iPad in Canada. Ridiculous Pricing

[Zero82z]

Well this product isn't for any of you guys but I sure like it. For me I don't have a laptop and I don't need a laptop as I never found a use for one as my smart phone does almost everything I want on the go. But now that I am going to college I will need a portable device to type on.

So my options right now are fairly limited for cheap devices.

I can get a cheap netbook, a tablet, or an iPad.

A cheap netbook may be cheaper but you get a crappy cramped keyboard that is not fun to use. You get such a small screen that using a full sized OS is not an enjoyable experience. And the worst of all it is extremely slow to use. So the net book option is out of the question unless I can get a used full sized laptop.

O.k. now I could go for a tablet but then you run into many of the problems stated above. Slow and a full sized OS simply does not work.

Now lets look at the iPad. With a stand and a FULL sized keyboard it is enjoyable to type on. It has a beautiful screen with the BY FAR the best work software on the go for that size of screen. IT is very fast. I don't know why any body would say other wise. It has more than enough batter life. 10 hours is a long time and yes it DOES get ten hours.

The iPad's touch keyboard is not any bigger than a 10" netbook's keyboard will be, and I guarantee you that a netbook will be more enjoyable (or less of a pain in the ass, rather) to type on than an iPad. A touch keyboard is a novelty. Try writing a paper on an iPad and your fingers will feel like they're about to fall off before you're halfway through. Not to mention the fact that if you plan on getting any real work done you're going to need a real word processing program like Word (which is the best out there, bar none) or OpenOffice Writer in a pinch.

As for speed, Windows is more than usable on a netbook when it comes to simple tasks like word processing or basic internet surfing. Now, I personally think that netbooks are a pain in the ass to use compared to a full laptop, but they are still much better than something like the iPad for the kinds of things you're talking about.

I also believe this is BY FAR the best e-book reader as it is not hard on the eyes and has colour and is very fast. One thing that kept me away from the kindle is that it is to dam slow. This is much better to read your kid a book in colour or read your kid a comic book than a black and white kindle. Plus it can do more.

Why would I ever by a kindle now? Why would I ever buy a @$^&&* almost unusable netbook now? The iPad is a great device and I will be getting one. It CAN do everything I WANT on the go and do it better than any other cheap device and do more at the same time.

Colour is not something you want from an eBook reader. What you want is a screen that is very readable. You want the closest thing to real paper as you can get, which is an e-ink display. The iPad has an LCD display, which is nowhere near as good as something like the Kindle or the nook.

Netbooks are hardly unusable for the kinds of things you're talking about, and compared to the iPad, they are more versatile and can do much more.

 

[Neolithium_Wpg]

I'll stick with my old school books made of paper, and my iPhone. Sure I gave the iPad a decent glance, but cannot for the life of me, in any possible way justify paying that much for something that will end up a paperweight on my coffee table while I work on a notebook.

 

[belgolas]

Well you guys obviously fail to read my posts. I said I would be using a keyboard. Either a blue tooth keyboard or the keyboard dock. I also read text on my PC for hours at a time with no effects on my eyes. Many of the reviews state that reading on the iPad is a pleasure. Plus usually I don't read longer than an hour or 2. The word processing program on the iPad is a FULL desktop class software. I don't know why people say it isn't. Also there is USB you just have to get a add in card.

The iPad can do a ton more than a netbook can do on a crappy atom CPU.

The iPad is simply the best internet surfing device except for flash but honestly I don't use flash or visit many websites with flash. Don't tell me a net book is better at web surfing.

As far as touch keyboards go I have typed several pages of text on my iPhone and it can be done. Not the most enjoyable but easily done. Besides you can use a full keyboard anyways so doesn't matter.

Oh and I also forgot to mention that the iPad is the best mobile gaming platform as well. It is much better than the PSP and DSi and I have used them as well.

I am well informed about what the iPad can and can not do and it fits almost perfectly for what I want it to do.

Can't believe I am defending an apple product but I guess since this is a windows forum there will be a lot of haters.

 

[Arinoth]

Well this product isn't for any of you guys but I sure like it. For me I don't have a laptop and I don't need a laptop as I never found a use for one as my smart phone does almost everything I want on the go. But now that I am going to college I will need a portable device to type on.

So my options right now are fairly limited for cheap devices.

I can get a cheap netbook, a tablet, or an iPad.

A cheap netbook may be cheaper but you get a crappy cramped keyboard that is not fun to use. You get such a small screen that using a full sized OS is not an enjoyable experience. And the worst of all it is extremely slow to use. So the net book option is out of the question unless I can get a used full sized laptop.

O.k. now I could go for a tablet but then you run into many of the problems stated above. Slow and a full sized OS simply does not work.

Now lets look at the iPad. With a stand and a FULL sized keyboard it is enjoyable to type on. It has a beautiful screen with the BY FAR the best work software on the go for that size of screen. IT is very fast. I don't know why any body would say other wise. It has more than enough batter life. 10 hours is a long time and yes it DOES get ten hours.

Now the iPad doesn't have flash so that is a small minus as I don't go to many sites that need flash and if I do it can wait till I get home to use my beast of a machine. It also can't do multitasking but it is already jail broken so multitasking will come so no minus there plus it is rumored that apple will include multitasking in iPhone OS 4.0. It also doesn't have a camera but I will always keep my phone with me so that doesn't matter.

The battery last longer than my phone and it can do more. There are hundreds of thousands of apps that work on it and over 2000 apps right now design for it and MANY more coming.

I also believe this is BY FAR the best e-book reader as it is not hard on the eyes and has colour and is very fast. One thing that kept me away from the kindle is that it is to dam slow. This is much better to read your kid a book in colour or read your kid a comic book than a black and white kindle. Plus it can do more.

Why would I ever by a kindle now? Why would I ever buy a @$^&&* almost unusable netbook now? The iPad is a great device and I will be getting one. It CAN do everything I WANT on the go and do it better than any other cheap device and do more at the same time.

I don't understand the college arguement of needing a computer. I've gone through almost 5 years of college/university and there never has been a moment where i've 'needed' my own computer. Course/labs that need you to use compuers book you in lab times so you can use the schools computers and the software on it. Hell there are always open access labs too that are open for anyone to use, so again i've never needed a computer in class. You're going to take notes, great if you are taking business, crappy if you are going into the sciences and technologies as drawing on paper is a lot easier and less time consuming then a tablet or an iPad.

 

[AkG]

Not haters...just skeptics.
IF you think its a good fit....go for it.
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad as more powerful then the new dual core atoms.
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad as a good gaming platform (the battery life will be crap).
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad as a better internet device then a netbook, laptop or even smart phone
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad's word processor is as good as even openoffice let alone word or wordperfect
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad's screen as better then e-ink for reading
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad's ergonomics as a good notetaking device (using a addon to get a keyboard is KLUDGE)

You are obviously the market demographic for it and I am not.

 

[geokilla]

Not haters...just skeptics.
IF you think its a good fit....go for it.
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad as more powerful then the new dual core atoms.
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad as a good gaming platform (the battery life will be crap).
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad as a better internet device then a netbook, laptop or even smart phone
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad's word processor is as good as even openoffice let alone word or wordperfect
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad's screen as better then e-ink for reading
I personally cant imagine how anyone can think of the ipad's ergonomics as a good notetaking device (using a addon to get a keyboard is KLUDGE)

You are obviously the market demographic for it and I am not.

+1

Have fun doing what you say you'll do on the iPad belgolas. Don't forget to report back with your experience. Just know that you can currently sell it for profit at the moment so if you ever change your mind and want to get rid of it, do it quickly!

Best mobile gaming platform... do more than an Atom... lol. I like how you completely ignored me saying CULV is right for you.

 

[chrisk]

Don't get me wrong belgolas; there is a place for a product like the iPad. I just think its too expensive, and the lack of USB is huge for me, and I think it will for you too if you plan on using this in the manner you suggested. I think flash will come eventually; watch out though, many sites use Flash now for navigation (ie. course signup pages, mark updates, etc), and many instructors use flash videos and flash animations in their online lessons, and take it for granted that users will be able to see them. You would have to head home to your PC to do this if Apples does not come through with flash support.

You seem to have your mind made up, so I hope the iPad works well for you and you don't regret your purchase. Don't write off my opinion as 'PC guy hates Mac' though, as I just foresee some significant issues. I know that when I went to university, a USB or floppy drive was key to sharing resources and getting work done, and if you want to be sharing with your classmates, you need to make it easy for them to do so or they just won't share resources with you.

 

[rapmaster]

belgolas, I agree with geokilla that CULV notebook is what fit your need the most. The keyboard won't be cramp and the performance will be much better than a netbook or IPad. The battery life is very good too. The best part is it won't cost much more than the IPad, if not on par.

 

[belgolas]

Why is everyone saying the battery life is bad? Sure it is not as good as a kindle but it has 10 hours of battery as tested by reviewers. That is more than a net book or a laptop.

 

[Zero82z]

Well you guys obviously fail to read my posts. I said I would be using a keyboard. Either a blue tooth keyboard or the keyboard dock. I also read text on my PC for hours at a time with no effects on my eyes. Many of the reviews state that reading on the iPad is a pleasure. Plus usually I don't read longer than an hour or 2. The word processing program on the iPad is a FULL desktop class software. I don't know why people say it isn't. Also there is USB you just have to get a add in card.

So with $200 worth of accessories and crap that you have to carry around, an iPad can approach the level of functionality that a netbook already has built in. Now your argument really doesn't make sense. Why go through the hassle instead of just getting something that has all the features you need right out of the box?

The iPad can do a ton more than a netbook can do on a crappy atom CPU.

That's ridiculous. Even an Atom CPU is much more powerful than the processor used in the iPad. Have you ever actually used a netbook? They're hardly powerful machines, but they are plenty fast for running Office and browsing the internet.

I'm not telling you this because I want to belittle your choices. I'm telling you this because I know what will be beneficial for you as a student, and I can tell you from personal experience that the extra features a netbook or laptop has and an iPad does not have will be extremely useful to you once you are in college and are using your computer as a tool for school purposes on a daily basis.