Ipads overhyped or not ??

I was always somewhat sceptical of the iPad, and for a long time I was quite critical of it. I could see where it would fit into some people's lives, but for me it was too big to be portable and too small to be of use in what it do.

However, just recently a number of stores here in Switzerland have been selling off the black framed iPad 2 16gb wireless for around £200, so I nabbed one. And, quite frankly at that price point it is an amazing device. I'm writing this on it now. Would I buy the next iPad at similar specifications at Apple prices, well I don't know, but I wouldn't count it out. It does 80% of what I'd use a laptop for, but for that other 20% I'd need a MacBook air 11" to retain the same portability, but then again I wouldn't get the battery life.

Don't diss the iPad, it may not be your idea of mobile computing, but it's nevertheless a pretty impressive device, and really suitable to a lot of situations - and my mum loves it, which counts for a lot ;)
 
iPads are brilliant, FAR better than any current tablet, some of the Android ones are horrendous, while the iPad 3 is sublime :)
 
ZoneV said:
I've not checked your link (currently on a phone) but I used a 1GHz tablet with 512MB or 1GB RAM (I forget) in the early noughties. What spec is the iPad?

Let's also not forget Apple's fairly recent attempts to claim ownership of the concept of tablet computers with their iPad, despite the fact that tablet/slate devices have been around for years!
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Did it have a retina spec screen??

Processing power?

Functionality?

Connectivity?

I could go,on...
 
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odd jim said:
Did it have a retina spec screen??

Processing power?

Functionality?

Connectivity?

I could go,on...
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No "retina" screen but more processing power (Dothan CPU, more RAM), more functionality (full-blown OS & apps, hard-disk), wifi connectivity...

Will the iPad run Photoshop? Lightroom? The tablet in the vid I posted could.

If I was promoting the iPad over previous tablets, I would emphasise its ease of use, which is fantastic as literally anyone can use them, rather than power and functionality as the iPad is restricted in those areas.

Things have moved on but not that much.
 
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ZoneV said:
No "retina" screen but more processing power (Dothan CPU, more RAM), more functionality (full-blown OS & apps, hard-disk), wifi connectivity...

Will the iPad run Photoshop? Lightroom? The tablet in the vid I posted could.

If I was promoting the iPad over previous tablets, I would emphasise its ease of use, which is fantastic as literally anyone can use them, rather than power and functionality as the iPad is restricted in those areas.

Things have moved on but not that much.
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I'm not so sure....

I don't know what the specs of that old tablet are, but the iPad 3 is up there with it. 1gb ram, enough processing power etc.

I agree, the iPad has massive ease of use and accessibility benefits. I can do everything I do on my pc (and I mean everything, including raw photo processing) on my iPad. I haven't even taken my pc out of its box since I moved house it's that good. In fact it's better, as I can do all that (emailing, document editing, photo processing, watching movies, listening to music, uploading and downloading files, and most importantly, using the TP app!) from where ever I am.

And seeing my photos at twice the resolution of my (very good) pc monitor is simply jaw dropping.

iPad over hyped? No way!!
 
As long as is does what you need it to and you're happy with it, that's the most important thing.

It doesn't offer anthing new for me however.
 
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Are the iPads overhyped?
I see the opposite, where Apple bashers feel personally affronted if somebody has something good to say about an Apple product....
 
Rapscallion said:
Are the iPads overhyped?
I see the opposite, where Apple bashers feel personally affronted if somebody has something good to say about an Apple product....
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I don't think that's very fair. The way I see is that a lot of Apple fans seem awful good at "dishing it out" but can't take any of it back. It's fine for them to say it's the greatest product on earth but when anyone says otherwise suddenly they're an "Apple basher". Very one sided.
 
trencheel303 said:
I don't think that's very fair. The way I see is that a lot of Apple fans seem awful good at "dishing it out" but can't take any of it back. It's fine for them to say it's the greatest product on earth but when anyone says otherwise suddenly they're an "Apple basher". Very one sided.
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If you look through the online community though you'll see mostly threads started about apple deviecs are then hijacked by the windoze clan, whereas the other way round you don't see apple users even going into threads about windoze products .... for the main anyway, of course there are exceptions.

If you have little interest in an apple product, much like I have little interest in a windows one, why read a thread about an apple product.

I'd never open a thread about linux for example :shrug:

Apple users are generally quite happy within their little cube, but it's like the windoze clan cant help try and enter? Its a bit odd really.
 
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joescrivens said:
Apple users are generally quite happy within their little cube, but it's like the windoze clan cant help try and enter? Its a bit odd really.
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:plusone: I've tried to explain to the Windows and Linux crowd who try to "save" me that I'm perfectly happy in my predicament and not in need of any saving. I also use Linux and Windows all the time at work.

What's odd is that the CaNikon users don't try to save the Leica people in the same way. Or BMW owners trying to save Aston Martin people. Yet it's always fine to tell Apple users that they're paying through the nose for stuff that they actually can and want to afford.

I don't care about the spec, I care about the whole. If you can't see the forest from the trees, you're welcome to move on but let me live in my part of the woods thanks very much.

Edit: Oh and I use Linux and Windows quite a lot too, but that doesn't seem to help, I'm still (apparently) blinded by the Apple bling because I touch their stuff at all.
 
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My (windows) laptop is now stowed away for heavy editing or when I need to use it to download large video files. The constant need for updates and looking out for malware, viruses, blue screen of death etc just makes me loathe windows. The iPad I can just turn it on, get browsing or watch Netflix or play World of Goo etc and I'm happy.
 
joescrivens said:
If you look through the online community though you'll see mostly threads started about apple deviecs are then hijacked by the windoze clan, whereas the other way round you don't see apple users even going into threads about windoze products .... for the main anyway, of course there are exceptions.

If you have little interest in an apple product, much like I have little interest in a windows one, why read a thread about an apple product.

I'd never open a thread about linux for example :shrug:

Apple users are generally quite happy within their little cube, but it's like the windoze clan cant help try and enter? Its a bit odd really.
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We could do this all day though substituting "Apple" for "Microsoft" and it would be the same every time: certain people from certain camps just can't help but force their opinion on people. That's not aimed at you or anyone specific, just a generalisation.

Also, I don't know if the bit in bold was meant for me, but I actually have great interests in both Apple and MS products alike; I own and/or run (and have in the past) several iterations of each and I know a lot about the history of both companies in question, right down to key names and dates. The thing is, I'm not taken in by Apple hype (or MS hype, either, to be honest) and I work with devices of Linux, Apple and Microsoft every day, and to be honest, none of them "wow" me. They're all there to do what they do, and that's it. The cult following that some products get just genuinely confuses me, but generally I find with these people that there's no reasoning or logic with them.
 
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neil_g said:
who'd guessed it, the thread is straining towards an apple vs microsoft argument :D
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As I read through this thread I kept thinking there was no other way this could end... and there wasn't :D
 
trencheel303 said:
We could do this all day though substituting "Apple" for "Microsoft" and it would be the same every time: certain people from certain camps just can't help but force their opinion on people. That's not aimed at you or anyone specific, just a generalisation.
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Well thats where I think it differs, I think you get a lot more from the windoze camp going into apple threads than vice versa. Even a scan through threads here shows that to be true. Look at all the apple vs windows threads that have been locked. The majority of them started off about someone asking about apple, not windows.

trencheel303 said:
Also, I don't know if the bit in bold was meant for me,
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not really, it was a general comment :thumbs:
 
joescrivens said:
Well thats where I think it differs, I think you get a lot more from the windoze camp going into apple threads than vice versa. Even a scan through threads here shows that to be true. Look at all the apple vs windows threads that have been locked. The majority of them started off about someone asking about apple, not windows.
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Well, IME on various forums, somebody asking about apple seems to provoke a fair bit of hostility from windows trolls users. The opposite for most part is not true.

My personal conclusion: Apple users are smart enough to know where they're not wanted, and grown up enough to not troll the windows threads.

As for us Linux users, well we're so far above that that all we see are ants having a little run around in such threads. ;)

Seriously though I'm platform agnostic. Some do some things better than others on the specialist stuff, but for everyday stuff they're all pretty much even in terms of general functionality. I'm a Linux and Apple user mostly with a bit of Windows every now and then. If Windows user asks if me if it would be a good idea to change to Mac then I'd probably say no. The vice versa is also true. What you know and what you're comfortable with is way more important than the system you run these days.

However if somebody asked me about switching to a flavor of Linux then I'd have to ask how familiar they are with the UNIX command line, and what they intend doing with it. Generally most people fall over with the first part of that question. So I suggest they stick with what they know.

This is posted from an iPad 2. With experience of all the major operating you might ask why an iPad and not android. Well it does what is says on the tin with considerable aplomb, and it was dirt cheap.
 
Slaphead said:
Well, IME on various forums, somebody asking about apple seems to provoke a fair bit of hostility from windows trolls users. The opposite for most part is not true.

My personal conclusion: Apple users are smart enough to know where they're not wanted, and grown up enough to not troll the windows threads.
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youre having a laugh, the apple lot are just as bad (if not worse sometimes) than the ms lot. i think what gets the ms lots back up the most is spouting bs.

generally the way threads go on here:

1) person asks about apple kit.
2) (some) apple users start promising the earth like no crashes, world peace, attractiveness to the opposite sex and photo editing capability that magically makes your photos prize winners.
3) people who have technical knowledge/support experience of both platforms explain the pros and cons (both as good as each other at the same spec level).
4) chaos ensues.

:lol:
 
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neil_g said:
youre having a laugh, the apple lot are just as bad (if not worse sometimes) than the ms lot. i think what gets the ms lots back up the most is spouting bs.

generally the way threads go on here:

1) person asks about apple kit.
2) (some) apple users start promising the earth like no crashes, world peace, attractiveness to the opposite sex and photo editing capability that magically makes your photos prize winners.
3) people who have technical knowledge/support experience of both platforms explain the pros and cons (both as good as each other at the same spec level).
4) chaos ensues.

:lol:
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Agree with this Neil. Apple users often like to promise the earth but then absolve all responsibility and bite back when other people are disagreeing. The thing that gives me the most fustration is the idea that if you ise a PC you *will* get hundreds of viruses, and that by just going online you'll have your sole stolen. On the other hand some people like to assert that all Apple users are stupid... Which is just as unfair.

Properly configure the system and it doesn't matter what it is, it'll be harder to break into.
 
neil_g said:
youre having a laugh
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Yep ;) and no ;). I can't account for why people have a blind and almost cultish affiliation towards systems. I'm just speaking from experience on non tech related forums which really should have no loyalty to any system.

I know there are apple fanbois, and quite frankly they are the worst, but the windows guys do put their oar in - quite considerably.

Anyway this thread is about the iPad, and whether it's overhyped. Despite me being a part of derailing this thread, I shall now leave it to its original topic.

iPad is pretty good. Overhyped yes, but still cool. ;)
 
...but it's not overhyped... :)

What hype? I don't actually recall much in the way of hype, and it's still, by far, the best tablet on the Market. IMO of course.

Im sure I'll be accused of being a fan boy, but I own more non Apple IT kit than I do Apple kit.
 
I've fancied one for quite some time since playing with one in a shop. Photos look absolutely fantastic on it; there's loads of apps, and it all runs silky smooth. That Retina screen though! So much want. I've only ever owned 1 apple device before (a 4gb Ipod Colour) and sold it on and never bought another apple product because of Itunes, but I'm ready to give them another go, I think :)
 
Rustico said:
I like this :D Not an Apple user, but still think the ipad is cool.
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I am an Apple user actually, but at work I'm using mostly virtualised Linux on Apple gear. At home I'm running Linux natively on my ageing MacBook, and on my iMac Mac OS X is native, but with virtualised Windows 7.

So, hardware wise I have exclusively Apple, the deciding factor being that all 3 main OS's can run natively on Mac hardware (True I could do a hackintosh on standard PC hardware, but it can be a pain in the rear getting it all working correctly). OS use on the other hand is a mix of all 3.
 
To go back to the OP's original post (having almost forgot what the question was) and speaking as a non Apple person, an iPad is probably your best bet.

If your going to be doing the basics then it will do it without busting a gut but then so will an Android tab.

The Asus transformer prime is a nice functional tablet though with the added benefit of a docking keyboard if you need it.
I would rate it more than a galaxy tab 10.1
 
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stokes said:
I would be lost without my iPad. I held off for a long time as I really didn't see the point. Then I took the plunge and the rest is history, as is my laptop.

It is the most versatile tool that I have. It plays a massive part in my photography business as well.

One thing that stands out for me.... And why I love iPads and iPhones, they just work. This iPad (currently using) I've had over a year. It's never been turned off, never crashed and just works.

I would also suggest a 3G version, he's you can generally tether from your phone, but why go to that bother lol
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how can you tether from your phone?
 
1.2f said:
how can you tether from your phone?
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a lot of (probably most) smart phones can create a personal wireless hotspot - then you can connect anything that has wifi to them - the only thing you have to watch is data useage rates
 
True - although i usually do it on trains and plug by laptop into a power point, and my (well work's) smart phone into a usb charger
 
Never had one. Never needed one. Never desired one.
 
do i need to buy the apple cable to connect my camera to swap across pic's?
 
1.2f said:
do i need to buy the apple cable to connect my camera to swap across pic's?
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If you want to directly connect you camera to the iPad you'll need a camera connection kit
 
not read the previous 119 comments........

i have always loved the ipad and played with one several times in the apple store.

to me it's always been a nice to have and a "cool tool" though could not justify needing one...

used a mates a month ago over the weekend... and was leaning more to it but could not justify one

Yesterday took the plunge... ipad3 - screen is awesome - 32Gb black...

however if you have a smartphone which allows tethering for no more £ then save yourself £100 and go wifi only.
 
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