Lol, me neither. It's the one that my mom uses. It was actually $400. I still ask her why she even bought it, since she only uses it to check email. She occasionally purchases something online too. Hell, I still want to build my dream gaming computer, even though I don't even game on PCs anymore. Diablo will be the only major game I buy this year. But, I just want to have it, so I can look at it. I've also been eyeing some new Ultimate Ears headphones. Yes, headphones are my one true addiction. The drugs come and go, but headphones are forever. Well, really... until I break them.
True, my dad has never touched a computer (that I know of anyway), almost always needs my help for electronics besides the basic functions, but after getting a 3GS he's been pretty hooked onto it. He's barely used a quarter of the 16GB but he went and bought a 4S anyway, and has also been thinking of getting an iPad (although I doubt this will happen anytime soon).
I totally missed the edit. The only useful thing that the iPad does is promote intangible consumerism. I just want to scream media consumption. The only thing I use my iPod for is video game consumption. It's not practical for anything else except lightweight web browsing. I'm not seeing the jump in use that the iPad has to offer. If I need to spend $500+ on my my mom because she's technologically challenged, then I should be getting her something else. I can't stress enough why the iPad isn't worth it IMO. My little sister has a (i think) nook. She and my mom seem to use that nicely. Other than that they have no need for a tablet. Like I said my mom doesn't even use the computer the laptop she bought. She also has a smartphone and the only person that accesses its capabilities is my little sister. All of my elderly relatives could give a rat's ass about technology. And most are still in the mindset of $500 being too much for something like an iPad, or any technology for that matter. I don't see how it would better their lives. I don't see why it would make a practical person jump for joy. You're right! The iPad has taken off, but I think that's mostly because of branding and the cool factor. the average person doesn't know why they want/need an iPad. They just know it's pretty cool and has Apple's logo. Apple can market its butt off. I'll give 'em props for that. I'm just saying that the Kindle Fire easily showed that the iPad/Apple isn't God. It's just like I would never buy an iPhone over an Android. I might actually switch to Windows if the new 8 phones live up to expectations.
Cheap games are on the Vita, too. It's just that they don't get as much attention when real console quality games are in the mix.
Have you used an iPad for any more than five minutes at an Apple store or when a friend hands you one to fiddle with for a bit? A lot of skepticism towards tablets fades away once you actually start using one seriously instead of just trying to look at it as a spec sheet and a value proposition. My iPad is the most useful thing I own, as a large part of my life is content consumption of all forms of media that the iPad excels at presenting. It's my preferred device to read the web, read books, follow RSS feeds, check email, and much more. The people I know who own iPads, particularly the ones who aren't that tech savvy, use the iPad for even more than this. When you consider the iPad has essentially completely replaced my parents' desktop, and actually works better for them than the iMac I bought them ever did, it's certainly worth the $500. Hell, if the iPad has existed when I bought them the iMac I would've actually saved money on the deal even buying a pair of them. Oh, things are much more clear now.
Is the iPad nice To use for school work? Making stories for English, Lab reports for chemistry, physics and biology. And making powerpoint. Please give arguments why/why not. Thanks in advance.
Depending on your uses, an iPad could probably replace the typical low-end netbook that college kids seem to love, but you'd still want a proper computer to do the things that are a hassle to do on the iPad like any job that involves lots of switching in between tasks. Pages for the iPad works great, especially with a Bluetooth keyboard, but if you need to constantly refer to a web page or an email in something you're writing it's much easier to just resize two windows on a proper computer than constantly be hopping between Safari/Mail and Pages.
I probably won't be getting an iPad 3. I have two iPad 2's now (one is mine and one is for the kids to share) and I haven't read anything that makes me think I'll be missing something from not upgrading. We got each of the kids their own iPod Touch for Christmas so they hardly ever use the iPad anyway. I've been cussing my computer a lot lately so if I do upgrade anything it will be my Windows 7 PC to a nice big iMac. I really like my MBP and OS X even though I haven't really used it since getting my iPad. I wouldn't mind just using Linux but requiring a Widnows VM just for iTunes is a bit of a pain. One thing that I'm really looking forward to is upgrading my iPhone 4 to the iPhone 5!
Sorry for the late reply! Yeah, I've used the iPad quite a bit. Now, I haven't used one super extensively since I don't own one. I mean if that's your preferred way to check things then that's fine. I was just arguing the overall usefulness of it as a $500+ product. I think the average person could save money and get something much cheaper. As a gaming device, that's really subjective, even though I can't imagine why people want to play on something that big. Plus, like I said for $800 (if you get the top model) you can get a console, a TV, and some games. My mom has no problem with the $400 computer she bought, especially since she rarely uses it. She won't use any of the added capabilities of the device. It would be like buying her a $500 pencil. I'm still not seeing the value for the price. Plus, if you only use it for the tasks mentioned, why upgrade? Is the new screen worth $500+. IDK Hodapp, I just don't see it as practical. I just see it as a fun toy. But like I said, I'm willing to buy an expensive pair of headphones. Most people would say that's impractical. Plus, at the end of the day, I'll never be a huge fan of intangible media. It's the reason why I won't pay over $15 for an iOS game. It's the reason why I still buy books. It's the reason why I buy movies if I really like them or I spend $4 on demand for a one time watch. If I can't truly own it then I have a slight problem with that. Sure, everything can be on one mobile hub, but I've had problems with iDevices that could've been avoided with tangible products--or a dedicated gaming console. It's like someone telling me that I need to pay extra for a Mac because I'll get a virus on my PC. Well, I owned a iPhone. Now, I own an Android device, and it's like night and day, at least that's my experience. The only reason I have an iPod is for gaming. I still recognize how much "overtime" and money I blow away into it. All in all, I don't need a tablet because my iPod and phone both can suffice for on the go. Then I have my laptop waiting for me at home. If I really need to, I can take it as well. I'm a grown man, so I don't find it to be this big, heavy nuisance when I travel with, especially since I travel with it so rarely. (I think some of my paragraph are mixed up because of typing while thinking on the spot, oh well) Edit As a person who's had to use software that can't be ran on an iPad, I feel that it definitely doesn't replace a laptop or even a netbook. And like you said, the devices are not ideal for heavy multitasking--not even Android devices. For me, this is a huge turn off. I can even push my laptop to it's breaking point on a god day.
You might as well eat 40 mediocre snacks instead of your favourite meal. They'll do, and you've sure got a lot of them... they'll even last longer, they're just not as amazing. Of all the iOS games I've played I've deemed about 100 to be worthy of keeping, which is about 50 short of the number of 360/PS3 games I own. I definitely spent a lot more money on the console games, but when comparing them to iOS they're just infinitely more exciting and rewarding. It's more or less the same reason people buy Macs when Windows desktops will do the job; luxury is often worth the price if you've got the cash and it's something you're passionate about.
A thousand dollar or more Windows laptop works great. You know people still buy Windows laptops that cost the same or more than Macbooks? I think saying that the Mac is the epitome of luxury is off base IMHO. As far as console expenses, I guess I grew up in a console ecosystem, so I traded games a lot. Plus, games like MW2 can steal your time for months. There's also the fact that you can trade in games to places like Game Stop. Also, if you look at the console vs. iOS hardware longevity, you can afford to spend more money on games. How many games can you buy for at least $300? How many can you buy if you buy them used? What if you're quick to trade them in? A new device every 1-2 years plus the games, no matter the cost, can pay for a Gamefly description. Does time no longer equal money? I've sure wasted a lot of it on iOS. How about the fact that you never truly own your product? I guess most ppl have grown out of caring about this!?
Yes, they have. Because you've never owned any software before either, all you owned was the plastic and paper the disk/ box was made out of. (Actually, this is the logic publishers et al. use to justify eliminating second hand sales that you seem to be so fond of.) Now, don't get me wrong though, I'm not advocating digital distribution. I love having the box/disk with me. As a fairly educated person in the ways of modern digital media, just today I went out and bought a game (Kingdoms of Amalur, if you must know) that I could've bought for $17 cheaper online and downloaded the files without getting out of my chair. But. To say that I "own" the product is rather silly - I don't own any more than I would've if I downloaded the game from Steam or Origin. (Paper and plastic excluded)
@Echoseven The only thing you can't do with a physical copy is copy and personally distribute it. There's plenty of ways that physical gaming can be reduced in cost and I mentioned them. You also have to throw in that it will cost the average gamer, who wants the latest and greatest, an upgrade every 1-2 years. Plus time is money! OS update breaks, crashing, and OS updates that turn your device wonky. I also factor battery life into the equation. Ebooks don't cost that much less than paperbacks and $500 is a high entry price for an ereader and lightweight web browser, if you ask me. Then there's the simple, do I want tangible products or intangible products? Me, I'd like to go for tangible products.
On games... Once I started playing games on my iPhone, I never went back. I have no interest in a 3DS or PS Vita at all, and the only convincing argument I've ever had from the other side is 'it has physical buttons which means tactile feedback'. People try the 'it's a deeper experience' card, but these people haven't played the likes of Dead Space and Shadowgun, and who wants a 'deep experience' from a videogame on the train? If I want a deep game I'll fire one up on my Xbox or Mac in the evening. There's also the fact that the indie devs are the kings of the app store. EA and the like may want to take it, and they do resort to some pretty dirty methods, but it's just not going to happen in the long run, and this keeps the games interesting, it takes gaming back to those great days when your Atari or your Nintendo would entertain you with all kinds of crazy new ideas, because it didn't cost them millions of dollars to develop it and therefore they didn't have to make the next sequel in an everlasting series of games just to guarantee they'd make a profit. I mean I still do play my Xbox, I got Skyrim which gets attention from me every now and again, and Sonic Generations, and I've yet to fire up the new Duke Nukem (got it for Christmas), but I doubt I'll ever buy a handheld games system again. As for tablets... It's the next evolution of the computer, IMO. Though what I find interesting is that the iPad is completely dwarfing Android tablets, while I think in actual content and functionality, Android tablets outdo the iPad. If you ask me, iOS is much too basic for a tablet, whilst Android Honeycomb/ICS is much too complex for a phone. An iPad is a great entertainment device and a good supplement to a computer, but a good Android tablet can become a computer in itself, and I think iOS for iPad needs to catch up with it so that this branch of computing technology can evolve. I'm hoping the the Amazon Kindle Fire's low price (they're selling at a loss to make up profits through their book store, much like the way games console manufacturers do) will give Apple a jolt to increase the functionality of the iPad. Tablets are the future of computing, potentially, but without an accessible file system etc. the iPad won't be able to move forward from being a computer accessory to being an actual computer.
The lack of a mouse kills the creation aspect for me. I use mine for presentations, but find it FAR easier to create them on a proper desktop (or even laptop). If they allowed it to pair with a BT mouse, then I could easily do without my laptop. I understand why they don't. They have no wish to cut into their laptop sales. At least right now. I sure hope that changes though. I saw a report (on cnet?) that Apple is rumored to be preparing a version of the iPad with a built in keyboard. Comments ran through the "magical" and "revolutionary" gaumet. Huh? I thought we had those. Aren't they called netbooks / ultrabooks or laptops? The iPad is mainly a consumption device. If you're creating, you'll need a proper computer laptop/desktop, Mac or PC.
@DistantJ I can't really argue with what you just said. Why? Because I agree with you like I've never agreed with anyone on here. I feel the same way about mobile gaming as you. It's why I love a game like yours, but kinda go meh over something like Dead Space, especially after playing the console counterpart. If anything, Apple will push me towards another mobile platform to game on--maybe Windows 8, maybe TegraZone. I already don't use Apple for a phone. I also agree with you about the next stage in computing. It'll be Android or Windows that make this transition and not Apple though. Either that or they'll come in second and claim to everyone that they were first. Me, I'll personally hold on to a computer for as long as I can. That or I'll get a computer-tablet hybrid, where you just flip around the screen. 4.3" bodies on phones are pretty perfect for me, so I think i can withstand the tablet trend for a while.
I think in a few more years people will be unfolding their flexible screened Amoled tablets and running office on windows 8, mind you I don't think tablets will ever replace PC's you will always need a desktop for real heavy task and cutting edge gaming.
I'll most likely not get an ipad 3 or 4 for that matter. I'm still happy with my ipad 2 and see no real reason to upgrade. I'll probably be using it until it dies or can't run any of the newest apps on it. Like others have mentioned in this thread, the heavy use of IAP's has put me off from even trying certain games.
