Why I am not buying an IPAD

[johnnyham]

I'm not buying an iPad not because of its features or lack thereof, but simply because I can't justify the cost of it. I can think of many things more practical that I can buy for $500. With another $400 I could even have my Macbook upgraded to Axiotron's Modbook, which, in my opinion, is what Apple should have produced when the tablet rumors first started flying around.

I must point out some of what I think are errors in your reasoning though.

1. Any touchscreen keyboard takes some time to get used too. It's also not designed to be a giant iPhone, there are plenty of simple stands that will prop the iPad up at an angle, allowing you to type fairly well with practice. I personally hate AutoCorrect. I'm a biochemistry major and use lots of words that aren't in standard English dictionaries, so when typing some lovely scientific term, it's really annoying when it decides to correct it and I'm not paying attention and keep on going. I prefer seeing a red line underneath the misspelled word so I can just skim through the document and see if it's an error or not. Plus I'm used to the red underlining in OS X.
2. Multitasking will be coming with iOS 4.0, which is supposed to be released in the fall, just in time for school. It'll be able to run music apps like Pandora in the background while you're browsing the web. And to be honest, chatting on the iPad isn't really fun for long... if you don't like the software keyboard already, chatting won't be fun. I don't really know why you'd need to see two apps at a time. With the OS upgrade, it will be able to switch apps really quickly anyways.
3. MobileSafari has a very limited Javascript engine built into it. It runs Javascript that's embedded into a site's HTML or PHP code, but not Java applets. I'm assuming you were using the iPad at an Apple Store, so it would be expected to have slow connection due to the dozens of computers and devices sucking down their Internet connection. Apple has also finally allowed web browsers in the app store, you can check out three of them over Appchronicles.
4. Not really sure where you got that from... Google docs works fine for me in MobileSafari. Check out the screenshot I've attached.
5. MobileSafari has always supported multiple windows. It might not be quite as convenient as tabs, but it doesn't take that much more work to switch between windows. And like I mentioned earlier, there are alternative browsers which feature tabs. Also, Mozilla will be releasing Firefox Home later this month.
6. Flash 10 has got to be the worst version I've ever seen. Lately, I've become quite a fan of HTML5. I know Apple really favors HTML5, so I'm hoping to see it implemented in future versions. The Youtube app was "practically unwatchable" probably because your connection speed was slow.
7. CARTA (in Chattanooga TN) buses all offer WiFi on their buses. And with the 3G iPad, you'd be able to get online anywhere. I think the screen is really rather visible even in direct sunlight... much more so than my Macbook.

The iPad is really not designed to be a complete laptop replacement, more of an extension. You could find a nice netbook (I'm a fan of the Acer Aspires) and then buy an iPad to supplement it. You'd pay less than you would for a higher end laptop.

Anyways, sorry for your bad experience with the iPad. Maybe you'll change your mind one day. I'm an old school technology guy, I don't like adopting new technologies often, so I don't blame you if you just want to keep with traditional computers.

 

[MythicFrost]

The primary uses will be surfing, notes taking, writing papers, online chatting, trivial games and occasionally watch some videos.

The iPad is very capable of doing all those things. Regarding writing papers and taking notes, its up to you whether you are comfortable typing on the virtual keyboard.

The on-screen keyboard is nice, but still not a physical keyboard especially since you have to hold the ipad using one hand and type using the other.

It depends how you're using it, if you're sitting down you just put it on your desk or lap and type with two hands (the case will help with that -- ~$29).

The curved back doesn't help either despite making the ipad look thinner.

It doesn't help what?

But the most annoying thing is that auto-correct doesn't work in pages. They mark misspelled words with red lines instead. I asked the girl in the store about it and she tried in vain to type something. Finally she suggested a keyboard attachment, but that's another $80 and another thing I have to lug around. I honestly don't understand why apple wouldn't give me an option to turn auto-correct on or off. Better yet, map the keyboard to the fingers. The 240x is ancient, but it's 95% keyboard + trackpoint is much more comfortable to use.

I tested this on my iPad, and it does work (auto-correction). I did find however, that when I turned "Spell checking off" and then "On", that it stopped, I had to exit the app and fiddle around a bit more to get it working again, it's likely a bug, unless it's some feature I don't understand.

I typed yiu and it auto-corrected it to you, it was also offering me replacement words when I tapped the red underlined words (if there were any).

No multi-tasking. This is mainly an issue for chatting since I usually keep a chat window open in the background. I also need to be able to see two applications at once. I don't think it's possible even with the new IOS 4.0. The 240x has trouble with multi-tasking too due to the small memory size, but at least it can support a chat window + a browser window + a mp3 player.

In the fall, you'll be able to have multiple applications that continue to run, but you can't run multiple windows at the same time.

3. Slow web speed. This one really shocked me. Safari is suppose to be much faster than Firefox and ipad's hardware is certainly light years ahead the 240x. Yet the 240x beats ipad in sunspider benchmark using firefox! Chrome is even faster although 240x's puny memory can't really handle more than a couple of tabs. Page rendering is also no faster than 240x. All the reviewers keep on saying how much faster ipad is comparing to iphone 3Gs, but who cares. Some people argue that sunspider is useless, but javascript is important for applications like google doc, which leads to my next point.

What score did your iPad and 240x get? I'd say it'd be more your internet than the iPad, I find the iPad loads web pages quite quickly.

4. No Google doc in browser! I know there are applications for it, but google doc is not an online disk. It's meant for the browser. I need it to be consistent cross multiple machines. On the 240x, Firefox becomes sluggish when editing massive spreadsheet, but at least it works.

Did you test Google docs on the iPad's browser? I don't see why it wouldn't work...

5. No firefox. Safari is nice, but no tabbed browsing really kills it. I also don't know whether it can match firefox's extensibility. e.g. noscript.

You have Atomic Browser, and I'm sure Opera will bring out an iPad version of their iPhone app.

6. No Flash support. Flash is a major issue for the 240x. Youtube is basically unwatchable. However, ipad does not support it at all. HTML5 is nice on the paper, but unlike youtube, the majority of flash video site I access will not adopt html5 any time soon.

Well, if the 240x can't watch it, and the iPad can watch YouTube and a lot of HTML5 content, then wouldn't that be better than the 240x?

7. Can't be used on the bus. Another major issue I have with 240x is that it is difficult to see outside. From what I can see, the ipad is only worse.

It should be ok in direct sunlight with brightness set to max, in the bus it should be fine at 50% brightness or even less maybe.

 

[DaBrain]

Sorry, but I really don't care WHY!

 

[Nevasleep]

You should just get a laptop.
Then an iPad if you have the money.

I certainly wouldn't use an iPad as my only computer for school.

 

[scwinsett]

Thank you for this enlightening post about your personal reasons for not purchasing an iPad. I am writing a book, a compilation rather, entitled the following:

A Collection of Reasons that People You Do Not Know Are Making Decisions About Which You Do Not Care.

I am sure this will be a splendid addition!

 

[phobic99]

I find it odd that so many people don't care, yet they took the time to post in a thread in which they didn't care about.

 

[Fraaaa]

Macbook upgraded to Axiotron's Modbook, which, in my opinion, is what Apple should have produced.

So why THAT hasn't has become popular like the iPad is?

So why it took 9 years to make people interested to tablets?

PCs in tablet form came out in 2001, no one has thought of buy one, not even for fooling around with it.


To OP, you don't have to justify why you won't buy one. iPad can replace in somewhere and can't somewhere else, if for you a netbook will fit your needs than go for it.

I bought an iPad instead of a netbook and I'm happy, and I'll use it for Uni next year.

 

[ZBoater]

I like my iPad.

 

[GamecockMac]

First off, it's iPad, not IPAD.

Secondly, no one cares why you're not buying one. I only care that 3 million people and counting have bought one, and as an Apple shareholder, I thank them all.

 

[Robbadore64]

Please do not buy an iPad. I do not want someone like you to have one.

Wow, way to cop a childish, highly unnecessary snarky attitude. So in your warped mind "an Apple product is by default naturally for everyone and if you don't agree, you have mental problems" but "if you don't want a Blackberry, a Kindle, a PSP or a cappuccino/espresso maker, then it's just not for you" and that's just find and dandy.

You want to put down the Kool-Aid, bud?

are we reading the same thread? All he said to the dude is don't buy one.
Your the one throwing out "mental disorders" and "drinking kool aid"
Way to fly off the handle, "bud"

No, he certainly did not say "don't buy one" he said "I do not want someone like you to have one.". Someone like you? Honestly? I have to agree with CalebF that it is a snarky attitude.

The OP didn't come in here saying "I'm not getting the iPad because it sucks and can't do this and can't do that" and have no real purpose for posting other than to bash the device.

People should stop being so defensive; the OP didn't come in telling you all that your stupid for buying an iPad or anything, simply stating why he doesn't
believe it's right for him. Why he felt the need to post it? I don't know but as he wasn't bashing it perhaps he's looking to find if he's mistaken about some of his findings.

Yeah, I grow tired of kool-aid type remakes as well but much more tired of those that feel it's there duty to chyme in on topics for no purpose at all. If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem.

Flame me now, thx, don't care.

And shady825, not targeting you, just seeing CalebF's point of view is all.

 

[The Mad Kiwi]

 

[Mitchrapp]

Some of you have mentioned Its not to replace a laptop. Well I have a laptop and I don't use it at all anymore. My iPad does everything my laptop does. I can do quite a bit of work on it and well.

Being a network guy, I can use my iPad and log into a clients PC and do ****. I can write reports, browse, print, and a ton of other stuff.

Open up your mind and you'll realize that the iPad is freakin' awesome.

 

[species5618w]

Wow, people here really get offended when you say you don't like an apple product. Take it easy, guys. I never said ipad is a bad product, it just doesn't seem to fit my particular needs. And my sole purpose here is to see whether I got the wrong impression from a very brief try out at store.

And indeed I did get something wrong. I tried ipad again and surely enough, auto-correct did work this time in pages, so there is actually a setting for it. Not sure why the girl at the store said there's no way to get it to work and it was an apple store too. Thanks to MythicFrost and others for pointing that out.

It certainly made typing a lot easier. Unfortunately, two hands typing is still uncomfortable. The main reason might be that I keep on resting my hands on the keyboard, which of course would trigger keys. I concluded that it's simply impossible for me to type blindly on an on-screen keyboard. I am not blaming Apple. Nobody had made a better virtual keyboard. I simply prefer 240x's physical keyboard better.

Regarding the browsing speed of ipad, I certainly can't test it objectively at the store. This is based on anandtech's numbers. I tried to access the same websites on my 240x. Therefore, if my internet connection is slow, it would only impact 240x's number, not the other way around.

Regarding google doc. Ipad seems to always go to the mobile version, which is quite limited. I couldn't figure out how to access the full version within the limited time I had with it. I assumed that it must work, but I can't find a single review that says it does. Something about safari doesn't work with editable contents or something. Anybody has been able to access the full version? If so, how is the speed?

Regarding flash contents, 240x is too slow for youtube, but it does work with a lot of sites with lower resolutions whereas ipad doesn't. On the flip side, that made flashblock absolutely necessary.

And I apologize for saying Ipad doesn't work well on the buses. It just happens that I take buses during the day, I am sure it works well at night.

And again, I never said ipad is a bad product. It simply does not seem to fit my particular needs and I am more than happy to be proven wrong. It is certainly a very sleek product if I can justify the purchase, but so far, I can't. Then again, I can't justify buying a BMW either, doesn't make them bad cars, so please don't take offenses.

 

[CristobalHuet]

It's spelled "iPad"

Just letting y'all know.

 

[scottness]

Regarding google doc. Ipad seems to always go to the mobile version, which is quite limited. I couldn't figure out how to access the full version within the limited time I had with it. I assumed that it must work, but I can't find a single review that says it does. Something about safari doesn't work with editable contents or something. Anybody has been able to access the full version? If so, how is the speed?

Go to the bottom of the page and click "Desktop" for the desktop version.

Don't get an iPad.



--sent from my iPad

 

[species5618w]

I'm not buying an iPad not because of its features or lack thereof, but simply because I can't justify the cost of it. I can think of many things more practical that I can buy for $500. With another $400 I could even have my Macbook upgraded to Axiotron's Modbook, which, in my opinion, is what Apple should have produced when the tablet rumors first started flying around.

I must point out some of what I think are errors in your reasoning though.

1. Any touchscreen keyboard takes some time to get used too. It's also not designed to be a giant iPhone, there are plenty of simple stands that will prop the iPad up at an angle, allowing you to type fairly well with practice. I personally hate AutoCorrect. I'm a biochemistry major and use lots of words that aren't in standard English dictionaries, so when typing some lovely scientific term, it's really annoying when it decides to correct it and I'm not paying attention and keep on going. I prefer seeing a red line underneath the misspelled word so I can just skim through the document and see if it's an error or not. Plus I'm used to the red underlining in OS X.
2. Multitasking will be coming with iOS 4.0, which is supposed to be released in the fall, just in time for school. It'll be able to run music apps like Pandora in the background while you're browsing the web. And to be honest, chatting on the iPad isn't really fun for long... if you don't like the software keyboard already, chatting won't be fun. I don't really know why you'd need to see two apps at a time. With the OS upgrade, it will be able to switch apps really quickly anyways.
3. MobileSafari has a very limited Javascript engine built into it. It runs Javascript that's embedded into a site's HTML or PHP code, but not Java applets. I'm assuming you were using the iPad at an Apple Store, so it would be expected to have slow connection due to the dozens of computers and devices sucking down their Internet connection. Apple has also finally allowed web browsers in the app store, you can check out three of them over Appchronicles.
4. Not really sure where you got that from... Google docs works fine for me in MobileSafari. Check out the screenshot I've attached.
5. MobileSafari has always supported multiple windows. It might not be quite as convenient as tabs, but it doesn't take that much more work to switch between windows. And like I mentioned earlier, there are alternative browsers which feature tabs. Also, Mozilla will be releasing Firefox Home later this month.
6. Flash 10 has got to be the worst version I've ever seen. Lately, I've become quite a fan of HTML5. I know Apple really favors HTML5, so I'm hoping to see it implemented in future versions. The Youtube app was "practically unwatchable" probably because your connection speed was slow.
7. CARTA (in Chattanooga TN) buses all offer WiFi on their buses. And with the 3G iPad, you'd be able to get online anywhere. I think the screen is really rather visible even in direct sunlight... much more so than my Macbook.

The iPad is really not designed to be a complete laptop replacement, more of an extension. You could find a nice netbook (I'm a fan of the Acer Aspires) and then buy an iPad to supplement it. You'd pay less than you would for a higher end laptop.

Anyways, sorry for your bad experience with the iPad. Maybe you'll change your mind one day. I'm an old school technology guy, I don't like adopting new technologies often, so I don't blame you if you just want to keep with traditional computers.

Thanks for your reply. Can you access the full version of google doc and edit both documents and spreadsheets? If so, how is the speed?

I totally agree with you about flash. Unfortunately, like Microsoft products used to be, it's a necessary evil. I am actually still not sure I can get away from Office. Google docs is great for simple documents, but sometimes I still find Office handy. Especially since other people expect Office format and there's always something get screwed up when you convert.

Glad to hear about the sunlight performance. I guess it's because the screen is very bright? Doesn't the sun glare off the glossy screen? That's my main worry.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

I have been looking for a light weight laptop for school. The primary uses will be surfing, notes taking, writing papers, online chatting, trivial games and occasionally watch some videos. The budget is around $500. This is mainly to replace my ancient thinkpad 240x, which has mobile pentium III 500mhz, 192M ram, 10 inch screen and weigh about 3lbs.

I think you can get a Netbook for around $250-350 (I think the Mini10V I have is no longer made, but there are alternatives) that can even be hacked to run full OSX Snow Leopard. I have no issues multi-tasking or running Firefox on my Dell Mini10V. It's a shame Steve doesn't "get" real computers these days. The iPad could have been a contender (against netbooks), but I think it's really more of a toy (apparently toys sell well, but that doesn't make them any more useful).

 

[Durious]

"And I apologize for saying Ipad doesn't work well on the buses. It just happens that I take buses during the day, I am sure it works well at night. "

I was on a trip to a larger city and decided to park at the hotel and travel the city by bus as I was unfamiliar with the streets and did not have any issues with visibility in the bus utilizing the device and i was only at 50% brightness. Hope that info helps... Although outside in direct sunlight its not that great I'll admit

 

[species5618w]

Go to the bottom of the page and click "Desktop" for the desktop version.

Don't get an iPad.



--sent from my iPad

Thanks. Does the desktop version work well on the iPad? How is the speed? Especially for large spreadsheet? It's strange that people are recommending apps that work with google doc. Why bother if you can access the real thing?

And no, I don't intend to get one. Not unless I am satisfied that it fits my needs. I am strange that way.

 

[scottness]

Thanks. Does the desktop version work well on the iPad? How is the speed? Especially for large spreadsheet? It's strange that people are recommending apps that work with google doc. Why bother if you can access the real thing?

The speed is fine. Desktop version works fine if you don't have fat fingers. There's a reason for the mobile version.

 

[species5618w]

"And I apologize for saying Ipad doesn't work well on the buses. It just happens that I take buses during the day, I am sure it works well at night. "

I was on a trip to a larger city and decided to park at the hotel and travel the city by bus as I was unfamiliar with the streets and did not have any issues with visibility in the bus utilizing the device and i was only at 50% brightness. Hope that info helps... Although outside in direct sunlight its not that great I'll admit

Interesting, I'd think the glossy screen would not work at all outside, but looks like I am wrong. Was that a sunny day or was it overcast? My 240x was ok when it's overcast, but not so much when it's sunny especially if the screen is dusty. The problem with the iPad is you have to touch it all the time, so the screen can't be all that clean. You didn't find it a problem?

 

[ItsThatKush]

......

hahaha love the photo.

People enjoying their iPads are laughing at this thread.

 

[species5618w]

The speed is fine. Desktop version works fine if you don't have fat fingers. There's a reason for the mobile version.

Thanks. Another trip to the store is in order then.

 

[MythicFrost]

Regarding google doc. Ipad seems to always go to the mobile version, which is quite limited. I couldn't figure out how to access the full version within the limited time I had with it. I assumed that it must work, but I can't find a single review that says it does. Something about safari doesn't work with editable contents or something. Anybody has been able to access the full version? If so, how is the speed?

Regarding Google Docs, if you use Atomic Browser, you can set the user agent as any web browser you like, so if Google Docs can't be turned from Mobile view to Full, you can use Atomic browser and set the user agent to "Safari Desktop, or Firefox, etc.,".

 

[MrWillie]

Sorry, but I really don't care WHY!

You and that damn bug... I can't tell you you how many times I see your avatar in the corner of my screen and I try to squash it.







Sent from my iPad... The one with the permanent finger print on lower left corner.