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Love iPad and its magazines, but do I need it?

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carbonbeach

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Sep 15, 2011
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I've been obsessed with the iPad for some time, but really wonder if it would be too extravagant a purchase, given what I already have.

I have a year-old Macbook Pro upgraded to Lion, an iPhone 4 bought a few months ago, and I use the latest Kindle for reading. Have already used my Kindle for reading books because I get eyestrain with backlit reading for long periods.

I'm in love with the magazine demos on the iPad I see on TV shows. Recently I tried using Zinio to read a few free magazines on my Macbook and it was no better than working with a PDF document. Are magazines different on the iPad?

I know I don't *need* an iPad, but what would I really gain by purchasing one?

FWIW, I use my Macbook mainly for Internet browsing, reading news, and email.

Thanks.
 
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I bought an iPad to use as an e-reader for my PDF library. It turns out that I use it for pretty much everything that I do now. Your mileage will vary, depending on what you want to get out of your iPad, but chances are that you will find it does a lot more than just viewing magazines.
 
Even though my 13" Macbook Pro seems portable enough to me, it's obvious to me that the iPad could be carried in a large handbag. The iPad's portability is one definite advantage.

I'm really curious is anyone can shed light on popular magazine apps on the iPad. Are they basically read in PDF-like format or are they very different? Does it depend on the developer? For example, I know some are interactive. Do you have to download a reader to access the magazines on iPad?

Thanks.
 
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I never thought of a Macbook Air. I love my Macbook Pro and believe it was a great value, so I'll stick with it. I'd definitely wait for the iPad 3, however, if I did give in to my obsession.

Trying to rationalize the purchase, especially since I think I'd use it mostly for magazine and newspaper reading and don't know if it has an advantage there enough to justify the purchase. Does anyone who reads magazines or newspaper apps on the iPad have an opinion relating to that? I'm a huge "app" person, not games, but apps, primarily educational and productivity related.

Oh, and there IS a Civil War educational iPad app that I'm dying to get my hands on ... and that's just what I've seen on the surface. Haven't checked iPad apps in any type of detail.
 
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I am tired of these threads. There are 10 threads of the same subject just stated in different ways on the front page alone.

If you do not have an actual want or use for it, it is probably no for you (or hype pulling you in). Simple as that.

If you have to be 'convinced' then the answer is a resounding NO.
 
I don't care for the Zinio PDF format of most of the subscriptions. I subscribe to a few magazines that are specially formatted for the iPad and they are well done and fun to read.

National Geographic is beautiful ! The Daily is also nicely done. There are many others that are much better than PDF format, and many that are just PDF style.

The nice thing about the iPad is it does fit in a small bag, takes up a lot less space than carrying several magazines and books.
 
carbonbeach said:
I've been obsessed with the iPad for some time, but really wonder if it would be too extravagant a purchase, given what I already have.

I have a year-old Macbook Pro upgraded to Lion, an iPhone 4 bought a few months ago, and I use the latest Kindle for reading. Have already used my Kindle for reading books because I get eyestrain with backlit reading for long periods.

I'm in love with the magazine demos on the iPad I see on TV shows. Recently I tried using Zinio to read a few free magazines on my Macbook and it was no better than working with a PDF document. Are magazines different on the iPad?

I know I don't *need* an iPad, but what would I really gain by purchasing one?

FWIW, I use my Macbook mainly for Internet browsing, reading news, and email.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The form factor of the iPad is really its biggest benefit.

I do a lot of reading on the iPad (including books, comic books, magazines, the web, etc etc) and being able to read on it comfortably without a table for extended periods of time is a big plus. You cannot comfortably read on a laptop without a table for an extended period of time, and the size of the iPhone makes it impractical to do any serious reading.

The portability and battery life of the iPad is also a big plus. You cannot reasonably take a laptop with you wherever you go...even the macbook air. My iPad is accessible to me pretty much all day. Its locked in the glove compartment of my car when I'm out, locked in my desk when in the office, and in my bag when traveling. And I can read on it for hours upon hours without needing a charge. A laptop would be dead within 4 hours.

Is it extravagant? Yes. But so is an iPhone and Macbook pro. There are definitely more practical devices and solutions out there, but that doesn't mean the iPad does not have value.
 
I can only comment on one magazine on the iPad. I love the New Yorker but find that I hate the way they pile up around the house when I subscribe. The iPad app for the magazine is excellent. I have access to the complete New Yorker archive and I no longer feel guilty about deforestation resulting from my subscription.
 
Like xkmxkmxlmx, I don't really get these threads. If you want an iPad, buy one. If you don't, then don't.:)
 
Nobody needs an iPad
nobody needs a TV
nobody needs a phone
nobody needs a ...

If you want one and have the money then get it. If you don't use it you can always sell it
 
carbonbeach said:
I'm in love with the magazine demos on the iPad I see on TV shows. Recently I tried using Zinio to read a few free magazines on my Macbook and it was no better than working with a PDF document. Are magazines different on the iPad?
Click to expand...

For me personally, Zinio is SO much better on the iPad.

I sold my first iPad and decided I could read my magazines on the Macbook instead... pain in the @$$.

Zinio on the iPad is just more intuitive and natural feeling. See if you can find somebody with it installed on their ipad and have a play before you decide if its right for you.
 
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