Why I never bought an iPad

[Invincibilizer]

I gave you the -1 so there goes your bot accs theory. The problem that most are having here with the OP is that 2 years later and this is still an issue. It's not like the iPad was released yesterday or a week ago. It has been out for a few years and for the most part it's function has not changed. Second, why the need to tell everyone what you are and are not going to do? Just do it, or don't do it. Who really cares? Do you think the OP's adolescent ramblings are going to change the mind of someone that has decided to purchase an iPad? His thoughts would have been better served to his friends on Facebook rather than a site with admittedly Apple enthusiasts.

One person -1 is entirely different from -34. One person happens to disagree and -1......not conclusive evidence to disprove bot theory.

What would the iPad general forum be if no opinions/ramblings/discussion were posted here. The point for this forum is to discuss basically anything about the iPad.

 

[sapporobaby]

One person -1 is entirely different from -34. One person happens to disagree and -1......not conclusive evidence to disprove bot theory.

What would the iPad general forum be if no opinions/ramblings/discussion were posted here. The point for this forum is to discuss basically anything about the iPad.

Your bot theory is no more valid than mine. The point I was trying to make is that this discussion topic has been around a while and maybe some of the (34'rs) are simply tired of the same old discussions time and time again. If the OP used the search feature then he would have known this and hopefully not have created a redundant thread that serves no purpose except to give him a place to publicly vent. The iPad is not for everyone but do we have hear it over and over and over and over and over and over?

 

[quietstormSD]

I have so far opted not to get one. I think my 13" MacBook Pro is portable enough to take anywhere, with great battery life, while it can do more than an iPad. And I think already having an iPhone, I don't really see the need to have something in between. It's definitely a very cool device, and would love to get one. But I'm not willing to shell out 500 dollars for one right now, since I don't NEED one.

 

[solowmodel]

To be entirely honest I don't 'need' one in the respect that it helps me earn a living or become a critical part of my day.

Nonetheless, it's incredibly useful for me as I've moved country recently and it helps me keep up to date with news and magazines from back 'home'.

At the end of the day, it is a toy for me, albeit one that serves some useful and convenient features!

 

[labman]

just to clarify I gave a negative mark because the TS seemed to feel that just because the Ipad wasn't a legit need for him. He wanted others to validate there needs. 1st a quick google search would find people using it in the medical field many people find it makes there daily life much easier. Sure for some it's a toy who cares it's there toy. Also a quick google search would have found many people talking about how it helps there daily lives. Heck I don't even have a ipad because I decided it wasn't a need for me. However I also didn't make a thread asking others to validate why they need it. Oh and a little more research would find that MS Word can work on the IPAD. part of High School is learning to research TS failed.

 

[Jumpman2033]

I bought it basically for just internet browsing around the house. I bought the wifi only, and use it in place of a laptop. I only have a desktop in a small computer room. I like to be able to browse the internet, play games, etc. from the couch so i don't have to be isolated. i understand that my iphone is capable of doing all that, but having a big screen makes it a lot easier. Lets be honest, extensive starring at such a small screen is aggrevating and very strenuous on the eyes.

Was it necessary? No, of course not. Do I regret the purchase? Absolutely not. And so no one is mistaken, I am not very wealthy either. I had to give some things up, and sell some others.

 

[cardinalryan]

I don't know if anyone is really happy with what they have.

I really wasn't going to post on this thread, but this post was so good, I wanted to say something.

This is so true and I am a guilty party to this. I currently have an iMac for my kids and I pretty much was using my iPad 2 for everything I do. I felt like a 13" MBA would be better for me because it does more...I sold my iPad 2 and bought an MBA and now my MBA is on Craigs because I've found that I simply don't turn to it nearly as much as I did my iPad 2 and I realize how much I miss the convenience of iPad.

It's all a personal choice, so what one guy thinks plain and simply may never apply to the way you will end up using the device. For me, with the iMac in the house, an iPad 2 is the way to go...but who knows, once my MacBook Air sells on Craigs and I get the iPad 2 back, I'm sure I'll miss that loaded MBA. It's like wackymacky said...is anyone ever really happy with what they have??

 

[Liquinn]

I really wasn't going to post on this thread, but this post was so good, I wanted to say something.

This is so true and I am a guilty party to this. I currently have an iMac for my kids and I pretty much was using my iPad 2 for everything I do. I felt like a 13" MBA would be better for me because it does more...I sold my iPad 2 and bought an MBA and now my MBA is on Craigs because I've found that I simply don't turn to it nearly as much as I did my iPad 2 and I realize how much I miss the convenience of iPad.

It's all a personal choice, so what one guy thinks plain and simply may never apply to the way you will end up using the device. For me, with the iMac in the house, an iPad 2 is the way to go...but who knows, once my MacBook Air sells on Craigs and I get the iPad 2 back, I'm sure I'll miss that loaded MBA. It's like wackymacky said...is anyone ever really happy with what they have??

Not happy with what I have, I only have this:
Apple keyboard/mousd/trackpad, iPad 1, 3GS, 2 windows laptops, Windows netbook, 24" Samsung LCD and a 22" lcd

 

[Yamcha]

I don't think everyone is being completely honest, my personal experience the first week with the iPad was awesome, I loved & used it more then my computer. After the first week it just became a device that I use in bed, and thats after jailbreaking and installing about 160 Games & Applications, and really only finished Rage HD, and truly enjoyed just a dozen games..

I've had an iPod Touch before and my tasks are exactly the same as before : Browsing, Netflix, Youtube & E-mail in bed.

I've always been very skeptical about tablets, which is why it took me a long time to buy one, now that I've got one I realize that I don't really need it, I do enjoy using it while in bed, but for me it will never be a device to get any work done, or even to do any gaming on..

As far as gaming is concerned the problem is that the majority of the games suck, there are only a handful of games that are any good.. I know its very unlikely but if Apple could bring some Nintendo and Playstation games to iOS then it'd truly be a replacement for consoles..

The other issue is the lack of real multi-tasking on all tablets, switching between applications is a chore, and you cannot have two things running at once, even with iOS 5 when I watch a video on youtube and open a new tab the video stops =/ I think that is the biggest drawback of any tablet, not being able to run multiple applications on the same desktop..

Conclusion : Even if all you do is browsing, e-mail, social, chatting, & youtube I still don't believe a tablet is the way to go, and its simply because on iOS you cannot do all those things at once, whereas on a laptop priced lower or the same as an iPad could manage all those..

 

[Muscle Master]

Hmmm..

Google has been awfully quiet since they bought Motorola Mobility.. wonder what they're planning

 

[taipan61]

i don't see why you think we are not being honest if our experiences differ from yours. i use my iPad everyday; i use it to check emails, light surfing, and reading. i also use it to create content for work, develop menus on it ( i am currently using it to author a cookbook for web publication ), i use the music apps to write music, and i'm currently learning mandarin and i use the language apps for that. (i agree that most of the games suck)
so everyone's mileage will vary past the honeymoon stage...
it's not for everyone but not everything is; if you find a good usage for it...enjoy, if it doesn't fit your lifestyle...find something that does
for me...i'm keeping it until something better comes around (and yes it's the app store that sold me on it)

 

[mwulf67]

I don't think everyone is being completely honest, my personal experience the first week with the iPad was awesome, I loved & used it more then my computer. After the first week it just became a device that I use in bed, and thats after jailbreaking and installing about 160 Games & Applications, and really only finished Rage HD, and truly enjoyed just a dozen games..

I've had an iPod Touch before and my tasks are exactly the same as before : Browsing, Netflix, Youtube & E-mail in bed.

I've always been very skeptical about tablets, which is why it took me a long time to buy one, now that I've got one I realize that I don't really need it, I do enjoy using it while in bed, but for me it will never be a device to get any work done, or even to do any gaming on..

As far as gaming is concerned the problem is that the majority of the games suck, there are only a handful of games that are any good.. I know its very unlikely but if Apple could bring some Nintendo and Playstation games to iOS then it'd truly be a replacement for consoles..

The other issue is the lack of real multi-tasking on all tablets, switching between applications is a chore, and you cannot have two things running at once, even with iOS 5 when I watch a video on youtube and open a new tab the video stops =/ I think that is the biggest drawback of any tablet, not being able to run multiple applications on the same desktop..

Conclusion : Even if all you do is browsing, e-mail, social, chatting, & youtube I still don't believe a tablet is the way to go, and its simply because on iOS you cannot do all those things at once, whereas on a laptop priced lower or the same as an iPad could manage all those..

I honestly think you ignored readily available information about what the ipad was capable of and its limitations....If you thought the ipad was going to be “console replacement” or was that concerned about the lack of true multitasking, then you made a bad purchase decision....

I agree the ipad isn’t for everyone, and probably isn’t the best solution for the OP...but from my personal experience, the ipad was everything I wanted/needed and gave me, and continues to give me, exactly what I expected...

 

[epi117]

I had the ipad 1, got a ipad 2, gave ipad 1 to wife.

Have never used the ipad 2 camera, sooo, while i love the better processor of the ipad 2, i do not see myself upgrading anytime soon.

The ipad 2 is rock solid for my present needs.

 

[melman101]

I had the ipad 1, got a ipad 2, gave ipad 1 to wife.

Have never used the ipad 2 camera, sooo, while i love the better processor of the ipad 2, i do not see myself upgrading anytime soon.

The ipad 2 is rock solid for my present needs.

Same exact scenario for me.

 

[radiogoober]

I don't think everyone is being completely honest, my personal experience the first week with the iPad was awesome, I loved & used it more then my computer. After the first week it just became a device that I use in bed, and thats after jailbreaking and installing about 160 Games & Applications, and really only finished Rage HD, and truly enjoyed just a dozen games..

So because we enjoy the device, we must be lying.

Ok.

I love my iPad. I hated always dragging my MacBook around the house. Carrying it everywhere, exposing it to the elements, etc, all just made it more likely to get damaged. The iPad rocks my world. Web browsing in bed, on the couch, email, games, everything I need it to do.

The other issue is the lack of real multi-tasking on all tablets, switching between applications is a chore, and you cannot have two things running at once, even with iOS 5 when I watch a video on youtube and open a new tab the video stops =/ I think that is the biggest drawback of any tablet, not being able to run multiple applications on the same desktop..

BTW: On iOS (at least in b5, I can't remember if it's in 4.0) you can switch between apps with a four finger sideways drag on the screen. You don't have to double click the home button, etc. Perhaps part of your frustration was out of your own ignorance?

Regarding your "YouTube" multitasking criticism. Ask yourself this. What do you watch on YouTube? Videos. How can you watch a video in the background? You can only listen to it. Defeats the purpose of it.

So, my question to you: Do you have any real examples of how "limited multitasking" on the iPad affects your work flow? Why do you have to have two apps on the screen at the same time? Apps are designed to take up the entire screen. Even on a computer, you can't type into "chat" and type a forum post at the exact same second. You still have to bring one of the applications into the foreground, focus on that, and then app switch back to the other app. The iPad can do this. The only thing it doesn't do is have both apps on the screen at the same time. ... Which makes sense, considering iPad is a small screen, etc.

Conclusion : Even if all you do is browsing, e-mail, social, chatting, & youtube I still don't believe a tablet is the way to go, and its simply because on iOS you cannot do all those things at once, whereas on a laptop priced lower or the same as an iPad could manage all those..

You are completely wrong. I browse, email, chat, look at twitter, listen to music, and run apps all day long all at the same time every single day. iOS is fully capable of handling all of these things. The only thing it won't do, which doesn't make any sense for it to do anyway, is play a video in the background. Just think about why that's a stupid idea.....

 

[mystik610]

The iPad replaced a bag full of textbooks, notebooks, binders, folders full of work documents, and a laptop.

Good enough of a reason for me.

Admittedly, the iPad does scrimp on features to make different functions more accesible on a tablet, but If people did not find utility in the iPad, it would not sell. Tablets running full-fledged desktop OS's have been around for decades. There's a reason they did not become mainstream devices until they started running mobile OS's.

What a tablet lacks in function, it more than makes up for in form factor and portability.

 

[samcraig]

So because we enjoy the device, we must be lying.

Ok.

I love my iPad. I hated always dragging my MacBook around the house. Carrying it everywhere, exposing it to the elements, etc, all just made it more likely to get damaged. The iPad rocks my world. Web browsing in bed, on the couch, email, games, everything I need it to do.



BTW: On iOS (at least in b5, I can't remember if it's in 4.0) you can switch between apps with a four finger sideways drag on the screen. You don't have to double click the home button, etc. Perhaps part of your frustration was out of your own ignorance?

Regarding your "YouTube" multitasking criticism. Ask yourself this. What do you watch on YouTube? Videos. How can you watch a video in the background? You can only listen to it. Defeats the purpose of it.

So, my question to you: Do you have any real examples of how "limited multitasking" on the iPad affects your work flow?



You are completely wrong. I browse, email, chat, look at twitter, listen to music, and run apps all day long all at the same time every single day. iOS is fully capable of handling all of these things. The only thing it won't do, which doesn't make any sense for it to do anyway, is play a video in the background. Just think about why that's a stupid idea.....

You know it's hypocritical to say something like "So because we enjoy the device, we must be lying" and then call the poster stupid because you don't agree.

Different strokes for different folks. YOU don't see a point in continuing to play a video in the background and he does. I've often done it. Are you suggesting that anyone who would do that is stupid?

People need to stop applying their personal use case to everyone - no matter whether its pro/anti whatever.

 

[xkmxkmxlmx]

I don't think everyone is being completely honest, my personal experience the first week with the iPad was awesome, I loved & used it more then my computer. After the first week it just became a device that I use in bed,

I love how people think. Just because YOU don't feel that way, everyone else is not being completely honest? Get over yourself.

I love my iPad. I have had the iPad 1 and now iPad 2. I use it all the time including every night before bed (something I would NOT do with my 15" laptop).

My girlfriend LOVES hers. I bought it for her for her birthday last year and that is all she uses. She never touches her laptop unless she has a paper to write. She has a new app that she is in love with every week. She brings it everywhere. She has had it for about a year and a half now.

Bottom line is, of course the initial excitement is going to wear off. But more-so if you bought it because of hype rather than reason. I knew what I wanted it for initially (to replace my book/comic collection) and it fit that need perfectly. Now everything else is just icing on the cake.

 

[APlotdevice]

Actually you can play YouTube in the background. Just bring up the app switcher, slide left, and hit the play button. This is audio only of course.

 

[radiogoober]

Actually you can play YouTube in the background. Just bring up the app switcher, slide left, and hit the play button. This is audio only of course.

I just verified this, and it works perfectly.

Yamcha: it appears that your dislikes of the iPad, which include cumbersome app switching, and not being able to play YouTube in the background, are completely without reason. There is a much easier way to switch apps (4 finger drag left and right), and you can play YouTube videos in the background (as described in this post.)

 

[samcraig]

I just verified this, and it works perfectly.

Yamcha: it appears that your dislikes of the iPad, which include cumbersome app switching, and not being able to play YouTube in the background, are completely without reason. There is a much easier way to switch apps (4 finger drag left and right), and you can play YouTube videos in the background (as described in this post.)

I don't understand the real purpose of your post. Is it to "shame" Yamcha - or trying and convince him that he's wrong on all fronts and therefor must really LIKE his iPad.

Why are you so concerned about his opinion and his use case. Seems like a waste of time. Enjoy your iPad regardless....

 

[radiogoober]

I don't understand the real purpose of your post. Is it to "shame" Yamcha - or trying and convince him that he's wrong on all fronts and therefor must really LIKE his iPad.

Why are you so concerned about his opinion and his use case. Seems like a waste of time. Enjoy your iPad regardless....

Not at all. I was just letting him know that some "features" that he believed were missing are in fact there. I just want him to fully enjoy his iPad experience.

 

[aluren]

It's a great secondary device, but horrible as a primary computer. OP, seems like you're struggling to justify an iPad for school work. You are right. Get a MacBook Air. I've seen some people going out of their way to make their iPad productive (standing case, bluetooth keyboard, speakers, etc.)... Too much trouble if you ask me.

But it is good as an entertainment device. Think of it as a PS3 or Xbox variant. I used to play alot of games on my PS3, but with the iPad, I now read and go online more as the primary form of entertainment.

 

[radiogoober]

It's a great secondary device, but horrible as a primary computer. OP, seems like you're struggling to justify an iPad for school work. You are right. Get a MacBook Air. I've seen some people going out of their way to make their iPad productive (standing case, bluetooth keyboard, speakers, etc.)... Too much trouble if you ask me.

But it is good as an entertainment device. Think of it as a PS3 or Xbox variant. I used to play alot of games on my PS3, but with the iPad, I now read and go online more as the primary form of entertainment.

100% agree. On a recent trip, where I didn't have to do any "work" work, I realized I no longer needed to tote my MacBook around. I used my iPad the entire time. Chilling in bed with Netflix, trolling forums, etc. I actually didn't even turn on the TV once in the hotel room, on a 5 night trip.

But if I was doing something professional with it, ie reports, or notes, or anything else, the iPad would absolutely fail. Give me my MacBook or give me death. I was recently trying to use Numbers to do a basic little personal inventory spreadsheet. On the iPad, it was absolutely painful. It took probably thirty minutes to do what I could have done in 5 on my laptop. Painful, painful!

 

[FloatingBones]

I gave you the -1 so there goes your bot accs theory.

I went to give him a -1, too, but I found out that my 'bot had already dinged him.

The problem that most are having here with the OP is that 2 years later and this is still an issue. It's not like the iPad was released yesterday or a week ago.

I dinged James because he didn't seem to be learning anything in the discussion.

His thoughts would have been better served to his friends on Facebook rather than a site with admittedly Apple enthusiasts.

Well-said. All in all, the voting here is pretty silly and I mostly ignore it.

I was grateful for the posting here from Ruth who noted that the iPads were far cheaper for her boys and that they didn't carry the stigma of the old-school $15,000 devices that others use. That was very cool. Ruth posted for the first time in MR because she was frustrated with the discussion in this thread. Good things can come from anything! Flowers can arise from ... soil.