I bought my iPad because I have an app that I'll start working on after the new operating system comes out in November. I really had no idea that it would turn out to be my favorite computer!
I have: a few old Windows laptops and my four year old MacBookPro. For almost all of the things I need a laptop for, the iPad is as good as having the laptop and is often better
kkkI bought my iPad because I have an app that I'll start working on after the new operating system comes out in November. I really had no idea that it would turn out to be my favorite computer!
I have: a few old Windows laptops and my four year old MacBookPro. For almost all of the things I need a laptop for, the iPad is as good as having the laptop and is often better
I bought my iPad because I have an app that I'll start working on after the new operating system comes out in November. I really had no idea that it would turn out to be my favorite computer!
For almost all of the things I need a laptop for, the iPad is as good as a laptop and is often better.
Consider the things that are important in a laptop:
Weight
My MacBook Pro weighs almost 6 lbs and my Windows laptops are even heavier. The iPad 3G is 1.6 lbs - that's a big difference in luggability.
Size
The iPad is small enough to carry easily, but the screen is large enough for me to work comfortably.
If I cannot make out the tiny print on some particular webpage, a quick flick of two fingers blows it up for me instantly.
I can work with this in my lap or standing up because it is small enough and light enough to hold with one hand. The MacBook Pro too hot for my lap and while I might be able to balance it on one hand briefly, that obviously is not safe or comfortable.
Battery Life
The iPad is beyond incredible. I am often up at 6:00 AM and I'll use the iPad off and on all day to do my normal work (email, web browsing, writing) and when I quit at 10:00 PM, it usually still has 10% or more of its charge!
This means that when I go out to a customer, I don't even bother to bring the charger - I won't need it. If I do have to bring a real laptop, I'll probably have to bring either the charger or a spare battery.
It's not a Toy
I've found that many people don't realize how much real work you can do on an iPad. I am a tech guy and often need remote access to my customers machines. I can do that with the iPad: I have VPN capability, SSH, RDP, Webex, VNC and even Citrix. On a recent mini-vacation, I did remote work for a client all the way down the New Jersey Turnpike while my wife drove!
No Entanglements
My MacBook Pro is a great machine, but I usually have it hooked up to its Time Machine drives, an external monitor and a bigger keyboard. If I want to go enjoy nice weather on the back porch, I have to unhook all that, and of course we have that battery life issue again. With the iPad, I just wander wherever I want. It's using my wireless when it can and the 3G the rest of the time.
By the way, I can get away with the $15.00 a month, 250 MB 3G plan and don't even need that all the time. I only turn it on if I have to be out somewhere there will not be wireless access, so so far I have only spent $45.00 with them - most months I have not subscribed. That "turn it on, turn it off" capability cuts down expenses for me.
Warts
No, it isn't perfect. There are some things I need a real computer for and some things that are just easier on a real computer. The new operating system due out soon will make the iPad even more useful, but I suspect it will be a long time before I could use this for everything I need to do.
That's OK. It does more than enough to make this my favorite companion. I like to say it is the perfect second computer, but actually it has become my primary computer - the MacBook is really my second computer now.
ˇ˛The iPad is small enough to carry easily, but the screen is large enough for me to work comfortably. If I cannot make out the tiny print on some particular webpage, a quick flick of two fingers blows it up for me instantly. I can work quite easily with this in my lap or even standing up. The MacBook Pro gets far too hot for my lap and is impossible to use standing up for more than a few seconds.
ˇ˛The iPad is small enough to carry easily, but the screen is large enough for me to work comfortably. If I cannot make out the tiny print on some particular webpage, a quick flick of two fingers blows it up for me instantly. I can work quite easily with this in my lap or even standing up. The MacBook Pro gets far too hot for my lap and is impossible to use standing up for more than a few seconds.
The iPad is small enough to carry easily, but the screen is large enough for me to work comfortably. If I cannot make out the tiny print on some particular webpage, a quick flick of two fingers blows it up for me instantly. I can work quite easily with this in my lap or even standing up. The MacBook Pro gets far too hot for my lap and is impossible to use standing up for more than a few seconds.
The iPad is small enough to carry easily, but the screen is large enough for me to work comfortably. If I cannot make out the tiny print on some particular webpage, a quick flick of two fingers blows it up for me instantly. I can work quite easily with this in my lap or even standing up. The MacBook Pro gets far too hot for my lap and is impossible to use standing up for more than a few seconds.
I have: a few old Windows laptops and my four year old MacBookPro. For almost all of the things I need a laptop for, the iPad is as good as having the laptop and is often better.
I bought my iPad because I have an app that I'll start working on after the new operating system comes out in November. I really had no idea that it would turn out to be my favorite computer!
I have: a few old Windows laptops and my four year old MacBookPro. For almost all of the things I need a laptop for, the iPad is as good as having the laptop and is often better
