Why I love my iPad.

Question

Level 2

229 points

Why I love my iPad.

I sat on the fence for a while, trying to decide how the iPad would fit into my digital lifestyle. Do I need another device with basically the same functionality as an iPhone, but in a larger form factor? Why wouldn't a laptop or netbook fit the bill?

So I took a close look at how I used my digital devices....

First, I noticed a subtle change in how I managed my email communications when I bought the 1st generation iPhone in 2007. I never boot up my desktop to specifically check emails anymore, in fact I relied exclusively on the iPhone for email notices and quick replies. Wordy emails with multiple picture attachments still required an occasional visit to the desktop.

I read. I have two Sony e-readers and tons of e-books. I wished to read my books on a large, hi-res color display and get daily news aggregates from the internet too.

I wanted to be tethered to the internet and yet not be desktop bound.

I wanted the device to be readily accessible, i.e. instant boot up for quick trips to the web or entering reminders. My netflix queue only gets updated when I watch movie trailers on my AppleTV in the living room. I kept a prehistoric 5lb TiG4 powerbook on the coffee table for this purpose.

I sometimes lie prostrate on the couch when I read, with the ebook on the floor, or supine with the device directly over my face. The clam shell design and attached keyboards of netbooks are just too clumsy to use in these positions. My e-book readers have the perfect form factor and are very light. The iPhone's screen is just too small.

The iPad does this all and lives on my coffee table permanently. I read my books on it and get my daily news from around the internet. To unwind at the end of the day, I surf the internet and reply to emails. All this from the comfort of my couch, while watching movie trailers. It is a perfect replacement for my ebook readers, laptops and netbooks. Desktops still have a place in my digital lifestyle.

What about those multiple picture attachments? I first upload the pictures to my MobileMe gallery then email the link.

Well done Apple.

iMac 20", MDD G4, TiG4, DAG4. BWG3, PM9600 and PCs, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Jun 28, 2010 1:06 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 28, 2010 2:02 PM in response to Melvin C

Good to hear Melvin. We have really enjoyed the addition of iPad at our house too. I enjoyed it so much, I bought the 3G model to take with me on the road.

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Answer 2

Melvin C Author

Level 2

229 points

Jun 29, 2010 6:25 PM in response to Craig Brady

The iPhone and my Sony ebook readers are what I take on the road. My iPad stays at home though.

I've spoken to other people with iPads too and learned that people will eventually find a niche for it. One family uses it in the kitchen for recipes.

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Answer 3

w7ox

Level 4

2,407 points

Jun 29, 2010 7:07 PM in response to Melvin C

My Kindle is my reader of choice, but do read with iPad and iPhone (latter is good when on line!).

iPad is still a bit of a puzzle, but I do love it. Great for internet when my wife is driving, for example -- used extensively on L.A-Chicago trip this month.

Phil

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Answer 4

Jayne H

Level 1

0 points

Jul 1, 2010 5:16 AM in response to Melvin C

"One family uses it in the kitchen for recipes."

Gosh, that's an expensive recipe book! 🙂

Message was edited by: Jayne H

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Answer 5

Melvin C Author

Level 2

229 points

Jul 1, 2010 5:28 AM in response to Jayne H

Jayne H wrote:
"One family uses it in the kitchen for recipes."

Gosh, that's an expensive recipe book! 🙂

It is! They are still experimenting with it, but that was one of the main functions of their iPad when I asked.

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Answer 6

Jul 1, 2010 6:07 AM in response to Jayne H

People have even mounted them in cabinet doors:

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/05/04/found-footage-an-ipad-in-a-kitchen-cabinet/

They are very popular in kitchens.

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Answer 7

Jul 1, 2010 8:19 AM in response to Barbara Brundage

Barbara that gave me an idea...

http://www.amazon.com/Hospital-Overbed-Over-Table-Computer/dp/B000JWO7JE

They can be had cheaper when used.

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Answer 8

Jul 1, 2010 8:21 AM in response to Melvin C

Melvin,

The iPhoto app on the Ipad limits the number of photos you can attach to an email within the iPhoto app., it's something like 6 photos. What you can do is use the copy function in the iPhoto app... Then open the email app and copy (touch the body of the email you want to send and wait for paste to appear) those photos into the new email. Hit send...

I just sent 30, 500k photos to another email account I have with no problems from the iPad. There are limitations with the iPad when viewing that many attached photos in an email. Only 15 of those photos would display in the email. It is a file size and ram issue with the iPad. I opened that email on my desktop computer and all attached photos displayed. I'm using gMail. Gamil has something like 25 MB for sending attachments.

Safari on the iPad has the same limitations when viewing to many photos (file size) in a web page. Here's an example:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/oilin_the_gulf_two_monthslat.html

BTW I love the iPad too!

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Answer 9

Mo So

Level 1

5 points

Jul 1, 2010 9:43 AM in response to w7ox

The Kindle is still my fiction book reader of choice, but I like the zinio magazine app for reading magazines. Not quite enough magazines on the app yet, but they're coming, I'm sure. I've downloaded a few cookbooks on the iPad Kindle app now. I also FAR prefer Amazon's search capabilities over iTunes, which is the weakest link in the Apple chain, I think. On my Win PC it's a slow resource hog with very poor search capability.

Hopefully most of the major newspapers will develop an app specifically for the iPad (instead of just using the basic iPhone app).

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Answer 10

Melvin C Author

Level 2

229 points

Jul 1, 2010 10:22 AM in response to Melvin C

David,

thanks for the tip!

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Answer 11

Jul 1, 2010 1:41 PM in response to w7ox

I am just curios ...what do you like about the Kindle that makes it better than using the kindle app in the Ipad ..?

Or did I misunderstood you and you are talking about the app and not the device,,,!

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Answer 12

lllaass

Level 10

210,513 points

Jul 1, 2010 2:22 PM in response to socceteer

The Kindle hardware is very passive. Power is only used to change pages. No power is needed to maintain a page. Thus, it has extraordinary battery life. There is also no backlight which is good in the sun and outdoors. The iPad is hard to read in the sun.

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Answer 13

Jul 1, 2010 2:28 PM in response to lllaass

Good reasons..!

We do have a Kindle as well, and I would agree with you that the battery last an insane amount of time. and it is easier to read under the sun. Ironically we use it more to read in bed and on the plain, so we had to buy a light to see the pages at night and we have 20x20 vision.

We are selling the Kindle. we can't find a good use for it anymore

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Answer 14

Mo So

Level 1

5 points

Jul 1, 2010 3:36 PM in response to socceteer

Strongly prefer the Kindle's e-ink screen and the light weight for reading - I got a Kindle the second month they were out and have upwards of 500 books either directly on it, the memory card or my hard drive. Yes, the navigation is clunky, but it's worth the trouble.

The iPad is a better all-around device, but it's not a better plain-text reader and I read enough that it makes a difference.

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Answer 15

Jul 1, 2010 5:19 PM in response to Melvin C

I just posted a highly complimentary post about my new iPad and the Apple moderator removed it because it sounded like "feedback."

But I see there are a lot of discussion threads, like this one here, which are like that.

What give?

Apple has the ability to annoy even its closest friends with tactics like that. I can't believe I spent time writing a complimentary message and then have it wiped and get a notice from a send-only address.

Why can some discussion threads like that exist and others can't?

doug

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