Some questions for you current iPad owners.

Presently I have a 13" PC Laptop running a 64 bit version of Windows 7. I have decided to move my world over to the Mac. My original plan was to get a 13" MBP and use it in my office as well as out and about.

After picking up my first iPhone last week I have found that my computer usage has profoundly changed. I still do spreadsheets and review construction drawings at my desk with its 23" monitor attached to the 13" laptop. But all my email and social networking, news, and truthfully, book reading are now done primarily on the iPhone. Even construction drawings, sent via PDF can and have been reviewed in iBooks on my iPhone. I have even found myself building and editing spreadsheets on the phone.

So, I am now considering the $699 Mac mini for the office and an iPad for work and life outside the grind but wanted to know about usage stats from you early adopters. Below are the core questions I have. Please feel free to add any information or toe curling tales of awesomeness you never expected out of the thing when you elbowed your way to one.

• What size do you have? (TWSS)
• Is it 3G or WiFi only?
• What do you have on it and how much room remains?
• What do you use it for? Mostly media consumption and some work? Vice Versa? Cooking? Gaming?
• If you use it for work what do you do at work that you use it for? (that was a poorly written question, sorry)
• What case do you have if any?
• To what extent, if any, has the iPad replaced you laptop?

Thanks,
Dean

GratefulDean said:

• What size do you have? (TWSS)
• Is it 3G or WiFi only?
• What do you have on it and how much room remains?
• What do you use it for? Mostly media consumption and some work? Vice Versa? Cooking? Gaming?
• If you use it for work what do you do at work that you use it for? (that was a poorly written question, sorry)
• What case do you have if any?
• To what extent, if any, has the iPad replaced you laptop?

Thanks,
Dean

Click to expand...

*64GB
*WiFi only
*See screenshot for details of contents*
*I use it mostly for e-mail, checking my bank account activity (chase app), and web browsing when I don't want to open my MBP or have a heavier notebook on my lap. I do enjoy using it in the kitchen for quick recipe reference and the ability to set it down just about anywhere as opposed to a notebook requiring more counter space. Also it's nice for playing simple games like chess, checkers, solitaire, Memory, Air Hockey, etc. I'm not a heavy "gamer". It's great when you just want to quickly look something up like the IMDB app, for instance.
*I have this cover and I love it! iLuv Flexi-Clear Dot Wave Pattern
*It has replaced my notebook as a go-to device when I need to look something up quickly and when I travel on vacation. Great Google Maps app for finding your way around a new city and looking for things to do and places to eat at. But that's about it. If I have to type a long e-mail or a post like this one, I'll use my MBP. If I'm doing video/photo editing, I'll use my MBP. If I need to copy a CD into iTunes, I obviously HAVE to use my MBP. My iPad was a gift and that's probably the only reason I have one. I was mesmerized when it was first announced but quickly realized it wasn't "for me". But that doesn't mean others won't tout it as an extremely effective tool for whatever it is they do. You obviously could benefit from the iPad since you are already able to do your work via iPhone. Same basic functionality on the iPad.

Hope that helps.

64GB

3G (unlimited grandfathered)


How I use my iPad, in order of what I check:
* Productivity - Fidelity's stock trading ap, iSwim (thinkorswim's ap), Bloomberg's ap, E*TRADE's ap. All the free stock related aps and Kitco's live precious metals price tracker ap. (I need to see if I'm green or red.)
* Pages and Numbers - I write a lot of my spur of the moment ideas for stories and other stuff down. (I too am making the switch to Mac from PC. The iPad pushed me over the edge.) These are the only aps I have purchased for my iPad.
* AccuWeather's ap is better than the weather channel.
* Goby is an AWESOME awesome SUPER RAD ap. Get Goby.
* Safari - gotta surf
* Kayak - Easier to use than their website to seach for a flight.
* Music - All the free music related aps I could snag. I love Virtuoso. Beatwave is a close second.
* Lots of science aps, periodic table, webmd, astronomy aps.
* GMAT/GRE prep - Thinking of going back to school. Need to work on my vocab...
* ZERO games. Once a game goes onto it, it loses most, if not all of its productivity value.

* Use the Incase "rubber". It keeps the back and sides protected. Waiting on my Apple case and satchel.

* I use my Asus A51J for gaming only now. I ordered an iMac and am starting to transfer everything to that.


Now, my only problem is that sometimes I reach out and try to touch my laptop's screen to zoom in on stuff. OOPS.

Vroomer said:

...

Now, my only problem is that sometimes I reach out and try to touch my laptop's screen to zoom in on stuff. OOPS.

Click to expand...

Glad I'm not the only one that's done that. ;D

32g
wi-fi only
entertainment
apps,music/videos and photos

64gb, 3G

Web browsing
Email checker
Facebook
Games
Notes
Amazon

Took the iPad on a trip to So. Florida recently. The hotel charged a $10 daily fee for wi fi. Just used the 3G and surfed to my heart's content. I even surfed the web as my wife was doing the driving. Just great. Very handy. Hasn't replaced my MBP entirely, but it has essentially taken the place of an Asus netbook that is 2X as heavy.

ipad in the sunlight

ipad users, anyone have any experiences or comments on the screen visibility while using the ipad in the sunlight?
thanks
jsa

jsamac said:

ipad users, anyone have any experiences or comments on the screen visibility while using the ipad in the sunlight?
thanks
jsa

Click to expand...

Visibility is ok. Biggest problem is using it with polarized sunglasses. I can only see the screen in landscape mode with them on.

jsamac said:

ipad users, anyone have any experiences or comments on the screen visibility while using the ipad in the sunlight?
thanks
jsa

Click to expand...

You may want to get an ipad anti glare screen protector for better visibility.

GratefulDean said:

• What size do you have? (TWSS)
• Is it 3G or WiFi only?
• What do you have on it and how much room remains?
• What do you use it for? Mostly media consumption and some work? Vice Versa? Cooking? Gaming?
• If you use it for work what do you do at work that you use it for? (that was a poorly written question, sorry)
• What case do you have if any?
• To what extent, if any, has the iPad replaced you laptop?

Thanks,
Dean

Click to expand...

32GB 3G
Have a few hundred songs, around a hundred apps, 3 movies and a 24 episode series (these aren't needed and take up about 70% of the used space).
I use it for email, and looking at drawings and things for work (use goodreader which can read many formats and will sync with box.net, dropbox, mobile.me, google docs, ftp sites, and some emails servers, plus other things), websurfing, and watching video (mostly netflix in the evening while in bed). Play some games and do crosswords too. I also use some news aggregator apps.
I have the Apple case. I think it works really well.
I barely use a loptop anymore, and when I do, it's only to use websites that won't work on the iPad because of the restrictions on flash and whatnot (IMO, the most serious flaw that the iPad has-- it very much degrades it's usefulness at this point for me).

In answer to your questions...

1. I have the 64GB 3G model
2. Currently have over 5,100 songs, 16 videos (including 9 feature films), 3,400 photos and 40 apps. 4.4GB remains.
3. Media consumption mostly. Web browsing, videos, music, etc. So far, I've not gotten into many games yet. I prefer the iPhone for that purpose. I do some e-mail on it as well. My favorite app so far is the Weber's On the Grill, which has proved very useful since I'm new to barbecuing.
4. N/A
5. I have the Apple case. It's very nice!
6. I gave my MacBook to my wife when the iPad arrived. Now I roll with a Mac mini (late 2009 model) for the heavy lifting, and the iPad serves as my portable machine.