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Last post Author Topic: Anyone got an iPad and like it?  (Read 29440 times)

wraith808

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #25 on: October 13, 2011, 03:33 PM »
Example - I get lots of emails so open email app to download latest bunch of crap and then go and do something else while I am waiting - like surf the internet or read a book .....



That's not multi-tasking... that's background tasking, and the iPad will do that.

Carol Haynes

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #26 on: October 13, 2011, 06:49 PM »
OK so I am confused what is the difference between background tasking and multitasking? On that basis music playing while you do something else is also a background task.

Given that a human can only physically do one thing at a time but the computer can juggle a number of things what would you consider multitasking?

Apple obviously doesn't know either because they seem to see it the same way that I see it and suggest the iPad can't actually multitask (even though they use iSpeak to suggest it does in a very limited way) - it just suspends things when you do something else, apart from special cases like music playing, and allow immediate relaunch when you need them.

Here is Apple's explanation: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4211

The key iSpeak to me is:

Most applications are not taking up system resources when running in the background and instantly launch when you return to them.

How can a 'multitasking' application use no resources? Ridiculous!

Basically Apple took a hammering when the original iPad launched and everyone tittered when they said there was no multitasking. In typical Apple manner they now say iOS supports multitasking and then, for anyone who can be bothered to try and find out what that means, they say 'multitasking' just means suspend and resume as required! Doubtless they will patent that concept and insist that all computers adopt that approach for a fee.

Note it doesn't mention email collection in the background only GPS, music and Skype incoming call alerts.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2011, 06:56 PM by Carol Haynes »

lotusrootstarch

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #27 on: October 13, 2011, 06:53 PM »
True multitasking kills battery life and is not desired on a mobile device such as iPad
Get my apps in Android Market! Go droids go! :)


Carol Haynes

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #28 on: October 13, 2011, 06:57 PM »
Really I get about 6 hours out of my Samsung netbook running multiple windows tasks with screen at 100% and with 2Gb memory, Windows 7 Pro and a full install of MS Office 2010 Pro.

lotusrootstarch

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #29 on: October 13, 2011, 07:04 PM »
well a netbook is not a mobile device and does not have mobile software/hardware architecture, and usually has a much bigger battery!  ;)
Get my apps in Android Market! Go droids go! :)


Carol Haynes

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #30 on: October 13, 2011, 07:11 PM »
well a netbook is not a mobile device
-lotusrootstarch (October 13, 2011, 07:04 PM)

Scratches head? Odd I almost never use my netbook in my house - I must be doing something wrong?

lotusrootstarch

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #31 on: October 13, 2011, 07:27 PM »
Netbooks are small notebooks that offer neither true processing power or genuine portability/mobility.

They are losing market shares quickly to Apple/Android tablets for very good reasons -- such neither here nor there devices are not really sought after.
Get my apps in Android Market! Go droids go! :)


4wd

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #32 on: October 13, 2011, 08:18 PM »
They are losing market shares quickly to Apple/Android tablets for very good reasons -- such neither here nor there devices are not really sought after.
-lotusrootstarch (October 13, 2011, 07:27 PM)

Except by people who want them because they offer so much more than what a tablet can provide, eg. Capture, edit and encode video, (both DVB-T and DV), geotag/organise photos, (I'm not talking a couple of hundred, ~40,000 @ 116GB).

All of which I do using my lowly netbook - sure it takes a while to encode video but since I'm not about to drag my 20kg desktop, (plus monitor), overseas and the netbook, (and all the peripherals), weighs ~2kg it's a no-brainer.

For me, a netbook or notebook, (up to around 13"), will win every time.

Sure, if all I wanted to do was stare at email, browse the web and read a book then maybe I'd buy a tablet....but since I do all that on my Android phone, (as a bonus, it makes phone calls!), there's no reason for me to waste that much money on something that's more limited and cost a lot more than a netbook.

As with almost everything, it's all subjective.

I didn't see any of that when we bought it. Other plans we saw were idiotically expensive. The device was far more, and the plan was the same as regular phone plans. I gave up there.

Let's see, you only bought it a couple of months ago, IIRC, and I've been using that SIM for almost a year.........your Google-fu is weak  :P

Phonechoice - Selection 16/17 below sponsors section.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2011, 08:32 PM by 4wd »

wraith808

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #33 on: October 13, 2011, 08:29 PM »
OK so I am confused what is the difference between background tasking and multitasking? On that basis music playing while you do something else is also a background task.
Music playing *is* a background task. :)  And the iPad can do that (as can the iPhone).  I'm actually blurring the terms intentionally, because they do overlap in terms of operational and functional use.  Multitasking in terms of actual use is the situation that Renegade describes above, where you have applications open in the foreground and interacting with each other, either directly, or through your actions.  There are degrees of this, and that's what fools us in a lot of cases, i.e. you have overlapping windows, and one the window in the back is still running- but I'd still term this a background task for the terms of actual usefulness.  The interface is a bit more useful in terms of being able to move around windows- but that to a large extent falls under the reference category I separated above.

The key iSpeak to me is:

Most applications are not taking up system resources when running in the background and instantly launch when you return to them.

How can a 'multitasking' application use no resources? Ridiculous!

Note the *most*.  Many of Apple's apps can still work while in the background as a background task.  They don't give this ability to other apps intentionally.  Battery life, and applications that don't play well with others are two of the primary reasons.  It really *can* truly multitask on the by and by- if you jailbreak, you set it free to do so.

Carol Haynes

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #34 on: October 14, 2011, 03:44 AM »
It really *can* truly multitask on the by and by- if you jailbreak, you set it free to do so.

I have not doubt that is true - but iSpeak is truly disingenuous saying that the iPad multitasks by any normal definition of the work as supplied.

Given Apple's track record of deliberate 'bricking' is it really sensible to jailbreak such an expensive device?

Battery life, and applications that don't play well with others are two of the primary reasons.

That may be a fair point if Apple didn't actually sell those products direct to the consumer - given they get 30% of every sale shouldn't they check apps play nice and work properly?

Other operating systems don't seem to take this approach AFAIK!!!

jpfx

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #35 on: November 01, 2011, 07:09 AM »
I bought an ipad and eventually got rid of it. I spent a fair amount of money on apps but couldn't resolve my dislike for the itunes/locked in business  model. So it went. I now use a xoom which works well enough for my requirements. I will return to a windows tablet though. If HP released an updated TC1100, I would jump on that.
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Renegade

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #36 on: November 01, 2011, 07:16 AM »
well a netbook is not a mobile device and does not have mobile software/hardware architecture, and usually has a much bigger battery!  ;)
-lotusrootstarch (October 13, 2011, 07:04 PM)

I do a lot of work in the mobile sector, and most consider netbooks to be "mobile" to one degree or other. It depends on how you look at it. If you're a display manufacturer, whether it's a netbook or a tablet, it's all the same -- "mobile". Mobile and portable are often used interchangeably.

One of the terms used serves to divide things up nicely - handset. It's clear that you're talking about devices that are for 1-hand, e.g. not a tablet.

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TomSr

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #37 on: November 01, 2011, 08:13 AM »
Answering the OP question, Yes I have an iPad and love it.  Of all my electronic gadgets I use it the most. Even with my old eyes I haven't any problem reading eBooks for extended times. I also have a plethora of Study Bibles and Bible related applications on my iPad. I only use the email program as a stop-gap solution until I get to my laptop. I find that neither my iPad nor my Droid Bionic handle email as well as my laptop.

I guess I know the strengths and weaknesses of the iPad and use it accordingly.

johnk

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #38 on: November 01, 2011, 08:34 AM »
I bought my wife an iPad recently. Overnight, her use of her laptop dropped by more than 50%. For the things she uses a computer for (email, web browsing, Facebook), the tablet is just as good, and more comfortable to use when slumped on a chair. And as other have mentioned, instant on/off is a huge advantage. Huge.

The pattern of use I describe above covers much of the computer-using population. That's why iPads are popular.

Me? I use a HP Touchpad, which IMHO is a better device than the iPad (a better OS). And I use that a lot too. In the evening, for casual web browsing in my favourite armchair. I also have a 7-inch Galaxy Tab (with 3G) for portable outdoor use. And a Kindle, which is a fabulous device. And I use a laptop. And a desktop. Each has its place. Each brings benefits to my life. It's not either/or.

techidave

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #39 on: November 01, 2011, 11:42 AM »
Tomsr, which bible apps are  you using for your iPad?

wraith808

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #40 on: November 01, 2011, 11:43 AM »
I know you asked him, but I use OliveTree bible reader.  Integrates with Evernote, and has a lot of cool features.

techidave

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #41 on: November 01, 2011, 11:46 AM »
sorry wraith, i used have been more generic.  i used olivetree on my palm years ago.  i just love e Sword on my computer, but they don't have an app for the iPad.

Renegade

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #42 on: November 02, 2011, 06:27 AM »
I found a fantastic new use for my wife's iPad~!



I use it as a mousepad to prove to myself that my Logitech Performance MX mouse's DARK FIELDTM technology really works!

Now, feel free to grant me the 2011 Innovator of the Year Award~! ;D


In other news, a detailed report on Microsoft killing the Courier tablet:

http://news.cnet.com...ontent;siu-container

So sad... That was one uber-sexy beast~! :)

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wraith808

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #43 on: November 02, 2011, 02:26 PM »
^ I can't say that I disagree with the assessment.  Apple makes the same assessment in their actions.  It's just that Apple put this priority lower on the scale than time to market.  The Apple platforms seem to converge more and more with each iteration; Microsoft could have taken the same approach, especially with the rapid OS development cycle on the more lean OS.

f0dder

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #44 on: November 18, 2011, 05:10 PM »
I bought an iPad2 (WiFi-only 16GB model) back in September. It's been a mixed experience. But, in spite of my flaming hate of crApple and most everything they represent, I kinda like the device. It's pretty clear it's a consumer device, though, in a lot of aspects.

The iPad is used mainly for light surfing and eBook reading, and the occasional game of Mahjong. It's a pretty expensive device for those needs, and even taking all it's capabilities into consideration I'd say it's grossly overpriced (~650 USD here in Denmark).

So, why an iPad? I seriously considered a Kindle, since they're craploads cheaper and the e-ink technology is better for reading (easier on your eyes, better viewing angles, no glare problems, et cetera) and has much longer battery lifetime. However, I had a chance to play around with a Kindle, and it just isn't very comfortable when dealing with tech books and needing to page back and forth - the physical dimension of the screen doesn't match most tech books, and PDF doesn't reflow. And screen updates are sloooow (comfortable enough for reading-a-page-and-advancing-to-next, but not flip-flopping).

In addition to that, the project I'm currently working at requires a 2x1-hour train commute a couple times a week, and the train is really too cramped for laptop use to be comfortable - a netbook wouldn't be much better. A tablet is perfect in that situation; I can catch up on non-work related web browsing to and from work while there's network coverage (WiFi hotspot feature of the work-provided Android phone is nice!), and eBook reading or Mahjong when there's no network.

With the attempt at justification out of the way, a look on the good and bad.

The good includes the instant on, and instant-on-network feature. This might sound like a small thing, but it's a deal-changer really. There's a lot of situations where I'd either be annoyed at having to turn on a computer, or miss out on an "information opportunity", where it's just so fast and easy to grab the ipad and check something out. Works wonders when having discussions in bed, wikiepedia/google/imbd/whatver to the rescue and an argument (or just plain curiosity) is settled.

For a fair amount of situations involving travelling, I enjoy having access to the internet - but don't really need a fully capable computer. An iPad is a lot smaller and lighter than a netbook or laptop, and fullfills the basic needs. This does matter when your backpack is fully stuffed and already pretty heavy before adding the internet-junkie-device :)

The physical build is nice. I've played around with a couple of android tablets, and they felt very flimsy (and were pretty slow) - and as expensive as the iPad. A real shame, I'd definitely enjoy a more open platform...

Stuff in general seems smooth and fast - gotta tip my hat to the graphics stack in iOS.

Now, the bad parts.

#1 being the walled garden "we know what's best for you" approach, and the tie to crapTunes. Now, it may have been me doing something wrong, but I couldn't even get the thing to turn on before connecting it to a machine with crapTunes installed. And the registration process required me to enter my VISA CC#, and the final step showed up in Spanish... yeah, crApple software is intuitive and just works, *cynical laugh*.

The UI is pretty incoherent, with different apps trying to look all snowflake unique. It's silly for iBooks and Newsstand (for instance) to try to look like physical places. Gimme something lean-and-mean without clutter and stupid textures, kthxbai.

The lack of multitasking. I can't play a youtube video in the background, neither in the dedicated youtube app nor an inline video on, say, facebook. Not even when staying in safari but simply browsing another tab.

Youtube is also pretty damn incoherent. Sometimes videos play inline. Sometimes they open the external youtube app. And sometimes they won't play at all (AFTER switching from safari to the youtube app) - of course because you've hit a flash-only video, which the pad doesn't support. Lack of flash & Java support doesn't bother me, but the scizophrenic user experience does.

Also, the lack of a "back to what I was doing before you launched this other thing" capability would be nice. Sometimes the four-finger-drag gesture of iOS5 works, but often I find I have to press the "back to home screen" button and then launch safari again (which does remember the open tabs, at least).

But safari and open tabs... that's another issue. If you open too many tabs, it will simply silently close older tabs. No "launching a new tab will close old tab, proceed?" prompt or (more crApple-style, I guess) simply disallowing you to open more than N tabs. Nope, we silently kill your older tabs. Great intuitive design. Yeah, memory is limited, but you could at least keep the tab with just an URL reference and just reload content, you c*nts!

Content-reloading happens often, anyway. Not that big a deal, I can appreciate it's necessary when you have such limited memory, but it can seem a bit arbitrary just when it happens. Sometimes I can read 4+ news articles and go back to an index page without reloads, sometimes everything reloads after reading one article.

On iOS4, Safari used to crash at least a couple of times a week. Sometimes just exiting without notice, sometimes freezing up and requiring me to hit the home button. With iOS5 it happens roughly once a week. SOLID SOFTWARE ENGINEERING THERE, crApple!

The official twitter client makes a bleep noise when updating, even when volume is turned all the way down. (I don't really use twitter, I just follow Notch and trent reznor and john carmack. Honestly. I'm not one of those people :-[ ).

The way how everything is so... limited sucks. No way to access your files, you're at the mercy of how crApple deems you should do things. Which means crapTunes. Or the occasional opportunity to email stuff, or send to dropbox, if you're lucky. Yay, having to transfer files to the interweb and back, instead of copying stuff locally across wifi... <3. And iCloud is also just a magic black box, no useful web interface that lets you get at your files. Dumbed down, locked-down, we-control-your-assets.

One of the reasons I bought the iPad in spite of all the locked-down-ness was because Stanza provides a sane way to get your ebooks onto the ipad - pull from a Calibre server on your LAN via WiFi. And darn were I pissed when iOS5 broke Stanza! I mean, come on, you've got a super-limited OS that only has to run on very specific hardware... and yet an OS upgrade breaks a user-mode program? I've got software written for Win95 that still runs on 64bit Win7... that's 14 years and major architectural differences under the hood, but still servicing a lot of the same software. And crApples platform has applications breaking for a relatively minor OS upgrade? Meh.

I think that's enough bile for now, might add more later when I bump into or remember other annoyances.

Even with all that, I haven't regretted buying the iPad. There's several days where I don't turn on my workstation or private laptop now, since I can fullfill surfing/mail/facebook/etc needs from the iPad (and thus don't get sidetracked with all the stuff present there (like... world of warcrack). I just wish the platform was more open, didn't hold your data hostage, and that it wasn't so ridiculously expensive.
- carpe noctem

xtabber

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #45 on: December 10, 2011, 09:40 AM »
Here's another take on this topic.

Renegade

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #46 on: December 10, 2011, 09:57 AM »
Here's another take on this topic.

Very cute~! ;D
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berry

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Re: Anyone got an iPad and like it?
« Reply #47 on: December 11, 2011, 04:07 PM »
Bought my wife an android device. She tried, but didn't like it, thus didn't use it.

She got an iPad. She LOVES it.

I've always been a windows fan. Her experience caused me to buy AAPL.

cheers