But I have to admit, the iPad2 is without a doubt the go-to machine for most day-to-day computing now.
Jobs Got Me
I still compose most of my posts on the home machine, but mainly because of the full-sized keyboard and large screen that make it more ergonomically appealing. I'm also still more competent with MicroSoft-based word processing and shortcuts, although I am learning the Apple-based ones faster and faster.
The iPad has a number of things going for it: it's on with the push of a button; it saves where you are instantly while navigating; the power consumption is minimal and recharging duty is shared with my smartphone; the 3G option means I'm connected pretty much anywhere I go; and the size and weight mean that I can take the iPad places that even laptops would be hard to fit in.
Portable workstation
With the bluetooth keyboard, the iPad is just as simple to use as my Eee netbook - setting up takes a few moments, as the iPad recognizes the keyboard as soon as it is turned on. Simply set the iPad on the stand (which, conveniently, is also the cover), turn on whichever processing program, e-mail application, or website you care to navigate to and begin writing/surfing away. The display is crisp and clear (even if Apple does use a decidedly unserious font...); applications launch quickly and simply; it's a lot of computing power in a small package.
That's not to say it doesn't have its drawbacks. The touch screen gets dirty quickly; some programs have to be run as apps (like Facebook or Comcast e-mail) whereas others can run just fine in the Safari browser; and the unit does need a little extra padding to protect against accidents. Some things continue to baffle me, like why Google chat doesn't work on the iPad even though it works just fine on the iPhone.
Overall, though, it's an excellent back-up machine, on-the-road computer, or "reading the internet on a lazy Sunday morning" tablet. It weighs next to nothing, goes all day on a single charge, and is perfectly capable for most any simple task. Hardcore gaming or dedicated graphics are a little beyond its capacity, but reading e-mails, surfing through blogs, or getting your Facebook on are well within its limits.
It's safe to say I'm a fan of the iPad2!
That is all.
13 comments:
I don't think you're being unfaithful to Microsoft at all. If anything, they've been unfaithful to their mobile users. When Palm opened up the mobile computing space and Apple made it accessible to the masses, Microsoft's idea of mobile computing (no doubt encouraged by their hardware-buildin' partners) was "make a little PC and stick Windows on it."
As much as I like to diss Apple for turning their collective back on the techie population and making computers for the uneducated masses (and charging a ridiculous markup for it), I have to admit they've made some excellent products for people who just don't want to get something done without having to deal with a computer.
Ya know, really your review could apply to almost any tablet, not just Apple's. My Android based tablet does all the same things as the ipad with the exception of the 3G. Of course, it was also $400 cheaper then the ipad, and I dont have a $50 a month data plan to pay for. I also don't have to buy $40 dongles, since mine has all sorts of standard ports, like hdmi, full size and micro usb, and a full size SD card slot. My battery is also user replacable.
But yea, the tablet has taken over much of my computer use, as well as replacing the smartphone when I'm home. I've had a computer since the 1970s, grew up playing with Z80 CP/M machines. Living in the future is COOL!
The Android tablet was only $200? Sweet deal!
And the data plan is $15/month, and you can opt out any time - it's pay-as-you go.
Can't argue on the accessories, ports, or battery; that's the price we hipsters pay I guess... :)
But yeah, living in the future is cool! I was thinking just that when I used my Photobucket app to instantly upload a picture I took with my iPhone to send to a friend 500 miles away. Even 20 years ago such a feat would have required superhuman effort - take a picture, pay through the nose for 1 hour processing, then make a B&W copy and *maybe* you could fax it...
Or I suppose you could find a scanner and try to e-mail it at 1200 baud...
I like today's technology better... ;)
Mopar beat me to it.
Your review high (and low) points pretty much sum up tablet computing at the mid-to-high end.
I just bought a tablet that's going to be competitive with the iPad3 when Apple's next table comes out unless they have completely rewritten the technology curve in secret.
I agree. It's GOOD to live in the future. (Now where's my flying car?? www.hover-bike.com)
OTOH, for the same $600 you paid for the iPad, I got a full-on laptop with a 17" 1600x900 screen, quad-core AMD A6 processor, and built-in full size keyboard (with numberpad) that can run full-on programs, including graphics intensive games (Skyrim runs at the high quality setting). The big trade off is, of course, portability.
At the $150 price point, I have my Barnes & Noble Nook Color, running Android Ice Cream Sandwich off the SD card, which does most* of what the iPad does at 1/4 the price.
* HD video isn't working yet, but that's because ICS is brand new and the port to the Nook isn't fully complete yet. If I really need to see HD video, I can boot into Gingerbread off the same card.
Jay, the apple store shows the 3G ipad2 with 32GB as $729 + tax.
My 32GB android tablet cost $334 to my door. I added another 32GB for $30, and the keyboard case cost $18.
I got the data plan price from AT&T. The $15/month plan was only like 250 megs of data a month. That's not a lot of porn! (or streaming netflix and SiriusXM) :P
Android Tablets are fine for people that think Windows is a good OS.
I have an iPhone and an Android phone. And an Android tablet and (until someone stole it) an iPad.
I prefer the IOS devices. They're just better.
Alan, I didn't mean to start an Apple vs Android war, but I would say iOS is more like Windows, and Android = Linux. Android is open source. I can load whatever flavor of Android I want on my device. I can load whatever application I want. I can write my own applications if I want, and do whatever I want with them.
With iOS you are pretty much locked into whatever Apple tells you you want have. You can have the OS features they tell you to have, and if you stray, they may destroy (brick) your device; for your own good of course. You may only run applications that they decide you can run.
Now, which is REALLY better, a 1911 in 9mm or a Glock .45? :)
@ Alan: Which OS is better is a matter of opinion, nothing more.
Personally, while I don't like OSX, I don't care for Windows, either. I run Kubuntu Linux for my daily use, and keep it dual-boot with Windows for iTunes and games.
Like Mopar says, linux doesn't lock me into the way Apple or M$ decide I should want to use my computer. Android doesn't lock me into using my phone/tablet the way Apple decides I should want to use it.
Android and Winblows are not comparable, like (heh) Apples and oranges. Liking Windows and liking Android are as related as liking Glocks and liking Fords.
I think Mopar and I can both agree that Ford sucks...
:D
(Just funnin' ya, Alan...)
I own and use both an original iPad and a home built PC running Windows 7.
Which is better? Neither. They're two different devices - and I like them both. I use the desktop with its gigantic screen and full size keyboard to do most of my serious work - such as Photoshop and office applications. I use the iPad as a really convenient web device, a document reader, (I have a lot of tech manuals on it in pdf form), and for games and entertainment when I am killing time in the doctors office or somesuch. (By the way, I have been doing the computer "thing" since the 70's. And, yes, I like living in the future too. I used to service a disk drive that was bigger than a washing machine and had the huge capacity of 10 *mega*bytes.)
There are only 2 things I dislike about Apple products in general:
First is the price. They are definitely on the high end. Some say you get what you pay for, and there is merit in that argument.
Second is that with Apple, it's their way, or the highway. Now, if you *like* their way - and millions do - then all is right with your Apple world. Millions of happy customers cannot be all wrong. But if you like to tinker and customize to do things *your* way, then you will chafe at the restrictions imposed on you. (There's a reason they call it "jailbreaking".)
And Microsoft? Well, I have been using Microsoft products for over 30 years now, and mostly they have been just fine. I have been running Windows 7 on my homebrew PC since May of 2009, (starting with one of the beta releases), and I have not had a single OS crash. Yes - not one OS crash in almost three years. I cannot say the same thing for my - non-jailbroken - IOS iPad.
I've been in the IT field for 17 years, and honestly, have no horse in this race. Frankly, all of the products mentioned here, in their current form, are pretty amazing, if you really think about it. I'm a big fan of Windows 7 for my home computing needs, but I also have an older PC with not-so-powerful hardware that I run Linux on. It works like a charm, and my kids can surf the web and do basic computing tasks without a problem. I still use a BlackBerry, which I know is out-of-style, but it meets my needs nicely. I don't personally own any Apple products, but when I've had a chance to tinker with them, I have found them to be very intuitive and well-designed. Several friends and colleagues use Android phones, and those, too, appear to be quality products. The bottom line is, we each have different needs and wants as far as technology goes, and thankfully, there is a plethora of options available to meet everybody's individual criteria.
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