iPad

[hbelkins]

(This isn't quite off topic, mods, so don't be too trigger-happy to move it...)

Anyone else thinking about an iPad? Anyone been able to get your hands on one to try it out, or even own one?

I am looking seriously at the 3G iPad, which (like the iPhone) has a built-in GPS that works with Google Maps. This would be functional as an oversized GPS although functionality would be limited in areas with no cell service unless you'd zoomed the Google Maps view out to cover the area where there is no signal.

Plus there are some GPS apps out there for the iPhone that will work with the iPad.

The 3G iPads don't ship until May 7, so I won't have one in time for the Ohio meet should I decide to order one. But I might have a new toy to show off at future meets!

[agentsteel53]

I've had my hands on one.  Seems to me it's too big to be a mobile phone, too small to be an effective laptop, too lacking in 23rd century technology to be a PADD. 

[rawmustard]

Certainly the cost of the data plan makes it worth considering over a conventional laptop aircard if AT&T doesn't try to weasel out of truly unlimited. I was thinking of getting one to take instead of my laptop for situations where I don't need to do much typing. But now that I've been using an Android phone for almost three months now, I'll probably wait and see if any good Android tablet devices emerge. (Plus the finances require me to not jump on anything right away, so I may as well see what the competition offers.)

[hbelkins]

Certainly the cost of the data plan makes it worth considering over a conventional laptop aircard if AT&T doesn't try to weasel out of truly unlimited. I was thinking of getting one to take instead of my laptop for situations where I don't need to do much typing. But now that I've been using an Android phone for almost three months now, I'll probably wait and see if any good Android tablet devices emerge. (Plus the finances require me to not jump on anything right away, so I may as well see what the competition offers.)

Given that I'm a Mac guy from way back (my first experience with a personal computer was on a Mac Plus in 1987) I am a bit partial to Apple stuff. Yes I have a Windows laptop and netbook, but my primary machine is a MacBook and I just upgraded my iPhone to a 3GS after my old one bit the dust. I do all my videos with iMovie and produce my photo pages with iPhoto.

[shoptb1]

Given that I'm a Mac guy from way back (my first experience with a personal computer was on a Mac Plus in 1987) I am a bit partial to Apple stuff. Yes I have a Windows laptop and netbook, but my primary machine is a MacBook and I just upgraded my iPhone to a 3GS after my old one bit the dust. I do all my videos with iMovie and produce my photo pages with iPhoto.

I'm also a Mac guy (even though I'm an IT Consultant that has to endure Windows at work all the time).  I just replaced by MacBook with a new 13" MacBook Pro last week, and I'm loving it.  While I was at Best Buy waiting on the associates to get freed up, I had some time to play with the iPad.  I love my iPhone 3G, but I have to admit that I was not really impressed with the iPad.  To me, it's all about usefulness.  It's not a phone, so it won't replace my iPhone.  It's also not a computer, so I can't replace my MacBook with an iPad.  Therefore, it falls into the category of "I've just got an extra $700 and it's burning a hole in my pocket!".  The interface, however, is pretty nice.  

Here's a helpful tree to aide you in your decision:   
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2010/03/should-i-buy-an-ipad.html

[algorerhythms]

Based on my experience with my 2006 Macbook, I've decided that Apple is never going to get another penny from me. My Macbook constantly overheats, the CPU fan failed twice, the CD drive can't eject disks without being forced open, the ethernet port failed (had to send it back to Apple to fix that), the hard drive failed, the screen flickers, and I had to replace the power supply because the original overheated and melted the insulation on its cable. Oh, and it came without enough RAM to run Mac OS X. So I'm not particularly likely to spend $500 on an oversized iPhone which can't actually make phone calls.

[Bickendan]

What you get for buying the floor model...
fixed joke

[hbelkins]

Well I took the plunge and ordered a 3G iPad today. It'll be in Thursday, in plenty of time for the Ohio meet this weekend. I'll be trying out the GPS function of the Google Maps app to see how it looks, and I'll probably be ordering a car mount before long as well. Add another electronic gadget to my roadtripping array. The geek stuff I carry around in my truck is probably worth more than the truck itself.

[shoptb1]

The geek stuff I carry around in my truck is probably worth more than the truck itself.

I can relate to that statement!  

[Truvelo]

I'm thinking of getting an iPad. The main reason is to have internet access away from home, especially when I'm abroad.

The original post by hbelkins mentioned that the 3G version has GPS so I assume the non-3G version doesn't have GPS. This may seem like a dumb question but why does GPS need 3G? All the GPS devices I've used don't require 3G or any other cellphone connection.

Something else I would like to know is are the UK and US versions the same apart from the price? Taking the basic 16GB non-3G version as an example, the US price is $499 and the UK price is £429 but convert the UK price into $ and it is around $660. That is some difference so if the products are the same then I shall buy mine next time I'm in the US. The other question I want to ask concerns the 3G version. I believe the US product is tied to AT&T whereas the UK product can be bought with a SIM card for any cellphone network. If I was to buy a US 3G version this may be an issue. Would a SIM card from another network work or are US iPads locked to AT&T.

Sorry for all the questions but hopefully someone who already has an iPad can help.

Cheers

[agentsteel53]

I'm thinking of getting an iPad. The main reason is to have internet access away from home, especially when I'm abroad.

do you need a phone that large?  I really like my 2 1/2 year old Blackberry Curve, which fits in my pocket and gives me internet anywhere.  Plus it has a discrete keyboard, which I find to have a much better tactile response than the iPhone (which I am thinking is the same interface as the iPad)

[Ian]

I'm not a huge Apple fan, though I do have an iPod touch. I am so used to Windows, that Apple is so hard to work with. And anyway, iPads are way to huge IMO for portable use.