IPAD usefulness..

[David Vice]

What is everybody doing with their iPads? I find myself stuck trying to find what to do with it. Other than just watching YouTube, logging into facebook and playing a couple games it seems useless. I love the iPad but it's becoming more of a toy I put down often. ??????

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

What is everybody doing with their iPads? I find myself stuck trying to find what to do with it. Other than just watching YouTube, logging into facebook and playing a couple games it seems useless. I love the iPad but it's becoming more of a toy I put down often. ??????

I find it replaces my laptop for most business needs. I have to travel a lot on business and it's so much easier to carry the iPad than my Vaio laptop.

Most of the tasks that I would use the laptop for can be carried out on the iPad.

So for Microsoft Word - I use Apple Pages - authoring and reviewing documents.

For Microsoft Excel - Apple Numbers - spreadsheets
For Microsoft PowerPoint - Apple Keynote - presentations.
Diary, tasks, events, project management - I use Informant HD.
PDF markup and reviewing - GoodReader
Foldable Bluetooth keyboard
PCalc - scientific calculator
Access to cloud servers for backup 'on the move'
iDraw - for authoring diagrams, charts etc.
TuneIn - for listening to the radio 'on the move'

I'm one of those rare guys that never play games on my computer or visit Facebook. So I expect that the iPad's usefulness depends on how you expect to use it. If you have it primarily for entertainment - music, videos, games etc - then I can see the point that you are making.

But it's an incredibly useful business tool - a great battery life, excellent connectivity, email, web, business and Office applications, very quick turn-on and turn-off.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of feedback on this topic!!!

Thanks for starting this discussion.

Tim
Scotland

 

[8nobody8]

Omg. I could not imagine life without my iPad. I use mine for work, so emails, calendar, editing documents through pages and Dropbox. I use it a lot for entertainment too. I have my iTunes on my laptop (which is pretty much redundant now except for updates!) and that's linked to my surround sound. My ipad controls it all with "remote" through my wifi, so I don't have to touch the laptop to choose music and the best bit is I can control my iTunes from anywhere in the house and garden. Fantastic for parties!

I also use it to control my foxtel (subscriber tv in australia). I can see what's on, schedule and record programs. I use it to control my tv through the samsung app too, which means that I never loose my tv remote because it's my iPad.

I use it when I'm cooking as a recipe book in the kitchen. I use it to read (a lot!). I have some 2000 books on it. Its great at night as I can read without a bedside light on so I'm not disturbing my partner.

I use it as an interactive guide in my home gym exercises, the large screen makes it easy to see which exercise comes next


And yes. I use it surf the web, eBay...not into facebook so not much of that. And last but not least I watch tv and movies on it when I'm camping or away from home.

My ipad is so much a part of my life. Maybe it's because I love integrating technology into my life. The ipad is built for this I think!

 

[col.bris]

I have replaced my MacBook except for syncing music and back up and that's it. I guess you have not explored the thousands of applications available. If you think it is a toy I am surprised unless you have no need for that type of technology. The iPad is not for every one and maybe you are one of those users. I suggest you go thorugh our forum and maybe you will find many ideas of what you can do with it.

 

[SweetPoison]

Omg. I could not imagine life without my iPad. !

Me either! I have instant, and I mean instant access to cyberspace and I need that on a dime while out in the field. I can read an email within seconds ~ I so love that!

I do reports in Pages and email them to myself to print out on my desktop. I only have 25 apps ~ so I am not a big app person ~

There is so much more I could do ~ but the second best thing after having the iPad?

Being here.

 

[David Vice]

Got it! Thanks everybody for the quick replies. I just discovered the power of Remote. Its pretty cool. This thread is helping just the way I intended. Keep em coming people.

 

[slothead]

I use mine mostly for email. I also use it for aerials, maps and GPS guidance. (Both of these because it is much easier to read and control than my phone.) I do some TV control with it, and occasionally reference business documents with it, and surf a little (but not a lot). If it read Flash, I think I would find it 200% more useful, and right now I am questioning whether it will be as useful as I was hoping it would be. If it never gets Flash (and web designers don't change their ways), I will probably never 100% satisfied with it.

 

[Demandarin]

I love how my ipad replaced all my computing, gaming, and entertainment needs. I never use a regular computer anymore. Not even for transfering music, files, or whatever, since im jailbroken again now. I have 181 apps on my 32 GB wifi. All useful one way or another. I use to to surf the web all the time with the various browsers i have, like safari, atomic web browser, full web browser, or skyfire. i check my emails on the fly at anytime, whether it be thru wireless high spped at home or on the move tethered wirelessly to my win mo phone thru wifirouter program. I have several photoediting apps to edit and add fx to my pix. I use netflix and Xfinity app to watch movies n tv shows. Pandora to listen to music in background while i do other things on ipad. I use good reader and ifiles to do all my downloading and saving needs of various file types and formats. Its great to have ifiles n never need to use itunes except for updating if i choose. Google earth and google maps for navigating and gps needs. The wifi ipad version always shows me wherever im at, spot on everytime. No ipad, even 3g, has a true gps chip. Both use same methods. Ive now found i love to read books on ipad also. I, just last night, literally just finished the greatest book/novel ive ever read. Its an ipad app from Level 26 called " Dark Prophecy". Its a digi- novel. A fully interactive novel that is so good, words cant describe really. Its the first book ive read in a really lomg time. Like over 90 chapters. It has a movie built into it. As u read u come to cyber bridges, which are a movie that details what uve read n gives more insight. I love it. Its from the creator of CSI. A great buy!
I could go on n on all day writing about how i use different apps..lol. One thing though, i never realized how great of a gaming device ipad would be. At first, when i had ipad, i didnt have any games. Now, ive got 2 foldrs worth. Great games like Dead Space, Broken Sword, Nova2 n others supply my need for gaming. No desire for a gaming system anymkre since i got my ipad n im a hardcore gamer. Thats how well ipad does gaming.
Keep reading the threads n posts, ipad is so useful and diverse its crazy.

 

[jeans94621]

I bought my IPad a month ago and I haven't use my laptop since. My desktop needed repairing and before I got the IPad I was in a big hurry to get it repaired but since the IPad I keep putting it off. I use my Ipad to surf the web, read, play games, check email, I use Pages to edit documents and send them, Netflix, Hulu plus, Slingbox for when I am in a room that doesn't have a tv, Pandora, my music collection. I will be using it for a printer when I get one that works with the IPad. At that point my laptop will be useless to me except to sync. It is more comfortable to use the ipad instead of a laptop and way more convient to carry than a laptop. For my computing needs the Ipad is perfect for me. Just wish I had jump on the bandwagon when it came out but I read reviews that said it was just a big ipod touch and I had the 3gs and then the 4 when it came out so I thought I didn't need it. Boy was I wrong. Because as much as I use the phone to do things it never replaced my laptop.

 

[King of Golf]

My IPAD has nearly completely replaced my old PC. The PC sits in the corner and gets the occasional use. The IPAD can be taken everywhere, bike rides, hikes, sitting on the beach. I'm a news junkie and love reading, this device makes it so easy to pop it open and explore anywhere at anytime. I've done some Facebook, but that seems to be for the younger generation, at least in my circle of friends. I do some gaming, RealRacing is a hoot. I did some yoga using an app, let's just say that didn't go too well. I even tried painting, now that was fun, but my art work won't find it's way to any museum. Watched videos on playing the harmonica, that was useful. I mean the knowledge transfer with this thing is incredible, my head is about to explode.

 

[stormcastle]

I will be using it for a printer when I get one that works with the IPad.

You can buy the Save2PDF app for $6.99 at the app store--it allows you to print to any wireless printer. Combine with the free WePrint program (from same developer) on your laptop or PC and you can print to any USB printer connected to your computer.

I also use my Ipad for Skype--even though no one on the other end can see me, I can see them if they have a webcam. Connection is strong and clear.

 

[zorah]

Tim made a great summation of the usefulness! Wow!
I'm at an office based job, so I am at a desktop computer all day, but I do have my iPad with me all day and I store PDF files for instant reference all day without having to leaf through files all the time on my desktop-sometimes in a meeting I have it with me to refer to which is cool.
When I go to an outside seminar now, I take notes using my iPad and my Docs to Go. I actually so far don't even use an external keyboard-I type in landscape mode and find it just fine, but I admit, I do not do this every single day either. But my document is saved and ready to go. If I get a presentation e-mailed to me in advance, I can save it, and put it into an annotation PDF program where I can mark it up too all during the presentation using a stylus.
Many places (certainly not all) have free wifi, so I can do a quick check of e-mail too, but if you have a 3G iPad, you're good to go-I have WIFI only, but I have an iPhone so I can check e-mail no problem on that).
I go back and forth-I might make my own notes in Word using Docs to Go and using the presenters presentation (if I got it in advance). Just hit the home key to multi-task.
With my netbooks and laptops, I would always worry about where the plugs were as the batteries would start to die. No such worries with iPad! I don't even bring my charger with me half the time!
The apps make such a difference on iPad. They're inexpensive all things considered and there are tons of them that do every thing under the sun.

 

[Jenningsville]

It's great - I wouldn't be without my iPad. Always-on internet (switches seamlessly between wifi and 3G), instant start, loooong battery life, and such an intuitive user interface. Most used apps for me: email and web brower. Love the ebooks. Have installed VLC for carrying round and playing my movies. SlingPlayer for watching my home TV/PVR when away from home. Loads of games for the kids to play when bored in the car. Loads of other useful apps and utilities.

But here's the rub - I really want to use it as a work tool, but so far not really been able to other than email. Pages, Draw no good because the apps are not fully compatible with Office, fonts are not reproduced well - what I'd like to see is OpenOffice ported to iPad! Soft keyboard is fantastic, but I really miss my number keys along the top and my cursor control keys. In fact what I'd really like is a soft keyboard layout that's just like my laptop keyboard layout. (Before anyone mentions it... I dont want to carry a bluetooth keyboard round with me!) It would be sooo good if I could take handwritten notes on the iPad - I've tried doing it with my finger and with lots of different types of stylus, but none of those methods really work out for me. A stylus with a pen look and feel which when you use it the app only recognises the stylus tip and ignores any touches from your hand, wrist, etc would be perfect. And finally I'd like an iPad case that includes a paper side-bound notebook, something like a Black'n'Red book/binder (or an A4 Filofax) with an iPad holder on teh inside back cover would be perfect.

Philip.

 

[Pingles]

Writing!

I am a hobbyist writer who has not finished a story in 20 years (since just after leaving High School) and I find myself regularly using my iPad to continue with a few short stories.

I am looking forward to finishing a few! Finally!

It's just SO convenient to have the iPad around!

 

[twerppoet]

Let's see,

I've used it to inventory my storage (hoping for camera in iPad 2 to make this a one-step process.

Internet access when not at home, for almost everything I normally do on the internet. Google Reader (using Reeder app) and forums are probably the biggest.

Quick lookup. Unless I'm already sitting at the computer, the iPad is faster.

ToDo manager.

Games when I'm stalled somewhere with nothing to do.

Replaced the Kindle I accidentally broke.

Doodling with several art programs. This falls under the category of entertainment, for me.

Taking notes, with Evernote.

Quick access to photos to show to family and/or friends.

Watching movies in bed.

Quick auxiliary apps next tot he computer: Calculators, Converters, Contacts, Calendars, etc. I can use the computer for these, but sometimes it's just easier to tap on the iPad a couple times to get the info and not clutter up the big screen.

I also use my phone for a lot of this, but when I've got the iPad nearby it's the better choice for almost everything. And since all the important stuff is set to sync between all my devices and computers it is always the choice of using the best device for the moment.