iPad - worth it or no?

[Eohuo]

Ok so I am heavily debating getting an iPad at the moment (probably a lower end side just for (1) techPeen (2) browsing and (3) goofing around). In the past ive been 100% a laptop guy, but just want something else for the times when I want to step away from the game and "disconnect." So flat out, is this product worth getting? Should i wait until next gen comes around? Any help at all would be greatly appreciated - I really don't know what to look for in apple stuff since I have been a PC/laptop guy forever.

[Julian]

In before a ton of "apple sucks" and apple fanboys

but my honest opinion:

Do you have $500 to waste? If $500 means nothing to you (or $700 for the other model), then go ahead, what do you have to lose? Worst case it'll gather a ton of dust and you wont use it.

On a serious note: Have you ever used an itouch or an iphone? Because that's basically what an ipad is, but bigger. I doubt it will in any way replace the functionality of a laptop, unless ALL you do is just browse. The apps are mostly gimmicks, some do neat stuff, but I don't really see them replacing programs that you would have on an actual computer/laptop.

[Eohuo]

Basically I started looking into it because if I get on my non-work laptop (or even my netbook) - I have ff on there. And generally speaking, if I am using it, its running in the background of whatever im doing so I can craft, do events, what have you. When I say disconnect - I do not want to run programs aside from browsing/reading. If I got one, I would get the keyboard doc if I were to do e-mails but I would not be requiring any sort of intense operating system. This is more for coffee-shop activities.

[Caiyuo]

I came across this article recently after a similar topic popped up and thought the author made a lot of good points, especially in reference to first generation stuff as well as the explicit purpose and gadget-void it fills being kind of ambiguous right now: http://www.fastcompany.com/1604832/w...uy-an-ipad-yet

[Eohuo]

Ok so I think I made my decision with the help of a great flow chart. I guess I will wait until 2nd gen at least.

http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen...UY-AN-IPAD.jpg

[dejet]

Basically I started looking into it because if I get on my non-work laptop (or even my netbook) - I have ff on there. And generally speaking, if I am using it, its running in the background of whatever im doing so I can craft, do events, what have you. When I say disconnect - I do not want to run programs aside from browsing/reading. If I got one, I would get the keyboard doc if I were to do e-mails but I would not be requiring any sort of intense operating system. This is more for coffee-shop activities.

If this is true, then it might be worth getting one for you. If you lied in any way on this post, the most likely not.

[nitsuj]

The iPad is a really cool device for what it does. But it's definitely a luxury item. If you like gadgets and have the extra money, you'll definitely love it.

Even the haters on here (and other sites) would love it if they had one. But like the haters are quick to point out, it's $500 you probably don't *need* to spend. But if you can spare it, you'll thank yourself later

[Stiker]

But like the haters are quick to point out, it's $500 you probably don't *need* to spend.

That's not being a hater, that's being frugal and a smart consumer.

[Ksandra]

Get an iPhone if you really want something like it. It's the same thing, except it'll actually fit in your pocket. And when the novelty of the extra stuff starts to wear off, at least you're still making phone calls out of it.

[Katlan]

wait for 2nd generation when they have 10x the functionality as the first generation for less then 1/2 the price

[Eohuo]

See I don't know if I am 100% convinced the price reduction will be as dramatic as it has been in the past for other Apple items. They have gone through time after time of bitchy consumers that bought the thing a week before the price cut and after that they ended up even paying out to make them shut up. With that said, I am anticipating a 15-20% reduction at most. The competition, while many are in significant development stages, still hasn't really caught up to the point of floor dropping price movement. Might just be me on that front, but thats my two cents.

I think I am going to wait it out until the second gen, and get a 2nd netbook to meddle with for now. I figure I will modify it for what i initially planned, and will save at least 200 bucks getting the gateway LT2106u for 299 with no shipping.

[Mayareira]

Its an apple classic, wait for 2nd or 3rd generations.

Its good for what it does, browsing, etc....generally what people do with netbook computers. Its just that the future generations of the product will far exceed the first one and may even be cheaper. You'll probably end up regretting your purchase when new ones come out.

[Darus Grey]

Actually I was originally very against the iPad, but there's a single aspect of it that has turned me around.

$29.99 unlimited wireless plan, and no need for a phone.

Every other carrier charges at least $59-$80/month for the same thing.

I'm going to sell my iphone, buy a cheap ass shitbeater phone on a friends plan for $10/m(cause I seriously use less than 10minutes a month, the calls I get are important, just not frequent).

and buy an Ipad, I get the 3g wireless functionality that was really what I used my iphone for 99% of the time, along with all the apps I already own.

The de-bundling of data from voice is a huge value, cause I was spending $60 a month on the minimum voice plan that I simply didn't need, just to get at the 3g internet access.

Granted I could buy a netbook and get 3g, but that actually costs MORE over the period of a year because I need to pay at least $59.99 for the same plan they're offering with the iPad.

[Krandor]

And what if you're in a situation where you can't lug around an ipad (or if you're out in direct sunlight and your ipad overheats!) and want to look up something on your phone? You just fucked yourself.

The ONLY redeeming value of the iPad as far as I'm concerned is the Marvel Comics app they launched with it, but that is absolutely not worth the price of entry. If they handed me an ipad for free, yeah I'd be down with it.

[Darus Grey]

And what if you're in a situation where you can't lug around an ipad (or if you're out in direct sunlight and your ipad overheats!) and want to look up something on your phone? You just fucked yourself.

The ONLY redeeming value of the iPad as far as I'm concerned is the Marvel Comics app they launched with it, but that is absolutely not worth the price of entry. If they handed me an ipad for free, yeah I'd be down with it.

What if a meteor struck my iPad and I could no longer use it?!?!?

OMGZ YOU'RE RIGHT.

[LinktheDeme]

What if a meteor struck my iPad and I could no longer use it?!?!?

OMGZ YOU'RE RIGHT.

then you'd sell it on the internet for over 20x what you paid for it depending on the size of the meteor and buy two more

edit:
pro tip: Was funnier/better before you added the defense to it as the defense that you wrote out was implied and now you are just opening up a debate rather than getting the point across

[Ksandra]

Cause last I checked I took my notebook everyfuckingwhere when I used to have one.

holy nerd alert right there.


<3

[Darus Grey]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

[Eohuo]

Granted I could buy a netbook and get 3g, but that actually costs MORE over the period of a year because I need to pay at least $59.99 for the same plan they're offering with the iPad.

Yeah - I am not into the 3G stuff. I don't see the necessity to be honest if everywhere I am going has wifi - wouldn't get it on any of my machines (this includes my netbooks). I mean seriously, what good does it really do aside from yayfasterpron if the system isnt going to have voice capabilities?

and *facepalm* at the rest - the meteor has landed on this thread

[Pikarya]

Sitting on my back porch in the spring sunlight, sipping on a wine cooler with cheetos. All while leeching off free wifi in my netbook that has expansion, x86 flash, multitasking, and best of all. Integrated webcam for chat roulette, or conferences so I can chill.

Spoiler: show

Like a boss.

Buy it, and sell it to some idiot at an insane overpriced tag. Repeat.