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I really am having trouble justifying an iPad purchase?

J

jboeckler

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 8, 2007
15
0
I'm wondering if others are having the same issues. I like the idea of the iPad and I'm sure its a great device for some but I'm wondering if Apple missed the mark a bit by limiting its usage. A couple of thoughts I had

- Why no horizontal dock. One of the things that I would frequently use the iPad for when its no in use would be a photo frame. The lack of a built-in slideshow app and a horizontal dock. To me while this wouldn't be a main purpose it would give me another reason to buy the iPad because I think it would be the ultimate digital photo frame! I mean they could have integrated the photo frame app into .mac or facebook and it would have really been slick. I mean how many people have paid $100-200 on a digital photo frame?

- When leaving the house would you be comfortable with taking the iPad without a laptop? I'm not sure I can swallow the idea of not having full laptop capabilities. I think this is probably just a personal thing but I don't think I'd really use it outside the house very often...

With that being said I really think the iPad is a great household device. Something that can be used frequently. For someone into home entertainment it would make a great household appliance. Recipes, photos, video's, remote control when I'm hanging out somewhere without a TV but I think the could have made it even better if they weren't thinking of this as a larger iPhone/iPod touch...just my .02

Thoughts? Maybe OS 4 will add multi-tasking which will help it become a digital frame but I think the dock being portrait kills the feasibility of this?
 
The iPad is not for everyone nor is it designed to fit everyone's usage
No one should have to tell you how to spend your money
If you don't want it
Don't get it :rolleyes:
 
If you can't see the benefits of the iPad your life's priorities are drastically wrong.
 
For most people here the purchase is past tense. The rest will be outside Best Buy and the Apple Store waiting for what I bet will be only a few devices that are not reserved, if any.

Waiting for the next big advancement in electronics before your purchase is a choice each has to make.

Expecting us to help make that choice, for you, well that is crazy.:eek:
 
racer1441 said:
If you can't see the benefits of the iPad your life's priorities are drastically wrong.
Click to expand...

That's just nonsense. :rolleyes:

OP: If you feel as though you must justify your purchase and you cannot then perhaps you don't need to make said purchase.

/financial counseling
 
Someone will make a landscape dock... you can count on that. I use a old cassette tape holder for my iPod, I use it as a clock at night.

For a long time I couldn't find any use for an iPod touch, till someone showed me theirs, now I have it with me all the time. Perhaps you could visit an Apple Store or setup an appointment to have them show you the product and to answer your questions and concerns.
 
Zanzimac said:
Perhaps this, finally, will convince you.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/iCade.shtml
Click to expand...

I saw that the other day, I thought it might be over kill, but I miss those old games, I grew up in the 80's so PacMan and Donkey Kong hold a place in my soon to be electric heart. I started with a C64, I loved that thing. I wanted to get the C64 emulator but the free games they offered sucked, I wanted Bruce Lee... I owned that game in the day.
 
I had thought the same thing about the lack of horiz. dock @ first but then I came to my senses. If you use a BT keyboard you can get a simple holder and position your iPad any way you like.

If you have separation issues leaving the house w/o a full laptop then you either have a hardcore job or need psychological help. That's not meant to be an insult. It truly seems odd unless your job requires access to a full computer. I can easily see myself taking my iPad w/ me instead of my laptop on short trips (provided one of the print apps works as advertised). Good riddance to my MBP when possible if that works out.

My wallet will not be able to leave my pocket quick enough tomorrow. I'm very excited about the potential of the iPad. Like many around here I already have a lot of apps d/l'ed and ready to go for when I get home.

I'd say if you don't feel the same then the iPad is not for you, and that's OK. Rarely is a single product useful to all even if marketing attempts to persuade you otherwise.
 
jboeckler said:
I'm wondering if others are having the same issues. I like the idea of the iPad and I'm sure its a great device for some but I'm wondering if Apple missed the mark a bit by limiting its usage. A couple of thoughts I had

- Why no horizontal dock. One of the things that I would frequently use the iPad for when its no in use would be a photo frame. The lack of a built-in slideshow app and a horizontal dock. To me while this wouldn't be a main purpose it would give me another reason to buy the iPad because I think it would be the ultimate digital photo frame! I mean they could have integrated the photo frame app into .mac or facebook and it would have really been slick. I mean how many people have paid $100-200 on a digital photo frame?

- When leaving the house would you be comfortable with taking the iPad without a laptop? I'm not sure I can swallow the idea of not having full laptop capabilities. I think this is probably just a personal thing but I don't think I'd really use it outside the house very often...

With that being said I really think the iPad is a great household device. Something that can be used frequently. For someone into home entertainment it would make a great household appliance. Recipes, photos, video's, remote control when I'm hanging out somewhere without a TV but I think the could have made it even better if they weren't thinking of this as a larger iPhone/iPod touch...just my .02

Thoughts? Maybe OS 4 will add multi-tasking which will help it become a digital frame but I think the dock being portrait kills the feasibility of this?
Click to expand...

You don't have to buy it. It's ok.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
I had thought the same thing about the lack of horiz. dock @ first but then I came to my senses. If you use a BT keyboard you can get a simple holder and position your iPad any way you like.
Click to expand...

Also, think about it like this: I have three photos on my office desk, all of them are vertically placed. You don't take as many landscape photos as you think.
 
Well I have no trouble at all justifying my purchase. I have been needing a portable device for a long time (have no laptop, just Mac mini and iPhone) for when we travel. iPhone just doesn't get it for those long emails and message board postings when on the road. I looked at the netbooks and even bought one but returned it immediately. Keyboard was too small and it didn't play videos worth a hoot. I thought about a $500 Windows laptop but have absolutely no wish to return to Windows. So that just leaves Apple. There is no way I can justify $999 for a MB, so the iPad is the only thing left. It was either iPad or nothing and we have a number of trips coming up (including a week at Hilton Head Island in two weeks for the Verizon Heritage) and I hated the thought of being away with only the iPhone. So it was really a no-brainer for me.
 
I *thought* on that twitlive review-- that the guy showing off the iPad did have it docked horizontally at some point... can anyone confirm?
 
lovetheduns said:
I *thought* on that twitlive review-- that the guy showing off the iPad did have it docked horizontally at some point... can anyone confirm?
Click to expand...

no. He just placed it horizontally on the keyboard dock. It wasn't plugged in.
 
I might have felt that way 5 years ago about not having a laptop. But for 95% of people using laptops, it's just for simple stuff like surfing and listening to music and watching movies. Nothing hardcore. If you use a laptop for business, then I would say stick with your laptop. SJ said himself that this is a hybrid device.
 
racer1441 said:
If you can't see the benefits of the iPad your life's priorities are drastically wrong.
Click to expand...

Really? :eek:
I'm buying an iPad just because I have $250 giftcard... I'm not paying $500+ for a tablet ;)

Different people have different priorities in life and calling someone's priorities "are drastically wrong" is well... wrong :rolleyes:
 
jboeckler said:
I'm wondering if others are having the same issues. I like the idea of the iPad and I'm sure its a great device for some but I'm wondering if Apple missed the mark a bit by limiting its usage. A couple of thoughts I had

- Why no horizontal dock. One of the things that I would frequently use the iPad for when its no in use would be a photo frame. The lack of a built-in slideshow app and a horizontal dock. To me while this wouldn't be a main purpose it would give me another reason to buy the iPad because I think it would be the ultimate digital photo frame! I mean they could have integrated the photo frame app into .mac or facebook and it would have really been slick. I mean how many people have paid $100-200 on a digital photo frame?

- When leaving the house would you be comfortable with taking the iPad without a laptop? I'm not sure I can swallow the idea of not having full laptop capabilities. I think this is probably just a personal thing but I don't think I'd really use it outside the house very often...

With that being said I really think the iPad is a great household device. Something that can be used frequently. For someone into home entertainment it would make a great household appliance. Recipes, photos, video's, remote control when I'm hanging out somewhere without a TV but I think the could have made it even better if they weren't thinking of this as a larger iPhone/iPod touch...just my .02

Thoughts? Maybe OS 4 will add multi-tasking which will help it become a digital frame but I think the dock being portrait kills the feasibility of this?
Click to expand...

Did you start this thread in hopes of getting others to convince you to buy an iPad? Just curious . . .
Don't understand why one would need to "justify" making a purchase.
Again, that purchase decision is, and should be, in your hands alone.
 
I really can't justify ordering a cheese burger. Short answer: don't buy one.


jboeckler said:
I'm wondering if others are having the same issues. I like the idea of the iPad and I'm sure its a great device for some but I'm wondering if Apple missed the mark a bit by limiting its usage. A couple of thoughts I had

- Why no horizontal dock. One of the things that I would frequently use the iPad for when its no in use would be a photo frame. The lack of a built-in slideshow app and a horizontal dock. To me while this wouldn't be a main purpose it would give me another reason to buy the iPad because I think it would be the ultimate digital photo frame! I mean they could have integrated the photo frame app into .mac or facebook and it would have really been slick. I mean how many people have paid $100-200 on a digital photo frame?

- When leaving the house would you be comfortable with taking the iPad without a laptop? I'm not sure I can swallow the idea of not having full laptop capabilities. I think this is probably just a personal thing but I don't think I'd really use it outside the house very often...

With that being said I really think the iPad is a great household device. Something that can be used frequently. For someone into home entertainment it would make a great household appliance. Recipes, photos, video's, remote control when I'm hanging out somewhere without a TV but I think the could have made it even better if they weren't thinking of this as a larger iPhone/iPod touch...just my .02

Thoughts? Maybe OS 4 will add multi-tasking which will help it become a digital frame but I think the dock being portrait kills the feasibility of this?
Click to expand...
 
jboeckler said:
I'm wondering if others are having the same issues. I like the idea of the iPad and I'm sure its a great device for some but I'm wondering if Apple missed the mark a bit by limiting its usage. A couple of thoughts I had

- Why no horizontal dock. One of the things that I would frequently use the iPad for when its no in use would be a photo frame. The lack of a built-in slideshow app and a horizontal dock. To me while this wouldn't be a main purpose it would give me another reason to buy the iPad because I think it would be the ultimate digital photo frame! I mean they could have integrated the photo frame app into .mac or facebook and it would have really been slick. I mean how many people have paid $100-200 on a digital photo frame?

- When leaving the house would you be comfortable with taking the iPad without a laptop? I'm not sure I can swallow the idea of not having full laptop capabilities. I think this is probably just a personal thing but I don't think I'd really use it outside the house very often...

With that being said I really think the iPad is a great household device. Something that can be used frequently. For someone into home entertainment it would make a great household appliance. Recipes, photos, video's, remote control when I'm hanging out somewhere without a TV but I think the could have made it even better if they weren't thinking of this as a larger iPhone/iPod touch...just my .02

Thoughts? Maybe OS 4 will add multi-tasking which will help it become a digital frame but I think the dock being portrait kills the feasibility of this?
Click to expand...

Topic has been hashed and rehashed to death already. You don't want it, then don't buy it. If you do, go for it. There is always the option to wait and try it out in the store first.
 
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