iPad 2 or Dell laptop..which one to buy???

hey all,

ok..so am new to this forum & totally new to Apple family.
i am planning to buy a laptop & am totally confused between an iPad & a Dell laptop.
most of the forums i visited had suggestions for both iPad & an iPhone...but in my case there's a twist..i have a Nokia X6 (8GB) mobile & i don't have any plans of replacing it in near future :):)..so had couple of doubts about the compatibility problems that i may face if i buy an iPad

• would my iPad throw connection issues when i am trying to connect it to my Nokia via bluetooth or is there a software that i need to download to use it??
• if i want to download songs or movies..can i get it done from any other website or should it be done using the iTunes only?
• the official apple website states that "buy a song, take a photo, or edit a calendar event on your iPad, iCloud makes sure it appears on your Mac, iPhone, and iPod touch, too."...but this won't be of any use to me since am using Nokia

please help me in coming to a conclusion since i really don't want to spend money on something which won't be beneficial in the long run.

bye,
Reshmi

I pad is a great device and I own a 16 gb 3 g model ...but believe me u can't use it as your lone device. For your questions
1) no you canconnect via Bluetooth to only another apple device...no other device can be paired to an apple bluetooth including Nokia.apple is a closed system which has its advantages and disadvantages
2) yes you can download only from I tunes .but be careful if ur not from Europe coz the contents of I tunes is severely limited in Asian countries. Im from India here the I tunes is as good as a s40 app store but I'll get full access to the AppStore.
U can download from other sites using applications like downloader but u can't transfer it to video section of iPad .but the total usability of such apps is not that good IMO.
3) I cloud is not that a great tool if u ask me.only use is syncing btw apple devices .better cloud services are out there like Dropbox and box which are like cloud hard drives ...
So IMO u should buy a laptop if it's btw an iPad and a laptop.i pad is a great second device if u have a laptop to fall back on for some essential tasks.but as a lone device it won't help u.

Reshmi, it will depend on what you want to use it for.

Yes, you will be tied to iTunes. This is what stopped me buying Apple for a LONG time. But really, it's not a biggie. Get your songs on your PC and transfer them to your iPad. Don't bother getting full length videos onto the iPad, it uses too much storage. Access to YouTube is simple if you need.
iCloud is good for backup and invaluable to GPS your iPad if it gets stolen. Of course you won't get synced with your Nokia, but who cares! With your laptop, you won't be either!
I have both a Dell laptop, a pc, an iPad and iPhone. To be honest, I haven't touched my laptop or PC since getting my iPad. I don't miss it at all... Can't beat the iPad for portability.

My suggestion... Borrow someone's iPad for a weekend and fully test it out.

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Originally Posted by ChristianaR

Reshmi, it will depend on what you want to use it for.

Yes, you will be tied to iTunes. This is what stopped me buying Apple for a LONG time. But really, it's not a biggie. Get your songs on your PC and transfer them to your iPad. Don't bother getting full length videos onto the iPad, it uses too much storage. Access to YouTube is simple if you need.
iCloud is good for backup and invaluable to GPS your iPad if it gets stolen. Of course you won't get synced with your Nokia, but who cares! With your laptop, you won't be either!
I have both a Dell laptop, a pc, an iPad and iPhone. To be honest, I haven't touched my laptop or PC since getting my iPad. I don't miss it at all... Can't beat the iPad for portability.

My suggestion... Borrow someone's iPad for a weekend and fully test it out.

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A iPad cannot replace a Laptop or a Desktop ! Period !!

Never said it did...

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Originally Posted by ChristianaR

Never said it did...

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Agree!

I have a desktop computer, as well as a iPad2. Even when I am at home, i find myself sing the iPad more often then the desktop but for graphics design, web design, and gaming I still go use the desktop. But everything else is done on the iPad2

Think of it this way.
An iPad is a wonderful tool. It lets you do all kinds of stuff and it lets you do it outside. You don't need to be tied to your desk to send e-mails and you don't need to be in the office to write a report. But it does have limitations. The most obvious is how to read from a CD or DVD? For that you need a laptop. I dare say that some bright spark will devise a way to use 4 cables and 3 Apps that will let you read from a CD but why is it so difficult? The simple answer is that Apple WANT you to be tied to iTunes.
Now, I ain't condemning them for that. That's just the way that Apple play and if you don't want to play by their rules, tough.
On the other hand, a Dell laptop, or any laptop, will do all of the jobs that an iPad will. The main differences being portability and speed. Portability is obvious. You just need to take a look at the size differences. Speed is less obvious but still a factor. Try this .... Get an iPad and a laptop side by side and turn them on. Which one is ready to go first, and by how long?

So, what choice to make?
The obvious choice is to have both. That may sound expensive but do they need to be brand new?
But if I had to pick just one, it would be the laptop. It may be bulkier and heavier but it does more.

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Originally Posted by augustya

A iPad cannot replace a Laptop or a Desktop ! Period !!

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AActually I argue this...it can, depending on a few factors.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk

Apart from portability, I cannot think of anything that can be done on an iPad that cannot be done on a laptop.

Tho I am a new user, so happy to be educated...

Leon