iPad: Can someone PLEASE sell me on owning both an iPad and iPhone?

[kappaknight]

Originally Posted by accentaudio

Best Buy have no re-stocking fees for platinum reward zone members.

Yeah I figured. The fact you even belong to that club tells me you just like gadgets in general.

[accentaudio]

Originally Posted by kappaknight

Yeah I figured. The fact you even belong to that club tells me you just like gadgets in general.

I do love gadgets, no denying. I am addicted... First step is admitting, right?

[mjpearce023]

Originally Posted by accentaudio

Apple's generous return policy?!?! Are you out of your freaking mind!?! I have never bought an Apple product from an Apple store. I purchase my Apple stuff from Best Buy, cause as a platinum reward zone member I have 60 days to return an item if I don't want it, not a measly 14! You won't have me to blame for anything in regards to Apple store policies because I do not shop there. Nice try though!

Best Buy has a long return policy but you would have been flagged for returning the same item 6 times. It doesn't matter if you are a silver member or not.

http://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/Best-Bu.../374604/page/4

[syd430]

Originally Posted by accentaudio

I came here seeking insight into something that I may have missed the times that I have owned an iPad. Ya know, reasons that I might have overlooked that would make it a good reason to hold on to one and implement it into my current list of devices. Thanks.

Hahaha why are you just singling my posts out?

I think I inadvertently hit the nail right on the head with that fetish

[wlossw]

Originally Posted by accentaudio

Ok people, I know this has been written about before, but I really need convincing, and I am hoping someone will do so. See, I own the iPhone 5 and also have a MacBook Pro, but want so badly to LOVE an iPad. I have bought an iPad at least 6 times, but every time I end up returning it because I feel like between my iPhone and MBP that I am duplicating too much. To be honest I will even go as far as to say that at times I feel like the iPad is nothing more than an iPhone with a large screen. Like I said, I know this has been discussed before, but I am really hoping someone will make me love owning an iPad. I am looking for advice on all the different uses that I can put it to and the things that it can do that my MBP or iPhone can't. I am looking to justify spending the $600ish on it and still having a MBP and iPhone 5. I have a Best Buy gift card for $600 that needs to be spent and once again I am heavily eyeballing the iPad... Could someone please sell me

Buy something else. how about a couple Apple TVs?

[Chupa Chupa]

This is so silly. Have you ever been in a kitchen and noticed there are knifes for slicing, dicing, chopping, cutting thick meats, cutting tender cakes and so on? Do you think a chef would say "convince me on owning both a serrated edge knife and a hollow edge knife."

Seriously, and iPad and iPhone both run the same OS and many of the same apps. Comparison ends. One is a smartphone, one it a tablet. Each does certain tasks better than the other one.

[accentaudio]

Originally Posted by mjpearce023

Best Buy has a long return policy but you would have been flagged for returning the same item 6 times. It doesn't matter if you are a silver member or not.

http://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/Best-Bu.../374604/page/4

Let me clarify this... 6 returns since the inception of the original iPad, so over a time period of years... My apologies if people have somehow thought this has taken place only in the last year or so... It's been many times over many years. One of the main reasons for my returns is that I keep hoping that some of the office solution apps that are available will work really well with say Microsoft Word documents and yet when I open say a resume the formatting gets all screwed up. Maybe I just need to wait till Microsoft releases office for iPad...

[GBR]

Originally Posted by Chupa Chupa

This is so silly. Have you ever been in a kitchen and noticed there are knifes for slicing, dicing, chopping, cutting thick meats, cutting tender cakes and so on? Do you think a chef would say "convince me on owning both a serrated edge knife and a hollow edge knife."

Seriously, and iPad and iPhone both run the same OS and many of the same apps. Comparison ends. One is a smartphone, one it a tablet. Each does certain tasks better than the other one.

This

[HowardSmith]

Originally Posted by accentaudio

You should read the whole post. I have owned one at least 6 times and returned it every time.[.

Oh, one of "those"

[accentaudio]

Originally Posted by HowardSmith

Oh, one of "those"

Read post #32

[jweb03]

Clearly you don't want/need one if you have bought and returned it six times. Put the gift card towards a new tv or something.

[HowardSmith]

Originally Posted by accentaudio

Read post #32

6 times is 6 times no matter how many years it was spread out. I am waiting for MS Office for iOS, too, but I do not keep returning and buying another to see if it is installed on my new iPad!

[accentaudio]

Originally Posted by HowardSmith

6 times is 6 times no matter how many years it was spread out. I am waiting for MS Office for iOS, too, but I do not keep returning and buying another to see if it is installed on my new iPad!

I don't buy them to see if office is installed.... I buy them to see if the office "like" apps have gotten any better and more seamless for use with word files etc... So far what I have found is that they just don't retain the formatting for some reason.

[Night Spring]

Originally Posted by accentaudio

One of the main reasons for my returns is that I keep hoping that some of the office solution apps that are available will work really well with say Microsoft Word documents and yet when I open say a resume the formatting gets all screwed up. Maybe I just need to wait till Microsoft releases office for iPad...

I can't wait until Microsoft finally releases Office for iPad, and people discover that it also messes up their formatting, or it is lacking that one Office function they absolutely need.

Just because they have the same name doesn't mean it is the same program. Even Apple's iWorks apps have issues exchanging files with their desktop counterparts. Why people think Microsoft will do any better I don't understand.

[accentaudio]

Originally Posted by Night Spring

I can't wait until Microsoft finally releases Office for iPad, and people discover that it also messes up their formatting, or it is lacking that one Office function they absolutely need.

Just because they have the same name doesn't mean it is the same program. Even Apple's iWorks apps have issues exchanging files with their desktop counterparts. Why people think Microsoft will do any better I don't understand.

You probably have a point there. What have you found out there that retains formatting from desktop to tablet the best in regards to office files ie. word docs?

[syd430]

The full version of office on ipad already exists: CloudOn.

Yes it's a cloud solution, but its office (as in an actual genuine copy of office) accessible on your ipad. Way more reliable than accessing office via RDP/VNC to your home computer anyway. And good enough until Microsoft releases a native version.

[HowardSmith]

Originally Posted by Night Spring

I can't wait until Microsoft finally releases Office for iPad, and people discover that it also messes up their formatting, or it is lacking that one Office function they absolutely need.

Just because they have the same name doesn't mean it is the same program. Even Apple's iWorks apps have issues exchanging files with their desktop counterparts. Why people think Microsoft will do any better I don't understand.

I am hoping that now that Win8 is out they will release a MS Office suite soon. Lots of rumors but no way they would do it if it competed with the new MS tablets. Will take some more time.

[Night Spring]

Originally Posted by accentaudio

You probably have a point there. What have you found out there that retains formatting from desktop to tablet the best in regards to office files ie. word docs?

I've pretty much given up on retaining formatting. I just use my iPad to draft/edit documents, then wait until I'm at my desktop or laptop to do the final formatting.

[HobeSoundDarryl]

OP, can you live without the voice aspects of the iPhone? There is another thread here with a discussion of replacing an iPhone with an iPad Mini. This would overcome your issue with too much duplication of functionality.

The pro-thinking about using a Mini as an iPhone replacement revolves around the evolving nature of mobile phones being used more and more for data & texting and much less for voice. And the Mini is smaller/lighter enough for some to make the compromise of a bigger "iPhone" with earbuds+mic or blue tooth mic work.

The fundamental driver seems to be resolving the one BIG- but often ignored- issue with the iPhone: the cellular service toll. Instead of paying about $1200+ per year, some are wanting to use a VOIP app and a "when I need it" (on demand) cellular data plan or just free wifi to cover the occasional voice need.

If you are in the camp where you don't really use the iPhone that much for voice calls (or you are in a situation where you let most calls to you go to voice mail and thus really do most of your voice calling as OUTbound calls), an iDevice other than iPhone can save a LOT of money while still giving you every bit of the benefits of the app ecosystem.

In my own case, I've never owned an iPhone. I just don't need to be readily available for inbound or outbound calls 24/7. Up to now, I've "got by" with Skype on my laptop for travel situations, finding free wifi when I really needed to make a call (or using mifi when free wifi could not be found). That's never been as convenient as 24/7 cellular everywhere but it's cost me near zero year after year instead of $1200+/yr.

Now I'm looking at this Mini and seeing a mobile & light device with cellular on demand at much-better-than-cell-phone rates when I couldn't find free wifi. Pair that with a VOIP app and earbuds + mic and it's almost a bigger iPhone with a much bigger screen... minus the $1200+/yr toll.

OP, I think you are finding enough utility with iPhone + laptop. If you want to talk yourself into permanently owning an iPad, it seems you need to determine if you can live without one of those two. That iPhone is much more expensive than that laptop over time. If the voice service needs of it are modest (if you mostly use it for data + texting), consider an iPad or Mini LTE as a potential replacement.

I'm sure there will be 10+ posts calling this a dumb idea (including the guy who can only imagine using a smart phone held up to one's ear... as if earbuds + microphones do not exist) but if one can separate the voice service from the rest of an iOS device and determine that inbound 24/7 voice is not that important to them, the combinations of VOIP, voice mail, etc makes all of the other iOS devices interesting options. iPads with LTE are particularly interesting in that they can cover the emergency situations where one needs to be able to call ASAP and can't find any available wifi.

For me, iPad Mini LTE will converge some laptop + occasional mifi into a single box and deliver the other benefits of the ecosystem. It will also be much more portable yet not too small (as I find the phone/touch). For the "can't fit in my pocket" crowd, the Mini will fit in suit pockets just fine... and suits are pretty much the attire I'm wearing when I'm traveling (for business). Besides, even in a "casual Friday" situation, I would have the laptop bag too. Mini will deliver the niceties of iOS and the laptop will deliver the niceties of OS X. Wouldn't I rather have an iPhone (or iPhone too)? Maybe... but not bad enough to pay the $1200+/yr added toll.

[D.T.]

Originally Posted by Chupa Chupa

This is so silly. Have you ever been in a kitchen and noticed there are knifes for slicing, dicing, chopping, cutting thick meats, cutting tender cakes and so on? Do you think a chef would say "convince me on owning both a serrated edge knife and a hollow edge knife."

Seriously, and iPad and iPhone both run the same OS and many of the same apps. Comparison ends. One is a smartphone, one it a tablet. Each does certain tasks better than the other one.

Yeah, I rarely find myself trying to decide which one to grab, they each have very specific use models in my daily grind.

The iPhone, is well, like the astute poster said above, a smartphone. I grab it when leaving the house for communication, maybe some mapping, playing music/podcasts (car or gym). It also our "go to" camera since we always have our phones with us.

Around the house, it's always the iPad. Some overlapping uses like podcasts, but it's my preferred device when I'm not sitting in front on my MBP at my desk as I almost never use my MBP for "casual" communication, social, surfing, news, etc. I much prefer my iPad: its more fun, more "intimate", I dig on the app equivalents over most websites (IMDB for example).

If I want something portable, yet still capable of decent levels of productivity (meetings, flights), it's the iPad, though I will have my phone with me as well, for just phone related chores, or when I'm not connected.

Just my $0.02

[MN7119]

I also have an iPhone 5 and a MacBook but love my iPad for 2 specific reasons: 1) Use at home: when I get home my iPhone goes to charge and I don't use it until next morning. I use my MacBook to pays bills, update my bank accounts on Quicken, unload pictures to iPhoto and that is it. After that, I only use my iPad around the house for surfing the web, checking sports scores, Facebook, Twitter, etc... Easy to handle, not heavy when compared to the MacBook so it is my main gadget when I am at home. 2) Business travel: I travel a lot for business and mainly internationally so have to carry my corporate Dell laptop and my corporate Blackberry. Since my iPhone 5 is unlocked and phone calls are paid by the company on my Blackberry when I travel abroad I do not bring my iPhone with me. Thus, my personal iPad is my perfect companion since I cannot access anything non work related in my corporate laptop. Thus, I use the iPad on the plane to watch movies, listen to music, play games, etc… and as soon as I check in at a hotel I connect it to the wifi to use Skype to talk to family at home, check personal emails, Facebook, etc… Thus, in my case the iPad is the perfect device that complements my iPhone 5 and my MacBook.

[nostresshere]

Well, excussssssssse those that assumed you returned 6 ipads to the Apple store. Turns out your returned 6 ipads to Best Buy. You still returned to them after breaking the seal and using them. Now somebody has to deal with refurbishing them and reselling them.

This is wrong on so many levels. Every time you do that, you increase the cost of doing business. We all pay for this one way or the other. If I was Best Buy mgmt I would be asking you to take your business elsewhere.

This is just downright wrong.

[DJinTX]

Hey AccentAudio,

This is just my interpretation, but when I read Syd's reply to you about you having an iPad fetish, I honestly didn't think he was trying to bust your balls or anything. I took it as a friendly jab meant to be humorous regarding your very unusual situation. I can't imagine personally buying 6 iPads over the years and returning each within 60 days for a refund. It just seems like you would have gathered enough info to make this purchase decision after the 2nd or 3rd iPad. But of course this is only how I see things, you likely are a very different person than I am, and that's fine.

Who knows, maybe you are an extreme impulse buyer, but for me, if I had bought an iPad twice and returned it each time, I would be extremely hesitant after that and would have to do lots of thorough research before pulling the trigger a third time, not to mention 6 times. It is just a very unusual situation.

I agree that there are plenty of D-bags here at MacRumors (and all internet forums... just check out the people posting comments on CNN reports), but there are just as many normal people here who want to have a good discussion, and sometimes want to give the OP a hard time occasionally to have a fun atmosphere. I really don't think Syd meant anything more than this. Of course I could be wrong on this.

Now back to the topic...

I just got my first iPad (Mini), and I absolutely love it. When the iPads first came out, I thought they were giant iPod touches and I couldn't think of a good use for them (for me) since I already had an iPhone and MacBook. But after my wife got her iPad 2, I started lusting for them. And the more I used hers, I realized that it definitely was not just a giant iPod. The apps for iPad are able to use a much larger space, and do not have to be minimal like iPhone apps. They can stretch out and have lots of interface cues that won't fit on an iPhone. It just takes it to a whole other level and allows you to interact with your apps in a whole new way. As for my needs, I use it for games, internet, email, iMessage and facetime, and think it is a brilliant device and the battery life is phenomenal.

[Boob]

Originally Posted by Jman13

It sounds to me like you don't need one. I prefer having a tablet for casual web browsing over a laptop.

This

I loved my laptop and all when I first got it but my iPad is so much more enjoyable to browse the web on. Plus, it's smaller, lighter and has way better battery life.

I think having a desktop, a tablet and a smartphone is the best way to go for me. I don't really care much for laptops anymore.

Originally Posted by HobeSoundDarryl

OP, can you live without the voice aspects of the iPhone? There is another thread here with a discussion of replacing an iPhone with an iPad Mini. This would overcome your issue with too much duplication of functionality.

The pro-thinking about using a Mini as an iPhone replacement revolves around the evolving nature of mobile phones being used more and more for data & texting and much less for voice. And the Mini is smaller/lighter enough for some to make the compromise of a bigger "iPhone" with earbuds+mic or blue tooth mic work.

The fundamental driver seems to be resolving the one BIG- but often ignored- issue with the iPhone: the cellular service toll. Instead of paying about $1200+ per year, some are wanting to use a VOIP app and a "when I need it" (on demand) cellular data plan or just free wifi to cover the occasional voice need.

If you are in the camp where you don't really use the iPhone that much for voice calls (or you are in a situation where you let most calls to you go to voice mail and thus really do most of your voice calling as OUTbound calls), an iDevice other than iPhone can save a LOT of money while still giving you every bit of the benefits of the app ecosystem.

In my own case, I've never owned an iPhone. I just don't need to be readily available for inbound or outbound calls 24/7. Up to now, I've "got by" with Skype on my laptop for travel situations, finding free wifi when I really needed to make a call (or using mifi when free wifi could not be found). That's never been as convenient as 24/7 cellular everywhere but it's cost me near zero year after year instead of $1200+/yr.

Now I'm looking at this Mini and seeing a mobile & light device with cellular on demand at much-better-than-cell-phone rates when I couldn't find free wifi. Pair that with a VOIP app and earbuds + mic and it's almost a bigger iPhone with a much bigger screen... minus the $1200+/yr toll.

OP, I think you are finding enough utility with iPhone + laptop. If you want to talk yourself into permanently owning an iPad, it seems you need to determine if you can live without one of those two. That iPhone is much more expensive than that laptop over time. If the voice service needs of it are modest (if you mostly use it for data + texting), consider an iPad or Mini LTE as a potential replacement.

I'm sure there will be 10+ posts calling this a dumb idea (including the guy who can only imagine using a smart phone held up to one's ear... as if earbuds + microphones do not exist) but if one can separate the voice service from the rest of an iOS device and determine that inbound 24/7 voice is not that important to them, the combinations of VOIP, voice mail, etc makes all of the other iOS devices interesting options. iPads with LTE are particularly interesting in that they can cover the emergency situations where one needs to be able to call ASAP and can't find any available wifi.

For me, iPad Mini LTE will converge some laptop + occasional mifi into a single box and deliver the other benefits of the ecosystem. It will also be much more portable yet not too small (as I find the phone/touch). For the "can't fit in my pocket" crowd, the Mini will fit in suit pockets just fine... and suits are pretty much the attire I'm wearing when I'm traveling (for business). Besides, even in a "casual Friday" situation, I would have the laptop bag too. Mini will deliver the niceties of iOS and the laptop will deliver the niceties of OS X. Wouldn't I rather have an iPhone (or iPhone too)? Maybe... but not bad enough to pay the $1200+/yr added toll.

Phones are still being used for voice/calls more so than texting and data by a large margin. In fact, I think data is in dead last. The main use of a phone is to make calls.

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Is that just your experience or do you have some evidence for that? I keep observing more and more non-voice usage of smart phones. For example, just last night a room full of young people were sitting around texting each other rather than speaking to each other (...in the SAME room).

For something a bit more objective see: http://www.zdnet.com/mobile-voice-fa...ng-7000001106/ and http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/...ata/2012-03-26

By "data", I'm also referring to app usage. Among the people around me with iDevices, I observe the usage stacks up like this:

• web browsing
• app usage (data)
• texting
• voice

Sure, they do make and take some calls. But most inbound calls seem to flow to voice mail (later answered by email, texting or maybe some followup calls).

In my experience, I see iPhones everywhere. But I see the voice part of iPhone being used increasingly sparingly. It seems iWeb or iApp or iText would have been a more fitting name based on real usage I observe.