Hey all,
I've noticed that some folks have actually been talking about getting an iPad OR a Laptop. When I first saw these threads I thought "Oh boy", but in truth I can, about 85% of the way, see why. I thought, for future reference of iPad hopefuls, and to see what else people are doing, I would talk about what my iPad has done for me.
My Pre-iPad computer setup was a large desk (at least I think there's a desk there under the stacks of paper and office supplies, ha!), with a home-built desktop PC and 23" monitor, and a secondary 19" monitor off to the side, and a laptop that usually sat on my night stand. For the night stand purposes, it's been replaced. I still use the Desktop, about as much, and I still use my laptop. But, my laptop often times stays in it's bag when I'm at home. Right now, getting out my laptop means getting to work, and if I'm home, I am more likely to use the desktop (bigger screen, better keyboard).
So, that said, I am impressed by how much entertainment AND productivity the iPad has been able to handle, so let me briefly explain what I'm using to achieve this.
For starters, I am a Pastor, so most of my productivity-based computing is Web Browsing, E-Mail, Word Processing, Spreadsheets and PowerPoint (or Keynote, the once nice thing about what I do from a technology standpoint, is I can use whatever formats I please, because I am both the creator and the end user, isn't that nice?)
Dropbox
This is incredible, I have it installed on both my PC and my Laptop, my better halfs laptop, my iPad, and my iPhone. This has made doing EVERYHTING better. For example, when I work on my Sermons it's usually involving my dual-monitor PC setup and my iPad. I use an App for the iPad that allows me to compare the same passages from scripture from multiple translations/transliterations of the Bible, I have MS Word open on the 19" monitor, and have the other monitor dedicated to research for my Sermons (I often like to include relevant current events, so I will look for news stories relevant to that weeks scripture, as well as research other Pastors/Theologians thoughts on that particular passage.)
There does come a point though when the research is done, I know what I want to talk about, and it comes down to writing what I feel will best convey the message to the congregation. The iPad and Dropbox are great for that too, I don't have to do ANYTHING to pick it up on the iPad and keep working (or the laptop for that matter), save for hitting the "save" button.
It's also great on the iPhone, for when a person wants to see a particular form, or if I need to pull up something like a previous months expenses, etcetera, it's right there. On the iPad too, but I find in those situations, the iPhone is usually in my pocket.
iWork
It's not flawlessly compatible with MS Office, as I have found, but what I have done is catered my MS Office documents to the fonts and styles used in iWork, it's not particularly difficult for the types of documents I do, and it allows seamless integration between the two. I do wish I had a Mac though, and then I could just use iWork all of the time!
I will admit though, iWork gets pretty slow. It's okay for word processing but presentations in Keynote, and anything involving columns is very choppy, so the laptop comes out of the bag in those situations, unfortunately.
Hulu+
I love Hulu, in fact it has replaced my TV altogether. With the sole Exception of watching the Cardinals play Baseball, I do not watch TV outside of Hulu. Why should I adjust my schedule around the networks? I'll watch it when I want! I previously watched most of my Hulu on my laptop, but since it's flash, I have to crack a window or turn on the A/C because my laptop gets VERY hot after a 30 minute show. Additionally, the iPads speakers are actually louder and crisper than my laptops, Win Win!
Surfing
You didn't know it, but when the founding fathers invented the internets and the google, they intended for it to be on the iPad, the only problem was Steve Jobs wanted to make sure it was all hyped up and what not first so instead he made a GUI based clunky PC for you to use it on. But now, it's as-intended. Touching the internet is the way it's supposed to happen! Unless I have a lot of typing to do (I don't yet have the Wireless Keyboard, but I'm gonna pick one up this week), it is my preferred browsing experience. I don't miss flash. I've also noticed that more and more websites that previously asked for me to update flash player, spontaneously work. Seems like the iOS platform is a big enough platform to warrant the switch to HTML5, et al! FWIW, I use Atomic. Tabbed browsing is a big plus, though it does seem slower than Safari.
MyWi
This is, of course, a jailbreak App, but since there is no untethered JailBreak for 4.2, I have elected not to do so on my iPhone. I don't have a problem though, doing it on my iPad (if it somehow got shut off on the road I wouldn't be stranded without a phone). This has been a great tool since my AirCard no longer works, as it did previously with my Windows Mobile Phone SIM. It's a shame it costs so much, since I could do the same thing with a free WinMo App, and as I understand it, many Android handsets include the feature.
Nook/Kindle, sorta iBooks
I think it does a darn good job as an eReader, by shutting the lights off and turning the brightness all the way down I can read for hours without fatigue. I am disappointed with the selection in the iBooks library though, maybe it's my taste in literature but I have yet to buy one single book through iBooks, yet I have several from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and since I prefer the iBooks interface, that's always the first place I check.
Paperdesk
As a Student, I used OneNote on my laptop. I haven't used Paperdesk yet as the next semester doesn't start until the 18th, but I'm hoping I won't need my laptop anymore, which also means not finding a seat next to an outlet (and subsequently, the kids with the 23" Laptops that they use to play World of Warcraft during the lectures, that, unsurprisingly, usually only last for one semester. But they always seems to keep coming, and inevitably they too, must have poor battery life, so they, too, need an outlet. So I get to hear clacking mice, whispers about whatever it is WoW players talk about, and the clashing of swords through their earbuds. Wonderful.)
So how about all of you? How has your iPad made you more productive? Or, if it hasn't made you more productive, how might it have replaced or consolidated some other piece of hardware? As you've read, for me, it's replaced my laptop in alot of situations. It's not enough that I would go without a laptop, in fact I'm thinking of purchasing a Macbook sometime this year, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I can get done with it. How about you?
I've noticed that some folks have actually been talking about getting an iPad OR a Laptop. When I first saw these threads I thought "Oh boy", but in truth I can, about 85% of the way, see why. I thought, for future reference of iPad hopefuls, and to see what else people are doing, I would talk about what my iPad has done for me.
My Pre-iPad computer setup was a large desk (at least I think there's a desk there under the stacks of paper and office supplies, ha!), with a home-built desktop PC and 23" monitor, and a secondary 19" monitor off to the side, and a laptop that usually sat on my night stand. For the night stand purposes, it's been replaced. I still use the Desktop, about as much, and I still use my laptop. But, my laptop often times stays in it's bag when I'm at home. Right now, getting out my laptop means getting to work, and if I'm home, I am more likely to use the desktop (bigger screen, better keyboard).
So, that said, I am impressed by how much entertainment AND productivity the iPad has been able to handle, so let me briefly explain what I'm using to achieve this.
For starters, I am a Pastor, so most of my productivity-based computing is Web Browsing, E-Mail, Word Processing, Spreadsheets and PowerPoint (or Keynote, the once nice thing about what I do from a technology standpoint, is I can use whatever formats I please, because I am both the creator and the end user, isn't that nice?)
Dropbox
This is incredible, I have it installed on both my PC and my Laptop, my better halfs laptop, my iPad, and my iPhone. This has made doing EVERYHTING better. For example, when I work on my Sermons it's usually involving my dual-monitor PC setup and my iPad. I use an App for the iPad that allows me to compare the same passages from scripture from multiple translations/transliterations of the Bible, I have MS Word open on the 19" monitor, and have the other monitor dedicated to research for my Sermons (I often like to include relevant current events, so I will look for news stories relevant to that weeks scripture, as well as research other Pastors/Theologians thoughts on that particular passage.)
There does come a point though when the research is done, I know what I want to talk about, and it comes down to writing what I feel will best convey the message to the congregation. The iPad and Dropbox are great for that too, I don't have to do ANYTHING to pick it up on the iPad and keep working (or the laptop for that matter), save for hitting the "save" button.
It's also great on the iPhone, for when a person wants to see a particular form, or if I need to pull up something like a previous months expenses, etcetera, it's right there. On the iPad too, but I find in those situations, the iPhone is usually in my pocket.
iWork
It's not flawlessly compatible with MS Office, as I have found, but what I have done is catered my MS Office documents to the fonts and styles used in iWork, it's not particularly difficult for the types of documents I do, and it allows seamless integration between the two. I do wish I had a Mac though, and then I could just use iWork all of the time!
I will admit though, iWork gets pretty slow. It's okay for word processing but presentations in Keynote, and anything involving columns is very choppy, so the laptop comes out of the bag in those situations, unfortunately.
Hulu+
I love Hulu, in fact it has replaced my TV altogether. With the sole Exception of watching the Cardinals play Baseball, I do not watch TV outside of Hulu. Why should I adjust my schedule around the networks? I'll watch it when I want! I previously watched most of my Hulu on my laptop, but since it's flash, I have to crack a window or turn on the A/C because my laptop gets VERY hot after a 30 minute show. Additionally, the iPads speakers are actually louder and crisper than my laptops, Win Win!
Surfing
You didn't know it, but when the founding fathers invented the internets and the google, they intended for it to be on the iPad, the only problem was Steve Jobs wanted to make sure it was all hyped up and what not first so instead he made a GUI based clunky PC for you to use it on. But now, it's as-intended. Touching the internet is the way it's supposed to happen! Unless I have a lot of typing to do (I don't yet have the Wireless Keyboard, but I'm gonna pick one up this week), it is my preferred browsing experience. I don't miss flash. I've also noticed that more and more websites that previously asked for me to update flash player, spontaneously work. Seems like the iOS platform is a big enough platform to warrant the switch to HTML5, et al! FWIW, I use Atomic. Tabbed browsing is a big plus, though it does seem slower than Safari.
MyWi
This is, of course, a jailbreak App, but since there is no untethered JailBreak for 4.2, I have elected not to do so on my iPhone. I don't have a problem though, doing it on my iPad (if it somehow got shut off on the road I wouldn't be stranded without a phone). This has been a great tool since my AirCard no longer works, as it did previously with my Windows Mobile Phone SIM. It's a shame it costs so much, since I could do the same thing with a free WinMo App, and as I understand it, many Android handsets include the feature.
Nook/Kindle, sorta iBooks
I think it does a darn good job as an eReader, by shutting the lights off and turning the brightness all the way down I can read for hours without fatigue. I am disappointed with the selection in the iBooks library though, maybe it's my taste in literature but I have yet to buy one single book through iBooks, yet I have several from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and since I prefer the iBooks interface, that's always the first place I check.
Paperdesk
As a Student, I used OneNote on my laptop. I haven't used Paperdesk yet as the next semester doesn't start until the 18th, but I'm hoping I won't need my laptop anymore, which also means not finding a seat next to an outlet (and subsequently, the kids with the 23" Laptops that they use to play World of Warcraft during the lectures, that, unsurprisingly, usually only last for one semester. But they always seems to keep coming, and inevitably they too, must have poor battery life, so they, too, need an outlet. So I get to hear clacking mice, whispers about whatever it is WoW players talk about, and the clashing of swords through their earbuds. Wonderful.)
So how about all of you? How has your iPad made you more productive? Or, if it hasn't made you more productive, how might it have replaced or consolidated some other piece of hardware? As you've read, for me, it's replaced my laptop in alot of situations. It's not enough that I would go without a laptop, in fact I'm thinking of purchasing a Macbook sometime this year, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I can get done with it. How about you?
