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What's the main reason to buy the iPad?
- Thread starter WillEH
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Hey bowlerman
I was thinking about it, as many people were. After thinking long and hard a while ago, I decided I really didn't need one. But I was interested what motivated people to have one. The iPad being such a big thing at the moment, it was more of a curiosity more than anything
I'm beginning to wonder. Went to the Apple Store early last week to get my her birthday. So I go in the kitchen a few minutes ago and she's watching YouTube videos on the PC at the desk there while the iPad collects dust. It's about a month away from being commandeered!
I'm disabled and a writer, and I needed a device that I could prop up on my bed at night and write on. I realized that a tablet works much better than my mini notebook had when I tried it for that purpose, and iPad had the apps I needed. I also replaced my ereader with it, and I can also read for news, do story research, and of course, some play as well. I hope to also learn to do a little music on it.
Why own an iPad? what does it do for you? I'm interested in buying one, but for what reason would I need it? Why can't I just use my iPhone for certain tasks, or open up my MBP? Very interested. What makes you want to own an iPad?
Do you use it for work?
Pleasure only?
Simply using it for internet around the house?
Do you just want the latest gadget?
I've always been mystified by tablets, so help me understand MR
It depends on you. For me, I don't need a main computer like mbp or imac or any other computers. Although, I like computers. Before, there were no options but to get a desktop or a laptop. Now, you can get iPad and have Apple pre-activate it at the store or call online and have them before they ship it. iPad is great for those just want to browse the internet, do emails, do simple word processing or whatever. iPad is way cheaper than a powerful computer like mbp or imac pro, etc. However, most of us already have a computer. iPad is so flexible that you can use it at ease in the bed or bathroom or anywhere. 10 hour battery life is amazing.
I watched the entire season of californication season 1 while laying in bed.
I'm a student at te University with a 3/4 schedule and with a full time job - I have no solid financial reason to own an iPad - but with that said as long as I use public transportation to and from work and university - my iPad is extremely nice to use as a companion on these too long rides in the train and in the bus.
I also find more and more books available as eBooks - and this means I can DL them to my iPad and don't have to lug these books around - books and especially study books weigh a ton
So in short what I use my iPad for is:
1. Web surfing and mail reading in the train and in between classes at the Uni
2. eBook reading
That's it !
I also find more and more books available as eBooks - and this means I can DL them to my iPad and don't have to lug these books around - books and especially study books weigh a ton
So in short what I use my iPad for is:
1. Web surfing and mail reading in the train and in between classes at the Uni
2. eBook reading
That's it !
its not a laptop
but its so much more convenient to use,
you can just grap it and do a ton of stuff
like reading, socializing, browsing, e-mail, playing games. Almost everything that needs internet but does not need CPU power like movie editing.
You will have to use one to understand, and the battery life makes all the difference really.
I am not sure how does it compare to macbook air though
but its so much more convenient to use,
you can just grap it and do a ton of stuff
like reading, socializing, browsing, e-mail, playing games. Almost everything that needs internet but does not need CPU power like movie editing.
You will have to use one to understand, and the battery life makes all the difference really.
I am not sure how does it compare to macbook air though
ease of use
I love the fact that it has instant on while my MacBook Pro has to go through a boot up process. iBooks is also much easier for reading than using iBooks on my iPhone.
I mostly use it for surfing on the web, as an e-reader, and for Netflix. Granted I can do that with my MacBook Pro but being able to take my tablet with me everywhere around the house makes it much more convenient.
I love the fact that it has instant on while my MacBook Pro has to go through a boot up process. iBooks is also much easier for reading than using iBooks on my iPhone.
I mostly use it for surfing on the web, as an e-reader, and for Netflix. Granted I can do that with my MacBook Pro but being able to take my tablet with me everywhere around the house makes it much more convenient.
Agree. I have lots of things in my life that I don't need, but they're either very useful and/or enjoyable: the iPad is both useful and enjoyable. I remember not too long ago hearing people ask the question, "do you really need a cell phone? They're nice to have, but do you really need it?" I heard someone recently proclaim that having a TV that was bigger than 52" was ridiculous. I don't know why he chose 52" as the cutoff except that that's what he had, and he could look down on others with "extravagant" TVs.
I purchased a refurbed iPad only for entertainment. It will be my around the home device I use for gaming, watching Netflix TV shows, Watching Movies, checking and replying to my personal email, light internet browsing, and reading kindle books. All while streaming music to it from my laptop .
During the summer it will replace my laptop 95% of the time because it's cooler while sitting in my lap.
I can't wait to receive my iPad tomorrow
.During the summer it will replace my laptop 95% of the time because it's cooler while sitting in my lap.
I can't wait to receive my iPad tomorrow
web browsing (iphone is just too small), games, air video (very excited about this one), music library, garage band and general goofing around.
all the things you'd hoped to be able to do on your iphone when you bought it, but realized it's just too damn small.
all the things you'd hoped to be able to do on your iphone when you bought it, but realized it's just too damn small.
I use the Ipad for many things that I don't use (or barely use) my laptop for:
- e-reader of books, magazines, and comics.
- "Paperless" meetings. I try never to bring paper to meetings or conferences. Ipad is way better than a laptop for reading and way less intrusive. Same for note taking. The note taking apps are really amazing.
- Second screen on the road. When I travel for business, I need my work laptop. But there is an app that turns the Ipad into a second screen just like at work. Plus it allows me to watch a movie or other video while I'm working on the laptop.
- Watching videos. It's weird, but I never really used my laptop to watch videos, but I use the Ipad constantly
- Surfing/e-mails in bed.
- Social media/rss reader. Flipboard (and other apps) turn your social media links and rss feeds into your personal magazine. I barely go directly to sites anymore.
I could go on.
- e-reader of books, magazines, and comics.
- "Paperless" meetings. I try never to bring paper to meetings or conferences. Ipad is way better than a laptop for reading and way less intrusive. Same for note taking. The note taking apps are really amazing.
- Second screen on the road. When I travel for business, I need my work laptop. But there is an app that turns the Ipad into a second screen just like at work. Plus it allows me to watch a movie or other video while I'm working on the laptop.
- Watching videos. It's weird, but I never really used my laptop to watch videos, but I use the Ipad constantly
- Surfing/e-mails in bed.
- Social media/rss reader. Flipboard (and other apps) turn your social media links and rss feeds into your personal magazine. I barely go directly to sites anymore.
I could go on.
Commuting. We don't have cable anymore in my house. The shows I can't get on my Roku box, I download from iTunes on my iPad and watch them on the train to and from work. I also use it as my e-reader and for gaming.
All of these things used to be done on my iPhone 4--not anymore. When I'm at home, the iPad replaces almost everything my iPhone does except for calls and texts.
All of these things used to be done on my iPhone 4--not anymore. When I'm at home, the iPad replaces almost everything my iPhone does except for calls and texts.
It does what I need it to do!
Personally, I think the iPad is a dream to use. It makes the everyday simple things that the average Joe wants to do, just that bit simpler.
True story - my mother in law has come to stay with me (not looking for sympathy, but all is welcome)!!!.. Anyway, and she wants to watch a movie or two in the spare room when she heads to bed in the evening. Now I know I've got an extensive movie collection on my hard drive (over 300 gigs worth courtesy of TPB!) and I know that my Mrs has an assignment due so she's working on the laptop. The quite simple solution was to let the 'old bag' use my Mrs iPad to stream the movies from the laptop via airvideo. Now had I not had an iPad and instead let's say another laptop, then she would have had to bring that into the room with the hard drive and probably the power cables aswell. She watched the entire series of The Pacific in the end, all on the iPad!! My Mrs worked all night on her assignment and I had a good night sleep with no nagging and a romantic encounter with Mr Right Hand!!! True story!!!
Personally, I think the iPad is a dream to use. It makes the everyday simple things that the average Joe wants to do, just that bit simpler.
True story - my mother in law has come to stay with me (not looking for sympathy, but all is welcome)!!!.. Anyway, and she wants to watch a movie or two in the spare room when she heads to bed in the evening. Now I know I've got an extensive movie collection on my hard drive (over 300 gigs worth courtesy of TPB!) and I know that my Mrs has an assignment due so she's working on the laptop. The quite simple solution was to let the 'old bag' use my Mrs iPad to stream the movies from the laptop via airvideo. Now had I not had an iPad and instead let's say another laptop, then she would have had to bring that into the room with the hard drive and probably the power cables aswell. She watched the entire series of The Pacific in the end, all on the iPad!! My Mrs worked all night on her assignment and I had a good night sleep with no nagging and a romantic encounter with Mr Right Hand!!! True story!!!
As a researcher with thousands of pages of journal articles on my laptop, reading PDFs was my main reason as well. However, I'll admit that this has turned out to be only a small bit of what I actually use it for. I'm finding new uses and ways to integrate it into my life every day - I am just amazed at how much more convenient it is than a laptop for many tasks, and stylus input is really a killer app (so to speak) for me. I love being able to write on my computer finally.
Mainly use it for checking email and browsing the net. I also use it to look over photographs I have taken. It's nice having such a portable device with me which allows me to show examples of my work to clients.
Hey bowlerman
I was thinking about it, as many people were. After thinking long and hard a while ago, I decided I really didn't need one. But I was interested what motivated people to have one. The iPad being such a big thing at the moment, it was more of a curiosity more than anything
Well, actually I bought an iPad precisely to satisfy that curiosity: I wanted to get a first-hand experience to understand why it is the big thing, and there's no question: it really is.
On top of that, I believe tablets are the future of personal computing.
Hey Bernard, I'm starting to really change my mind on gettin one. Very tempting lately..
I use it for reading on the web and once in awhile for email, but as much email as I handle its easier and faster on my MBP. I don't see the iPad as that big of a deal really.
Oh sure their selling in volume cause theirs a lot of curious tech people in the world.
And their are a few specific vertical market uses, but it will be a few years before we find out how much of this is a fad vs actual need.
Its way too soon to make big claims yet.
Oh sure their selling in volume cause theirs a lot of curious tech people in the world.
And their are a few specific vertical market uses, but it will be a few years before we find out how much of this is a fad vs actual need.
Its way too soon to make big claims yet.
"Curiois tech people" are the ones who lined up to buy the original iPhone, which took what, two months? three? to hit one million sales. The iPad sold 15 million in it's first year. That kind of number isn't just "curious tech people." And demand for the second gen is so far outstripping supply. Personally, I think the iPad is "just getting started, as Apple says in their latest tv ad.
Curiosity - Convience - Liesure
Curiosity - My girl asked me if I wanted one for Christmas and I said no, there wasn't anything I would do on it that I wasn't already doing. That question, after thinking about it for a while, sparked my curiosity. Did some research and decided to give it a try.
Convience - After getting it and knowing how the Apps worked (I have an iPhone) it has virtually replaced my CPU and phone for mild web browsing and utility functionality that was used through iPhone Apps. The iPhone barely gets used anymore. Nothing like looking at bank info, email, and other things, just from tapping on a screen.
Leisure - it's slowly starting to consume my free time. It's enjoyable, fun and tremendously user-friendly.
Finally, IT IS NOT a replacement for my true computer needs, such as school or intensive web search and activities. Very happy to have invested in one.
Curiosity - My girl asked me if I wanted one for Christmas and I said no, there wasn't anything I would do on it that I wasn't already doing. That question, after thinking about it for a while, sparked my curiosity. Did some research and decided to give it a try.
Convience - After getting it and knowing how the Apps worked (I have an iPhone) it has virtually replaced my CPU and phone for mild web browsing and utility functionality that was used through iPhone Apps. The iPhone barely gets used anymore. Nothing like looking at bank info, email, and other things, just from tapping on a screen.
Leisure - it's slowly starting to consume my free time. It's enjoyable, fun and tremendously user-friendly.
Finally, IT IS NOT a replacement for my true computer needs, such as school or intensive web search and activities. Very happy to have invested in one.