User Name
Password
AppleNova Forums » Apple Products »

Apple iPad: long-term impressions


Register Members List Calendar Search FAQ Posting Guidelines
Apple iPad: long-term impressions
Page 2 of 8 Previous 1 [2] 3 4 5 6  Next Last Thread Tools
zippy
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Unknown
 
2010-08-02, 11:48

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maciej View Post
Exactly! I consider the iPad as a less than ideal reading device, for long stretches of enthralling reading at least. I think I didn't make myself sufficiently clear at first - and forgot that I was actually agreeing with you, since you made the weight comments first. I didn't go back up to reread until I read the post I'm quoting above.

As to comment about your observations on resting it on the table and such; I must agree as well. The only comfortable resting spot I've really found is when laying on my back. Just propping the tablet on my chest while holding it. The weight isn't a huge issue until I get into it something that takes a little while (I suspect the time would be variable for most so there's no point in even trying to provide one).
I love reading on the iPad. In fact, I prefer it to books.

I've always hated how the pages on book curve as you near the binding - unless you absolutely destroy the book and splay it wide open. Plus, it gets tiring on your hand/fingers to have to hold it open constantly. And no matter what you do, you have to hold the book in your hand the entire time. And for hard back books, you frequently have to use 2 hands. Not relaxing in the slightest!

On the iPad, however, I can read almost hands free. I've got the Apple iPad case, and in chair, I can prop it up on my lap without any issue. In bed, I can have it on my lap, chest, or propped up against a pillow if I'm laying on my side. All I need to do is tap the border to turn the page occasionally.

Reading in the dark is awesome because I don't have to worry about bright spots or shadows on the page. The light is evenly distributed - and adjustable - across the entire page.

It is soooo much better than reading a book has ever been.

Do you know where children get all of their energy? - They suck it right out of their parents!
  quote
Messiahtosh
Apple Historian
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2010-08-02, 12:11

Quote:
Originally Posted by zippy View Post
I love reading on the iPad. In fact, I prefer it to books.

I've always hated how the pages on book curve as you near the binding - unless you absolutely destroy the book and splay it wide open. Plus, it gets tiring on your hand/fingers to have to hold it open constantly. And no matter what you do, you have to hold the book in your hand the entire time. And for hard back books, you frequently have to use 2 hands. Not relaxing in the slightest!

On the iPad, however, I can read almost hands free. I've got the Apple iPad case, and in chair, I can prop it up on my lap without any issue. In bed, I can have it on my lap, chest, or propped up against a pillow if I'm laying on my side. All I need to do is tap the border to turn the page occasionally.

Reading in the dark is awesome because I don't have to worry about bright spots or shadows on the page. The light is evenly distributed - and adjustable - across the entire page.

It is soooo much better than reading a book has ever been.
I agree with all of this. I have a re-kindled interest (pun intended) in reading due to how simple it is to download and read a book on the iPad. The light can get a bit hard on the eyes after a while, but besides that I can go about 90 minutes solid and read at a normal pace. It's pretty nice.

The only thing is, I do wish it were a bit lighter, but I expect it to shed some weight in the future.

Last edited by Messiahtosh : 2010-08-02 at 15:42.
  quote
Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2010-08-02, 12:38

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad View Post
Here's another question:

5. how does typing (and text editing) compare with using a "real" keyboard

In the very short stretches I've used an iPad, my typing speed slowed down tremendously. I'm wondering how long-time users have felt about this. After a couple of years with the iPhone, I can type decently, but I've given up on any amount of editing with the horrid touch-based interface. There just doesn't seem to be enough precision for editing text. I think the lack of arrow keys contributes significantly to that.
Does the iPad have any sort of fine cursor control? Because most devices have something. A lot of smartphones have trackballs or trackpads. Not ideal, but serviceable. Most phones with slide-out keyboards have either arrow keys or a directional pad. And even the Palm Pre I had for a week had a neat system where you could move the cursor by holding down the Fn key while dragging your finger anywhere on the screen in order to move it in all four directions. Swype, the virtual keyboard where you slide your finger across the keyboard, has a screen with arrow keys as well as buttons for page up, page down, line start, line end, etc.

None of these systems are exactly perfect (physical arrow keys or a D-pad are the best), but they all work much better than having to tap your finger in the exact right spot. It's almost impossible to put the cursor on one side or the other of a punctuation mark. You just have to sort of do trial and error.

With so much screen space, it would have been nice if they had included arrow keys.

But I suppose entering text isn't really the point of the iPad.
  quote
zippy
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Unknown
 
2010-08-02, 12:38

Quote:
Originally Posted by Messiahtosh View Post
I agree with all of this. I have a re-kindled (pun intended) in reading due to how simple it is to download and read a book on the iPad. The light can get a bit hard on the eyes after a while, but besides that I can go about 90 minutes solid and read at a normal pace. It's pretty nice.

The only thing is, I do wish it were a bit lighter, but I expect it to shed some weight in the future.
Do I wish it were lighter? Sure.

Would I be willing to make the necessary sacrifice(s) to achieve that? No.

The only ways I can see to make the unit lighter - given the technology that they have right now are:
- reduced battery capacity
- plastic body instead of aluminum
- plastic screen instead of glass

Those are trade-offs that I would not make. As battery technology gets better, they should be able to make lighter batteries that last just as long. Until then, I think they struck the proper balance between size/weight and design/capabilities.

Do you know where children get all of their energy? - They suck it right out of their parents!
  quote
Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2010-08-02, 12:40

There's another option - give it a smaller screen. Which may happen. A 7" iPad would address many of the concerns about weight and portability, and it might actually make it easier to type on.
  quote
zippy
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Unknown
 
2010-08-02, 12:52

Quote:
Originally Posted by Luca View Post
There's another option - give it a smaller screen. Which may happen. A 7" iPad would address many of the concerns about weight and portability, and it might actually make it easier to type on.
I guess I consider that more of an additional device, rather than a tradeoff to the current device. I'd love to see it though - not as a replacement, but as another option.

Do you know where children get all of their energy? - They suck it right out of their parents!
  quote
Messiahtosh
Apple Historian
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2010-08-02, 15:44

Quote:
Originally Posted by Luca View Post
There's another option - give it a smaller screen. Which may happen. A 7" iPad would address many of the concerns about weight and portability, and it might actually make it easier to type on.
I agree that it would be so much easier to type on a smaller screen, by being able to effectively reach all of the keys with the thumbs. The current iPad is a bear to type on, after a while. It's fine for quick replies or short messaging, but not for "real" typing. Unless you have Adrien Brody hands, the iPad in its current state, is pretty tough to type on.
  quote
zippy
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Unknown
 
2010-08-06, 12:25

Interesting little 'kickstand' for iPad and iPhone now available. These don't look like they'd work if you have the iPad in a case. If you're still going 'bareback' with yours, then something like this could be handy to have around.
http://movie-peg.com/

Do you know where children get all of their energy? - They suck it right out of their parents!
  quote
Maciej
M AH - ch ain saw
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2010-08-16, 19:31

The honeymoon is over, coincidentally so is summer. Anyway, with the fall semester here, I'm starting to feel like the iPad is slowly losing its appeal. My usage habits require a nice portable device. And while portable, the iPad is a little shy of versatile for me. It would be nice to have a keyboard during classes, but the biggest problem is in the lab. My institution is big on IP, and for whatever other reasons doesn't provide a wireless network in the labs. I need a device with an ethernet port. How archaic, but I suppose it is a bit more secure.

My options are limited, and I love my 17" MBP but I don't really want to carry it around on a daily basis. It isn't really the size, I'm more worried about something happening to it. I bike every day to school, and don't want to have to think about dropping or losing this behemoth. I'm thinking of scoping out the refurb store and scooping up the cheapest MacBook I can find, just so I have something to beat on. It doesn't need to be fast, doesn't need lots of processing power, or storage.

Anyway, in a nutshell I've started to produce and need something to keep up with me.

User formally known as Sh0eWax
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2010-08-16, 19:37

Not a ton of things to choose from there currently, but maybe there doesn't need to be...just one offering there now, but it's a current-generation MacBook refurb for $849 ($150 off new)...that's 2.4GHz, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, 8x SuperDrive, NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics.

Nothing to sneeze at. And with the RAM and hard drive being so easily upgradeable, those are two things you can easily do on your own for not a lot of money, if/when the need arises.
  quote
Chinney
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ottawa, ON
 
2010-08-16, 19:37

I wouldn't think that the iPad would be a workhorse for serious class or lab work. It does not replace a laptop for that, I would think.
  quote
Maciej
M AH - ch ain saw
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2010-08-16, 20:06

I know Paul, that's what I'm seeing and salivating about. I'd pull the HDD, throw in a small SSD and we'll be cooking with fire. Only thing I don't like is the C2D - but I can't imagine needing tons of speed for day to day stuff.

Paul, how long do these usually sit around the store? If it disappears by tomorrow are the chances pretty decent that it will reappear in the next week or so? (I know you're the Refurb guru.)

Yeah, this situation isn't a knock on the iPad (really probably doesn't belong here) - it's more of a feeling like I ran into its first real limitation.

User formally known as Sh0eWax
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2010-08-16, 20:15

Off-topic (click to toggle):
Hard to tell. It's so random. I've seen things pop up and go away, but I have to say that the MacBook and iMacs are usually well-represented, and almost always present at the refurb store. The $999 iMac (now $929 since the recent update) might come and go, but it's never gone for more than a few days.

But there almost always seems to be a current-gen (or previous, right after an update) MacBook available for that $849. Every time I check the refurb section (at least twice a week, or if a friend or relative is in the market, perhaps 2-3 times a day), way more often than not, there's an $849 MacBook there! That seems to be the standard discount from the $999 new price. But I've seen them on there for $749-799 for a slightly older (pre-Unibody plastic) redesign from last autumn...like the early 2009 model my Mom and another friend have, before they went to the rounded edges and built-in battery.
  quote
BuonRotto
Not sayin', just sayin'
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Durham, NC
Send a message via AIM to BuonRotto Send a message via Yahoo to BuonRotto  
2010-08-26, 09:18

My wife surprised me with a 32 GB wifi iPad last night for my birthday. It's syncing at home right now. I have so many photos I want to put on it, but that is going to take a while.

As far as the Photos app, I know it has Faces and Places, but is there any way outside of iPhoto (which is not available to me right now) to tag those things for the iPad, say, on a Dell PC? That's all we have these days to use as home base, so to speak.
  quote
nikstar101
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Send a message via Yahoo to nikstar101  
2010-08-26, 09:42

I have had the iPad (32GB + 3G) since i5t was first released in the UK and unlike a lot of gadgets i buy, it is still used everyday. So it is off to a good start already!

As far as its useful-ness goes, i find myself using it mainly in bed (OK that sounds dodgy but it isn't used in that way! ) or on the sommute into work. Since it acts as my Sonos controller, i use it in the morning and night, in bed, to play some tunes and then do some net surfing or emailing at the same time. But because it is 3G it is most at use on my 2hr round commute everyday. Travelling into London on the Tube, i find it so fun to just surf the net, watch movies/tv (even live TV over 3G) or catch catch up on the news on the way in. And doing this the battery lasts for the whole week without charging.

The biggest problem, like others have mentioned, is the refreshing of web pages due to the lack of RAM. Thats is super annoying and it makes the whole browsing experience so much slower. I would also like to see background loading of tabs. Also the inclusion of a front facing camera, to make video calls, would have really made this an unbeatable product.

I am looking forward to more high quality newspaper and magazine apps coming onto the iPad as that will make it even more useful in the morning.
  quote
709
¡Damned!
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
 
2010-08-26, 12:50

The outfit I'm working with at the moment just took their iPad, some custom glass, a hood, this software and a couple hours work and turned it into a pretty damn nice teleprompter.

I was impressed.

So it goes.
  quote
ezkcdude
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2010-08-27, 12:32

The iPad experience keeps getting better. Today I learned that I can read ESPN The Magazine digital edition using the free Zinio app. I had been subscribed for a while, but didn't know how to get it onto the iPad. I also subscribed to Stereophile for the first time in years. It's only $9.95/12 issues.

Last edited by ezkcdude : 2010-08-27 at 12:52.
  quote
BuonRotto
Not sayin', just sayin'
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Durham, NC
Send a message via AIM to BuonRotto Send a message via Yahoo to BuonRotto  
2010-08-27, 22:26

I have to say that for all those folks who think the interwebs are going the way of the dodo, Safari for the iPad (and wide adoption of HTML 5 and Ajax technology) makes a lot of apps unnecessary. I don't know if I would bother with some apps since I have access to their websites anyway without any real screen or UI issues.
  quote
torifile
Less than Stellar Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Durham, NC
Send a message via AIM to torifile  
2010-08-27, 22:46

I've found that my iPad is providing some differentiation in the way I use my machines. I read *a lot* on the iPad and do some minor text entry, etc. On my computer I rarely go to Google Reader anymore but I still do the heavy lifting and my iPhone is relegated to those (many) times I find myself with a few minutes to kill. Previously, there was a gap that neither my laptop/desktop nor my iPhone could fill easily.

If it's not red and showing substantial musculature, you're wearing it wrong.
  quote
turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2010-08-28, 00:01

1.) I think what's impressed me the most is how full featured Safari is. For a "mobile browser" it's really very powerful. I love the bookmarks bar dropping down when you select the address bar. It was totally unexpected the first few times. It's also blazing fast on my home network. Second up is how awesome iPad apps are compared to iPhone apps. There are a handful of apps I had that were already coded for both so it was nice to see such a big display on the new screen.

2.) The lack of iOS 4 still is pretty disappointing to me actually. The next up would be the lack of a "safe, kid friendly login". When I hand my iPad to my kids they have already figured out how to delete apps. It sucks too when the app has data contained in the app that you lose when this happens. I'd love to have the ability to set a pin that prevents adding, removing or changing app locations.

3.) What has differed from my expectations most would be how much I use it. I wasn't expecting to use it much at all. This is why I held off on getting one until I could justify it. Now I use it everyday and multiple times at that. Like torifile mentioned somewhere else, I use this for all my RSS feeds now. Safari is left with the feed count stacking up. I didn't think I'd use this anywhere near as much at as I do.

4.) I've had this one since July 17th and love it.

5.) Typing on it works well in a pinch, but I haven't replied to this thread yet because I'm normally going through the forums on my iPad now and I hate typing anything more than a few lines on it! It's better than typing on my Dell Mini 9 Hackintosh, but that's only because the keyboard is so cramped on the Mini 9. The lack of tactile feedback and no physical sense of home row make it a bit of a pain. It's fine for short typing bursts but I won't use it for something that needs more than a spacebar or enter key to format.

Overall I'm in love with this device though. It was well worth the price I paid for it. It plays all the videos formatted for my AppleTV and even pairs with my cell phone for a hotspot without a hitch. It works like a charm for everything I need it for. It's awesome!

Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
Visit our archived Minecraft world! | Maybe someday I'll proof read, until then deal with it.
  quote
torifile
Less than Stellar Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Durham, NC
Send a message via AIM to torifile  
2010-09-01, 22:03

iPad + Netflix streaming of Dollhouse + 2 rubber stoppers + treadmill = win

I normally hate running on a treadmill but the weather has been so awfully hot and humid running outside seems like death. My iPad made this run much more enjoyable. Yes, it was slower than usual but I ran longer, too.

If it's not red and showing substantial musculature, you're wearing it wrong.
  quote
turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2010-09-05, 00:50

I just submitted feedback for an upgrade to the iPad (and all other iOS devices) but figured I'd copy it here too so you can see the one new challenge I've been faced with.
Quote:
When letting my kids play with my iPad (and Touch/iPhones) they have figured out how to delete and rearrange my apps. A great solution would be to allow for the normal passcode login but add the option for a "user" level login that can't change apps at all but only use them. This way they can't rearrange them nor delete them. This would also work for the other iOS devices too.

Short version: Two passcode allowed. Main passcode give normal full control or iOS device as it is now. The "child" code would only be able to use the device but not install or change apps at all.
Am I the only one who's kids have figured out how to remove and rearrange apps?

Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
Visit our archived Minecraft world! | Maybe someday I'll proof read, until then deal with it.
  quote
scratt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: M-F: Thailand Weekends : F1 2010 - Various Tracks!
Send a message via Skype™ to scratt 
2010-09-05, 00:58

I wonder if Apple could provide a password so that you can also prevent iTunes from randomly rearranging your apps when it is syncing!
  quote
torifile
Less than Stellar Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Durham, NC
Send a message via AIM to torifile  
2010-09-07, 21:11

Quote:
Originally Posted by torifile View Post
iPad + Netflix streaming of Dollhouse + 2 rubber stoppers + treadmill = win
Even better: Dollhouse season 2 premiere + web streaming from my Mac + iPad + treadmill. All I need is a slingbox and the iPad would replace that small LCD tv I thought I'd put up there.

If it's not red and showing substantial musculature, you're wearing it wrong.
  quote
Chinney
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ottawa, ON
 
2010-09-08, 20:22

Review: "The iPad, five months later"

Very positive assessment by somebody who uses it constantly. Interestingly, he doesn't mind typing on it even for drafting newspaper articles, which seems to be more than most do using the virtual keyboard. For longer stuff he fires up a bluetooth keyboard.

When there's an eel in the lake that's as long as a snake that's a moray.
  quote
Dorian Gray
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Paris, France
 
2010-09-09, 12:12

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chinney View Post
Review: "The iPad, five months later"

Very positive assessment by somebody who uses it constantly.
Ha! Cute ending to the review.
  quote
ezkcdude
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2010-09-12, 14:06

There are finally some apps coming out that enable "cloud editing". To be specific, with Droptext ($0.99), you can edit any ASCII-formatted text files within any folder you have created on Dropbox. You can also add new files or folders. There's no formatting options, as it's only a text editor. This is exactly the kind of productivity app I've been waiting for, because prior to this, I had no way to edit the many .tex files I keep on Dropbox on my iPad.
  quote
chucker
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: near Bremen, Germany
Send a message via ICQ to chucker Send a message via AIM to chucker Send a message via MSN to chucker Send a message via Yahoo to chucker Send a message via Skype™ to chucker 
2010-09-12, 14:10

Other than being cheaper and working with a different service, I don't see what Droptext does differently from WriteRoom?
  quote
Dorian Gray
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Paris, France
 
2010-09-12, 14:31

How does the iPad handle large images? E.g. http://imaging.nikon.com/products/im...e/pic_002b.jpg (a sample photo from the Nikon D3X).

Since I'm into photography I frequently encounter really large JPEGs on the web, which often bring Safari to its knees on my MBP. (Firefox does vastly better with this, but its image resizing algorithm is crap in comparison.) Does Safari on the iPad even attempt to display images as large as the one I've linked to in this post?
  quote
ezkcdude
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2010-09-12, 14:47

Quote:
Originally Posted by ezkcdude View Post
There are finally some apps coming out that enable "cloud editing". To be specific, with Droptext ($0.99), you can edit any ASCII-formatted text files within any folder you have created on Dropbox. You can also add new files or folders. There's no formatting options, as it's only a text editor. This is exactly the kind of productivity app I've been waiting for, because prior to this, I had no way to edit the many .tex files I keep on Dropbox on my iPad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chucker View Post
Other than being cheaper and working with a different service, I don't see what Droptext does differently from WriteRoom?
Oh, brother. Sorry, chucker. I don't know-it-all like you do. I didn't realize that I said Droptext was the only or best app out there for doing this, which is what your question implies.

It's funny how almost every post I make these days, you make some kind of smug comment on it. Do you realize that you're doing that?

There's another way to handle those types of responses. You could have said something like, "hey, ez, have you tried WriteRoom? I find it useful. What about you?" I'm sure you're a great guy in the real world, but you come off as accusational with me in almost every post. Oh, well.

As for your question, Droptext (as the name suggests) syncs with DropBox. WriteRoom doesn't (to my knowledge). That's why I'm using it.

Last edited by ezkcdude : 2010-09-12 at 15:01.
  quote
Posting Rules Navigation
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Page 2 of 8 Previous 1 [2] 3 4 5 6  Next Last

Post Reply

Forum Jump
Thread Tools
Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
iPad: Launch Day & Initial Impressions Ryan Apple Products 596 2010-07-23 05:46
Apple trademarks the term Vingle? Gregg Speculation and Rumors 1 2005-10-17 10:33
Apple's new long-term strategy: a better Windows? spotcatbug Speculation and Rumors 4 2005-06-06 18:17


« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 14:21.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2024, AppleNova