iPad v Laptop

Kashkai

I was looking at getting a new iMac or PC to replace my 8 year old Dell. However prices are putting me off. So I'm now looking at a laptop or an iPad. Whichever one I get will be mainly used for web surfing. While I like the look of the iPad, has it limited functionality compared to a laptop if I want to do more than just browse the net?

I don't think I'd be into using it as an e-reader as I prefer a good old fashioned book in my hand, so what else can I use the iPad for?

Thanks.

Bigcheeze

if it's going to be your only device, get a laptop.

Bad Panda

As above.

You're very limited in what you can do with an iPad unless you've a laptop/PC to sync stuff on to it.

There are ways around all that though - if you just want to stream stuff to it.

Kashkai

I should have mentioned that I'll be keeping the Dell PC as the kids use it (and I can't get near it because of them :rolleyes:) and my wife has a Macbook Pro. So I'd have "proper" computing access if needs be.

I'm limited to using my iPhone in the house if I want to access the net and so I'd like to have a larger screen basically to surf the web. I just checked out a few prices on iPads and laptops in PCWorld in the Jervis Centre in Dublin and the iPad is working out the same or dearer than a decent laptop. The iPad is a great device, simple to use etc but will I tire of its limited functionality pretty quickly (i.e. is it just a gimmick?) or is it a good device beyond just web surfing?

I'm pretty confused which way to go, i.e. laptop or iPad:o

TheZohanS

If it's just to surf the net an ipad is handy, but if you plan on printing off documents, downloading anything, typing a lot etc then you'd be better off with a laptop. I have a 15" laptop and an ipad and use each about 50% of the time. The iPad is handy if you travel a lot and it doesn't take up much space but you're somewhat limited in functionality. If you'll have full access to your wife's MacBook then go for the iPad, if not, go for the laptop.

dodzy

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

I'm pretty confused which way to go, i.e. laptop or iPad:o

Pfffft...I've seen your username. Get both, its only money;)


Seriously though, I've lappy and Ipad, and I can honestly say, if you are mainly a surfer / emailer, then the laptop will become very dusty.

Kashkai

TheZohan wrote: »

If it's just to surf the net an ipad is handy, but if you plan on printing off documents, downloading anything, typing a lot etc then you'd be better off with a laptop. I have a 15" laptop and an ipad and use each about 50% of the time. The iPad is handy if you travel a lot and it doesn't take up much space but you're somewhat limited in functionality. If you'll have full access to your wife's MacBook then go for the iPad, if not, go for the laptop.

The ipad would be used for web surfing, including posting on forums such as this. Is the wifi enabled iPad good enough or would I need to go for the 3G enabled one (even though I could use my iPhone if out of wifi coverage). When is teh next gen iPad due out and will it be worth waiting for?

dodzy wrote: »

Pfffft...I've seen your username. Get both, its only money;)


Seriously though, I've lappy and Ipad, and I can honestly say, if you are mainly a surfer / emailer, then the laptop will become very dusty.

Prosperous by name but not by nature. Otherwise I'd get an iMac:D. From what you say, the iPad would suit me for what I'd need it for. Anything else would be handled by my wife's Macbook.

TheZohanS

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

The ipad would be used for web surfing, including posting on forums such as this. Is the wifi enabled iPad good enough or would I need to go for the 3G enabled one (even though I could use my iPhone if out of wifi coverage). When is teh next gen iPad due out and will it be worth waiting for?

Surfing boards on the iPad is class and very user friendly, the only drawback is uploading a photo, I still don't know how to do it with the iPad.

I don't have a 3G iPad and I kind of regret not getting one, now I know you can tether from your mobile phone but tethering uses a lot of juice and you'll run down the battery of both your phone and iPad quickly enough by tethering. So to answer your question, if you'll be mostly be using the iPad at home, there's no need for 3G, if you'll be using it on trains, in cars etc. for browsing then I'd opt for 3G.

I see Eircom have signed a deal with Dublin Airport to provide wireless for €1 until midnight on that day(first 10min is free), that's pretty good, plus a lot of public areas have free WiFi.

New iPad should be out in March/April of next year with a good supply by May. The iPad 3 will probably have Retina Display so it will have a better display, apart from that you're just talking about a faster processor with marginal gains in speed etc.

Is it worth waiting for? Meh, hard to say. If it was me I'd go for a 16gb iPad 2 refurb from the Apple site for €399(it will look like a brand new iPad) and then sell it on in April/May, but only if the iPad3 is significantly better. That way you won't lose a whole lot in resale and you'll still have a pretty much up to date iPad.

Kashkai

Ok so its looking like the Wifi iPad for me. One final question though - whats connectivity like, i.e. is it limited to the standard Apple data cable or can it take a usb link? The iPads I've looked at in stores are all fixed in place and thus I can't pick it up and check it out for ports to connect stuff to. I store photos and movies on usb sticks and would like to be able to connect them up for viewing. This is not a deal breaker though as the Macbook can take care of this.

Final, final question, which memory is the one to go for, 16gb, 32gb? Apart from downloading some apps, I can't see myself storing loads of photos on it.

Nonoperational

Macbook Air?

dodzy

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Ok so its looking like the Wifi iPad for me. One final question though - whats connectivity like, i.e. is it limited to the standard Apple data cable or can it take a usb link? The iPads I've looked at in stores are all fixed in place and thus I can't pick it up and check it out for ports to connect stuff to. I store photos and movies on usb sticks and would like to be able to connect them up for viewing. This is not a deal breaker though as the Macbook can take care of this.

Final, final question, which memory is the one to go for, 16gb, 32gb? Apart from downloading some apps, I can't see myself storing loads of photos on it.

Connectivity...you guessed it. No USB. No HDMI just the apple port to USB. If you are a camera fan, you could have a look at this http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A

Based on your indications, 16gb will be plenty. Zohans recommendation for a refurb is definitely one to consider. The only thing you are not getting is the shiny box and the cling film.

Enjoy; you will not regret it;)

waynegalway

Without going into mental detail (I've done so several times on here before), the iPad is class. I use mine for all kinds of stuff, from games to surfing, to serious stuff like word processing and creating slide shows.

I sold a netbook and a laptop to fund the iPad almost a year ago, and no regrets. I have a PC at work and a Mac at home, so it's true to say you may need a computer for some stuff, but the iPad really could replace the computers depending on what you need to do.

Kashkai

Ok I've made up my mind, the iPad it is.

Now about these refurbs. Why were they refurbished in the first place? If I get one, will it have scratches on the screen etc? While I love my iphone, I never invested in a screen protector and on a sunny day, I can see that the screen has a lot of nasty scratches.

Thanks for helping me make up my mind btw:)

JohnMearsheimer

I got an iPad in October and my laptop has been gathering dust since. I mainly used my laptop for browsing the internet, now I can do that a lot more comfortably on my iPad. It's a very smooth experience. I use the laptop now for photos and the odd bit of word processing.

dodzy

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Ok I've made up my mind, the iPad it is.

Now about these refurbs. Why were they refurbished in the first place? If I get one, will it have scratches on the screen etc? While I love my iphone, I never invested in a screen protector and on a sunny day, I can see that the screen has a lot of nasty scratches.

Thanks for helping me make up my mind btw:)

Feedback on refurbs here. Have a read of the thread.

Get a screen cover and a case. No harm looking after your investment. You will not even notice the screen cover once fitted. I can guarantee you that much.

Blazer

Believe me...once you get the ipad for reading you'll never go back to a normal book. Pain to read alright in bright sunlight but luckily enough we don't really have this issue in Ireland
I read on average about 100-200 books a year and got sick of having books lying all over the place just taking up room so I dumped them all and got em for my ipad...now have about 5,000 books on it


if you're getting a case for your ipad 2 get the one from below...It's the best one I've gotten so far for it..miles better than the crappy apple magnetic covers and it also protects the back of the ipad (it clicks into it) and the cover for the screen is much better...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004Z6UERO

Bellu

Whichever one I get will be mainly used for web surfing.

You could turn to the iPad totally!

While I like the look of the iPad, has it limited functionality compared to a laptop if I want to do more than just browse the net?

With iPad, you could do much more.
This is from one of my friends:
"I love my iPad. It has almost completely replaced my personal computer. For the things I do... It is perfect! Much nicer than any CPU I have ever owned. All my other computers would do a lot of things I would never use it for, and do it painfully in the process (slow, buggy, etc.). When you get down to what you do most on you personal computer... the iPad does almost all of the things an average user needs, and with a much much nicer U/I. Easy of use, fast, and efficient. The other computer manufacturers could learn a thing or two from this, but even if they do... they will probably screw-up the one they come out with by adding all the crap back in again. Ugggggg!!!!"

And I think you already have idea to go for which one

waynegalway

Bellu wrote: »

You could turn to the iPad totally!

With iPad, you could do much more.
This is from one of my friends:
"I love my iPad. It has almost completely replaced my personal computer. For the things I do... It is perfect! Much nicer than any CPU I have ever owned. All my other computers would do a lot of things I would never use it for, and do it painfully in the process (slow, buggy, etc.). When you get down to what you do most on you personal computer... the iPad does almost all of the things an average user needs, and with a much much nicer U/I. Easy of use, fast, and efficient. The other computer manufacturers could learn a thing or two from this, but even if they do... they will probably screw-up the one they come out with by adding all the crap back in again. Ugggggg!!!!"

And I think you already have idea to go for which one

Sums it up well. If you use your PC as a "consumer" rather than a programmer, then the iPad pretty much does everything you'd want. The amount of apps out there means that pretty much anything you want to do can be done using an app.

There are limitations, for sure. For example, people may say to you that no USB cable means that on the face of it you HAVE to use iTunes (and therefore you have to have a PC/laptop as well as the iPad) for uploading and downloading. But the iCloud and Dropbox apps mean that this is not a big issue, so don't let the lack of USB put you off. Also, and this is a nit-picking thing really (which is peculiar to the Numbers program and not so much the iPad), you can't put vertical text in a cell in the Numbers app the way you can in Excel.

Rumour has it that Microsoft are working on a version of the Office Suite that will run on the iPad, to be released sometime next year. So if that's done properly, any productivity issues you think may cause you grief will be wiped out. At that stage, the iPad will definitely be capable of replacing a laptop for the vast majority of users.

Kashkai

While I decided to buy a 16gb ipad, they appear to be selling like hot cakes as all but the 64gb are sold out in the four stores I visited this lunchtime. There are no refurbs available on the apple store at the moment either.

No worries as I can wait a few weeks to see if any turn up on the apple site as refurbs after Christmas. The only thing bugging me is the "what new features will the iPad 3 have?" question. I bought an iPhone 3 two months before the 3GS came out and it grated on me, partly due to the sales assistant not mentioning that there was a new model coming :mad: and partly because I didn't check myself:o.

I don't think I'll hold off though as the iPad2 appears to have exactly what I want, and anything it doesn't do can be handled by my wife's Macbook Pro!

waynegalway

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

While I decided to buy a 16gb ipad, they appear to be selling like hot cakes as all but the 64gb are sold out in the four stores I visited this lunchtime. There are no refurbs available on the apple store at the moment either.

No worries as I can wait a few weeks to see if any turn up on the apple site as refurbs after Christmas. The only thing bugging me is the "what new features will the iPad 3 have?" question. I bought an iPhone 3 two months before the 3GS came out and it grated on me, partly due to the sales assistant not mentioning that there was a new model coming :mad: and partly because I didn't check myself:o.

I don't think I'll hold off though as the iPad2 appears to have exactly what I want, and anything it doesn't do can be handled by my wife's Macbook Pro!

That's the age-old question with technology, and if you kept holding off because there was a newer one coming soon, you'd never buy anything.

I bought my iPad on stephens day last year, knowing full well that the iPad 2 was just around the corner. But i went for it anyway, because i needed it then, and simply couldn't wait. My advice is get it now if you really want it now.

You could argue that the jump from iPad 1 to iPad 2 may have been a more significant jump in tech. No doubt the iPad 3 will have better resolution and probably siri too. When I was thinking ahead about whether to get the 1 or wait for the 2, the biggest rumor was that the 2 would have cameras on it. That's a hugh bonus if you want to do video calls. But I have an iphone4 and so I do all my video calls on that anyway. So it wasn't such a big jump for me personally and so I decided to go for the 1 rather than wait.

I don't regret not waiting. The other features of the 2 when it came out were nice (better processor and video mirroring) but neither were essential to me.

On the iPad 3: rumor has it there will be a retina (or close to retina) display. When you compare a 3GS to an iPhone 4, you can really see how the retina display is just so crystal clear, and no doubt when the display of an iPad 2 is compared to a 3, it will look low res by comparison. But to be honest, if you can live with that, then just go for it and don't be worried about "the next version".

I'll probably upgrade my iPad 1 to a 3 at some stage next year, and i'd expect that the value of the 1 will be about half the price of the 3, so Apple devices hold their value well (better than PCs anyway), so you can always change up later if you want.

dodzy

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

While I decided to buy a 16gb ipad, they appear to be selling like hot cakes as all but the 64gb are sold out in the four stores I visited this lunchtime. There are no refurbs available on the apple store at the moment either.

No worries as I can wait a few weeks to see if any turn up on the apple site as refurbs after Christmas. The only thing bugging me is the "what new features will the iPad 3 have?" question. I bought an iPhone 3 two months before the 3GS came out and it grated on me, partly due to the sales assistant not mentioning that there was a new model coming :mad: and partly because I didn't check myself:o.

I don't think I'll hold off though as the iPad2 appears to have exactly what I want, and anything it doesn't do can be handled by my wife's Macbook Pro!

The iphone 3 and 3gs were worlds apart, in relation to speed. The 4 is faster then the 3GS; and the 4S is faster than the 4. But the difference is slowin' all the time;)

The ipad was fab, the ipad2, faster, but I cant imagine the speed, from a user's prespective, increasing much more with the 3rd instalment.