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iPad Taking First Long Trip Tomorrow

iPad1iPad

iPad1iPad

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 17, 2010
28
0
I'm leaving So Cal tomorrow for Alaska. I decided to pack light and leave my laptop at home and only use my iPad. Can't wait to test the WiFi in the Seattle Airport, Anchorage Airport and the hotels near Anchorage and on Kodiak Island this week.

Used a lot of useful tips from this forum and fully loaded my 16 GB beauty with movies "ripped" using Handbrake. Also, loaded it up with a lot of great apps that have been suggested in this forum. If Alaska Air has WiFi (I have had no WiFi issues yet), I will be one happy iPad owner!

I am staying at a couple of hotels that claim they have WiFi...but some rooms have dataports. Based on suggestions here, I'm taking my AE to make sure I can connect my iPad via WiFi no matter what type of internet service they provide.

Thanks to all that make this forum so useful! I got a lot of great tips from many of you!

For those interested, I will provide an update on how it goes...hopefully directly from a very remote location! :D
 
Have a great trip....

I should have been on my way tonight to Europe and the iPad was going to get its first real test...but there appears to be a little problem and I’m home instead.
 
Have fun! Btw, Air Video has an experimental Remote option where if you are fortunate, you can stream videos from your home computer anywhere there is a Wifi hotspot.

Sounds like you are ready with your movies! :D
 
I'm back in So Cal from my Alaska trip and my use of the iPad as a laptop replacement all week. I can state, without hesitation, that the iPad was a huge success!

I was able to successfully connect to the WiFi at both the Seattle and Anchorage airports without issue. I had a great, fast internet connection and was able to quickly check my email, check my flights, catch up on Facebook and read the news while waiting for my next flight.

The hotels all had WiFi and within a few short minutes I connected without issue. Again, the WiFi connections were strong and fast and I was able to do everything I needed to do to keep in touch with work. I was also able to check in for my return flight and pre-pay my baggage fee from the iPad. No more waiting for the shared PC in hotel lobby or firing up a laptop just to perform a quick internet function.

The highlight was the great battery life! I watched 4 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and watched a 2 hour movie on the flight up to Anchorage. After about 4 hours of video and an hour of web surfing/email, I still had 76% battery when I arrived to my hotel! Didn't have to worry about plugging it in and charging it as soon as I arrived like I always do with my laptop when traveling.

The only issue I had while traveling is that I wished I had the Camera Connector when I was there. It would have been nice to have it to share some of my photos from my digital camera via email. Instead, I used cell phone photos and emailed them to myself before sharing with others. I will be picking up the Camera Connector before my next trip.

Alaska Air didn't have WiFi on their planes...yet. Their in-flight magazine says it is coming in 2010. But, I had enough video and apps to keep me busy. The +6 hour flight time seemed much shorter because of the iPad.

As far as TSA, I did not have to take the iPad out of my carry on bag at the screening. The TSA official said that iPads do not have to be removed because they are thin and can be seen through easier than a laptop (the hard drives and thicker laptop batteries are the issue with laptops).

I found I never really wished I had the 3G version. Everywhere I wanted to use the iPad, I had a fast WiFi connection.

I did have more than a few people come up to me and ask me about the iPad. After a while, I felt like I was a sales rep for Apple!

Looks like my iPad will be my new travel companion in the future. My heavier laptop will definitely be left behind!
 
I have taken mine on short trips and feel the same way you do, except that I could use the 3G model on driving trips. There isn't wifi in all the places I go. But by using apps like goodreader, kindle and ibooks to put content on my iPad ahead of time, I have plenty to keep me busy even when I don't have wifi.

Glad to hear it worked out. I think I'll be getting the camera kit as well. I purchased both the dock and the case. The iPad will not fit in the dock when it's in its case. I'll be taking the dock back and exchanging it for the camera kit.

Thanks for updating us on how it worked out! I predict that five years from now, when you spot a traditional notebook or netbook computer on an airplane, it will be like seeing a 78 rpm victrola or an 8 track player. The iPad form factor will all but eliminate laptops for traveling.
 
iPad1iPad said:
I did have more than a few people come up to me and ask me about the iPad. After a while, I felt like I was a sales rep for Apple!
Click to expand...


Thanks for the report; I get stopped all the time for questions too, just talk to the cute ones ;)
 
r0k said:
when you spot a traditional notebook or netbook computer on an airplane, it will be like seeing a 78 rpm victrola or an 8 track player.
Click to expand...

My 8 track player is still pretty portable :)
 

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Just returned from our 10 hour flights to and from San Juan PR and both my wife and I had our ipads with us. I can say a few things about the beauty of having our pads with us instead of the "heavy" MBP
1. Being able to watch rented movies on the flights were fantastic! We never ran out of battery or even came close, as a matter of fact, I am still at 27% right now after yesterdays return flights!
2. Being able to read books, listen to music and play games made the trips so much easier to enjoy, that my wife that hates flying said, heck that 8 hour leg wasn't bad at all, to me that was worth the price of buying 2 ipads!
3. Funny how many people would gawk at it while we were in flight, the guy sitting next to me went on and on about how he is sick of carrying this boat anchor of a laptop around with him and is going straight to buying a ipad after he gets home. The funniest thing was he said " oh can I hold it one time?"
4. Lastly, on the final leg as we were coming in to Boise, the flight attend who as looking at mine as he was serving on the plane said in his final approach report over the PA, " we are beginning our decent into Boise, i will come through the cabin on more time to pick up any remaing trash or Ipads that you won't be needing to take with you, thank you for your help."

So, the iPad made the flights so much easier, that i could not imagine flying again without them!
 
What's AE?

iPad1iPad said:
Based on suggestions here, I'm taking my AE to make sure I can connect my iPad via WiFi no matter what type of internet service they provide. :D
Click to expand...

What's AE? I'll be traveling soon, and also want to make sure I can connect via WiFi no matter what type of Internet service they provide.
 
Gen said:
How was battery life?
Click to expand...

"The highlight was the great battery life! I watched 4 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and watched a 2 hour movie on the flight up to Anchorage. After about 4 hours of video and an hour of web surfing/email, I still had 76% battery when I arrived to my hotel! Didn't have to worry about plugging it in and charging it as soon as I arrived like I always do with my laptop when traveling."
 
jdulak said:
What's AE? I'll be traveling soon, and also want to make sure I can connect via WiFi no matter what type of Internet service they provide.
Click to expand...

Airport Express. $99 from Apple. Can be plugged into the ethernet jack and act as a wireless bridge. Basically, you will have your own wireless connection in your hotel even if they only have a hard-wired dataport. Just set it up before you take it with you and test it at home.
 
tacomahunter said:
4. Lastly, on the final leg as we were coming in to Boise, the flight attend who as looking at mine as he was serving on the plane said in his final approach report over the PA, " we are beginning our decent into Boise, i will come through the cabin on more time to pick up any remaing trash or Ipads that you won't be needing to take with you, thank you for your help."
Click to expand...

Good one!

I travel alot for work and I never turn on my laptop when I'm at the hotel anymore. Now all I need is Docs To Go to come out with an iPad version and I'll be able to actually do work on it. I thought about get Pages, but since I already have Docs To Go and the update is free, I will just wait for that.
 
I'm so jealous! I'm flying Friday....MORNING! I'm waiting on the 3G and won't be able to have it for my flight. *whine* I thought about buying it while on my trip, but all my apps are here on my desktop. I didn't have the forethought to do the itunes thing on my laptop. Hey...can I somehow port all that stuff over to my laptop? Then I could have it for the flight home. Anyone know?:confused:
 
iPad1iPad said:
I'm leaving So Cal tomorrow for Alaska. I decided to pack light and leave my laptop at home and only use my iPad. Can't wait to test the WiFi in the Seattle Airport, Anchorage Airport and the hotels near Anchorage and on Kodiak Island this week.

Used a lot of useful tips from this forum and fully loaded my 16 GB beauty with movies "ripped" using Handbrake. Also, loaded it up with a lot of great apps that have been suggested in this forum. If Alaska Air has WiFi (I have had no WiFi issues yet), I will be one happy iPad owner!

I am staying at a couple of hotels that claim they have WiFi...but some rooms have dataports. Based on suggestions here, I'm taking my AE to make sure I can connect my iPad via WiFi no matter what type of internet service they provide.

Thanks to all that make this forum so useful! I got a lot of great tips from many of you!

For those interested, I will provide an update on how it goes...hopefully directly from a very remote location! :D
Click to expand...

I've been to AK several times to work. Hotel internet no issues, but I have an air, so I must travel with an Air Express. But, normally so many folks are on the wireless systems, I find my AE is quicker.

My future briefcase will see the following: ipad 3g, charger, cigarette sized usb charger for both iphone and ipad, AE. ipad case. ear buds.
 
Ak8s said:
I'm so jealous! I'm flying Friday....MORNING! I'm waiting on the 3G and won't be able to have it for my flight. *whine* I thought about buying it while on my trip, but all my apps are here on my desktop. I didn't have the forethought to do the itunes thing on my laptop. Hey...can I somehow port all that stuff over to my laptop? Then I could have it for the flight home. Anyone know?:confused:
Click to expand...

On your desktop, open iTunes, right click on an app, select "show in finder/explorer." This should bring up the folder where your apps are stored. Copy them to your laptop. Install iTunes on your laptop if you haven't done so already, authorize it with your iTunes account, drag the apps into iTunes.
 
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