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All iPads Why do you have an iPad?
- Thread starter MisterBigMack
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I have an iPad because it is incredibly convenient and easy to use.
When away from my desk, I want something larger than an iphone that allows me to do a wide variety of things:
Email
Calendar
Reminders
Photos
Notes
Light productivity (pages, numbers, keynote)
PDF reader and annotations (Goodreader)
Reference (web ad Wikipedia)
Ereader
When I am on the couch, it is very comfortable to use. When I leave the house, the iPad is easy to carry around. It is less capable than a full Laptop, but I can still get essential stuff done while on business travel and vacation. I use a desktop computer for the heavy lifting.
When away from my desk, I want something larger than an iphone that allows me to do a wide variety of things:
Calendar
Reminders
Photos
Notes
Light productivity (pages, numbers, keynote)
PDF reader and annotations (Goodreader)
Reference (web ad Wikipedia)
Ereader
When I am on the couch, it is very comfortable to use. When I leave the house, the iPad is easy to carry around. It is less capable than a full Laptop, but I can still get essential stuff done while on business travel and vacation. I use a desktop computer for the heavy lifting.
I have an iPhone (with me virtually everywhere - used mostly for text/twitter/news)
Macbook Air (Main internet device, typing/documents, downloading music/films)
As for my iPad, I had the full size one, but now have a mini. The more portable the better IMO. I use it for FlipBoard, News, social media and reading Comic Books. It's perfect for the latter.
Macbook Air (Main internet device, typing/documents, downloading music/films)
As for my iPad, I had the full size one, but now have a mini. The more portable the better IMO. I use it for FlipBoard, News, social media and reading Comic Books. It's perfect for the latter.
The thing to understand is that a pad is more than just a bigger screen iOS. Apps optimized for the pad (often called HD), offer 2 or 3 screens of content at the same time and much of that back and forth business goes away. This means you can see more and do more will less work and in less time than with your phone/touch. Once you get used to this, magnified phone apps look down right annoying.
It can make a laptop redundant for many things but will not replace a desktop setup with desktop needs and desktop tools. An iPhone + iPad + iMac would cover just about everything.
It can make a laptop redundant for many things but will not replace a desktop setup with desktop needs and desktop tools. An iPhone + iPad + iMac would cover just about everything.
For reading. There are many, many times in which a notebook would have been inconvenient but an iPad works very well - in a meeting room just before a meeting begins, when waiting for an elevator, while in bed right before sleeping, and so on.
For me, it also works very well as a reference source. Today I was in a meeting in which someone read an expression no one knew the meaning of; took just a few seconds to open my iPad and look it there. Earlier, a friend asked a question, and I used my iPad to show a trustworth reference with the answer; quickly and easily, far more than if I had stopped to pull a notebook, found a place for it, turn it on, and so on.
I also keep using the iPad to take notes. I often have to take notes while walking from place to place, so a notebook would have been too cubersome. The iPad gives me all the mobility I need.
I really wish the iPad had Microsoft Office, though. The way most documents lose the formatting fine-tunning when using iOS apps to open them is really annoying.
For me, it also works very well as a reference source. Today I was in a meeting in which someone read an expression no one knew the meaning of; took just a few seconds to open my iPad and look it there. Earlier, a friend asked a question, and I used my iPad to show a trustworth reference with the answer; quickly and easily, far more than if I had stopped to pull a notebook, found a place for it, turn it on, and so on.
I also keep using the iPad to take notes. I often have to take notes while walking from place to place, so a notebook would have been too cubersome. The iPad gives me all the mobility I need.
I really wish the iPad had Microsoft Office, though. The way most documents lose the formatting fine-tunning when using iOS apps to open them is really annoying.
I can tell you why I'm planning to GET an iPad Mini (retina!)
iPhone/iPodTouch screen is ridiculously small when I want to do web surfing. And also, having owned a previous PowerBook (yes, a classic powerbook) I found that I hate hate hate carrying around a full-sized laptop when I travel. I equally hate the concept of being forced to carry a "laptop case" during my travels. I'm one of those people that travel light. Ever heard of those people? If it's too bulky, it stays at home.
With an iPad Mini... it's small enough that I can toss it inside a compartment of my backpack, they also fit easily inside a messenger bag (aka "man bag").
The iPad Mini size is "just perfect", especially for light travelers like me. Don't need a laptop. I have my iMac at home if I need to do serious computer work (which does not happen during travel anyways). Away from home, I just need to be able to log into hotel WiFi and surf the web, make airline reservations online, access my work emails, iMessage, play a few games (on the plane train etc) etc. Additional features like FaceTiming just makes it even more versatile.
Things like pulling up Google Maps on an iPad screen is perfect for the first time I go into a place like Washington DC, so I can figure out where the hell my hotel is closest to the nearest Starbucks or where the nearest CVS pharmacy** is located. Mapping out a big unfamiliar downtown map is inefficient when you attempt it on a small iPhone screen.
** anyone who is an experienced traveler will know exactly why a pharmacy/drugstore is a very important thing to locate when you arrive in an unfamiliar city. Being able to locate one right away is half the battle.
My main reason for my iPad is convenience. It's so easy to pick up and carry it with you. Especially around the house since that's where I use mine the most. I'm always reading something and now I'm not bound to my computer desk all the time. Just so much easier to grab and go even when compared to my laptop. It works well for what I mainly use it for, to read.
Really appreciate everyone replying there stories!
Yeah I am pretty sure I do want an iPad, which one, the jury is still out on that one but anyways...
I know EVERYTHING I already do on my iMac I can do I believe, a lot easier on an iPad, and my girlfriend finds sitting down on the iMac a chore, she would rather lounge on on the settee and browse on her iphone even though the iMac is obviously bigger, I think she likes the personal touch you get with the iPad
I just have had a computer for since I can remember and would feel weird without one, I just feel I can do everything on a smaller, more personal device
Is there anything I would NEED my iMac for?
I got my photos across iCloud, my music across iCloud, documents in pages, people are saying keep it, but what things is a iMac essential for?
Yeah I am pretty sure I do want an iPad, which one, the jury is still out on that one but anyways...
I know EVERYTHING I already do on my iMac I can do I believe, a lot easier on an iPad, and my girlfriend finds sitting down on the iMac a chore, she would rather lounge on on the settee and browse on her iphone even though the iMac is obviously bigger, I think she likes the personal touch you get with the iPad
I just have had a computer for since I can remember and would feel weird without one, I just feel I can do everything on a smaller, more personal device
Is there anything I would NEED my iMac for?
I got my photos across iCloud, my music across iCloud, documents in pages, people are saying keep it, but what things is a iMac essential for?
Bought for mom and dad... they aren't used to computers so it is a very useful thing... we can communicate easily, in particular now I am 7500 km far from home.... with iPad they discovered internet and now they take it always with them to take pictures and show their albums to friends... moreover when I am home it is useful to read papers and control mail.... a very useful gadget
You ask a fair question. I think we all just assume that we need to own a computer with a full desktop operating system, since this has been the model for home computing for years. Assuming you have a work computer (probably provided by your employer), I am not sure a full-blown personal computer is necessary for many people. A tablet may well be sufficient.
In the past, the personal computer was the hub for people's digital life. All email, calendars, contacts, photos, music, videos were synced to the personal computer. Now most of this stuff is synced to the cloud. You don't need a giant hard drive to store and backup much of your content. For example, Flickr provides 1TB of free photo storage.
I think about my college aged daughter. She doesn't own one CD or DVD. All of the music she owns is synced to iTunes, which she can downloaded onto any device. She will use a laptop in college, but when she graduates and gets her first professional job, I suspect her employer will provide a work computer. So, why does she need to buy a personal computer? In the past, you needed a full blown desktop computer to simply send an email or look something up on the web.....now, a tablet performs these functions and so many more without any trouble at all. Her generation will view large home computers as antiques.
In the past, the personal computer was the hub for people's digital life. All email, calendars, contacts, photos, music, videos were synced to the personal computer. Now most of this stuff is synced to the cloud. You don't need a giant hard drive to store and backup much of your content. For example, Flickr provides 1TB of free photo storage.
I think about my college aged daughter. She doesn't own one CD or DVD. All of the music she owns is synced to iTunes, which she can downloaded onto any device. She will use a laptop in college, but when she graduates and gets her first professional job, I suspect her employer will provide a work computer. So, why does she need to buy a personal computer? In the past, you needed a full blown desktop computer to simply send an email or look something up on the web.....now, a tablet performs these functions and so many more without any trouble at all. Her generation will view large home computers as antiques.
I am on my 4th iPad now, I bought the original iPad the day it came out and have loved owning and using an iPad ever since. I originally purchased a WiFi 32GB iPad and at the time wasn't sure what I would do with it. It quickly became a device that I would carry with me all the time, lighter than a laptop and easy to use. I used it as an ereader, web browser and when iWork came out, used it for spreadsheets and for documents. It's a great way to show photos to people. and if you ever used a Franklin Planner or Day Runner, the iPad is a great replacement for those devices as well.
For trips, it's great to rent a movie or two from iTunes, load it onto the iPad before I leave and then while on the plane I have a movie or two to see. With DVD's and Blu-Rays now coming with Digital copies as well, your personal video library is easy to load on or off as well. If a movie is not your thing, then load up a book or two through the Kindle App or iBooks, load a playlist or two and read away while listening to some music.
In 2012 I won an iPad 3 with 16gb/WiFi and although it opened up more things with the camera and iPhoto, plus the enhancements of a faster processor and retina display, 16GB just wasn't enough for me. When the iPad mini came out I bought a 64GB black WiFi version. The iPad mini is great, lighter than the full size iPad and easier to carry around. I do however prefer the larger size especially when surfing the web and working with spreadsheets and a few other apps. Last month, after experiencing several times where getting a WiFi signal hard to get or they were extremely slow, I upgraded to the iPad 4 with LTE, WiFi and 64GB. I absolutely love it.
The iPad has not replaced my MacBook Pro at all. As others have said it compliments it. I do not lug around the MacBook as much as I used to. The iPad is light and easy to carry around, For what I use it for it can do everything my Mac can do and I still keep finding new ways of being able to use it, especially now that I have the LTE version. I usually have a messenger bag or backpack with me all the time anyway so I throw it there and no big deal to carry around. My iPhone still gets used as much as it did before the iPad, so the iPad has not cannibilized that usage.
For me, I feel that the iPad has enhanced my way of life over the past few years.
For trips, it's great to rent a movie or two from iTunes, load it onto the iPad before I leave and then while on the plane I have a movie or two to see. With DVD's and Blu-Rays now coming with Digital copies as well, your personal video library is easy to load on or off as well. If a movie is not your thing, then load up a book or two through the Kindle App or iBooks, load a playlist or two and read away while listening to some music.
In 2012 I won an iPad 3 with 16gb/WiFi and although it opened up more things with the camera and iPhoto, plus the enhancements of a faster processor and retina display, 16GB just wasn't enough for me. When the iPad mini came out I bought a 64GB black WiFi version. The iPad mini is great, lighter than the full size iPad and easier to carry around. I do however prefer the larger size especially when surfing the web and working with spreadsheets and a few other apps. Last month, after experiencing several times where getting a WiFi signal hard to get or they were extremely slow, I upgraded to the iPad 4 with LTE, WiFi and 64GB. I absolutely love it.
The iPad has not replaced my MacBook Pro at all. As others have said it compliments it. I do not lug around the MacBook as much as I used to. The iPad is light and easy to carry around, For what I use it for it can do everything my Mac can do and I still keep finding new ways of being able to use it, especially now that I have the LTE version. I usually have a messenger bag or backpack with me all the time anyway so I throw it there and no big deal to carry around. My iPhone still gets used as much as it did before the iPad, so the iPad has not cannibilized that usage.
For me, I feel that the iPad has enhanced my way of life over the past few years.
Interesting story, nice to see that yours and other people have bought and complimented there computing experience...I see you need your iPad for most and varied things and carrying out with you...
with me i would mainly keep the iPad in the house because I only plan to get the wi fi version, i would take it out if i knew free wi fi was available but paying enough for my iPhone contact, i cant really afford much more
but I know I definitely want one, I just know if i should keep my iMac!
should i?!
bought the ipad1 on launch and was soso about it after the first thrill wore off.
then got the ipad mini, again on launch day, and i just love it. i have quite a long commute to and from work and the mini is just perfect to read the paper. i have two newspaper subscriptions and a magazine subscription,, and also use ibooks.
it is great for the web, mail and fb at home on the couch and my sky-tv subscription includes a tablet app which allows me to watch footie on the balcony or whereever else there is wifi. showing photos to friends and family is also perefct on ipad.
i really only consume on the ipad apart from the odd short text for work, which is quite doable on the keyboard. i am also typing this on the ipad.
but i have an imac for more productivity and wouldn't want to miss it. although i spend more time on the ipad. i also have an iphone, but that is more a luxury ipod with imessage, email and fb function. i very rarely use it as a phone, or for web-browsing, consider screen too small for that.
so for me the ipad is the ideal complement for the imac, and for the iphone as well.
then got the ipad mini, again on launch day, and i just love it. i have quite a long commute to and from work and the mini is just perfect to read the paper. i have two newspaper subscriptions and a magazine subscription,, and also use ibooks.
it is great for the web, mail and fb at home on the couch and my sky-tv subscription includes a tablet app which allows me to watch footie on the balcony or whereever else there is wifi. showing photos to friends and family is also perefct on ipad.
i really only consume on the ipad apart from the odd short text for work, which is quite doable on the keyboard. i am also typing this on the ipad.
but i have an imac for more productivity and wouldn't want to miss it. although i spend more time on the ipad. i also have an iphone, but that is more a luxury ipod with imessage, email and fb function. i very rarely use it as a phone, or for web-browsing, consider screen too small for that.
so for me the ipad is the ideal complement for the imac, and for the iphone as well.
My wife and I have iPad minis because they're the best way to use the internet and read while on the couch or in bed. We use them all the time even though we have iPhones, a desktop computer and I have a MBP.
For me, my iPad has not eliminated the need for a "real" computer. I use a real computer when I need to get stuff done. For my wife, however, her iPad is now her computer. With the exception of playing The Sims 3, on our gaming PC, she uses her iPad (or iPhone) for everything.
For me, my iPad has not eliminated the need for a "real" computer. I use a real computer when I need to get stuff done. For my wife, however, her iPad is now her computer. With the exception of playing The Sims 3, on our gaming PC, she uses her iPad (or iPhone) for everything.
my main use of the iPad..
my main use of the iPad are news channels, YouTube interest groups, web surfing on sunday mornings and ebook readings. Only a very small fraction is gaming. For traveling it is absolutely essential for me. This year I have been three weeks in Thailand and had many apps on Thailand on it such as specific location map apps, island specific apps, hostel and hotel finder to book stuff on the go and scuba diving apps.
I do not want to miss it anymore, however it can not replace my macbook pro.
Many things can be done on the iPhone, but the iPad is so much more better. And its the best travel pal you can possibly have. In October I will visit the UAE, so my iPad is on the ride for sure.
my main use of the iPad are news channels, YouTube interest groups, web surfing on sunday mornings and ebook readings. Only a very small fraction is gaming. For traveling it is absolutely essential for me. This year I have been three weeks in Thailand and had many apps on Thailand on it such as specific location map apps, island specific apps, hostel and hotel finder to book stuff on the go and scuba diving apps.
I do not want to miss it anymore, however it can not replace my macbook pro.
Many things can be done on the iPhone, but the iPad is so much more better. And its the best travel pal you can possibly have. In October I will visit the UAE, so my iPad is on the ride for sure.
Not meant to be sounding a stupid question but why do you have an iPad?
I've had an iPhone for couple years and had an iMac for a couple years as well, now i've always wanted an iPad, but I have always thought, why do I need one? I have my mobile device with me all the time with my iPhone
I know people who haven't bought a desktop or don't want to shell out a grand for one and want a source of internet, social etc will pay the money for an iPad but for everyone else like me probably who keeps updated with everything apple and / or the tech industry, who aren't just "general browsers" - why do you have one?
I have recently become a father and thought an iPad would eventually be good, for apps, and space as well in the living room.
Was planning on the last couple months to sell my iMac and the money I get for it, purchase the 32g or 64g, one of the new iPads.
Couple things enter my mind, are the experiences as good? the only time I sit down on my iMac really, is browsing, seeing the latest news, apple news, video game news, sports etc (to be fair everything I do I can do on my iPhone) - I don't seem to get HD video on my iPhone? e.g.: on YouTube, there is an option for HD viewing on some videos on the desktop and cannot get that on my mobile, why is that?
And also flash as well, plenty of videos I try to watch on my iPhone, e.g. tried to watch an NFL video last night on my phone and would simple not load due to flash...what could i do?
Do I need an iPad? would i benefit in getting rid of my desktop for one? do many people have just an iPad and no desktop in there life?
hope to here some help! cheers
At home. For use around the house. No laptop needed and phone screen is too small. I can surf the web anywhere in the house; check email and read books via the kindle app. Not stuck with a fixed PC or more awkward laptop.
Allows mobile computing easily around the house. Before my wife and I would have to share time on our PC. Now we each have our own ipad.
Oh and when traveling -- whether long car rides or airplane rides, it serves as an entertainment center. I've survived 11 hour trips back and forth to Hawaii by loading many movies and games on the ipad. Can't imagine doing the same with a phone (screen so small).
When at home it is a nice luxury to do casual surfing, etc from the comfort of a easy chair without the inconvenience (for me) of trying to use a non-touch device such as a small notebook.
My over 65 eyes can see it much better than using my iPhone 5 from that comfy chair.
My over 65 eyes can see it much better than using my iPhone 5 from that comfy chair.
I got an ipad so I wouldn't have to lug around my computer with me everywhere I go. Easier at school for web use and taking notes is nice when I can just write normally, just on the tablet instead of a pad of paper (which means less in my bag, yay!).
Plus I use it as a digital portfolio of my photography and art work.
Plus I use it as a digital portfolio of my photography and art work.
Do you really like it better for reading comics? I had an Ipad 4 and a mini, and the mini is better for most things and it isn't bad reading comics, but with rhe full size Ipad you could mostly read full page as opposed to scrolling in landscape