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iPad Is an iPad really necessary?

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pauly800

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Original poster
Dec 7, 2014
183
6
Have a laptop and an old iphone. I heard about ipad long time ago but never cared for it b/c i had laptop and a phone. I had android phone then went to an iphone. I always thought an ipad was not necessary and expensive.


I then thought about it and said... hey this would be a great thing if i want to watch youtube or skype etc and dont want to be on my laptop. Most importantly, i could lye down on my bed and use it whether watching youtube or web browsing or skype. I of course could do this with my iphone but its really small screen. In a way i could do this with a laptop but very uncomfortable if im lying on the bed.


I would only use it for web browsing sites and youtube mainly. Would you say getting one is necessary or not so much? Also how many tabs should be the max i open on these? When im on laptop i have a ton of tabs opened. But for ipad i know its harder b/c im not doing this with a mouse and typing everything myself so i won't have that much windows open. Would u say ipad is necessary for me? I dont play any games or stuff like that though. I might watch some movies etc. I also know u cant really do extensive stuff in it so basically it would be like my using it for youtube.
 
If you just want to save money and want the cheapest possible get the 1st gen iPad mini or if you want full size the iPad Air 1st for $399. I would honestly ignore the 1st gen iPad mini and go for the mini 2 for $50 more for $299. If you want to buy one for more value and lasting get the iPad Air 2 which should last you. Along time with its 3 core cpu and 2gb of ram.



Personally I use my iPad the most between my laptop and phone . My laptop is only used when I need to read it on a PC , printing, making documents or gaming and my iPad is for viewing movies , web browsing and etc
 
I Pad has proven to be very useful

First, I find the I pad to be much more convenient than a laptop for many functions. E mail, web browsing, Netflix, etc. If you are traveling, you can generally leave the laptop home.

If I need to do an Excel spreadsheet, the laptop comes out.

I have an IPad 2, nearly 3 1/2 years now.
 
Arguably, laptops and smartphones aren't necessary. They provide convenient, mobile computing, but most people could get away with a standard dumbphone and a desktop if they really had to. I had to do it myself for a while when my MacBook Pro was stolen, and then weeks later, my iPhone. It was inconvenient, but I managed long enough to hold out for the newest versions of each before replacing them.

But just like a laptop and a smartphone: An iPad is a nice, really useful and convenient thing to have around. Without one, you'll manage, but for some people, it's worth every penny to buy and use one.
 
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I stopped using iPads and all I have for my mobile needs is an iPhone 6. The screen is big enough for me to do most of the things I need/want. At home I use my Retina iMac, so I am pretty much covered. Having an iPad is a luxury that doesn't make a lot of sense for my usage scenarios.
 
scaredpoet said:
Arguably, laptops and smartphones aren't necessary. They provide convenient, mobile computing, but most people could get away with a standard dumbphone and a desktop if they really had to. I had to do it myself for a while when my MacBook Pro was stolen, and then weeks later, my iPhone. It was inconvenient, but I managed long enough to hold out for the newest versions of each before replacing them.

But just like a laptop and a smartphone: An iPad is a nice, really useful and convenient thing to have around. Without one, you'll manage, but for some people, it's worth every penny to buy and use one.
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This is my thought too, for the most part.

That said, my usage has changed over the years since getting the original iPad. I could probably get away with a cheap Android smartphone. I don't need a MacBook Pro any longer, really, and won't replace my current 2008 17" model when it finally dies on me; using the family iMac isn't my favorite, but it's doable for the little remaining use I need a Mac for.

But my iPad? If it breaks or is stolen, it WILL be replaced with another tablet at once. For me, it's replaced a good 90% of what I did on the laptop. The iPhone 6 certainly didn't replace its function, the 6+ is still way too small to be anything more than a device for consumption. The iPad, on the other hand, is plenty capable for all the tasks I need it to do, with or without a Bluetooth keyboard.

That's my use case, though. It's not going to be everyone's.
 
petvas said:
I stopped using iPads and all I have for my mobile needs is an iPhone 6. The screen is big enough for me to do most of the things I need/want. At home I use my Retina iMac, so I am pretty much covered. Having an iPad is a luxury that doesn't make a lot of sense for my usage scenarios.
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For you, I can see your point. For those of us that either have a dumb phone or an entry level smart phone, the ipad is our main device. Especially for portable computing. I take mine almost everywhere now.
 
I hardly use my iPad since getting a MacBook air. Only time really is as a TV in the kitchen and if I want to check or edit a photo on iPads (larger than iphone) retina screen. If I'd bought a MacBook pro with retina or an iMac id never use the iPad other than a kitchen tv.

If I only had iPhone I'd consider an iPad as just a blown up screen accompaniment to the iPhone for viewing and editing pictures. But for those times you could also use an Apple TV.

iPad fits so many lives. Can't argue that. For me it turned into a portable tv.
 
Zxxv said:
I hardly use my iPad since getting a MacBook air. Only time really is as a TV in the kitchen and if I want to check or edit a photo on iPads (larger than iphone) retina screen. If I'd bought a MacBook pro with retina or an iMac id never use the iPad other than a kitchen tv.

If I only had iPhone I'd consider an iPad as just a blown up screen accompaniment to the iPhone for viewing and editing pictures. But for those times you could also use an Apple TV.

iPad fits so many lives. Can't argue that. For me it turned into a portable tv.
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It seems like a lot of people either have the iphone/ipad combo or the iphone/mac combo. Depending on your usage either option can work. I personally have used the iphone/ipad combo for a few years. I may never own another PC again. If I needed a PC for work, I would probably dump the ipad though and go with the iphone/mac combo.

That is just looking at it from a sheer financial aspect. All 3 devices have different uses IMO. If I owned all three the mac would probably be used less than 10% of the time. The ipad is just way more convenient.

To the OP, it sounds like an iap would really be best for you. You would definitely want the Air 2 for the RAM improvements alone.
 
iPads are not necessary or required.

BUT, it has replaced my laptop for recreational use to do the Internet. Most who have tried the iPad will agree. It is a very handy device for most of your Internet needs.
 
mattopotamus said:
It seems like a lot of people either have the iphone/ipad combo or the iphone/mac combo. Depending on your usage either option can work. I personally have used the iphone/ipad combo for a few years. I may never own another PC again. If I needed a PC for work, I would probably dump the ipad though and go with the iphone/mac combo.

That is just looking at it from a sheer financial aspect. All 3 devices have different uses IMO. If I owned all three the mac would probably be used less than 10% of the time. The ipad is just way more convenient.

To the OP, it sounds like an iap would really be best for you. You would definitely want the Air 2 for the RAM improvements alone.
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I don't think either is optimal. If doing any work you really need a keyboard for the iPad. And a computer can get boring when not doing work. I bought the MacBook air to do a project. Once it's finished I may not ever need it again. An iPad then is good for seeing bigger pics or reading (or kindle) but Apple TV can also show a big image. And you can use a keyboard. I would work this way keyboard iphone Apple TV if I was sending my work off to someone else to finish as its all you really need. But one day apple will hopefully make the combo more work efficient by putting the iPhone into mouse mode so you don't have to look at the screen to do stuff. Or let it act as the hub/processor in conjunction with Apple TV. It's probably how some in Apple work but they won't sell as many computers when they do this so what's the rush.
 
Not necessary, but nice to have. I have a desktop, laptop, and iPhone, but the device I always use when I'm at home is the iPad. I only use the computers for the heavy lifting and the phone while I'm out.
 
Taco1933 said:
Not necessary, but nice to have. I have a desktop, laptop, and iPhone, but the device I always use when I'm at home is the iPad. I only use the computers for the heavy lifting and the phone while I'm out.
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Exactly. Even laptops and smartphones arent necessary as someone said. The ipads are just so nice and convenient to use... However, they still arent replacing my desktop anytime soon as the most used device for me.
To get close to that they still need to: 1. Develop more complex versions of the apps/games for the ipad like in a pc 2. Allow multitasking 3. Solve completely the crash problems in safari/any browser or other apps.
 
Taco1933 said:
Not necessary, but nice to have. I have a desktop, laptop, and iPhone, but the device I always use when I'm at home is the iPad. I only use the computers for the heavy lifting and the phone while I'm out.
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Agreed. To be honest, ever since I got an iPad with cellular, the iPhone gets very little use when I'm out, too. There are some things I do on a desktop/laptop because either the iPad isn't capable or it's just more convenient to do on a PC. However, the iPhone, I could actually replace with the iPad if not for the phone functions. Why they chose to gimp the cellular iPad and not give it native cellular calling and SMS, I'll never know (well, there is the profit factor in that they want you to buy both a smartphone and tablet).
 
An iPad isn't really necessary if you have a computer & a smart phone. It definitely is an expensive device to fill in that gap between mobile & desktop computing, though, it is convenient having one around. I wasn't planning on getting an iPad mini 2 but couldn't resist the Black Friday deals. I will probably get an iPad air 2 on Black Friday 2015 lmao!
 
Jeff R said:
An iPad isn't really necessary if you have a computer & a smart phone. It definitely is an expensive device to fill in that gap between mobile & desktop computing, though, it is convenient having one around. I wasn't planning on getting an iPad mini 2 but couldn't resist the Black Friday deals. I will probably get an iPad air 2 on Black Friday 2015 lmao!
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Yeah some good deals out there right now on the iPads.
 
I use the iPad mostly for reading books via the Kindle app since I have a hard time reading the small print that so many books are printed in these days. With the Kindle app I can enlarge the text size to a comfortable level.

I also use the iPad for e-mail and stuff when I am traveling.
 
OP - just buy a second hand iPad to satisfy your curiosity. If you don't find it useful or enjoyable enough, you can sell it on and it won't have cost you very much.

For me an iPad is by no means necessary (it comes after my laptop and smartphone in usefulness). But I really enjoy having one.
 
It basically replaced my laptop for contents fruition, while I still need a notebook for contents creation.

But be advised: if you want to keep a tons of tabs opened while surfing the web, a tablet isn't comparable to a notebook. I'm using no more than 3-4 at the time.
 
pauly800 said:
Is an ipad really necessary?
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No.

Edit: Okay, fine, I'll answer for real.

No, and iPad is not necessary. Air to breathe, food to eat, water to drink, and shelter from the weather are all that is necessary.

But an iPad sure is nice to have. My iPad replaced my laptop, and made me more easily able to continue with an older phone. I went from desktop+laptop+phone, where I felt like I needed to upgrade all three regularly, to desktop+iPad+phone, where I don't feel the need to upgrade them all nearly as often. Even an older iPad works just fine for what I use it for - it surfs the web great, it plays videos perfectly.

Does it fully replace a 'full' computer? Not for my workflow - but it does enough to replace my laptop, and it does enough that my phone can be just a phone.
 
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