IPAD question for Gayle....

[judy]

Gayle, you mentioned having an IPad in one of your recent posts. I really want one, but have never used any Mac products before. Other than the price of the IPad, what else do I need to buy? I have heard that I need to buy applications. Are they expensive? What comes already installed in the IPad?

Do you have the 3G? I would like that feature, but I'm hesitant because it seems I will have to pay AT &T a monthly fee. Do you know anything about this?

Paula, I seem to remember you getting one also. Any advice from anyone who has an IPad would be appreciated.

I totally cannot afford it right now, don't need it, but life is short!

[Janet]

I'm with you Judy....I want one too. Don't need one....but would love to have one...lol. I'm so anxious to read the replies you get.

[gja1000]

Hi everyone! I'm at a college volleyball game tonight and only have my phone. I'll answer all your questions when I get home.

[paula1961]

Looking forward to Gayle's reply.

I didn't get an ipad.......i got the netbook. It's an HP. I really don't even know if it is comparable to the ipad. WOW...technology......it amazes me these days

[gja1000]

OK, home from the game! I took Abigail and we had a good time. Our team won!

All right down to business. The iPad. I love it! But there are some limitations to it. Also, I think there will be other "pads" or tablets out soon, from companies like Dell, etc. so the prices are sure to come down a bit.

I love it because it is so small and light, it fits into my purse so I can take it right along with me. I take it to the basketball games so that I can use the ESPN app, so see the statistics of the game I am watching - or I can keep up with other games that are being played around the country. I have the 3G and I wouldn't want an iPad without 3G because that means that you can be on the internet anywhere you have a phone signal - which is pretty much everywhere. It also has wireless which is faster than 3G, so I let it roam for wireless and use that whenever I can. Although, at the basketball games, there is wireless internet in the arena, but it is soooo slow, that I turn off the wireless and use 3G - I love that I can do either.

I pay $30.00 a month for unlimited 3G time. I think there are data plans now that cost less than $30.00 a month, but the data time is not unlimited.

It come with the following applications: calendar, contacts (phone/address book), notes, maps (it has a GPS, so you can always see where YOU are on the map), videos (application to watch movies), YouTube, iTunes, Safari (web browser), mail, a photo application, and iPod.

There are thousands of applications, and LOTS are free. The apps I have are:
facebook, calculator, netflix, iBooks, Free Books, virtuoso (a piano), iFish ( a relaxing koy pond game) weatherBug, local newspaper, ESPN Sports Center, NPR news, soliatire, Trip application (has flight status and LOTS of trip information), Brain challenge game, calorie/carb counter, Pac-Man, USA Today newspaper, Trip Advisor, 2 local radio stations, News 8 Austin (local news), a hunting game (who do you think plays THAT game?), Doodle Buddy (a drawing app), Texas (my University application), a TV remote (yes I can change the TV channels from the iPad) and HeyTell which is like voice text messages. ALL of these applications were free.

You can use the iPad like a Kindle, you can rent books, or buy them or get free books. All the classics are free and there are many many free books.

If you have a netflix account, you can watch instant FREE movies through netflix. Not all movies are instant watch, but there are LOTS and LOTS of instant watch netflix movies. I've been re-watching the Showtime series, The Tudors, on my iPad.

Most apps. only cost $.99 or $1.99, but some are more expensive - but I don't think there are many that you would want/need that are very expensive. There are so many cool cool apps, so many that I can't even tell you what they are cause I don't know!!! My sil has GOBS of apps, I don't even know what most of them are.

I take the iPad with me to appointments and read the newspaper, or surf the net while waiting - it is so nice to be "connected" when you are just sitting around bored and waiting.

I use the "Note" application to keep Gary's medication list, my grocery list, a list of things we need to do when we travel, etc etc. It is so handy.

I love the map and directions feature, as I can always find where I am going and I love the GPS because it always shows me where I am.

I love that I can be on the internet wherever there is a phone signal.

Now, the down side. I don't like to type very much on the keyboard. It is a touch keyboard, so you can't rest your fingers on it. However, if you have a wireless keyboard, it will work with the iPad as it has bluetooth. My sil has a portable fold up wireless keyboard which is just the berries to use, if you are going to do much typing on the iPad. I borrow it sometimes and it just folds up and goes into my purse, just like the iPad!

I know there are apps that will allow you to word process on the iPad, but I don't have one and really don't need one as I have a desk computer. The iPad is not a laptop, so it won't do everything that a laptop will do. If someone sends you a Word attachment by email, you can open it and read it and I think there is an application that will let you connect to a printer and print it - but I don't know how to do that.

Even though the iPad has a photo organizer on it, you have to buy an adapter ($29) to plug your camera or iPhone into to download pictures. You can also plug an SD card into the adaptor and download pix from an SD card. The pictures stay on the iPad though, once downloaded. I must say that pictures look absolutely fabulous on the iPad.

There are also some videos the iPad won't show - it will show all YouTube videos, but some live streaming (like sports events) on the computer will not play on the iPad - something about a dispute between Apple and some type of video source???

My iPhone will do some of the same things as the iPad, but I really don't like to look at my tiny iPhone screen - but the iPad is so much nice and easier to read.

I really love my iPad, but I would recommend you go to the Apple store and play with one and also you might check out some of the new tablets from other makers. They won't have all the cool applications though, and there are just some of the neatest apps you can imagine for the iPad.

Ok, what else do you want to know?

[Janet]

Not sure about Judy...but I think it sounds wonderful except about the pictures. The pictures stay on the iPad though, once downloaded Can they be deleted or are they on there forever? I bet the pictures do look wonderful on the IPad.

I would definitly have to wait till prices come down, but I just love reading about the IPads. I did see in a Best Buy flyer some other things called 'tablets' so I bet that is what you are talking about...but I didn't know when I saw them. So much to learn and check out...lol. Oh yeah....what size do you have in GB?

Okay Judy.....your turn...

[judy]

Wait....I have to absorb all of the information you gave Gayle! You are soooo organized, and clear! Must be a teacher!

Seriously, thank you so much....I now know everything I need to know, other than going to an Apple store and playing with it as you suggested. I could not have gotten a better summary if I had paid someone!!!

I think there are plans for less data, which cost less. Since we do not get cell service up here in many places, I would get the cheaper service. I do get it up at the pool, which might be fun. Although, honestly, why do I need to be online at the pool? Because I want to!!!

At this point the 32 GB, Wi-Fi 3G is about $740. I wonder if the price will come down after Christmas. I think I may search online to see if plans are in the making for a new iPad model. That's when prices for the old one go down!

I don't need email or the word processor. I have a laptop and a desktop at home, and a wireless printer. ($80 from Staples, but the ink is about $30 each for B & W and color!) So, as an aside, if anyone is in the market for a printer, check out how much ink refills cost. I hear Kodak ink is much less expensive than the others.

Janet, I think we know everything we need to know. I would get 32 GB. My mp3 player is 8 GB. It holds a lot, but to spend so much for only 16 GB instead of 32 GB might not make sense.

Here are the Apple prices. Apple and Walmart are the cheapest right now.

iPad with Wi-Fi + 3GConnect to the Internet at Wi-Fi hotspots and over AT&T’s 3G cellular network when you’re on the go; 3G service sold separately


16GB1

• Ships: Within 24hrs
• Free Shipping
• $629.00
• 
  

32GB1

• Ships: Within 24hrs
• Free Shipping
• $729.00
• 
  

64GB1

• Ships: Within 24hrs
• Free Shipping
• $829.00

And...

AT&T 3G data plans for iPad

Data per month Price per month 250MB/month $14.99 2GB/month $25.00
I'm not sure what this means.

[gja1000]

Originally Posted by Janet

Not sure about Judy...but I think it sounds wonderful except about the pictures. The pictures stay on the iPad though, once downloaded Can they be deleted or are they on there forever? I bet the pictures do look wonderful on the IPad.

I would definitly have to wait till prices come down, but I just love reading about the IPads. I did see in a Best Buy flyer some other things called 'tablets' so I bet that is what you are talking about...but I didn't know when I saw them. So much to learn and check out...lol. Oh yeah....what size do you have in GB?

Okay Judy.....your turn...

Oh yes, the pictures can be deleted from the iPad - I just meant that you don't have to hook up the camera or phone every time you want to look at your pictures. There a jillions of photo apps you can put on the iPad, but I only use the one that came on it. I like it though because you can view pictures by "groups" such as dates. That is really nice for the pictures we took on the last trip to Alaska. We took SO MANY, but I can sort them by date so if I want to look at a pic we took in Fairbanks, I know that was at the beginning of the trip, so I look at the earlier dates. I'm sure you can do that on the computer too, I just haven't done it yet, and is so easy on the iPad.

Yes Janet, the flyer you saw for a "tablet" at Best Buy is a non-Apple iPad-type device. The iPad is so popular, so I am sure there will be lots of them in the next year or so.

Also Janet, the iPad doesn't get hot on your lap when you are sitting and using it. LOL! I remember that being a problem with your laptop and I have an ancient iBook laptop that always got so warm sitting on my lap!

[gja1000]

Originally Posted by judy

AT&T 3G data plans for iPad

Data per month Price per month 250MB/month $14.99 2GB/month $25.00
I'm not sure what this means.

I'm not absolutely sure either, but here's what I "think" it means. Everytime you get email, or watch a YouTube video or download a book to read, or download a netflix movie or rent a movie - it uses mega-bytes or giga-bytes. Thus, if you don't do a lot of email, or downloading things from the internet, the 250 MB/month would all that you would need. Judy, this would especially apply to you if you don't have much cell service at your house. For me, I have no idea how much MB/GB I use, but I am on the G3 service a lot, as I use the iPad to pass the time while sitting in the car, waiting rooms, etc - so I like the comfort of knowing that I have plenty of download capability.

My sil has 3G on his iPad, but he uses the "phone device" to plug into the iPad. He doesn't have the AT&T data plan http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/....html?hpt=Sbin I think they cost about $25 per month, and they can be used in laptops too. He has one for his laptop at work. Here is a little more about them. Seems like they are up and coming. The devices, many of them smaller than a smartphone, are similar to the wireless routers in many homes except they don't need to be plugged into anything. They connect to a cellular carrier's data network. Once the battery is charged, a MiFi can be taken anywhere, and it provides a Wi-Fi signal to computers or iPads in a nearby vicinity.

The nice thing about the AT&T data plan is that you can start and stop it at any time, for no reason. There is no long term contract. Let's say, I'm going out of the country and not taking my iPad; thus, I know I won't be using any MB or GB for that month. I just cancel the auto renewing data plan that I have and then when I return I start it up again. There is no cancellation or start up fees. I think that is pretty nifty!

[Janet]

I got really confused for a few minutes...lol...go figure...lolol. Anyway...I thought the article had very good information in it. I had no idea if you got an Ipad that you would have a monthly charge too if you wanted to be on the internet all the time, I just thought WiFi would be the only thing needed and it's usually free. I understand now that not all places have WiFi, but seems most will pretty soon huh? Did I understand that right? I won't be able to afford another monthly payment for quite some time UNLESS I do away with my landline telephone. So much to learn, think about and then get confused some more....

[Janet]

Need to ask another question....others may know more about this than me, but that's why I'm asking. With having the 3G......which is really best...the 16 GB or 32 GB? From reviews I've read on the IPOD Touch...the 16 GB was more than most really needed....but what about the IPAD....would 16 be enough or the 32?

[gja1000]

I have the 32, but only use a FRACTION of that. I would have totally been fine with the 16. The higher gigs are needed by those who do LOTS of internet gaming, video streaming, movie watching and the like.

I agree Janet, that WiFi will be commonplace everywhere in just a short time. As I mentioned to Judy though, I think the $14.99 per month AT&T data plan would allow you to be on the internet anywhere through the phone lines would be more than adequate for our needs (including mine). But when I signed up the only plan available was the $30 unlimited plan. I could switch now, and I probably will one of these days.

[gja1000]

THIS is why I have the 3G. I'm sitting at the train station waiting for Gary and there isn't any WiFi!

[Janet]

So cool!!!! This year...if anyone asks what I want for Christmas I'm telling them cash...unless they are rich then I will just come out and tell him I want an IPad.....lol.

[judy]

We may have to wait until April, Janet! Of course, if someone buys you an ipad for Christmas...great!

According to the internet, Apple is p,planning ipad 2 to come out in April, so the price of ipad 1 should go down.

Here's the article:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2373109,00.asp