iPad vs. the Competition- which should I buy?

[Deleted]

Last night my home laptop had a near-death experience.  In retrospect, I think it was an abnormal shutdown generated by one of those uncontrollable software updates that gets pushed to your machine.  I finally unplugged it so it would shut down completely, and was able to reboot with no problems.  I IMMEDIATELY backed up my financial files to the external drive; turned out I hadn't done that since February.  Dodged a major bullet there.   

So, this is a reminder that I will eventually have to replace it (and that I need to back up my files more often).  I own a couple of iPods and have a company iPhone and I'm an Apple shareholder, so I suppose the iPad would be the best option other than the premium price they charge.  Last I heard, though, Apple still manufactured its products with no USB ports that would let you connect anything.  My iTunes library is on the external hard drive and there are a few things plugged into the USB ports that I need (receiver for wireless mouse, gadgets to upload workout details).  Can you do this with the iPad?  Also, what about Word and Excel?  I have got to have those on whatever device I use.

Some other background:  I need it mostly for e-mail, running iTunes, wasting time on Internet Bulleting Boards and maintaining the finances.  No heavy uses like gaming.
What do you guys recommend?  Thanks.

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

I'll be curious to see everyone's thoughts on this question, as I'm mulling a similar one right now. 

I'd also be curious to know anyone's thoughts about the ease of use for the computer-inept.  I'm debating buying my mother a tablet device because she and the laptop really hate each other.  I was thinking that something like an iPad might be easier for her to use/understand/not screw up.  But I'd be interested to know how anyone feels about the learning curve vs the other devices out there... 

[Deleted]

The kids and I have iPads. Husband wants a tablet... We are also deciding if he will get one that can do office to keep paperwork the same, or if this will be our oficial switch to apple.

I will be anticipating others opinions, and hope o do more research myself this week...

[constanz22]

I have an Ipad.  Bought it a little over a year ago and I use it 90% of the time for all internet use.  Even though the Ipad does not have a USB connection itself, it does connect to a laptop or PC (Ipad power cord with USB end to PC) and you'd be able to transfer all of your Itunes to the Ipad that way.  I mainly use it for email, FB and message boards.  I have never taken the time to figure out how to print anything from it.  I would consider that a negative, but, I know you CAN, I just haven't tried to figure it out.  I already had an Ipod touch when I got the Ipad so really, as long as you are familiar with I products, it should be pretty easy to use.

[Deleted]

My iPad is about 2 years old. I REALLY wanted one. And paid for it. Ugh. A few months later, DH got a tablet. I think he's got a Samsung...not sure the brand. About 1/3 of the price and he loves it. It has the USB port, much easier to work with, and plays flash stuff. I sometimes have to put mine down and go to his if I'm trying to look at something on Flash.

I wouldn't pay the price again. I do have an iPod that I use for music, but I can't get that to connect to my Bluetooth speaker for some reason, so I've been using my iPad to seam music. It's great for that.

[Deleted]

I think that new Windows one with the keyboard looks nice (or they just have good commercials. I can never tell...). 

We have a 2-3 year old ipad and I am getting new technology envy. 

[muttleynfelix]

I went with an iPad because of the apps for kids that I wanted.  I was looking on PBS and the apps they had at the time just weren't compatible with android.  DH and I both have android smart phones and are happy with them. I would say know what you want to use it for, what apps you think you want, etc. I went with the cheapest iPad2, it was $400 a year ago.  For the same size as the iPad, I wasn't finding that the other options saved that much money. Plus, going back to the app issue for what I wanted to use it for.  And yes, I am insane and let a 3.5 year old use an iPad. Most of the time he plays with it, he is only semi-supervised. But he isn't a rough kid and the closest thing to a mishap that we have had was when he almost threw up on it.  Thankfully he stood up and threw up over to the side.  We have absolutely gotten our money's worth out of it.

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

Oct 9, 2013 8:58:06 GMT -5 @beerwench said:

Although I do have new technology envy too, the problem I've now run into is that my 3rd Gen iPod is now officially obsolete.  It cannot be updated to iOS 6, so new apps are all refusing to download.  Sigh....

[Deleted]

Surface! That's what it's called!!

I also have a Windows phone and I agree that I have an easier time navigating my phone than the ipad, but I think that's just personal preference.

[Deleted]

Oct 9, 2013 8:50:39 GMT -5 @monkeyunderpants said:

My iPad is about 2 years old. I REALLY wanted one. And paid for it. Ugh. A few months later, DH got a tablet. I think he's got a Samsung...not sure the brand. About 1/3 of the price and he loves it. It has the USB port, much easier to work with, and plays flash stuff. I sometimes have to put mine down and go to his if I'm trying to look at something on Flash.

This is the kind of thing I'm thinking.  I love apps but they're on my iPhone so if I can't get them on my tablet it won't be the end of the world- but that may be a good case for being careful about what brand of tablet I get.

Although I do have new technology envy too, the problem I've now run into is that my 3rd Gen iPod is now officially obsolete. It cannot be updated to iOS 6, so new apps are all refusing to download. Sigh....

Yeah, I've got an old iPod Touch and have the same problem.  I really, really hate it when manufacturers don't support older versions of their products, in an attempt to force you to buy the latest.

[Deleted]

If you’re considering getting a tablet, then I would get the Ipad. I have an Ipad 2 and I got it in early 2011, it’s worked for 2.5 years and have had no problems at all. I can’t speak to the other tablets, but I think everything works with ipads (and iphones) very seamlessly and figure that the extra money is worth it.

I wouldn’t get one to replace a laptop though; I’d only get an ipad if you’re adding it to the mix. Ipads are good for browsing the internet when you’re just lounging around…I don’t even use it for emails or anything like that.

[Deleted]

Oct 9, 2013 10:24:47 GMT -5 @davebo said:

I wouldn’t get one to replace a laptop though; I’d only get an ipad if you’re adding it to the mix. Ipads are good for browsing the internet when you’re just lounging around…I don’t even use it for emails or anything like that.

I agree with this part....it's not a replacement to a laptop.  I have a super small ultrabook that I use if I have to type a decent amount.  The iPad is for games, short emails, reading and web surfing....

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I love apps but they're on my iPhone so if I can't get them on my tablet it won't be the end of the world- but that may be a good case for being careful about what brand of tablet I get.

I had apps on my Touch and when I synced it with my laptop, the apps transferred. Then when I synced my iPad to my laptop (so I could get the music off that I had downloaded from my CD collection, it all transferred over to my iPad easy peasy.

TD bought me an iPad for Christmas 2 years ago. It wound up being a very fortuitous gift because the following year I spent a lot of time in the hospitals and used it to amuse myself. There just isn't the room on a hospital tray for a laptop and the rest of the crap that winds up there.

A friend of mine wants an iPad, but her son is her technical support and he has flat out told her that if she buys an iPad, she's lost her tech support. Friend has another tablet, hates it and still wants an iPad. I think the last time I saw her, she said she's willing to forgo her tech support.

I will admit that even though I have downloaded a lot of books into my iPad, it sucks for reading. I'm tempted to buy something where I can actually read out in the sun with it. When we were in Mexico this year, reading was impossible so I wound up bringing a suitcase of paperbacks with me.

I bank with USAA and do most of my banking online with my iPad. They have a very good app.

[Deleted]

Oct 9, 2013 11:05:31 GMT -5 @monkeyunderpants said:

I agree with this part....it's not a replacement to a laptop.  I have a super small ultrabook that I use if I have to type a decent amount.  The iPad is for games, short emails, reading and web surfing....

This is really useful; I'd envisioned replacing a laptop with it and it sounds like that wouldn't work. Sooner or later I'm going to need another laptop, and I'm not sure I can justify getting an iPad just for the "cool" factor; if I want to carry the internet around with me I already have the iPod Touch and the iPhone although I have to deal with a much smaller screen/keyboard. Maybe I'll get an iPad when the iPod Touch dies.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I'd envisioned replacing a laptop with it and it sounds like that wouldn't work.

It really doesn't. There are some things that a laptop is just better for. Even though I have a bluetooth keyboard for my iPad, I much prefer working on a laptop to type any sort of lengthy message or email.

[muttleynfelix]

Oct 9, 2013 11:35:56 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Oct 9, 2013 11:05:31 GMT -5 @monkeyunderpants said:

I agree with this part....it's not a replacement to a laptop.  I have a super small ultrabook that I use if I have to type a decent amount.  The iPad is for games, short emails, reading and web surfing....

This is really useful; I'd envisioned replacing a laptop with it and it sounds like that wouldn't work. Sooner or later I'm going to need another laptop, and I'm not sure I can justify getting an iPad just for the "cool" factor; if I want to carry the internet around with me I already have the iPod Touch and the iPhone although I have to deal with a much smaller screen/keyboard. Maybe I'll get an iPad when the iPod Touch dies.

The things that an iPad is best at is play things - surfing the net, checking facebook, checking email, playing games. The convenience factor over a laptop is how quick you are hooked up. You are ready to play within seconds. The portability factor is also great. You can also easily watch TV shows and movies on a tablet.  I have mint.com on my iPad to do quick checks of banking stuff, but I haven't found a good way to morph my current bill paying/budgeting on the iPad. I also have an app to make lists because I am a major list maker and I have probably saved a pad of paper, but doing my lists on the iPad. The best part is that I can save them. So, I know who got Christmas gifts from DS last year and who we need to do them for this year. I have the list of things we needed to take on trips with the kids. So, I can just run through that and make sure we have everything. The iPad helps me manage my list neurosis.

[Deleted]

I actually am at the stage where tablets will be replacing laptops. The high end surface actually is a laptop.

[justme]

If you have a lot of data, a tablet can't replace a laptop right now. I think max space on an iPad is 128G? The other tablets are probably pretty close - though some have microSD cards, but a 64G SD card is probably going to run you at least $40.

I've been looking for a tablet that is external hard drive compatible - so far the ones I've seen have USB ports but supposedly don't recognize external hard drives. Haven't looked too hard though.

[Malarky]

I just bought a Lenovo ultrabook.  It's a combo touchscreen tablet/laptop. It bends back on itself so you can hold it like a tablet.

I must say I loathe Windows 8 and had no choice when buying a new anything.   But I like that I can type this on the keyboard or switch over to scrolling my way through Facebook or my photos.
I also have my kindle ap on it and like being able to swipe to change pages.

It also fits nicely in my big purse so I no longer carry a purse and a laptop bag.

[Blonde Granny]

I have an iPhone and iPad.  I did a test run on Windows 8 and I wouldn't touch a tablet that had it installed.  As soon as my windows 7 laptop dies, I'm off to a new iMac.

[justme]

Oct 9, 2013 13:10:08 GMT -5 Malarky said:

I just bought a Lenovo ultrabook.  It's a combo touchscreen tablet/laptop. It bends back on itself so you can hold it like a tablet.

I must say I loathe Windows 8 and had no choice when buying a new anything.   But I like that I can type this on the keyboard or switch over to scrolling my way through Facebook or my photos.
I also have my kindle ap on it and like being able to swipe to change pages.

It also fits nicely in my big purse so I no longer carry a purse and a laptop bag.

That's what I'm looking at. I don't need a new laptop - I just want something to get my pictures from my camera to my external HD but apparently that doesn't exist, but my laptop is huge. You can get some of em not a whole lot bigger than a tablet. Hoping they come down in price, or have.

[MN-Investor]

Two issues here.

First, backup of your data. I'm 100% behind the idea of using an external hard drive to back things up. However, for me that's not enough. If we had a house fire, a backup at the same location as my PC is worthless. So my important data is also backed up to Dropbox. There are other cloud solutions. Explore them. If you have gigabytes of photos, there are cheap backup cloud solutions for them too. I worry most about my financial data and those are smaller files, so Dropbox is adequate for my needs.

Second, the tablet computer. Some day I will get a full sized tablet computer, but for now I prefer a mini-tablet. For <$300 I bought the Google Nexus 7 with 32 GB of RAM. I do have an external bluetooth keyboard if I need to type anything, but I mostly use it for surfing the internet and reading e-books. My younger sister required an Apple tablet for a specific software she uses for her work, so she bought the iPad mini. Play with the two sizes to see which makes more sense for you.

By the way, I also use Dropbox to transfer files between my desktop computer, my laptop computer, and my mini-tablet. I update a monthly investment spreadsheet on my larger computers, but, because I put it out on Dropbox, I can always bring it up on my mini-tablet too. Very handy.

[sapphire12]

Apple is making an iPad announcement Oct 22. Hope you can wait until then before making your final determination.
I, myself am waiting to see what Apple has to say about the new iPad.

[Deleted]

I have a Surface Pro, the one that came out in Feb.  I have the Type cover.  It is a very good ultrabook and an OK tablet.  The main reason it is an ok tablet is the weight followed by the battery life.  The NEW Surface Pro fixes the battery life problem, but not the weight.  The regular Surface is not a true Windows OS device, so the apps are limited (but it does have a version of Office that covers MOST features).

I still don't believe there is a no compromise device.  If everything I owned right now broke and I had to buy new, I would get a nice Windows Ultrabook with 12-13" touch screen AND a 7-8" tablet.  I would either get a Nexus 7 or Dell's upcoming Venue Pro 8.

[Deleted]

Oct 9, 2013 13:13:31 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

I have an iPhone and iPad.  I did a test run on Windows 8 and I wouldn't touch a tablet that had it installed.  As soon as my windows 7 laptop dies, I'm off to a new iMac.

I like the idea of an iMac.  It's possible to get Word and Excel on one, right?

MN-Investor, thanks for the Dropbox idea.  Now that I don't have to spend my weekend buying a new computer and getting it up and running, and trying to recover or re-create lost files, I'll have time to look into it!

[MN-Investor]

Do a search on Best Cloud Storage and read the most recent articles. Lifehacker is a good website for information. I started using Dropbox in the early days of cloud storage and there may be better or more secure sites. I do like Dropbox's software (PC, Android, ios).

[ZaireinHD]

these commercials are too funny!

[ZaireinHD]

www.youtube.com/user/WindowsVideos?v=-UGxKX6IU1U

[NastyWoman]

Oct 9, 2013 17:39:20 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Oct 9, 2013 13:13:31 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

I like the idea of an iMac.  It's possible to get Word and Excel on one, right?

Yes MS office is available for Apple products.  It does work just a little different though. For instance the shortcuts don't work in the same way, but it is just a matter of getting used to it.
Thanks to my Tech support (DS1 in this case) I do have an iPad since last xmas. I love my little toy and use it quite a lot, but it is no replacement for my regular computer. 

[Deleted]

The school issued Ipads to the students, and I probably wouldn't even take mine off the charger if it wasn't for the keyboard case.  For digital natives who can text with their eyes closed (the majority of my students . . . they can stare at me the entire time they are texting), it is probably superfluous.  But not for me.

I can see replacing my laptop (which I'm not sure really works these days since it was bought in 2006 and hasn't been touched in at least a year) with an Ipod when I retire, but not the desktop.  The Ipad has Pages, which is Apple's version of the Microsoft products.  It was $9.99 although it's been free a couple of times.  That's a lot cheaper than Microsoft.  You can buy wireless printers now that support both the desktop and the Ipad. 

When it comes to reading, though, I prefer my Kindle Fire.  I bought it BEFORE the school issued Ipads; I imagine I would have skipped it had the Ipads came first.  But I really do love it.  It is the size of a book and much lighter than an Ipad.  Even then, I have to use my purse to prop it up because your hand gets tired.  I can't imagine holding an Ipad for very long to read.