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iPad out in the wild... Where are they?
- Thread starter Jkazmeyer
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GamecockMac said:
That's what I was thinking. I went to grad school in Nashville, and it breaks my heart what Nashvillians are going through.
My Dad travels all over the US for work and comes home for the weekends but he says with all the airports and flights he's seen tons of iPads, he said all this coolness is making it hard to resist until the 2nd Gen. I agree though the more I see it the harder it is to resist, I've seen a few out and about though.
I don't understand why strangers can't mind their own damn business. It seems everyone here who takes out their iPad in public has to deal with these nosy idiots.
I have used mine in public one time. Materials for a class were given to us as 30 separate files, no printed material, so I thought I'd save some paper and use my iPad instead. The iPad performed perfectly for this purpose. However, I ended up spending a lot of time dealing with busybodies who think it's OK to bother a total stranger and waste his time with idiotic questions. These people knew what an iPad was and were interested in the concept, but none of them had bothered to spend even one minute on the Apple website learning the basic info and they all thought it was OK to impose on me to bring them up to speed on the iPad's features.
I'm was too polite to tell them to leave me alone, but next time I don't think I'll be so accommodating and then I will be the one looking like the bad guy. "Elitist Apple jerkoff," they'll probably think.
I have used mine in public one time. Materials for a class were given to us as 30 separate files, no printed material, so I thought I'd save some paper and use my iPad instead. The iPad performed perfectly for this purpose. However, I ended up spending a lot of time dealing with busybodies who think it's OK to bother a total stranger and waste his time with idiotic questions. These people knew what an iPad was and were interested in the concept, but none of them had bothered to spend even one minute on the Apple website learning the basic info and they all thought it was OK to impose on me to bring them up to speed on the iPad's features.
I'm was too polite to tell them to leave me alone, but next time I don't think I'll be so accommodating and then I will be the one looking like the bad guy. "Elitist Apple jerkoff," they'll probably think.
It's normal and okay to ask a stranger about a relatively rare item that you're interested in but haven't researched. It happens. But yeah, it is a little annoying, and I use my iPad a little less in public places because of this.
But to answer the OP's question - I've used mine on an Amtrak from DC to NY both ways (nobody bothered me) and at a bar a couple of times (one guy bothered me, a couple of others looked like they wanted to so I adopted a negative and threatening attitude)
On the Amtrak return trip from NY back to DC, my iPad was one of three I saw in use in my train car. And people were bugging the other two guys with iPads out.
But to answer the OP's question - I've used mine on an Amtrak from DC to NY both ways (nobody bothered me) and at a bar a couple of times (one guy bothered me, a couple of others looked like they wanted to so I adopted a negative and threatening attitude)
On the Amtrak return trip from NY back to DC, my iPad was one of three I saw in use in my train car. And people were bugging the other two guys with iPads out.
I think if you read some of the posts on this thread you wouldn't be calling nearby interested viewers "nosey idiots". Be real about this, I've read a few threads here and many of the new iPad owners are doing their best to show off their iPad in public. If you thought nothing of it and just took it out nonchalantly and started using it you wouldn't get the stares you think you're getting.
After reading many of the threads here it's just the opposite. People are whipping out their iPads and making it known that they have a new toy and are accusing people of being nosey and jealous which is just nonsense. In essence they are just trying to rub people's noses in it because they are the first kid on the block with an iPad. Yeah, like the poster who said he takes his iPad to church to use it instead of a bible. Come' on, he just brought it to church to show off, it's not like nobody will notice it, it sticks out like a sore thumb.
HLdan, it's dangerous to assume other people's goals when they differ from yours.
In my case, the main point of buying an iPad is to use it for mobile computing. This is why I've talked at every point here about battery life, why I got 3g, etc. The reason isn't that I want to roam the streets being seen with an iPad. The reason is that I want to have it to use wherever I am. If I could use it only at home, it would have half the value to me.
So I'm in a situation right now where I want to use it anywhere I go when I'll be sitting down for more than a couple of minutes and where my attention isn't distracted (for example, I would use it at a coffee shop, I would not use it during a movie). But it's absolutely not to show off. I'd prefer nobody noticed it. I've skipped going to a few places because I thought the iPad would be too conspicuous there.
I can't speak for others and neither can you. If you weren't self-conscious OR showing off, why wouldn't you use the iPad in church? The iPad does exactly what he needs/wants to do, the only issue is being perceived as a show-off or getting annoying questions. If nobody paid attention, using the iPad makes complete sense for what he's doing.
In my case, the main point of buying an iPad is to use it for mobile computing. This is why I've talked at every point here about battery life, why I got 3g, etc. The reason isn't that I want to roam the streets being seen with an iPad. The reason is that I want to have it to use wherever I am. If I could use it only at home, it would have half the value to me.
So I'm in a situation right now where I want to use it anywhere I go when I'll be sitting down for more than a couple of minutes and where my attention isn't distracted (for example, I would use it at a coffee shop, I would not use it during a movie). But it's absolutely not to show off. I'd prefer nobody noticed it. I've skipped going to a few places because I thought the iPad would be too conspicuous there.
I can't speak for others and neither can you. If you weren't self-conscious OR showing off, why wouldn't you use the iPad in church? The iPad does exactly what he needs/wants to do, the only issue is being perceived as a show-off or getting annoying questions. If nobody paid attention, using the iPad makes complete sense for what he's doing.
Dangerous? Interesting choice of words. Not sure how stating my opinion is dangerous here? You cannot control people's actions in terms of them staring and asking questions. If people are gonna act like a jerk about it like accusing people of being jealous then either they are using it in a way that they are showing it off or they are taking it in places that the KNOW will attract attention. It's wrong to call people jealous and nosey just because they aren't graced with the new toy on the block.
Mine is somewhere in the hands of an attentive Chinese worker who is lovingly putting it together. Hope to get it soon.
I live in the SF Bay Area as well. I've seen a couple of them around. We'll probably see more than others seeing as there are more Apple stores in the Bay Area than anywhere else.
On the plane back from Houston there were three iPads, but two of them were traveling in my party. I had questions on the plane, but only by the the person sitting just next to me. The iPad does go just about everywhere with me - I may have an iPhone, but the larger size of the iPad is just better. Last week my normally very brisk eye surgeon was especially interested in it, not just for herself, but for my experience using it as one of her patients. Other than that, it's just been friends asking.
When my iPad is out, I'm generally looking at it, so I don't know if other people are checking it out or not. This is NH, so I'd be a little surprised if someone random came up and started a conversation in general. It's sort of the opposite of my experience of being in Texas, where I can get drawn into four different conversations just trying to go from the gas pump to the cash register at a rest stop....
When my iPad is out, I'm generally looking at it, so I don't know if other people are checking it out or not. This is NH, so I'd be a little surprised if someone random came up and started a conversation in general. It's sort of the opposite of my experience of being in Texas, where I can get drawn into four different conversations just trying to go from the gas pump to the cash register at a rest stop....
Mine goes with me to work (i travel to work on the railroad) 6 days a week. On sundays (my day off) i usually use it out in the back yard.
it really is a magical device
it really is a magical device
Starbucks
Been using my iPad for the past hour at a local Starbucks and have not had one person come up to me. It is now what they call "Starbucks Happy Hour" where they have half priced Frappucinnos so it is starting to get long lines in the store so maybe some will notice the iPad (but I am definitely not advertise "Look At My iPad" BTW, the Starbucks WiFi has worked flawlessly no droppped signal. I still get dropped signal at home on my Verizon FIOS Internet.
-Posted from my iPad
Been using my iPad for the past hour at a local Starbucks and have not had one person come up to me. It is now what they call "Starbucks Happy Hour" where they have half priced Frappucinnos so it is starting to get long lines in the store so maybe some will notice the iPad (but I am definitely not advertise "Look At My iPad" BTW, the Starbucks WiFi has worked flawlessly no droppped signal. I still get dropped signal at home on my Verizon FIOS Internet.
-Posted from my iPad
They aren't really viewable in outside light so that might limit the amount of people bringing them out into the public 