<p>That’s true. In that sense, it does suck that we don’t yet have a “build it like a powerpoint” programming yet. Still, I think out of maybe all of the platforms today, iOS and Android are really really easy to program for in general.</p>
<p>We’re getting there, though. I bet you someone comes up with a “plug-n-play” dev suite for iOS that’s actually really good.</p>
<p>JoJoBear,</p>
<p>Out the door, you are going to spend at least $300 more on the Xoom, assuming you don’t want the highest-end model. Never mind that you have to hope that Honeycomb tablet apps grow in number and match the overall quality of the iPad’s.</p>
<p>For the average consumer, the iPad is still a much better buy. This is especially true for non-techies.</p>
<p>Agreed. And yes, it will continue to be Mac-based. </p>
<p>JoJoBear,</p>
<p>How it it “underpowered?” It’s perfectly fine for what 99% of customers want it do.</p>
<p>Stop specsturbating for a second and think about what your average user wants the device to do/be. I guarantee you that my wife, a future doctor, doesn’t know a Snapdragon from an A5. She’ll never care, and has no reason to care.</p>
<p>For her, the iPad 2 is a great device: easy to use, simple to maintain, intuitive, light, etc. It’s not a problem that she feels this way. It’s perfectly rational.</p>
<p>That sounds like a no. It also sounds like you didn’t see the iMovie and GarageBand demos in the Jobs presentation. The cool stuff is that the iPad2 has a bunch of sensors so that it can take human inputs in a way that a standard PC can’t. The demo shows the iPad with several hundred keyboard-style instruments. It also demos string instruments where you can strum the strings. Or pluck them. Or damp then with one hand while strumming them with your other hand.</p>
<p>iMovie on the iPad2 allows you to take videos on the fly, edit them and upload them. I think that I’d prefer to edit videos on a PC with a mouse but the ability to do it directly on the device is a bonus when the laptop isn’t handy. Or if you want to do a quick and dirty video and then share it with others quickly. I was thinking of using it on the tennis court for getting videos of stroke production for later analysis.</p>
<p>Xoom is $300 more than iPad? Oh, dear. I’d rather spend the extra cash on a fancy cover.<br>
How many designers have covers for Xoom in their current collections? If Prada or Gucci do not make a cover for it, it is not on my shopping list.</p>
<p>got my D an ipad for xmas and thought she would “put her life on it,” and she left it at home and never even asked about it.</p>
<p>Gave it to my high school D to use and she picked it up a couple of times and then left it sitting on the coffee table and commenced to walk around the house with her laptop, again. We’re a tech forward house and it hasn’t caught anybody’s interest, just sitting there. It’s a snoozer, imho.</p>
<p>poetgirl, we gave iPads to both Ds for their birthdays this year, and both ladies chose to return the gifts as downpayments on their new Macs. I can see why a college student does not need a tablet - it is just another gizmo to lug around in addition to the laptop which they pretty much have to have (because they have to *generate *content). Add a smartphone to their laptop, and all aspects of their online life are covered - because they have eyes sharp enough to read the fine print on their smartphone screen! </p>
<p>It is the older folks who are itching to get their hands on one of these tablets, because we (i) spend a lot of time on public transport or on the living room sofa consuming, not generating content;
(ii) have poor vision to view said content on a smartphone screen;
(iii) have bad backs to lug around heavier laptops</p>
<p>Funny,my d’s dropped their laptops as soon as they have access to my ipad…significantly better then laptops for everything internet,social,and music/photos …laptops for schoolwork still works better,imho</p>
<p>DH says I shouldn’t even consider the ipad2 until I learn all about my ipad1. He gave it to me for Christmas and is frustrated that all i’ve done so far is read downloaded books and surf the net on it. I think I’ll get a stand for it so I can put it up on my nightstand and watch movies…</p>
<p>Older D is a Genius at Apple. Put her laptop down when the iPhone 4 came out. Will be getting an iPad 2 ASAP. Younger D, a Residential Computer Consultant at her college, says she MUST have an iPad 2. She has all the usual devices but sees the value in the iPad, especially on campus. She says she may even keep her color Nook. I have an iPad and I love it. I am a simple user, however. No one machine is perfect for everyone.</p>
<p>I know several people who insist that their ipad is great at generating content including business stuff. I can’t see myself using it for that…maybe if I bought a wireless keyboard. It’s great for surfing the net and all those cool apps but to do a spreadsheet or generate several pages of a document? I’m not seeing it. I have a netbook and it’s even difficult to use that for much content generation. It’s possible but the small size of the screen and keyboard makes it uncomfortable to use for prolonged periods of time. I just want an ipad because it’s lightweight for travel (even netbooks gets heavy when lugging them around for extended periods of time) and to have something quick and easy to surf the internet when moving around the house. Anything in addition to that will be a bonus.</p>
<p>Can anyone shed some light on the advantages of 3G over wi-fi? I know the difference and I’m trying to talk myself out of the 3G because of the monthly expense but we do travel quite a bit and most airports and a lot of hotels charge for internet service (usually $10 - 15 per day). I would love to have access to the internet without connecting via wi-fi. Even in my house, with plaster walls, wi-fi can sometimes be weak. Someone, please, talk me out of 3G :)</p>
<p>I’m currently using an IPad on trial at work. I LOVE IT. It’s a first generation one. I was told today that those are now on sale at $100 price reduction. I’m hoping my husband was waiting for the IPad 2 to come out to get me a birthday present…hope springs eternal!!</p>
<p>I was interested in the iPad 2 at first, but now I am not so sure. I want to read some reviews because so far I have heard that the cameras are really inferior and the processor is pretty cheap. I don’t know, I want to see it first. My birthday is coming up and I was seriously thinking about getting that for it, but I do want to video chat with a decent enough camera. I don’t care to use it as a regular camera, primarily for video chatting. Although, this past Christmas I did use my brother’s iPad and I loved it. (I hated admitting that to him because he is so pro-Apple, and I normally am not.)</p>
<p>Regarding the whole, “You can’t do work on the iPad” argument, I frankly don’t get it.</p>
<p>I use mine all the time at work, and it’s especially useful at conferences. Bluetooth Apple keyboard + iPad = conference nirvana. It’s half the weight of the MacBook Pro with twice the battery life. </p>
<p>Would I make my executive powerpoints on it? Nah. But I can use it to read PDFs on the road, or answer a quick email on the train.</p>
<p>I rather enjoy mine, and thankfully work will be getting me an iPad 2, so I’ll be happy in that regard.</p>
<p>Hello, UCLAri, it’s been a long time! Don’t tell us you took advantage of that long hbernation to learn how to use the iPad for business purposes. I, for one, HAD to purchase one for a specific purpose that has now become unnecessary. As I have written in many posts, I have yet to find a single reason to change my mind about the “You can’t do work on the iPad” argument," and this despite having that POS outside keyboard. </p>
<p>A few weeks, we had a thread about what program “we” like to run on our iPads. My list consisted on a few glorified time wasters that look good on the technological marvel. One of them was Gyrotate. Oh yes, I also use to check the sports scores. All in all, I have had the little iPad stay unused for weeks on end. I can live without the area it truly excels at … wasting time with panache. </p>
<p>I would love to hear what you consider “business” use? It cannot possibly be the word processor or spreadsheet! So, what is that you use?</p>
<p>Well, at conferences, it is indeed the word processor. It’s a great simple note-taker. And I happen to type really quickly (70+ WPM) on the Apple keyboard, so I guess I’m weird. </p>
<p>I actually use Powerpoint on it a lot. Work often sends out Powerpoints, and I’ll even hook it up to the projector if we’re doing presentations with execs. That’s really nice.</p>
<p>Full disclosure: I work for a carrier, so I’m often using it as a tester as well. </p>
<p>Really though, the best part of it for me is because I’m a train commuter and frequent business traveler, it’s really useful for putting out quick emails and checking things online on the fly. There is a lot of times when I just can’t pull out my MBP and boot up the LTE or 3G modem just to check something really simple (say, release date on a device.) The iPad serves that purpose for me brilliantly.</p>
<p>And it’s the best “check simple stuff on the couch” computer ever.</p>
<p>For me, it’s an always-on device that lets me do basic computing anytime, anywhere. That’s a cool thing for a traveler.</p>
<p>Xiggi, I’d be happy to take your IPad off your hands…I’d love to own one and I would use it…at work. Many of the applications for students are very good and my school won’t buy me one…so if I’m to get one it will be on my dime (as will the purchase of all of the Apps). I have one on loan right now and the data I’m getting for time on task with instruction for even my very young students is impressive with these applications.</p>