iPad is a big iPhone browser?

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I assumed the iPad 2 would have normal browsing but most of my frequently visited sites just don't fully function with this thing. I know the iPhone (and apple in general) has issues with flash but really, I can't log into mint or read tree hugger. What a POS! This thing is basically worthless on the web in general. Was I wrong to assume this was just a slower but flat MacBook? (Rhetorical question)
This thing will be going up on eBay soon:\
 
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Please post the eBay auction link. I might bid..
 
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How am I a troll for speaking facts? I've had the iPad for a week and I continuously run across sites that simply don't work. I understand a phone having limitations but in this day and time of technology this machine should be able to do more than a stupid phone.
 

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I assumed the iPad 2 would have normal browsing but most of my frequently visited sites just don't fully function with this thing. I know the iPhone (and apple in general) has issues with flash

No, apparently you don't. Flash runs fine on my Mac. It's iOS that is (intentionally) limited to non-Flash sites.

but really, I can't log into mint or read tree hugger. What a POS! This thing is basically worthless on the web in general.

Because it doesn't run Flash? I would say that if Flash sites are really high on your list, then the iPad probably shouldn't have been in contention for your dollars. I have to wonder, did you not read single review before parting with $500+?

Was I wrong to assume this was just a slower but flat MacBook? (Rhetorical question)

Yep. Just for clarity's sake - the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad/2 are all iOS devices. iOS (while technically capable) does not run Flash - and for that matter, it doesn't run any applications unless they were specifically designed for a touch interface. That's the whole reason that the iPad is the first tablet-style computing device that has actually caught on. Tablets have been around for a long time now... they have been, to-date, largely unsuccessful since they have mostly been running desktop OSes and apps shoehorned into a form factor that they weren't designed to run in.

This thing will be going up on eBay soon:\

I'm sure you'll make someone very happy. I'm certain you'll find a tablet that runs Flash... but I have a feeling you won't enjoy the trade-offs that go with it.
 
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It's not that flash sites are at the top of my list, I'm just now realizing how many sites use flash on their pages. Its like using my old smart phone, cool but not really that cool. Just not what I expected for all the hype. I wanted more computer less phone.
 

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It's not that flash sites are at the top of my list, I'm just now realizing how many sites use flash on their pages. Its like using my old smart phone, cool but not really that cool. Just not what I expected for all the hype. I wanted more computer less phone.

I think it helps to understand the iPad and what its mission is. It is not a computer replacement, but more of a complementary device. It's meant to be more of a media appliance. That has quite a few benefits, but also a few (well-publicized) shortcomings as well. It seems like you just don't have the right fit for your needs.

Before you waste your money on one of the iPad competitors, know this... the ones that run Windows are going to be short on battery life, tough to manipulate (because Windows was designed to be run with a keyboard and mouse, no matter how much they try to tweak it to run on a tablet) and generally kludgy.

The other alternative will be an Android-based tablet, but there again, you're getting an OS that was primarily designed to run on a phone. You may or may not get Flash support, and Android's apps are pretty weak for the most part (the crappiest iOS apps are better than the best Android apps) Flash doesn't work so well on Android (it's a huge battery hog and is fairly crash-prone). Also, Android itself is not exactly stable (at least in my experience). Another thing to take into consideration is that if it doesn't run Android 3.0, Google has pretty much written off support for the device. They explicitly told OEMs not to run 2.x on their devices.

So, long story made short, if you want more of a "computer-like" experience, you're going to need a real computer. Might I recommend a MacBook Air? ;)

And for anyone who is tempted to argue with me on my take on Android, please restrain yourself... this is just my opinion, based on personal experience with it.
 

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Another thought... HP has a tablet in the works that runs Palm's WebOS (which is a pretty decent OS in its own right). I have a feeling it will run Flash out of the gate as well. If any of the "iPad Killers" has a chance to actually take off, I'd put my money on HP. So, if you are really dead-set on a tablet, it might be worth waiting for.
 

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How am I a troll for speaking facts? I've had the iPad for a week and I continuously run across sites that simply don't work. I understand a phone having limitations but in this day and time of technology this machine should be able to do more than a stupid phone.

I think we tend to be a little sensitive to trolls here, because Apple products tend to attract them. Apple tends to be a "love it or hate it" kind of company.

But I think in this case, it is just a little difficult to believe that someone would part with this much cash without really understanding what they're buying. As far as limitations go (and you keep saying that it "...should be able to do more than a stupid phone...."), the iPad will do just about anything on the Web that a typical PC will do, the main limitation being Flash.

Much has been said about the pros and cons of Flash, so I won't get into that divisive rhetoric here. The limitation is not one of technology, but instead, it's one of philosophy in design. Apple has taken great pains to try to not duplicate the mistakes that past Tablet PC makers have made. And one of them is to avoid trying to make keyboard/mouse driven apps run in a form factor they weren't designed for.

Flash was originally designed to provide a richer web experience in a time when HTML couldn't do much more than very basic webpages. That time has come and gone, but Flash hasn't. Today, most Flash sites use it to play videos. But really Flash was designed to do much more than that - and Flash apps were really intended to be driven with a keyboard and mouse.
 
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How am I a troll for speaking facts? I've had the iPad for a week and I continuously run across sites that simply don't work. I understand a phone having limitations but in this day and time of technology this machine should be able to do more than a stupid phone.

Only someone who lives under a rock (or a bridge) would not be aware that the iPad runs the same OS as the iPhone; that the browsers thus would be the same; and that Flash is not present. It most certainly has NEVER been portrayed or marketed as a flat MacBook. Since I'm pretty sure you are too big to live under a rock, you must be a troll. Never mind the fact that you apparently joined this forum for the sole purpose of spewing a bunch of nonsense over how "useless" the iPad is for the web, when I and millions of others disagree, making your "facts" markedly less factual. You are a classic troll.
 

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It can run flash just not by normal means. >_>"
 
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Just a big iPhone browser? No. In my experience, the iPhone tends to direct to mobile sites, while the iPad does not. The larger screen size makes browsing on the iPad a much better experience as well.

If you thought it was just a slow MacBook Pro, you were either totally misinformed or simply did absolutely no research.

There are a bunch of Android tablets out there, some of which support flash. That said, as a former Android user I can tell you that you will be grossly disappointed.One running the new 3.0 OS may be better, but it's still pretty untested. Flash works ok for video on Android, but it still leaves a lot to be desired for everything else. Flash based websites don't render well to touch devices. That combined with the horrible drain on your battery...

I can access far more video and media content on my iOS devices than I ever could on Android. Maybe a new OS will come out that does better, but as of now nothing comes close to iOS for browsing. Your problem isn't the device or the OS, it's the fact that it doesn't meet the unrealistic expectations that you had for it.
 
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If watching something with flash is that important to you, get the Skyfire browser. It's not perfect, but it does a reasonable job. It won't run livestreaming flash objects, but as an example I go to TBS's website, and it will play the episodes of Conan.

To expect an iPad to be a laptop replacement is not an accurate expectation. It is a fabulous device, and I use mine every day (just like my iPod Touch). However, it can not fully replace the functionality of my MBP.
 
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I was a bit scared when I ordered one that it would just be a large iPhone, but it really isn't... to start with there is a growing amount of iPad exclusive apps, and apps that just wouldn't work on iPhone, Garageband is one that comes to mind... and the bigger screen really does make a big difference in how you use existing apps anyway. Is zooming in on everything on an iPhone and viewing a small part of a page or image really comparable to an iPad experience? no.
 
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To the OP's original observations

You know what they say when you "assume."

Never assume anything, conduct research. And you are, of course, absolutely inaccurate when you observe that you can't use the iPad to view the web.

For my money, and it is my money, it is a great adjunct to my PC, netbook, MacBook Pro, and iPhone. It does what I need it to do perfectly. Streams movies and live television wherever I am, allows me to check my e-mail, surf the web, and use the 55 some odd apps I have downloaded thus far. In addition it stores 3,000 songs, 17 movies, more than a dozen books, and a number of magazines.

Sorry about yours.
 

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