[MelodyL]

I'm not getting one, don't worry, don't have the money for it. I just want to learn about it in case I ever get rich.

This wi-fi with 3g Technology thing.

I read that you can extend the 3g part of it for $14.99 a month for limited amounts of data, and for $29.99 you can get unlimited data.

What are they talking about.? What is data?

I know about wi-fi. You can bring a laptop into Dunkin Donuts, they have a hot spot. You can sit there drink your coffee and go on the internet, and do whatever you would if you were connected at home, RIGHT???

Or did I get this wi-fi thing WRONG? Isn't that what wi-fi is? You take your laptop and you turn it on, and you get an internet signal and YOU CAN GO ON THE INTERNET.

So let's say I'm rich and I buy an ipad with all those 200,000 applications. Let's say all I want to do is go to Neurotalks.

I bring up the keyboard and type in the url and I'm here, right?

Seems kind of awkward because there is no attached keyboard, there is no place to set it down, you have to hold it in your hand, etc.

I'm not into reading books, so I don't need all those apps. I don't go on face book, so I don't need that.

And they talk about video. WHAT VIDEO? There is no cd rom drive, so what the heck are they talking about.?

If someone can explain exactly what an IPAD is used for, it would be helpful.

Also, I know there is another IPAD where you pay a monthly fee and you get to go on the internet (not use the wi fi feature).

So I gather this means that if I am in my house, Alan is on the computer, I buy a router, I get an IPAD......

then I can go on the internet, the same way as if I had a laptop?

Or if I purchase the IPAD with the monthly connection fee, then I DON'T NEED TO BUY A ROUTER, and I can sit in my living room while Alan is on the computer, and because I pay a monthly fee (don't know how much this is), then I can go on the internet any time I want (whether it's in my house, my friend's house, WHATEVER?).

I just need someone to explain IPAD in a way that my brain can comprehend.

Thanks much.

And to think all I thought I had to learn was about DVD DECODERS??

lol
Melody

[jarrett622]

Personally, I see the I-pad as redundant. Like a phone with a larger screen or perhaps a netbook without the key board? They seem a waste of time. I've been playing with a netbook and I really like it. It's very portable and does everything a full size laptop does. This is the one: http://us.acer.com/showrooms/aspireone/

[bobinjeffmo]

Two weeks ago when I went in to see my pain doctor who've I been with for 9 years, the first question was the one you've got here. He knew that I'm terribly irresponsible when it comes down to toys and the delight they bring me, and he advised me that he'd been holding off on this wish list - got to have to have purchase till after he'd talked with me first because I love keeping up to date on anything tech. Here's what I told him.

"Doc, after being positive this was another must own, got to have, how can I empty out my piggy bank enough so I can have one today type purchase I did some intensive homework on these wonderful new gadgets and here's what I learned."

First, did you know that they are not flat on the bottom so if you think you can sit at the kitchen table with your morning coffee and toast while catching up on the news and reading/writing a few emails, you're wrong. Because they're curved on the backside, they constantly rolling around making them unusable/unstable except for when they're either in their stand/charger (another $60 option) or if you're holding on to in your hands? Now how can a person type with only one set of fingers when the other is hanging on to the stupid thing?

Secondly, did you know that around 20% of the people who've gone ahead and plunked down the upward of $1,000 (when loaded with the goodies you really want including a case to protect it plus wireless keyboard and charger) are returning them even though it's costing them upward of 20% of the total purchase price just so they can unload this great idea but horribly designed product and not loose all their money? Imagine paying $150 or more just so you can get back at least some of the money you accidentally wasted?

The idea is fantastic, it's just they didn't get the design right. With all the IPhone users like myself who can't live without them, we love the touch screen and since they weigh less than 2 pounds, the idea of portable computing has never looked better. Problem is, they're so darn limited in so many ways. You can't multitask very well, and about the only time they're worth much is when you're hooked up to the Internet. If you use your computer for composing the story of your life or you do things that don't necessitate you being on-line, then you'll find these gadgets rather limiting.

IPad's don't have any easy way to download photo's you've taken with your digital camera unless you either send them over the Internet back and into your IPad, or you have the IPad hooked up to your notebook/desktop computer and sync them up. There is no media/memory input so most are finding this memory lacking very frustrating. Because there's no USB port, you can't use flash RAM (which we've all grown to love since it's so easy to carry files around from computer to computer) and while they're promising multi-tasking (doing more than one thing at a time such as listening to music while cruising the Internet), at only works with some applications.

When the market came out with Netbooks a little over a year ago I was the first kid on the block to get one and I can't live without it. With a price tag of only $300, between it's less than 3 pound handiness plus the fact that I can do almost everything I can do on my everyday notebook computers, these are a gadget that make portable computing really portable.

If you're wanting a pint sized computer that will cost you less than half (or more), then go with a Netbook instead. Most Netbooks have 10 inch screens while the IPad only has a 9 1/2 inch screen. There are now tablet Netbooks out there that are still less money but you can still use your fingers to get around on like the IPad yet they have much larger memory and overall use capabilities.

Apple has had so many IPhone buyers, they knew we'd all go out and plunk down our money on a bigger size, but almost just as portable type device, yet instead this is probably the biggest boo-boo since the Cadillac Cimmeron in the early 80's. Now if they made the back of the device flat so it could lay easily on a table, add some USB ports and a card reader for uploading your photo's, they'd be on the right track. Though they advertise a wonderfully low $499 price, with only 16GB of memory, I promise you that you'll be go half banana's in no time at all after you try and load some music and photo's, not to mention the great limitations as far as software. The idea is great and there's no doubt this is the new direction computing will head, it's just this time Apple got it's ego in its way without actually considering what the end user wanted and wouldn't live without. This time, you're not really missing anything, but I'd still keep saving my nickles and dimes for when Apple or someone else does. Bob.

Originally Posted by MelodyL

I'm not getting one, don't worry, don't have the money for it. I just want to learn about it in case I ever get rich.

This wi-fi with 3g Technology thing.

I read that you can extend the 3g part of it for $14.99 a month for limited amounts of data, and for $29.99 you can get unlimited data.

What are they talking about.? What is data?

I know about wi-fi. You can bring a laptop into Dunkin Donuts, they have a hot spot. You can sit there drink your coffee and go on the internet, and do whatever you would if you were connected at home, RIGHT???

Or did I get this wi-fi thing WRONG? Isn't that what wi-fi is? You take your laptop and you turn it on, and you get an internet signal and YOU CAN GO ON THE INTERNET.

So let's say I'm rich and I buy an ipad with all those 200,000 applications. Let's say all I want to do is go to Neurotalks.

I bring up the keyboard and type in the url and I'm here, right?

Seems kind of awkward because there is no attached keyboard, there is no place to set it down, you have to hold it in your hand, etc.

I'm not into reading books, so I don't need all those apps. I don't go on face book, so I don't need that.

And they talk about video. WHAT VIDEO? There is no cd rom drive, so what the heck are they talking about.?

If someone can explain exactly what an IPAD is used for, it would be helpful.

Also, I know there is another IPAD where you pay a monthly fee and you get to go on the internet (not use the wi fi feature).

So I gather this means that if I am in my house, Alan is on the computer, I buy a router, I get an IPAD......

then I can go on the internet, the same way as if I had a laptop?

Or if I purchase the IPAD with the monthly connection fee, then I DON'T NEED TO BUY A ROUTER, and I can sit in my living room while Alan is on the computer, and because I pay a monthly fee (don't know how much this is), then I can go on the internet any time I want (whether it's in my house, my friend's house, WHATEVER?).

I just need someone to explain IPAD in a way that my brain can comprehend.

Thanks much.

And to think all I thought I had to learn was about DVD DECODERS??

lol
Melody

[MelodyL]

I loved what you wrote and how you explained it. When I first saw this gizmo, the first thing that popped into my mind was "How on earth do you type anything while holding this thing up?, Wouldn't a lap top be a better solution?"

And now you have described exactly what I need. A NETBOOK.

I know I will have to get a router, hook it up to my dsl modem, and sync it up, and I'll do that when I save up my money.

And I never knew that the IPAD wasn't flat.

You probably educated a whole bunch of people today.

Thanks much
Melody

[Jomar]

Great info Bob , and a great review job.
thanks for posting it.