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Using iPad only for business trip
- Thread starter forceofnature
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I have to agree here as well. I was very ready to buy an iPad last week until I learned at the Apple store just what limitations the file system currently has.
I was recently on a job where the iPad would have been perfect except for one major problem. 15 minutes before the live event the client showed up with their new presentation on a USB flash drive. If we only had the iPad we would have been SOL.
I love the iPad and think it is a great consumer device but I just do not see it as a computer replacement yet. I know a lot of older people that were thinking of getting one as their first computer and I just do not recommend it at this point until Apple allows external storage without the use of another computer.
Just a few small new features and this thing really could become a laptop replacement.
By the way the other thing that kills me is the lack of font support for business use. I get odd fonts from clients all the time and as odd as it may sound that one feature has really hindered my company buying a few iPads for our live events.
So far so good with iPad only. Yes the file system limitation is a pain but so far didn't need it. Tomorrow is last day of trip heading back to east coast earlybefore the hurricane rolls through cause I know BWI will shut down if there is any heavy rain or wind.
That's the thing: Apple doesn't want the iPad to become a laptop replacement, it would cannibalize the sales of the MB and MBP. The iPad has always been positioned as a complement, not an alternative, to the MB and MBP.
If I were a betting man, I would wager big bucks that the next version of the iPad will NOT have USB ports, nor will it have an OSX file system. It will remain the way it is, save for an extra camera and speed enhancements.
Are you sure about that? I thought the iPad was considered a laptop replacement to a certain degree. Regardless what a lot of us Mac users may think there are a lot of people in the world on a tight budget. This is why with laptops $300 to $700.00 is the sweet spot. That is really all people can afford.
In terms of strict Mac users yes the iPad could be considered a compliment to a MB or MBP but budget concerned people will never look at it this way.
I know a lot of people that are looking at it as a stand alone computer and they really want it to be.
I think the whole point of this thread was to find out if the iPad could be used 100% in the place of a laptop. The answer I believe was yes but only if it can fit your situation just right. There could be a few situations where it could be a problem such as file sharing, font support, wifi, true desktop vga viewing and so forth.
I don't travel as much anymore but recently I was at a Disney World resort and they had Ethernet only. I had my MBP because this was month or two before iPad came out so I was fine but I thought about what if I had the iPad. Using an airport express is a great solution. I will invest in one at some point for this alone.
Consider that if you bring your MBP you can share your ethernet connection with as many devices as you like. We had to use this solution when we were in Mexico at the end of June. 3G wasn't an option and the hotel only had wired ethernet. We plugged in the MBP that my husband had decided to bring at the last minute and set up the ethernet connection to share by wifi. Instant hotspot!! I did also enable WEP security on the shared connection and made sure that the firewall was enabled on the laptop as well. We were able to connect both of our iPads, three iPhones and my son's iPod touch. The connection was decent enough for most web browsing though when my husband tried to use sling player, it worked best when he was the only one using the connection.
Just a thought if you don't feel like investing in an airport. The laptop also gets you past the hotel login page.
Sandy
I travel again soon so I will test and report.
Just got back from Denver and was able to take lots of notes on the iPad however the wireless signal and 3G signal was week since the conference rooms were below ground. I could not fully flush out the usability. With better network connections I am sure it would have been much better.
jimboutilier said:
Like I said, I DO have an Airport Express, but it doesn't seem to work with hotel internet systems which have login pages. Unfortunately, most hotels I stay in have such login pages.
Forceofnature, if you do find a way for the AE to work with login pages, please let us know!
smetvid said:
The iPad can only replace a laptop in extremely rare instances where the user doesn't need to do much with the laptop. My mom can be categorized as such a user since she only uses her netbook for Skype and Internet banking. Even then, the iPad can't log into her Internet banking websites because it doesn't support Java. I have never met a businessman who only needs to check his email for work; usually we need to run company applications or have other requirements that the iPad just can't do.
I have an iPad and love it, but I find that I can't go for more than 2 days of using it without NEEDING a laptop to do something simple that the iPad can't do, like opening certain attachments or transferring a file from a friend's USB key. The fact that you have to plug the iPad into a computer before the very first use pretty much indicates that it's not supposed to replace your laptop or desktop.