So did you rush out and buy an iPad today? I have to admit I’m no great MAC or iTunes lover so it’s the first product Apple have produced that I’m seriously tempted by.
The trouble is I just can’t justify the cost, the WiFi version just doesn’t cut it for me and I’ve already got a Vodafone USB data dongle so paying another £10 – £25 on top of the £529 – £700 purchase price is just too much. I mean I have a laptop, I have a load of computers that I never switch on and to me the iPad doesn’t do enough, is too big to be easily portable like my smart phone, and has too many limitations to use on a regular basis.
It’s a seriously tempting bit of kit, but the only way I could justify the purchase is as a cute toy, and as a cute toy it’s just a bit too pricey. That’s not stopping plenty of people rushing to resell their iPad though, so if you’re after saving a few quid (or more likely you didn’t get one and don’t mind paying over the odds) there are plenty of to choose from on eBay.
If you did buy one today how did you justify the cost and can you please give me enough reasons to splash out £700 to buy one? 🙂
31 Responses
There were too big reasons I was excited about an iPad: Reading and Writing. But, apparently, those are the two things that it is the worst at so I will be waiting for a future generation or alternate product if one comes out.
I advise anyone looking into it to not just read reviews, read reviews from people who specifically want it for the same things you want it for. Just bc your friend loves it for games or movies doesn’t mean you will love it if you want it for blogging on the go.
I may eventually get one of these for development purposes. I have an idea for an app but looks like it will require written permission from a few companies. Lots of companies seem to exclude mobile devices from their API usage terms.
Reading is exactly what it *is* good for. And writing, at least the short page-and-a-half entries common for a daily blog, is also an area at which it excels.
I’ve had mine since the US launch on April 3, and it is priceless for accomplishing exactly what you’re bashing it for.
I guess the iPad is one of those things you have to use for a day or two to understand exactly how game-changing it really can be. But I’ll say unequivocally that I would not give mine up now for the world; and reading and writing is precisely what I use it for the most.
I would never dream of buying one, I only ever turn my mobile on if I leave Cornwall.
I am curious though, can you use it as a phone? I would laugh out loud if I ever saw someone with that piece of junk attached to the side of there head in a Dom Jolly style.
Steve Jobs must be laughing all the way to the bank.
Last Apple meeting:
What we doing next?
How about a huge ipod touch, with no usb sockets no memory card slots, and we’ll sell for between £400 and £700.
We can’t get away with that, can we?
We’ll make the apple logo big and make out that it is the best thing ever, oh and we’ll hold most of the features back so we can bring out versions 2 3 and 4 and charge the same people again!!
I love Apple as far as the brand is concerned, I have an iPhone and a Mac etc.
…However, this is destined to be the thorn in Apples side, it is an utter waste of money.
Unless, as Chris points out, you want one just to say you have one and play around with…I think after about 24 minutes though the novelty will have worn off.
Well I am reading and writing this while in the bath! I love the fact that I am no longer tied to my desktop computer and can read the news,books or websites, watch tv or videos ect anywhere.
Its what the Amazon Kindle should have been. I use my kindle everyday as I get The Times delivered to it each morning for just £15 a month without having to visit the shop but the lack of graphics and pictures is a disadvantage sometimes when if i were in America i would get the graphics.
Even if the kindle had built in wifi and a simple browser it would have been perfect and much more useable.
I think the iPad, iPhone, iPod, iWhatever are all just hype hype hype. There is nothing “unique” about any of these products. People talk about reading books in the bath and so on, I can do that with a notebook or laptop (for less than the cost of a iPad), heck even my old HTC phone read PDF files.
The iPod is tied to iTunes. Let’s see I could get an MP3 player and just download MP3 albums (we all know where to get them: isoh***.com) if we wanted to, let’s be honest about it (I don’t even own an MP3 player, just making the point).
The iPhone offers a load of “approved” apps. The HTC can install anything written for Windows Mobile, I ran Tomtom on mine, which outstrips anything “satnavish” on any other phone platform.
I really can’t see the point of these devices. Sure if people like them then go ahead and buy one. But please don’t try and convince me they are “must have” gadgets. The only Apple product I’ve ever own is a PowerMac, and it barely got used, I went back to my PC.
£700 for something you can do with a notebook (or even a laptop) for half that price ? I’ll pass thanks. Save your money Chris.
And to the Apple fans: show me something iPod does that’s useful that I can’t do with the Thinkpad laptop I am writing this post on ….
Steve
What exactly is an iPad?
I read in the bath aswell. i don’t use an ipad, iphone or laptop. Amazingly I use something called a “book” lol.
I have one, just bought it on saturday whilst on a weekend away in Cardiff. Much easier to use than my laptop whilst away which is one of the reasons I purchased it.
It was great to be able to plan our days out on the maps function flat on the table like a map.
I have no other apple item but really like this it’s also going to be great to use at exhibitions to show customers other goods we sell on.
I think it’s well worth the money!
Stuart
I don’t think a map has a zoom function or satellite images of the same location at the same time, or tells you where restaurants or attractions are!
Plus to be fair it’s not the main reason I bought it just became very handy when away!
of course you could do away with the gadgets and the map and simply stop and ask directions
radical huh?