iPad owners reviews

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Couldn't find a thread about people who actually have their iPads yet, so here goes it with my thoughts after owning one for 5 days or so.

Size: 32gb wifi
Cost:£529 all in.
From: dvdworldusa

Initial thoughts: usual apple packaging, very high class. First thing that strikes me is the weight of the iPad, its quite a bit heavier than i thought. I don't think its 'heavy' as such, just heavier than I thought and I had a kindle too, which is a fair bit lighter than the iPad for a similar sized device.

First power on: screen brightness and clarity hit home, it's beautiful. Easy to sync up to itunes and go through the standard config options. Though not strictly related to the iPad, i also create a us iTunes account easily enough and get some ppints via maximus.

Usage: first port of call is safari, just to see if browsing is as good as stated. And it is! A joy to use and the next big surprise is the ease of use of the keyboard, its ridiculously easy to use and though to use on a desk you will need the official case to angle it, it's still comfy to use either on your lap or on the arm of your sofa.

Apps: of all the official apps, i probably use safari the most and as stated above, its a joy to use, more in that in a mo. Next is Mail. I use mail a lot for my business and the new ipad version is much better - at least to read mail on, it can still do with a few UI tweaks which will hopefully come in os4.

I have not really delved much into the other apps to deeply, but a couple of miscellaneous observations... iPod needs more features, I don't think you can even shuffle songs? I know some more updates are coming in os4. The app store needs a bit of work too as filtering searches is pretty much non-existent. YouTube the same, filtering searches is a no-no. But overall the apps do a decent job.

Now, must make a mention to the first big change in using the ipad for me - something that lifts the iPad from being 'just a big iphone' and that is the increased screen size and speed of the device has rendered some apps redundant. Namely for me, Facebook and YouTube.

Both official apps are easily surpassed now by going directly to the websites themselves rather than using the apps. I even have a link to the Facebook site on my dock bar that shows up with the F icon. Youtubes main mobile based site works fine and allows for those filtered searches that the app does not. I am sure there are more examples of this too. Safari is that good on the pad.

Day to day usage: using the device daily reveals a couple of things to note. Firstly the battery life is absolutely amazing. I have now idea how try have managed to cram a battery of this capacity in a device as large and powerful as this, it really is one of the technical marvels of the device. Secondly, it smudges like a bastard!! Looks filthy (and i am OCD clean!!) and need regular polishing.

Comfort: many people ask about the typing on the device and i must say it's my other big most pleasing thing about the iPad. I had my doubts, but within a few hours of using the iPad, i could see myself doing work on it with no problems (if only a decent web coding app would be released). The keys are spaced out just right and if you realize this isn't a mobile phone and you cannot 'thumb type' and treat it as a QWERTY, then you shouldn't notice much difference to your standard keyboard. As i mentioned above though, for longer typing, then i recommend the case which angles the board - though I am typing this laying in bed with it on my lap quite comfortably.

3rd party apps: i had an iphone and after having an iPad, i don't think I would download a standard iphone app again unless i absolutely had to. The 'hd' apps are amazing and really are worth investing in. Iphone apps scaled up are hit and miss, some look 'ok' and some just plain awful on the 2x screen.

I have already given some quick thoughts on the games i got in the gaming thread above, but some deserve mention again. Real racing HD, and nova hd really do stand out as apps that can really showcase the iPad. Air video is similarly amazing and works incredibly well. Scrabble HD (us version) is so much better for the bigger screen and the online games over Facebook work nicely and not available in the uk version of the app. Another favourite is pinball HD which is one of those games that is just made for this new device.

HD apps are a little thin on the ground in quality right now, but that will improve of course and its exciting to think where they will be in 6-12 months time.

Closing thoughts: i really do think this is a new breed of device as jobs said - i was as cynical as the next man when he said that. It is a brilliant gaming device, has great potential as a work device, can be used to view and listen to media with an amazing screen, has unbelievable battery life and is an instant pick up use internet and email browser.

It does so much more of course, but its also very portable and great just to have to hand when on the sofa, in bed, relaxing around the house etc... Its just a superb machine and i will close this thread off saying that since tuesday when it arrived, my macbook pro which got used every day, has not been out of it's cover.

That is no sleight on the mbp, but rather an indicator that everything you can do casually on a laptop, either high powered like the mbp, or a netbook, is done better on the iPad. I hope this machine is around for years to come and if it wasn't for the high price, I'd say this was the death of the netbook and possibly in a high % of cases, the notebook, its that good.
 
I wonder how many people will remain unconvinced when they get a play with one and then they really start to understand the concept and that it's different to their expectations.

I hope I'm not disappointed, because it's not a cheap toy and I hope this will be my netbook replacement (the one I've been 'holding off' for).
 
Great review mate and I pretty much agree with you on everything.

Just a quick note about iPod app and shuffle. You can do it but it's not that obvious and depends what view you have in it. Select the "Songs" tab and it's an option just above the first song, if you have it in album view (which I'm sure you will have it as it looks the best) hit play at the top, then when the song starts and goes to full cover art, tap the screen once and hit the icon to the right of the time bar.
 
Thanks for the excellent review.

Two small questions, both related.

Laying in bed, and sitting back on a comfy sofa (both ideal scenarios for the device)

On a Laptop your hands lay flat on the keyboard and you angle the screen so you can see it well.

When you are sitting "back" in both these scenarios above, are you finding you using the knees up posture in bed and feet on a coffee table when sitting on the sofa?

Just wondering how you find keeping it at a good viewable angle and using the keyboard.
 
Had mine 24 hours... It's an epic win...

The Missus found out how to convert her massive ebook library (in various formats) to epub and load them onto the ipad and well.. the rest is history!

She's also floating the idea of us being a two tablet household, and as such hanging on for the Notion Ink Adam because of its Pixel QI display that should allow her to read ebooks at the poolside in direct sunlight (not easily satisfied my missus, but hey ho.. its a tough life)... but she's a wonderful wife in her "techiness", not to mention blonde, boobie, tall, smarter than me (not hard) and gorgeous so I gotta go with her verdict and as such, the iPad is a massive thumbs up - so far - :)

And as for MY review... Its SHINY!... What else matters?? :smashin:
 
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Thanks for the excellent review.

Two small questions, both related.

Laying in bed, and sitting back on a comfy sofa (both ideal scenarios for the device)

On a Laptop your hands lay flat on the keyboard and you angle the screen so you can see it well.

When you are sitting "back" in both these scenarios above, are you finding you using the knees up posture in bed and feet on a coffee table when sitting on the sofa?

Just wondering how you find keeping it at a good viewable angle and using the keyboard.

This is one of my only minor gripes with the iPad. If you are sitting back on the sofa relaxing or in bed you do need to prop your knees to use the keypad properly. This can be partially solved by propping the ipad with a cushion on your lap. I do not have an official case but hope that this would go some way to addressing this problem

However if you think about it the above is simply trying to use the iPad as you would a laptop. This is not really a fair comparison as it is a different beast really and There are quite a few positions that are unique to the iPad -for example- holding it one hand while standing/lying and surfing the internet by casual flicks of the other hand.

This is how I spend most of the time on the iPad. When holding like this as text entry is usually minimal (maybe entering a few words in google) I tend to either use the free hand to enter text or use both thumbs (contrary to what you have head this is possible although slow, and depends on how big your hands are)

It is when I have to enter longer strings of text (such as this post!) that I have to shift my position. I am currently sitting with my legs stretched fully out on a chaise long and have a small cushion under the iPad to create an angle to type. Feels comfortable enough and I would echo what the others had said about the keyboard being a joy to use.

I have had my ipad since release day and can hands down say that it is the best gadget that I have ever bought ( and I own quite a few)
I have been using it pretty much non stop since getting it as I have been in annual leave and am astounded by the battery life- despite all day incessant use the battery will always last a day. That is with wifi on and normal brightness settings.

This means that you really only need to tether it overnight. It is so liberating to have such a truly mobile device of this calibre. You just pick up and go. I use it in several rooms of my house through the day- wake up and check my emails in bed- take down for breakfast and casually surf/listen to some tunes. Walk through to living room and check out what is new at the apple store to rent. Through the day it is within easy access and you can simply pick up and literally within 3-4 seconds are connected to the web.

At night I usually take up to bed and read with the iBook application or watch a flick in bed. Ibooks is awesome and I am a few hundred pages into a great Stephen king book at present. I have read for several hours continuously and found no problems personally with eyestrain etc.

I jumped on the whole netbook bandwagon last year and bought a ASUS eeepc 901 which I hardly ever used. The battery life was **** poor and the screen and keyboard tiny. This is really the device that fills the whole netbook remit pefectly and applle where spot on with the the whole 'third category'
Idea.

Another aspect that is great is the accessibility for the young or old. My wife is always struggling with using the MacBook and the multitouch keypad setup with spaces and j-touch. She is forever accidentally triggering things and opening applications by accident. With the iPad within seconds she was surfing and shopping online. There is nothing you can really muck up with this device!
I can definitely see a huge market for the elderly and computer illiterate.

My wife also loves the photo application on the device- it really is like having never-ending photo album to hand.

In short buy one!:clap:
For me it is truly indispensable after only a few weeks
 
Thanks for the excellent review.

Two small questions, both related.

Laying in bed, and sitting back on a comfy sofa (both ideal scenarios for the device)

On a Laptop your hands lay flat on the keyboard and you angle the screen so you can see it well.

When you are sitting "back" in both these scenarios above, are you finding you using the knees up posture in bed and feet on a coffee table when sitting on the sofa?

Just wondering how you find keeping it at a good viewable angle and using the keyboard.

The screen is so good, that even if you are sitting up (say in bed) with the device flat on your lap, then you can still type and see the screen perfectly well.

I'd agree its not quite as comfortable as a laptop in that position, but its a fair comparison.

Personally as said above, you will need the case IMO just to give you that natural keyboard angle - I cannot wait to get it!
 
I've not seen many people talk about what the mrs and I will be using it for quite alot.

TV.

The webpage TVCatchup - Never Miss A Show Again (App coming soon) is a revelation in our house. The Mrs uses it loads when the little one has commandeered the main TV. But she uses it on her iPhone.

Imaging the practicality of having a truly portable TV where ever you go.

You can put a conventional TV anywhere, but its getting a signal to it that's the problem. I plan to get the official case too, so it will stand up anywhere.

Bedroom, kitchen, conservatory, garden!

Anyone with a iPad using tvcatchup?
 
Yup! Absolutely brilliant, quality is great for me (over WiFi) - be happier with a native res (or a dedicated app), but still, its very good.

With TV Catchup, AirVideo and iTunes (downloaded The Office from the US Store last night) - let alone your own vids that you can store on it, this is a brilliant portable video device with a wealth of content. :clap:

I've also got some old "TV Out" cables that I've yet to try to see if they work with the iPad - be great to stream some HD vid via AirVideo onto a large TV. Must try that...

I've not seen many people talk about what the mrs and I will be using it for quite alot.

TV.

The webpage TVCatchup - Never Miss A Show Again (App coming soon) is a revelation in our house. The Mrs uses it loads when the little one has commandeered the main TV. But she uses it on her iPhone.

Imaging the practicality of having a truly portable TV where ever you go.

You can put a conventional TV anywhere, but its getting a signal to it that's the problem. I plan to get the official case too, so it will stand up anywhere.

Bedroom, kitchen, conservatory, garden!

Anyone with a iPad using tvcatchup?
 
Yup! Absolutely brilliant, quality is great for me (over WiFi) - be happier with a native res (or a dedicated app), .

A dedicated app is in for approval, but its taking ages and ages, dunno why.

Also HD channels are coming soon.

BBC1
BBC2
ITV1
Ch4
Five
ITV2
E4
BBC-HD

They will look better.
 
Cool, surely it blurs the lines of legality though?...

A dedicated app is in for approval, but its taking ages and ages, dunno why.

Also HD channels are coming soon.

BBC1
BBC2
ITV1
Ch4
Five
ITV2
E4
BBC-HD

They will look better.
 
Cool, surely it blurs the lines of legality though?...

I'm not sure on all that side of it, all i know is i pay my licence, so i'm ok.

Found this:

IMPORTANT: TV LICENSING & STUDENTS

Mobile access is certainly causing a stir amongst iPhone users, and one of the most frequently asked questions we hear concerns TV licensing.

Generally, everyone equipped to watch TV as it is being broadcast (including users of this website, whatever they use) are required to be in possession of a valid TV licence. Details of your obligations can be found by going to: TV Licensing - Home

This does not necessarily apply to students using laptops or mobile devices to view content. The TV Licensing Agency advise that you do NOT need to hold a TV licence in your own name provided all of the following apply:

* You only use TV receiving equipment that is powered by its internal batteries; and
* You have not installed it (e.g. connected it to an aerial or plugged it into the mains) to receive TV; and
* Your permanent address (non term-time) is your parents' home; and
* Your parents have a valid TV Licence for their home.


Confirmation of this can be found by clicking HERE

It is the user’s responsibility to read the information provided by the TV Licensing Agency carefully and to comply with the law. If in doubt, please call them direct on 0844 800 6721

Accordingly, we are pleased to advise an alteration to our Terms of Service: those student Members meeting the eligibility criteria published by the TV Licensing Agency are no longer required to be in possession of a television licence to use this website.

Whilst this website does not retain records that could identify any individual users or their access to content, all other users are reminded that they are otherwise required to be covered by a valid TV licence or risk legal action.

Dan
Admin
 
I've not seen many people talk about what the mrs and I will be using it for quite alot.

TV.

The webpage TVCatchup - Never Miss A Show Again (App coming soon) is a revelation in our house. The Mrs uses it loads when the little one has commandeered the main TV. But she uses it on her iPhone.

Imaging the practicality of having a truly portable TV where ever you go.

You can put a conventional TV anywhere, but its getting a signal to it that's the problem. I plan to get the official case too, so it will stand up anywhere.

Bedroom, kitchen, conservatory, garden!

Anyone with a iPad using tvcatchup?


Anybody got any idea if there's a US equivalent of TVcatchup that would work on the ipad? I know there's the ABC player but is there anything that allows you to watch other channels?:smashin:
 
Just think about it.........

Having sex with the missus (missionary position) and you can have a porn video running on your iPad, sitting flat on the pillow above her head so you can watch that at the same time.

Result! :thumbsup: :D
 
One of the good things about the Apple case is that you can prop it up on its own flap thing to make typing on a flat surface easier. I have found it a bit frustrating at times to get 100% comfy with the iPad while sitting though.

So far the device has exceeded my expectations, I really don't think the demo videos do it justice. I'm trying to use it as a laptop replacement for some of my work and all personal stuff at the moment. I can see my wife swapping her Macbook for one when they're out in the UK as she loves it.
 
A couple of observations:

1. The Apple case is great, but getting the iPad in and out isn't that easy so it's a bit of a trade off. One of our uses is on it's dock as a photo frame. but you can't do that when it's in it's case...

2. Although the Photos app is nice it lacks the functionality of iPhoto for things like uploading to Facebook. It was intended to replace my wife's iBook but right now she can't upload an album to Facebook so it's not 100% there... I guess the Facebook app lets you upload one at a time, but that's not ideal!
 
A couple of observations:

1. The Apple case is great, but getting the iPad in and out isn't that easy so it's a bit of a trade off. One of our uses is on it's dock as a photo frame. but you can't do that when it's in it's case...

2. Although the Photos app is nice it lacks the functionality of iPhoto for things like uploading to Facebook. It was intended to replace my wife's iBook but right now she can't upload an album to Facebook so it's not 100% there... I guess the Facebook app lets you upload one at a time, but that's not ideal!

Can you not go via the Facebook website instead of using an App?
 
Can you not go via the Facebook website instead of using an App?
I must confess I haven't tried, but I don't think their Java applet will navigate the iPhone OS file structure? Also having got used to using iPhoto to throw whole albums onto Facebook in a single click it would be nice to see the iPad allow the same...
 
Great review! :smashin:

I have just bought an Acer Timeline notebook which is due to be delivered today and after reading this I am very tempted on sending it back.

I will be using this mainly for emailing and browsing so obviously this would be perfect. However I would also need to use applications such as Dreamweaver to do the odd basic updates to my website, I not to sure if this would be an ideal tool to achieve this?

What should I do, should I send back my new Notebook :confused: This really does sound like something special.

Any feedback on using applications would be appreciated.
 
If its just basic updates, then you will be fine. Dont want to get too much in Apps here as its really not the thread, but there are 2 main Web Development apps, Gusto and Markup. Both $9.99 and I took the plunge yesterday with Gusto as their studio updates Twitter alot and shows willingness to improve and update the App.

It would certainly surfice for basic updates - I'm a fully fledged web developer with over 150 clients, and I could use Gusto to maintain my sites - probably not build a new one yet, but its certainly a good tool :smashin:

Other than that, the iPad would be far better than a notebook to be honest for what you will be using it for - instant on, superb web browser and email access (that is getting updated in OS4), multitasking (OS4), great for consuming video and music... man, I could go on and on!

There are a lot of my friends and people I know through forums that poo-poo the iPad and say a notebook is miles better (and yes, I know it depends on what you want it for), but to me, these people have never tried the iPad and probably couldnt afford it either, so its a bit of the green-eyed monster when they instantly dismiss it.

You wont be disappointed.

If you have any specific questions, then please let me know.

Great review! :smashin:

I have just bought an Acer Timeline notebook which is due to be delivered today and after reading this I am very tempted on sending it back.

I will be using this mainly for emailing and browsing so obviously this would be perfect. However I would also need to use applications such as Dreamweaver to do the odd basic updates to my website, I not to sure if this would be an ideal tool to achieve this?

What should I do, should I send back my new Notebook :confused: This really does sound like something special.

Any feedback on using applications would be appreciated.
 
Just think about it.........

Having sex with the missus (missionary position) and you can have a porn video running on your iPad, sitting flat on the pillow above her head so you can watch that at the same time.

Result! :thumbsup: :D

Just be careful the iPad doesn't have any sharp edges. You don't wanna burst her. Puncture repair kits can be a real pain to use in the heat of the moment.
 
Great review! :smashin:

I have just bought an Acer Timeline notebook which is due to be delivered today and after reading this I am very tempted on sending it back.

I will be using this mainly for emailing and browsing so obviously this would be perfect. However I would also need to use applications such as Dreamweaver to do the odd basic updates to my website, I not to sure if this would be an ideal tool to achieve this?

What should I do, should I send back my new Notebook :confused: This really does sound like something special.

Any feedback on using applications would be appreciated.

I'm in a similar position to you, although slightly different in that I got the Acer Timeline laptop before xmas.

It's a great laptop by the way, perfect for web browsing etc...

That's my main use as well and I'm seriuosly interested in the iPad for this very reason.

The only thing I use on the laptop and cant seem to get on the iPad is Sky Player which uses "SilverLight". I watch all the sports channels etc and its great for this.

So I'll probably get one and keep both until Apple allow third party software on the iPad then I have my perfect device!!! :D
 
I was reading a book on ours* last night and the best thing about it was that you don't have to adjust your postion for the 'side' of the book you're reading! I find that when I'm reading a book you can end up moving to accomodate the shape/faces of the book, but the iPad only has one face so you can stay in the same positon!

*Technically the iPad we own at the moment is my wife's although my master plan is to get her a 16GB WiFi in the not too distant future, and I'll have the 64GB 3G!
 

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