I'm in the Market For an iPad ; Need Opinions from Exisiting Owners

[OmariJames]

Hey guys, thanks in advance for your responses.

After considering other alternatives, the iPad seems to be the best option for me. However I need help deciding which iPad to choose based on my budget, needs and lifestyle.

A little bit about me:
I'm a college student majoring in Electrical Engineering. Two of my core courses, Chemistry and Physics require a lot of writing in terms of lab reports. I will also be taking some elective literature and language courses. I love music and movies therefore I have a lot of it ! Currently I store 24GB+/- and 20GB+/- respectively.

My Budget:
I'm a full time student and financially independent. I purchased my iMac 2008 (, 32GB iPhone 3G) and 32GB 3GS on my own. Unfortunately my budget this time around is maximum $600 but if it's truly worth it I'll go up to $700. I'm upgrading my 3GS this year so my budget is even tighter and if I have to I'll consider the first Gen iPad.

My main purposes for the iPad would primarily be writing reports and secondly watching movies. However, as aforementioned I have up to 45GB of media not to mention the existing 161 applications and future ones I'll download later. I'm definitely able to make sacrifices in terms of the media I sync to the device as I already do this with the movies I choose to sync to my iPhone.

Here are example questions that I'd like to see answered by you guys who currently own an iPad:

- How much effort do you put into carrying your iPad around , is it like carrying a small netbook or laptop ? Do I need a separate carrying bag ?

- What's your experiences creating, typing, editing long papers in Page or any document app on the go and at home ?

- Do you own an WiFi or WiFi + 3G version ? Do you tether you WiFi version ?

- Is the amount of Flash you currently have sufficient ?

- Did Facetime and other design changes improve your experiences compared to the first gen ?

And anything you guys think I need to know.

Thanks Again !

 

[takeshi]

I don't see how my answers matter to you. Carrying bag is a matter of personal preference. Mine lives in a Saddleback leather case so I don't have a bag for it.

I don't create or edit long documents on my iPad.

My iPad 2 is WiFi + 3G. Haven't used 3G but I wanted the option (personal call).

Flash? No Flash on the iPad. You mean memory? I opted for the max because I hate wondering if I should have bought the next model up. Plus resale tends to be better on the higher spec models.

Facetime didn't matter to me. I didn't use the original iPad to begin with.

You can poll all you want but these are decisions you need to make for yourself considering your needs/wants/budget etc.

 

[OmariJames]

Hey , thanks for your response. It does matter because you gave me insight on choosing flash storage and whether or not facetime is necessary.

Thanks.

 

[JasonG]

My input. Don't just buy the smallest one. I did and I wish I would of gotten a larger size. I have the 16GB original and use it for movies on the go mainly. Definitely wish I would of gotten more storage.

 

[Alli]

If you are going to be doing a lot of typing, skip any kind of tablet - they don't replace computers. And while you can email and dropbox, if you get to a point where you have an online component to a class where documents must be uploaded, you won't be able to do it from a tablet (iPad or any other). You can get a heck of a laptop for $600, and you won't have to worry about printing all those papers you're typing, or buying special cases and keyboards so that your iPad is simulating a laptop.

 

[Fausty82]

If you are going to be doing a lot of typing, skip any kind of tablet - they don't replace computers. And while you can email and dropbox, if you get to a point where you have an online component to a class where documents must be uploaded, you won't be able to do it from a tablet (iPad or any other). You can get a heck of a laptop for $600, and you won't have to worry about printing all those papers you're typing, or buying special cases and keyboards so that your iPad is simulating a laptop.

I agree with Alli completely. The iPad is great for consuming content - and I do that a lot... but it sucks bilge water when it comes to creating content - typing a "long paper" would be a major PITA, even with a keyboard. The multitasking is still somewhat crude for switching between apps if you're doing research and printing functions/options are still pretty limited.

 

[OmariJames]

Alli and HankAZ, thanks, great info.

At some point I almost didn't consider the iPad because of those limitations. Its basically the same issue I've had with my iPhone , being unable to upload anything to the web via Safari or print to any network printer.

I suppose a decent laptop or even netbook would be sufficient enough rather than a glamourous iPad because I still may be running to a computer to some rather important things, especially printing.

If Apple would at least allow air printing to any network printer it would make things easier , and created some type of Finder for iOS. Wishful thinking I guess.

Thanks guys.

 

[dragonsgoalie]

I have a simple velcro sleeve for mine, and it carries nicely. I do mostly games, movies and music in that order. I also have an iPhone 4, but a lot of the movies I have don't look so great on the iPad (Resolution/screen size) so I've had to do some extra converting. I am a soccer coach and I do make some simple spreadsheets and small docs on the iPad with ease, but I cant imagine writing a long report on the iPad, compared to the typing speed of a full size standard keyboard (or laptop keyboard) its just not that easy (Or I'm just not that good at it yet.) I can type fairly fast on my iPhone, but the keypad is bigger on the ipad which makes it hard to "Single finger type". I bought the WI-FI 32G iPad2, which I love, but after finding out that the 3G service is not a contract (i.e. you can turn it on or off in 1 month increments) I kinda wish I would have bought the 32G 3G version, just to have the option when travelling.

I'm an Electrical Engineer, and I didn't have to take any Chem classes, that sucks!!

 

[Fausty82]

Alli and HankAZ, thanks, great info.

At some point I almost didn't consider the iPad because of those limitations. Its basically the same issue I've had with my iPhone , being unable to upload anything to the web via Safari or print to any network printer.

I suppose a decent laptop or even netbook would be sufficient enough rather than a glamourous iPad because I still may be running to a computer to some rather important things, especially printing.

If Apple would at least allow air printing to any network printer it would make things easier , and created some type of Finder for iOS. Wishful thinking I guess.

Thanks guys.

If your looking for "glamourous", look at the Macbook Air... pricier that your specified budget, but definitely meets the other listed needs as well as "glamourous". The new ones are rumored to be coming in June/July, so maybe you can get a deal on the current model if you wait another month...

About a month back I picked up an 11" MBA at BestBuy (opened box/returned item) with full AppleCare warranty for $250 off list price... #justsaying #scopecreep

 

[cardfan]

Yep, i'd recommend a cheap light laptop like an Acer or even the Macbook Air as suggested above.

In college, you want to be able to get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible. A laptop and laser printer are your friends. And not spending time trying to make the ipad work for you. The ipad is more for entertainment or for specific productivity niches. Word processing and spreadsheets aren't one of them. You want your documents and spreadsheets to be opened with reliability with no loss in conversions and using an Office suite that has the best tools.

 

[impaler]

- How much effort do you put into carrying your iPad around , is it like carrying a small netbook or laptop ? Do I need a separate carrying bag ?

- What's your experiences creating, typing, editing long papers in Page or any document app on the go and at home ?

- Do you own an WiFi or WiFi + 3G version ? Do you tether you WiFi version ?

- Is the amount of Flash you currently have sufficient ?

- Did Facetime and other design changes improve your experiences compared to the first gen ?

- I don't carry my first-gen iPad around much, but it's basically a very light netbook, in terms of weight. You don't need a bag, but you'll want a case on it ALL THE TIME. I have already scratched up my back and screen a bit. I use the Apple-branded case, and it protects everything.

I have the 64GB+3G. Only way to go for me.

64GB is sufficient, for a good cross-section of my 180GB music collection, movies, TV shows, and apps. I'll always go for max storage, because it fills up quick. Based on the media you have (near 50GB), get the 64GB.

I have the first gen. I just couldn't imagine paying $800+ for a device that's only a minor bump from the first-gen iPad. Don't care about the cameras--and the iPad 2 cameras suck anyway.