Jun 23 2010

Ipad Review Good or Bad

Published by at 3:58 am under Product Reviews

I have read tons of reviews about the Ipad. The problem is, many of the reviews come from people who do not own one or that have never even used one. This review is an honest review from someone who owns one hand has used it for over a month.

I received my Ipad on April 30, 2010. As I opened the package, I was still wondering of I made the right decision in spending the $858 for the 32G 3G Ipad. I am cheap and this was a huge expense and I had buyers remorse as I was unwrapping the package and preparing to sync up with my computer.

I have to say, the remorse was gone quickly after I started using the Ipad. I wake to the Ipad and I go to bed with the Ipad. This has almost replaced my PC for everything I do. I take it almost everywhere I go and with the 3G network, I am hardly every out of range of the Internet.

First, lets talk about the 3G service from AT&T. I chose to go with the $14.99 plan which gives me 250 MB of service for a month. This has supplied me with more than enough to check email, check Facebook, and play a few games on the go. This service is with no contract and you can change it at anytime. When you sign up, you sign up for automatic renewal but you can change before the plan ends and it will cancel or change plans. They use to have unlimited for $30 a month but I just noticed that the plans has changed to 2G for $25. I am guessing that too many people were watching videos on YouTube and using a lot of data. I save the videos for when I am hooked to WiFi. The Ipad will pick up a WiFi service and use that first unless you tell it otherwise. Many places have free WiFi and with either plan, you get free WiFi at any AT&T hot spot even if it normally cost money. I do not use the 3G a ton but I still think the original cost upgrade and the monthly fee is worth having it when I need it.

The next thing I want to talk about is the book reading. I have found this one of the coolest features on the Ipad. There are so many readers that my head spins. The main two I use are iBooks and Kindle. These offer tons of free books and you can also purchase new releases of top selling books. Most of the free books are classics or old titles but there are still many to choose from. I have loaded a bunch of books and find reading a joy on the Ipad. It is much easier to carry than a bunch of books. There are also many PDF apps that work great to download free eBooks. All together, there are access to thousands of books for free even if you never want to buy one.

The overall choices for apps was a bit limited when I first received my Ipad. Many of them were iPod apps that needed to be enlarged to use on the Ipad, However, more and more apps have updated or been created just for Ipads. If you are not careful, you could spend a ton of money on apps. I spend very little because there are always free apps that meet my needs or I watch for them when they go on sale for free as a promotion. Yes, there is a app for that too. I have a couple of apps that keep track of apps when they change to free so I can grab them. I check daily and grab what I want.

Gaming on the Ipad is a whole new experience. I have many games and they are fun and I could play for hours. My favorite is Bejeweled 2. Though they have not made a Ipad version yet, it works just fine expanded from the iPod version. This was one that I did purchase for $3 and it was worth the money. Many other games I have downloaded for free and I can always find something fun to play. Again, one could spend toms of money to get all the coolest games. However, I am happy with a few good ones.

Business use is another thing that I use my Ipad for. I use it to check my emails, type up short notes, and text those I need to contact for work. There are many apps that are designed to help with business needs. I have downloaded a few for free and I plan to purchase a few in the future. Apple offers their equivalent to Microsoft Office for $9.99 per app for a total of $30 for the three main ones. I plan to purchase Pages, the word type program, sometime this summer., The other two, I do not need so I will save money on those. My understanding is that you can save in work and transfer the document to your computer for printing. I just bought a wireless printer and I am going to work on figuring out how to print to the printer from the Ipad. I know there is a way but I have not had time to even hook up my printer so I will have to figure that out.

Emailing is a breeze with the Ipad. It is easy to read, reply, delete, or create. The built in email app offers multiple accounts to set up web based email from all major services. There are also separate apps for Gmail and others but I like the built in app best. I find it quick to check all my emails in the morning while getting ready for work. It saves me time from having to start the computer and I can carry the Ipad wherever I am getting ready, Yes, even the toilet.

I have always wanted to journal but hated keeping track of a journal. With the Ipad, I have added an app that lets me have a password protected journal that is fun to write in and I can even back up on my computer through the iTunes software. This was one of the other app that I sprung a little money for. This was well worth the money and I enjoy using this almost daily.

Another thing I do with the Ipad is watch videos. I love to sit and watch You Tube videos and they play nicely and are easy to load. The app is already loaded on the Ipad and it is easy to use with very little hangups. The other videos you can watch are Netflix, To do this, you must have an account with them that offers unlimited online movies. The movies play great and will be great when I start to travel more this summer. You can also check your account and update you queue for Netflix right from the Ipad.

Mapping on the go is one of the cool features that the Ipad offers. It has built in GPS locator that allows you to map from anywhere you are at. This is great when you are travelling to a new area and need to find a hotel or another location. This even picks up my house which is normally not shown when I use online mapping services. Since I normally carry my Ipad with me, I can always check for directions and I can use the yellow book app to find local diners or other attractions. I am never out of touch with the Ipad with me.

The Ipad comes with a built in microphone and offers a voice over which will speak everything on the Ipad. This feature is cool but if you fail to read the directions in the online Ipad manual, you could have some grief from this feature. I turned it on to try it out and I swiped the screen and lost my display. I could not figure out how to get the display back and stress set in. I researched online and could not find any answers. I finally found set up on the Ipad using the voice and touching around and was able to shut off voice over. This restored  my display and I laster found the reason in the manual. It seems if you swipe with three fingers, you can turn off the display and do the same to turn it back on. I did not like the fear that my Ipad was damaged so I have not used voice over since.

The sound quality is great on the Ipad and it is quite loud without any additional speakers or headphones. I have watched many videos and heard everything clearly. The volume can be adjusted on the side of the Ipad or on screen. The display rotates on all directions and can be locked in any position. This is an improvement over the iPod touch because you do not have to worry about moving the wrong way and your screen flips.

When purchasing the Ipad, I do recommend the Apple case that is made for the Ipad. It cost $40 but it fits great, offers good protection and looks good. I also would put on a screen protector which keeps the glass safe. Many people complained it was hard to install the screen protector but I did it the first time and had very few bubbles. Once in the case, The Ipad looks like a little notebook and is easy to carry. Many complaints about the case is that it is tight and hard to  remove the Ipad. This is true and it would be a pain if you use a docking station. I have found no need for a docking station so I do not need to remove it. The power cord plugs in fine and the Ipad is always protected.

I also purchased the camera connector so I can load pictures directly from my camera or a SD card. This works great and the pictures load quickly. They also look great on the Ipad. You can turn your Ipad into a digital picture frame to share the pictures with a friend.

There are loads of other things I could say about the Ipad but then I will be risking writing a book. However, I do need to add the cons of the Ipad to give it an honest review. The one most annoying thing is that just like the iPod touch, the Ipad attracts fingerprints and is hard to keep clean. The other thing that I wish the Ipad had was multitasking so that I can listen to a radio app while doing other things. As I type, I am updating my iPod touch with the newest software that now allows multi-tasking. Steve Jobs promised this for June and he delivered. He also promises the same update for the Ipad in the fall and I have no doubt he will deliver.  The final thing that is a little disappointing is that you can not load anything from the Internet that uses Flash. This can be frustrating when you find something you want to watch. However, many sites are changing so that they can be viewed by the Ipad.

Overall, I love the Ipad. I use it daily and I very seldom go on my computer to do the normal tasks. It is easy to surf the web and the key board is easy to use once you get use to typing on a touch screen. In landscape view, the keyboard is about the size of a netbook keyboard. I even sold my netbook because I found I was not suing it since I got the Ipad. For those who have trashed the Ipad as a toy, try using it for a while and see the possibilities. I can do many of the same things a full size computer can do with the ease of a tool that weighs  under two pounds and it small enough to carry everywhere. I can take it to work for notes, I can watch videos, I can play games, and I can read before bed all with this little toy.

If you are looking for a great tool or just a fun toy, the price is high but not for what you get. I highly recommend the Ipad if you are riding the fence trying to decide. It is a computer, a game, platform, and computer all built into a small compact package. I have been approached by many people as I sit using my Ipad. They are amazed at the features and the beauty of it. This is truly a worthy investment and I have not a single regret!

Please feel free to share your comments about the Ipad.

18 responses so far

18 Responses to “Ipad Review Good or Bad”

  1. Almudena Baraja (2 comments)on 28 Jun 2010 at 8:11 am

    Thank you. This is one of the most in-depth reviews of the iPad I have read. You seem to be very convinced of it:)
    I’m thinking of buying it too. But I think it is a pretty big con that homepages that use Flash don’t work. So I’ll probably wait and see if most pages really change to be compatible with the iPad.

  2. Tom (64 comments)on 28 Jun 2010 at 9:16 am

    I thought it would be a big deal to. However, many sites have already changed and I can find plenty of sites with the same stuff as flash sites. I have actually found it a good thing because on my computer, flash sometimes causes problems.

    There awe also so many apps that you will woo forget about the flash issues. Please let me know I’d you buy one.

  3. Almudena Baraja (2 comments)on 29 Jun 2010 at 8:35 am

    Sure. I’ll let you know. But it will take a few weeks before I buy it. Even if it’s a worty investment it is still a pretty big investment, so I want to be totally sure of it when I buy it.

  4. meble apteczne (1 comments)on 06 Jul 2010 at 3:34 am

    Great review, thanks for sharing. In my opinion it’s not worth to buy it

  5. Tom (64 comments)on 06 Jul 2010 at 7:19 am

    I guess each person will have decide for themselves. As for me, I love it. I can do almost everything I can do on a Desk Top Computer but in the size of a very small book. Now, I would be lost without it.

  6. Sheing@gift cards (1 comments)on 11 Jul 2010 at 6:16 am

    This is the first time I have read a very detailed and informative review. Ipad is currently very expensive so it’s only natural for people to check out reviews if it’s worth the money they paid for.

  7. Tom (64 comments)on 11 Jul 2010 at 6:21 am

    I agree with you. The more you read the better informed you become. All I can tell you is that this is honestly my experience with the Ipad. Everywhere I take it, people are surprised how awesome it really is.

  8. odchudzanie poznan (1 comments)on 26 Jul 2010 at 6:39 am

    It’s not worth of its price

  9. oprawy oswietleniowe (1 comments)on 16 Aug 2010 at 10:17 am

    Nice article. I had iPad but I haven’t enjoyed it very long, i gave it to my son.
    .-= oprawy oswietleniowe´s last blog ..Hauptseite =-.

  10. new home warranties (1 comments)on 10 Sep 2010 at 9:01 am

    Thanks for providing deep knowledge on IPAD. It’s a real product of Apple. I think it has made a good market demand
    .-= new home warranties´s last blog ..New Home Warranties – 4 Red Flags To Watch Out For =-.

  11. online reviews (1 comments)on 10 Sep 2010 at 9:04 am

    Ipad is a very good product from Apple. Ipad is currently very expensive but have a great demand
    .-= online reviews´s last blog ..New Home Warranties – 4 Red Flags To Watch Out For =-.

  12. Lisa (1 comments)on 30 Sep 2010 at 8:05 am

    I’ve heard both good and bad about the iPad. I think that in a refined shape (maybe easier to fold, for example) it could become truly revolutionary. I mean, a thing like the iPad could outrival magazine reading… Talk about climate friendly material! However, we are not there yet, in my opinion.

  13. Martin (1 comments)on 09 Nov 2010 at 11:43 am

    I am very intrigued by the iPad as well, and see a lot of potential with it. I am also very interested in the nano technology research that could make papers digital. If you would write about that, I’d love to read it!

  14. Svend Hansen (2 comments)on 11 Nov 2010 at 1:14 pm

    I just recently came across this interesting blog. Thank you for the educating review. I think the Ipad is fantastic though it is really expensive.
    .-= Svend Hansen´s last blog ..New york är den ultimata nöjesstaden! =-.

  15. Vegetable Garden Cook (1 comments)on 29 Nov 2010 at 3:12 am

    My husband bought my toddler an ipad (I know!). But it has worked out well. He’s had it for two months now, and has many very good preschooler education.
    .-= Vegetable Garden Cook´s last blog ..Book review and giveaway- free copy Food Rules by Michael Pollan =-.

  16. Leland National Gold Exchange (1 comments)on 07 Jun 2011 at 9:23 am

    I dunno, I really like the ipad, but the internet kills me. If it was 4g here, then I would definitely buy it. Thanks for posting, nice site.

  17. Yani Kuri (1 comments)on 29 Jul 2011 at 4:41 am

    How I wish I have seen this review of yours a year early. It would have helped me decide to buy one already.What discouraged me are the reviews I’ve read from the famous bloggers I follow. Most of them complained of having to return their units bought straight from an Apple store because of some defects and they said the audio is not that good among other things.
    .-= Yani Kuri´s last blog ..Russian Language Learning Software =-.

  18. erbs (1 comments)on 06 Aug 2011 at 10:25 am

    very detailed post.. thanks for the info! as an Ipad fanatic, i really need good write-ups like this! :)
    .-= erbs´s last blog ..play angry birds online =-.

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