# Kindle or iPad 3?



## Kzach (Apr 30, 2012)

I realise this is kinda pushing the limits on being a 'media' thread so if it's inappropriate, by all means lock it up.

Basically, I'm trying to decide between getting a Kindle or an iPad 3. This all started when I wanted to buy several books and found them incredibly difficult to locate anywhere other than as expensive paperbacks. I looked up the ebook versions and immediately realised that they were not only much cheaper, but so, so, so much easier to access.

But after looking at Kindle options, I then I also realised that there's a great special on offer for an iPad 3. I need an e-reader of some type. I WANT an iPad 3... 'cause... they're cool... need vs. want.

Now, I have an opportunity to either get a Kindle for $125 or an iPad 3 16GB for $448. I realise they're significantly different and have appropriately different price-tags. The iPad will also delay the purchase of a home gym set I've been saving up for but the thought of paying $125 for something that does nothing more than show text on a screen kinda bugs me.

So, although I have no need of an iPad, and it's significantly more expensive, it's also significantly more powerful and versatile and either way, I get what I need, ie. the e-book reader. Now all I need is to decide which way to go.

Oh, and this decision has a time-limit. The specials start on the 5th of May and finish on the 9th of May.


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## JediSoth (Apr 30, 2012)

If you're just looking at reading text, the Kindle is amazing. eInk is MUCH easier on the eyes than an LCD screen for extended reading, though the new retina display on the iPad 3 might be OK (it's still backlit, though).

If you want to also use it to read gaming PDFs or comics, or other non-ebook electronic files (i.e. anything that isn't an .epub, .mobi, or .azw), you'll have to go for a tablet, because straight Kindle e-readers do a poor job. The Kindle Fire is OK for PDFs, but the screen is a bit smaller than the iPad, so if you plan to read PDFs regularly, the iPad is a better device for it.

Comparing a Kindle to an iPad is kind of like comparing a newspaper to an LCD monitor, both in functionality and usability (again the Kindle Fire is a tablet not an e-reader).

I have a Kindle Keyboard (3rd gen. Kindle, wifi no touch screen) and a Kindle Fire. I've found the Kindle fire great for reading message boards, pretty good for web browsing, OK for PDFs (a larger screen size would mitigate my issues with the Fire for PDF reading), and pretty good for e-books. The Kindle Keyboard is easier to read for an extended period of time, though. If you haven't seen an eInk screen in person, head to your nearest Staples or Target and check it out. Seriously, just for reading novels and such, there is no comparison.


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## Gilladian (Apr 30, 2012)

I would go with the Ipad for another couple of reasons. I'm a librarian; I play with them with patrons all the time. The ipad is much more intuitive to use than any kindle except the "Fire". Touch screen beats buttons any day. (I do own an ipad and am an "Apple" user, so beware of my bias).

And if you are at all interested in using Library books on your device, Amazon is ticking off or scaring the big publishers. They don't want to sell to Amazon's customers, really, and they don't want to support the Kindle. They've made downloading kindle format harder over the past months, and i don't see the situation improving.

Secondly, if you download direct from Overdrive (the biggest, most common ebook provider for libraries right now), they respect your privacy in the way the library does. Amazon does not. They treat your library borrowing habits as they do purchasing info. You'll get offers to buy those books, and they'll use them to tailor ads you see, etc... 

If this doesn't bother you, don't let it affect your decision, but you should know what's happening.


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## Hand of Evil (Apr 30, 2012)

One, the iPAD.3 is a good bit heavier than the Kindle.
Two, the iPAD.3 does not like to be outside, very hard to read in sunlight.  
Three, battery life iPAD.3 has to be recharged every 6 to 8 hours.  Kindle (non color ones) last forever.  

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Okay, having said that...I love my iPAD, been reading the Harry Potter books on it using the Kindle Reader app.  There is just too much other things I can do with the iPAD, surfing, Facebook, gaming, etc.

Go iPAD as it is soooo much more.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Apr 30, 2012)

IPad2 owner, here, divulging his bias.  I think that all of the various tablets & eReaders offer the consumer some good options.

Tablets simply do so much more than eReaders.  That's why you buy them.  The iPad, to me, did what I wanted the way I wanted, and did so very well.  I was already accustomed to the iPod Touch when I got my iPad2, which is for most purposes identical.  Providing more context, I just got an LG smartphone, and while it is a good machine with hardware that is superior in many ways to the iPhone's, I find it's interface is more awkward than Apple's and am seriously contemplating switching over.

If all you want is an eReader, Kindles & Nooks are probably better.  I had to make a decision between a Kindle and a Nook when buying a prize for a raffle.  I listened to what the 2 devices did and did not do...and went with the Nook.


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## Janx (Apr 30, 2012)

on the long term readability part, that varies.  My wife gets migraines.  Bright lights, sounds etc can agravate that.  She likes her eBook for that reason.

I've been staring at glowing phosphors from 1.5 feet away for 30 years.  I'm fine. I got no problem reading  a screen all day.

Now it is true, the eInk reads better outdoors.  I've read a book outside probably twice in my lifetime.  Generally, electronics and books don't go outside, with the exception of things like cellphones.  And then, if it looks rainy, I take precautions.  Basically, reading outdoors could be a non-issue for Kzach as well.

One handy consideration for iPad is that it has reader software from a few other sources, not just Apple, and including Kindle.  If you buy it, you got Apple's store, kindle, and Kobo for sure.  If you buy Kindle, you have Kindle's Store.

Battery life of 6-8 active hours will probably be fine.  Plug it in when it needs it and get up and take breaks.  Maybe exercise.

If cost is an issue, consider getting an older gen model. Even the iPad 1 is only 2 years old.  My iPad 1 serves me great.

If you're hemming and hawing overr iPad vs. Home Gym, there are plenty of articles on why home exercise equipment is a bad investment.  Don't take that as disouragement about exercising, merely that for a majority of home exercise equipment owners, it will end up collecting dust.  You can spend your money on other things and still exercise.

Good luck!


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## Dannyalcatraz (Apr 30, 2012)

It can use Nook stuff as well.

In addition, if you go iPad, save a few bucks and DON'T get one with 3G.  I've found that wi-fi is good enough, generally, and for when it isn't, I just purchased a hotspot.  You need a dataplan for one of those- just like for a 3G iPad- but it can support multiple devices and is 4G.  This means it's faster...sometimes, a LOT faster.


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## Morrus (Apr 30, 2012)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> It can use Nook stuff as well.
> 
> In addition, if you go iPad, save a few bucks and DON'T get one with 3G. I've found that wi-fi is good enough, generally, and for when it isn't, I just purchased a hotspot. You need a dataplan for one of those- just like for a 3G iPad- but it can support multiple devices and is 4G. This means it's faster...sometimes, a LOT faster.




He's in Australia.  The iPad 3 doesn't work with non-US 4G networks.  In fact, in Australia, Apple had to give refunds to craploads of people when it transpired it didn't work on 4G networks there.

Something to do with different frequencies being used for 4G in different countries or something.


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## Kzach (Apr 30, 2012)

Janx said:


> Basically, reading outdoors could be a non-issue for Kzach as well.



Very much a non-issue. If I had a choice, I'd live underground. The suns... I hates it.



Janx said:


> One handy consideration for iPad is that it has reader software from a few other sources, not just Apple, and including Kindle.  If you buy it, you got Apple's store, kindle, and Kobo for sure.  If you buy Kindle, you have Kindle's Store.



From another thread I started elsewhere on the same topic, I've learned that there are numerous sources for ebooks that can be read on the Kindle and iPad. This one is my favourite: Project Gutenberg - free ebooks



Janx said:


> If you're hemming and hawing overr iPad vs. Home Gym, there are plenty of articles on why home exercise equipment is a bad investment.  Don't take that as disouragement about exercising, merely that for a majority of home exercise equipment owners, it will end up collecting dust.  You can spend your money on other things and still exercise.



Well... I've been saving towards the home-gym setup for seven months and an iPad investment would set me back another two or more months. The only reason I'm considering the iPad is because there is a rare synergy between the iPad being recently released, a special being on where I work, AND a special staff discount, all at the same time which reduces the price of the iPad by $92 AUD. I'm not going to see a synergy like that for a LONG time to come.

As for $1,315 worth of home gym equipment gathering dust... yeah, not likely. The guilt of spending that much money alone will be motivation to use it as much as possible 



Morrus said:


> He's in Australia.  The iPad 3 doesn't work with non-US 4G networks.  In fact, in Australia, Apple had to give refunds to craploads of people when it transpired it didn't work on 4G networks there.
> 
> Something to do with different frequencies being used for 4G in different countries or something.



I blame this entirely on Australia. We have the stupidest, most incompetent, money-grubbing, idiotic telco's in the world. Seriously.


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## Morrus (Apr 30, 2012)

Kzach said:


> I blame this entirely on Australia. We have the stupidest, most incompetent, money-grubbing, idiotic telco's in the world. Seriously.




I'd blame it on Australia, too, if it wasn't the same in _every_ country except the US. It doesn't work on UK, or French, or German, or anyone else's 4G networks, either. The device was just designed with the US* 4G frequencies hardwired in, and nowhere else's.

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/laptops/new-ipad-refunds-offered-in-aussie-4g-furore-50007477/



*Maybe Canada?  Dunno.


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## Radiating Gnome (Apr 30, 2012)

I own both a kindle 2 and an iPad 2. My experience may not be typical, but I do most of my reading on my iPad. I like having the kindle around for vacations -- longer battery life, easier to read in bright light, easier on the eyes in general. And I can't get to my work email on it.   

But at home, in my day-to-day life, it's all about the iPad. I do most of my reading in bed, and because it's backlit I can read in bed without having a light on -- which is a lot easier on my wife. I can do a ton of other things on it as well -- between netflicks and HBO Go and any number of other video sources, the iPad is really hard to beat. 

-rg


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## Dannyalcatraz (Apr 30, 2012)

Morrus said:


> He's in Australia.  The iPad 3 doesn't work with non-US 4G networks.  In fact, in Australia, Apple had to give refunds to craploads of people when it transpired it didn't work on 4G networks there.
> 
> Something to do with different frequencies being used for 4G in different countries or something.




All the more reason to get a hotspot, I guess!


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## renau1g (Apr 30, 2012)

Kzach said:


> I blame this entirely on Australia. We have the stupidest, most incompetent, money-grubbing, idiotic telco's in the world. Seriously.




Sorry, Canada's got you beat. Our telecoms suck large, plus we have government rules to keep out foreign-owned companies, despite sharing a border  with one of the largest phone-using countries around.... *sigh* 

Canada's cellphone rates among highest - The Globe and Mail

US, Canada have priciest cell phone plans in the world


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## Dannyalcatraz (Apr 30, 2012)

Ohhhhh Canadaaaaa...


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## jcayer (Apr 30, 2012)

I was in a similar situation, trying to decide what to buy.  I already had a kindle and very much enjoy reading on it.  My concern with forking over $500+ on an ipad was, how much will I really use it?

In the end, I opted to go with a Kindle Fire.  For my family, it was the right choice.  With 2 kids, I knew if it was a hit, I'd need a second one....it took about a week to order that.  It does what I need/want, proved to me that the family was indeed tablet ready, and allowed me to purchase 2.  I could not have done that with am Ipad.

In a few years, I will probably look at upgrading to something with a larger screen, but for now, the Fire is my choice.


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## Mercutio01 (Apr 30, 2012)

I have both a 1st Gen Nook and a 3rd Gen Kindle keyboard (with ads). The differences between the two are fairly minimal, in all honesty. I tend to use my Nook more often because I sideload books from Project Gutenberg and most of the gift certificates and stuff that I get from friends and family are for Barnes & Noble. What I want most is the new Nook Simple Touch (releasing this week in the US, I think) called Glowlight (again, I'm not sure of the name). It's not backlit, like the tablets, but it will have built in lights the way the old IronMan Indiglo watches did when I was in high school.

I have a netbook that I do all that tablet type stuff on. Not saying I don't want an iPad, Fire, or Nook Tablet (I do, and probably Nook Tablet just because I'm already invested in B&N and, in general, prefer it to Amazon), but most of the computer stuff I already do on a lightweight computer and most of the reading I do is on E-ink, which I've found is far preferable to staring at a backlit screen. I know that's the standard marketing-speak behind E-ink, but it's been true in practice for me, too. I also tend to read a lot (two to three books a month or more, and more in the summer--I'm a college teacher) and do it inside, in bed, on the couch, on the porch, and even on the beach, and the Nook does all of those perfectly well. I'm just ready to get away from the 1st Gen Nook's weird touchpad thing on the bottom and into a full-touch screen like the newer ones for usability and convenience more than anything else.

EDIT: Are Nooks available outside the US? I suppose I should have thought about that. Oh well.


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## renau1g (Apr 30, 2012)

I don't believe the Nook works outside the US. I went state-side from my border location (in Canada) to a Barnes & Noble and the guy selling the Nook told me it wouldn't work for me.


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## Morrus (Apr 30, 2012)

renau1g said:


> I don't believe the Nook works outside the US. I went state-side from my border location (in Canada) to a Barnes & Noble and the guy selling the Nook told me it wouldn't work for me.




I'm not familiar with Barnes & Noble, so I assume it's a US-only chain.  If they sell the Nook, I'd guess it would be US-only too.


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## Mercutio01 (Apr 30, 2012)

Morrus said:


> I'm not familiar with Barnes & Noble, so I assume it's a US-only chain.  If they sell the Nook, I'd guess it would be US-only too.



Yeah, about 5 minutes after I posted this, I read an article about Microsoft injecting funds into Barnes and Noble to help break them out of the US only market. The article also went on to say that Amazon has 60% marketshare of ebooks/ereaders, Barnes and Noble has 25%, Apple 15%, and the rest left to Sony/Kobo/others. It seems odd that B&N wouldn't open up to a worldwide market to try to eat into Amazon's huge lead and to try to stay ahead of Apple.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Apr 30, 2012)

I had seen those percentages recently, but hadn't heard of the MS angle.


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## GSHamster (Apr 30, 2012)

Another consideration might be portability. I have a small Sony eReader, and the thing I like best about it is that it fits inside my jacket pocket. So I can take it wherever, read it at lunch, or on the bus, or in a waiting room, etc.

I believe there are smaller Kindles, but I think you have to treat the iPad like a laptop in terms of portability. I.e. you always have to carry a separate bag for it, etc.


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## Kzach (Apr 30, 2012)

Morrus said:


> New iPad refunds offered in Aussie 4G furore | CNET UK




Interesting. I would've figured Australia to be the odd one out instead of the US.

I've learned to live without a mobile phone. The plans here I think are outrageously expensive and with my credit rating in the dangerously bright red, I can't get a free phone plan anyway. In fact, I just switched all my contact details over to a netphone which I get as an included feature in my net access for free in order to save $30 a month on an exceptionally crappy prepaid plan.

With the iPad I can easily set-up wi-fi in the house and wherever I go to game I could use wi-fi to access DDI and character sheets, etc.

Crap, I need a better paying job


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## falcarrion (May 1, 2012)

I own a Kindle DX, an Ipad gen1 aqnd an Ipad 2. 
I would go with the Ipad. There is so much I can do with it.
So many apps! I'm always finding new ones to download.
I also bought an Apple tv. Streaming videos through the Ipad worked great.
I also used an app called "Air Display" . I was running maptools through the Ipad an had it mirrored on the tv. 
I also bought a Virgin Mifi. It is a pay as you go. $50.00 gives you unlimited internet for a month. but it is 3g only.
Now if you get a magic jack, you can download an app and turn your ipad into a phone.


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## TanisFrey (May 2, 2012)

Radiating Gnome said:


> I own both a kindle 2 and an iPad 2. My experience may not be typical, but I do most of my reading on my iPad. I like having the kindle around for vacations -- longer battery life, easier to read in bright light, easier on the eyes in general. And I can't get to my work email on it.
> 
> But at home, in my day-to-day life, it's all about the iPad. I do most of my reading in bed, and because it's backlit I can read in bed without having a light on -- which is a lot easier on my wife. I can do a ton of other things on it as well -- between netflicks and HBO Go and any number of other video sources, the iPad is really hard to beat.
> 
> -rg



and I am the opposite.  I do most of my reading on my kindle and use the ipad 2 for games


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## Relique du Madde (May 2, 2012)

Right now, I'd say wait and see.  Next month is e3 which means a new nook, kindle, android tablets, or ms 8 tablet may be announced. 

Then after that comes IO which will be the harbenger of Android JellyBean and see the debut of some awesome android device.

Then in July the Samsung's Google Nexus tablet will be released.  


-Posted via mobile device.


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## Felon (May 3, 2012)

iPad all the way, especially if you can get a deal. The Kindle just ain't much to write home about.


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## Whizbang Dustyboots (May 3, 2012)

I was skeptical when my wife wanted to buy the original iPad, back in the day. We now own both the iPad and iPad 2 (wifi versions only) and I'm firmly of the belief that most personal computing will move to tablet devices in the next five years.

For the vast majority of stuff that the vast majority of personal computer owners do at home, the iPad 2 is as good or better as a desktop computer, is lighter, easier to use, can be used pretty much anywhere in the house and quickly feels like a more "natural" way to access data.

(Obviously, home users who edit complex video, create layer-heavy Photoshop images or play really beefy videogames -- although all of those are seeping onto the iPad more and more all the time -- will still prefer a desktop. But email? Surfing the web? Social media? Casual gaming? The iPad's better at all of that than my behemoth Alienware gaming rig.)

That doesn't necessarily mean you should buy one now if you're not already inclined to, but keep an eye on the category: Tablets make more sense for everyone but power users than other forms of computers and will just get more powerful and easier to use (since those are the things holding them back in the market still).


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## Relique du Madde (May 3, 2012)

Whizbang,

Like it or not, the iPad as we know it will be dead in a few years because Windows 8 will force ipads to enter the realm of having a full OS onto a tablet device.  I'm expecting a slimmed version of  OS X to be running on iPad in 4 years Max.  After all, the best way to make someone use a Mac is if every apple product essentially is a Mac.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2


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## Mercutio01 (May 3, 2012)

Whizbang Dustyboots said:


> (Obviously, home users who edit complex video, create layer-heavy Photoshop images or play really beefy videogames -- although all of those are seeping onto the iPad more and more all the time -- will still prefer a desktop. But email? Surfing the web? Social media? Casual gaming? The iPad's better at all of that than my behemoth Alienware gaming rig.)



How about simple productivity with Office programs? That's one thing no tablet I've ever tried has been able to do. It's why when my last netbook died I bought another netbook instead of the iPad.


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## lmbarns (May 3, 2012)

I develop Android OS games and the Kindle Fire plays whatever I throw at it. Amazon has had 2x 1 day sales in the last month for refurbished kindles at $139. I'd pick one of those up in a heartbeat if I didn't already have one. 

They're supposed to be releasing a new one sometime soon, also nook has a new tablet at $199 that does everything the kindle fire does.

They're decent little machines. I don't buy Apple products because I can get comparable hardware for half the price.


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## Whizbang Dustyboots (May 3, 2012)

Relique du Madde said:


> Like it or not, the iPad as we know it will be dead in a few years because Windows 8 will force ipads to enter the realm of having a full OS onto a tablet device.  I'm expecting a slimmed version of  OS X to be running on iPad in 4 years Max.  After all, the best way to make someone use a Mac is if every apple product essentially is a Mac.



Lots of people would argue that the latest version of OS X has already made a number of large steps/concessions to being a powered-up iOS.

In the very near future, there won't be a difference between iOS and Mac OS.

But it's silly to say that the "iPad as we know it will be dead." PCs didn't "die" when they switched from MS-DOS to Windows; it's just an evolution to a (theoretically) more powerful operating system.


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## Whizbang Dustyboots (May 3, 2012)

Mercutio01 said:


> How about simple productivity with Office programs? That's one thing no tablet I've ever tried has been able to do. It's why when my last netbook died I bought another netbook instead of the iPad.



The iWork iOS apps all convert to and from MS Office files on the fly and are $10 each in the iTunes store. They're not as powerful as the full MS Office programs (although I'd argue that Microsoft has stuffed Word, at the very least, full of features no one cares about, simply so they can justify new versions), but handle the standard tasks very well.

There's also a rumor that keeps cropping up that Microsoft is working on iPad versions of MS Office already. (They have one or two very simple apps in the iOS store already and are, of course, the biggest makers of Mac OS software already.)


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## Mercutio01 (May 3, 2012)

Whizbang Dustyboots said:


> The iWork iOS apps all convert to and from MS Office files on the fly and are $10 each in the iTunes store. They're not as powerful as the full MS Office programs (although I'd argue that Microsoft has stuffed Word, at the very least, full of features no one cares about, simply so they can justify new versions), but handle the standard tasks very well.
> 
> There's also a rumor that keeps cropping up that Microsoft is working on iPad versions of MS Office already. (They have one or two very simple apps in the iOS store already and are, of course, the biggest makers of Mac OS software already.)



Thanks. This now also begs the question about keyboard. Can I type on a touch screen as fast as I do on a regular keyboard, or would I need to buy a compatible keyboard? And how much screen real estate of an iPad is taken up by the keyboard?

I'm not in the market now, but I hope to be so come Christmas-time.


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## falcarrion (May 4, 2012)

if you want microsoft office, check out the "ONLIVE DESKTOP" app.
It is the best I have found for the Ipad.


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## Gilladian (May 4, 2012)

Mercutio01 said:


> Thanks. This now also begs the question about keyboard. Can I type on a touch screen as fast as I do on a regular keyboard, or would I need to buy a compatible keyboard? And how much screen real estate of an iPad is taken up by the keyboard?
> 
> I'm not in the market now, but I hope to be so come Christmas-time.




While I adore my Ipad for almost everything, the touch keyboard is lousy for more than a few short sentences of typing. I do all my composition on my regular desktop. 

The keypad takes up a noticeable but not aggravating amount of space. The problem is that you are essentially doing hunt-peck typing. There's no way to do two-handed real typing. 

I have not tried any of the attachable keyboards.


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## Alan Shutko (May 4, 2012)

Relique du Madde said:


> Like it or not, the iPad as we know it will be dead in a few years because Windows 8 will force ipads to enter the realm of having a full OS onto a tablet device.




We'd had tablets with a full OS on them since 1991. What will make them a better idea now than they were before?



> I'm expecting a slimmed version of  OS X to be running on iPad in 4 years Max.  After all, the best way to make someone use a Mac is if every apple product essentially is a Mac.




Actually, they are today. The core OS and frameworks are extremely close. The UI is different, mostly around user view to the filesystem (i.e., they don't have one).  Metro is very interesting, since they hope to run a tablet UI on desktops (as opposed to a desktop UI on tablets). I'm interested in seeing how well it works.


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## Banshee16 (May 4, 2012)

renau1g said:


> Sorry, Canada's got you beat. Our telecoms suck large, plus we have government rules to keep out foreign-owned companies, despite sharing a border  with one of the largest phone-using countries around.... *sigh*
> 
> Canada's cellphone rates among highest - The Globe and Mail
> 
> US, Canada have priciest cell phone plans in the world




Until I threatened to leave, my Canadian carrier was costing me......$130-140 per month for relatively moderate use.  Those overages bite..

Banshee


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## Kzach (May 4, 2012)

Well, I finally made a decision; the gym equipment I've been saving for has to take precedence. I've been using it as an excuse not to exercise for too long. Things like iPads and Kindles can come later, when I'm fit.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 4, 2012)

Wise choice.  Since I got my iPad2, my resemblance to Jabba the Hutt has only increased!


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## Relique du Madde (May 4, 2012)

Alan Shutko said:


> We'd had tablets with a full OS on them since 1991. What will make them a better idea now than they were before?.




Better technology.  Better marketing.  

Trust me, if Apple were to release a version of the iPad that was completely cross compatable with a mac (without having to rely on iTunes as a interface) they would be held up as geniuses and mac ownership would jump by leaps and bounds.  That is why they are being so dismissive about MS's Windows 8 attempt because they don't want Balmer to be the person that saids "There is no need to learn 3+ different interfaces anymore... you just have to learn one easy interface, the Windows 8 Metro interface for all your computing needs be it on a tablet, a smart phone, your  personal or work computer."


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## BraveSirRobin (May 4, 2012)

Kzach said:


> Well, I finally made a decision; the gym equipment I've been saving for has to take precedence. I've been using it as an excuse not to exercise for too long. Things like iPads and Kindles can come later, when I'm fit.



Good choice...tablets are a luxury.  A tablet can act like a TV, gaming console, desktop, laptop, smartphone and ereader, but unfortunately doesn't replace any of them completely.  You would have been much better off buying a good smartphone than either the ereader or tablet.


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## Whizbang Dustyboots (May 4, 2012)

Mercutio01 said:


> Thanks. This now also begs the question about keyboard. Can I type on a touch screen as fast as I do on a regular keyboard, or would I need to buy a compatible keyboard? And how much screen real estate of an iPad is taken up by the keyboard?



It depends on how good you are. I type 115 wpm on a standard keyboard and can probably only manage about 40 without the tactile feedback. (Something, incidentally, that touchscreens are supposed to be getting in some fashion in the next few years. The future is cool.)

The keyboard takes up about a third of the screen in portrait mode, a bit more in landscape, although it can be split in two for people with smaller hands to use.


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## Whizbang Dustyboots (May 4, 2012)

Kzach said:


> Well, I finally made a decision; the gym equipment I've been saving for has to take precedence. I've been using it as an excuse not to exercise for too long. Things like iPads and Kindles can come later, when I'm fit.



If you've got a smartphone (or even a desktop computer), the Kindle software uses the same cloud-stored files everywhere, and synchs to all devices. So you can read as you run (or whatever gym equipment you pick up). And when you do eventually get a Kindle or an iPad, your books will already be there, waiting for you.


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## Radiating Gnome (May 4, 2012)

I have a bluetooth keyboard (about$60) that use when I'm doing longer writing projects on my iPad -- it works quite well.  I don't usually carry it around with me, though, unless I'm doing something like going to a coffee shop specifically to write on the ipad, etc -- so it's pretty much a deskbound appliance.  But it does allow me to have a more satisfying typing experience.


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## Janx (May 4, 2012)

Kzach said:


> Well, I finally made a decision; the gym equipment I've been saving for has to take precedence. I've been using it as an excuse not to exercise for too long. Things like iPads and Kindles can come later, when I'm fit.




as a science experiment/motivator, would you mind posting back here 6 months after your gym equipment purchase and declare how well it worked out.

If nothing else, you being motivated to keep at it to avoid hearing me say "I told you so" would probably be good for you.

I'd rather you be successful than be a statistic, so good luck.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 4, 2012)

> I type 115 wpm on a standard keyboard and can probably only manage about 40 without the tactile feedback




Yeah, the virtual keypads slow me down too.  Odd fact, though: the virtual keypad on the iPads actually have faux blisters on the "F" and "J" keys.  You can't feel them, and you can only see them if your hands aren't over the keys...and yet someone got paid to render them in code.


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## Kzach (May 4, 2012)

Whizbang Dustyboots said:


> If you've got a smartphone (or even a desktop computer), the Kindle software uses the same cloud-stored files everywhere, and synchs to all devices. So you can read as you run (or whatever gym equipment you pick up). And when you do eventually get a Kindle or an iPad, your books will already be there, waiting for you.



I'm not sure what you mean but I'm pretty sure I can't hook anything up to a freeweights set 



Janx said:


> I'd rather you be successful than be a statistic, so good luck.



Eh, I spent seven months saving up precious pennies and a total of $1,315 on a quality freeweights set. This is the culmination of an effort spanning several years (trying to find the right exercises for lifelong change) of research and experimentation. I know within myself that having the kit at home (and having spent so much money on it) will be motivation enough to make it happen; I abhor wasting money.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 4, 2012)

> You would have been much better off buying a good smartphone than either the ereader or tablet.




Give me a tablet & a dumb phone any day.  I currently own an iPod Touch, an iPad2 and a brand new LG smartphone.  I hate the smartphone.

Like the iPod Touch, it's screen is too small for time consuming tasks to be pleasant.  And for whatever reason, I'm finding its software 1) adds steps I don't have to take with my Apple devices, and 2) has been interacting poorly with many of the websites I visit often.  And some things intake for granted it simply doesn't seem to do.  I took a movie of my mom's dog & her new puppy (both Border Collies from the same breeder) on my iPad.  It was too big to send, but it automatically gave me an option to send an edited version of it, and let me choose the length and portion.  A similar exercise with the LG yielded only a "too big to send" message- I've yet to find a way to edit the film to an emailable length.

Worse, even though it has many hardware advantages over the iPhone- screen, expandable memory, etc.- it also has some nasty hardware issues I've yet to encounter on my Apple devices.  It's very touchy about recharging, for instance.  Using a brand new car charger acquired from Verizon when I got the thing, it refused to charge one day, even after several previous successful uses.  Instead, it tried to overheat- it was nearly painful to touch, and had an "Unplug NOW!" type warning message.  So I did so, and plugged it in on it's own charger at home, where after 3 hours, it went from 45% charged to 12%.  After rechecking all the connections- all were tight- I tried again.  This time it charged properly.

Unlike my previous dumb LG phone, it also sucks as a cellphone.  It takes up 2x as much space and takes more time and attention to answer the phone than my previous model.  Instead of a simple physical button push, I have to move a virtual slider a few inches.  Much harder to do when your attention is divided.

In fairness, some of these issues may mean I hae a defective LG.  I know this, and plan on having a tech look at it pretty soon.  However, some of the issues have already been looked at and been shown to be just "how the machine works".  And some, like the phone functions, are not unique to what I'm using, but are pretty common across most smartphones.  IOW, I'm not claiming I'd be any happier with an iPhone (though if I can't get the LG to play nice, that may be my next option).

Part of this is because smartphones are compromise devices, and like a lot of compromise devices, corners get cut.  It just so happens that, for me at least, they're cut where I least want them to be.


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## Kzach (May 4, 2012)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Worse, even though it has many hardware advantages over the iPhone- screen, expandable memory, etc.- it also has some nasty hardware issues I've yet to encounter on my Apple devices.




As a long-time Apple fan this is one of the hardest hurdles to get over when talking with PC/Windows fans. Apple tends to have the ideology of, "Make it user friendly, even if that means less power," whereas PC vendors tend to have the mentality of, "More, MORE, MOAR!!!1!"

It's one of those things that is hard to argue because on paper, the PC is 'better'. It's the intangibles and personal preferences in the user experience that make the difference and that can be very difficult to explain, especially to tech-heads who think size matters more than how you use it


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## Whizbang Dustyboots (May 5, 2012)

Kzach said:


> I'm not sure what you mean but I'm pretty sure I can't hook anything up to a freeweights set



Whatever device you use to read a Kindle book, your place (and notes) are saved across all devices. I can read the same book on my phone, my iPad and my desktop computer, and it stays synched through all devices.

So even if you don't have a Kindle or an iPad now, there's no reason to not buy and read books now, and just read them on your computer or phone. (The Kindle reader software is free.)


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 5, 2012)

> As a long-time Apple fan this is one of the hardest hurdles to get over when talking with PC/Windows fans. Apple tends to have the ideology of, "Make it user friendly, even if that means less power," whereas PC vendors tend to have the mentality of, "More, MORE, MOAR!!!1!"




Yup- all that power is useless if it won't let you do the job as intended.

I'm a longtime Apple fan because of their user friendliness.  Back in my college days, I watched my roomies & suitemates constantly fiddling with their PCs to get them to work.  Many of their papers were done on my Apple IIe because it almost never quit.

I've tried other machines- mostly out of necessity, like running particular machines or specific programs (I'm too lazy to use emulator software or chips)- and I keep finding them coming up short in intuitive software design or stability.  It's not like I haven't had problems with my Apple products, but with only a couple of exceptions, they've all been ridiculously minor, and some machines never saw the inside of a repair shop until they were several years obsolete.


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## Kzach (May 5, 2012)

Whizbang Dustyboots said:


> Whatever device you use to read a Kindle book, your place (and notes) are saved across all devices. I can read the same book on my phone, my iPad and my desktop computer, and it stays synched through all devices.
> 
> So even if you don't have a Kindle or an iPad now, there's no reason to not buy and read books now, and just read them on your computer or phone. (The Kindle reader software is free.)



Ah, ok. I find I can't read for too long on a computer screen but that still might be a good idea. Part of the reason for wanting this is that my friend and I want to write a science fiction TV series. It's been something we've talked about for years but I always relegated it to a conversation topic rather than a serious endeavour. Recently, he's decided he wants to take it further but one of my reservations is that I find it difficult to explain to him various important concepts about story-crafting. My solution was an agreement to read one science fiction (as opposed to sci-fi) book a month. I'm already a week behind on reading Ender's Game


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## Hand of Evil (May 6, 2012)

Gilladian said:


> While I adore my Ipad for almost everything, the touch keyboard is lousy for more than a few short sentences of typing. I do all my composition on my regular desktop.
> 
> The keypad takes up a noticeable but not aggravating amount of space. The problem is that you are essentially doing hunt-peck typing. There's no way to do two-handed real typing.
> 
> I have not tried any of the attachable keyboards.




Note on keyboard, in OS5 the on-screen keyboard pulls apart and if you are a thumb typer works well. On the iPAD 3, with its new screen, typing is better. You get use to it.      

I use a Kingston case keyboard, it is not a bad option, still "small" (length of screen) but meets my needs.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 6, 2012)

> There's no way to do two-handed real typing.




Not at full speed, perhaps, but I still manage to use proper form.


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## Gilladian (May 6, 2012)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Not at full speed, perhaps, but I still manage to use proper form.




Thanks, Danny, and HandofEvil both - I had never played with the undocked or split keyboards. Undocking it let  me use proper form, and speeded me up considerably! I'm very grateful for that!

But the split keyboard becomes WAAAAAY tiny, and my big hands just won't handle it.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 6, 2012)

Yeah, me too- I only use it rarely because I have fairly fat fingers.


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## Chairman7w (May 8, 2012)

I'm a big time recommender of the iPad.

I have a first gen iPad and it's the greatest thing I've ever bought.  SO many different uses and Aps, it's wonderful.  And if you travel - there's NO better travel tool to me.

I use it EVERY day.  If I lost it today, I would buy a new one tomorrow.  I love it.

I know there are other tablets that "do" the same things (maybe even cheaper), but as somebody else had mentioned, Apple has really cornered the market on ease-of-use and functionality (even if it's at the expense of power).  

In my book (ebook?), the user experience is SO much more important that the power specs on the side of the box. Frankly, I'm befuddled that other people don't feel that way.

So - that's my .02.  Get the iPad.


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## lmbarns (May 8, 2012)

How are apple devices any easier to use?

I have an android phone and tablet, and you press "apps" to display your apps, slide through until you see the one you want, and you touch it. 

Hell on the tablet all the recently used apps are on the desktop, you can swipe to flip through them and touch the one you want to load....

I mean mobiles in general are dumbed down, I dunno what you guys are talking about.

Also on a desktop, Mac's are terribly un user friendly to anyone who has used a PC. I mean, the first thing you do on a PC when you're stuck is to "right click" and look at your options. Few things piss me off more than my few encounters with Apple products. lol But I guess I've been using PC's for about 20 years now since windows 3.11 on my 486 and I've taken a couple of the Microsoft certifications toward the MCSA, so I'm more familiar with window's than I care to be.


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## Chairman7w (May 8, 2012)

Hahahaha -you took ONE process (the easiest thing to do on either device) and held that up as your example?

If that's your measuring stick, then OK, fair enough, you win.  

The user experience is much more then starting your App, however.  It's connecting to your PC.  It's DL'ing Apps.  It's having quality Apps.  It's App stability.  It's compatibility.

In my opinion (and that's all it is: Opinion, I've not used every system device in the world), Apple's the best at making all that an easy, elegant experience.

If you think the Android system (or whatever system you're referring to) is universally easy to use on all the devices that use it, and just as easy to use as the Apple product... OK.  I'm not gonna argue with ya.

I will admit that you just touch the one you want to use, same as on the iPad though.  

NOTE: I'm referring to the iPad btw, never been a Mac user myself.



lmbarns said:


> How are apple devices any easier to use?
> 
> I have an android phone and tablet, and you press "apps" to display your apps, slide through until you see the one you want, and you touch it.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 9, 2012)

> How are apple devices any easier to use?




As you say, it may largely be because of familiarity.

However, my experience with my LG smartphone- admittedly, barely had it for a month...because its LG's latest and greatest- has been an exercise in frustration, and not because of familiarity.  

*1) *Several of the functions I've tried on both my LG and my Apple products have required an extra step.  That doesn't seem like much, but it gets annoying over time.  It also takes more time in aggregate.  Its annoyingly inefficient.

On the Apple mobile devices, all of your apps are on the desktop.  However, you can jump directly from any app into one of your frequently used ones with a double-tap of the Home button and tapping the other app's icon.  Can you do that on any of the non-Apples?  (I honestly don't know; I'm asking a genuine question.)  There are also a couple of "pinch" and "sweep" maneuvers that let you do similar tricks on the iPads even more quickly.

*2) *When I don't use my iPod Touch or iPad for surfing the net for a while, all the browser windows I had open when I left are still there later.  So far, my LG has shut all of my browser windows on me 3 times, bringing me back up to a single Google window when I open my browser.

*3) *I have yet to have a problem typing a response on my Apple product on any of the online forums I visit with just its stock apps.  However, on ENWorld, the LG occasionally and randomly moves my cursor between my placing it and my starting to type on my virtual keypad.  This makes visiting ENWorld on my LG an absolute chore.

On Ultimate Guitar's forums, the LG has a different trick.  When I orient my LG on its side- as I often do because of my fat fingers- it orients the top of the thread response window outside of the visible screen.  When I manually reset the screen so I can see the window, it jumps back to its original position.  IOW, I can't see what I'm typing at all.  I have to trust in my skills as a touch typist...which I really can't on a virtual keyboard.  I actually took it to Verizon to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong.  It did exactly the same for their techs.  Their response- "Don't type in the sideways orientation."  (Helpful, right?)  No such issue with the Apple products.

*4) *took some pictures & movies of Edgefest and of my Mom's dogs.  According to my LG, the pictures were too big to send via gmail, end of story.  If there is a way to share it, I can't find it.  In contrast, in the same situation (movie too big to send) my iPad2 asks me if I want to send an edited version of the movie, and lets me choose which section (and how much) I want to send.  And then I can go back and take _another section_ and send _it_.  This is in its stock photo app.  This means that it's dead simple for me to share big movies with my Apples, and so far, impossible with the LG.

I've had other problems as well, such as the LG becoming painfully hot to touch and telling me to unplug it while recharging on a (universal) car charger (from Verizon) with which it had worked just fine several times before, and did not recharge.  I unplugged it and tried it on its home charger...where it went from 45% charged to 12%.  I rechecked its connections- nothing was loose- and tried again, and it recharged properly.  Nothing like that has ever happened to me with my mobile Apple devices.



Those were the ones that bugged me the most.  How much of it is attributable to malfunction as opposed to it just doing things the way it is designed to do things I cannot say.


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## Kzach (May 9, 2012)

lmbarns said:


> I mean, the first thing you do on a PC when you're stuck is to "right click" and look at your options.




Sigh. Get with the times, man. Macs have had right-click functionality for over twenty years. They simply didn't come pre-packaged with a two-button mouse by default until about fifteen years ago. And even then, if you understood the reasons behind why they did that, which ties into the fundamental design of GUI's and user friendliness, then you wouldn't be saying what you're saying.

That and what you're arguing is irrelevant to the argument of, "Are Apple devices more user-friendly than others?" You're saying, "I expect things to be done this way because that's what I know!" Well, if Apple devices did things the way other devices did, then they'd be nothing more than what those other devices are; instead, Apple have their own design philosophy on use.

If you come at an Apple device with expectations on how things should work, then obviously they're not going to work like that and you'll get frustrated. However, if you come at an Apple device without preconceived notions on how things 'should' work, then they tend to facilitate ease of use because they are designed to be intuitive to the user, rather than requiring the user to learn it's archaic nature.


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## lmbarns (May 9, 2012)

lol The Ipad1 my girlfriend's mom rushed out and bought when they were new didn't even have a USB port, you had to buy an expensive cable from Apple to access your content and no way to access your portable devices like a usb Hard drive.


They changed it on later devices, but that was a really *slimy* tactic on Apple's part, when USB was universal, and dirt cheap. 


And as far as accessing your other content on non Apple devices, I haven't used every brand out there but Android and most mobile devices plug directly to your computer via USB, and you can drag/drop files onto your storage card folder or you can access online stuff via wifi. There's probably a migration tool with a user interface if you wanted it for importing apps, which is what I imagine you're talking about Apple having? 

TBh there's not a lot of difference in mobile apps regardless of what brand and there isn't much difference in touch inputs/gestures anymore. Older android devices couldn't register multiple touches at the same time but they can as of a couple years ago...

Apple's app store *is* more successful because they were first to market and have the most content, they also promote apps (free marketing) and are active with quality control, which are parts you could say Google screwed up with the Android store, but with android it's not just Google's app store, there's amazon, nook, etc places that have app stores. Most people/studios making mobile games target both platforms. 

Also I hate Apple because as an app developer, you have to pay them money for a yearly membership to write software for their platform, you also must write your software on a Mac computer, not just own one.


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## Chairman7w (May 9, 2012)

lmbarns said:


> They changed it on later devices, but that was a really *slimy* tactic on Apple's part, when USB was universal, and dirt cheap.




What's your point?  That Apple made a dumb business decision?  Okay, again: You win. 

Nobody said they were infallible or always make the right decisions.  I just think their products are a joy to use.


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## Kzach (May 9, 2012)

lmbarns said:


> They changed it on later devices, but that was a really *slimy* tactic on Apple's part, when USB was universal, and dirt cheap.



It wasn't slimy. They were pushing a design envelope. A USB port simply couldn't be added at that point in time.



lmbarns said:


> Also I hate Apple because as an app developer, you have to pay them money for a yearly membership to write software for their platform, you also must write your software on a Mac computer, not just own one.



And then they market, store and distribute your app for you. Yeah, sucks to be an app developer.

Please, take your Apple hate elsewhere.


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## lmbarns (May 9, 2012)

Kzach said:


> It wasn't slimy. They were pushing a design envelope. A USB port simply couldn't be added at that point in time.
> 
> 
> And then they market, store and distribute your app for you. Yeah, sucks to be an app developer.
> ...




Hey, the thread was "Should I buy a $500-$900 boutique device or a $200 one that's functionally comparable". 

USB was definitely possible, believe what you want. 

Yea it does suck paying $2k for a computer, $500+ for a mobile device, and $100/year to Apple even if you don't have anything for sale yet.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 9, 2012)

> Yea it does suck paying $2k for a computer, $500+ for a mobile device, and $100/year to Apple even if you don't have anything for sale yet.




Every business has its costs.  Try being a sports agent: each pro league has its own annual agency registration fees- measured in thousands of dollars a year- just to have the option of advertising yourself as an agent in good standing with the league.  And that's in a market in which 70%+ of all athletes are handled by 3 agencies...

I don't like those odds, so I passed on that "opportunity".


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## Alan Shutko (May 9, 2012)

lmbarns said:


> lol The Ipad1 my girlfriend's mom rushed out and bought when they were new didn't even have a USB port, you had to buy an expensive cable from Apple to access your content and no way to access your portable devices like a usb Hard drive.




Are you talking about the original iPod, which did not have USB (it was firewire)? The first iPad certainly did come with a USB cable (USB at one end, dock at the other, like other iDevice except the shuffle). That's how it charges.

You are correct, it does not use a standard USB (big), mini or micro-USB connector.  The two cables, should you have to buy them new, cost around the same on Amazon (starting around a buck for either).



> which are parts you could say Google screwed up with the Android store, but with android it's not just Google's app store, there's amazon, nook, etc places that have app stores. Most people/studios making mobile games target both platforms.




Sales on alternate stores are really, really low.



> Also I hate Apple because as an app developer, you have to pay them money for a yearly membership to write software for their platform, you also must write your software on a Mac computer, not just own one.




The cost of the dev program is tax deductible as a professional expense.  The reason you need to write your software on the Mac is that the iOS and OS X frameworks are very similar.  Using the Mac development environment lets the iOS Simulator compile to native Mac frameworks, and then cross-compile to the iOS device. This means a much faster simulator than the Android one, which has to emulate the entire device.


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## falcarrion (May 9, 2012)

Does Android tablets have a magic jack app?


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## Janx (May 9, 2012)

Kzach said:


> It wasn't slimy. They were pushing a design envelope. A USB port simply couldn't be added at that point in time.
> 
> 
> And then they market, store and distribute your app for you. Yeah, sucks to be an app developer.
> ...




I do agree here.  "Slimy" is Microsoft's new X-Box for $99 with a 2 year $15/month agreement.

You'll pay more in 2 years than if you had just bought the same X-box with 2 annual subscriptions to Live for $60 each.

A decision to not put a USB port on a device that Apple didn't think people would need as much isn't slimy.  It just is.  Annoying for folks who wanted one, but given that the add-on STILL doesn't let you access external USB media, the ball is back in Apple's court that they don't want you doing that, not that they were trying to price gouge you. 

Price gouging = slimy
Being restrictive = dickish

I'm no Mac fan.  They changed the OS radically from my days of OS7 and before.  So I walk up to a Mac and wonder, how the heck to I see my open programs.  There's nothing wrong with the Mac.  I've merely spent forever on Windows systems and my expectations of "where to look" are different.  I hate the Ribbon in Windows for the same reason.

As for @Morrus; comment about Android being just as easy to use as iOS, as described by how to launch an app.  You've described the trivial aspect of most modern OSes. It ain't rocket science to launch an app in Windows, X-windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android, Metro, Xbox, PS's X-bar.  There's only so many ways to display that in a GUI, so it's fairly easy to figure out on an alien platform.

What's harder is in the details.  Using and configuring an actual app varies greatly from each OS.  It is really easy to setup email on iOS.  I talked my CEO through it last night over the phone.  It took me considerably longer to configure my own Android phone to talk to my Exchange server. And I'm second in command over IT at my company (I'm the architect, my job is to know tech and software development).  I figured it out, but my experience with the Android was that things were just "harder" to do than on iOS.

My observation is that iOS has less features, and streamlines their interface to be as simple as possible.  Feature clutter usually means more menus, options, icons that confuse users.
Android tends to have more features, more options, more ability to customize.  This in turn leads to clutter in the interface, making it less obvious on what to do.

As a software designer, I see this ALL the time.  The users want it intuitive and easy to use, but they also want a zillion features, as if that won't complicate the interface.

For my needs, I choose iOS for phone and tablet.

For my computing needs, I use Microsoft.  I need to use Office and Visual Studio to do the bulk of what I do for a living.

I don't really consider the complaint that you have to own a Mac and pay a dev-license to code for iOS as legitimate.  Duh!  I have to own a PC, Microsoft Windows, Visual Studio, SQL Server and Windows Server licenses to write and test for my platform, too.  I either buy them individually or get an MSDN subscription, which costs quite a bit more per person than the measly $100 a year that Apple wants.


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## lmbarns (May 9, 2012)

Janx said:


> As for Imbarns comment about Android being just as easy to use as iOS, as described by how to launch an app.  You've described the trivial aspect of most modern OSes. It ain't rocket science to launch an app in Windows, X-windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android, Metro, Xbox, PS's X-bar.  There's only so many ways to display that in a GUI, so it's fairly easy to figure out on an alien platform.
> 
> What's harder is in the details.  Using and configuring an actual app varies greatly from each OS.  It is really easy to setup email on iOS.  I talked my CEO through it last night over the phone.  It took me considerably longer to configure my own Android phone to talk to my Exchange server. And I'm second in command over IT at my company (I'm the architect, my job is to know tech and software development).  I figured it out, but my experience with the Android was that things were just "harder" to do than on iOS.
> 
> ...




Well, luckily there are tools to ease the port from OS to OS. The game engine I use requires licenses to port to different platforms, but you write all your code in c# or python, which you can then publish to various platforms(assuming you follow the restrictions of the device). When you convert your project to the android license, it outputs a native .apk file, when you convert your project to iOS, it outputs a native xcode file.

For huge licensing fee's you can port to wii, ps3, and xbox live. The engine abstracts everything so it's very easy to switch touch/accelerometer input controls between iOS and android, or switch to keyboard/mouse for pc builds. 

Android has more limitations, iOS apps can be hundreds of megs, android has a 50mb limit with the allowance of 2 external files 2 gigs each. So you have to build an installer app to download the rest of your content which is a pain on large games. But google hosts it all for free.

The biggest thing going for iOS over android from a developer side is the limited number of apple devices. There are over 500 models of android devices, a developer couldn't buy all 500 to be certain if their app works on each (if it doesn't work for someone you get 1 star ratings), and many models might meet the hardware requirements to play it but some other obscure issue breaks it. For apple there's only a dozen products to test, and if it runs on an ipad1 or 2, it's a safe bet it will run on ipad3 and newer. 

I got both a tablet and phone for $500. Both play 3d games, movies and ebooks. I don't use the cameras, I have an SLR and point-n-clicks for taking nice pictures, depending on what you're planning to do I guess should motivate your purchase. But for $139 a refurbished kindle fire is a darn good value. And if it comes to spending $500+ on a device I'd take a cheap laptop anyday.


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## Janx (May 9, 2012)

lmbarns said:


> The biggest thing going for iOS over android from a developer side is the limited number of apple devices. There are over 500 models of android devices, a developer couldn't buy all 500 to be certain if their app works on each (if it doesn't work for someone you get 1 star ratings), and many models might meet the hardware requirements to play it but some other obscure issue breaks it. For apple there's only a dozen products to test, and if it runs on an ipad1 or 2, it's a safe bet it will run on ipad3 and newer.
> 
> I got both a tablet and phone for $500. Both play 3d games, movies and ebooks. I don't use the cameras, I have an SLR and point-n-clicks for taking nice pictures, depending on what you're planning to do I guess should motivate your purchase. But for $139 a refurbished kindle fire is a darn good value. And if it comes to spending $500+ on a device I'd take a cheap laptop anyday.




we've crossed over to topic that should probably be in the tablet war thread... but whatever.  I'm glad we're not NerdRaging over favorite OSes anymore.

I do favor the iOS and game console market where there are few models to support so testing is much more consistent and complete.  the main reason I loathe PC gaming is because the probability that a new game will work on a given PC is low, and the wallet churn to keep up with the latest is just not worth it to me.

With Android, I was a bit surprised that Google didn't make their own handset and make it completely VOIP using Google Voice and only rely on WiFi or a data plan from a carrier.  that would have demonstrated Google totally changing the phone industry.  Instead, they basically let the market get flooded with too many models and inconsistent implementations of their OS.

As for the last point about pricing, if I hadn't gotten my iPad for free from work, I probably wouldn't buy one.  It's nice, but $500 is a lot of money for something that my laptop and iPhone cover the functionality well enough.
I used to keep a laptop power supply by the couch, and just move my laptop into the living room to watch TV after work before I got an iPad.  Now, I just pick up my iPad which is on the end table.

It's convenient, but not exactly worth $500.


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