I guess most owners have had them a while now. What's the verdict? I had a play with one in PC World yesterday & have to say I'm impressed. Browsing STW was a pleasure (fancy that!). I'd mainly be using it for slumped-on-the-sofa-browsing, reading comics with the Marvel & XComics apps, email and games (have had an ipod touch for a couple of years & love it as a games machine). Now, I do have a tasty Windows laptop so I wonder if the "ooh shiny" factor of the ipad might wear off after a while. Any thoughts?
Whatever happens, I'll not be buying a v1.0 ipad...by all accounts it sounds like a 2.0 with camera & other upgrades will be available in Spring & that'd be the one I'd go for. Cheers!
I like the look of the new 7" samsung android tablet but the price is retarded. they seem to be unaware that they haven't a fanboi image to trade on.
Mates seem happy with theirs. I'll probably buy a v2 if it has higher res display.
they seem to be unaware that they haven't a fanboi image to trade on.
God forbid Apple actually sell something at the market rate eh?
I will buy the V2 model if it has higher res display and works with flash.
If you can afford one, get one. They are expensive but such a great browsing experience. I'm attempting to use mine to cut back on 95% of the paper i use at work. Interesting It has changed how I think about my iPhone; I'm not sure I'll use it for much now apart from as a phone, and its limitations are more annoying now.
Captjon - yeah that's kind of what I'm thinking...I'm in the market for a new phone & contract..tempted by an iphone4 as I love my ipod touch, but wondering if a basic phone + ipad would be a better option.
Got an iPad soon after they went on sale (wifi one). To be honest I rarely turn on the laptop these days as most of the stuff I do is browsing, a few games, mail etc and the iPad does those well. I don't use it for books as I have a Kindle which is nicer on the eyes and lighter. Great for picking up, checking something and putting down again.
I haven't missed flash tbh as I hated it in the first place - the laptop fans would always kick in when flash ads were on the screen and I can't be asked to play flash games.
I'm quite fond of Numbers for doing stuff like making up shopping lists etc. I have Pages but I doubt I'll be doing a lot on that. Osmosis the game really good though, as if it were designed for something touch-wise.
One word of warning though - I bought it and my partner rolled his eyes up at another 'waste of money'. Now I can't get near the damned thing because he's constantly on it.
Any recommendations for apps Adam? Had mine a week and GoodReader is my favourite so far - really used for work.
VLC is good but it may not be there for long. Angry Birds, Bento, Numbers, Cut the Rope HD, Geared, NASA app, Things (I use it on the Mac and it syncs which is useful), Google Earth is amazing with touch, Dropbox, Kindle, Epicurious (when you are thinking about what to make for tea), Pinball HD, Osmos, Sketchbook pro.
For a start.
I don't store much music on my iPad as it is generally in the house. I do keep my copy of 'Seasons' film on it though when I want to pretend to be good at biking!
I was hoping that the iPad was going to be a proper Mac in a little tablet form, but sadly it's just a big iPhone. 🙁
Great tech; limited use other than as a toy....
You really are getting bored with being off work and off the bike aren't you Mark?!
Then you'll need one of these:
[url= http://www.axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook ]Axiotron Modbook[/url]
I disagree though - using touch as an interface is a lot harder if you have to deal with a windowing environment, little tiny things to click and a different way of interacting. That's why windows tablets with the insistence of Windows XP or 7 aren't really selling. They are used by engineers in my company on the road but they hate them.
cheers guys. Matt, yes dead right. Give me a bit of time off and an internet connection & trouble is inevitable!
[url= http://www.dixons.co.uk/gbuk/Advent_Vega-1228-commercial.html ]Tegra2 one from Dixons[/url] for £250 these are going to sell out - imho
I've had a play with a couple of iPads, and yes it is very nice, but the price is just stupid. I'm sure that after xmas the market will be awash with Android powered copies for less than a couple of hundred quid.
Bought mine because I am a brainless Apple fanboi, but I find it is really great for taking all my media needs around with me - books, including novels and software manuals, documents for work, music and videos, obviously, photos to show prospective victims (models). The battery lasts long enough for a transatlantic flight, so it is perfect for travel. The screen is fine for all my needs so far.
i was thinking the same mark
having sat next to a colleague with one on the way to africa this trip i was thinking - shit thats good
where as i was sat next to him with an aging asus eeepc with a 7 inch screen that ran out of battery 3 hours in .... so i got the works laptop out and that gave me another couple of hours.
if im continuing to travel as much as i am at the moment its on my list of things id like to make my traveling experiance more pleasurable ..... but as said above - its alot of money so i wont be rushing out .....
Battery life is good - but our little netbook gives around nine hours and I could take a spare battery, so it's hardly unbeatable.
Where I think the iPad excels is form factor, interface and the fact that it is instant-on so always available to pick up and use.
Screen is definitely too low res for me though, now that I'm used to the luxury if the iPhone Retina screen. 😀
Had ours about a week (£200 from Corporateperks 🙂 ) Full price is a bit crazy for what it is.
Really bought it as a games machine for our son and it's great for that.
I've started exploring the browser capabilities and its pretty impressive. Its much easier to use on the loo than a laptop!
Like elfin says, it is a big iPod rather than a small laptop, which I was a bit disappointed with.
Does the v2 have a way to connect external drives other than via another computer connection?
Luckily I haven't got iPhone 4 to compare with, so I am happy 🙂
the samsung kicks the ipads ass on pretty much everything except the BoiBrand
More flexible, more functional, as stylish etc
Love mine but why would you want one with a camera, they'll be doing a phone version next 😉
I have a Macbook and an iPod Touch and whilst the iPad is lovely I can't really see the point of me getting one
I guess it depends what you already have
Might change my mind when V2 comes out
the samsung kicks the ipads ass on pretty much everything except the BoiBrand
?? costs more, smaller screen-res, less storage, less accessories.
This is not the droid you are looking for.
?? costs more, smaller screen-res, less storage, less accessories.
Yes, but it's not an Apple, so that will appeal to people who want to make a purchase that is based on functionality and not image.
Oh ... hang on a mo' 😕
Graham - usb, call capability, sd slot (ie flexible/more storage), smaller screen so smaller res is fine 😉 - less accessories? it's only just been released, in time there will be comfy slippers for it. Cost is stupid though....
Smaller tablets will be good for folk with very pointy fingers and very good eyesight, and also very big pockets to put their Dom Joly-size phones.
I like a lot about it but I just don't get the obsession in the whole industry with glossy screens on portable devices. When I chose a netbook the first requirement I had was that it had a matt screen. Glossy screens may look really good when you have control over the ambient lighting but when your travelling I find them a pain. I believe you can get stick on anti reflective screens for the Ipad but that's just likely to look crap and I guess if your interested in one then the aesthetics are important to you.
The antiglare/matt screens for the iPad and the iPhone are excellent
Got mine company issue 64Gb, 3G + Wifi..
It's lovely and a lot more useful than I thought it would be, but I wouldn't have spent that much on it - the 16Gb Wifi only would have done me if I were careful with music/photos. The lack of external media makes playing hooky films on it more difficult than I'd like. Workwise, it's Citrix more or less all the way, though I have RDP/SSH clients and a vpn connection too.
The real compettitor for my money is the new Toshiba android - bigger screen, Wifi only (at the moment) but SD card and USB slot and £329 retail .. can't wait to have a go, though I'm reliably informed Android doesn't feel as slick as iOS.
Agree with Elfin though - I had rather hoped it'd be an OS X tablet. That would rock.
Really bought it as a games machine for our son and it's great for that.
iPad - £699
Marble Madness from App Store. £1.29
An afternoons peace from 3 children. Priceless 🙂
Never really had a look at the iPad - normally too many spotty kids playing with them whenever I'm anywhere that has them...
... that said - it struck me that it should have been branded as the PronPad...
though I'm reliably informed Android doesn't feel as slick as iOS.
Maybe why Google don't recommend using it until the next version, but apparently Samsung were so keen to get something out of the door that they didn't wait.
That Toshiba Folio unit looks great, except it doesn't have Android Market. I think Google didn't approve it due to the screen size or something. Cripples it somewhat.
Got one a while back.
Brilliant for the "instant on"
Our laptop has become redundant now.
Camera Connector Kit is great for importing pics and then there are a load of post-processing apps that work well, FilterStorm being one of the best.
Happy punter here.
Not much a technie and feel a gap as only have a work laptop.
Currently living with my parenets to see if they can enter the internet age...
Very impressed - App store, itunes, maps, etc etc
Can only see it getting better.
lolololololololol! 😆CHB - MemberI will buy the V2 model if it has higher res display and works with flash.
Given Steve Jobs is hellbent on NOT having anything to do with flash i wouldn't hold your breath!
That Toshiba Folio unit looks great, except it doesn't have Android Market. I think Google didn't approve it due to the screen size or something. Cripples it somewhat.
If that's true, it really sucks 🙁
What's it like to type on?
molgrips - Member
What's it like to type on?
Only really possible to type at speed in landscape mode (unless you have tiny hands/fingers) but it is fine - not as good as a physical keyboard obviously, but i've adapted to mine fairly quickly.
The clicky sounds make it a lot better than I expected.
The docking station with a keyboard is quite nice (like the new alu Mac keyboards) but sort of takes the point away from the device.. be worth having if you did a lot of mail I guess.
love mine, use it for school, home and knobing around on :), also good for watching movies on at bed time 🙂
worth the money 🙂
I'm sure that after xmas the market will be awash with Android powered copies for less than a couple of hundred quid.
There's a £100 one in Asda already...
http://direct.asda.com/eTouch-7ins-Portable-Media-Tablet-%E2%80%93-Web%2C-movies%2C-music-%E2%80%93-10gb-storage/000504956,default,pd.html
Played on the work one for a bit and I just don't see the point of them. Which is strange as I'm a proper Mac boy.
This is my first and only apple product but I have to say it is fantastic, it just works. There is no messing around, it just switches on, you do your mail/calendar/whatever and switch it off. As AdamW said, there was a lot of eye rolling when first purchased but now the only issue is that we don't have more in the house.
It is possible that the Android devices will manage the same but this could also be one of those cases of buy cheap, buy twice. The price is still a bit painful though
As one person pointed out, there is removable storage for the iPhone and iPad. There's the Camera Connection kit, and Zoomedia do a similar thing which I've had for ages, a card reader with dock connector and accompanying app that allows files to be copied to and from the Pad. Works really well.
Regarding Flash, those who've been paying attention would know that Apple have relaxed certain restrictions, and Adobe are working towards a way for Flash to work on iPhones and iPads, they are also demoing a way to use an iPad with Photoshop, with all the brush selections and other menus on the pad, allowing the whole monitor screen to be used for editing. Early days yet, but could be useful for those who do Photoshop work on a laptop.
David Hockney's got an exhibition of work done and exhibited on iPad's too, to show it can be a creative devise.
Mine was work issue (16gb wifi) and it has been so so good for our 3 yr old. Long trips be it in the car or on the plane or whatever are easy as she happily messes around on the various kiddy apps or loads her self some charlie n lola.
It must be a fairly intuitive UI for her to grasp it so quickly.
For me I do love it for browsing the net/email, I can imagine a fair bit of the xmas shopping will be done on it this year. With it so quick to power up and so on it means you can deal with things straight away, for example road tax letter dropped through the post yesterday, I wandered back into the lounge with my coffee and renewed it via the ipad with no waiting for windows to load, logging on and waiting for the laptop to chug into life.
We used it as a sat nav on the weekend too now that android 2.2 gives you a wifi hotspot from your phone, it was alot easier to use with the bigger screen.
Definitely a luxury rather than a neccesity though!!
I found three phases with it (64gb 3G) over the first month, now firmly in phase 3 (6 months in now)
1) OooOOooohhh - isn't it lovely!
2) Wait a minute, this is just a big iPhone
3) Hang on, not it isn't. this is rather clever.
Key hooks for me -
Goodreader and PDF annotation on the fly with ftp integration, same for keynote and idisk. brilliant way for me to work with info for my team and my suppliers instantly, on fly and completely mobile. brilliant, really brilliant, not at all possible with our current corporate IT systems.
Teamviewer: diagnosing and fixing my family's computer problems by taking control of thier computer with my iPad from anywhere in the world - amazing!
Filterstorm, photobucket app + camera connection kit and ability to edit Canon 5D RAW files on the fly - great. Still use Lightroom for major imports but for mobile stuff it is great
Reckless Racing HD, Madden NFL 11 HD and NOVA HD are terribly addictive games
Miss Spider series, 5in1, Pirates, The Lorax, AniMatching, Drawing Pad, face melter all great for the kids.
Remote is great for controlling apple TV and music through airport express (that really gives people a mindf*ck)
And of course then there is the standard browsing, mail, video and ipod stuff. Brilliant.
Add to that the instant on, incredibly fast in and out of apps and physical size and it is a winner.
HTH
Kev
Key hooks for me -
Goodreader and PDF annotation on the fly
+1 - brilliant
Cheers Kev, really useful info. I really like the idea of reading colourful & animated stories to my children using a device like the ipad, they'd love it. The Alice in Wonderland app looks pretty impressive. Interesting that there's a way to edit Canon RAW files, that's a big plus for me as I always shoot raw with my 40D. Teamviewer is indeed ace, have had a play with that before.
they are also demoing a way to use an iPad with Photoshop, with all the brush selections and other menus on the pad
There are also a few apps where you can use an iPhone as a palette and the iPad as the canvas, which is pretty cute.
GrahamS - Memberthey are also demoing a way to use an iPad with Photoshop, with all the brush selections and other menus on the pad
There are also a few apps where you can use an iPhone as a palette and the iPad as the canvas, which is pretty cute.
That sounds well cool! I was playing chopper 2 on a long flight recently, using the iphone as the controller and the ipad as the screen, had a queue of people wanting a shot. I love that kind of thinking to deliver cool integration.
The animated kids stories are great, a very interesting way of using teh tech.
Kev
[i]I'm sure that after xmas the market will be awash with Android powered copies for less than a couple of hundred quid[/i]
I tried one. Bought a Point of View Android tablet for £150 (around that), seeing as it was mainly for my son to play on. It was GARBAGE!
The touch screen didn't even work properly. REFUND!
[i]There's the Camera Connection kit[/i]
Googling that baby!