iPad Even after jailbreak, iPad underwhelming

[Godzirra!]

I thought the jailbreak would make this awesome, but I just don't get the appeal of the iPad I guess. 13 inch laptops, like the MacBook, are just as portable. But, you have all of your information in one place. You don't have ton pull workarounds just tonged a file onto the system. No apps you have to juggle, just hit download and your golden. Apple consticted thisnthing to the max.

Don't understand why they put such few ram into this thing. Why couldn't they have put 1gb so that more than one Internet window can be open? It shouldn't be too difficult considering thisnthing is just an Internet viewer, that isn't even great at that. You have to go through apps to get websites and videos to be able to function.

Going back ton my laptop was almost a relief. I even reach for my droid before my iPad, because it's so much bigger. When I need to get something done, I reach for my laptop because the iPad can not do it. What was the point of thisnproduct. Yeah, it sold a million. Of course, it had so much hype. But, in the long run, I don't think tablets will succeed. Dell has it right with their 5 inch tablet. It's the perfect size, can replace a phone and netbook, and will really have usability in people's everyday life. Thisnthing would be awesome for trips, but its not worth even close to $700. Bring this down to a 300-400 starting point with the biggest not getting over 550 to 600 and that is what it is worth. You can't even view half the internet, and it can't be on your person at all times. Where is the mass market of this thing?

 

[HXGuy]

I dont think you get the point of it and are trying to do more with it then whats its designed purpose is. Is like taking a 3 cyclinder Geo to the race track and wondering why it isn't performing like a sports car.

The iPad isn't for files and such...its for viewing the web (and has the RAM really been an issue when viewing websites? Hasn't for me or anyone else I don't think). I jailbroke my iPad and in a way I regret it just so slightly becasue it sort of took the "experience" away. What I mean by that is now I find that I am doing all sort of tests...monitoring the battery life a lot more...monitoring how much RAM is being used...watching out for glitches. Before jailbreaking, I never worried about this stuff, I just used the device for the internet, for movies, for the Apps. I think this is exactly what Apple didn't want to happen...they didn't want people to have to worry about memory and about performance and about viruses and freezing and all the other stuff you have with regular computers.

 

[antiprotest]

Return it.

But 13-inch laptops are certainly not "just as" portable.

 

[DemonBob]

Sale it.

Personally mine goes everywhere with me, infect every meeting I have at work it is with me. Today I used it in a development meeting to take notes, pull up progress reports during the meeting, the I used penultimate, and corkulas to draw up a few ideas on a new procedure. The checked my email for help desk issues, and used logmein to reset a password on our active directory server. Two hour meeting. When I leave my desk I have instant access to our web based monitoring software. I was even able the check the schedule on my mythtv dvr. All while walking around. This has freed me from being glued to a desk, and allowed me to interact with people, and my environment in a unique way.

Yes it's quite useless.

 

[MikhailT]

Dude, you have the wrong expectations and a wrong perspective on this. It's not a laptop replacement, it's an ultra-light electronic device for media consumption with light content creation. If you like your laptop more, than the iPad isn't for you.

People didn't buy iPad to replace the laptop, they bought it because it's a new way to interact with applications, internet and so on without worrying about battery life, weight and security issues and having all of it in their hands anywhere they want to go.

As for RAM, once again you're setting an expectation like the iPad is a laptop. If you download the application called Atomic Browser, you're be able to view more than 3-6 tabs without refreshing issues and so on. The RAM isn't the problem here, it's a bug in Safari for some reason and Apple should be able to fix this in the next software update.

There are a large market of people who just doesn't give a crap about the specs, they just want a device where they don't have to worry about anything and they can just pick it up and play games, read books, surf the web, social media networks and watch movies on bed, couch, balcony, kitchen and so many other places. They are willing to take all the strict restrictions that don't exist on laptops to have this convenience device.

 

[mac jones]

Right! If you think of this as a laptop replacement your going to be sorely disappointed.

This thing is barley even a computer!

But after all, it's just another tool in the box.

Just depends how big of a box you want

 

[flyingturtle]

I really enjoy my iPad and loving it but I can understand how you feel. It would be nice if there were more creation rather than just consumption type applications.

But like others have pointed out, it's not replacement for everything that a computer or laptop can do.

As far as tablets not succeeding, I'm thinking the opposite. With the rise of the popularity of e-reader devices and the advances of multi-touch screens, I think we'll see way more tablets devices as competitors will be making them, seeing the success of Apple's iPad. I just read a report that said iPad sales are already eating into netbook sales.

I have a lot of teacher and academic friends and they are excited about the possibilities of the iPad (and similar devices) to replace textbooks or act as teaching aids for every student. So I think it's definitely here to stay.

Also with research done on paper-video technology, I think we'll see even smaller, thinner displays in the future combined with the research being done on laser projected keyboards so you don't need to use a physical keyboard.

These may be a long ways off, but I'm excited to see competitor tablet devices. Can't wait till Google makes one that is less restricted.

 

[mcdj]

I was walking around today with my iPad in a bag. At one point I forgot I had it with me.

With a 4.5lb 13" MacBook, you do NOT forget it's in your bag. Just as portable as an iPad? Pretty much not.

 

[budman1961]

I wonder if these folks post after having an indifferent eating experience at a restaurant??

 

[Godzirra!]

I get it's a consumption device. And atnthe price, that's what I say is wrong with it. I hate having to go through apple for any video. I hate having to jump through all kinds of hoops for putting a file on the device. I have atomic browser, and when I reach 4 tabs, it freezes. If u really can't carry around a 4 lb laptop, that's just ridiculous. That is hardly any weight at all. For consuming content through apple, it can't get any better. Butasa true consumption device, it sucks. No south park studois, no hulu, no Facebook videos, no videos on failblog, nothing. I get what its made for, but it doesn't do it at all well. So, whats the point of it. And the guy that posted before me is a douche bag. Yes, if it was a restaurant forum, I would post about it. Notice how it says iPad forum, where you discuss the iPad. So should people not post about apps either now?

 

[ukyo229]

You ain't from Japan. Damn wannabe!

 

[ctaborda]

Your opinion is important. Right.

 

[me2000]

The iPad is simply a pleasure to use.

It's FUN to navigate the web... play games, watch videos, look at photos, do e-mail, read books, read the newspaper. There's just SO much to do on this device. And the fact that it's always on ready to go is such a pleasure.

When I'm getting up in the morning, I can check the weather in seconds to see what I should wear. I can check facebook real quick to see what's going on. Check and see if I received any important emails quickly. I can do all this in a manner of minutes... the time it takes to boot up a laptop.

And when I'm in bed or on the couch, I don't have to lug around my laptop and power adapter. I just have to bring my thin, light iPad and it's ready to go.

It's SO nice not having to worry about battery life as well. I've used the thing all day and not once have I gotten a 20% battery life warning.

My iPhone seriously feels like a toy now. So cramped and tiny.

 

[GamecockMac]

Yet another thread of fail started by someone who apparently had no real clue about a product they were dropping several hundred dollars on.

 

[alecgold]

Yet another thread of fail started by someone who apparently had no real clue about a product they were dropping several hundred dollars on.

Indeed. Before i bought the iPad I hadn't that much expectations from it. Just a big iPod touch. But it's more than an iPod and less then my MacBook.
It fils a gap that I hadn't realized was there even. My iPhone gives me portability, still with a lot of functions, just at a small screen. How often in the last three years haven't I been hanging around, checking news and forums like this one on my iPhone. That is now done almost exclusive on my iPad. More real estate, but still not too bulky. When I'm carrying my laptop around, and believe me I have done it often in the past years, it is a considerable weight. Well over 4 pounds for the laptop, but also the adapter. And a larger bag.
And I don't know how it happens, but every time I get s bigger bag, there seems to magical appear more stuff in it, weighting it down. I now use my iPad with a much smaller bag when I have a day of meetings. It contains the emails with the minutes of the last meeintg, agenda of this, any other special documents. Nice! And if the meeting is too boring, I can always open my email or newsrack to entertain me.

If I need to work seriously, i make sure I'll have my laptop, but for a lot of uses, it is overkill.

You know what I really like on my iPad? Hanging around in my huge hammock with a nice cool drink beside me, a bit of music from the iPod, a nice book in iBook.... Life can be so good, at times.

 

[keyofnight]

Alright, I use this thing the way I always imagined using a PDA back in the 90s: I use it to organize life—mostly the text I have to read daily. I'm a graduate student, so I figured this would help me out with figuring out what to do. Right now I use Mekentosj's Papers to read articles, Things to organize projects, Newsrack to wade through the news, Instapaper to read it all later, and so on.

I know these are all things I can do on my laptop... but I've never been able to do them _efficiently_ on a laptop. I hate reading on my laptop. Hate it! I hate keystrokes and windows and clutter and icons and folders and menu bars and badly designed java apps and slow-ass flash and…you get the point. (Of course, I had a meltdown 5 years ago after Linux and FreeBSD melted my frontal lobes.)

The iPad is just another level of abstraction and I enjoy it thoroughly. Sure, I'm not coding on it (yet), but I am doing a lot with it.

 

[Godzirra!]

Apple fanboys are some of the most smug people around. I dropped money on a product I had no clue about? Actually I read a lot on it, and only got it because i knew it could be jail broken. I was just putting out the limitations and how you actually are affected by them. And there are a lot of people coming inhere to see if it's worth buying. So yeah, my opinion matters on that. But hey, keep bin a fanboy thinking nothing is wrong, and that the device is perfect. Just remember the people who complain and demand more is where apples iPhone innovation like being late on everything from multitasking to cut and paste comes from.

 

[FrankieTDouglas]

When I'm getting up in the morning, I can check the weather in seconds to see what I should wear. I can check facebook real quick to see what's going on. Check and see if I received any important emails quickly. I can do all this in a manner of minutes... the time it takes to boot up a laptop.

I can do that in less than a minute on my laptop. Open it up, it's on. Email is there, dashboard for weather, and if I want to browse facebook, sure.

With all of this recent complaining lately about how long it takes to boot up a computer, it makes me wonder if those same people forgot about how long most Apple users go between computer restarts.

 

[Dammit Cubs]

Can you explain to me what you were expecting? and then maybe we help to see what we see. If we still don't see eye to eye then i think you should sell it and wait until something that fits your needs comes out.

 

[alecgold]

Can you explain to me what you were expecting? and then maybe we help to see what we see. If we still don't see eye to eye then i think you should sell it and wait until something that fits your needs comes out.

+1 for me.
I might be an Apple fanboy, but what exactly is your gripe with the iPad? It's to big or to small, but you seem to be pointing that it's both.
One other question, you have a 1Gb Version????
Well, mine is 64Gb and eehm no it's not enough, but I'll manage

 

[PsyD4Me]

Sale it.

Personally mine goes everywhere with me, infect every meeting I have at work it is with me. Today I used it in a development meeting to take notes, pull up progress reports during the meeting, the I used penultimate, and corkulas to draw up a few ideas on a new procedure. The checked my email for help desk issues, and used logmein to reset a password on our active directory server. Two hour meeting. When I leave my desk I have instant access to our web based monitoring software. I was even able the check the schedule on my mythtv dvr. All while walking around. This has freed me from being glued to a desk, and allowed me to interact with people, and my environment in a unique way.

Yes it's quite useless.

I would love to see a grown man typing on one in a business meeting, prolly looks so foolish

 

[sassenach74]

Apple fanboys are some of the most smug people around. I dropped money on a product I had no clue about? Actually I read a lot on it, and only got it because i knew it could be jail broken. I was just putting out the limitations and how you actually are affected by them. And there are a lot of people coming inhere to see if it's worth buying. So yeah, my opinion matters on that. But hey, keep bin a fanboy thinking nothing is wrong, and that the device is perfect. Just remember the people who complain and demand more is where apples iPhone innovation like being late on everything from multitasking to cut and paste comes from.

Gah.....that word...fanboy, so overused it gets just a bit boring.
It's called a difference of opinion, something everybody is entitled to have, it's what makes us human. Not fanboy.....human.

 

[Star56]

I would love to see a grown man typing on one in a business meeting, prolly looks so foolish

Actually I sat in a room yesterday where three Ph.D's were typing away on ipads.

But I assume a Psy.D would not so such a thing

 

[GoCubsGo]

Apple fanboys are some of the most smug people around. I dropped money on a product I had no clue about? Actually I read a lot on it, and only got it because i knew it could be jail broken. I was just putting out the limitations and how you actually are affected by them. And there are a lot of people coming inhere to see if it's worth buying. So yeah, my opinion matters on that. But hey, keep bin a fanboy thinking nothing is wrong, and that the device is perfect. Just remember the people who complain and demand more is where apples iPhone innovation like being late on everything from multitasking to cut and paste comes from.

Thank God I'm female then.
But really. I too read a great deal about the iPad before I bought it. I guess when I bought it though I did not have expectations beyond it being a bigger iPod Touch. It's not as though there is something wrong per se, it's just that the iPad is not meant to replace anything (except perhaps an iPod Touch). It's meant to fit in your current arsenal of products IE: Desktop, Notebook/Netbook, PMA.

Whether you keep or sell just know that you're just as smug as the so-called fanboys you're pointing out when you lump every single Apple user in the same category of smugness.

 

[sapporobaby]

I thought the jailbreak would make this awesome, but I just don't get the appeal of the iPad I guess. 13 inch laptops, like the MacBook, are just as portable. But, you have all of your information in one place. You don't have ton pull workarounds just tonged a file onto the system. No apps you have to juggle, just hit download and your golden. Apple consticted thisnthing to the max.

Don't understand why they put such few ram into this thing. Why couldn't they have put 1gb so that more than one Internet window can be open? It shouldn't be too difficult considering thisnthing is just an Internet viewer, that isn't even great at that. You have to go through apps to get websites and videos to be able to function.

Going back ton my laptop was almost a relief. I even reach for my droid before my iPad, because it's so much bigger. When I need to get something done, I reach for my laptop because the iPad can not do it. What was the point of thisnproduct. Yeah, it sold a million. Of course, it had so much hype. But, in the long run, I don't think tablets will succeed. Dell has it right with their 5 inch tablet. It's the perfect size, can replace a phone and netbook, and will really have usability in people's everyday life. Thisnthing would be awesome for trips, but its not worth even close to $700. Bring this down to a 300-400 starting point with the biggest not getting over 550 to 600 and that is what it is worth. You can't even view half the internet, and it can't be on your person at all times. Where is the mass market of this thing?

Sell it quickly. Get your money back. I hear MS is setting up a forum for previous iPad users. You and the other guy will be happy there.