[duffysmom]

Would an IPad2 be something I could use instead of a traditonal laptop. My computer is giving me problems; I use it to access email and the internet and use Paint Shop for my art work. Does an IPad2 accept something like Paint Shop? Thanks

[JimJoe]

In my opinion, Ipad and tablet computers are very good for surfing the web, reading email and books, and watching and listening to videos and music. I use both an android tablet and a laptop. If I only had one, it would be a laptop.
JJ

[Golf-Tinker]

It's extremely portable and you have access to thousands of apps. E-mail and web surfing are easy, and there are numerous "paint" and sketch apps. Go to Apple.com and browse through the app selections. Or visit Best Buy in The Villages and have one of their staff demonstrate the unit. I noticed the other day that Sams Club also is now selling the Ipad. But keep the laptop for printing and other tasks.

[duffysmom]

Thanks JJ and Golf Tinker, I'm on my way to Sam's to check out the IPad2 and my quirky computer can do the art stuff.

[mitchbr47]

Originally Posted by Golf-Tinker

It's extremely portable and you have access to thousands of apps. E-mail and web surfing are easy, and there are numerous "paint" and sketch apps. Go to Apple.com and browse through the app selections. Or visit Best Buy in The Villages and have one of their staff demonstrate the unit. I noticed the other day that Sams Club also is now selling the Ipad. But keep the laptop for printing and other tasks.

It really depends how detailed you want to work on your photos and where you intend to store them. The photo apps on the ipad and iphone are much "lighter" than programs like Paint Shop or Photoshop Elements. You will also need an ipad camera connection kit ($30) to read photos from the SD card on your camera. Another consideration is that the drive size is 16, 32 , or 64 GB. That is much smaller than a laptop hard drive.Granted photos can be stored on the web.
As far as servicing it is a piece of cake. Just sync it with your computer. That will no longer be necessary with the release of iOS5 come September. The the ipad will no longer need a computer to set up, backup, and sync.
The portability with an ipad is fantastic, the price is great, but a macbook might be a better choice as it is much more powerful. Plus macs work great.

Another consideration is the ipad is a touch screen with no mouse. It doesn't take long to adjust, especially if you already use a trackpad.

[wendyquat]

I've had both. Ipad fun to play with and easy to read email but I sure missed the keyboard. I guess it would be ok if you get the keyboard accessory but I never got the hang of typing on the touchscreen keyboard. Given a choice, I chose to stick with my laptop.

[Barefoot]

I love my iPad! As others have said it is very portable and great for surfing. It is fun to go to a coffee shop or out to breakfast and take the iPad. And read posts on TOTV! I do NOT like the touch keyboard one bit. So I bought an Acer laptop to keep my iPad company.

I just downloaded a Casey Anthony App on my iPad (only 99 cents). Apparently it is the most popular App right now. I'm planning to download some books from our library and use the iPad as a reader.
Don't sit in the sun with your iPad or you will get a message "Your iPad needs to cool down" and it will turn itself off. And you will lose anything you're working on.

[springfield illinois]

The way. I think of this is: the iPad is consumtion device! It is not the best as at
Generating ... I have "otter box" is great to protect it. Most public libraries have free dowloadable books for free. You can get some legal from bit torrents. Gotta be careful with viruses ,, iTunes is the easiest way to get all kinds of material! One real downside to iPad is in bright sunlight the iPad is not the best....all that said I would buy another . Good luck

[njbchbum]

how does one connect to the internet with an ipad2 - do you have to have an internet service provider? if i use at&t for my isp can i use the same contract for an ipad2? would i be able to use an ipad2 while riding in the car between maine and florida? i think i want one but i know so little about them.

[Irish Rover]

Love my IPAD2. I also have a laptop but use the IPAD when going to Panera and other places like that, just to stay in touch. I have mine set up to print wireless when I need a copy. Very portable.

[Hancle704]

I contacted Apple to inquire about the IPad because my HP laptop is several year old, still running Windows XP and apparently lacks the needed power to run Windows 7. I wanted to know if I could run Quicken on the IPad and was told no. The Apple rep pointed out that the IPAd is not a computer. So if you need to link it to a computer and sync, why bother?

[mitchbr47]

Originally Posted by njbchbum

how does one connect to the internet with an ipad2 - do you have to have an internet service provider? if i use at&t for my isp can i use the same contract for an ipad2? would i be able to use an ipad2 while riding in the car between maine and florida? i think i want one but i know so little about them.

They are great devices, but don't entirely replace a laptop for some uses. I would read about them more on the internet or browse the book section at a bookstore.

There are 2 ways to connect to the internet with an ipad: wifi using 802.11n and a 3 G network just like a phone uses. The 3 G option would be a different contract from the one you currently have. For wifi you can use ATT if they are your provider at your home. Riding in a car from Maine to Florida would be good, but the battery might fade as it is good for around 11 hours. There are chargers and probably it wouldn't be in use the whole trip. It kind of depends on what you want to use it for as you ride.

Keep in mind a 3G will cost more initially and there is a charge or the data plan. I wouldn't suggest watching a movie in the car as it would gobble up bandwidth. I didn't bother with the 3 G network. Wifi was good enough. Plus if I wanted to briefly go on the web I could use my iphone. You can always use the wifi in a restaurant or hotel to check on messages, make reservations, plan your route, check the weather, do a video conference, etc.

I you did go with the 3G you pay by the month. So say you are traveling in July you can activate the 3 G for that month and cancel from the ipad when finished. It might be $25 a month. The 3 G option adds $130 to the price of the ipad. So instead of $499 for the entry level model it would now be $629.
For the next few months, until sometime in September with the release of iOS5, you will need a computer to set up the ipad. Some retailers such as an Apple store or maybe Best Buy will set it up for you.
While not driving I can use the ipad for music, playing games, reading a book that I downloaded, etc. That 1150 mile ride never gets as boring as it was in the past.

If you are currently in The Villages keep in mind that there is a Mac User group that has a SIG (special interest group) that meets on the second Wednesday of the month at Paradise Rec Center. This is a good place to learn and get help. The 9am group deals with the iphone and ipad.
ipads are on back order due to increased demand.It might take a week or two.

[njbchbum]

mitch47 - thanx so much for all of that info!!! i'll chew on that for a while as well as continue to pursue reviews from the web! also thinking of using an otc air card on the laptop for internet connections when travelling. so much technology!

[leenie24]

I already told you this, girlfriend.https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...ies/pcuser.gif

[duffysmom]

Thanks everyone I love my ipad2.