how many people here own an Ipad

[Fast Learner]

My girlfriend and I play Small World and other games on our iPad:

1. At the coffee shop
2. In bed
3. While waiting for a movie to start
4. And many other places

While there's no question that we could play these same games on a laptop, the form factor and user interface of a laptop makes it way less convenient. We just lay it down flat between us and drag our markers around, tapping on things, etc. I guarantee you that the iPad does in fact do this way better than a laptop.

It's better than a laptop in any situation where the device would be ungainly, could only be seen from one side of the device, and where manipulating the things on the screen is way less efficient when using a trackpad or nipple or mouse.

It's better than a laptop (or my smartphone) for web surfing in that 10 minute period while I wait for my oil change. It's not a better e-reader than a dedicated one, but it's infinitely better than a dedicated e-reader when what I want to do is read for a while, then play a game, then check my newsfeeds, then read some more, send an email, and then watch a YouTube video a friend sent a link to.

I'm not trying to sell anyone on getting one, it's no skin off my back. To say that other devices can do everything better just isn't true, and certainly not in combination. Most folks I know that got an iPad got it out of curiosity, hoping it would be useful, only to find that it was especially useful in ways they had never imagined.

A watch does a perfectly good time of telling the time and date, so why would I want it on my phone?

 

[Jdvn1]

That's the biggest thing with the Kindle/e-book reader, from what I have read online it seems they have trouble with PDFs. Well at least the larger, multi-layered PDFs that Paizo puts out. Other than that the Kindle seems great to read fiction and e-book style formats on, but I want a device that can do both which is a notch in the pro column of the tablet device.

The advantage of e-readers, in my opinion, is the screen--it's a lot easier to look at for an extended period of time. But, I probably wouldn't get a Kindle--there are a number of good off-brand options that support more file types.

Battery life = infinity is a nice perk, too.

 

[EricNoah]

Went with "don't have, don't want." I have a laptop as a secondary computer and it's doing nicely. If I was in need of a new secondary computer, I might conceivably consider an Ipad, but I would also look at other options like various smartphones and other tablets.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I have one, now going on two months and I like it, very, very much (not yet love). I find it useful and meets my needs, it is a niche. It allows me to write letters, Tweet and Facebook, I can follow the news, it is transportable and easy to work with.

Some notes:
1) It is a slot machine - seem to be putting money into it all the time, nickels and dimes but they add up. It will never pay for itself.

2) It will NEVER replace my Kindle. My Kindle paid for itself in the first six months and is a perfect reader. They are NOT the same, the iPad is not a reader, it can do it but that is not its function.

 

[Krug]

I have an iPad and it's great for reading. There's not as much eyestrain because I make the fonts pretty darn large. It can be quite heavy though, but easier to carry around than one of the Mazalan books.

I'm no Apple fanboy but it is a revolutionary device. But I'd recommend waiting to see what the competitor tablets are gonna look like.

 

[falcarrion]

For those of you who think of the Ipad as a neat toy, be ready to be turned on your head. ipads are starting to run wild in hospitals. They are now being used in ER's on up the chain. Many businesses are preparing for the wildfire of uses that the Ipad works great with. If you don't believe me just google " How is the Ipad being used." . The firestorm is coming folks and it is happening faster then I even thought it would.

 

[Fast Learner]

Indeed. My development focus is now on enterprise-friendly apps.

 

[Hand of Evil]

yep, think the iPad is going to to go mainstream and get out of the niche, it is just too powerful a tool. Simple to use and the apps just keep growing. It also has proven to be a stable OS.

Oh, screen capture; just learned how to do it, hold the power button & click the home button.

 

[WizarDru]

I listed myself as 'owning one' but that's not true, strictly speaking. My employer purchased one for me to use and get familiar with as I need to support them. I've had mine for about a two months, now. I said, before I got one, that "I'd love for someone to buy me an iPad, but I'd never spend that much on one." I didn't realize that would actually happen.

I find the iPad is the best device for certain tasks, a workable device for some tasks and totally inappropriate for other tasks. Understanding which is which and where those tasks fall on your value scale is what would determine how useful and worthwhile the iPad is for you.

I use mine in several ways:

Web-browser: really, this is one of the best devices handy for this. It's big enough to render screens properly and while the lack of flash can hurt sometimes, it's super convenient to just reach over, wherever I am, grab the iPad and just browse. With 3G active, this is very handy on the road (something I can't do with my laptop or netbook). Without it, it's still a lightning-fast browser that I can take virtually anywhere.

Video watching: between the built-in Video apps and the far more versatile VLC app, I can play just about anything I want on the iPad. I currently have all three episodes of "Sherlock" and some DVD-rips (of movies I own) as well as iTunes-imported digital copies of BluRays I own. I have video podcasts, as well. VLC did choke on the Professor Layton movie, but you can't have everything, I guess. Netflix on the iPad KICKS ASS.

DMing: Having the compendium in my lap and able to walk around the room with it, as well as PDFs of the latest issues of Dragon, Dungeon and whatever else I need? Handy. Dice rolling? I eschew such apps. I own DICE.

Apps: though not quite as handy as the iPhone for informational apps, some apps are equal or better on the iPad. Wikipanion or IMDB, for example, provide very nice interfaces to their respective websites. Flipboard is fantastic for aggregating my social and news feeds into a e-magazine.

PDFs: My company's main impetus for getting the iPads was the take the large number of printouts and PDFs our marketers use and translating them into PDFs to carry on the iPad. I use GoodReader for work documents and personal ones, including issues of Dungeon and Dragon, downloaded from DDI.

Gaming: Board games, in particular, are experiencing a burst on the iPad. Angry Birds HD is fun, but games like Small World, Reiner Knizia's Samurai and Dungeon Solitaire make it a great 'take with you' game platform. Heck, Reiner Knizia has so many of his board games translated to the iPhone and iPad that he's virtually his own category (latest game: Medici HD).

What I DON'T use the iPad for:

e-Reader: I have Nook Wifi and it's swell...and I have no desire to replace it. The screen is easy on the eyes, it's lightweight and durable. If I DO want to read stuff on the iPad...I have the nook app.

Access to specific websites: the lack of flash and some other technologies means I CAN'T use the iPad for stuff like maintaining my account at Xbox-Live, for example.

Word Processing: while the iPad is suitable for short e-mails and texts...that virtual keyboard simply won't do for more involved work.

Interfacing with cameras and usb devices: without an adapter, can't do it. Although there are apps out there to get around that limitation, such as Disk Aid+.

Having had one for two months, would I give it up? If they asked me to pay $850 for it, yes. But failing that, I think it's a swell piece of kit. Maybe when the second one comes around.

 

[Seonaid]

Angry Birds HD is fun, but games like Small World, Reiner Knizia's Samurai and Dungeon Solitaire make it a great 'take with you' game platform. Heck, Reiner Knizia has so many of his board games translated to the iPhone and iPad that he's virtually his own category (latest game: Medici HD).

Does "HD" here mean "high def," or am I missing something? Thanks.