Am I missing something? Underwhelmed with 1st gen iPad 64gb 3G after about 10 days

[AR15MBP]

Don't flame me, as I really want to love my iPad, but so far I just don't "get the hype". Everyone I know LOVES their iPad. I want to love mine too, but I don't. Not yet at least. I think it's a neat toy, but just can't see it replacing my netbook.

Hopefully the community here can help me address some of my issues and improve my experience.

Just for some background, I'm not new to Apple, I've had every generation of iPhone, which I love, I'm very familiar with it. I knew the iPad would be similar (or as I've often joked a giant iPod Touch), but I was hoping it would be more than that and able to replace my netbook, particularly when traveling. After 10 days of use I just can't see that happening.

Pros

• I think it's a great video player. The larger screen is much better for travel
• It's small and portable
• Battery life is great
• Love having 3G portable internet access with a larger screen than my iPhone (though I could accomplish the same thing with my netbook and a 3G wireless card or setting up a Personal Hotspot off my iPhone)

Cons

• Photo management on it is terrible (unless I'm missing something).
• The internet experience is only so so. I've tried multiple browsers and have settled on Atomic, though it's still somewhat limiting, particularly for links that open pop-ups on the page and often fail to load the full text and can't be scrolled). This in particular drive's me crazy.
• The lack of an open file structure is frustrating. Synching to move data back and forth with iTunes is a PITA and SLOW. I know Dropbox may help with this to a degree, but haven't had a chance to learn it.
• The extremely limited printing options with HP only products is ridiculous. I know there are some paid Apps out there that offer WIFI printing using a PC as a Print Server, but something so basic as printing over WIFI should be universally part of the OS.
• Document editing thus far is brutal. I downloaded Pages hoping to improve the experience and just hate it. It's so unintuitive and a PITA to do simple tasks I do every day in Word. I'm ready to delete the App which I paid $10 for.
• The camera Connection kit is a joke. It won't accept images transferred to an SD card unless they're in a DCIM folder and the file names haven't been edited. That forces me to syn photos through iTunes which is truly a PITA.
• Why can't I use a USB drive for file transfer?
• The lack of access to software I use everyday at work and home, like Word, Excel, Quicken. Pages is no Word, Numbers gets poor reviews as an Excel replacement, and there is nothing for Quicken, which I often move data files from work to home and back.

As soon as a stable Jailbreak is out for iOS 4.3 I plan to JB it and hopefully open it up from some of its limitations. But what else can I do in the interim? Am I missing some uber App that makes the iPad great?

Help me find a way love my iPad. I really want to. Honest! What am I missing that will make for a better experience?

in those cases when you have to scroll in a window within a window, use two fingers in the window to scroll.

 

[nutmac]

• Photo management on it is terrible (unless I'm missing something).
• The camera Connection kit is a joke. It won't accept images transferred to an SD card unless they're in a DCIM folder and the file names haven't been edited. That forces me to syn photos through iTunes which is truly a PITA.

I agree that the photo management is terrible. While I can accept its inability to edit photos, at the bare minimum, it should let you create albums and rate photos.

But regarding Camera Connection Kit, why wouldn't your photos be anywhere but in DCIM folder? While syncing photos back to iPad is done via iTunes (one of Apple's worst software, IMO), you use photo editing app (I use Aperture) to import photos from the iPad.

 

[aneftp]

Sounds like the OP wants a very thin netbook from their demands.

Just return the ipad 3G (assuming they purchased from a retailer with a no stocking return policy like Best Buy, Target, Apple store). They have 14 days at Best Buy and Apple and up to 90 days at Target.

I've owned iPad 1 (sold it in December). Just got iPad 2. I've said it time and time again. The iPad is a luxury toy. If you can afford it, go for it. It's wonderful as a magazine reader, video watching, internet browsing/email light games device.

It's like a 90% consumption device and about a 10% creation device. I also have a Apple bluetooth keyboard I used occasionally to type long emails but that's few and far in between. I also have goodreader, and the camera kit. Goodreader is good for basic file storage and organizing my PDF's.

Most of the time, I surf the internet or read my magazine.

If the OP is searching for anything else, the iPad is not for them.

 

[Bheleu]

in those cases when you have to scroll in a window within a window, use two fingers in the window to scroll.

Thanks for the tip!!!

 

[rdowns]

Oh look, another iPad sucks thread.

It's been out for a year now. We all know what is does and doesn't do. We buy it anyway and trash it for the things it doesn't do well even though its limitations are well known.

 

[poloponies]

Oh look, another iPad sucks thread.

It's been out for a year now. We all know what is does and doesn't do. We buy it anyway and trash it for the things it doesn't do well even though its limitations are well known.

I make a more than comfortable living but will rarely spend a buck without giving it some careful thought. If these posts are to be believed then it amazes me how people will drop $500+ without doing a little reading beforehand to determine if it's actually a product they'd want.

And I'm surprised that "lack of Flash" didn't make his list of Cons.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

i make a more than comfortable living but will rarely spend a buck without giving it some careful thought. If these posts are to be believed then it amazes me how people will drop $500+ without doing a little reading beforehand to determine if it's actually a product they'd want.

And i'm surprised that "lack of flash" didn't make his list of cons.

rofl

 

[Preds]

If you get this into your head you'll be a lot happier: "iPad is a consumption device, not a creation device"

If it cannot replace your netbook while at home and you did not expect that to happen then how is it that you thought it would replace your netbook on the go? What do you do at home that is different than what you do while on the go as far as a netbook goes? If you told me it didn't replace the laptop on the go I would understand and say it likely never will.

There are shortcomings to the iPad but somehow it replaced my netbook at home. Then again, I use my MP for all the heavy lifting. The netbook was a couch surfer as is the iPad.

I use my netbook much like a use my desktop, pretty much for anything and everything. In light of that, I didn't expect the iPad to fully replace it at home, though on the road, where my use is more web surfing and email based, with light office use, I was hoping it could be a nice replacement.

Unfortunately, I'm finding I don't like the web surfing on the iPad, mainly because it doesn't seem able to do many of the things I routinely do such as printing (if not to a printer than at least to a PDF). Maybe there's a way to print web pages as PDF's, but I haven't figured that out thus far.

Simple tasks on my netbook, like say paying a bill online, where I'd print to PDF to save the confirmation I can't seem to do. Or say creating a hotel reservation, and wanting to save the confirmation as a PDF.

I'm finding the web experience on the iPad to be good for reading, but not a lot of interactivity where you might want to save confirmations, and whatnot. That makes it very limiting for my use.

I was somewhat aware of the iOS limitations from the my iPhone use, however, truthfully I've never tried to surf extensively on my iPhone like I would on my netbook, and hoped to be able to do on the iPad. The glaring weaknesses of the iOS didn't stand out until I really used the iPad extensively.

I do love video abilities it has, netflix is great, as are the many movies I've put on it for when I don't have net access. I'll use it and enjoy it, but I think I'll still be lugging my netbook along to fill the voids left by the iPad, which in the end kinda sucks.

I think the poster that mentioned to view the iPad as a consumption device has pretty much nailed it. I was hoping it was more, but will accept it for what it is. That said, I can't see upgrading to an iPad 2 3 4 or 5 in the future without major iOS upgrades in the future. I think I'd just get a MacBook Air instead.

 

[[G5]Hydra]

The OP sounds like he actually uses a netbook as it was originally intended i.e. a cheaper, slower and smaller laptop. There were a significant number of people who were using them in a much more limited fashion for just surfing, email and maybe looking at videos etc. because there wasn't much of an alternative. The iPad is that alternative. The iPad is a good replacement for latter but not really a replacement for the former.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

I use my netbook much like a use my desktop, pretty much for anything and everything. In light of that, I didn't expect the iPad to fully replace it at home, though on the road, where my use is more web surfing and email based, with light office use, I was hoping it could be a nice replacement.

This VERY much how i use the iPad.....

Unfortunately, I'm finding I don't like the web surfing on the iPad, mainly because it doesn't seem able to do many of the things I routinely do such as printing (if not to a printer than at least to a PDF). Maybe there's a way to print web pages as PDF's, but I haven't figured that out thus far.

Printing to PDF would be nice... not some thing I have found easy as well...

I think the poster that mentioned to view the iPad as a consumption device has pretty much nailed it. I was hoping it was more, but will accept it for what it is. That said, I can't see upgrading to an iPad 2 3 4 or 5 in the future without major iOS upgrades in the future. I think I'd just get a MacBook Air instead.

The iPad can be more.... the cloud computing may get you closer to your ideal....

 

[Preds]

Oh look, another iPad sucks thread.

It's been out for a year now. We all know what is does and doesn't do. We buy it anyway and trash it for the things it doesn't do well even though its limitations are well known.

I'm not trying to bash the iPad, I do like many aspects of it, I want to love it, seriously. Some of the weaknesses have surprised me, despite a lot of research I did beforehand. Sometimes you actually need to use and experience a product extensively to fully understand if it works for you.

It's not about the money, I can easily sell the iPad for little if any loss, though I'll probably keep it as a video player and for very light web surfing. I started this thread to see if there are ways to resolve some of my issues and get some tips. Some are being helpful, while others like yourself are being overly defensive and resorting to personal attacks on those that challenge any of the iOS experience instead of addressing it's weaknesses and ways to improve the user experience. How about making yourself useful with some tips instead.

 

[Preds]

The OP sounds like he actually uses a netbook as it was originally intended i.e. a cheaper, slower and smaller laptop. There were a significant number of people who were using them in a much more limited fashion for just surfing, email and maybe looking at videos etc. because there wasn't much of an alternative. The iPad is that alternative. The iPad is a good replacement for latter but not really a replacement for the former.

You are dead on correct.

 

[Preds]

The iPad can be more.... the cloud computing may get you closer to your ideal....

Maybe I need to spend more time using the cloud. I do have an account, but absolutely despise going to me.com through a browser and haven't used it for file storage as a result. Pretty much use my me.com account solely for synching contacts and outlook.

 

[ravenas]

OP, when I got my iPad1 last August I ran into many of the same issues you are having.

I use my netbook(s) as lightweight mobile laptops for work and travel. My work routine involves:

editing/writing Word documents
printing/saving to PDF
processing photos and other graphics
writing/editing HTML/PHP pages
sending/receiving e-mail (often with attachments)
web surfing (for research mainly)
watching video
listening to music
online shopping
paying bills
the occasional Excel editing and money management programs

The biggest stumbling block for me was the Word editing. I bought no less than 3 apps meant to solve my issues and dove into cloud services. First I got Pages. Looks pretty but is non-functional for a Windows user with no Pages desktop client to continue the editing.

Then I got QuickOffice and DocstoGo. My goal was to sync files via Dropbox or GoogleDocs. Eventually I got so tired of the lack of Word easy features (like drag-and-drop to shift entire sections of content around) and the clunky "Save to Local" vs. "Save to Cloud" commands I just stopped using them all.

I did start using Evernote which allows me a more ideal writing to cloud system I can use across platforms. It's not Word editing, but it allows me to at least write the text part and copy/paste later on a netbook/laptop.

My laptop graphics editing programs and web editors are still much better for content production. The photo apps on iOS are more toys to me. Lack of a real file system allowing me to transfer one file and open/edit it in multiple programs has been a bugaboo for me.

In the end, my iPad became a tool I use to consume or showcase content. When I'm meeting with a client, I can more easily show off a website design on the iPad than a laptop. I can keep my iPad on my desk as a video player, chat room device or ebook reader/reference source. The iPad2 also makes a handy video phone via Skype.

 

[darngooddesign]

The OP should just return it.

 

[goMac]

If you're a serious document creation/editing person (like it sounds like the OP is) I fully recommend you do not buy an iPad. Full stop.

The iPad is good for creative tasks but not for business document tasks. If you're a Word or Excel power user the iPad is not for you.

This is why the Macbook Air exists.