Merry Christ-Chex mas

Ferdy2584 · December 2010

So...a little back story-- every year O and I have "themed" gifts to each other. One year was "Jacket and a Bottle" (he gave me my pea coat with Kaluah and I gave him a leather jacket with a bottle of Jose`). This year is "Something new, Something Made" - He doesn't know- but I got him a Nikon Coolpix from target (they had a good sale on black Friday) and I'm painting him an Orange canvas. I have NO idea what his game plan is for me....I'm hoping my gift to him is surprising too. Well today O says to me- whatcha think about those iPads?? I'm like-- not a whole lot-- I don't know much about em-- and I don't. But we went to the Mac store today and looked at em--

I mean-- they're alright but I'm still getting good mileage outta my PowerBook...... it's on the way out-- but it totally works fine. The only thing that sucks is that for an iPad there's no webcam and no way to "hook one up" to it. Also- I can see that screen getting cracked--- easily. I would want to d/l a reader onto it so that I can share some good e-books with Liv. But it looks like it can do anything a laptop can do pretty much

What do you guys think about Macs new idea?

eMiLee920 · December 2010

Eh. From what I've seen, it's cool, but I don't think it's all that special. It's heavier than I expected. I already have a Kindle so, there's not much appeal in the iPad for me. I prefer the e-ink screen since I already spend so much time in front of a computer.

sunshine_day_dreams · December 2010

I've been wanting an iPad for a few months now, but I'm still holding off for the next generation. The next gen is supposed to be released sometime after the first of the year (I've heard anywhere from Jan - Mar) and it will have a camera, and I think a few other upgrades.

What I like about the iPad:

- It's Apple

- It has 3 possibilities for E-readers (iBooks, Kindle and Nook apps) so you're not as limited on book availability and you still have some choices to comparison shop for book prices

- It's compact, a lot easier to travel with than our mac book

What I don't like:

- You can't use Flash, so a lot of websites won't work right

- No Adobe either, so I'm not sure if the "borrow" function on the Nook app will work; can't open anything Adobe

- There's no disc or USB drive, so you have to have MobileMe to put files on, or buy everything in the iTunes store

- I've read a LOT of reviews saying it drops WiFi connections constantly making it essentially worthless unless you have 3G (and then it's much, much slower)

I don't know anyone personally who has one, so I don't have any firsthand experience. I played with one in the Mac Store a month or so ago and loved it. And I'll probably eventually get one. But for now, it's kinda like the iPhone to me - the first gen was kinda garbage. I'll wait for some of the kinks to be worked out before I go for one.

diablesse · December 2010

I think it's a glorified itouch, but everyone I know who owns one, frigging loves them. Go O

LauraT25 · December 2010

diablesse:
I think it's a glorified itouch, but everyone I know who owns one, frigging loves them. Go O

Pretty much this. I think a lot of Apple fanatics have convinced themselves that their latest toy is the coolest thing ever, even when they're biitching about the shortcomings in the next breath. I think the iPad is cool, though not necessarily better than any other tablet, and I honestly don't see the point in a tablet at all, personally. Some people have made some valid arguments for why a tablet is better for them in some cases than a laptop, but then for me it comes down to, 'Ok, so maybe 1% of the time the tablet would be better than a laptop or eReader, but it's not worth the cost'.

A friend of mine has one, with WiFi, and as Rachel mentioned, she says it drops the connection a lot. To get 3G though, it's a lot more expensive, and you have to pay a monthly service fee. I also think that if your primary goal is to use it as a reader, the weight of it combined with the bright screen (as opposed to the eInk on a Nook or Kindle) is going to be a pain to hold and a strain on the eyes. Plus, if what you want is a reader, you're way overpaying if you get an iPad. However, the iPad may be a better choice for reading books to children because of its larger screen and the color feature - I'm wondering if the new Nook color comes in the larger size.

It's a personal preference, and I guess if I had one I'd use it, but it seems to me like it's just a toy. The people I know who have them seem to use them just for the sake of playing with them.

If you're concerned about the screen cracking, I'm pretty sure a screen protector plus a silicone cover would keep it pretty safe. Another woman I know who has one has kids who have dropped hers, and it's still fine. She says she puts it in a gallon ziploc to read in the bathtub.

As Rachel said, I think that if you truly think it's a good buy, it's best to wait for the next gen, because it will probably be revamped, with the kinks worked out, and likely cheaper. At the end of the day, I still think it's too much to pay for a tablet, even if I wanted one.

Edit: And I DO like Macs, a lot. I think their computers are worth the extra $$$.

Edit again: Just saw Rachel's thing about Nook sharing. This was something I considered when choosing Nook vs Kindle, and according to B&N, you can share books with someone with an iPad if they have the Nook app. Not sure what the specifics are, but that's the word on the street.

Ferdy2584 · December 2010

I hear all of this-- also I did some more research and found out about the extra ports not being available...... it sounds selfish and spoiled but if O is thinking about getting me one-- maybe I will drop a few hints as to maybe it'd be a better present for something else down the road-- I have too many "cons" on the list right now /

One being the price point.... really 500 bucks..... nah....

sunshine_day_dreams · December 2010

So Ferds, K started dropping hints to me yesterday like he's looking at iPads for me too. We started talking about all of the "cons" and I started looking a little more into some of them. I know the price point is still a major con, but I wanted to at least post what I found yesterday for you.

With the flash sites, there's a free app you can download to convert flash to HTML5, which iPads will support, so you can still see flash even though you're not technically using the flash player. You can also open Adobe files - I think you need an app for that, too, but at least you can see them.

You can also buy an adapter online that has the iPad charger connection and one end and a USB port at the other end so that you can load things onto the iPad. The only thing there is that you can't technically play movies, etc. unless they're streamed from somewhere (as far as I can tell). So something like a subscription to Netflix would be the best bet where you can get movies to your home and you can also stream them on the iPad. This way you don't have to pay for every single show or movie through iTunes and fill up your hard drive.

I also didn't think that you could use any MS programs on the iPad, but found that there is an app for that, too. You have to pay (~$10), but you can open, view and edit MS Word, Excel and PP docs. That right there makes it a little more attractive to me.

The only issue that leaves from my original post is the WiFi dropping. Apparently it's caused by not having an Apple router (or that's what I've read), so maybe if you were to get a specific router it wouldn't be an issue? That's the only one that really concerns me.

We went to the mall yesterday and stopped in the Apple store. I started playing "Angry Birds" on the iPad and now I kinda want one solely for that game. It's addicting and I wish I never would have started playing! :-P

Ferdy2584 · December 2010

Dude-- that's how the Mac Rep got ME-- he was like "have you played angry birds yet?" and BOOM I was hooked-- in the store at least.

thanks for some of the feedback--- we have a Mac Router...so -- not that bad for us....unless I am out of my home.... but -- we'll see what O does

Merry Christ-Chex mas

Re: Merry Christ-Chex mas

Choose Another Board

Search Boards