ipad- a little confused.

jeanniebeanie_2

I am off to the States in two weeks so will have the opportunity to get an ipad at a reasonable price. I have never owned anything apple bar a first generation shuffle, so for me it will be a first venture rather than just a bigger ipod touch. I have a desktop and laptop, both of which I will keep.

I don't play games, but it will be my portable 'toy' I guess. I am interested in the usual basic functions, but I am excited by the touch screen operation and some of the apps look brilliant for me having seen my kids' I phones.

What puts me off slightly is the strength of feeling against it on forums such as this. Whilst I understand the 'pay your money take your choice' concept I am finding it hard to find unbiased information/opinion other than on very 'teckie' reviews which I don't understand in the main. Guess I'm hoping someone here is jargon free and unbiased really.

BillScarab

If you want one and have a use for it, buy one. Read reviews and if you think it will be of use to you get one.

All opinion on a forum is going to be biased, opinion is subjective so you'll get Apple fans who overlook it's shortcomings and praise it and Apple haters who will highlight all it's shortcomings and pan it. The truth lies somewhere in between.

Techradar usually have decent reviews. Have a look here

Bear on mind you may have to pay import duties on your return unless you try and convince customs you took it to the US with you. That may be difficult with an iPad given that it's not on sale in the UK until later this month.

Marty_J

jeanniebeanie wrote: »

I am off to the States in two weeks so will have the opportunity to get an ipad at a reasonable price. I have never owned anything apple bar a first generation shuffle, so for me it will be a first venture rather than just a bigger ipod touch. I have a desktop and laptop, both of which I will keep.

I don't play games, but it will be my portable 'toy' I guess. I am interested in the usual basic functions, but I am excited by the touch screen operation and some of the apps look brilliant for me having seen my kids' I phones.

What puts me off slightly is the strength of feeling against it on forums such as this. Whilst I understand the 'pay your money take your choice' concept I am finding it hard to find unbiased information/opinion other than on very 'teckie' reviews which I don't understand in the main. Guess I'm hoping someone here is jargon free and unbiased really.

I think you have the right idea of what an iPad is for; web browsing, emails, reading books, playing games, etc. It's not a desktop or laptop replacement, which the majority of the people who dislike it seem to think it should be.

Try one when you're in the States. You'll know within 10 seconds whether you like it or not.

jeanniebeanie_2

BillScarab wrote: »

Bear on mind you may have to pay import duties on your return unless you try and convince customs you took it to the US with you. That may be difficult with an iPad given that it's not on sale in the UK until later this month.

Duty free allowance from outside the EU was raised in January to £390. The ipad (wi-fi) is on sale at $499 - £326 at today's visa rate, so no problem there as long as I don't buy much else, but that's where DH's allowance will come in!

I get the point about the nature of a forum and people having a bias- what surprised me was the weight of opinion against all that is Apple as opposed to a balance of opinion.

Anyway,have looked around some reviews and will be having a play instore as advised, but I really can't see me leaving empty handed- DH will insist-it will keep me quiet for HOURS!:rotfl:

Thanks for your replies.

Apples2

Darksun

Marty_J wrote: »

I think you have the right idea of what an iPad is for; web browsing, emails, reading books, playing games, etc. It's not a desktop or laptop replacement, which the majority of the people who dislike it seem to think it should be.

Try one when you're in the States. You'll know within 10 seconds whether you like it or not.

Well, I think that's the source of some of the complaints, people are seeing it as trying to create a new niche that really isn't needed, rather than trying to fill an existing niche, so it's an extra product that many would consider as unnecessary.

I think they should be trying to push it as a replacement for netbooks, innovation in interface design is long overdue. Whether the iPad is the answer to this... I think I'll reserve judgement a bit longer.

jeanniebeanie_2

Gotta get me some of those pants too while I'm there! LOVE EM! :j

beardiedog

jeanniebeanie wrote: »

I get the point about the nature of a forum and people having a bias- what surprised me was the weight of opinion against all that is Apple as opposed to a balance of opinion.

The reason is that Apple have always been so proprietory and will not compromise with anyone - ergo the recent Flash story. Apple is always right and everyone else can go hang as far as Steve Jobs is concerned.

I, for one, hope that the iPad will be an iFlop.

dizziblonde

While I love my iPod, I hate the software attached to it (yes iTunes I'm looking at you) and wish people wouldn't be so fanatical in the Apple fandom - yes there are some things that are incredibly slick and well done, but some of it doesn't and I don't like the whole iPhone ringfenced apps idea personally - and I love my netbook because it uses exactly the same software as its big brother so no issues transferring files and the like, I generally hate touchscreen stuff anyhow as well... so I can't see the appeal of an iPad as anything but an expensive toy - and considering I'm generally the queen of buying expensive toys that's quite bizarre.

If it's going to do what you're wanting it to do then go ahead, get one and be cooler than yer mates - but sometimes with Apple it feels like you're jumping through Apple-shaped hoops to accomplish something - rather than just getting on and doing it.

jeanniebeanie_2

Yeh - I am already with you Dizzyblonde as far as iTunes concerned and as I said I my only Apple purchase so far is a shuffle- infuriating! As far as being cooler than me mates- I have kids in their early 20's (child bride ) , so that really made me chuckle.

I have read the statement about Flash from Apple and I am sure those who dislike Apple as a matter of principle are not wrong, but frankly I don't care enough about their ethics to sway me. I have been reading more reviews and undoubtedly it has drawbacks which some could not live with, but they are not in areas that matter to me, so I will most likely buy.

I will keep my windows desktop and laptop look forward to the new experience of touchscreen and a whole new (to me) operating system. If I decide I don't like it I will sell -at least I will get a pretty good resale price on it.

As far as it being "an extra product many would consider unnecessary" Darksun, over 1 million have been sold already and I bet very few of them were "necessary" - mine won't be. I never owned a Wii, X box, iphone, Nintendo DS, Playstation, GameBoy (age showing:)).........or any such "unnecessary" before, so I am going to indulge!

littlepanther

Be warned. If you have a problem with the iPad when you get back to UK Apple in the UK are not liable to fix it under the warranty. I would get the UK version.