Anyone else ditch their laptops for an iPad?

[Sarah CB]

The storage issue is the main reason I can't see ditching a computer all together at this point. As I mentioned on the other post I can envision a single computer or server for the family in the future. We'll see what happens when the laptops die.

 

You explained the app concept well. I was trying to figure out how to word it and didn't come up with anything that made sense so I'm glad you chimed in.

 

I love the portability of the iPad. We're on vacation and everyone is asleep but me. I can quietly read or browse the internet without disturbing dh who is eight next to me snoring or dd who is in the same room.

 

The app thing is huge. I have a free menu planner on my iPad which includes a grocery list. I can be at the grocery store and easily pull out my iPad to take a look at what I need to buy. Or I can be at the book store and see a book I want, click on my library's app and then put a hold on the book.

[Sarah CB]

As far as the iPad listening to kids, it's hard to explain because logically it doesn't make a lot of sense. For some reason kids understand moving something with their finger so much more than with a mouse. Theoretically it's the same movement, but children can build a math equation on an app with their fingers, and I feel like they internalize it so much better than with a mouse based computer game. Holding it in their laps also seems to make it so much easier for them to make the connections. It's almost like osmosis. It's really something that I think you have to experience.

 

As far as the calculations, ipad has both a regular calculator and a scientific one that I think came with it. If not, it was a free app. If you are meaning the kind of calculations you might do with Excel, I don't use that program, so I am not sure, but I would be relatively shocked if there isn't some sort of app that does the same thing, most likely even on Excel documents, but again, I am not positive of that.

 

There's an Excel equivalent called Numbers.

[nmoira]

I can't imagine typing long texts on a touchscreen. The quality of the keyboard is actually one factor in my choice of laptop.

I'm with you... if I hadn't picked up a fire sale HP Touchpad (now running Android), the soon-to-be-released ASUS Tranformer Prime with its optional keyboard would have been my Christmas present. Best of both worlds. As it is, I'll wait until next year's model then pass my present tablet to the kids:

 

[acurtis75]

The app thing is huge. I have a free menu planner on my iPad which includes a grocery list. I can be at the grocery store and easily pull out my iPad to take a look at what I need to buy. Or I can be at the book store and see a book I want, click on my library's app and then put a hold on the book.

 

Yep, me too. I love the reminder app that came with the iOS 5 update. I have lists for all kinds of stuff. Library list, curriculum to check out list, field trips to plan list, ebooks to buy, Christmas shopping list, home & office to do lists, a planning list for upcoming trips, etc. It's so easy to keep up with in the iPad and it's always with me at the store.

[acurtis75]

There's an Excel equivalent called Numbers.

 

You can also use the google spreadsheet program or download the app that lets you view and edit Microsoft office products on the iPad.

[regentrude]

As far as the calculations, ipad has both a regular calculator and a scientific one that I think came with it. If not, it was a free app. If you are meaning the kind of calculations you might do with Excel, I don't use that program, so I am not sure, but I would be relatively shocked if there isn't some sort of app that does the same thing, most likely even on Excel documents, but again, I am not positive of that.

 

I was not thinking of a calculator, but of large numerical calculations using Fortran or similar programs. I have no idea about processor speed - does an iPad do this at all?

 

I hear what everybody is saying about the advantages. For my kind of usage, that still does not warrant the price difference, especially since it would be a *extra* gadget in addition to, not instead of, a computer.

Edited November 28, 2011 by regentrude

[acurtis75]

I don't know the answer to that - I'm not sure if you could scan to the iPad, but if you can scan and then email from your printer then you could email the document to your iPad and then deal with it from there.

 

If you have a fairly new printer there's a good chance there is an app for your printer that will allow you to scan directly to the iPad. My epson workforce 615 allows me to do it. I sometimes get documents on there that way. If it's something I already have on the computer I get it to the iPad using the free dropbox application. I can also print directly to my printer from the iPad or email the file if needed.

[acurtis75]

I was not thinking of a calculator, but of large numerical calculations using Fortran or similar programs. I have no idea about processor speed - does a iPad do this at all?

 

Reg could probably provide a more technical answer but my answer on speed is that most things I do on the iPad and my notebook are faster on the iPad. I can't explain why but there is a big difference on some things and a smaller difference on others. I use web applications for work and they are substantially faster on the iPad.

 

I'm not a programmer and don't use fortran but here are a few links to check out that might answer your questions.

 

 

http://blog.revolutionanalytics.com/2010/09/running-r-on-the-ipad.html

 

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6931958/is-it-possible-to-compile-fortran-code-for-ipad

 

A quick search in the app store for programming apps came up with close to 200 options. I would imagine some of them would be applicable but it's not my area of expertise.

[WishboneDawn]

I was not thinking of a calculator, but of large numerical calculations using Fortran or similar programs. I have no idea about processor speed - does an iPad do this at all?

 

I hear what everybody is saying about the advantages. For my kind of usage, that still does not warrant the price difference, especially since it would be a *extra* gadget in addition to, not instead of, a computer.

 

I'm with you. I AM getting a tablet for Christmas but it's NOT an iPad. I can't understand paying that much for the privilege of buying some extra apps to run on something that's essentially a stripped down net book. My tablet will be a Le Pan Android tablet and after tax will cost less then $200. That's a fair price to me for an extra gadget.

 

But I've never understood paying more for Apple products anyway. :001_smile:

[HiddenJewel]

I'm still figuring out the whole cloud thing. But, why wouldn't you just print from your iPad?

 

I don't think my iPad has a USB cable to hook to the printer. We do not have a WiFi printer.

[acurtis75]

I didn't retread the entire thread but with no wifi you can use Dropbox to shave the file on your computer for printing. It's an extra step but it works well.

[Laura in STL]

Maybe it is a stupid question: I thought ipad does not support flash? So, nothing with flash animations would run?

Second question: what is the benefit of an ipad over a laptop if I have to purchase and lug around an external keyboard and an external CD drive?

I am really not sure where the advantage is. Thanks for enlightening me.

 

I didn't read all the responses, so I may have missed someone addressing this, but Adobe is not going to support Flash for mobile devices after a certain amount of time(I'm not sure how long, and dh isn't home). Many sites are already using another encoding system for video(HTML 5, I believe) that works with iPad/iPhone. So yes, right now some video won't work, but in the future this won't be a problem. As for the external keyboard, I have an apple one sitting in my desk drawer that I have used maybe twice. I love the touchscreen! On the iPad2 you can split the keyboard in half and shrink it so you can thumb type with the iPad vertical which is nice, too.

[mommy4ever]

I'm not sure if you need the iPad 2 for that app or not...

 

I have the 64 and the kids have the 16. How much space you need depends on what you want to keep there. I wish I had bought the kids the 32 - 16 can get a little tight. However, I'm pretty good about syncing their iPads regularly. That way I can put on new videos for them to watch (our Discovery Streaming only works at home because we don't have 3G, so I'll often convert the videos to iTunes and then sync them) and switch up the apps a little.

 

Thank you for that! I have been debating what size to get. I go in about 2 hours to purchase one...So I can rule out the 16 for sure, dh says just get the 64 and be done with it, it's only $100 more for double the space...

 

I didn't see the attraction for the ipad until I bought one. I don't know specifically about programming and numerical calculations but I would say that in general, anything you can/want to do on a computer can be accomplished on the ipad but it might require changing the way you think about the task or doing it a little differently. For me, I think the ipad has eliminated the need for a laptop but not necessarily a desktop. I can see our family moving to one shared desktop and individual ipads.

 

I wish I'd known more about the ipads before getting new laptops..lol. Live and learn.

 

Dh has done something (I'm not sure what) where now all I have to do is download the video into one file and then it runs the conversion automatically and ends up in a "converted videos" file.

 

I'd love to know what he did!!!

[lisabees]

I Have a MacBook and iPad. LOVE my MacBook and I am very no-hum about the iPad. Too limiting for me. I wanted a Le Creuset French oven for my birthday. I got the iPad instead. Men.