Do you get iPad fatigue?

[Traverse]

Hi,

I'm just wondering if I'm weird or not...

I have a 3rd generation iPad and love it, but after extensive use or after an hour or two of web browsing I kind of get fatigued with the experience and go back to my old reliable MacBook Pro.

Does this happen to you? I can't explain it, but I just fatigued...

But I want to note that I am grateful that I have it, I never want to come off as ungrateful for what I have.

 

[Night Spring]

No, I don't get that, I'm glued to my iPad 24/7, but I don't think you're weird for feeling that way, everyone's different.

 

[smooth]

I don't know if I'd call it fatigue, but I also have an iPad and a MBP and I just prefer typing on the keyboard. I only work on documents on my laptop and I find myself replying to alot more things on Facebook when I am my laptop than the iPad. The same for this site too...

 

[Apple fanboy]

I prefer being on my iMac if I'm typing. The iPad is more for games and reading. Mg wife hardly ever uses the iMac. She has a lap rest (iRest) from Rain design which helps with the weight of it.

 

[Bear]

Hi,

I'm just wondering if I'm weird or not...

I have a 3rd generation iPad and love it, but after extensive use or after an hour or two of web browsing I kind of get fatigued with the experience and go back to my old reliable MacBook Pro.

Does this happen to you? I can't explain it, but I just fatigued...

But I want to note that I am grateful that I have it, I never want to come off as ungrateful for what I have.

Whether you're weird or not has nothing to do with you switching back to your MBP after a couple of hours of web browsing.

For me, it depends on what I'm browsing. Some stuff it doesn't matter, but for some websites you do need a computer.

 

[mrkjsn]

Re-read...

No, I never get tired of the experience. Maybe it's because I spend too much time on the computer for work anyway that the iPad becomes a nice break.

 

[Alvi]

This is why I sold my iPad.

It is somewhat redundant to own a MacBook (especially an Air) AND an iPad.

I did the same, the advantage of a MacBook, besides the screen size is that it can stand on it's own, so if you want to watch a movie in bed or on the go it will stand without having to touch it. And yes, I know there are cases that do that but they're not as stable as a laptop.

Also, getting tired of the on screen keyboard is normal. I don't find it much easier to use than an iPhone keyboard, I guess the problem not so much about size but about the physicalness (or lack of it).

I keep thinking about buying an iPad, especially because I really loved it as my little portable jukebox, but the 64GB version is 700$ and the 128GB one is 800$, I could get a MacBook Air for another 200$ and I know I will have a better device.

 

[Traverse]

Thanks everyone for the replies!

I've never heard anyone else comment on this first world problem.

No, I don't get that, I'm glued to my iPad 24/7, but I don't think you're weird for feeling that way, everyone's different.

Thanks for that. Sometimes, after reading posts on other sites, I forget that some people are actually considerate and nice (I'm looking at you Cnet commentors...)

I don't know if I'd call it fatigue, but I also have an iPad and a MBP and I just prefer typing on the keyboard. I only work on documents on my laptop and I find myself replying to alot more things on Facebook when I am my laptop than the iPad. The same for this site too...

Whether you're weird or not has nothing to do with you switching back to your MBP after a couple of hours of web browsing.

For me, it depends on what I'm browsing. Some stuff it doesn't matter, but for some websites you do need a computer.

These two posts actually describe me a lot. Some sites, like Macrumors, I just prefer to browse on my Mac.

 

[LightOnAHill]

Not with my mini...

 

[Motherload0211]

Ipad 3 here. On my lap most of the time, and time flies when using it. Can't wait for the iPad 5 to arrive. Have a desktop, but that requires me to sit uncomfortably for hours on end, so the iPad is just what I needed..

 

[superstarmc]

Not with my mini...

Exactly.

 

[Night Spring]

This is why I sold my iPad.

It is somewhat redundant to own a MacBook (especially an Air) AND an iPad.

I did the same, the advantage of a MacBook, besides the screen size is that it can stand on it's own, so if you want to watch a movie in bed or on the go it will stand without having to touch it. And yes, I know there are cases that do that but they're not as stable as a laptop.

Also, getting tired of the on screen keyboard is normal. I don't find it much easier to use than an iPhone keyboard, I guess the problem not so much about size but about the physicalness (or lack of it).

I keep thinking about buying an iPad, especially because I really loved it as my little portable jukebox, but the 64GB version is 700$ and the 128GB one is 800$, I could get a MacBook Air for another 200$ and I know I will have a better device.

I do own a MBA (13 inch), but I don't find it redundant to the iPad -- maybe because I have the 13 inch, but even if I had the 11 inch, I believe I would prefer the iPad for reading and browsing. I find it easy to prop up the iPad on my knees, and it gets me better angles than on a notebook. Before the iPad, I had to do all my reading on laptops, and the keyboard always got in the way. Plus, an iPad can be rotated to portrait, which is good for some types of content.

For movie viewing, I can see how it would be easier to have it stand on it's own. And also, the keyboard wouldn't be in the way because you tend to put the screen further away from you when watching movies than when reading. But the primary way I use my iPad is for reading, so I guess that's why I don't find it redundant.

When I have to type, yes, it is easier to do it on a physical keyboard. When working on docments for my job, I mostly use my Air, although in a pinch, the iPad has come in handy. I've gotten urgent jobs while sitting in restaurants waiting for dinner, or riding home on the subway, thanks to the iPad. It's not my first choice of a device for doing long writing, but it's handy when space is tight.

True, the cost of an iPad is not cheap, especially the ones with larger storage, but for me, it's a different beast than the MBA. They serve totally different purposes -- MBA is for work, and the iPad is for everything else. If I didn't need the MBA for work, I might not keep one, while the iPad is my most favorite device, and one that I would be most sad to give up.

 

[maxosx]

I find I use my iPads for recreational alternatives to my MacBooks when I feel like kicking back and reading on the web.

What I _Am_ horribly bored with to the point of sheer madness, is the non stop blah, blah, blah over Cooks claim of "an exciting Army of products due "soon. Add to that the promise of a nauseating, totally boring iPhone 5S, and it's enough to the serious Apple enthusiast cringe.

Just think, we're going to have to wait another full year before we see if by then, Apples got a grip on reality, a commitment to act, and actually make a meaningful improvements like they used to do with the iPhone.

 

[Alvi]

I do own a MBA (13 inch), but I don't find it redundant to the iPad -- maybe because I have the 13 inch, but even if I had the 11 inch, I believe I would prefer the iPad for reading and browsing. I find it easy to prop up the iPad on my knees, and it gets me better angles than on a notebook. Before the iPad, I had to do all my reading on laptops, and the keyboard always got in the way. Plus, an iPad can be rotated to portrait, which is good for some types of content.

For movie viewing, I can see how it would be easier to have it stand on it's own. And also, the keyboard wouldn't be in the way because you tend to put the screen further away from you when watching movies than when reading. But the primary way I use my iPad is for reading, so I guess that's why I don't find it redundant.

When I have to type, yes, it is easier to do it on a physical keyboard. When working on docments for my job, I mostly use my Air, although in a pinch, the iPad has come in handy. I've gotten urgent jobs while sitting in restaurants waiting for dinner, or riding home on the subway, thanks to the iPad. It's not my first choice of a device for doing long writing, but it's handy when space is tight.

True, the cost of an iPad is not cheap, especially the ones with larger storage, but for me, it's a different beast than the MBA. They serve totally different purposes -- MBA is for work, and the iPad is for everything else. If I didn't need the MBA for work, I might not keep one, while the iPad is my most favorite device, and one that I would be most sad to give up.

Wow! Those are really some interesting arguments, I think one of my main problems with the iPad was traveling since I always took both devices with me (which makes your luggage heavier) and yeah on a plane I'll rather use the iPad mainly because of it's battery life but it's extra weight to carry. I travel across the ocean twice a year and I tend to stay more than a month each time, so I can't just leave my laptop.

I could totally see myself in an iMac + iPad environment, and I might do that in a far future since I recently built a high end Desktop PC. I was one of the first ones to have an iPad in my social circle, I got the first generation one a few months after it came out and I rapidly lost interest in it after the iOS4 update made it slower than my iPhone, making it even more redundant. It became old really quickly for me. I might want an iPad 5 if it seems promissing though. As I said, I really miss having a lightweight media device.

 

[Night Spring]

Wow! Those are really some interesting arguments, I think one of my main problems with the iPad was traveling since I always took both devices with me (which makes your luggage heavier) and yeah on a plane I'll rather use the iPad mainly because of it's battery life but it's extra weight to carry. I travel across the ocean twice a year and I tend to stay more than a month each time, so I can't just leave my laptop.

I could totally see myself in an iMac + iPad environment, and I might do that in a far future since I recently built a high end Desktop PC. I was one of the first ones to have an iPad in my social circle, I got the first generation one a few months after it came out and I rapidly lost interest in it after the iOS4 update made it slower than my iPhone, making it even more redundant. It became old really quickly for me. I might want an iPad 5 if it seems promissing though. As I said, I really miss having a lightweight media device.

I don't travel, but if I did, I'd probably get the 11 inch MBA and bring that along with the iPad mini. I currently have a mini and an iPad 3, and while I prefer the 3's bigger screen, the mini is so much lighter, it's a no-brainer to throw it into my bag and bring it everywhere I go.

I lined up to buy the original iPad on release day -- I'd never lined up to buy anything before, but I knew from the moment I saw Steve Jobs introduce it that this was the device I'd been waiting for, probably all my life. It's a device that's perfect for reading, while able to do other tasks. It's not quite a laptop without a keyboard, but near enough for my purposes.

And yes, it's too bad that the first iPad got slow after the OS update -- I bought the iPad 2 the first day *that* was released, so never had to struggle with that.

I'm also quite sure I'll be getting the iPad 5. I skipped the 4 because it was the same form factor as the 3, but other than that I almost always update the iPad every year, and last year I bought the mini which I've been using alongside the 3. I'm lucky to be able to afford this, but also, for me it's worth it because I use my iPads so heavily -- one or the other of my iPads is in my hand pretty much every waking moment, other than when I'm working on my MBA or iMac. But then, I was the weird kid who always had my nose in a book, and now I've replaced the book with my iPad.

Obviously, not everyone has such a heavy use for iPads. I totally see how for some people the iPad might feel redundant. It all comes down to what we want to do with our devices. What I do find great is that Apple has made it very easy to integrate our devices. So if we do choose to use multiple devices, they pretty much work together. I can start reading a book on my mini, and continue reading it on my iPad 3 exactly where I left off, etc. It's not perfect yet, but they keep improving on it every year.

 

[Alvi]

It's not perfect yet, but they keep improving on it every year.

I think that maybe that's my issue, I can't afford to get a new one every year, and from my long term iOS experience a device feels nicely only on the first 2 software instances. I shouldn't be unhappy about it though, it costs half as much as a laptop but also lasts half the time. So from that economical perspective having an iPad is the same as having a laptop somehow.

If I think about it, it does replace some crucial MacBook activities like Skyping, which is great on the iPad since I'm used to run across the home when I talk on the phone. I also do my mail, not necesarily writing but more reading and deleting, which is like 80% of my mail. And also browsing while being on my desktop, which doesn't require much typing and uses up a lot of space on my desk.
I also like not having the battery anxiety I have on my MacBook.

I should consider the iPad 5, especially now that my MacBook isn't on the spotlight as it was when I also got my iPad. And also because I have a desktop PC which will do some heavy stuff my MacBook can't do anyway.

 

[kaielement]

Hi,

I'm just wondering if I'm weird or not...

I have a 3rd generation iPad and love it, but after extensive use or after an hour or two of web browsing I kind of get fatigued with the experience and go back to my old reliable MacBook Pro.

Does this happen to you? I can't explain it, but I just fatigued...

But I want to note that I am grateful that I have it, I never want to come off as ungrateful for what I have.

Must not love it that much if you switch back to your mackbook lol. Only time I use mine is for work when I have to use a website that I can't load on the iPad. Other wise I am either on my phone or iPad. And yeah my first thought was first world problem until I saw that you said that beat me to the punch lol.

 

[Eddie Bombay]

Once you go ipad mini, there's no going back to anything else.

 

[rockyroad55]

I haven't touched the computer for anything other than typing papers this past semester. Literally everything is done on the iPad now.

 

[Mainsail]

I own an iPad and a Desktop (Mac Mini), and they are a great combination. The iPad gets most of my use, and it is definitely more of a content consumption device. Also, I find the iPad useful for taking notes, drafting short documents, and annotating PDF files. The virtual keyboard with autocorrect is pretty effective once you get used to it. I have made iMovies and done photo editing on the iPad, and it worked great as long as you keep it fairly simple.

The desktop is for more lengthy and complex content creation. From time to time, I take a break from the iPad and use the desktop for web browsing, email, and other simple tasks that can easily be done on a tablet. Variety is the spice of life, and changing things up from time to time avoids potential ergonomic problems as well.

I do find that an iPad case with different propping positions helps to reduce fatigue.

 

[ravenvii]

Yes, I get that -- it's simply due to the fact that I have to hold/touch the iPad. On the computer (iMac in my case) your arm just sits there and the only thing that moves is your wrist (to move the mouse). You only really move when you need to type, and even then typing is infinitely easier on a real keyboard.

And yes, I know that makes me sound like a lazy sloth

I do use my iPad all the time though, but mainly for watching movies, games and the occasional brief web browsing.

 

[xxray]

yeah. i can't do a lot of the things I do on my MBP on my iPad and the stuff i can do on my iPad, I don't do it as fast or as productively. i basically just use my iPad for surfing the web a bit and playing games.

 

[Badrottie]

Not with my iPad 2, I will use it whenever or wherever I am at like coffee lounge or waiting room I use iPad to watch netflix, check with Facebook or Twitter. If I need to type longer, I would use my rMBP.

 

[Amplelink]

I know this is the iPad section of the forums, but I'm going to agree with OP here. My iPad sits exclusively by my bed until I use it for the occasional video watching (usually some sort of streaming programming). Otherwise, I use my MBA, iPhone or Kindle Paperwhite. Actually, I'm on the couch now and typing this on my iPhone. I have no problems surfing on the smaller screen.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Given that its only been a few days since I have got an iPad (first one ever!), I may not be the most objective respondent. However, I find it difficult to tear myself away from the iPad. Take today for instance. I wanted to spend the day reading. So, I spent about 4 hours in a café reading all the time. I got home, worked a little more but on my desktop (oh...my work involves a lot of reading - a task to which the iPad is now dedicated aside from quick checks of emails and short email responses) and went back to my reading on the iPad. Later when I go to bed, I will watch a movie - but that I will do on my Nexus 10 (the aspect ratio of the screen is better suited for movies I think).

On a week day, I am on my iPad for about 6 hours!!! The remaining 4-5 hours I split between my Surface RT and desktop - this is when I am working on papers and documents.

As far as I can see, I don't think I will tire of the iPad - why? Simply because it is - again, in my opinion - the best platform to read and I read a lot (I have to)!!! I have no idea why I was avoiding an iPad for so long, but as the saying goes - better late than never!