What can I do on an iPad since I have:

[wlavalla]

I currently have an Imac, Macbook Pro, 8 gb I pod touch. What can I do on the IPad that I can not do on what I have?

[Den Deze]

I'm kinda asking myself the same question.
I like the ipad a lot, but is it worth buying since i have a PC & a MBP

[Crosbie]

You'll find there's a bunch of things that you can do on your iPod that will just be much more pleasant experiences with your iPad. Web browsing, reading books and magazines, playing certain games, watching video on the move, etc.

My iPod touch has gone back to being a music player, with occasional apps like travel, weather etc; iPad has taken over for most other entertainment things I used to use it for.

[entwife]

Originally Posted by Crosbie

You'll find there's a bunch of things that you can do on your iPod that will just be much more pleasant experiences with your iPad. Web browsing, reading books and magazines, playing certain games, watching video on the move, etc.

My iPod touch has gone back to being a music player, with occasional apps like travel, weather etc; iPad has taken over for most other entertainment things I used to use it for.

exactly. The iPad doesn't do anything new it just does lots of things nicer. I barely use my mac for web browsing now, its just so much nicer to pick the ipad up and browser on the sofa

[iSingandiDance]

All but replace the other three.

[Don Kosak]

Basically, the iPad is better than a MacBook or iPod in a lot of places / scenarios.

It's much better on the couch or recliner. It doesn't get hot, is smaller, easier to pass back and forth if you're sharing it with someone.

I also us the iPad in meetings with clients. Sometimes staring over a laptop screen puts more of a psychological gap between you and the people you're talking to. The iPad has a very low impact, it's just like having a tablet of paper basically. I can still reference my Wiki's, Evernote, or Spreadsheets without interrupting the flow of the meeting.

The iPad is nicer than my 32GB iPod Touch. The touch is more portable, but the iPad screen is large enough to get real work done. Not only can I see more, the keyboard on the iPad is nearly full size, so I can touch type instead of thumb typing.

Overall, the iPad fills the niche between an phone/ipod and notebook nicely.

[Amazing Iceman]

Originally Posted by Don Kosak

Basically, the iPad is better than a MacBook or iPod in a lot of places / scenarios.

It's much better on the couch or recliner. It doesn't get hot, is smaller, easier to pass back and forth if you're sharing it with someone.

I also us the iPad in meetings with clients. Sometimes staring over a laptop screen puts more of a psychological gap between you and the people you're talking to. The iPad has a very low impact, it's just like having a tablet of paper basically. I can still reference my Wiki's, Evernote, or Spreadsheets without interrupting the flow of the meeting.

The iPad is nicer than my 32GB iPod Touch. The touch is more portable, but the iPad screen is large enough to get real work done. Not only can I see more, the keyboard on the iPad is nearly full size, so I can touch type instead of thumb typing.

Overall, the iPad fills the niche between an phone/ipod and notebook nicely.

I agree with this comment. I don't have an iPod Touch, but I may get one just to store my music and stream videos to my TV, so I could use my iPad while watching TV.

I use the iPad to read and annotate books. For example, I have programming and reference books in the iPad that I can read while I work on my MAC.
At night, I watch some series or movies in bed, wearing the Motorola Bluetooth Stereo Headphones, which by the way are now fully supported in iOS 4.2 (before the REW and FWD buttons didn't work).

I also stopped taking my MBP to work, taking my iPad instead. I do IT support, remotely and onsite. When On-Site, I bring an Airport Express configured in bridge-mode, in case the client doesn't have a Wireless Access Point.

And if I need to do something that can only be done on my Mac, I can access it remotely using LogMeIn.

So basically, the iPad has been the best sidekick to my MackBook Pro.

[mrboult]

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[robanga]

The iPad is amazing for books and movies. Add the ability to do some work on it from iWork and its double in its amazingness. The Macs and iPhone, although great for their purpose, do not provide the same experience. Is it a necessity? no way. But its nice to have for a guy that travels 50% of the time.

[jetblk328i]

Yea I'm in a similar predicament, ive got a mbp and an iphone...not sure why i need an ipad but i really want one.

[unixfool]

I usually rotate between my iPhone, my iPad, my Macbook, and my iMac. Sometimes my choice depends on the task at hand. If I have to answer an e-mail, I usually opt for the iPad...if it's going to be a long e-mail, though, I'll grabbing the Macbook or iMac, whichever is closer. If I'm doing web/blog work, I usually use the Macbook. If I'm messing with photos, its usually the iMac (my camera stores on SD card...my iMac has a slot reader).

When I've the choice between the Macbook or iPad, I'll sometimes choose the iPad simply because I don't want my nads baked.

These are easy choices for me. Each piece of hardware is being used, and I'm satisfied.

[KeithJenner]

Portability and access is the real benefit of the iPad.

It is much easier to pick up and go with than the MacBook and also far easier to just grab and use.

I personally find the screen on the iPhone is too small, both to view and to use. The iPad fits the gap perfectly between the two.

If you don't need that portability then I suppose it is down to comfort (i.e. as people have said about relaxing on the couch with it).

Basically, it doesn't do anything that your current devices don't do, but it can make it much easier to access those things.

[phyrexia]

I don't understand a lot of these questions.

I have two ipods, two laptops, access to three PCs, a powermac...(and the dumbest smartphone you can't even buy anymore ha)

How anybody can really compare an iPod touch to an iPad, I may never understand. Maybe it is because the iPad was my first Apple device aside fro iPods. I stole this from someone here, but an iPad is like a big iPhone in the same way a swimming pool is like a big bathtub.

Anyway my iPad has more storage than either of my Pods, so I tend to use the Pad for music in the car (although the Nano lives in the car too).

It is much easier to carry around than the laptops, and easier to use on the couch or (gasp) while walking around the house or work. As mentioned, the Pad doesn't get hot like a laptop.

Hell the screen takes up more of my field of view than my 47" tv does, although I'd still rather watch movies on the TV, assuming I'm at home.

And damnit I do walk around with the thing tucked under an arm most of my day at work, and I don't feel awkward at all. Women have much larger purses to deal with, and Birmingham is in many ways a College town so people walking around with books/bags/backpacks is nothing new to anyone.

[mrboult]

If your looking for a must have reason then there isn't one. You prob don't need an iPad.

But if you do buy one I bet you it'll become the thing you use most.

I have a laptop and iPhone so def did not need the iPad. But I bought it and I use it all day every day.

You might not NEED it but you will get your money's worth of use out of it.

[docprego]

Looking in from the outside and not owning either a MB or iPad there seems to be one major difference to me that is not being mentioned-apps! What the iPad lacks in functionality compared to a MB can in most cases be addressed by one or many apps. From my experience using the iPad in the Apple store I find that apps for the most part are very smooth and slick ways to interact with the device.

For me this is the single biggest difference.

[elwood58]

Originally Posted by Amazing Iceman

I agree with this comment. I don't have an iPod Touch, but I may get one just to store my music and stream videos to my TV, so I could use my iPad while watching TV.

I use the iPad to read and annotate books. For example, I have programming and reference books in the iPad that I can read while I work on my MAC.
At night, I watch some series or movies in bed, wearing the Motorola Bluetooth Stereo Headphones, which by the way are now fully supported in iOS 4.2 (before the REW and FWD buttons didn't work).

I also stopped taking my MBP to work, taking my iPad instead. I do IT support, remotely and onsite. When On-Site, I bring an Airport Express configured in bridge-mode, in case the client doesn't have a Wireless Access Point.

And if I need to do something that can only be done on my Mac, I can access it remotely using LogMeIn.

So basically, the iPad has been the best sidekick to my MackBook Pro.

You just made my day! I have always had lots of problems with my Motorola Headphones, but not anymore.

[AndyfromTucson]

I have a Macbook, a iPod Touch 4G, and an iPad. For me it's not about what can one device do that the other can't; it's about which device is best for what I am doing. Here is how I use the three:

MacBook. I use the MacBook when I am getting stuff done. I use this for doing my email, researching stuff on the internet, writing code, most online shopping, and anything that involves significant typing.

iPad. The iPad is for chilling on the couch; it's the best device for when I am lounging on the couch or in bed and just looking at stuff. I use it for:
- Reading blogs with lots of graphics and videos like Gizmodo and Lifehacker using a browser,
- Reading the news using a browser (news.google.com) and reading the NY Times using their app,
- Reading books on Kindle,
- Playing games (I prefer iPad games over iPT games),
- Looking things up on the web
- Looking at YouTube videos.

iPod Touch 4G. The iPT is for on the fly, spur of the moment, stuff when I am moving around the house. I carry this in my pocket and use it to:
- Quickly check the weather or look at weather radar,
- Look stuff up on the web on the fly,
- Control iTunes on the Mac Mini attached to my stereo using Remote,
- Drive the (same) Mac Mini connected to my flat screen TV using TouchMouse
- Reading blog entries using Reeder during spare moments.
- Shooting HD video of stuff on the fly.
- Playing music, internet radio (TuneIn Radio), or podcasts using either headphones or a dock.

[bentrider]

I have an iPhone 4 and an iMac and a Macbook. I still use the iPad more than the other three while in the house. It's by far my favorite thing to browse the web on (Using Atomic Web Browser mostly now) and I love the shopping apps like Amazon Window Shop and Target for the holiday shopping crap. I get panic attacks in stores so Amazon Window Shop app has pretty much singlehandedly justified the cost of my iPad the last week or two!

I'm also an avid reader and love reading books on it. I have Kindle, Nook and iBooks so between all three there isn't a book out there I can't find. My GF prefers the Kindle hardware and I guess I do too, but my iPad is close enough and always within arm's reach.

And since it is always within arm's reach, I do a lot of work on it as well. Writing with Pages, updating my blog with Wordpess, sending invoices (again with Pages)... It's even more useful now that I have an HP printer with ePrint.

I wound up giving my Macbook to my 11 year old son but I'm honestly tempted to get him an iPad and a wireless keyboard instead for the bit of schoolwork he does. He still messes with the Macbook a bit and screws up the settings sometimes.

[ClutchThese]

Originally Posted by wlavalla

I currently have an Imac, Macbook Pro, 8 gb I pod touch. What can I do on the IPad that I can not do on what I have?

well, you can do everything the others can do...

The reason for each is simple... you need the iphone to make calls.

But you need the mac to update the iPad!

[Cartaphilus]

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Originally Posted by Don Kosak

At night, I watch some series or movies in bed, wearing the Motorola Bluetooth Stereo Headphones, which by the way are now fully supported in iOS 4.2 (before the REW and FWD buttons didn't work).

Motorola S-9 is now fully functional!! Thank you for pointing this out--haven't seen it mentioned elsewhere, and I never would have known. You really should post this somewhere it will be more likely to be noticed.

It's nice that such little things can still make me happy.

[opera57]

Plenty of stuff, I have an ipad along with a macbook air, imac, ipod touch and also an android phone (besides the point). Its excellent for reading in bed, either the internet or ebooks. Lightweight to carry places, quick to use (instant on) and the whole internet experience on a large-ish multitouch display is just enchanced! I know people complain about flash but to me its only an advantage - those annoying adverts which take ages to load don't bother loading!

[George Knighton]

Originally Posted by wlavalla

I currently have an Imac, Macbook Pro, 8 gb I pod touch. What can I do on the IPad that I can not do on what I have?

Originally Posted by Den Deze

I'm kinda asking myself the same question.
I like the ipad a lot, but is it worth buying since i have a PC & a MBP

Ha ha ha ha ha. :-) Welcome to our world.

All I can say is that I have a modern iMac, MacBook Pro and iPad. Of those three, I use the MacBook Pro the least.

If that tells you anything.

I am a fairly heavy user of information.

[tekchic]

My MacBook Pro only comes out these days for iOS programming, video editing, and sync'ing my iPad/iPhone 4. Everything else is handled on the iPad -- writing, photo editing, gaming, sketching, studying etc. Man I'd love to see Torchlight on iOS

[s4ndm4n]

As others have already said, this same thought has crossed my mind. I use my iPhone 4 for pretty much everything mobile and my 2009 MBP (15") is about to get an upgrade to 8GB RAM and Momentus XT Hybrid drive for my video editing, etc. I am also going to be purchasing a MacBook Air 11.6 Ultimate in December, because the wife is using my MBP more and more (so it's going the way of the family MacBook). My iPad (64GB/3G) has really served more as my "Apple Babysitter" as I've told many, good ol' Uncle Steve helping keep the kids busy when massive craziness ensues, ha. My point being, while I could not put the iPad down when I first got it and I really do enjoy it, it serves more as an educational learning tool for my kids (10,4,3 and 16 months) and entertainment on the road (movies, etc). I do believe the iPad can be used as a very productive tool, when accompanied by a bluetooth keyboard. However, that was my problem, if I was gonna carry an iPad and keyboard around, then why not just get a MBA.

Good to know I'm not alone in my thought process.

[Diane B]

Originally Posted by entwife

exactly. The iPad doesn't do anything new it just does lots of things nicer. I barely use my mac for web browsing now, its just so much nicer to pick the ipad up and browser on the sofa

Same for me. My Touch is primarily music now and i use the Ipad for almost everything else--and our two Ipads (yes, bought the second since I had troubople sharing LOL) sit on a table shelf next to comfortable chairs (my desktop is in my office upstairs, laptop usually in a case). i rarely boot my laptop and use my desktop mostly for photo processing with Lightroom/Photoshop--and add processed photos back to Ipad with Dropbox. I do some business related work on my desktop but keep it available via Dropbox and upload to Office HD if I want to do any work with it on Ipad.