iPad - a triumph of style over function?

Spirit_2

I have had an iPad for the last 2 months, it was a gift to me from my husband.

I am typng this from my laptop!

The iPad is beautiful.....but what can I 'do' with it? It is it an over engineered netbook or is there something else I am missing?

I can't see news videos, use spreadsheets or wordprocess on it. I can open my emails, and they have a nifty "sent from my iPad" footer, but apart from marketing Apple it is not giving me anything, or indeed as much, as my laptop .There do not seem to be any apps that I recognise as "wanting" . To try and get more into it, I bought a project management app but it was a disappointment too.

I do not want to seem ungrateful...can you help me a get more out of it.

Thanks

kwikbreaks

I'm sure eBay could help you get a few hundred quid out of it.

Mr. Jobs is silently sobbing

moonrakerz

Paper weight ?
Doorstop ?

[Deleted User]

Can't you use iwork on it? I was sure that was one of the things that the regular Apple fans on here were touting as one of it's strengths..

devizes18193

google docs

Spirit_2

devizes18193 wrote: »

google docs

Being dense now...can you explain what you mean?

kwikbreaks

Google docs allows you to work with spreadsheets, presentations, drawings etc. using just your browser.

https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&passive=1209600

Google docs uses a lot of javascript hopefully the (safari?) browser on your iPad and it's processor are up to the task

Lilystar

Spirit wrote: »

I have had an iPad for the last 2 months, it was a gift to me from my husband.

I am typng this from my laptop!

The iPad is beautiful.....but what can I 'do' with it? It is it an over engineered netbook or is there something else I am missing?

I can't see news videos, use spreadsheets or wordprocess on it. I can open my emails, and they have a nifty "sent from my iPad" footer, but apart from marketing Apple it is not giving me anything, or indeed as much, as my laptop .There do not seem to be any apps that I recognise as "wanting" . To try and get more into it, I bought a project management app but it was a disappointment too.

I do not want to seem ungrateful...can you help me a get more out of it.

Thanks

You can remove the email footer via 'Settings' if it annoys you.

I use the Stanza app, and the Kindle app on a regular basis to read books on mine. I also download any of the free TV episodes on iTunes that look interesting, and watch those on it. I also created a US iTunes store account, using a different email address and have got a lot of free TV episodes from there.

I think if you are not using a Mac as your main computer, iWork is maybe not the best idea, but you may be able to use Google docs, which is a set of applications like word processing and spreadsheets provided free by Google. Go to google.com, click on the 'More' button and select Documents from the drop down. You'll probably need a while to get used to it, if you usually use MS Office.

You need to decide what you want to use it for, and then you'll be able to find things to do that. I accept it is primarily a consumption device, it's not designed for creating content for the most part, so I therefore use it for watching films/TV and reading books. I also play some of the games on it.

For me, it isn't a replacement for my laptop, it's an alternative to the TV and bookcase! Work out what you'd like to do with it, and someone will no doubt have experience of an app or service which will assist you.

RobTang

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Google docs allows you to work with spreadsheets, presentations, drawings etc. using just your browser.

https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&passive=1209600

Google docs uses a lot of javascript hopefully the (safari?) browser on your iPad and it's processor are up to the task

I havn't checked recently but google docs doesn't (didn't) complety work on the ipad, viewing is ok, editing not so much.

You can buy apps that can edit google docs but it like of defeats t
the point.

Then again they may have fixed it since last i checked.

Spirit_2

Lilystar wrote: »

You can remove the email footer via 'Settings' if it annoys you.


You need to decide what you want to use it for, and then you'll be able to find things to do that. I accept it is primarily a consumption device, it's not designed for creating content for the most part, so I therefore use it for watching films/TV and reading books. I also play some of the games on it.

For me, it isn't a replacement for my laptop, it's an alternative to the TV and bookcase! Work out what you'd like to do with it, and someone will no doubt have experience of an app or service which will assist you.

Thank you, I can see what its for now. I rarely watch TV, like 'book books' and have never played a game in my life.

I will switch off the free advertising on my emails.

It is very disappointing......it just seems incredible that I was so excited to get it, I cannot believe I am finding it so pointless.

DCFC79

Im surprised you can even put your own software on there eg a word processing program, are there any free apps available for it or do you have to pay for the apps if you want 1, to me its an expensive paperweight