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When the ipad was introduced, Jobs described the use case as a device that sits between a smartphone and a full laptop/desktop. He said the ipad would be better at the common tasks people do most often with their computers: email, web, photos, books, and video etc. with great battery life, portability, and ease of use. Jobs made the case that netbooks were not the answer, since they were not better at anything.

I think Jobs nailed it. Net books have basically disappeared as a class of device, and the iPad really is the device I use most often for these common tasks. I still own a computer and smartphone, but the iPad gets the most use.
 
When the ipad was introduced, Jobs described the use case as a device that sits between a smartphone and a full laptop/desktop. He said the ipad would be better at the common tasks people do most often with their computers: email, web, photos, books, and video etc. with great battery life, portability, and ease of use. Jobs made the case that netbooks were not the answer, since they were not better at anything.

I think Jobs nailed it. Net books have basically disappeared as a class of device, and the iPad really is the device I use most often for these common tasks. I still own a computer and smartphone, but the iPad gets the most use.

I agree, but there's a misconception with netbooks that both the industry and Jobs just got totally wrong.

Netbooks were notebooks that needed to be tied to cloud storage and the internet to function fully as a workable machine. Chromebooks are just such a machine, and all they are is the consumer version of thin and zero client machines where the "host" machine (zero) or at least the account and data (thin) is located on a server somewhere else.

The "netbook" that people usually describe now are really just cheap small computers. The Macbook Air by that definition is a netbook. Jobs shot himself in the foot often, because the 11" Air is the most expensive netbook there ever was . . . . . . if you classify netbooks in that way.

So, netbooks haven't gone anywhere, and where never an answer to "a-device-between-a-smartphone-and-a-full-laptop" The iPad took hold because it was an alternative, but it's still limited at times even compared to a traditional netbook that has a keyboard, larger screen, ports, more robust software, and a much cheaper price.

Also, with the move of more and more data to the cloud, and less and less being stored locally on our devices, the "netbook" claim to fame is now more ubiquitous than ever.
 
I got mine when my Mac was a desktop, so it was my laptop "replacement." Now I have a laptop, and the ipad sees very little use. Just for netflix when at the gym, really. The laptop is better at everything except balancing on a tiny ledge.
 
Yes, with the move to 64bit CPU, and NOT increasing the RAM, I now have to wait for a page to totally load in safari before maneuvering around, or else safari will blow up.

That is about the only change for me - poor safari stability has made for a much worse user experience in using a browser. And don't get me started with the reloads - Boooooooooooo
 
I got my iPad to read books and that's still what I primarily do with it. But it also acts a video player much of the time, which is an added bonus. Of course, because almost all of the apps are interchangeable with their iPhone versions, I don't have to reach for my iPhone for most things.
 
For those that got it mainly for reading books, what made you choose it over the Kindle or the Kindle Fire if you wanted a similar screen type? The iPad is significantly more expensive than any other alternative if your main use is reading.
 
For those that got it mainly for reading books, what made you choose it over the Kindle or the Kindle Fire if you wanted a similar screen type? The iPad is significantly more expensive than any other alternative if your main use is reading.

True, but the reason I opted for the iPad over the Kindle was because it could do so much more. While reading was the major factor for the purchase, I knew it would get used for other things.
 
Use my rMini for e-reading, magazines, movies/tv, and porn.

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For those that got it mainly for reading books, what made you choose it over the Kindle or the Kindle Fire if you wanted a similar screen type? The iPad is significantly more expensive than any other alternative if your main use is reading.

Mainly because i'm entrenched in the apple ecosystem and apple makes superior products (of course you pay for that quality).

I've gone the cheap route on occasion for some products and almost immediately regret it. And the money that i saved from those purchases, i have no earthly idea what i ended up doing with it. Probably wasted it in all honesty.
 
I used it mainly for productivity apps and note taking with a stylus; that is, until I downloaded Real Racing 3.
 
I originally bought my iPad so I can easily view my photos and downloaded Youtube clips when I wasn't using my laptop. Now in addition to those tasks, I use my iPad as an e-reader and to browse the internet.
 
I use both of mine for exactly the ways I intended to use them. I typed this on my Retina Mini while streaming a video on the Air. :)
 
I bought the iPad mainly because I wanted to read on it -- not just ebooks, but also longer web articles. And that is what I find the iPad to be best at, at web surfing. I hardly sit in front of my computer anymore unless I need to type out a document, or do some media management. All my web activities, including reading and posting to Internet forums, are now mostly done on my iPad. Any ebooks I find to read, I read on the iPad. Checking email, I mostly do on my iPad, but I sometimes go to the computer if I have a large number of attachments I have to deal with. I also keep my work-related files in Dropbox, where I can refer to them if I need to. This has eliminated the need to carry my laptop with me, so the laptop is now parked permanently at the office. I also used to play casual games like solitaire on the computer, but that activity has moved to my iPad. Overall, the iPad almost never leaves my side during my waking hours. I turn to it first thing in the morning, and read on it every night until I fall asleep. It is undoubtedly the device I spend the most time on.

Unfortunately, if I had to cut down on the number of devices I own, the iPad would probably have to be the first to go, because the computer and smartphone both perform tasks that are absolutely essential, whereas the tasks that the iPad is best for are non-essential. But they are tasks that I enjoy doing for my pleasure, while the tasks I do on my computer and phone are "work."
 
Bought my 2nd iPad (rMini) to be an e-reader, email, web, netflix, some musical apps. End up using it for nearly everything: back-up texting when my iPhone has no charge, music listening in the kitchen, mixer for Logic Pro, field recording (audio and video), and quick sketching/note taking.

I still use my cMBP to do serious processing on audio and video at home and on the road, but my rMini is with me all the time and comes in handy much more than I thought or planned.
 
I intended using my iPad air for the usual internet/mail/music stuff. But I found that reading books is very pleasant on the retina screen. So I have now a collection of 500 books on it. In addition I found that it is the first iPad which is fast enough to handle large spreadsheet fairly decently. As I live from investing on the stock-market with lots of spreadsheets, I use my new iPad far more than I expected. So much in fact that the battery is usually empty after a working-day.
 
when I bought my iPad, I intended it to do the following things
- be something to use to replace all the articles I print out.
- take all my notes in class, so I bought a k760 keyboard
- watch media and play games while traveling
- use as a secondary screen

however what I ended up doing was using it primary for games.
sometimes I use it to browse the internet or listen/watch something when I don't have access to a computer

as for what I intended for it..
- e-reading.. I still end up printing all the time. Part of it is because I have access to an awesome printer at work. But another reason is the feel of flipping through pages. I don't think any e-reader can mimic that
- notes.. I still use it for notes, but I think a macbook air or ultrabook would've been better and more productive. especially when traveling. I use google docs often and the mobile version is very limited

anyone feel the same way after using their ipad?

my iPad mini is generally just for the web although i play games every once in a while.
 
I bought the iPad mainly because I wanted to read on it -- not just ebooks, but also longer web articles. And that is what I find the iPad to be best at, at web surfing. I hardly sit in front of my computer anymore unless I need to type out a document, or do some media management. All my web activities, including reading and posting to Internet forums, are now mostly done on my iPad. Any ebooks I find to read, I read on the iPad. Checking email, I mostly do on my iPad, but I sometimes go to the computer if I have a large number of attachments I have to deal with. I also keep my work-related files in Dropbox, where I can refer to them if I need to. This has eliminated the need to carry my laptop with me, so the laptop is now parked permanently at the office. I also used to play casual games like solitaire on the computer, but that activity has moved to my iPad. Overall, the iPad almost never leaves my side during my waking hours. I turn to it first thing in the morning, and read on it every night until I fall asleep. It is undoubtedly the device I spend the most time on.

Unfortunately, if I had to cut down on the number of devices I own, the iPad would probably have to be the first to go, because the computer and smartphone both perform tasks that are absolutely essential, whereas the tasks that the iPad is best for are non-essential. But they are tasks that I enjoy doing for my pleasure, while the tasks I do on my computer and phone are "work."

Did you spring for the LTE version given how much you use it?
 
I'm on my third iPad because the longer I own one now the more I use it. It's also great for people with compromised vision. Any book or web page can be set to be large type, and it's easy to read in dim light.

I Bought the iPad2 with only 16 gigs at a time when I was working on a project that involved video clips. I also expected to do email, internet, pads and ebooks, and some games, and I've always used it for these purposes.

The day the iPad3 came out I bought a 64 gig to do all that and more. I enjoy watching netflix on the retina screen, and when I'm working on art projects I find it handier than a camera to take work in process photos that I can immediately study and mark up on right on the iPad with no transfer process. I tried to use the 3 for drawing but I bought sketchbook pro and hated it. I gave the 2 to my son so we could skype. My son was very happy with the ipad2 for a year until he really really needed more space so we traded.

Then when the Air came out I bought the 128 gig. I gave the 2 to his girlfriend (sort of dil) which was a symbolic major gift, better than jewelry. I continued to use it as before, and then when I discovered Procreate and a Bluetooth stylus I used it even more. It doesn't weigh more than a sketch pad and it's easy to use wherever I am. It's also light enough to stick in my bag and carry it around more. People actually even enjoy looking at my travel photos!
 
I bought my iPad to be my e-reader and digital photo album. For a few months that's all I used it for.

Then it also became my planner and finance organizer and started using the calender, contacts, reminders, notes and banking apps.

I work with kids at church so I tried using it to teach my lessons. Pairing with an Apple TV it worked very well so I've continued using it.

We got rid of cable a month ago and because I stream from my MBP it tends to be plugged in so I find myself on my iPad most of the time.

My MBP is pretty new and in retrospect, I should have gotten myself an iMac for my downloading/streaming, my occasional video editing and my iTunes and iPhoto hub since my iPad is really my main "computer" now.
 
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