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Got a new iPad - Not that impressed..

I was in your place after buying my first iPad. I bought it as a gift for my wife and she hated it once she found out it didn't support Flash and a number of other things that she used frequently. I sold that one and bought a used one a short time later (saved a bunch too!).

The second time around, I found myself just using it at first as a bedside browser, using it for quick IMDB lookups. I liked the form factor and tried to come up with reasons to use it more than my laptop, but for content creation, it was hard to leave the laptop (A new MBP) behind.

Finally, I found a business use for it. And since then, its never out of my sight during normal business hours. I own a high-end custom woodworking business and am constantly on construction sites where setting a laptop down is problematic due to lack of clean horizontal surfaces. But I now pull up all my plans on it, use them as background images and sketch over them in front of clients as we interactively draw what they think they want to see, pull together quotes on the spot, etc. The form factor can't be rivaled by anything right now, and once I found a "sweet spot" for it in my life, we've been fairly inseparable.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you can't find the personal sweet spot for the iPad in your arsenal of tools/toys, then its just not for you. No biggie, dump it on Craigslist....someone will snap it up quickly.
 
Since you don't like it and got it for free, maybe you'd like to donate it to my classroom? My students would love to have one to use! :)
 
I'm pretty impressed!

Initially I bought the iPad for leisure and entertainment use. After using it for a while and for work, I'm finding the iPad a great productive tool for outside office use.

1) I've configured mail to use IMAP to my company's exchange server. Works great.

2) Installed GoodReader (0.99, must have!) to view downloaded files (.doc, .xls, .ppt, .ppt) from personal/work email, ftp server, NAS, dropbox, google docs and mobileme, etc. and to open these docs in other apps.

3) Installed Documents To Go Office Suite ($9.99) to edit/create MS Office documents. Can open app within GoodReader.

4) Installed Noterize ($2.99) to take notes and importantly for me to annotate PDF. (next release of GoodReader will have this feature!). Can open app within GoodReader. I need pdf annotation to sign agreements or sign off items that come my way and email back to the sender within the app.

Often, I get urgent messages from my BB outside of office/trip needing my immediate attention. Instead of firing up my Windows notebook which takes 10-15 mins to boot up, start/login to Outlook, download attachment, open Acrobat 9, digital sign, save and email, I can do this on my iPad literally within 2 mins anywhere!

I've since sold my netbook which use to be my surfing needs from the couch. I love the iPad's portability and instant "on" and the casual game / reading is quite enjoyable.
 
DonnieZ said:
I was very fortunate and won an iPad at a vendor event late last week.

After a few days of playing with it, I have to say I'm not that impressed with it. Sure, it's got a decent web browser, but for participating in forums I'm not that high on typing on it. The on-screen keyboard is phenomenal for an on-screen keyboard, however it's still not as nice as typing on tactile response laptop or desktop keyboard.

The App selection seems a bit thin, at least for native iPad apps. I had to buy a facebook app (Friendly) which seems pretty decent. I also purchased a Craigslist browser which also seems to work fairly well. Otherwise, when I browse the app store I don't see anything that I can't live without. The Netflix app is pretty decent and the fast forward/rewind operation is top notch.

Otherwise, I'm not exactly sure what to do with this thing. Between my wife and I we each have an laptops and an iPhone 4, a shared iPod touch, a desktop computer, an Apple AirPort Express for Airtunes, an iPod Classic, and now the iPad. Laptops have filled in our "courch surfing" needs, and the iPhone takes us wherever else the laptops won't go.

I did see a remote desktop app I would like to try, but these are all in the $12+ range, which is a little high to buy and then not like. All the decent games are like $10, again.. If it's decent I don't mind but I'd hate sinking $10 into a game that I don't play. I figured at least Apple would have some kind of specialized iPad version of the iTunes remote app, but no such luck. Any decent app recommendations??

Don't get me wrong - It's cool and it gets a wow factor from a lot of people. Being that I have a whole slug of other portable devices, I have to find a fit and a use for it. I really wish they hadn't skimped out on the front facing camera. We all know that Facetime was long in the works when this thing was created. If it had Facetime, it would be awesome. Sorry for what may sound like a nonsensical rant, but I thought when I won this thing I'd be more excited. Turns out I'm more lukewarm to it. To answer the question in the other thread "No, I'd probably not buy another one right now if this one was lost/stolen/broken/etc.." (Maybe that opinion can change!)

I'd also be appreciatave of any case recommendations.. The cases at Best Buy are all wicked expensive. I can't stomach $50 for a case when I know there's $2 worth of materials in it.
Click to expand...

You've listed quite a lot of things you like about it there !
 
I didn't think I'd be so into the iPad as I am, and I've also found that I'm getting better and better at typing on it.

Still trying to work out if it will do everying i could have had a laptop do (like the guy at PC World said it would..), and so far it seems alright, the only thing that I'm not sure about is typing for a long period of time on it form lectures at university. But I guess I cant rally test that one until I go in two weeks.

All in all for me it's a winner, but I guess its each to their own with the iPad.
 
I just purchased an iPad 3g and love it! I have been trying to hold out until the 2nd gen, but couldn't resist. I recommend the following case for your iPad.

http://www.switcheasy.com/products/NUDE_iPad/NUDE_iPad.php




DonnieZ said:
I was very fortunate and won an iPad at a vendor event late last week.

After a few days of playing with it, I have to say I'm not that impressed with it. Sure, it's got a decent web browser, but for participating in forums I'm not that high on typing on it. The on-screen keyboard is phenomenal for an on-screen keyboard, however it's still not as nice as typing on tactile response laptop or desktop keyboard.

The App selection seems a bit thin, at least for native iPad apps. I had to buy a facebook app (Friendly) which seems pretty decent. I also purchased a Craigslist browser which also seems to work fairly well. Otherwise, when I browse the app store I don't see anything that I can't live without. The Netflix app is pretty decent and the fast forward/rewind operation is top notch.

Otherwise, I'm not exactly sure what to do with this thing. Between my wife and I we each have an laptops and an iPhone 4, a shared iPod touch, a desktop computer, an Apple AirPort Express for Airtunes, an iPod Classic, and now the iPad. Laptops have filled in our "courch surfing" needs, and the iPhone takes us wherever else the laptops won't go.

I did see a remote desktop app I would like to try, but these are all in the $12+ range, which is a little high to buy and then not like. All the decent games are like $10, again.. If it's decent I don't mind but I'd hate sinking $10 into a game that I don't play. I figured at least Apple would have some kind of specialized iPad version of the iTunes remote app, but no such luck. Any decent app recommendations??

Don't get me wrong - It's cool and it gets a wow factor from a lot of people. Being that I have a whole slug of other portable devices, I have to find a fit and a use for it. I really wish they hadn't skimped out on the front facing camera. We all know that Facetime was long in the works when this thing was created. If it had Facetime, it would be awesome. Sorry for what may sound like a nonsensical rant, but I thought when I won this thing I'd be more excited. Turns out I'm more lukewarm to it. To answer the question in the other thread "No, I'd probably not buy another one right now if this one was lost/stolen/broken/etc.." (Maybe that opinion can change!)

I'd also be appreciatave of any case recommendations.. The cases at Best Buy are all wicked expensive. I can't stomach $50 for a case when I know there's $2 worth of materials in it.
Click to expand...
 
DonnieZ said:
The App selection seems a bit thin, at least for native iPad apps. I had to buy a facebook app (Friendly) which seems pretty decent. I also purchased a Craigslist browser which also seems to work fairly well.
Click to expand...

This might have an obvious answer, but why not use Safari to browse the actual sites?
 
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