[Closed] Talk to me about Ipads

If you are putting movies on I would get one with larger memory. Use iTunes to manage your music and films - you might need some free software to convert films to the right format though I believe.

I would get the latest one personally if you can afford it.

At least 32 gig memory IMO. You can watch films off sd cards with the camera connector kit (I bought a cheap copy version off eBay) though.

i use VLC app to play video media that i already own - CBA converting it to itunes format - VLC will play practically anything !

mine is 16G and i use home sharing to access my whole itunes lib including vids. my iphone is 32G so that contains the stuff id need away from home.

The difference between the ipad 1 and 2 is one has a camera on the back, the difference between the 2 and 3 is there are cameras on the front and back.

I cant tell any difference in screen resolution or speed. Anything else is cosmetic, the newer ones are a bit thinner. 🙄

the newer ones are a bit thinner.

resolution change between the new one and previous is night and day, similar to the difference between a iphone 3G and an iphone 4, but bigger, and with better colour management. and the newer one is a bit thicker...

Some of the content creation software may work better on the new one. Get a wireless keyboard.

there are cameras front and back of ipad2 and ipad3.

Does it have to be an iPad? I have just started using an Android phone instead of something with iOS on it and I have to say I think it's a lot better. Seems less prone to crashing and is much more customisable.

this could go all the way 🙂

iPad 2 has camera front and back.

iPad is great if you need it - I mean I carry a LOT of work related PDF files on it so I don't have a boot full of paper, and I dont have to lug a laptop into a clients premises.

Music, books and films are great when travelling.

The difference between the ipad 1 and 2 is one has a camera on the back, the difference between the 2 and 3 is there are cameras on the front and back.

Erm.. no. The iPad 1 has no cameras. The iPad 2 has them front and back (the front one being useful for FaceTime/Skype). On the iPad 3 the back camera is 1080p instead of 720p.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad

I cant tell any difference in screen resolution

http://www.specsavers.co.uk/

Was a significant b'day for me the other week, so I used it as an excuse to buy one... though I'm still waiting delivery...grrr
[EDIT: Wha-hey literally 'just' got a shipping notification!]

I am a definitely a PC person, but have to admit if you use a apple product you will be impressed by the simplicity and it "just works" abilities. It started for me with the iPhone, I grudgingly set one up for my g/f, then wouldn't/couldn't put it down and basically bought on the strength of that and 2.5 years later I don't regret it.
I'm still using my 3GS, see no real reason to upgrade it, and it still does everything I want but since the iPad was released I've hankered after one.
It won't replace my computer, but then I have a desktop so won't ever be browsing with that in front of the TV. For me I want something bigger to browse with than the phone but don't need much more functionality than to browse/play music/stream video/read book or magazines, I don't have any plans to buy any apps, as I don't on the phone...

I played with a budget Android tablet yesterday and it was very good but not as slick as the iPad, and if your going to have to spend as much to get a decent Andriod alternative as the iPad, it's a no brainer to me. I do understand why ppl would want Andriod alternatives too (Some look great options, like the Asus transformers), but as I don't want/need to customise every aspect & I've yet to be convinced any are as 'slick' in use, I ordered the iPad.

I listened to a m8 who got the top iPad2 with wifi/3G and 64GB, he said you have your music on the (i)Phone, so you won't need the biggest version and the 3G is only useful if you spend loads of time away from home, as for simple quick browsing your phone will do the job (or get a MiFi device). Though listening to reports about size of app's coming to make use of the new screen, the basic 16Gb one maybe too small.

After saying all that, I believe the 'budget' iPad 2 looks great value.

So everything is a bit smaller on the 3?

The phone comparison is not really relevant because the the screen is so small. At 480 pixels wide you cant render a web page full width. And even though you can on the 4 it's too small to read anyway?

The resolution on your PC monitor is probably just under 100ppi, the ipad 1 is 132ppi. How much do you have to zoom in on stuff on a PC monitor see a drop in pic quality? And how much of that is down to what you are looking at?

All seems a bit emperors clothes to me unless your are doing CAD or something, but why do that on an ipad.

Most artwork is doubleish in size to compensate for the extra res.

So everything is a bit smaller on the 3?

Nope. Everything is the same size but much higher resolution.

And even though you can on the 4 it's too small to read anyway?

Currently reading this very forum on a 4 at full width without any trouble.

How much do you have to zoom in on stuff on a PC monitor see a drop in pic quality?

On a PC screen you can easily pick out individual pixels without zooming in at all (not that zooming in is a particular useful measure and the screen resolution obviously stays the same).

All seems a bit emperors clothes to me unless your are doing CAD or something, but why do that on an ipad.

Print magazines are typically 300dpi or better. If you aim to replace magazine with a digital version then a display capable of similar resolutions is a good thing.

Nope. Everything is the same size but much higher resolution.

Currently reading this very forum on a 4 at full width without any trouble.

On a PC screen you can easily pick out individual pixels without zooming in at all (not that zooming in is a particular useful measure and the screen resolution obviously stays the same).

From about 2 inches away?

Print magazines are typically 300dpi or better. If you aim to replace magazine with a digital version then a display capable of similar resolutions is a good thing.

Computer monitors are emissive while print is reflective. Everyone has experienced printing what looks fine on screen but terrible on paper. Totally different mediums.

Or 'print (cmyk) is additive, screen (rgb) is subtractive'.

😉

I bought my first iPad, a new (HD), 16 GB, WiFi only, on Monday. I have to say that I'm a little disappointed. For me it's too heavy for extensive use. I also find it difficult to type on unless it's sat on something (obviously you can't type with two hand if you're holding it with one of your hands). For me the jury is definitely still out. That said, rather tellingly, I've written this post on it.

Edd - I think you need to start exploring the apps (Flipboard is my current fave) and try not to see it as a laptop without a physical keyboard

MS - I think you're probably right. Will be checking out some apps.

i find mine next to useless without the smart cover - expensive bit of kit the smart cover but im very glad i bought it.

like you say its hard work if its laid flat or having to hold it up to work on something as oppose to slightly tilted which makes things ALOT easier !

of course there are plenty copys of smart cover about now !

[ipad 2 vs ipad 3]I cant tell any difference in screen resolution

If you [b]actually[/b] can't tell the difference, I would recommend getting an eye examination ASAP.

There is something wrong with your peepers bud.

I'd be tempted to stick with the cheap ipad2 but use the cash to get the 3G. For me even though I only need it occasionally it turns it into a hugely useful device when you have 10 or 15 mins spare when waiting to pick up kids etc.

too locked down for my liking,

locked down to what - what do you want to do ? build a flying wing suit......

I just bought the new iPad. The wife has an iPad 2 and the screen resolution difference and visual impact is similar to iPhone 3 vs 4. Text is much sharper and photos much more detailed. I have been using it to touch up photos taken on the SLR and the visual clarity is very impressive.

Apart from the higher resolution, it has a 5MP camera, and is marginally thicker and about 50 grams heavier than iPad 2. I would get the most recent one, with as much memory as possible. Especially as new apps/photos/ games with up rated graphics to accommodate the new resolution will take up more space.

Can't see the point of iPad with 3G if you already have an iPhone, just use the teathering between the two for mobile Internet. That's what I do with my iPad 1 and iPhone 4S, works a treat.

Well thats clear then. 😆

So the consensus is dont buy one, but the ipad1, buy the ipad2, go for the ipad3, get the 3g and get as much mem as poss. Dont treat it like a lap top and always use glasses when looking at it.

With that in mind where to buy?

Agree it can be a bit confusing with all the differing opinions 🙂

As an iPad user since version 1, I say go for the latest, and get as much memory/storage as possible.

I have 3G on mine as I use it on the commute to work, and check emails etc. in between office and home. But that's a requirement of my job and work pays for the 3G bill.

Go to Apple.

I walked in yesterday and walked out with one in 10 mins.

Clear, concise, spot on thanks. 🙂

The tethering option advice above is spot on.

saves a load of money (if you also have an iPhone)

trail_rat - Member
locked down to what - what do you want to do ? build a flying wing suit......
POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST

The tethering option advice above is spot on.
saves a load of money (if you also have an iPhone)

Most smartphones should be able to work as a wifi hotspot to allow tethering.

The tricky bit is whether your mobile operator allows it. O2 lock it out (though obviously you can always jailbreak around it and hope they don't notice).

Love mine, I have a an iPad 1, 64gb wifi only. I'd recommend you get max memory if you want a lot of movies and all your music, if you want to save a little money then get a 2 vs a 3.

Its so useful I no longer use my laptop (also a mac) just have the iPad and a desktop Mac. It's great for web browsing, email, movies and BBC iPlayer. I have the connector to upload pictures from camera memory card, the new 3 will run picture edit software too. It's so much lighter than a laptop so easy to carry with you and convenient to watch things on your lap or with a stand. The battery lasts many times longer than a laptop would. The instant on feature is wonderful. I have a few apps inc word processor, spreadsheet etc but the are not so important for me. Friends love games and newspaper subscriptions. The camera on 2 & 3 is great for video calls, I just do voice calls from Skype.

For movies I buy and download via iTunes or run "rip" software from other formats of from actual discs.

Written on my iPad

Apple products are OK, the problem is iTunes, £&@# I hate iTunes, if you're going to let it sync a current music collection or anything, make sure you have a backup.

I got a work iPad. Didn't get a data package with it though, so I've just invested in a 3gig sim card from amazon for £11, plus a sim card cutter to make it into a micro sim. Winner! Internets on the train!

Apple products are OK, the problem is iTunes, £&@# I hate iTunes, if you're going to let it sync a current music collection or anything, make sure you have a backup.

Whatever version you settle on

[b]Get. A. Wireless. Keyboard. [/b]

It's like a netbook with more usable screen when paired, and a tablet when keyboard is away, for instance on train.

Or get a laptop. Why get a fancy-dan iPad and wireless keyboard when you can get an, errrrrrr, laptop for less? Think about why you want/ need it.

Other tablets are available.

Or get a laptop. Why get a fancy-dan iPad and wireless keyboard when you can get an, errrrrrr, laptop for less? Think about why you want/ need it.

CaptainFlashheart - Member
Other tablets are available.

With that in mind where to buy?

It's unlikely that anywhere will be offering significant discounts on new iPads but John Lewis give you a two year warranty instead of the standard one year. It's not much of a differentiator but it's something.

i bought a new road bike recently, me wife saw this as the Q to buy an i pad 3 😯

personally i cant see that it does much more than a lap top, but then unless its got two wheels and is human powered in not usually that interested 😆 !

If you get a laptop you've got a useless keyboard to fold out/take up space when you only need the content consumption tablet capabilities.

I want th eipad for load of reasons, not least because i want my kids to use it when in the car and out and about.

So its looking like.

Ipad 3
largest memory
wifi
Buy from Apple or John Lewis.

Marvellous devices, the screen on the new one is brilliant. I never thought I would be an apple fanboy, but they are really good. iTunes and iCloud though, god almighty two horrible crocks of shit.

I don't understand why so many people have such issue with the keyboard on there iPads.....it baffles me!

Yes an iPad is totally unnecessary but all the same I haven't put mine down in 6 months....lplayer, web browsing, email, flipboard, games it's indispensable now and worth every penny!

Yes there are the Android tablets some with better specs, but the OS and apps just suck.

I also have an iMac and 4s.........its soo easy with the iCloud, when im riding it's such a joy using the camera on the 4s by the time I get home the pics are waiting on my iPad for editing with iPhoto (£2.99 from the app store) try doing that on Android.

Haven't read the above so excuse me if this has been covered.

iPad1 is how great value, and really for most more than adequate. No cameras but how many devices do you need with a camera? If you plan to use the iPad for video calls then consider the 2 or 3, but for basic media consumption, some games, surfing, email etc, the 1 is grand, and cheap now: PCworld refurb on eBay had some recently for £190, and no doubt will have again soon.

If you've got the money get the 3. It's faster, more powerful and have a stunning display compared to the 1. It also has cameras front and rear, if that is important to you.

The 2 is no mans land. Only marginally better performance than the 1, but does have the camera, otherwise it's more or less the same. There are some deals on the 2 at the mo, again PCworld refurb on eBay is selling 16gb iPad 2's for £260v whereas the 3 will cost £400.

As for space, 32gb is best. With the 16gb you'll soon start to run out of space and find yourself having to manage the media on the machine carefully. The 64gb is just too much space, unless you want to carry loads of docs, movies and music, but the 32gb is the sweetspot IMO.

I have a ipad1 32gb, and we use these in work too. My daughters have the 16gb version of the 1 and they're robust enough. My wife has a ipad2, and it's nice, but really she only got it as it was cheap. I will get the 3, once they appear in the apple refurb store or via Argos or PCworld refurb on eBay, but I'll certainly not be paying full price for one.

Once you've got it, Jailbreak it. As standard, that is locked down, they are a bit shit. Really restricted in what you can do. Once Jialbreak'd you can do so much more with them. Jailbreaking them is a bit of a learning curve, specially if your not techy, but it's worth learning.

If you have a media server at home you can install (once Jailbreak'd) XBMC which is an awesome media centre front end, with it you can stream any media from your media centre providing your connected to the same network. Again, takes a bit of setting up, but worth it.

For playing movies stored on the iPad you don't need to use iTunes anymore, get Goodplayer, it'll play more or less any type of movie file and does away with the balls ache of converting everything to iTunes format.

Sorry if this has already been said above.

Oh ya, and get used to Apples terrible predictive text. This is the reason for the odd post above, really, it wasn't me.

Or don't jailbreak and use AcePlayer which will connect to your media servers and stream movies from them in practically and format without conversion.

The 2 is no mans land

mmm what a load of tosh!

ipad2.......better processor, battery, thinner, lighter, cameras, smart covers

if your buying one for the first time then iPad 3, however the iPad 2 is a mean bit of hardware

Apples terrible predictive text

in what way?

In it keeps changing my words, for other similar, but wrong words. Yes, my spelling is terrible and my fingers are too big, but surely they can make a predictive text jobbie that learns, when I type "uou" I mean "you"?

Graham, I've not tried Aceplayer, must give it a go. goodplayer will stream and is in the app store, so doesn't require a JB, but XBMC is a lovely media centre interface, does way more than anything else (except perhaps AcePlayer) and best of all is free.

But, the reason to JB is not just for XBMC. An iPad at stock, as dictated by Apple, is a fairly dumbed down experience, once JB'd it's say better at pretty much everything.

JB'd it's say better at pretty much everything.

at what?

Listen, I sense this going in a pointless direction so I'm not going to play the game. I'm merely trying to answer the OP's. If I've said something to offend you, I'm sorry. I like to tinker with the OS on iDevices so I like to JB them. It shot for everyone, so I'll not mention it again. If you genuinely want to learn what JBing adds to an iPad there are literally hundreds of websites out there on the subject, hit up google.

XBMC is a lovely media centre interface, does way more than anything else (except perhaps AcePlayer) and best of all is free.

AcePlayer's interface is basic, just a list of files basically, but it can stream just about anything (avi/mp4/DivX/mov/wmv etc) plus it lets you download stuff to the phone for playback later, can connect to web, samba and FTP servers, and can present itself as a web page to let you manage files on it via your browser. It's really pretty good, though not particularly pretty.

As for space, 32gb is best. With the 16gb you'll soon start to run out of space and find yourself having to manage the media on the machine carefully. The 64gb is just too much space, unless you want to carry loads of docs, movies and music, but the 32gb is the sweetspot IMO.

What a strange statement!!

16gb not enough 64gb too much and 32gb just right, do you have curly blonde hair and like porridge by any chance??

Buy the biggest capacity you can afford, especially if you want to store plenty of movies for when you go on your holidays.

Jesus, are some of you guys hitting the menopause or something?

To the OP, don't listen to me, listen to these guys. Sorry for trying to help!

64 isnt enough . If a 128gb ipad 3 had been released id have sold up and moved on no question !

My ipad is my travel buddy ...... Plane trains and automobiles on a regular basis and the media on my ipad keeps me sane without carrying loads of books !

I dont have the option to swap out media on some of my longer trips ( 7 weeks sometimes) so choice is king

And that's the norm is it? Carrying 7 weeks of media on an iPad is the norm? Course it's not. The OP's needs sounded considerably different, hence my comments about storage, why pay for more when you won't need it?

Don't bother answering that.

From reading the op ..... It could be

7 week car journey With the kids

Lotta folk on edge on the forum tomight ......must be the heat back in the uk .

I have an iPad 2 that I got on a half price offer through work. If I'd have paid full price I'd be seriously gutted I didnt choose the galaxy tab. The iPads very nice and you can give it any child, grandparent or moron on the planet and they would struggle to cock it up. For them its perfect, but for that same reason, because it's so locked down, it can on occasion really boil my piss. The inability to play flash is always played down by the fan boys, but it's a regular annoyance. It won't import my video because it's not quite the right format, it wont sync with my car obd dongle like the android tab does, and that camera is truly shocking. There's loads and loads of things that bug me, most of which is nothing to do with the build quality which is lovely, just apples obsession with restricting what I can do with it.

If I'd have paid full price I'd be seriously gutted I didnt choose the galaxy tab.

You'd be in a minority though. I use a android tablet at work, and iPads for personal use, I'd be seriously gutted if I had an android tablet at home.

If you're extrapolating from experiences with android phones compared to iPhone, you can't. Decent androids are credible iPhone competitors, but it's not the case with the tablets.

Even if there was a price difference (there isn't /negligible) with decent android tablets, I'd have an iPad1 over any android tablet, and it'd cost less than anything half decent.

Cos a tablet's just a slate to display software. The software makes it, and there aren't enough decent apps on android for tablets. And the 16:9 form factor is only better if video's your main use-case.

The inability to play flash is always played down by the fan boys, but it's a regular annoyance.

And by this, I assume you mean flash video? Cos flash content designed for mouse interaction doesn't work well on touch screens at all....

What flash video do you regularly want to view that isn't supported in some way on iOS? Not trolling (maybe a little 😉 ) genuinely curious...

trail_rat - Member
64 isnt enough . If a 128gb ipad 3 had been released id have sold up and moved on no question !

My ipad is my travel buddy ...... Plane trains and automobiles on a regular basis and the media on my ipad keeps me sane without carrying loads of books !

I dont have the option to swap out media on some of my longer trips ( 7 weeks sometimes) so [b]choice is king [/b]

Like the choice to choose a tablet that allows you to swap out media as easily as banging in a new MicroSD card as and when you want to? Nice and easy to carry as many 32gb cards as you like.

You have a choice.

I did shop around and used any competitor to the ipad in store - last november - nothing came close software wise bar the samsung which was actually slightly quicker. Everything else on the market at the time was poor in comparison.

Sd cards are a pain also To easily lost - and if i wanted to do that i could just get the camera kit. For ipad no harder than carrying an sd card but i didnt want a kinder egg self assembly kit i wanted an all in 1 pick up and play media player

I'd get the sintered ones. The others simply don't last in UK conditions. 😐

If you still fancy one, get a WiFi one. 3G is slow and expensive. 4G/LTE is probably less accessible than 3G here in the UK. If you have a smartphone you can probably create a personal WiFi hotspot with it and use its 3G data connection. Get at least the 32GB one. They're not suited to mobile music (too big and awkward) so you'll end up taking more video around with you and at 1-2GB/movie they fill it up fast. You'll pack it with apps and they fill up space quickly.

'other tablets are available' and, well, they're 'other' and worth skipping.

I've been using iPad 2 for a work project since last September. If you're a 'consumer' of stuff i.e. reading, watching, browsing, emails and a few document tweaks or data exploration then an iPad is well suited to the tasks. I can't fault it for its battery life, fast on/off and ease of use.

I feel self-conscious using one in public. They get heavy in the hands after a bit of use. Quite a few developers now seem to be getting the hang of designing for touch interfaces. Some less so.

When I've got anything 'proper' to do I turn to my MacBook Pro. When I've considered getting an iPad for 'home' I've usually reflected that £500 would make a fair dent in the purchase price of a new Mac.

4G/LTE is probably less accessible than 3G here in the UK.

Not available at all in the UK and probably never will be on the frequencies supported by the iPad.

how well do the camera connection kits work?

i guess you can delete videos off the iPad just the way you can from the iPhone.

can you upload movies from an SD card (as JPEG?) to the movies app then watch on the Ipad as normal?

I guess they need to be decent file size to get decent resolution - say 1-2GB? i have quite a few ripped to <470MB (legacy from old CD sizes) and they're fine on the iPhone sized screen, but not enough for the bigger sceen?

Nah 450 meg films are fine on ipad - i have a hard drive full of 450meg ripped movies thats are fine !

Currently using mine to SSH into some UNIX boxes. Feels good, man.