What's new
Apple iPad Forum 🍎

Welcome to the Apple iPad Forum, your one stop source for all things iPad. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

One iPad for the Family

jsh1120

iPF Noob
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
1,292
Reaction score
87
Location
Seattle, Washington USA
Received a new iPad 2 last week. Since our (my wife, my six year old daughter, and I) requirements are a bit different from many others on this forum, I thought it might be useful to share some observations from our perspective.

First, some background. We have a number of computing devices in the household. Being in the software biz I have a fairly powerful Windows desktop and a similarly powerful 15" laptop. I also have an HP netbook that I've used mainly for air travel for about a year since it's almost impossible to open a larger laptop if I'm consigned to coach. My wife also has a 15" laptop and my daughter inherited her Mom's 13" laptop. My wife and I each have Android smartphones. In short, we're drowning in machines here. I feel like network/system administration has become a second job.

So why did we get an iPad? Well, my brother-in-law (bless him) showed up with an iPad when he visited a couple of months ago. My daughter was enchanted. She spent the entire weekend connected to his (first generation) iPad wrists and ankles. Long story short, it seemed like a good idea to get a multi-use iPad that we could all share.

After spending some time with the new addition to the family I now realize I had assumed we had purchased another computer. That's not exactly correct. What we have is more analogous to a giant iTouch than a small computer. In other words, like a cell phone or an iTouch, the iPad is designed to be a personal device, not a shared computer. That doesn't mean it can't be shared, but it does present some challenges.

First, of course, there is the scheduling issue. My daughter has taken a sudden interest in visiting me in my home office where the iPad is located to convince me that she "needs" to use it. I expect the novelty to wear off a bit, but it's clear that she'll prefer the iPad to her laptop since she isn't forced to sit in her room to use it. (And of course Angry Birds isn't available on her laptop.)

As for myself, I've found (as many others have) that the iPad combined with a bluetooth keyboard can largely replace my netbook on flights. It cannot replace my high-powered laptop but it's far better than the netbook for work and entertainment when crammed into a middle seat in coach.

A bigger "problem" is the limited configuration options the iPad offers for multiple users. With a Windows computer (and I presume an Apple) it's possible to set up multiple user configurations with appropriate software access. The iPad is more akin to my Droid smartphone where I can block access to the device (with a password) but once "inside," it's problematic to control access to specific applications. (It can be done, but only with software from the Android Market. I haven't found analogous software in the Apple App Store. Perhaps I've overlooked it.)

The iPad (at least from what I can tell) is even weaker than my smartphone in this regard. I can move my daughter's apps to her own "screen" but there doesn't seem to be any way to prevent her from accessing "my" applications (like email.) And if I put an app on one of my screens, I don't see a way to put the same app on hers. (e.g. Angry Birds "belongs" on either my daughter's screen or mine, but not on both.)

In short, the absence of Android's "widgets" in the Apple ecosystem is a real shortcoming in a device that is used by more than one person. Likewise, the ability to "hide" apps is (as far as I can tell) simply not available. These problems are less significant in a device like an iTouch or a smartphone where a single person is typically the only user. They become more important in a device that begs to be shared.

Of course, such problems disappear if I were willing to shell out for individual iPads for every person in the household. But in this household I don't need even more computing devices to track, manage, back up, and configure. Not to mention the fact that iPads ain't cheap. The "solution" may end up being an iTouch for my daughter while I (heh, heh) reserve the iPad for my and my wife's use. But I suspect that even that wouldn't satisfy her after experiencing the size of the iPad screen. (My brother-in-law is going to pay for this somehow. I think I may get his four year old drums for Christmas.)

All in all, I'm delighted with the iPad. Sharing it with my daughter enables us to read and play games together. She's a good kid and will (at least for awhile) heed my warnings not to "mess with Daddy's apps." It's truly amazing to see how intuitive the touch screen interface is for her. And the wealth of educational apps for elementary school children is the main reason I bought the iPad. (Now that I have it, of course, other priorities have emerged. :))

The issues I've encountered shouldn't discourage a parent from purchasing an iPad for the family. But be aware that such issues do exist, at least in our household. Frankly, I wasn't even aware that I had mistakenly assumed that the iPad was more like a full-fledged family computer than a smartphone (or an iTouch) until I began configuring it and discovered that it is a truly personal device. Overcoming that bias in its design to make it usable for several family members can be a challenge. Not an impossible challenge, but a challenge, nevertheless.
 
Last edited:

Rokrdude2

iPF Noob
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
56
Reaction score
0
Location
India
Pretty well written article
Sharing within the family is not an easy task
Probably apple will allow different account creation in future updates

As far as angry birds is concerned a new version has been just released for the windows:D
 

Hasty

iPF Novice
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
2,266
Reaction score
22
Location
Location
The most important thing is to disable deletion of apps. Those wiggly icons are a child magnet.

We ended up buying our children their own. It was the only way I could get to use the blasted thing will a working battery.
 
OP
jsh1120

jsh1120

iPF Noob
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
1,292
Reaction score
87
Location
Seattle, Washington USA
Pretty well written article
Sharing within the family is not an easy task
Probably apple will allow different account creation in future updates

As far as angry birds is concerned a new version has been just released for the windows:D

As the post after yours suggests, I suspect that multiple accounts on a single iPad is not a top priority for Apple. Why make it more convenient for a family to share an iPad than to buy a second one...or a third one...or...;)

In general, it's clear that all manufacturers are still struggling to come up with the "killer device." After years of dieting, phones have been growing bigger and heavier while "portable" computers have moved from laptop to "notebook" to netbook to "ultra-portable" and most recently to "tablets" and "slates."

I sometimes think the ultimate development will be embedding a chip in a user's head with screen activation via an earlobe tug and mouse control via tongue wagging. The problem of distinguishing the mentally ill from bluetooth phone users on the street will be even more challenging.

Apple's reliance on relatively low power consumption (and consequent limited power) chips and phone o/s locks them into a "personal" device configuration for the present. But as low power consumption chips become more powerful and solid state storage drops in price, the trend toward devices with greater computing power (including more reliable multitasking) will follow.
 

Good karma

iPF Noob
Joined
Jan 15, 2011
Messages
1,179
Reaction score
46
Location
London UK
Excellent article. By the way, regarding revenge on your brother in law, buy his four year old a vuzuvela, revenge will be sweet :)

Sent from my iPad using iPF, using iOS 4.3.2
 

Hayles66

iPF Novice
Joined
Feb 12, 2011
Messages
8,930
Reaction score
399
Location
Somerset-UK
Good karma said:
Excellent article. By the way, regarding revenge on your brother in law, buy his four year old a vuzuvela, revenge will be sweet :)

Sent from my iPad using iPF, using iOS 4.3.2

Oh, yes, excellent answer ! My bruv brought them over for my kids, they were coloured in the colours of the new SA flag. Quite special to be doing it with my own countries vuvuzela during world cup, pity about my second countries performance though

from Somerset UK on my iPad using IPF app
 

ipadparker

iPF Noob
Joined
Mar 11, 2011
Messages
19
Reaction score
0
Location
Texas
I bought my IPad 1 for me. It spends its days at school with my 13 year old, the evening with her and I get to use it to read books late at night or if I insist I need to use it. Usually that means at very reduced battery levels. She uses it to compose flash cards, place post it type notes on the Tom Sawyer book they are reading, ABC shows, other shows and media, and of course games.

Just this morning she siad dad I need to print this essay for English class from the IPad. Thanks to Print and Share we printed in a few minutes.

We all will use it this summer to download photos from our cameras on vacation, watch movies on the plane and keep in limited touch with the world from Glacier National Park.

Like the OP, we have a strong main computer, laptops and netbooks, Itouches, and Kindles..... However, this IPad has found a users home that is used more than all of the devices.

Parker
 

tzimisce

iPF Noob
Joined
Sep 23, 2010
Messages
1,078
Reaction score
2
Location
Sydney
Frankly, I wasn't even aware that I had mistakenly assumed that the iPad was more like a full-fledged family computer than a smartphone (or an iTouch) until I began configuring it and discovered that it is a truly personal device. Overcoming that bias in its design to make it usable for several family members can be a challenge. Not an impossible challenge, but a challenge, nevertheless.

It's probably not that much of a technical difficulty (given their expertise) if Apple wants to enable multiple profiles on iOS, but more of a question of how high (or low) such a feature ranks in priority and desireability on their list of product features. For instance, if Apple received a lot of feedback asking for such a feature, at least that would put it on their "things to look at" radar - but that's assuming users take the trouble to write to them to let them know.
 

Hayles66

iPF Novice
Joined
Feb 12, 2011
Messages
8,930
Reaction score
399
Location
Somerset-UK
To be honest, in my family, I use the iPad and the kids prefer the iPod touch for it's into the pocket versatility! Yes, they'd like one but realise money is tight so they are quite happy with their iPods for now. I'm considering one for the eldest as she goes to college in the autumn/fall.

from Somerset UK on my iPad using IPF app
 

jawaan

iPF Noob
Joined
May 1, 2012
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Have you looked at the "Our Pad" app iPads? Works for us.
 

Most reactions

Latest posts

Top