IPad 2 as College Bound Laptop

[Salt-City_Slasher]

First off, i bought an iPad 2 cause i love being able to read my comics and books somewhere besides my desk.
Not to mention the dozens for cool apps I have already dled.

I have a bestbuy card, but I have around 1000 to spend

Anyways, i needed something that i could take to school and do notes on, and also something to use to research(English, Computer Science, film/animation and Math).

I bought the iPad with the 70$ logitech keyboard that has its own case, and the apple cover, so together they are the size and weight of a smaller laptop.

My question is just for your opinion and i know that its going to be my personal opinion, but i would like some feedback.

My question is whether I should keep my iPad 2 w/keyboard and stylus-pen or should i return it back and get a Mac Book Air??

One of the reasons i got the iPad 2 is cuz I live less than 10 minutes from the Community College and i can just go home and use my desktop or use the computer labs, and if not I can do medium projects on the ipad 2.

I also wanted to know how many people use the iPad as a word processor and web browser for College/Business, without owning a laptop?

 

[cbrunnem]

i wouldnt recommend doing this, i just can see a ipad being able to have 10+ tabs open with ms word and powerpoint open along side itunes. yeah they might be "cool" but they are as practical as they will be in the near future.

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

Thats what i was thinking, and questioning whether the ipad would be a practical solution for the school setting.

I just saw the new mac book airs, and then looked at how much i spent between the 32gb wifi, keyboard, stylus, screen protector, the 1 year bestbuy warranty and the apple cover, and realized i could get the basic mac book air model(with school discount that is)

Even with the new iOS 5, and its tab browsing, it will be cool, but I will have to close and open back n forth between the pages and my browser, but I wonder if iOS 5 will have multi tasking between two apps, like on honeycomb, how u can click the bottom left button, and go back n forth between like 10 apps.


I don't even have to get a mac book air, I could get something for like 500$ from HP and upgrade my desktop with another SSD and a couple more HD, maybe go to Sandy Bridge from my 965BE?

IDK I love my iPad 2, especially after getting the right apps. I thought iOS 5 would make it specially cool for school use. I will have to do some more research.

 

[jsrudd]

I have yet to see anyone use an iPad successfully to replace a laptop in class. If you need to get work done you need to be using a laptop.

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

I don't know, I tear it up on my iPad. I don't even have iOS 5, and I am able to get my work done.

Half of what i do is, logging into math online, and doing the homework, which is looking at the problem, solve and type it in.

For English, i don't have tab browsing yet, but I can have several pages to go back n forth from. With iOS 5, i can manuever between apps, quicker than i could on a computer with a mouse in between programs. With iOS 5, my iPad is going to beat a macbook air.

I will be getting work study, so I will probably save it all up and get a Mac Book Pro. I am only going to the JC for one more year, then its off across the whole valley, from west valley to east side of Salt Lake to the U of U. Then a strong desktop replacement will come in handy.

I will definitely need a laptop, especially if I dont get a dorm. Cause thats a 30 min drive, or 45-60 with car and trax.


I got the keyboard that has its own case, and my ipad just swoops up with it, and when working with them, they take up a smaller foot print than a mac book air.

I don't know if you have ever owned an iPad, but I have loads more fun with it, than i ever did my laptop. I don't have MS Word with all of its editing tools, but I could make a great essay with out in pages. Not to mention I have loaded several pages into Pages, so I have charts and stuff to work with.

So for me, and my 5 minute drive to the Community College, and between my CS classes and the computer labs with my home desktop, I could live with out a laptop. But then i don't mingle with the others, and am not studing in the library or the student center. Which is perfect for me to hang out and use my iPad, when i want to chill at school.

Even if i had a powerful laptop, when doing hardcore research, I wouldn't waste my time on a laptop, I would come home to my triple screen(2 identical 24", and the 3rd is my 42" tv) where I can process lots of information, with 8gb's along with my 965, 128gb SSD, 3tb HD, and my CFX 5770!

 

[cbrunnem]

why did you ask the question then? no offense but you must not really need a laptop for you major if you can be sufficient with an ipad. i tried one out from a friend for a week and gave it back within a day. it was just not powerful enough. i will be more productive then anyone on a ipad on my laptop hands down and how can you switch between apps faster on a mac? on windows it 1 click? but hey if you wanna look good while doing work go ahead and use your ipad but everyone i see that has there ipad out has their laptop right beside it.

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

Well i had a laptop for the last couple of days, and I found it more convenient, to pop out my ipad and flip my cover around, then it was to bust out the laptop, mouse and mousepad.

I am able to just hold the ipad in my hands, while the laptop can be held, but was more stationary on the table.

I am saying it would take less time to 4 finger swipe from the internet page to the word processor, then to click to back n fourth on a mouse, espeically when using the onboard keyboard with the ipad.

Even compared against the mac book air, the ipad takes up less space, so I was able to mount it sitting a computer in the computer rooms. They dont have itunes on the computers, but i can just upload right into my online classes, and if i needed a paper printed for class if i wasn't home, i can access everything from home through an app, plus i can just email the docs to my gmail. I used my moms laptop case for an ipad case, and i was able to fit my ipad, its keyboard, my phone, a skinny english class book and some change n hacky sack, and the case was for her 11" HP laptop. I didn't need to bring a back pack to put the power cord, mouse pad and mouse.


Also one big factor is that I have way more fun on my iPad, rather then my moms laptop. I even put farcry and my steam account on the laptop. I found that when i do meet with friends, its easier to just bust out the ipad and play one-on-one, instead of always trying to get them to get steam and get matching games. So the ipad just works better with using it with others. I can show people work, even for my club projects. I find that people don't want to sit and read off your laptop, but don't mind checking out your stuff on an iPad.

When not home, no matter where i go it will be a bigger hassle to do anything with out my double big screens big desk. So even with a laptop with sandy bridge, I would still be lacking in performance with out the two screens
The laptop that i want to get is the Mac Book Pro, with the keyboad and stylus, I save at least 300-400$ compared to getting the base model of a mac book.

I really dont care how cool i look doing things, I am concerned on how well i can get things done. Is it nice to admit, that it was easy to access my school log in page to get the info i need while waiting in the 30 minute line at Financial Aid. Or to swoop out my class requirements to have an advisor take a gander.

There are 101 ways the ipad can function that a laptop can't. Short of being at a further campus, I don't think a laptop at this point would even be necessary. I still want one, and will probably buy one with my work study, but i have been doing fine with out one and i don't even got iOS 5 or iCloud yet!

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

Best answer selected by Salt-City_Slasher.

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

CLOSING due to age...

All the best Brett