Can the ipad go to college?

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Im a junior in high school, but i wanna get the whole computer situation down, that way i have one less thing to worry about once i get to college. What i wanna know is, should i get the ipad instead of a laptop? The ipad can do word and powerpoint. All i really need for collage. Plus: I can save my publications on the ipad, and send them to any email address. I can surf the web with blazing speed, and lets face it, its really really cool! What are your thoughts or opinions? Laptop, or iPad?
 
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If it were me, and I was getting ready to go to college, I would be looking more towards the Macbook or Macbook Pro.But that's just me, and college is way behind me.
 
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It would be wise to stick with a laptop. The iPad is not meant to replace a laptop. It wouldn't be impossible to do everything on the iPad only, but more steps are involved to transfer files if you need to print and such. It's not a drastic deal, but I know I wouldn't want any more extra steps to do school work.
 
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The ipad can do word and powerpoint. All i really need for collage.

Even though this might seem to be the case now, I think that colleges are moving towards using laptops for more purposes (ie exams) all the time. The only reason I say this is because you should probably be over-inclusive in your estimation of what you might need in a laptop/iPad rather than under-inclusive.

But to respond to your main question: I think that the iPad is amazing because of its size, ease of use, intuitive apps, fun apps, and wide breadth of possibility. As you said, you would be able to get all of the word processing and powerpoint apps that you might need, and if you needed to type something really long, then you could just get a bluetooth keyboard. So those are points in favor of the iPad.

My main concerns, though, are the size and durability of the iPad and compatibility issues. While I think the screen is perfect for home and recreational use, I would be frustrated if I had to look at my notes on such a small screen all of the time. But this could just be personal preference, since I need to look at outlines to study. I guess I'm a "big picture" kind of person. I would also be worried about dropping or scratching the iPad. College life is hard on even the sturdiest of laptops, so I can't imagine what it would do to an iPad-what with the drinking, partying, dancing, etc. that occurs on a college campus. My other concern would be that there is not a stand that holds the iPad up at eye level so that you don't strain your neck looking down at it all of the time. I find that, even with my medium sized laptop screen, I tend to get a lot of neck and back pain due to looking down at the screen all of the time. But there is no way of knowing if there will be a suitable stand for the screen by the time you make it to college. Overall, I would say just stick with a laptop. You know for sure that it will do what you need, and you don't risk compatibility issues. Best of luck!
 
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I think it really depends on your major and whether you will also have a desktop computer in your dorm/apartment in college. When I was in college my major required a lot of software in order to do the lab homework. None of which could have been done on an iPad even if they were invented back then. Of course I could always use the school's computer lab but sometimes it was full and I also couldn't work on my homework in the school's library or other places.

Mobility is the reason why I like laptops. I'm not stuck doing my work in one place all the time and I have access to all my files rather than wait until I got home. Yes the iPad is mobile too but it doesn't do everything I need from a traditional laptop. If you are going to have a desktop at home then I can see that an iPad might work for your limited needs at school campus.

You might want to contact your college and see what requirements are necessary before making your final decision.
 
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And do not double post threads.
 
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The question is What will you use it for?

I asked that same question 5 years ago when I was in uni. I wanted a device with a keyboard that I could take notes in during class and that would last me all day on one battery charge.

A laptop could have done a LOT of things, but it couldn't do what I needed: last a full day on one charge.

I ended up getting a PDA as it met two needs: It allowed me to read e-books (a non-college use) and it allowed me to take notes in class. That's all I ever used it for. Ever.

If I were you I'd make a list of what you need. See which device meets these needs at the best price. Then if you can afford both, consider what else each device can do that you want it to do. Is surfing the web something you need for college? If its anything like my university then of course not. There's plenty of public computers available to use. So for me that would be something I wanted to do.

After you finish compiling those wants, see what device can meet those wants without jeopardising what you need from the device. Then consider your budget and make your decision.

For me I have no needs for the iPad, but I do have wants. The iPad meets my wants better than a laptop or HP Slate, so I'm going with the iPad. But my wants and needs will be different to yours.
 
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If you think you're only going to be doing Word and Power Point on your laptop/iPad, you've got reality waiting to smack you in the face :)

Get a Laptop/MacBook.. Trust me. The amount of typing, web based class work, presentations, files, and resources you need are a tad bit greater than the iPad can currently offer. Aside from that, you may not want to spend all your time doing that work in a computer lab or library.

As others said, the iPad isn't meant to replace the Laptop, but merely compliment it.

One thing that would really help the iPads case with the student/teaching body would definitely be college texts available in e-book form. Even then though, the iPad shouldn't replace a laptop as a student.
 
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You WILL need a laptop. The iPad is defienetly breath taking, I am absolutely in love with mine. It replaced my laptop which I randomly used for taking notes in classes, just one purpose among many, but I would smack my head in to the wall if I ever had to do any kinds of homework on it. Besides I think you would have to go throuhgh **** to get the iPad to print anything from a regular usb printer, which most college students prefer. I truly wish the iPad could assist me the way I want it to on college life but, the computing environmetnt and the existing technology is not there yet. I can assure you you will be asked to use a laptop if not many but at least in one class. For example everybody takes math 101 in college and that requires math lab.
Get a macbook and an iPad, if you want an iPad that bad.
 
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To the Original Poster:

Since you are in high school still I would start saving now. But I would keep an open mind as to what you would get for your college/university years. Because we just do not know what improvements to notebooks and tablets will come between now and the time you start your tertiaty education. And my advice is start saving but wait on the purchase till you have finished highschool and have been accepted into a tertiary education place. Then you'll know what is cutting edge then and will have the saved up cash to make a better choice.

************

And to the above poster, I agree thisgs are different in Australia. But you do not need a notebook for university here. But when I was there all of my subjects required some access to the internet and some (non computing ones) required me purchase some software. Horrible software mind you but still. And sure having a notebook made the online exams and other thnigs easier. I didn't have a notebook computer so I had to use the university's or my home imac for that. And that was back around 2003ish. I could only guess that the courses would be even more tailored to online/computer based content then my days there.
 

bobtomay

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Note: merged duplicate threads
 
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I say stick with the regular Macbook. If you can, maybe get a used Macbook and possibly get a 16GB iPad.

I used my MBP for EVERYTHING in school. You'll be doing the same. Most schools have been shifting to online/technology as of late. To the point that you have to print up your own syllabus for classes, and most lecture notes being produced in Powerpoint now as well. You'll also find yourself producing this on your own for most of your classes...in Florida each class requires you to produce at least 1 paper (They're called Gordon rule and meant for electives). I also noticed that most professors are starting to make Powerpoint presentations the norm.

This will be 100x easier on an actual laptop. It would be great if you could transfer these to a netbook or possibly iPad as your backpack will be full of textbooks and your back will be thanking you for carrying a light weight device.
 

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