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I don't want to spend a penny on apps...Is the iPad right for me?

The iPad is definatley right for you. There is no extra cost for any of the things you have listed. Its a great device just for easy internet and email access. Theres plenty of free apps to keep you interested. I spend very little on paid apps. I find myself buying an app only after reading a great review. Ill play around with it for a day or two only to never come back to it again.

Just a few of the free apps I use almost daily:

Safari- Free internet browser
Email - Free email
Facebook- Free through Safari or the iphone version of the app.
Pandora- Free music
Netflix- Free App with netflix sub
ABC Player- Free TV shows here in the US
ScoreCenterXL- Free sporting scores and news.
Flipboard- This is a great free app that integrate all your facebook, twitter, and other social networking into one magazine like app. (this is my favorite app on the ipad.)
Twitter- Awesome Free iPad specific twitter app.
 
You can do everything you want with free apps. To be honest, because of the size of it you'll mostly be browsing website and don't require apps. My recommendation though is that you DO purchase two apps, which are only a couple bucks:

iCab $1.99US - Tabbed browsing and limited support for uploading files
GoodReader $1.99US - Advanced PDF reader

Aside from that, when I had my iPad I never really needed paid apps.
 
I haven't bought that much software for the iPad. Most of the applications are just too expensive in my opinion.

Pages, Goodreader, etc. You'll find the iPad quite capable even without them, but I recommend jailbreaking and allocating yourself a few dollars (or pounds) to buy a round of apps. Nothing too fancy, but relying only on free applications will limit you a bit.
 
Is Dropbox or Box.net available in the UK? Those are free and I use Dropbox (2GB free cloud, Box.net 1GB) all the time to both store and move things (photos, docs, pdfs) all the time between computer and Ipad. Goodreader is a terrific pdf reader and a lot more. There are lots of 'lite' versions of a number of apps that are both free and add even more functionality to the Ipad.

Wozza2010 said:
I hear what your saying but 59p here and 99p there all add up at the end of the day. I'm just wondering if I'll get basic functionality out of the iPad without having to put my hand in my pocket again.

One example is getting files from my PC to the iPad. How does one go about that and is there is free app for it or do I have to put my hand in my pocket??



Its good to know there are a lot of good free apps cheers.
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You'll do fine with free apps for the uses you described and more.
Just get your iPad fast and download VLC (free) before it gets removed from the app store.

Also get AppShopper and FAODD (Free App Of The Day). There are many paid apps that become available for free on certain days. The two apps mentioned above will notify you about these special offers.
 
You can have the same great experience as people who do buy apps. Someone mentioned iCab for tab browsing. I use it as well but I've been been trying out Terra, a free browser, with tabbed browsing. It might not have the many options other browsers have but it works good.

There are certainly other great free apps, even games. There are a couple people that post here that don't spend money on apps. Enjoy.
 
To use your iPad to it fullest potential, you really should pony up the 99 cents here and there.

What I do to maximize my app buying is every time I find an app that I really want, I go list it on my AppShopper.com wish list (or their free iPad app). Then I hold out and wait -- often things go on sale and you'll get an email notification. That's the time to buy. Yesterday I bought Korg iElectribe (synthesizer app) for 9.99 but it sat at 19.99 in my Wish List for a few months prior.

If it's a productivity app that I feel will make my workday move smoother and more streamlined, I don't think about it -- I pick it up and figure out how to meld it to my workflow. Efficiency (or lack thereof) is money.

If it's a game that I could live without? I put it on the AppShopper list and wait it out. My extended family has taken to getting me iTunes Gift Cards for things which is perfect, because then it gives me the "splurge money" to go pick up some fun game I was holding out on, etc.

You can use your iPad without spending a cent, but I don't think you can make the fullest use of it. Not to mention, you're not supporting some really excellent developers that are trying to make a living as well. I've seen some incredibly well-designed 99 cent apps that I pick up just to make sure the developer keeps being awesome. :)
 
Using an iPad without ever buying any apps is like buying a car but never driving it outside of a 10-block radius of your house. Sure, it works, but you can be doing so much more with it!
 
misterbig said:
Using an iPad without ever buying any apps is like buying a car but never driving it outside of a 10-block radius of your house. Sure, it works, but you can be doing so much more with it!
Click to expand...

Let them learn on their own. If they want to spend $500+ on a device and not spend an extra $20 or so on apps, let 'em. At least we can enjoy our apps :)
 
Wozza2010 said:
I know what your saying but I've had a netbook in the past and I'm bored of them. I don't want to buy another. I love just sitting down on the couch and surfing the web and to me the iPad looks like the perfect device for doing just that. The screen is perfect and the snappyness of safari is really mind blowing.
Click to expand...

For what you want, you are the poster boy for the Ipad as designed. I have a fair amount of apps, some paid, some not. If you take off games, I probably use the free apps 80%. Here are free ones I use every day:

safari
mail
video/Itunes
NYTimes
NPR
dropbox
Ibooks/Marvel comics, Comix - plenty to buy but also plenty free
Calendar
Many more -

Let me put my money where my mouth is - Mine got ripped off a few weeks ago. I replaced it within a few day. No regrets.
 
Even at $10.00 for an app, I've spent more than that for a magazine thats only good for one month.

Example: Here in Champaign, Illinois MacFormat magazine Printed in England is $15.00 per issue.

So I look at a $10.00 app as an experiment. I will read its write up and carefully look at its ratings but if I buy it I will have no regrets at getting rid of it if I have to.

Years ago I had a HP 4700 series "Pocket PC". The iPhone blows it away with what it can do and the iPad destroys what it could do. The "programs for it were all more than $40.00, and most were in the $60.00 range and they couldn't do half of what a similar 99 cent app on the iPad can do. So a one or two dollar app that can do tons more work than one of those is an easy choice for me.

However, I'll admit its all really relative. I have a friend at work who told me he spent 45 minutes trying to decide between two digital wrist watches when they were only $1.50 each.
 
Mitchrapp said:
Then there's a lot that aren't. Nothing worse than buying an app for 10 bucks and find out it sucks.
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You mean you never read the reviews on an App before buying it? I may buy 99 cent apps without reading the reviews, but for $10 apps I always do my research before ponying up the money.
 
why don't you play with one at an Apple store and figure out if it's for you. Remember to check to see what the native apps are in advance of your trip so you know only to use those.

If it's any consolation, the native apps are probably used the most by most people and for social networking stuff you can find free apps...

Get AppShopper (free) and look for price drops to FREE

I was of the belief that I'd never pay for software (rotten belief, I know) before I got my iPhone, so watch out :)
 
dukebound85 said:
How is the first part of your post relevant to the question at hand?
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Typically the purpose of a reply is not to answer the poster's question, but to help him. Answering the question is most appropriate when that is likely the best way to help, but it isn't always.

In this case, when someone spends $500 on an iPad and thinks they should restrict themselves to free applications only, then it is quite clear that they are better off changing their financial priorities. So the first part of that post was not relevant to the question, but was aimed at helping the original poster, which is clearly more important. iPad + only free apps is not the best use of anybody's money.
 
You can get by with all free apps.

Especially if you make use of AppShopper.com and freeappaday.com.

There *are* plenty of apps that are worth their price though. You get what you pay for, YMMV and all that.
 
I find it amazing that you can "justify" the $500 - $700 purchase price, but can't justify $1 programs to run on it?

If this is truly your mindset, this device is probably not for you. The iPad truly comes into it's own with the plethora of 3rd party software.
 
boylerman said:
I find it amazing that you can "justify" the $500 - $700 purchase price, but can't justify $1 programs to run on it?

If this is truly your mindset, this device is probably not for you. The iPad truly comes into it's own with the plethora of 3rd party software.
Click to expand...

Plus, having the ability and willpower to get a few apps makes our iPads unique. One person's iPad is not going to be the same as the next, and so on.
 
I think the OP is concerned that the ipad wont be of much use without spending spending spending on apps to make it useful. Dont worry about this if this is the case. For everything you mentioned the ipad is more than capable without spending an extra cent. So you can buy it in clear conscience that you dont 'have to' spend money on apps. But after a while you will, and you will be happy that you did because it will expand the ipads capabilities and continually surprise you.
 
LOL at people freaking out over this.


I find it perfectly respectable that someone just doesn't need an extra expense. How many $$ do you guys spend on apps each month? 10$, 20$ ?

It adds up. He just wanted to know whether what he needs from the device will be available for free. And I have to say for me it was available for free so I'd tell him to go for it.

And stop freaking out people, stop comparing it to other things, because it boils down to this: will his 500$ be able to buy him the "iPad experience" or will he need to spend extra?

The answer is yes btw
 
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