Apologies if this topic has been covered before but I couldn't see it in the list of discussions. I have two laptops (both Acer Aspire) but it has been suggested that an iPad is the latest "must have" piece of gadgetry. What are the pros and cons of the iPad. Is it worth the expense?
Thanks in advance.
@ Sheila,
Here is a pic of my control centre... Bottom left is an Ipad...not a 2 3 or 4... so no camera. However I pay 31 euros monthly for 24/7 3G access... great for Blogging on the hoof. The unit cost ONE Euro it has 64 gigs of Gubbins. The integrated keyboard ( blue tooth ) was 39.99 from Lidl and is sweet to use. The screen keyboard is poop.
Of course!
the other half has said I can have the Sony Tablet S when it is upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich. It is compatible with all our other Sony stuff and can be used as a universal remote for our media system, so I can sit there & turn over the channel without touching the remote...why? Just because!
I can put our Sony SD card in it too to transfer pictures which will be handy.
But I agree with Steve, if I have access to a pc I will probably use that for work but for balancing on my leg with 2m, 16m or 3 year old (or all 3) I can do my online shopping much easier with a tablet!
I got a Samsung Galaxy Tab free when I changed to Orange as my ISP. Have been playing with it for a couple of weeks and I will admit it is a nice toy for playing with sitting in front of TV or waiting in queue at the quacks, but I am never going to do any serious work on it when I have access to my main PC
Well now we have the iPad three to think about, and the screen on the new version compared to my version is very impressive. There is also now the rumours of a Google tablet this summer and a 10" Amazon.
There is now plenty of choice and all price brackets, from the French designed Archos right through to the iPads.
anything being made under slave, child labour, and general Chinese factory rules gets a no in my book. look up foxconn human rights abuses. plus, seriously, why pay for the i, when another company can better it, both ethically, and in price
Came across an advert today for a Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet, for 100 pounds less than the iPad with significantly more memory. Lenovo were the company that IBM sold to a Chinese company, and they are very popular in the IT world for good solid quality.
I would definitely put one of these in the mix.
They also do a 7" model which is very reasonably priced
My hubby said I can have a second hand one after they bring out the next one & everyone else upgrades as it really would be a luxury for me rather than work. I am scared my 2 & 1 year old will be better at using it than me, our friend has one & the girls always want to play on it. I have kittens when my 1 year old handles it - £600 in the hands of one who has a tendancy to throw things (it's her new skill). Another reason to buy 2nd hand!
like :)
I can agree with your point on the keyboard Phil, I'm a touch typist too and I'm not sure how I'd get on without a proper keyboard. Although I see the IPAD as an addition to our existing wares rather than a replacement for my laptop.
oh dear - I've been convincing myself I don't want one but now after reading this...I do want one.
Darren's getting a Macbook Air, how will I convince him I should have an IPAD as well?
Ok,
here's my biggest fear:
I may never have a chance to use it.
My kids would be happy playing with my iphone all day; I use it to bribe them to get anything I want...
My 18 month old knows how to unlock it, and has managed to delete more than a few apps...
I know it would be great to have, but.... great for who?!!! (sp? or would that be whom?)
I really do want one too. Actually, I want 5 of them.
But here's another question: would it be ok to buy a used one? My itouch is starting to die, and its barely a year old.
I wouldn't mind if it wasn't up to par with the latest cutting edge technology etc; but I would hat for it to stop working in a few months...
thank god my students are late due to the snow, I've just read your remark and wet myself laughing Alastair, not ver PC though! ;-D
My wife wanted one of these, but I got her an iRon instead, much more useful I have found
Hi and thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply. Sounds like it's a bit of a luxury as I have two laptops. Maybe for my birthday in April. :-)
Really? Are you sure? :-)
I really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really
really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really
really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really
really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really
really really really really WANT an ipad.
But only as a toy :-)
How old are your current laptops? what operating system do they run ? In my humble opinion the short answer is - if your current laptops are totally satisfactory for your needs then you don't need to buy a iPad. I think the iPad's only advantage over a laptop is its portability, ie it is easier to carry around and the build quality is good. Apart from that, I think it is overpriced. As I can touch type, I prefer a traditional keyboard. The keyboard on a iPad being 'on screen' is pretty poor and difficult to type on. My laptop can write DVD's and Cds, something which an iPad cannot do - I could go on. Hope this helps
Regards
Phil
Hi Sheila, good question. I have an iPad one, like it very much and use it a lot, but the key thing to remember with them, they are a web consumption device, your not going to write you Magnum opus on one.
I use mine for reading ,surfing the web and the odd game, and for that it works well. I have also just bought a little bluetooth keyboard, which makes it even more useful, but there is a big but to all Apple products, you get tied into their eco system. Lots of people are happy with this, and iTunes becomes their second home, but I prefer things little more open.
If I went into a store today to get a tablet, I would buy without doubt the Asus Transformer prime with keyboard. All my work colleagues have now switched to these, and they are very impressive. I ended up buying a keyboard for mine, which added another 70 pounds to the price, so the Asus comes out cheaper. I would also have a look at the Amazon Kindle fire, which is far cheaper that the other tablets, but might offer enough of what you want it to do.
They are also more open, and will link to any other operating system easily, as they have a standard USB port, the iPad does not. They run with Android, which has a far larger collection of free applications , which you can get through it's market place, but you are not tied to it.
The iPad is a good device, and I'm not going to say not get one, but define what you are going to use it for, and have a good look at the alternatives. When I bought mine, there were no alternatives, but today there are.
I would comment that I travel a lot for work, and that is when it really comes into it's own. If you already have access to a good laptop in the house, that is small and convenient to use on your lap then the use case for the device becomes diminished. If like me at home your constantly creating content, then something like a Google Chrome book might be better, and that is what I will be getting soon for just that purpose.
