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After a month or two: Is it worth it?

kernkraft said:
First generation Apple products have been known to be feature-poor, overpriced and having all sorts of problems.
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Is this generally true of late, the problems that is? I can agree that missing a camera on the iPad looks to be a mistake and there's no doubt that it's expensive but problematic? The only real problem I can think of is the wifi one and if that can be fixed in software it sounds more like a problem with router/iPad interactions than a major iPad problem.

kernkraft said:
But do you want to spend your life with waiting? The iPad is a much-anticipated product, so why not just enjoy it and suffer a bit of depreciation in half a year? Is it worth $300 for you to have an iPad for a year?
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I plan to keep mine for some time until something much better comes along. perhaps the third generation device with 20 hour batter, front-facing camera and all the other goodies. So perhaps two years...
 
All I'd like is some kind of multi app view, so I can surf and im, or surf and have mlb at bat, but I dont know if that is too possible.

Other than that, I absolutely love it, if im not on iChat, then my online presence is basically always on the iPad.
 
Got mine on launch day and I use it every day. Love it.

I was a bit concerned at first whether I should have gone for the 32gb with 3g but got the 16gb wifi only model. No regrets. More than enough for my needs.

Bought the 3store wifi dongle last week and it works a treat with both the ipad and touch.

Why wait till next year. Go for it NOW.
 
richardmu said:
I was a bit concerned at first whether I should have gone for the 32gb with 3g but got the 16gb wifi only model. No regrets. More than enough for my needs.
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I bought the 64Gb model anticipating a lot of videos, pics on there. So far I've used only around 5Gb and have no problems with lack of content.
 
Just one big, fat, heck yes! I love it.

I finally got around to testing out my iPad's 3G on a recent trip - very glad that I did. While I don't expect to use the 3G all the time because I have an iPhone, it was very nice to have had the option when I finally had a need for it (away from a wi-fi signal).

In our home, I tried the "lets just share this iPad for while" which didn't exactly work out as planned. Once my wife, who is an avid e-book reader (Sony product, not Kindle), got her hands on the iPad for a week or so, she begged me for one of her own. She was fairly relentless. Now we have two.

The past month or so, the only time an iPad isn't within arm's length from one of us is when they are charging after a lot of use. Even then, they're only a few feet away. ;)

The iPads feel like new family members.
 
Here's my view of the iPad after two months:

Is it nice? Yes.

Is it great for reading books? Yes.

Is it great for surfing? Yes.

Beyond that I'm not sure it's worth spending $600+ on a device that you can read books, newspapers and surf on. I haven't done a lot of video watching on it so I'm sure that's another plus for it, but after two months I have to say that while I like it I'm not sure it was worth spending that kind of money.

Just my two cents.
 
I say get it. I didn't really consider getting the iPad when it first came out. I mean, it looked nice and all but I saw it more as a luxury item than a necessity. But after using it during the past two weeks, I couldn't believe I didn't get one on launch day. Sure the next generation will even be better but like others have pointed out, so will the 3rd, 4th, etc etc. It's not worth playing the waiting game at this stage of the cycle.
 
I Still Love It

It's been 3 weeks and I love it more and more each day. Since last week, I have been leaving my MBP home and taking just my iPAD to work.
I got the 64GB WiFi+3G to avoid running out of space or ever regretting it.

Suggestions:
- Apple iPad case
- Bluetooth Stereo headphones
- Component Cable
- AirVideo app (if you want to stream videos from your computer)

Also look into these apps:
- TeamViewer (free for personal use)
- GoodReader
- iAnnotate
- Tons of free apps to discover!:D
 
Well, I'll chuck my two pennies into the ring .... absolutely, 100%, YES!

As one poster wrote some time ago, it's like holding the future in your hands, several folks at work who've checked out my iPad say they will have to seriously consider getting one.

For me, the ability to surf on the go without having to constantly zoom in and zoom out a la iPhone is enough in itself. I once purchased a MacBook Air for taking away on vacations but as soon as iPad arrived in my life, the Air was sold on to a new owner. I don't miss it a bit!

As others have said, you will only ever have the latest model for a matter of months (unless of course you're waiting for the new iMac ;) ), and yes, life's too short to keep waiting for the next model.

Get your iPad and enjoy it .... I reckon you won't regret it!
 
As many have stated before, it is worth it if you have a need for it. Just like iPhone/iTouch, each device becomes quite unique as a result of the apps you install and how you use it.

Ultimately the iPad isn't about the device, ports, processor speed, RAM, or any of the other buzzword compliant tech jargon. It's about what you use it for.
 
I'd say hell no mine is currently sat in my living room where the only person who uses it is my mother to buy cosmetics if you want one id reconsider to be honest. it has alot of plus's you can use it almost anywhere and it wows people but for the price your better off with a low-end gaming laptop.
 
The OP is probably asking more along the lines of "is the first generation one good enough in itself with few bugs/issues", or is it like some releases of software that you never want to purchase the original first release?

I am usually not the first adopter of new stuff just in case they are buggy, but this iPad is amazing! I have no regrets being an early adopter and expect there will be many more iPads in my life :)

I see no real reason to wait another year if you can afford it now.
 
I'm surprised how much we use our iPad. I thought it would be like the iTouch, just use it once in a while. Not so. I look at the weather on Weatherbug first thing in the morning before I get out of bed, check my email, and look at my iGoogle front page for the news. I read books on it almost every evening before falling asleep. It really becomes part of your life.

I waited and bought the 3G version (32GB), but now wish I'd bought the WiFi version instead. I have a wireless router in our house which works great (Cable-Road Runner Turbo). We don't have 3G coverage out here in the sticks so I canceled our AT&T data plan.

I should add: The great-grandkids love playing "learning games" on it, also
 
I'll have to second my earlier post in this thread. I'm currently traveling around Mallorca in Spain, my 3G iPad is with me and I've loaded it with a pre-paid Telefomica data-SIM. The iPad is the best traveling companion ever! I use the maps app to find my way and I have instant access to the Internet so that I can check up on the place were I am at any given time. The iPad beats any traveling guide by a mile :) I only wish I had the camera connection kit :(
 
guyducati said:
The second generation iPad won't come out until 2011. They can't keep them on the shelves as it is. They're currently back ordered at Best Buy, and waiting lists are setup at the Apple stores. We won't see an update this fall.
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I am sure we will see a Revision before the holidays :rolleyes:
 
1: Have no use for it.
2: Hardly use it for anything (apart from playing a few games now and again)
3: Don't take it anywhere.
4: Have better things around me that do a better job.
5: I knew before I bought it, I had no use for it.
6: I'm glad I have it and would not want to be without it.

Work that out !!!!!! :D

If a Mk 2 comes out with a better/larger screen and more able to "create" on it, then I'd use it more.

Which is my problem.

Why view things on a 10" screen when I have larger screens all around me.
Why listen to things on a small mono speaker when I have better sound systems all around me.
Why struggle to write a letter or type on a web page when I have full computers where I usually am.
Why play a game when I have a computer or a console where I normally am.
I don't read story books so have no use for it as that either.

These and more are the reasons I could not envisage me having a need for the device. These views I had before I made the purchase are still true and 99.9% of my day the iPad will remain turned off as I don't have any need/use for it.

Yet, I can still appreciate it's a nice device (for what it is) and I'm glad I have one, if nothing else as a backup device if something ever went wrong.

The only time I will sell it is when a Mk2 comes out.
 
Yes

Its more useful than I ever anticipated. It gets 10hrs battery and I drain it pretty much every day.

1. I keep it next to my work computer on wifi. While I am working away, I can listen to tunes. When I have a break, I can check the markets, surf a bit and check my personal emails. Its very convenient not having to do this on company PC.

2. It goes in my backpack for the commute so I can listen to tunes from headphones. The only problem is trying to change songs etc..some kind of remote would be nice.

3. I spend a couple of hours every night with my 3 yr old on it. Sometimes reading him books but mostly playing jellycar or fishschool...sometimes we go to the app store and buy a new one...they are generally pretty cheap if not free. Hearing him laugh hysterically after we discovered photospeak app alone was worth the price.

4. Settle in bed and surf a bit and stream a movie with airvideo...recharge.

This is only at home and work. When I travel, this thing completely kicks ass. Waiting for planes, in-flight movies..etc. are a thing of the past. There is no comparison to watching movies on this screen and on the plane screen..even on business. All my contacts are on it, my notes I take, I can read docs and spreadsheets, the calendar for appointments...its simply phenomenal. I cant imagine traveling without it now. Typing was a bit clumsy at first but now its very natural and I rarely make mistakes.

Yes, its not doing anything new. Everything I mentioned before, I was doing in some form already but I just do it much better now. Also...my kid absolutely loves it. He calls it the big ipod which is not far from the truth but it really is so much more.
 
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