I have a desktop PC at home, but am considering getting something portable in addition. The choice is iPad for speed/video/pictures/taking abroad and continuing to use the PC for word/excel etc, or going for a laptop and effectively doubling up on what I already have (only portable).
Any advice? ???
I think you'll get a thousand answers all differing 8)
Personally I loathe and detest tablet devices for travelling - they are too big to pocket and too small to use for creating stuff. I do have a cheap tablet I use for some stuff around the house (Cheap android tablets also make awesome JMRI DCC remote controllers. Each device also somehow ends up with its own personal collection of "string" and power supplies and covers and stuff.
Nowdays I find though that I'd rather have a decent mobile which I *can* pocket and use that for picture taking and the like, and a laptop which has keys and other traditional features so I can actually type stuff or even design etches on the train.
The better Android phones do everything I normally want basically. I can take photos, annoy people on Google+, use web forums, check train times, do ebay, read my Kindle books (without a Kindle), play music, film, run the layout and so on. It even tells the time.
(Amazingly I had to go and find an app so I could use it to time pasta.... they didn't include a stopwatch!)
The PC just gets used for writing things and stuff which either needs big displays or a lot of input.
I'd advise you to go along to an Apple store (or any store that sells them) and try one out alongside an iPhone and possibly a MacBook Air - if your budget will stretch to it. You can buy refurbished iPads etc from the Apple on-line store and save quite a bit of cash.
I've had the original iPad since they first came to the UK - never had a problem with it (or any of my Apple kit - touch wood!).
iPads do not support Flash though
I can wholeheartedly recommend the iPad. I am not sure I can think of anything much that I would want to do on-the-go that I would need a laptop to do better. I agree with Pengy that the main drawback is that Flash is not supported on the Safari web browser. That is a bit crap when half of what you use it for is the web! But not all that many sites depend on Flash that much and it is only occasionally a nuisance for me.
If you are happy having all the 'Office' stuff on the PC and the big screen at home (which is what I do, except it is a Mac), then the iPad is a great device for carrying around. It is small enough to be easy to stow, but big enough to have a great screen.
I have some fantastic games on mine (Real Racing 2 HD is the best racing game I have played and XPlane is a great flight sim) and it is great for the web (apart from Flash), email, etc. The iCloud thingumajig keeps my calendar, contacts, bookmarks etc synchrionized, and saved safely. It does have a Notes app so you can write, and later e-mail the text to yourself to use on the PC back home.
It does all the camera/video stuff and is easy enough to handle (compared to how cumbersome a laptop would be to shoot video with). But I haven't been overly impressed with the picture quality in low light... you might want to check that if it's important to you.
The thing that still gets me everytime is that you don't have to boot it up. I love not waiting while that hideous Windows screen sits there. Biggest advantage is not running Windows - my iPad hasn't crashed once. I loathe Windows.
If you want Office, Apple has apps that are compatible with Word, Excel and Powerpoint and you can import and export to Office on the PC. Each app is about 10 quid, and I haven't felt the need to buy them yet. If you plan to do a lot of typing you can get plug in poratble qwerty keyboards so that you aren't faced with using the screen keys for hours... that would be tedious.
All in all, I love that my iPad never needs to be off (except on the plane), and I love flipping the cover off my iPad, pressing refresh on the browser to see the new posts on the forum and flipping the cover down again. Ten seconds to see what's new. Less time than it would take to boot up a laptop.
I do own a laptop, but it only runs my layout (because the CTI control software doesn't run on my Mac). I haven't found another use for it yet.
The only thing I think I would like on my iPad that I currently can only do on my Mac desktop is website design - that would be a nice thing to be able to mess with on-the-go. There are even apps for that on the iPad, but I can live without it.
Quote from: EtchedPixels on August 15, 2012, 08:03:43 PM
The better Android phones do everything I normally want basically. I can take photos, annoy people on Google+, use web forums, check train times, do ebay, read my Kindle books (without a Kindle), play music, film, run the layout and so on. It even tells the time.
I notice you haven't said if it can make calls or text :whistle:
Quote from: newportnobby link=topic=7169.msg81531#msg81531
I notice you haven't said if it can make calls or text :whistle:
/quote]
Fortunately yes - although it must be said a lot of smartphones aren't that good phones 8)
It'll also video conference via Google+ and stuff if you are on wireless.
Returning to topic - iPad every time :thumbsup:
(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j454/nobbynewport/iPads.jpg)
:laughabovepost: How many more times are you going to use that joke NewportNobby?!?! ;D
Quote from: newportnobby on August 15, 2012, 09:26:50 PM
Returning to topic - iPad every time :thumbsup:
(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j454/nobbynewport/iPads.jpg)
Is there an app for that?
Interesting read but I am with Alan "Etched Pixels" and stick with my Android Smartphone, to me an iPad looks like an electronic photo frame or has something missing.
The only thing I use my MacBook Air for now instead of my iPad is writing iPad games :)
Quote from: EtchedPixels on August 15, 2012, 08:03:43 PM
(Amazingly I had to go and find an app so I could use it to time pasta.... they didn't include a stopwatch!)
That does surprise me as my last three Android phones have all had timers on them.
I use them for timing flights on my helicopters so I don't ruin the lipo batteries ???
7" Android tablet with optional usb keybpard(hdmi ready) and 10.2"netbook running xp all using a mifi dongle
My phones battery only used to last half a day, since getting an iPad it will almost last two days! Some days I don't even bother turning my pc on now.
I got it as an impulse buy on eBay deal of the day, thinking it wouldnt get used much and could easily sell it on, but it gets used loads. I was looking at getting a laptop to take on holiday, but the problem was battery life on them. IPad battery life is great, should be able to watch three films and play some games on a single charge. Plenty for your average flight/journey.
Would even consider buying a second now to save fighting with the other half over it lol.
I love my iPad and hardly ever use my desktop computer now. The iPad is so easy to use and such fun.
A major benefit for me is getting Hornby Magazine and BRM in electronic form, the latter is not available here without a costly subscription, I've saved a fortune in subscription costs and always have something to read when I'm traveling. I have also downloaded a few novels for longer journeys.
The email and office side of things are adequate they only thing I miss occasionally is CorelDraw.
:NGaugersRule:
As a life-long PC-using, trendy mobile phone-hating, Apple fanboy-loathing sort of chap, I must say the latest iPad is probably the greatest invention since genitalia. Highly recommended!
I find the iPad is great for surfing, writing short emails and note taking in meetings (using Evernote).
I have Quick Office but I would not use the iPad to do any serious typing as it is a PITA. A touch screen keyboard is not the same as a proper keyboard and I just can't get away with the spelling suggestions; it seems cack-handed to me in that it comes up with a suggestion and if you DON'T want what it suggests you have to tap on the suggetion... This is useful when you are typing a long word and it gets the suggestion right but anything else :thumbsdown:
Also the text selection is pretty poor (although better than my Andriod ICS phone).
All in all, if you want something to surf the web with, write a few emails and maybe use JMRI throttle then the iPad is great. If you want to do any proper work, a cheap laptop would be better.
IMO.
HTH.
Timmo
A 'Tablet' (of any brand) and a Laptop are different tools for different jobs...
The laptop these days is essentially a fully functioning PC in a portable form. Designed to do the job of a full PC in any location but stationary in that location.
The Tablet is much more limited in functionality (some are in reality no more than toys or oversized mobile phones), but is smaller and lighter to be easier to carry around and potentially use on the move.
I'd take a step back and think what you actually want to use it for and go from there.
(you mention taking photos on the iPad - you will be dissapointed with the quality from any tablet compared to even a basic modern digi camera - relatively low resolution, no optical zoom lens)
Whichever format you go for, I personally would avoid the i-brand. If you look beyond the hype and the label, you will find that the alternatives deliver better performance, more functionality and more flexibility for half the price...
General question to the Ipad users.
Can you print from them yet or do you still have to transfer the doc to a pc
Quote from: Oldman on August 16, 2012, 09:06:29 AM
General question to the Ipad users.
Can you print from them yet or do you still have to transfer the doc to a pc
You can print wirelessly straight to your printer (if it's a modern one that supports AirPrint) or to a printer connected to a wireless network. You can also share your docs direct to your computer or via iCloud to all your iOS and Mac OS devices and computers.
What is it about sticking an 'i' on the front of everything that makes people blind to the lack of functionality??? or shall we refer to that syndrome as an i-infection?? ::)
Quote from: PLD on August 16, 2012, 09:27:44 AM
What is it about sticking an 'i' on the front of everything that makes people blind to the lack of functionality??? or shall we refer to that syndrome as an i-infection?? ::)
And the price of the apps. But that cuts both ways - one reason I prefer Android is because all the apps i need are free. One reason ipad has a lot of apps is because Apple users are more easily parted from their money 8)
But there are lots of people who went the tablet route who are happy because even though its not a proper computer and is very limited in what it can do - it does what they want.
To me though a tablet for mobile (as opposed to around the house) use is an oversized phone that I can't make calls on 8)
Quote from: EtchedPixels on August 16, 2012, 11:49:30 AM
Quote from: PLD on August 16, 2012, 09:27:44 AM
What is it about sticking an 'i' on the front of everything that makes people blind to the lack of functionality??? or shall we refer to that syndrome as an i-infection?? ::)
And the price of the apps. But that cuts both ways - one reason I prefer Android is because all the apps i need are free. One reason ipad has a lot of apps is because Apple users are more easily parted from their money 8)
Actually it's because 'free' apps get their payment from you in other ways, be it advertising which gets in the way of the function of the app or collecting your valuable personal information to sell off (which is the principle revenue for google). And I would certainly pay 69p instead of giving my info to Russian spam distributors.
Quote from: Zwilnik on August 16, 2012, 12:01:17 PM
Actually it's because 'free' apps get their payment from you in other ways, be it advertising which gets in the way of the function of the app or collecting your valuable personal information to sell off (which is the principle revenue for google). And I would certainly pay 69p instead of giving my info to Russian spam distributors.
Erm no.. the apps I mostly use do not do advertising nor do they send my details off to Russians (indeed unlike the iphone Android actually has separate permissions for access to things like address books).
A lot of them like the firefox web browser, k-9 mailer, engine driver (the JMRI DCC control app), and so on are just free (indeed free with source code). Other stuff is free because the app vendor makes money elsewhere (eg iplayer, the ebay app, or the kindle app the google apps (maps, google+, youtube etc)
I think the only ad supported app I actually use is the tuner app for tuning the harp and that one doesn't really annoy me. Quite a few games are ad supported by I find things like Angry Birds even more irritating than the adverts 8)
Looking forward to having LibreOffice on Android too then I might start trying to write documents on it, although without keyboard I'm still skeptical.
What PLD said! Tablets and laptops don't do the same thing. Tablets are great for consumption (eg reading e-mags, books, watching films, browsing etc), but not so great for anything that requires creation eg typing!
Yes, you can type on a screen keyboard but it isn't great. My boss swears by her ipad + wireless keyboard, but by the time you have that why not just get a netbook or light laptop?
There are netbooks and laptops with decent battery life and still relatively light out there - just needs a bit of research.
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 and really like it but it doesn't replace my laptop...
Cheers, Mike
Quote from: EtchedPixels on August 16, 2012, 12:18:21 PM
Quote from: Zwilnik on August 16, 2012, 12:01:17 PM
Actually it's because 'free' apps get their payment from you in other ways, be it advertising which gets in the way of the function of the app or collecting your valuable personal information to sell off (which is the principle revenue for google). And I would certainly pay 69p instead of giving my info to Russian spam distributors.
Erm no.. the apps I mostly use do not do advertising nor do they send my details off to Russians (indeed unlike the iphone Android actually has separate permissions for access to things like address books).
A lot of them like the firefox web browser, k-9 mailer, engine driver (the JMRI DCC control app), and so on are just free (indeed free with source code). Other stuff is free because the app vendor makes money elsewhere (eg iplayer, the ebay app, or the kindle app the google apps (maps, google+, youtube etc)
I think the only ad supported app I actually use is the tuner app for tuning the harp and that one doesn't really annoy me. Quite a few games are ad supported by I find things like Angry Birds even more irritating than the adverts 8)
Looking forward to having LibreOffice on Android too then I might start trying to write documents on it, although without keyboard I'm still skeptical.
Google is essentially an ad agency. All their income is from ads and the reason Android is free for hardware manufacturers to use is because at heart it's there to gather users (and their info) for Google.
App wise, there's no difference in price on the iPad to Android. If anything, you're more likely to find a good, free (or very cheap) app on the iPad than on an Android tablet simply because there are a *lot* more apps designed for it (rather than phone apps). iPad apps are also less likely to be ad based as devs make (far) more money from paid iPad apps than paid Android apps.
So far I'm finding Pages and Numbers quite handy for writing documents on the go and iMovie is certainly up to scratch. If I've got my MacBook Air handy I'd rather use that for actual editing, purely because of the keyboard, but the iPad's certainly useable. It's fills a niche between desktop and laptop in how it's used. The ability to just pick it up and use it straight away, wherever you are, without any sort of startup time, makes all the difference.
Quote from: PLD on August 16, 2012, 09:27:44 AM
What is it about sticking an 'i' on the front of everything that makes people blind to the lack of functionality??? or shall we refer to that syndrome as an i-infection?? ::)
Hi PLD, i see you're not a fan of the brand, and you have mentioned the lack of functionality a couple of times. I think it would be helpful, even for those of us who are happy with our (admittedly rather expensive) iPads, if you could be more specific about what functionality is missing. So, price apart... What am i missing out on (apart from Flash)? What is there that the OP might need that can be found on a PC compatible tablets?
Cant remember where I read it now, but the quote from one app developer gave an interesting insight into the economics of developing apps for the various platforms.
It was something like "each time one i-user downloads the apple version, the $1 he pays covers the cost of his and the 3 users who download the android version for free!"
Quote from: Flakmunky on August 16, 2012, 08:20:13 AM
I find the iPad is great for surfing
Timmo
Do you have to stand on one leg or can you get both feet on it :confusedsign:
The taxis running.........
Quote from: buckle247 on August 15, 2012, 11:47:39 PM
My phones battery only used to last half a day, since getting an iPad it will almost last two days! Some days I don't even bother turning my pc on now.
I got it as an impulse buy on eBay deal of the day, thinking it wouldnt get used much and could easily sell it on, but it gets used loads. I was looking at getting a laptop to take on holiday, but the problem was battery life on them. IPad battery life is great, should be able to watch three films and play some games on a single charge. Plenty for your average flight/journey.
Would even consider buying a second now to save fighting with the other half over it lol.
That's funny! My wife got an iPad a while ago and she loved it. I couldn't see the point. Why, when it's just a big iphone that you can't put in your pocket?
But i eventually got one so i can do stuff on a decent sized screen without going to be in my den, and i love it. I still think the fact that it is always on (vs a laptop) is very cool. Biggest problem for us now is putting them down and actually being together, rather than just sitting in the same room. We are going away for a long weekend soon and we are going to leave he ipads at home!
I got the wifi version and when i am out i can use my iphone as a hotspot.
Quote from: Mustermark on August 16, 2012, 12:40:53 PM
Quote from: PLD on August 16, 2012, 09:27:44 AM
What is it about sticking an 'i' on the front of everything that makes people blind to the lack of functionality??? or shall we refer to that syndrome as an i-infection?? ::)
Hi PLD, i see you not a fan of the brand, and you have mentioned the lack of functionality a couple of times. I think it would be helpful, even for those of us who are happy with our (admittedly rather expensive) iPads, if you could be more specific about what functionality is missing. So, price apart... What am i missing out on (apart from Flash)? What is there that the OP might need that can be found on a PC compatible tablets?
OK. The biggest drawback for me personally is the lack of expansion and conectivity.
- No USB ports on the i-Pad (virtually every Android and Windows tablet has at least one) so no direct connection to Printers, cameras, scanners, memory sticks etc etc unless they support WIFI which very few do.
- No memory card slots (all but the most basic Android tablets have at least an SD slot, many mid-range and upwards have multi format slots). If you find you want more memory on your i-pad your only option is throw it away and but the next model in the range.
- Apps - only available through Apple 'aproved' channels and cost generally more than the Android equivalent.
- Initial hardware cost - for the same spec (screen size, processor power, on-board memory etc), you pay between 1.5 and 2 times the price for the i-pad you do for an Adroid tablet.
We're going way of topic now. The OP's query was about Laptops vs Tablets (and it applies to any brand of tablet). That in the end depends on what he wants to do with it, they being two different tools for different jobs.
The i-brand vs others debate is a seperate issue, but my take is it's like comparing different brands of car... A Ford Mondeo does exactly the same job as a BMW 3 series (probably better if most reviews are anything to go by) yet there are many people who still buy the higher priced BMW because either they simply prefer the look of it, or because (they believe) it is the 'trendy' brand to be seen with...
Personally, an Acer Transformer Android tablet would be my choice; work bought me my an iPad...
I can't stand my wife's iPhone, the iPad is better but I miss Swype...
BTW, have you tried 'zooming' into the iPad keyboard?
Quote from: Flakmunky on August 16, 2012, 01:25:09 PM
BTW, have you tried 'zooming' into the iPad keyboard?
Hadn't tried it by zooming, but if you tap and hold the keyboard botton (bottom right) it briefly shows a menu to undock and split, or merge the keyboard.
Quote from: PLD on August 16, 2012, 01:10:29 PM
Quote from: Mustermark on August 16, 2012, 12:40:53 PM
Quote from: PLD on August 16, 2012, 09:27:44 AM
What is it about sticking an 'i' on the front of everything that makes people blind to the lack of functionality??? or shall we refer to that syndrome as an i-infection?? ::)
Hi PLD, i see you not a fan of the brand, and you have mentioned the lack of functionality a couple of times. I think it would be helpful, even for those of us who are happy with our (admittedly rather expensive) iPads, if you could be more specific about what functionality is missing. So, price apart... What am i missing out on (apart from Flash)? What is there that the OP might need that can be found on a PC compatible tablets?
OK. The biggest drawback for me personally is the lack of expansion and conectivity.
- No USB ports on the i-Pad (virtually every Android and Windows tablet has at least one) so no direct connection to Printers, cameras, scanners, memory sticks etc etc unless they support WIFI which very few do.
- No memory card slots (all but the most basic Android tablets have at least an SD slot, many mid-range and upwards have multi format slots). If you find you want more memory on your i-pad your only option is throw it away and but the next model in the range.
- Apps - only available through Apple 'aproved' channels and cost generally more than the Android equivalent.
- Initial hardware cost - for the same spec (screen size, processor power, on-board memory etc), you pay between 1.5 and 2 times the price for the i-pad you do for an Adroid tablet.
That's useful, thank you. I think it is fair to say that ipad users are not necessarily blind to those, but may not have a use for them on their portable device. The ipad price, i agree, is higher than alternative tablets, but still cheaper than a laptop.
I also agree that the main question for the OP is what it will be used for.
Quote from: newportnobby on August 16, 2012, 12:58:32 PM
Quote from: Flakmunky on August 16, 2012, 08:20:13 AM
I find the iPad is great for surfing
Timmo
Do you have to stand on one leg or can you get both feet on it :confusedsign:
:laugh3:
I can't get both feet on mine!
Quote from: PLD on August 16, 2012, 01:21:45 PM
We're going way of topic now. The OP's query was about Laptops vs Tablets (and it applies to any brand of tablet). That in the end depends on what he wants to do with it, they being two different tools for different jobs.
Just to remind everyone, the OP's query was specifically about laptops vs iPad and he is considering the iPad for speed/video/pictures/taking abroad alongside the PC for word/excel.
Quote from: Pengy on August 16, 2012, 04:04:14 PM
Quote from: PLD on August 16, 2012, 01:21:45 PM
We're going way of topic now. The OP's query was about Laptops vs Tablets (and it applies to any brand of tablet). That in the end depends on what he wants to do with it, they being two different tools for different jobs.
Just to remind everyone, the OP's query was specifically about laptops vs iPad and he is considering the iPad for speed/video/pictures/taking abroad alongside the PC for word/excel.
Unless you have very specific software tasks that you can only do on a laptop (ie bespoke software) or need to do something that involves either a lot of typing or a lot of drawing, the iPad's an ideal go anywhere device. There's a lot of talk about it only being to watch or play things on, but it's a very handy creative tool too (especially for musicians, I know several who use iPads as writing studios when on holiday).
If you do a lot of photography or have an iPhone, get the camera connection kit too. That gives you a USB port to connect the phone or camera to (as well as a card reader for non USB cameras) so you can offload your photos to the iPad for storage or editing in iPhoto. Also handy because you get to view and edit them on a larger screen while you're in the field so if you realise you need to retake a shot, you can do it there rather than having to come back later when the light's different.
Not having a physical keyboard is offset by the iPad being a lot more portable than a laptop (and more international as the virtual keyboard is available in almost any language now) and the built in battery means you get a lot longer battery life than a laptop or other tablets.
As far as apps are concerned. One, managed, App Store means you can trust what you're downloading. No fake app stores to worry about.
As previously mentioned. Depending upon which carrier you're on, the 3G iPad can be used as a mobile hotspot too, so you can access the net from it while the rest of the family use it via wifi to get online as well.
Quote from: Zwilnik on August 16, 2012, 05:15:23 PM
If you do a lot of photography or have an iPhone, get the camera connection kit too. That gives you a USB port to connect the phone or camera to (as well as a card reader for non USB cameras) so you can offload your photos to the iPad for storage or editing in iPhoto. Also handy because you get to view and edit them on a larger screen while you're in the field so if you realise you need to retake a shot, you can do it there rather than having to come back later when the light's different.
You can do all that with a laptop (which is what the choice is with)...out of interest does an Ipad process RAW images?
Quote from: Zwilnik on August 16, 2012, 05:15:23 PM
Not having a physical keyboard is offset by the iPad being a lot more portable than a laptop (and more international as the virtual keyboard is available in almost any language now) and the built in battery means you get a lot longer battery life than a laptop or other tablets.
It isn't really that much more portable or have significantly longer battery life than say a netbook/ultrabook/Macbook Air. It really boils down to what functionality you want out of the device and whether a keyboard/greater connectivity etc is important.
Quote from: Zwilnik on August 16, 2012, 05:15:23 PM
As far as apps are concerned. One, managed, App Store means you can trust what you're downloading. No fake app stores to worry about.
Strangely enough most manage to avoid fake app stores...I don't need Apple or Google to do that.
Crikey - thanks for all the replies and the discussion. I only expected a couple at most. All very useful, including the off-piste stuff. I suspect I will end up in an Apple store to have a play, but I wanted to go in armed with some good questions and you've ensured there is less chance of me being drawn in by the sales patter.
In answer to the specific use, I suspect the majority of the time I personally will be doing little more than browsing retailers, ebay, this forum, receiving and sending e mails, and organising photos. The touchscreen attracts me in this respect. However, my eldest is 9 yrs old, so the main reason for considering the laptop is the use for homework as I have three children who will all need to access a PC/laptop device at various points.
What astonished me watching the olympics was the number of people using ipads and tablets to video and take pictures. I wondered about the quality which people have touched on - thanks.
Quote from: red_death on August 16, 2012, 06:06:06 PM
Strangely enough most manage to avoid fake app stores...I don't need Apple or Google to do that.
An Android phone requires you enable various debug options to load apps from elsewhere (eg so you can write your own which is always fun)
Battery life on a modern netbook or ultrabook is about 5 to 6 hours I find. Enough for pretty much any journey I do but the pair of 158s from Birmingham to Porthmadog, and borderline for the Heart of Wales. If Arriva would kindly fit those with plug sockets...
Good but not as good as some of the tablets/phones.
I've never done serious photo editing on my Android devices (too slow and no tablet type device has a full ICC colour calibrated display to my knowledge), but on a netbook the same is true. Ultrabooks are quick enough but rather pricier.
Quote from: Flounder on August 16, 2012, 07:01:00 PM
What astonished me watching the olympics was the number of people using ipads and tablets to video and take pictures. I wondered about the quality which people have touched on - thanks.
A lot of the photography sites endlessly debate the various phone and tablet cameras and their performance and test stuff like low light performance and distortion. That is probably the best way to investigate the video on tablets, phones and laptop devices as it varies dramatically between devices.
Quote from: EtchedPixels on August 16, 2012, 07:04:14 PM
Enough for pretty much any journey I do but the pair of 158s from Birmingham to Porthmadog, and borderline for the Heart of Wales. If Arriva would kindly fit those with plug sockets...
Er ... they have ...
At least, the 158/2s have them fitted ... I don't get one very often (next stop down from the end of the HoW line) but all 158/2s that venture this far south have power on certain seats, unlike the 150s or a number of 175s ...
Quote from: MikeDunn on August 16, 2012, 07:52:05 PM
Er ... they have ...
At least, the 158/2s have them fitted ... I don't get one very often (next stop down from the end of the HoW line) but all 158/2s that venture this far south have power on certain seats, unlike the 150s or a number of 175s ...
Oh good, they hadn't last trip I did.
Think the last 158/2 I was on was about 5-6 weeks back ...
If you do decide to buy an iPad, then do check out the refurbished store as there are savings to be had
http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad (http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad)
I take the odd photo on my Iphone but even with the newest one the camera quality is pretty poor. Can't imagine it is much fun taking a photo with an Ipad though I saw enough trying to at the Olympic stadium - personally I was glad I had my SLR with a nice lens!
If you are umming and ahhhing between a laptop and tablet then take a look at the Asus Transformer series with their docking keyboards (which also has an extra battery in) as this might be the solution for you (or wait for the MS Surface!).
My Nokia N8 smarty phone will do just about everything I need, 12mp camera with Carl Zeiss lens, HD movies, in camera photo editing, MP this and MP that, plus internet connection, thinking of giving the desktop the flick.
Some information about Office files and iPad/iPhone/Macs
The following link contains some information about transferring files between Apple's iWork suite (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) and Microsoft Office. It is an old link but quite a bit of what is says still holds true. Office users cannot open iWork files however you can export the files into an Office format but you do lose some of the formatting. iWork will open most Office files except Powerpoint files of the type *.potx. Personally, I prefer Pages over Word but Numbers is not as comprehensive as Excel particularly as it doesn't have Pivot tables (so I ended up having to get Office for Mac)
At the moment there is no version of Office for the iPad. The iWork suite is a lot cheaper.
http://www.macworld.com/article/1133922/iworkoffice.html (http://www.macworld.com/article/1133922/iworkoffice.html)
You may also encounter winmail.dat attachments from Office users which cannot be opened by a Mac user without an app (I cannot open a winmail.dat file with Office home and student edition - not sure if they open if you have Outlook for Mac).
The link below explains and gives more information and details of apps that will open winmail.dat files.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Neutral_Encapsulation_Format (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Neutral_Encapsulation_Format)
We have just gone through a process of finding out which tablet to use or if we should stay with laptop / netbook computers. We had an imperative that we needed to send and receive M/S office files (Word almost exclusively) to clients.
It took us a couple of weeks to reject the iPad because we couldn't get support for a folder tree or structure that PC's have, this rendered the device useless for our needs.
The we tried the Galaxy tab 10.1. Good file handling but none of the free applications nor those that we paid for were entirely compatible with office files. We abandoned the Android platform as a result.
Thinking that we would stick with portable PC's of one form or another, the third round of trials led us to a small group of tablet style machines that ran M/S windows and Office. Most had small (underpowered ?) processors which were slow and messed up pen/stylus input. In the end we found a computer that did everything we wanted :
Samsung Slate 7. It has an i5 processor, comes with a dock and good keyboard and can be expanded. It seems to do everything without compromise. The only downside is the cost compared to other stuff. I suppose it could also be used for 'phone calls but at 11.6 inch screen size, don't expect it to put it in your pocket.
Hope this helps rather than confuse.
BobB
As you are buying this device for a member of the family in full-time education, ask about educational discounts. I believe Apple do these.
My colleague also got a further discount (for his Macbook Aur) by signing up for the warranty which you can then later cancel...
As for image making (as opposed to image taking), Autodesk's Sketchbook is about the best there is but it is severely hampered by the lack of pressure sensitivity...
iMovie is a fantastic video editor if you exclusively use iPad / iPhone video... I use it a lot for work...
Quick Office has excellent Office compatibility (on both Android and iOS) and supports folder trees. Or am I missing something?
Hi Flakemonky
From memory, quick office could not show words that had a vertical direction within a "Word" table's cell. This messed up the format of any of the forms that used this technique and looked absolutely terrible. I don't think our clients would have appreciated receiving them !
I don't think we succeeded getting the iPad to use folder trees in any of the software but I'm not sure if quick office was one that we trialed. It was a few months ago so my memory may be at fault.
We have now deleted all of the applications from the Tab but there may be light at the end of the tunnel, a close friend's son reckons he can sort out the compatibility problems. Whilst we await with interest, in the meantime we're using the slate 7.
The frustrating thing is as far as computer and/or software are concerned is that almost all "experts" seem to want to sell their product or services yet none seem to collectively know enough to do a comprehensive job when selecting the best solution to a defined set of requirements !
Bob