When I first saw the announcements of the iPad I kind of dismissed it as an oversized iPod but after seeing reports from other bloggers and looking at the brilliant F1 app for the iPad I could resist no more. Being an iPhone user was expecting the iPad just to be more of the same just with a bigger screen but I have been really surprised how useful it has become.
I have used Tablet PCs and UMPCs for years, in fact I wanted a Microsoft Smart Display at one stage(remember them?), I love the idea of a small lightweight slate device. I tried using my Samsung Q1 as a companion device but it’s the resistive touch screen and under-powered CPU meant it was too slow and too unresponsive. Until getting the iPad I used a netbook in the evening to surf the web and write blog posts but since I got the iPad have the way I work has changed.
First off the iPad hardware is excellent, the build quality is superb, it’s solid and feels great in the hand and with 10 hour battery life there is no need to be paranoid about charging it.. The iPad OS is pretty good, lack of multi-tasking and flash support is a pain but the browser is great and of course there is the massive selection of applications. I purchased an RDP app (Remote Desktop Protocol) so I can remote control my PCs, so from home I can VPN in to my work network and manage the servers without having to boot up a PC. I do like to frequently check our servers are all ticking away nicely and this makes it so much easier
From the media side there are good and bad points. I really want to be able to watch recorded TV from my Media Center system on the iPad and out of the box this is not possible, the iPad will not play WTV Files or stream them with a DLNA app so it looks like I am going to have to investigate transcoding apps to get that working. I love being able to sync a recorded TV show with my Zune HD for watching while I am travelling and I want that simplicity for the iPad (the Zune software is much better than iTunes)
There are some DLNA apps available for the iPad, I got MLPlayer to stream music and pictures from my PC to the iPad and that worked great but had no luck with videos. So far I haven’t found any remote control apps other than the ones available for the iPhone but I am sure they will come.
It’s very hard to explain why I like the iPad so much, I now use iPad for surfing the web from the sofa, there are twitter apps and some great magazine type apps that make surfing very enjoyable and the instant on/off make it much more accessible than a PC. There are some things I have to get a PC out for mainly Windows Live Writer (which I am writing this post with) and watching flash videos. The iPad is not great for creating content but for consuming it its really good.
I really wish I was writing about a Microsoft slate either Windows Phone 7 powered or some other version of Windows but there is nothing available and the iPad is here now and its changed my computing habits. I am not saying it can replace a PC but I use a PC less and the iPad compliments my home setup really well. I want Microsoft to make me change my mind and use a Windows powered device but there is nothing on the horizon yet…
Why do people continue to buy Apple when all you hear is what it can’t do and how quickly it develops manufactuing faults? As an IT professional I have tested Apple producs and I am yet to find the answer to that question. The only conclusion I can find is the marketing. That’s why Freud’s cousin was a genious (speaking as a business man LOL).
That’s pretty much how I use my iPad as well, sure it’s limited in some ways but what it does, it does very well and currently there’s nothing else out there, it’s all well and good saying wait for an Android or Windows device but have any been given a release date yet?
One thing people tend to ignore with the iPad is the power saving, I used to turn on a P4 desktop in the kitchen to browse the web and listen to music, now I turn on the iPad, sure it’s a long term goal but eventually it will pay for itself.
@jackdidit I haven’t had any problems with my iphone which is a year old. Basicly it does 80% of things I want to do 100% rather than 100% of the features with 50% efficiency. It’s like Media Center, it has its limitations but what it does do is spot on
too really enjoy my iPad – I’d recommend AIR VIDEO for all your streaming and transcoding needs (iPad and iPhone clients, free sever) – works with most files I have (AVI, MKV, MP4 etc etc) – I have not tried WTV files – but did have some success with DVRMS. I’d also add Catchup TV to your iPad for Live TV (or if you use a MAC Elgato’s EyeTV 3 is superb for both live and recorded TV streaming)…
I’m holding off on upgrading my iPhone 3GS to the iPhone 4 at the moment (I also own an iPad) whilst I watch to see what WP7 will develop into, and to get a bit of additional feedback I asked my wife (also an IP4/iPad user) to watch a demo video – I get a little excited at times and lose focus and she tends to keep me grounded! 🙂
After 30 seconds… “it really looks like your kind of thing”
After 1 minute… “it *really* looks like your kind of thing!”
After 2 minutes (and the “People” and “Office” parts of the video) “Now *I’m* interested. It would be excellent loaded onto something like an iPad… when are they releasing that???”
An thus a primary teacher with no technical background realises in 2 minutes what the combined heads of Microsoft don’t seem to!
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When I first saw the announcements of the iPad I kind of dismissed it as an oversized iPod but after seeing reports from other bloggers and looking at the brilliant F1 app for the iPad I could resist no more. Being an iPhone user was expecting the iPad just to be more of the same just with a bigger screen but I have been really surprised how useful it has become.
It’s very hard to explain why I like the iPad so much, I now use iPad for surfing the web from the sofa, there are twitter apps and some great magazine type apps that make surfing very enjoyable and the instant on/off make it much more accessible than a PC. There are some things I have to get a PC out for mainly Windows Live Writer (which I am writing this post with) and watching flash videos. The iPad is not great for creating content but for consuming it its really good.
Just don’t go out in the sunshine! lol
Why do people continue to buy Apple when all you hear is what it can’t do and how quickly it develops manufactuing faults? As an IT professional I have tested Apple producs and I am yet to find the answer to that question. The only conclusion I can find is the marketing. That’s why Freud’s cousin was a genious (speaking as a business man LOL).
That’s pretty much how I use my iPad as well, sure it’s limited in some ways but what it does, it does very well and currently there’s nothing else out there, it’s all well and good saying wait for an Android or Windows device but have any been given a release date yet?
One thing people tend to ignore with the iPad is the power saving, I used to turn on a P4 desktop in the kitchen to browse the web and listen to music, now I turn on the iPad, sure it’s a long term goal but eventually it will pay for itself.
@jackdidit I haven’t had any problems with my iphone which is a year old. Basicly it does 80% of things I want to do 100% rather than 100% of the features with 50% efficiency. It’s like Media Center, it has its limitations but what it does do is spot on
too really enjoy my iPad – I’d recommend AIR VIDEO for all your streaming and transcoding needs (iPad and iPhone clients, free sever) – works with most files I have (AVI, MKV, MP4 etc etc) – I have not tried WTV files – but did have some success with DVRMS. I’d also add Catchup TV to your iPad for Live TV (or if you use a MAC Elgato’s EyeTV 3 is superb for both live and recorded TV streaming)…
I’m holding off on upgrading my iPhone 3GS to the iPhone 4 at the moment (I also own an iPad) whilst I watch to see what WP7 will develop into, and to get a bit of additional feedback I asked my wife (also an IP4/iPad user) to watch a demo video – I get a little excited at times and lose focus and she tends to keep me grounded! 🙂
After 30 seconds… “it really looks like your kind of thing”
After 1 minute… “it *really* looks like your kind of thing!”
After 2 minutes (and the “People” and “Office” parts of the video) “Now *I’m* interested. It would be excellent loaded onto something like an iPad… when are they releasing that???”
An thus a primary teacher with no technical background realises in 2 minutes what the combined heads of Microsoft don’t seem to!