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Am I the only one losing the magic?

Y

Yumunum

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 24, 2011
1,452
0
U.S.
I have an iPad 2 32GB Wifi + 3G. When I first got it I was amazed. I brought it with me everywhere, I used it so much that I ONLY used my iPhone 4 for phone calls. The iPad was where it's at, and I used quite a lot. But after awhile, I realized how much of a pain it was bringing my iPad with me places. And my use has gone down down down... The exciting and new experience kinda disappeared, and my real day-to-day routine was showing me that my iPhone was what really ended up getting used. It's always there at work, it's in my pocket everywhere. It does basically EVERYTHING the iPad does, and it's handier. Right now the iPad's been sitting on my nightstand for probably about.. 3 days unused. Really, I just don't use it anymore. I spent so much money on that thing, and now it just looks like a big iPhone, without the phone of course. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think I'll be buying the iPad 3... Even when iOS 6 is out. I don't even know about after that. I can't tell the future or anything, but I can't see iOS maturing enough within the next few years to make a purchase like this worth it to users like me. Right now I'm thinking about selling this iPad, and putting the towards a 13" 256GB MBA - this week... It'll be my new main computer, and my perfect note-taking pal during college classes. I can't really justify owning the iPad anymore. I tried the iPad as a notetaker last year but even when doing simple notes I ran into a LOT of obstacles and limits.

I'm not posting this to be troll bait, I just want to share my experience and hear other peoples' stories, good or bad. Also, this might help some people debating on if the iPad is worth it to them. Maybe you need something else?
 
I know the feeling. I tried going laptop-free with the iPad. The lack of ability to run real programs on the go started getting to me. Just listed my iPad on the Marketplace, and am hoping to be able to get a new 4GB 11" Air.
 
I really like my iPad a lot, but I have to admit it's not very comfortable to hold. I'm using a case that lets you prop it up in several different positions, but none of them are ideal. And it's hard to decide how far away from my face I should hold it while reading, and whether to take my glasses off and hold it closer or keep my glasses on and have it further away (I'm nearsighted).

At this point I use it for internet browsing more than any other device I own (iMac, Windows 7 computer hooked to a front projector, laptop, iPhone) but that's mainly because it is still new to me. I have to admit that browsing on my iMac is a better overall experience. I can't see getting tired of the iPad as an ereader or gaming device though. It is much better for gaming than an iPhone, PSP or 3DS in my opinion. The big beautiful screen more than makes up for the lack of actual buttons.
 
Comments like those above suggest how difficult it is to hit the "sweet spot" between a smartphone and an ultra-portable notebook computer. In my case, the iPad has completely replaced a travel-only netbook (11") that I'd used for a couple of years. Even with the separate bluetooth keyboard, the iPad is easier to fit on an airline tray and the battery life is far superior. It hasn't, however, replaced my quadcore 15" laptop even when I travel. I can keep the laptop in its case on the plane but I cannot do serious work the iPad.

On the other hand, my experience with my smartphone is almost exactly the opposite of that described above. Yes, it's far more portable and duplicates many of the iPad's functions. But only at the price of readability and ease of use. My smartphone is now little more than a phone. I feel no need to upgrade it to a super-duper display with a larger screen. I wouldn't want to use my iPad routinely as a phone, but I almost never do anything more than make calls, check my email briefly, and consult my calendar on the phone.

Different folks, different strokes.
 
You haven't lost any magic. You've just come to your senses. Until a tablet is able to completely replace a desktop PC they all are just very expensive toys. Not a sole on earth needed one or there would have been a huge market selling tablets before the iPad marketing machine showed up. They are game machines for grown ups. Despite the millions bought already, that middle ground between a smartphone and a PC doesn't travel well and is far from the best at getting work done. Few will bother starting a thread about it, but 50% will be forgotten on a nightstand after the guilt of having paid so much for them wears off. JMHO. They'll add more and more desktop features to stave off reality, until they are nothing more than thin versions of what MS has been selling for 10 years. See Windows 8. The first OS with system-wide printing wins, but then you could just buy a Windows tablet today to get that.
 
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Despite what Apple would have you believe, iPads are not magical devices. As with anything in life, they're not for everyone. You got an iPad, and you never found a real use for it -- that's just how it is. There's no use dissecting or analyzing your situation. Each individual's needs are different and your experiences are unique to yourself.
 
Yumunum said:
I have an iPad 2 32GB Wifi + 3G. When I first got it I was amazed. I brought it with me everywhere, I used it so much that I ONLY used my iPhone 4 for phone calls. The iPad was where it's at, and I used quite a lot. But after awhile, I realized how much of a pain it was bringing my iPad with me places. And my use has gone down down down... The exciting and new experience kinda disappeared, and my real day-to-day routine was showing me that my iPhone was what really ended up getting used. It's always there at work, it's in my pocket everywhere. It does basically EVERYTHING the iPad does, and it's handier. Right now the iPad's been sitting on my nightstand for probably about.. 3 days unused. Really, I just don't use it anymore. I spent so much money on that thing, and now it just looks like a big iPhone, without the phone of course. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think I'll be buying the iPad 3... Even when iOS 6 is out. I don't even know about after that. I can't tell the future or anything, but I can't see iOS maturing enough within the next few years to make a purchase like this worth it to users like me. Right now I'm thinking about selling this iPad, and putting the towards a 13" 256GB MBA - this week... It'll be my new main computer, and my perfect note-taking pal during college classes. I can't really justify owning the iPad anymore. I tried the iPad as a notetaker last year but even when doing simple notes I ran into a LOT of obstacles and limits.

I'm not posting this to be troll bait, I just want to share my experience and hear other peoples' stories, good or bad. Also, this might help some people debating on if the iPad is worth it to them. Maybe you need something else?
Click to expand...

Your old spark has obiously faded. Like your lifetime crush becoming your wife and suddenly you just take her for granted. But there are indeed ways of reigniting the spark! Me, for instance got so fed up with everyone having iPhones. Always taking about what apps they had, wanted or were banned from the ap store due to indiscretionary contents. (Yes, I am talking about the Boobs app). I put my iPhone away and recieded to using my old nokia 1208 which only does text and calls. Instead my iPhone was placed permanantly in the dock of my stereo to run AirFoil Speakers off of.

One day, though, 3-4 months after abandoning ship I took a glance at it. Remembered the day I got it. I had spent almost $800 to get that 3GS chunk of plastic. I was one of the first ones to get it around here. And the feeling at that moment it had been worth every penny! That feeling and memory was superior to the fact that the 3GS now has become public property trading for less than $100. It's still a great piece of equip. So I sat down with it.... gave it some of my time, got some new apps for it. Not to mention some Spotify Premium with streaming an offline mode. So no I'm back in love! I love its audio capabilities, and the CPU. Even without jailbeaking it is very capable of enabling my life.

And if you just give your iPad some rest, rethink and come at it with a new approach, I'm sure you will eventually stop thinking about it as the laptop replacement, which it is not, and just learn to appreciate it for what it is. An awesome text comunicator, multimedia hub, and just a plain awesome travel accomplice!
 
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Interesting. I have almost the same experience as you but on the opposite side: I've been exploring ways to reduce my iPhone use, even to the point of getting a crappy cheap cell phone to replace it. And that's because I'm using my iPad much much more than my iPhone anymore. I can't remember the last time I used the iPhone to look up anything on the net.

I think my experience is different because being a bit older, I have to wear reading glasses. The iPhone display was getting harder to read even before the first generation iPad came out. Now that I have the iPad 2, I'm frankly in love with the thing, and am waiting for the right time to turf the iPhone.
 
Everyone brought up good points.

The sweet spot thing.. I totally agree. I just want a 6 inch phone (the biggest I can fit in my pocket) and then I want to be done. No iPad. Well you might just call it an iPad. Idk. But I think you know what I mean. Seeing as the devices are so identical, I just want to see one model that works perfectly for me. That 6-inch pad/phone will probably just be in my day-dreams though. Most likely not gonna happen.

And I TOTALLY agree with 4DThinker. I really don't want to spend another dime on a device that is basically a phone/computer hybrid with very limited features. I mean, iOS gets a lot of new features each year, but until it either runs OS X or becomes it's own full-blown, fully featured OS, I'm sticking with my phone and ultra-portable laptop idea... Far into the future, I expect the second idea to come true though. iOS will totally become it's own monster. It's just too far away
 
My wife only wishes I would lose the magic. I carry my iPad 2 with me everywhere I go... and I've been doing that since the iPad 1. My wife would be very happy... or think there is something very wrong with me if I lost the magic.:p
 
So the iPad isn't very good for in-class note-taking?

Probably so. But I doubt you'll find the MacBook much better. (Hint: You'll always get the best results listening to the instructor and handwriting your notes. No temptation to be checking Facebook in class. But thats a whole other story.)

I don't want to say you "don't get" the iPad. But it does sound as if your expectations are out of sync with what the iPad can do. The iPad is an incredibly well-executed piece of technology, but it remains just that.

Its also not a laptop replacement. More importantly: It never will replace what a laptop (or desktop) computer can do. It doesn't matter how fast a processor, or how high-definition a screen it ultimately gets. It simply never going to be as convenient to type in text, manipulate files, and run high-powered programs as a full-featured computer.

Thats not all bad. The iPad offers unprecedented mobility, battery life, startup speed, security, and ease of maintenance. Its "App Centric" way of dealing with Internet (and cloud) data is often superior to the browser-based way most PCs do. Its touch-screen and location and motion-sensor interface offer a wealth of possibilities that no laptop can offer.

Think about the foregoing carefully before deciding what to do. As I said, simply buying a faster laptop isn't going to make you a better note-taker or student. But if you need to run programs that can only run on a PC or Mac, or if you are going to be doing a lot of typing, then that might be the way to go.
 
me too, my iPad 2 is being used at home only. im too lazy to bring it everywhere because of the footprint.

hope there will be iPod touch 3g with 5" screen.
 
vrDrew said:
Its "App Centric" way of dealing with Internet (and cloud) data is often superior to the browser-based way most PCs do. Its touch-screen and location and motion-sensor interface offer a wealth of possibilities that no laptop can offer.
Click to expand...

It is very true. The device is hugely "App Centric". But I can't help to think, that apple very well COULD have made it the ultimate device. Combining the fully fledged OSX with a tablet/phone and somehow pulled it all off. But from a business p-o-v that would be a disaster for many of their other product lines. Apple, by nature, much prefers you to have the three devices, iPhone, iPad and Mac. (And with the first two rounds of MBAs they even introduced to some degree the NECESSITY of having multiple Macs as well! Even the new 11" MBA 128GB i just ordered will surely need some kind of device to bounce precious SSD memory off of, and some other device to watch movies on.)

A dream business scenario: everybody should need four to five Apple devices in their lives.

An all-in-one device would absolutely lead the way to satisfied customers. But also a fatal seize in development for Apple & co.
 
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i think is logical for you but many of you in my opinion lose the point..i have an iMac as my main power station,no laptop/netbook and an iPhone 3G so far so the iPad 2 that i will buy in Friday it is "magical" for me..its everything my old iPhone can't be at this point and everything i will need in travels/portability etc..for me if you have an iPhone 4 and a laptop+netbook combo the point of having an iPad is lost..you don't need it..but i do

cheers, Daforce:apple:
 
blevins321 said:
I know the feeling. I tried going laptop-free with the iPad. The lack of ability to run real programs on the go started getting to me. Just listed my iPad on the Marketplace, and am hoping to be able to get a new 4GB 11" Air.
Click to expand...

First of all, what to you define as "real programs?" Is MS Word one of these?

Before I make my second point, I want to say I'm not trying to be an a**. You spent at least $500 on your iPad. As I see it, it's you responsibility to do your due diligence before spending that kind of money. If you define "real programs on the go" how I think you define them, my only question is: Did you not know that these "real programs" wouldn't be there at the time?
 
Yumunum said:
I have an iPad 2 32GB Wifi + 3G. When I first got it I was amazed. I brought it with me everywhere, I used it so much that I ONLY used my iPhone 4 for phone calls. The iPad was where it's at, and I used quite a lot. But after awhile, I realized how much of a pain it was bringing my iPad with me places. And my use has gone down down down... The exciting and new experience kinda disappeared, and my real day-to-day routine was showing me that my iPhone was what really ended up getting used. It's always there at work, it's in my pocket everywhere. It does basically EVERYTHING the iPad does, and it's handier. Right now the iPad's been sitting on my nightstand for probably about.. 3 days unused. Really, I just don't use it anymore. I spent so much money on that thing, and now it just looks like a big iPhone, without the phone of course. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think I'll be buying the iPad 3... Even when iOS 6 is out. I don't even know about after that. I can't tell the future or anything, but I can't see iOS maturing enough within the next few years to make a purchase like this worth it to users like me. Right now I'm thinking about selling this iPad, and putting the towards a 13" 256GB MBA - this week... It'll be my new main computer, and my perfect note-taking pal during college classes. I can't really justify owning the iPad anymore. I tried the iPad as a notetaker last year but even when doing simple notes I ran into a LOT of obstacles and limits.

I'm not posting this to be troll bait, I just want to share my experience and hear other peoples' stories, good or bad. Also, this might help some people debating on if the iPad is worth it to them. Maybe you need something else?
Click to expand...

That is funny I have been feeling the same way this month too. Even though I am using my iPad this very moment I have come to a conclusion that I use it because it's just around the house.
 
Yumunum said:
Everyone brought up good points.

The sweet spot thing.. I totally agree. I just want a 6 inch phone (the biggest I can fit in my pocket) and then I want to be done. No iPad. Well you might just call it an iPad. Idk. But I think you know what I mean. Seeing as the devices are so identical, I just want to see one model that works perfectly for me. That 6-inch pad/phone will probably just be in my day-dreams though. Most likely not gonna happen.

And I TOTALLY agree with 4DThinker. I really don't want to spend another dime on a device that is basically a phone/computer hybrid with very limited features. I mean, iOS gets a lot of new features each year, but until it either runs OS X or becomes it's own full-blown, fully featured OS, I'm sticking with my phone and ultra-portable laptop idea... Far into the future, I expect the second idea to come true though. iOS will totally become it's own monster. It's just too far away
Click to expand...


I think Steve Jobs is wrong when he says there's no market for smaller tablets. My wife has the Samsung Galaxy 7" and she loves it. She plans on replacing her Android phone with a basic feature phone when her contract is up and just keeping her tablet with her all the time. You can text on it since there is a phone number associated with it. If only you could talk with a headset or bluetooth device it truly would be like a giant phone.

I like your idea of a 6" device, though. That might the perfect sweet spot between screen real estate and portability for some of us. The smaller tablet is more comfortable to hold and more portable, even though I appreciate the bigger screen of the iPad. My wife greatly prefers her tablet to the iPad though and I can understand her reasoning. I know it will likely never happen but I would definitely buy a 6" iPhone/iPad and carry it with me everywhere like I do my phone. The iPad seems to be thought of as more as a laptop replacement than a smartphone replacement, though it doesn't necessarily excel at either because of size and capability. A 6" version really would fill a certain niche as a phone replacement with an easily readable screen that is still portable. But again I doubt it's at all likely and a lot of people will totally disagree with this.
 
i never though that there was any "magic" (sounds of loud gasps from around the room as kool-aid cups drop to the floor!...lol)
i bought mine for specific purposes and only after i found that it did indeed fit my purposes (1st gen, before the plethora of tablets hit the streets)
of course i'm not using it in classes (those days are far far behind me) and it's only purpose isn't just to game or surf (though i do use it for that)
no it's not a device that is for everyone (my wife hardly uses her anymore either) and if you find it doesn't fit into your lifestyle anymore then find what does.
if and when someone builds a better gadget that does exactly what i want then i will buy said better gadget, be it Apple or whomever
 
wolfshades said:
Interesting. I have almost the same experience as you but on the opposite side: I've been exploring ways to reduce my iPhone use, even to the point of getting a crappy cheap cell phone to replace it. And that's because I'm using my iPad much much more than my iPhone anymore. I can't remember the last time I used the iPhone to look up anything on the net.

I think my experience is different because being a bit older, I have to wear reading glasses. The iPhone display was getting harder to read even before the first generation iPad came out. Now that I have the iPad 2, I'm frankly in love with the thing, and am waiting for the right time to turf the iPhone.
Click to expand...

After getting my iPad, I gave up my smart phone with the $100 a month plan and replaced it with a $30 a month phone.
 
The ipad isn't for everyone, of course, but i think with a few tweeks you might be able to rekindle your spark, rediscover that lovin feeling.

USAGE
1. in class/talks/meetings i use PEN AND PAPER (i learn better this way)
2. in between classes on campus i use the iPad for reading (consumption) and i often pair up my bluetooth keyboard with my ipod touch / iPad to do a bit of writing (creation), like i am doing now to write this post.
3. after class i go home, scan my notes using scansnap, and upload them to evernote. Everything is digitized (textbooks, handouts, notes, etc.) and I have everything I could possibly need with me at all times in the iPad/cloud.

If you pair a keyboard up with the iPad, you have the same setup you would get with the MBA, plus the flexibility of using it as a reader (portrait mode). How is the MBA less trouble to carry around than the iPad? I don't understand your logic there. Seriously, that is really bizarre thinking. It's 13"!? Admit it! You just want a shiny, new air :)

I am not saying an iPad can completely replace a computer. I still get a lot of use out of my MBP. But, I would say about 90 percent of my time is spent with the iPad.

Anyhow, carrying it around is no big deal if you get a man bag. I have the iPad+incase origami case for the keyboard, the apple keyboard, and a bookgem stand (sometimes i just want to read on the iPad without getting the keyboard out). Because I carry the bag everywhere I go (Waterfield Vertigo bag), it is no big deal to take it with me.

Of course, if you are uncomfortable with a man bag because of some insecurities about your sexual orientation, you might want to take a trip to Europe, Japan, or some other country where guys aren't bound by weird rules about the bags one is allowed to carry as a dude :)
 
Wasn't for me. 27" iMac and iPod touch (the big and the small) is my preferred combination. I'd go for a laptop over an iPad just so I'd be able to run OSX and Windows applications, and the DVD player/burner would be useful for me.
 
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