Evernote is great, especially if you're already using it on Mac, and if you need that sort of app. I dabble at writing, and I use it to jot things down when inspiration strikes. No matter what device I'm on, my notebook is always there.

Something like SkyDrive or Dropbox is a must. It'll let you keep files in sync across your Mac and iPad, beyond what iCloud already does. You can sync literally anything under the sun. You'll wonder how you lived without it ;)

The rest will sort of depend on your interests and what you want to do. Dig around, do searches for whatever interests you, and you'll stumble on some gems. And when it comes to the less productive side of things, there are the 'classic' games, like Cut the Rope, Where's My Water, Angry Birds, and so on, but I also like more in-depth experiences.

If you like RPGs, there's Infinity Blade, a slough of Final Fantasy titles (not cheap, but console quality stuff), and lately I've been enjoying Ridiculous Fishing. Letterpress is a good one, too, if you like word games. And if you're into comic books, even an occasional reader, Comixology is an awesome app!
 

MauerFan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2012
223
0
Hmm... Evernote is great, especially if you're already using it on Mac, and if you need that sort of app. I dabble at writing, and I use it to jot things down when inspiration strikes. No matter what device I'm on, my notebook is always there.

Something like SkyDrive or Dropbox is a must. It'll let you keep files in sync across your Mac and iPad, beyond what iCloud already does. You can sync literally anything under the sun. You'll wonder how you lived without it ;)

The rest will sort of depend on your interests and what you want to do. Dig around, do searches for whatever interests you, and you'll stumble on some gems. And when it comes to the less productive side of things, there are the 'classic' games, like Cut the Rope, Where's My Water, Angry Birds, and so on, but I also like more in-depth experiences.

If you like RPGs, there's Infinity Blade, a slough of Final Fantasy titles (not cheap, but console quality stuff), and lately I've been enjoying Ridiculous Fishing. Letterpress is a good one, too, if you like word games. And if you're into comic books, even an occasional reader, Comixology is an awesome app!

Awesome stuff! I do have Evernote and Dropbox on my Mac, so I'll definitely put those on my mini. I'll have to check out the RPGs, because I get bored of Angry Birds and Temple Run. I have to be careful though, because I decided on getting the 16GB version. Forking over an extra $100 would have been painful, aha. Seems like apps aren't huge though.
 

Silvereel

macrumors 6502
Jan 19, 2010
349
1
Awesome stuff! I do have Evernote and Dropbox on my Mac, so I'll definitely put those on my mini. I'll have to check out the RPGs, because I get bored of Angry Birds and Temple Run. I have to be careful though, because I decided on getting the 16GB version. Forking over an extra $100 would have been painful, aha. Seems like apps aren't huge though.

Some of the games can get rather large, but it's much worse on my Retina iPad. I had a first gen iPad and I never had more than 30GB of stuff on it, most of which was never used, but I can hardly find enough free space to install a tiny app on my 64GB Retina iPad!
 

MauerFan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2012
223
0
Some of the games can get rather large, but it's much worse on my Retina iPad. I had a first gen iPad and I never had more than 30GB of stuff on it, most of which was never used, but I can hardly find enough free space to install a tiny app on my 64GB Retina iPad!

Rough, haha. I'll definitely be getting more space next time, but I honestly don't mind the 16GB right now. I'll probably use this more than my computer :p
 

akdj

macrumors 65816
Mar 10, 2008
1,186
86
62.88°N/-151.28°W
mini will be perfect once it gets retina.

There's one in every crowd these days, evenwhennits completely off topic and out of left field...WoW!

Interesting, thanks! I might try out Pages to see how it works, because it'd be nice to work on papers without carrying my Mac around. Do you have any other app recommendations? Preferably productivity apps, because that's a big reason why I got the mini. Although i have some games/social apps, but who doesn't? :p

Pages, Numbers and Keynote are excellent. The .doc(x) ans xls(x) conversions are pretty good, typically lacking some fonts. But basic to mid level docs and spreadsheets convert easily. iCloud is awesome for your storage and syncing as well (free for those first 5 GB). As mentioned, Dropbox rocks...as does Evernote and GoodReader. I also use CloudOn often when I need more specific MS Office compatibility. It's an excellent service
Box and Google drive are also ubiquitous with most productivity and creative apps to keep in sync with your computer. iAnnotate PDF comes in handy as does Printer Pro and Notes Plus/Notability. I love em both! Square to take folks' money with. Mint to keep track of that paper, and that should about cover your 'productivity' :). There are even invoicing templates for 'Numbers'!

Enjoy your iPad. They're awesome!

J
 

MauerFan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2012
223
0
Pages, Numbers and Keynote are excellent. The .doc(x) ans xls(x) conversions are pretty good, typically lacking some fonts. But basic to mid level docs and spreadsheets convert easily. iCloud is awesome for your storage and syncing as well (free for those first 5 GB). As mentioned, Dropbox rocks...as does Evernote and GoodReader. I also use CloudOn often when I need more specific MS Office compatibility. It's an excellent service
Box and Google drive are also ubiquitous with most productivity and creative apps to keep in sync with your computer. iAnnotate PDF comes in handy as does Printer Pro and Notes Plus/Notability. I love em both! Square to take folks' money with. Mint to keep track of that paper, and that should about cover your 'productivity' :). There are even invoicing templates for 'Numbers'!

Enjoy your iPad. They're awesome!

J

Thanks a bunch! I will definitely be playing around with those apps in the coming days, and pick out some favorites. Now for the fun stuff...any good games that you can recommend? I have Temple Run 2, and Real Racing 3. Tried Baseball Stars 3, but I can't get the timing down yet. I also have yet to try any of the games that Silver recommended.
 

dxstewart

macrumors regular
Sep 2, 2010
125
18
I was in Radioshack and finally made the jump back to having an iPad.

I love it! I still use the MBP though. They complement each other well.
 

MauerFan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2012
223
0
I was in Radioshack and finally made the jump back to having an iPad.

I love it! I still use the MBP though. They complement each other well.

Definitely agree. I use this for general browsing, and light school stuff. My MacBook will be for the more intense schoolwork as well my baseball research/blogging.
 

ChazUK

macrumors 603
Feb 3, 2008
5,393
25
Essex (UK)
Interesting, thanks! I might try out Pages to see how it works, because it'd be nice to work on papers without carrying my Mac around. Do you have any other app recommendations? Preferably productivity apps, because that's a big reason why I got the mini. Although i have some games/social apps, but who doesn't? :p

Can I suggest something prodiuctivity based but slightly different?

I use Splashtop 2 to remotely access my Windows Machine on my iPad and Android tablets. iTunes link. Works great over my local wireless network. It pretty much lets me do everything my PC can do on my tablet. Works on OS X too but I haven't used it on Mac for a while.

Some examples (click for full size - these are screenshots from my iPad):

iTunes on the Mini:


VirtualBox on my Mini (Windows 8 & XP at the same time).


LibreOffice on the Mini.




I have been known to spend hours playing Civilization V on my tablets over Splashtop. The only pain is it'll require you to have your MacBook on whilst using it but if you're at home and want to do some work whilst in bed or on the couch on the Mini, Splashtop might be handy!


EDIT: On "sweetness", the iPad Mini has fast become my most used gadget and by far my favourite. I don't leave home without it any more. :D
 

akdj

macrumors 65816
Mar 10, 2008
1,186
86
62.88°N/-151.28°W
Definitely agree. I use this for general browsing, and light school stuff. My MacBook will be for the more intense schoolwork as well my baseball research/blogging.

Baseball fan eh? Twins fan by any chance? :) just checking your handle and making assumptions:)
I played my whole life, through college at UDub (Washington). I'm now enjoying 'the other side'. I'm in my fourth year coaching my eight year old son's team. Two years of TBall, this is our second year of 'coach pitch'. Love it. Easily the coolest 'dad' thing I've had the pleasure to do thus far. It's like learning the game all over again!

As far as game, there's a ton of em. Pending what you're into (I like flight sims and I'm a private pilot so I tend to buy up almost all of the sims I can find and utilize Sporty's for my plates). RPGs and arcade games are abundant. Some excellent sports games as well. I love flick home run. Baldur's gate is phenomenal. Asphalt 7 is an incredible racing game...as are the RealRacing series. Lots of casino games...the physics based 'Angry Birds' types are cool for those couple minute waits in lines. Around holidays, the bigger studios (Gameloft, EA, et al) tend to have specials. You can often get those 6,7, $10 games for a buck or two. Keep your eyes open for those specials. There's a ton of 'must have' iPad apps in the get this...iPad 'app' section. Definitely worth a perusal. I second the option to VPN into your home base. I use splash top and jump myself. Works great when you've got to have access to home files, etc
 

inselstudent

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2012
617
4
Dam I'm so tempted to get one. Especially because I used to have an iPad 3 (and purchased quite a few iPad-only apps), but sold it because I just didn't use it very much since I've also got that tiny 11 inch MBA which I think is more comfortable to use, at least compared to holding that heavy iPad while surfing or whatever you do on your iPad...I would imagine that's different with the Mini though.

Does anyone have that combo, a small MBA plus an iPad mini? Has she/he found it sensible to own both?

edit: oh and also I don't really care about Retina or not. My eyesight is crap anyway, but hey, advantages of the physically underprivileged :D
 
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