iPad users?

[sumi]

My DH recently bought an iPad and we've been rather unimpressed with it so far. We're not new to Apple products, I have a Macbook and we had an iMac that my DS killed. When we bought the iPad we expected the usual high quality, excellent applications, user friendliness... NO. DH very nearly took that thing back to the shop!
It's not a stand alone product. He couldn't do much with it without connecting it to my laptop first. (And we had to upgrade the laptop to the latest OS first)
It hasn't got a USB port! WTH?
He has to buy Aps that usually come for free with the computers? E.g. iPhoto, the calculator, iBooks etc.
We can only go online with it in a wifi zone, else we need to take out a contract with a internet supplier.
Anyone else here have an iPad? How was your experience so far? What's your feelings? Any tips?

We're really disappointed with this product. We expected more for the pile of money this thing cost.

 

[Bama1]

My DH recently bought an iPad and we've been rather unimpressed with it so far. We're not new to Apple products, I have a Macbook and we had an iMac that my DS killed. When we bought the iPad we expected the usual high quality, excellent applications, user friendliness... NO. DH very nearly took that thing back to the shop!
It's not a stand alone product. He couldn't do much with it without connecting it to my laptop first. (And we had to upgrade the laptop to the latest OS first)
It hasn't got a USB port! WTH?
He has to buy Aps that usually come for free with the computers? E.g. iPhoto, the calculator, iBooks etc.
We can only go online with it in a wifi zone, else we need to take out a contract with a internet supplier.
Anyone else here have an iPad? How was your experience so far? What's your feelings? Any tips?

We're really disappointed with this product. We expected more for the pile of money this thing cost.

Yes to all the above. And you cant upload pics to Backyardchickens.com from an ipad either. Lots of websites are not totally ipad friendly. I have to lug out my 2003 laptop to do certain things, pay some bills, PRINT anything, etc.etc.etc.... So yes to all the above.

 

[baleece]

Yup, I also use Apple products otherwise, but when I got an ipad for my birthday in September, I seriously considered bringing it back too! The only reasons I've kept it are: it has wi-fi access and I bought a word processor for when I don't have those things at work (our building is under construction for the next year and I only have computer access for a portion of my morning otherwise), I don't have a separate ebook reader and I've enjoyed having my library with me, and I got addicted to a free game called Hay Day I found while searching to see if there were any cool chicken apps Otherwise it can sometimes be a little bit nicer for curling up with than my laptop, since it's so thin and light and I have wireless internet set up at home too, but it's pretty much an overly expensive toy (IMO).

 

[foothillsfiber]

The Ipad is a consumption device, and there is a thread on here about uploading pics through an app I believe. Our calculator was free, there are lots of free apps out there and we never hook it to another computer. Yes you do have to have a cellular contract, but you have to have that with any other device also, phone, laptop or whatever and it is far cheaper to have an ipad with cellular than a iphone. We really use ours and it is the first gen., we knew at the beginning that it was more of a consumption of information device and not a production of information device. If I didn't like it I would take it back. Too much money in the thing to not be happy. My 2 cents worth.

 

[Capvin]

I feel completely different about my Ipad. Got my first one when they originally came out and then swirched to the Ipad 3. I seriously could not be without it. I find that most of the Apps are free or a very minimal price and usage was almost instinctive. There is really nothing about it that I do not like and think that it is one of the best technological products to ever come along. I have about a dozen different newspapers and news sources that I read daily. I have apps that tell me the best places to eat and shop, and numerous apps for reference and a great camera. Plus so much more that I could not list it all here. Much of what I have is free and as for the necessity of hooking to my computer, only when I want to back up everything that I have on the Ipad.

 

[Suzierd]

I love my ipad, most of the apps I've got are free the ones I bought were very cheap. You can print with your ipad using a wireless printer. ( search it on google). To load pics on forums load the photo bucket app it makes it easy. And I love it for loading books to read. Has the option to make the words white and the back ground black for night time reading in bed. I use the kindle app. Plus you can get get books from the library to read for free. Super easy to take a pic with the ipad and put it on face book or Craig's list to sell or email to a friend. I love it.

 

[Gomes Bantams]

First question. Where did you buy the iPad?

I have one(and am using it right now) and it works great. As for a USB port, you can buy a clip that plugs into the charging port and you can plug it in there. I do not believe that you have to buy all those apps.

 

[canada-goose]

I found the iPad I tried to be rather frustrating, too. So shiny and pretty, but very puzzling to use.
I have an Android tablet. It confused me at first, but not as completely as the iPad does. And they're made by loads of companies, so you can find a 'droid for any need.

 

[sumi]

First question. Where did you buy the iPad?
I have one(and am using it right now) and it works great. As for a USB port, you can buy a clip that plugs into the charging port and you can plug it in there. I do not believe that you have to buy all those apps.

He bought the iPad 3 which cost him E500.00. He could've got an Android for less than half that. But being Apple fans...
It should have an USB port. And it should be able to work with a plug in modem (dongle). And DH should be be able to read the magazines he downloaded without having to download the reader for iBooks onto the laptop so he can transfer it to the iPad, just because we have a dongle that he can't use on the iPad and we didn't have wifi. We had to spent extra money on buying a wifi modem so he can get online. He already found it doesn't have a calculator on it and he can't play with the photos we take like he could on the laptop. I'll ask him to make a list of the the apps he didn't get that the got with the laptop, that he now has to pay for. Quite frankly I think we should've bought another laptop. It would've cost a bit more, but it would've saved him loads of hassle. Not not mention my ears from some rather colourful language every time he tries to do something simple like check his email. He needs to download yet another app to enable him to bookmark gmail...
We looked at the other models and found if we bought a 64g model it would've cost nearly as much as a MacBook Air, so why bother with the iPad then? I can do lots more on the MacBook than he can on the iPad. And it comes with all the apps we need.

 

[Suzierd]

Does anyone know a good smiley app you can use on forums? I got smiley central but can't figure out how to use it on forums?