Get Real, Gizmodo. iPad Doesn't Fly

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the Tom's Guide community: where nearly two million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Dkz

Distinguished
Oct 16, 2009
92
0
18,580
Guys, keyboards haven't change much since the old typing machines, why on Earth would you think a flat screen with touchy surface can actually replace the real deal?
 

JohnnyLucky

Distinguished
May 30, 2007
990
0
18,930
I was at a "Best Buy" store that had ipads on display. Just for the heck of it I tried using the touchscreen keyboard. Typing was a bit odd. The locations of the keys were off and typing felt odd.
 
G

Guest

Guest
A small touch screen keyboard cannot replace a regular keyboard, whatever may be the technology. Even cant think about typing in such a keyboard. The success of ipad is mainly due to the brand name of Apple. It is still a costly product with a number of alternatives.
 
Tuan you need to give this guy a raise and a pat on the back.

Great article James.

Be keen to see you doing reviews on a heap of Netbooks because I don't want to buy the kids one until I can figure out if they are worth it either ...
 
G

Guest

Guest
I recently travelled with my Macbook pro and IPAD and was able to connect the macbook to the internet using a USB 3G dongle on pay as you go. I then using sharing on the laptop which creates a wireless network with WEP encryption to connect the IPAD. While this may not be an ideal solution at least it would allow you to load up anything you needed for the flight back. Eventually you should be able to do something similar with the Iphone. I am on 3.1.3 and jailbroken with Spirit but tethering not working until unlock comes out.
 

Avariche

Distinguished
Jun 21, 2006
13
0
18,560
I always take a wifi AP with me on trips just so I don't have to deal with that cable. As for productivity, Swype may make that more of a possibility if they add it to the iPad. Netbooks may reign for a while longer in the small and portable business device.
 

jamezrp

Distinguished
Feb 6, 2009
104
0
18,630
Glad to hear you guys liked the article!

To respond to a few comments, as explained in the article jailbreaking was not done for this trip. Actually wasn't able to because I was testing iPhone OS 4.0 Beta 3, and when I realized that MyWi would be perfect, I was stuck because I didn't have a Mac and couldn't put 3.1.3 back on my iPhone without one.

Also, of course Apple isn't looking to throw away their Macbooks. Not yet anyways. That's my point exactly, that the iPad does not replace a laptop, and isn't intended to, even according to Apple.
 

long2know

Distinguished
Mar 6, 2010
68
0
18,580
[citation][nom]jamezrp[/nom]Compared to what on the DS or PSP? Bear in mind that the iPad has been out for less than 2 months, and companies haven't even begun to test out how much it can handle, compared to the five years of the PSP and DS.[/citation]
The iPad has been out for like 3+ years now. It's just an big iPhone.
 

jamezrp

Distinguished
Feb 6, 2009
104
0
18,630
If you say so smlong426, but even if you believe that, the iPad is more powerful as a system than the iPhone, whichever model. The technical specs are far better in every way. Now if you mean the software, then yes, that's been readily available for some time, but just because you have development software available, doesn't mean you can make a game properly.
 
G

Guest

Guest
The saddest thing? You're on a 4-day vacation with your family and you have to work. No you don't! You have to spend time with your family and, if the kids are in bed, with your wife and, if she's in bed, chill out. You do not HAVE to work. Give your folks some time, dude... Peace xx
 

jamezrp

Distinguished
Feb 6, 2009
104
0
18,630
Very true PM Dorking, though most of the work was just for the flight. I had a few things I did here and there, when everyone was taking a lazy day's nap, but never let work interfere with a good vacation!

Bad vacations, on the other hand...
 
G

Guest

Guest
We learned this long ago in the clinic. Trying to push these Tablets on MD's or the general public is crazy. They simply lower the productive output of our nurses and physicians. People are so stupid. Put an Apple logo on anything and the press just falls over. "Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed... I will. I got spare time. But for now, for your customer's sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality product from me."
 
G

Guest

Guest
Good article! I think I'll go ahead and throw in my two cents.

Recently my laptop broke down (first gen intel MBP). There was hope though! I have recently graduated from college and graduation money and gifts were starting to come in. I told my parents of my plight and they told me not to worry... Naturally I assumed that they would get me a new laptop as a gift.

When they showed up in town I was naturally excited, because I haven't had a new tech toy in roughly four years (thanks college). The box they gave me was curiously smaller than what I was expecting. Long story short, I got an iPad.

So I was presented with a tough choice. Ask my parents to return the gift and use that money and put it towards a new laptop, or accept it and work it into my electronic routine? I thought about it over night and made a list of things that I do normally with a laptop. The only thing on that list that I couldn't do with an iPad was gaming. So with that rationalizing (and a good mixture of fear and preemptive guilt about being rude) I stuck with the iPad.. And it's been pretty good to me so far.

I've got a job right now working as essentially a glorified secretary, and I have to write up reports and memos pretty constantly. As a result I've gotten decent enough at typing to where I don't even need the keyboard for things that are less than 800-1000 words or so. For about the period of a month, I really needed to carry the keyboard with me everywhere, which isn't actually that big of a deal. Also, I still have yet to change the batteries on it (AA), and I've been using it pretty constantly for a month now. However, I couldn't imagine using this thing (typing on it write now) for anything other than word processing.

I'm about to go on two big trips, one to Maryland and then to Japan for a couple of weeks. I don't have a 3G model, but I fortunately got the massive 64GB hard drive and because of this article I'm making sure to load it up with enough offline entertainment just in case I can't go online. Sadly, my only computer is a Dell from 2006 running a p4 and ripping a single DVD can take the better part of 3 hours...

P.S. As for making the ipad more productive, I honestly would recommend buying the keyboard. While typing out a comment on a blog isn't too stressful on the digits, writing out 10 page reports can get tedious and error filled. Investing in Pages is also a really good idea.

For an idea that doesn't give Apple more money, I recommend getting a briefcase or an attaché case. It works as a non-toolish way to carry it around (until of course you whip out your WSJ/NYT and your iPad) and also acts as a good way to either block the Sun, elevate/angle the screen, easily store the various accessories (keyboard, wall charger, what have you), and is acceptably professional. Once you are out of college and in an office, using a backpack or messenger bag looks kinda juvenile (and creepy after a certain point).

P.P.S: Using a backpack/messenger bag is ok if you bike to work, but even then one can act like a tool if you have to make sure that everyone knows that you biked to work (personal pet peeve).
 
G

Guest

Guest
Use an airport express and set up an ad-hoc LAN. Problem SOLVED!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.