Is ipad air the best tablet?

JS477

prowla wrote: »

You don't need a computer with iTunes to load content onto an iPad.

So how do you get music, videos, photos and apps etc onto your iPad without using iTunes?

InsideInsurance

prowla wrote: »

It is not uncommon to buy a Mac with the minimal memory and use 3rd party upgrades. Now, I can understand the MacBook Air not being upgradeable, as everything has been done to reduce its size and weight. In buying that you buy into the associated compromise.

It depends on the Mac, as they continue to all their units thinner, not just the MBA, more and more cannot have their RAM easily changed. From what I read the smaller iMac doesnt have access to the RAM any more and just the 27" one does.

MBA takes it one step further as its soldered to the logic board. I believe the smaller iMac's is still upgradable but you have to take the whole unit apart.

prowla wrote: »

As far as OS X goes, it is supremely compatible. I flip between OS X, Windows 7 and Ubuntu systems, and the only thing which catches me out is Apple's use of the Command key rather than the Control key for Cut'n'Paste and so-on. Of the three, I think that OS X is the most pleasant to use desktop OS, though the jury is out on the latest Yosemite version from my perspective.

I'm surprisingly ok with the command button, its actually when going back to Windows that I get confused. The one that I get confused with Macs on is mainly the lack of a maximise/ normalise button on windows and the universal top menu thing occasionally.

My other issue is more keyboard driven that Cmd Tab is to cycle programs and Cmd something else to cycle between windows within an application. Fine on my MBA/MBP but I have a spanish keyboard for my iMac and have never found the key to do it with on that.


I dont dislike it at all, happy to use any OS, I am just not a fan of it and dont see the massive efficiencies that some claim it has

prowla

InsideInsurance wrote: »

I'm surprisingly ok with the command button, its actually when going back to Windows that I get confused. The one that I get confused with Macs on is mainly the lack of a maximise/ normalise button on windows and the universal top menu thing occasionally.

My other issue is more keyboard driven that Cmd Tab is to cycle programs and Cmd something else to cycle between windows within an application. Fine on my MBA/MBP but I have a spanish keyboard for my iMac and have never found the key to do it with on that.

I dont dislike it at all, happy to use any OS, I am just not a fan of it and dont see the massive efficiencies that some claim it has

Likewise, I can't say that OS X has huge efficiencies over Windows 7 and Ubuntu, but I do prefer it.

prowla

JS477 wrote: »

So how do you get music, videos, photos and apps etc onto your iPad without using iTunes?

If you want to get an app, you go to the store, buy it (or get it free if there's an offer) and download it.

Similarly if you purchase (or get freebies) music & videos.

I have to say I don't have videos on my iPad; I have a NAS drive and an app on the iPad to stream it.

If you want files on your iPad (eg. photos), you could transfer them using DropBox or another utility.

zarf2007

InsideInsurance wrote: »

It depends on the Mac, as they continue to all their units thinner, not just the MBA, more and more cannot have their RAM easily changed. From what I read the smaller iMac doesnt have access to the RAM any more and just the 27" one does.

MBA takes it one step further as its soldered to the logic board. I believe the smaller iMac's is still upgradable but you have to take the whole unit apart.





I'm surprisingly ok with the command button, its actually when going back to Windows that I get confused. The one that I get confused with Macs on is mainly the lack of a maximise/ normalise button on windows and the universal top menu thing occasionally.

My other issue is more keyboard driven that Cmd Tab is to cycle programs and Cmd something else to cycle between windows within an application. Fine on my MBA/MBP but I have a spanish keyboard for my iMac and have never found the key to do it with on that.


I dont dislike it at all, happy to use any OS, I am just not a fan of it and dont see the massive efficiencies that some claim it has

A lot of the os efficiency is under the bonnet. As a test, try installing windows on a five year old pc and then install osx or Linux on a pc or mac of similar age and spec and the latter unix based operating systems will run much faster and more efficiently.

InsideInsurance

zarf2007 wrote: »

A lot of the os efficiency is under the bonnet. As a test, try installing windows on a five year old pc and then install osx or Linux on a pc or mac of similar age and spec and the latter unix based operating systems will run much faster and more efficiently.

Is that really the efficiencies that people talk of?

I've always heard the creative media types saying how much more efficient Mac is and this is why you should buy a new Mac over a Windoze machine (predated off the shelf Nix machines). I'd be surprised that what they really mean is that buy it now because in 5 years time itll still run the latest software (esp as many change their computers as often as their underwear)

JS477

prowla wrote: »

If you want to get an app, you go to the store, buy it (or get it free if there's an offer) and download it.

Similarly if you purchase (or get freebies) music & videos.

I have to say I don't have videos on my iPad; I have a NAS drive and an app on the iPad to stream it.

If you want files on your iPad (eg. photos), you could transfer them using DropBox or another utility.

How do you get your own music library onto your iPad i.e. your own CD collection?

securityguy

prowla wrote: »

It is not uncommon to buy a Mac with the minimal memory and use 3rd party upgrades. .

Was not uncommon, rather than is. It's now little more expensive to buy Macs with X GB in them than it is to buy them with the minimum and then buy Crucial/Kingston/whatever memory. That wasn't true five years ago, when the Apple Tax on RAM was ludicrous and it could easily save you a hundred quid --- I recall putting 4GB into a 2007 iMac and the difference being about that. Those that are desperately seeking reasons to not buy Macs will point out that this is because Apple fit the minimum memory by putting small packages in each slot rather than one larger package and leaving some slots free, but then so does every other manufacturer.

It's £80 to have 8GB rather than 4GB in your new Mac Mini (less if you have academic discount), while Crucial want sixty quid for the parts. It's a five second job to do now, unlike RAM on older Mac Minis which involved doing a dance with putty knives, so you can save the twenty quid if you want. And it doesn't invalidate AppleCare: they were perfectly happy to fix a failed disk drive in my old Mac Mini, which had had the aforementioned putty knives used on it, even though it had 8GB of third-party RAM. But for twenty quid? Meh.

jaydeeuk1

A lot of !!!!!! sites used flash, which is why there was a massive outcry when Apple said it would not be compatible. Luckily a lot now use other means like HTML5 so all is good.

If you want a tablet just to look in interweb or post on twitbook and take pictures of your cat, the ipad air or indeed most android tabs will suffice.

If you want to get stuff done, get a surface pro 2/3, or something cheaper like an asus t100 / t200

RumRat

JS477 wrote: »

How do you get your own music library onto your iPad i.e. your own CD collection?

Via iTunes or MediaMonkey on your PC/Mac...