Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPad - The BEST travel companion ever! Really!

B

Bozola

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 18, 2002
235
0
So close to Redmond, I can smell it!
I just took a trip to Houston from Seattle for 5 days. All I took with me was my iPad. This is the first time I put the device thru it's paces. As a consuming device, and less so an input device, I found it amazing.

2 hours at the airport, 4 hour flight. Battery @ 50% with heavy use. Internet browsing/email at the airport, movies, games, books and music on the plane.

Meeting 3 separate high school friends not seen in 20 years. Brought with me over 1700 photos of my family to share.

Used my point and shoot to capture moments with my friends and would upload the images to the ipad at night and email them to my friends at the same time. How cool is that.

Hooked in to wireless @ the hotel and friends house. Checked email/rumors/facebook and iPad specific news applications!

4 hours @ airport, and 4 hour flight home. Battery @ 30% with heavy use.
Movies, Games, Books and Music. Made the time fly by and the Kindle gal next to me was jealous.......

All in all a very impressive device that is THE ultimate travel companion. With the apple case, I had it with me the whole time and whenever I was free, I would use it. Not cumbersome, sorta like a daily minder/daytimer notebook.

Final comment, as I sat comfortably in my aisle seat on the plane, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy next to me with his laptop. He could never extend the screen out, he had to have it in his lap to fit, and he looked so uncomfortable using it.

I LOVE MY IPAD!
__________________
 
Nice feedback my friend, it's always nice to read testimonials like this one :).
 
Great post. I'm traveling to Nashville for Summer NAMM and am debating leaving the heavy cumbersome laptop at home. I think your post has got me convinced.
 
That was funny about the person next to you with the laptop :D

Yeah, I can see that the iPad would make a great traveling companion.
I doubt if I'll be taking my netbook with me on a road trip . . . it's iPad all the way ;)
 
Thanks for posting this - and btw, this is why I am always surprised to hear that any significant fraction of buyers envision the iPad as a product to be mainly used at home. To each his own, but using it mostly at home is a very counterintuitive way to use a device that is more portable than a laptop.
 
I like reading post like that :)

I'm flying from Halifax to Victoria at the end of June, hopefully I'll have the case for the ipad by then, but either way I am really looking forward that trip and putting the ipad to the test.
 
Great post. I was reading it to my wife, who does some marketing and she said that it would make a great TV ad.

Fade in: "iPad, the ultimate travel companion"
Video montage of a guy doing all the things you described with fun Appley music, including in the airport, panning to other travelers that are bored out of their minds. Maybe a shot in the airport showing a guy enjoying his iPad while three laptop users fight for a single outlet. Then fadeout and: "I love my iPad"

Seriously, though, I know what you mean, I took a 6 day business trip to San Francisco the day after I got my 32 GB 3G. I was not planning on doing any serious content creation, but was reluctant to fly solo with the iPad so I took my MacBook too. I didn't boot the laptop once.:)
 
My trip went similar.

Usually, when I travel I bring lots of electronic gadgets. Laptop, DVD player, Sony PSP, books and DVDs. This time I brought a few books and the iPad with my movies pre-ripped and loaded and Air Video set to stream from my home NAS. I also packed the keyboard dock & charger.

What a difference! I carried on less than half the crap I usually do, and the 3G iPad was able to give me anywhere Internet access. It worked literally everywhere and as an added bonus, streamed Pandora Radio on a long drive and ABC quite nicely - even out in the boonies.
 
Zowie, this thing travels well. Especially the 3G.

It's easy to think "aww, that 3G is slow" but then I think: Wow! I've got a connection HERE?

I previously carted around a net book for portability. Not Anymore. I probably won't touch that thing again for months or maybe years.

iPad isn't just the death of net books, it's probably going to take a big chunk out of laptop sales as well. I remember some hapless soul on a flight with his oversized laptop... Really cumbersome. My net book? Not cumbersome but intensely annoying to use. The iPad? Totally ideal portable computing.

Have iPad, will travel, :D
Keri
 
I was gone for about 8 days...part business and part personal. All I brought was my iPad 3G and it worked great! The 3G part was the best. Yes, it can be slow when compared to my cable internet speed but it's very nice having a connection just about anywhere! Plus the business trip hotel charged $10 per day for internet...did not need it with my iPad 3G option.

Awesome device. Goes everywhere with me now!
 
wombat888 said:
Thanks for posting this - and btw, this is why I am always surprised to hear that any significant fraction of buyers envision the iPad as a product to be mainly used at home. To each his own, but using it mostly at home is a very counterintuitive way to use a device that is more portable than a laptop.
Click to expand...

Well said
 
mrcc said:
My iPad is in Maui right now
Click to expand...

My iPad is with me on Oahu right now. Made the 14 hours of travel from Ohio go very quickly. Still have 52% left on the battery to, might get around to charging it tomorrow.

Cheers,

Matt...
 
rworne said:
My trip went similar.

Usually, when I travel I bring lots of electronic gadgets. Laptop, DVD player, Sony PSP, books and DVDs. This time I brought a few books and the iPad with my movies pre-ripped and loaded and Air Video set to stream from my home NAS. I also packed the keyboard dock & charger.

What a difference! I carried on less than half the crap I usually do, and the 3G iPad was able to give me anywhere Internet access. It worked literally everywhere and as an added bonus, streamed Pandora Radio on a long drive and ABC quite nicely - even out in the boonies.
Click to expand...

this post is what convinced me to get an iPad. i always carry tons of crap with me when i travel. just put in my reservation for a 64GB 3G :)
 
ItsThatKush said:
this post is what convinced me to get an iPad. i always carry tons of crap with me when i travel. just put in my reservation for a 64GB 3G :)
Click to expand...

Heading out on vacation and plan to lighten my load (no Macbook Pro 13" and required accessories) and instead will carry my iPad 3G, BT Keyboard and Airport Express (for personal WiFi). Tons lighter and going to love it.
 
Love the ipad

I scored a good deal on a 32gb wifi from a friend.
i work at the university and got free wifi
Also, i found a neat stand in the library which I use for at my office.
Its awesome and noticed that I didnt charge the thing for 2 days and I charged it last nite when it was at 20%.
You mentioned on getting pics of a camera to ipad? how can that be done when you are travelling.
 

Attachments

  • ipad.jpg
    ipad.jpg
    50.3 KB · Views: 242
Bozola said:
Meeting 3 separate high school friends not seen in 20 years. Brought with me over 1700 photos of my family to share.
Click to expand...

1700! OMG! In the old days, one only had to suffer through a carousel of slides! After that, I guess it'll be another 20 years before they want to see you again. :)
 
The only thing I hate about traveling with it is the fact that everyone is curious about it. It's nice when people ask questions, but sometimes I just want to read my book!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back