Help me think this through

[gr8dane]

Here is where I stand on the iPad. I am about 80% there but I have many questions that I don't have answers for at this time so hopefully the rest of the geek world can help.

I have an original Macbook Pro 17 that is fully upgraded but the apple care just expired. Not sure if I should buy another round given the age of the machine and cost.

I mainly use the MBP for web, email, and work with and external hd. If I don't renew the apple care and MBP dies I will need to replace it.

1. I think I know that the 1st Gen iPad will not support and external HD but will support the flash cards in a reader so I could transfer my files there and work from the flash cards / reader. Plus Google is going to take over the world and the Google Docs is very appealing to me and gets me away from M$ dependence

2. I use iMovie, iPhoto and several other photo/video editing programs on my MBP now. I haven't found any apps comparable yet.

3. $699 for an iPad (64Gb no 3G) vs $699 for a MacBook (teacher discount). I like the idea of the thin convenience of the iPad vs the MB, but then again I carry a MBP 17" now so anything is a lighter choice.

4. As a rule I don't buy 1st gen anything until the kinks are worked out. I actually just bought my first iPhone (1st gen) about 18 months ago.

So what I can't decide is if I really could switch to the iPad with little disruption to my life or if I am just a tech junkie and want a new toy. I hope it is the first but I'll leave it up to the rest of you junkies to help me decide.

Thanks for the help.

 

[josephfazioli]

As has been discussed, the ipad is not really intended to be a stand-alone device. It acts as a great support item for many, a primary web/email client for some, and a primary computer for few (almost none). Especially switching from a powerful pro to an ipad, I think that you would find yourself either in want of another pro, or dropping your usership. That is, if you can't, you just won't. Say goodbye to editing movies and photos...

 

[fleurya]

Well the iPad is definitely not a replacement for a primary computer. So if you're thinking that this could one day replace your MBP, you would be better off with a cheap MB or maybe even a refurb MBA for better portability if your resource needs aren't too big.

It really depends on how much on-the-go computing you need also. Again, if your resource needs aren't too heavy and you primarily do all of your heavy work like video and photo editing at home, and just do light things like internet surfing and media consumption on the go, then maybe a Mac Mini/iPad combo would be a good bet too. But if you do some of that full OS stuff on the go, then a laptop is really the only choice.

There will be some cool things made for the iPad, but with it's hardware set and limited I/O connectivity it's never really going to be a primary computer for more sophisticated programs. My suggestion to you would be to write a list of what you do and when/where you do it. Then write a list of the options you're looking at and what they can do, then compare your lists. Whichever most closely matches, wins!

For me, I am buying it one because I travel a lot for work and just need a very light and portable device for internet and media consumption. I had been considering the MBA, but then the iPad came along and fit right in with my every personal computing need while on the road. Plus, I also just like having a new gadget toy!

 

[bobtomay]

...
4. As a rule I don't buy 1st gen anything until the kinks are worked out....

Thought this was kind of funny since the only two devices you mention owning, a MBP and iPhone are both 1st gen.

If you're not planning on a purchase until your MBP breaks down and since the iPad hasn't been released yet, the whole exercise seems sort of pointless. That MBP could well last you another several years. By which time, the technology could well be advanced enough to give us a true replacement for our notebooks and desktops in a pad/slate size.

Like fleurya, the iPad fits into a specific niche I had already been looking to fill. It cannot replace your MBP. Not at this stage of the game.

 

[gr8dane]

Thought this was kind of funny since the only two devices you mention owning, a MBP and iPhone are both 1st gen.

While this is true I didn't purchase these when they first came out. I did wait for the bugs to be worked out and or the price to come down or bought it used.

I know that I can't "replace" the MBP with the 1st gen ipad for the Photo and Video work, the mobile office would be a huge convenience and if the flash memory cards and reader work then the mobile office would be much lighter than a 17" MBP.

What I can't do on my small but effective iPhone screen the 9.7" screen would be perfect. I suppose that makes me the "target" that apple is shooting at with this iPad.

 

[harryb2448]

Well if you be 'the target' for heaven's sake keep movin' man!

 

[josephfazioli]

Do we have confirmation that the (digital camera) adapter can, in fact, be used with an SD card to migrate data or expand the memory of the unit? I wouldn't be surprised of Apple restricted the port access to photo/video transfer only.

If the card adapter can be used for that purpose, it stands to reason that the usb adapter could be used to hook up an external hard drive.

 

[CrimsonRequiem]

An iPad is not going to replace a MBP any time soon. If you need portability get a smaller MBP.

 

[fleurya]

Do we have confirmation that the (digital camera) adapter can, in fact, be used with an SD card to migrate data or expand the memory of the unit? I wouldn't be surprised of Apple restricted the port access to photo/video transfer only.

If the card adapter can be used for that purpose, it stands to reason that the usb adapter could be used to hook up an external hard drive.

Yeah, I doubt you can use it for memory expansion. The biggest reason for Apple leaving memory expansion is to capitalize on their outrageous prices for the capacity bumps. Being able to expand capacity this way would totally undermine that.

If it get's jailbroken on the other hand...

 

[chas_m]

With respect, I think gr8dane (love that name, btw) has missed the point of the iPad.

It's not a "computer" in the sense that we here (most of us being knowledgeable computer users) mean the term. Thus, it does not replace a laptop in any but the most general uses of one. The iPhone didn't replace the laptop, and this won't either.

It is, for want of a better term, a recreational device.

To put this another way, there are a number of specific tasks we do on a computer that are seen as relaxing and enjoyable and other sorts of "not work."

For most people, in particular NON-NERDS (sometimes referred to as "mundanes"), this set of "fun" tasks would include:
1. Reading and writing personal email
2. Checking in on Facebook and/or the social network of your choice
3. Listening to music
4. Playing games
5. Reading
6. Watching videos
7. Casual surfing of the web
8. IMing and/or Skypeing/iChatting
9. Looking at pictures, stored or just downloaded from your camera
10. Doing a little casual writing
11. In social settings, be able to easily share pics, vids, web finds, slideshows etc with friends.
12. Organise their calendar and contacts

Hey, look at that! The iPad does all of these things (except the visual part of Skypeing, which I find most normal people don't use/don't want anyway)! And it fits in a purse or backpack, works everywhere, and costs $500 or so!

If you're the sort of person who needs to do more than the list above everywhere you go and all the time, then you're not an iPad sort of person.

If you think you would be happy with just the abilities mentioned above, plus whatever cool software third-party devs have come up with/will come up with for the iPhone/Touch/iPad ecosystem, then you obviously are an iPad person.

If you have a workstation at home or office or school where you do your "serious" endeavours, but would like to have something casual for taking around with you till you get back to your "workstation" that's light, feels right and is easy to use, then you are probably an iPad person.

Really, it's just that simple.

 

[Chris H.]

With respect, I think gr8dane (love that name, btw) has missed the point of the iPad.

It's not a "computer" in the sense that we here (most of us being knowledgeable computer users) mean the term. Thus, it does not replace a laptop in any but the most general uses of one. The iPhone didn't replace the laptop, and this won't either.

It is, for want of a better term, a recreational device.

To put this another way, there are a number of specific tasks we do on a computer that are seen as relaxing and enjoyable and other sorts of "not work."

For most people, in particular NON-NERDS (sometimes referred to as "mundanes"), this set of "fun" tasks would include:
1. Reading and writing personal email
2. Checking in on Facebook and/or the social network of your choice
3. Listening to music
4. Playing games
5. Reading
6. Watching videos
7. Casual surfing of the web
8. IMing and/or Skypeing/iChatting
9. Looking at pictures, stored or just downloaded from your camera
10. Doing a little casual writing
11. In social settings, be able to easily share pics, vids, web finds, slideshows etc with friends.
12. Organise their calendar and contacts

Hey, look at that! The iPad does all of these things (except the visual part of Skypeing, which I find most normal people don't use/don't want anyway)! And it fits in a purse or backpack, works everywhere, and costs $500 or so!

If you're the sort of person who needs to do more than the list above everywhere you go and all the time, then you're not an iPad sort of person.

If you think you would be happy with just the abilities mentioned above, plus whatever cool software third-party devs have come up with/will come up with for the iPhone/Touch/iPad ecosystem, then you obviously are an iPad person.

If you have a workstation at home or office or school where you do your "serious" endeavours, but would like to have something casual for taking around with you till you get back to your "workstation" that's light, feels right and is easy to use, then you are probably an iPad person.

Really, it's just that simple.

I do more than that. So I need a computer.
However, when I don't need to do more than that, I'll still use a computer.

 

[gr8dane]

Yeah, I doubt you can use it for memory expansion. The biggest reason for Apple leaving memory expansion is to capitalize on their outrageous prices for the capacity bumps. Being able to expand capacity this way would totally undermine that.

If it get's jailbroken on the other hand...

We already know that files like excel, word, anything iWorks can be viewed on the iPad as a mail attachment. Would that not indicate some sort of software installed to be able to view it?

We also know that the dock has the USB to allow for a camera / card reader to hook up too. Am I that much of a noob to think that a jpeg, tif, gif, etc file can be made exclusive to the only type of file that can be transferred? Is Apple and Jobs so smart that they have figured out a way to keep users from using their best intentions in other ways?

How does the saying go.......necessity is the mother of invention.

As I explained in an earlier post, if one uses Google docs there isn't any need to have any of the M$ Office or iWork software installed on the iPad. So in theory it could be used and a mobile office device. You have iCal or Google Calendar for your schedule, you have access to the web for your email or email server, you have Google docs for your spreadsheets and word documents.

Again I say I know that the iPad can not replace a laptop nor do I think that is what the iPad was intended to be, however, with that said it could and will have other uses other than what it was intended to do. Especially if the "jailbroken" happens.

I am not trying to force others to accept the iPad as possibly being used as a mobile office. But isn't it cool to think that it could be for $499? Just a thought.