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Will the iPad suit these needs?--Updated for last question at the end of thread

N

niter

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 9, 2003
324
0
I have been debating for awhile of my next Apple purchase and which direction to go. I currently have a MacBook (the first release of the black MacBook-~4 years old?) and while it is getting a bit on in years I still can use it for all of the features I like...the hard drive is really the only limiting factor for me but I have an external 500 GB hard drive to address that issue. Sure, I would love a boost in speed but I am not suffering. Originally (and a huge part of me still does), I was going to purchase a MacBook Pro and have it step in as my personal and work computer with Windows installed for the occasional, but necessary Windows need. However, using the personal computer at work seems less and less necessary and my free time for using my personal computer past internet seems less and less these days.

I really cannot sustain dragging my MacBook back and forth to work for multiple reasons...and I simply do not want to either. So I am looking at an iPad as a go between/go anywhere device between my work laptop and my personal computer.


I want the ability to use Things, possibly integrate it with the version on my personal computer. I want to have internet (3G) on a portable base (I am a verizon user so the iPhone is out for me). I want to be able to use the iPad in meetings for basic notes. Portability is crucial for me and I use my laptop right now as journal/daybook of sorts. The biggest problem I have with using it as such is that it is not completely portable and certainly not when I have to carry two laptops.

If I get an iPad is it recommended I get the dock or the dock with keyboard. I was leaning towards the dock + wireless keyboard as I can customize the spacing between myself and the iPad as well as put the keyboard away when not using it. Does the dock or dock/keyboard work with the iPad being in a case? If not, is there a suggested case for these needs.

Thanks!
 
iPad sounds like a good fit for your lifestyle. your call on the dock/kb combo - its whatever suits you best. for your on the go computing life, the iPad will suffice.
 
The iPad doesn't suit any needs, only WANTS.

Seriously though, it's probably fine for what you've outlined. Just don't expect it to do anything more. So if your requirements change down the road, you may find yourself needing a computer to go along with the pad.
 
mikeo007 said:
The iPad doesn't suit any needs, only WANTS.

Seriously though, it's probably fine for what you've outlined. Just don't expect it to do anything more. So if your requirements change down the road, you may find yourself needing a computer to go along with the pad.
Click to expand...

Yup. I understand this completely and actually considered changing my title. However, it is probably because of the things I do not want that the iPad suits me: I do not want to carry my MacBook every place I go, especially when I am carrying a PC laptop as well. I do not want to replace my MacBook unless I can use the new computer at work, which I cannot. It just seems silly to replace a perfectly functional computer (if I could use it at work I would need some more kick to it) for stuff I am already doing well on it.

I guess what I should have asked more is how well does the iPad work as a "go between" device. I do not expect it, nor want it to be, a laptop. I understand that one day I will need to replace my MacBook and I am fine with that. There are Aps that I have been holding out forever for an iPhone that is not coming to Verizon and that I cannot wait on. I need something to read PDFs easily (I hate the lack of two finger scrolling on my PC) and other documents. I need something that would easily coordinate with iCal, Things, and my Gmail/Google Calender. I need a case that would protect my purchase but still let me dock the iPad.
 
Sounds to me like this is exactly what your looking for something easy to carry around and you can still connect with your other computers. As for the apple case it is designed to not dock and be used becIse of the heat the case can hold in that will decrease battery life.
 
Kawjumper201 said:
Sounds to me like this is exactly what your looking for something easy to carry around and you can still connect with your other computers. As for the apple case it is designed to not dock and be used becIse of the heat the case can hold in that will decrease battery life.
Click to expand...

Thanks. What case would you recommend? I would prefer to not have to slip it in and out of a case in case I have to grab it and go to a meeting (then I would be more likely to grab it sans case and drop it).
 
The website iLounge recently had a pretty good article that reviewed many different iPad cases, dividing them up into different categories: sleeves, bags, etc. The category that may sound like what you are looking for is the more "professional" looking flip-style cases. Even if you end up buying something other than any of the particular cases they reviewed, at least it will give you a feeling for what sorts of things are out there.

From all you said, it does sound like the iPad is more or less exactly what you are looking for.
 
niter said:
Thanks. What case would you recommend? I would prefer to not have to slip it in and out of a case in case I have to grab it and go to a meeting (then I would be more likely to grab it sans case and drop it).
Click to expand...

I use the apple case and love it I have not looked into very many cases I have a Bluetooth keyboard for my iMac so if I need to write something up I will steal it for the time being. The keyboard on the ipad is actually pretty user friendly once you learn to trust your hands.
 
niter said:
Thanks. What case would you recommend? I would prefer to not have to slip it in and out of a case in case I have to grab it and go to a meeting (then I would be more likely to grab it sans case and drop it).
Click to expand...

I use the apple case and love it I have not looked into very many cases I have a Bluetooth keyboard for my iMac so if I need to write something up I will steal it for the time being. The keyboard on the ipad is actually pretty user friendly once you learn to trust your hands so
I have not had to take the BT keyboard.
 
Kawjumper201 said:
I use the apple case and love it I have not looked into very many cases I have a Bluetooth keyboard for my iMac so if I need to write something up I will steal it for the time being. The keyboard on the ipad is actually pretty user friendly once you learn to trust your hands.
Click to expand...

I was debating just setting up the Apple case to have it stand vertically (and forgoing the dock). I actually am considering the keyboard for other reasons beyond typing on the iPad (that does not bother me). There are just some situations where I actually do not want to be touching the iPad directly.
 
niter said:
I was debating just setting up the Apple case to have it stand vertically (and forgoing the dock). I actually am considering the keyboard for other reasons beyond typing on the iPad (that does not bother me). There are just some situations where I actually do not want to be touching the iPad directly.
Click to expand...

Ya the screen does get very smudged. I am very happy with the Apple case I have 2 dogs and I leave my iPad around (not on the floor or anything) And it stays very clean and if it gets dirty it cleans up very easy. A lot of the negative comments on it is the outside got very dirty this is not a problem for me.
 
niter said:
I want the ability to use Things, possibly integrate it with the version on my personal computer. I want to have internet (3G) on a portable base (I am a verizon user so the iPhone is out for me). I want to be able to use the iPad in meetings for basic notes. Portability is crucial for me and I use my laptop right now as journal/daybook of sorts. The biggest problem I have with using it as such is that it is not completely portable and certainly not when I have to carry two laptops.
Click to expand...

From reading this paragraph, I'd say that a 3G iPad would suit your needs. Things syncs back to your mac, the internet is always at your finger tips, and there are some really interesting note taking apps.
 
The apple case is great for protecting the Ipad, and great for typing while the Ipad is laying on a table. It also stands up nicely while watching some video. It doesn't feel as good as a naked Ipad while you are holding it, but I wouldn't chance carrying the Ipad around without a good case. The keyboard dock seems like a waste to me. Once you get used to the Ipad keyboard configuration, it's pretty simple to type on it.

Sounds to me like the Ipad will meet your needs based on what you said you needed it for.
 
An iPad is fine for basic tasks. However, personally I would find using it to take detailed meeting notes both clunky and attention grabbing w/ an ext keyboard -- I want to be known for my ideas and expertise, not "the guy with the iPad set up." A laptop just blends in better right now. You could use the touch screen keyboard, but I still can't type nearly as fast on it as a regular keyboard. Personally I don't bring my iPad to work. For meetings it's either the MBP or an old fashioned legal pad.

You don't really detail exactly how you envision using the iPad so hard to say if its something that would work or not.
 
I think my situation was extremely close to your, except I got a new 13 inch MacBook Pro this past December. Also, in addition to wanting a light weight, go anywhere and everywhere computing device that would cover me for things like Internet (3G included - no iiPhone for a variety of complicated reasons) calendar, PDF reader and note taker, I was extremely drawn to the form factor as a way to walk around and a way to refer to notes and documents on my feet.

The iPad has been a godsend for as far as filling all these needs. As someone stated in a previous in a post, it won't do difficult, long or complicated tasks well, or at all. But if you use your MacBook or work computer for those tasks and if your use of this second device is less pas a power user and more as a prolific user, I think you will very Happy. Also, don't forget the advantage of having an all day battery.

Since my MBP is relegated now to the occasional heavy lifting, my portable desktop, and my iPad is used all day for everything else, I actually now call the iPad my primary computer.

- as a side note, I just used Take Notes (formerly Pad Notes) as a way to make notes on PDFs, and it is brilliant. It's kind of the killer app for me.
 
niter said:
I have been debating for awhile of my next Apple purchase and which direction to go. I currently have a MacBook (the first release of the black MacBook-~4 years old?) and while it is getting a bit on in years I still can use it for all of the features I like...the hard drive is really the only limiting factor for me but I have an external 500 GB hard drive to address that issue. Sure, I would love a boost in speed but I am not suffering. Originally (and a huge part of me still does), I was going to purchase a MacBook Pro and have it step in as my personal and work computer with Windows installed for the occasional, but necessary Windows need. However, using the personal computer at work seems less and less necessary and my free time for using my personal computer past internet seems less and less these days.

I really cannot sustain dragging my MacBook back and forth to work for multiple reasons...and I simply do not want to either. So I am looking at an iPad as a go between/go anywhere device between my work laptop and my personal computer.


I want the ability to use Things, possibly integrate it with the version on my personal computer. I want to have internet (3G) on a portable base (I am a verizon user so the iPhone is out for me). I want to be able to use the iPad in meetings for basic notes. Portability is crucial for me and I use my laptop right now as journal/daybook of sorts. The biggest problem I have with using it as such is that it is not completely portable and certainly not when I have to carry two laptops.

If I get an iPad is it recommended I get the dock or the dock with keyboard. I was leaning towards the dock + wireless keyboard as I can customize the spacing between myself and the iPad as well as put the keyboard away when not using it. Does the dock or dock/keyboard work with the iPad being in a case? If not, is there a suggested case for these needs.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

We are in the same boat. I posted a similar thread 2 weeks ago and most people told me not to get an ipad. I have a 2008 white macbook 2.4GHZ upgraded 4GB Ram and upgraded 320GB HD. I just want something more portable but i dont know if i should get the ipad. I use my macbook for basic stuff (email, PP, iLife, iTunes) and my white macbook handles my needs and it's still fast. But i just like the portability of the ipad(i'm a teacher and i take my laptop sometimes for presentions in class and also i'm a coffee shop person) but i do think that the iPad is more a want than a need.

I think if Apple updates the macbook Air with at least a 256GB SSD and 4GB Ram, i'll definitely get one and it'd be better than the ipad and macbook combination.


The Air is super light weight and is a full fledge laptop
 
Chupa Chupa said:
... personally I would find using it to take detailed meeting notes both clunky and attention grabbing w/ an ext keyboard -- I want to be known for my ideas and expertise, not "the guy with the iPad set up." A laptop just blends in better right now.
Click to expand...

This is actually a good point if you went with an "iPad Setup" to all your meetings. At the most, you could get away with using a stand-like case (Apple Case) and prop it up to type notes on.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
An iPad is fine for basic tasks. However, personally I would find using it to take detailed meeting notes both clunky and attention grabbing w/ an ext keyboard -- I want to be known for my ideas and expertise, not "the guy with the iPad set up." A laptop just blends in better right now. You could use the touch screen keyboard, but I still can't type nearly as fast on it as a regular keyboard. Personally I don't bring my iPad to work. For meetings it's either the MBP or an old fashioned legal pad.

You don't really detail exactly how you envision using the iPad so hard to say if its something that would work or not.
Click to expand...

+1

From my experience, pen and paper is still the best option at meetings. It's direct, it's quick and it provides endless possibilities in terms of formatting. Having said that, some meetings where you don't need to draw or create arrows linking random scribble are where laptops do well. Primarily because they eliminate the need to retype what you've just wrote down.

The iPad, to my experience, would be the worst option for note taking at meetings. While there are some good note taking Apps, I believe the setup (i.e. Dock, Wireless Keyboard), as well as the flexibility in your note taking would be seriously compromised. Pen/Paper have no structure - you can draw, scribble, write, add, etc. Laptop software and screen resolution give you some of those abilities - but lose other. The iPad, I believe, loses lots of those abilities. You are confined to how the iPad assumes the note taking will go.

But that is in no means to say that you should not get the iPad. However, for efficiency, I find it not the best option in that scenario.


Just my thoughts.


tee-tz
 
Thanks again for the responses...I am reading through them as a break provides.

I just wanted to throw out there that the reason I was considering a keyboard has nothing to do with smudges, the iPad keyboard, etc. Part of my job involves lab work and when I am NOT in meetings, etc. I just want to make sure that I do not accidentally track something back to my iPad that my children may touch. I was my hands well before returning to my desk, but still worry. If it was not for that reason, I would skip the keyboard all together...I am just looking for a good BT keyboard that I can use and leave at work permanently.
 
tee-tz said:
+1

From my experience, pen and paper is still the best option at meetings. It's direct, it's quick and it provides endless possibilities in terms of formatting. Having said that, some meetings where you don't need to draw or create arrows linking random scribble are where laptops do well. Primarily because they eliminate the need to retype what you've just wrote down.

The iPad, to my experience, would be the worst option for note taking at meetings. While there are some good note taking Apps, I believe the setup (i.e. Dock, Wireless Keyboard), as well as the flexibility in your note taking would be seriously compromised. Pen/Paper have no structure - you can draw, scribble, write, add, etc. Laptop software and screen resolution give you some of those abilities - but lose other. The iPad, I believe, loses lots of those abilities. You are confined to how the iPad assumes the note taking will go.

But that is in no means to say that you should not get the iPad. However, for efficiency, I find it not the best option in that scenario.


Just my thoughts.


tee-tz
Click to expand...

Thanks. I know exactly what you mean and that is why I old school it with pen and pad every morning. However, lugging pen, pad, and computer to access my online computer becomes too much. This is why I was thinking about the iPad as an ultra portable device. Pretty much, I want to use it in a manner akin to an iPhone (I did not buy an iPod touch due to lack of iCal) PLUS as a reader for the many PDFs I read daily.
 
Just make sure you are running Leopard.

Yes, some of us haven't upgraded our machine yet! LOL!! After this logic board replacement i have scheduled on friday i will do it.

I love my iPad, the 3G fills the need for mobile computing quite well - i have ZERO desire nor need for an iPhone on Verizon now!

I think it would work for ya :D
 
niter said:
Thanks. What case would you recommend? I would prefer to not have to slip it in and out of a case in case I have to grab it and go to a meeting (then I would be more likely to grab it sans case and drop it).
Click to expand...

Apple case. I put my iPad in the case the day I bought it and haven't found a reason to take it out since. The iPad I mean, not, you know, "it".
 
I think you could have just as easily titled this thread "I have decided to get an iPad...can you talk me out of it?";)

As far as note taking goes, I have replaced my MoleSkin with an iPad running Evernote. I use it in all work meetings with just the Apple case to prop it up for a better typing angle. I love it as I can email directly from the app as well as record the meetings if needed. The added benefit is the "cloud" storage of all my notes and recordings for anywhere access.
 
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