# Ipad might be the biggest waste of money I have ever experienced



## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Ok, after a week of using this thing I am frustrated to say the least. I could have bought a kick arse laptop for the same money, but instead I bought a toy/gadget that _*doesn't seem to do anything but allow me to buy things from Apple*_! ARGH! Want to buy apps and music? Cool, spend $1000 on an ipad for that very privilege . . . 

I cannot even get a straight answer about how I can simply add music to this thing. Note, I didn't say _buy_ music from itunes. No, I simply want to add my legal music files that are on pc to the ipad. You would think I could just hook the ipad to my laptop via usb, copy and paste, and be done. Nope, doesn't seem to work!

Want to watch a flash video. Nope!

Want to hook up a usb stick to copy an important file? Nope?

Want to screw around with itunes, icloud, itouchmyself? Awesome. Want to throw birds around a screen. Cool? What your $1000 back. Tough crap . . .

Yeah, I am a bit frustrated right now LOL

TG


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## 10409 (Dec 11, 2011)

I've always steered away from apple, whether it be ipads, iphones, imacs, ipods, or anything else. I'll happily sacrifice being envied by hipsters if it means saving a truckload of money. You could have bought an android tablet for half the price of an ipad, pirated all the software/music you wanted, and spent the rest on hookers and beer.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I have to show this to my wife, she bought me an ipad for xmas but I had her take it back


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## Rumble_b (Feb 14, 2006)

Ihate iapple and all there icrap. Well, not completely. I do have an ipod that I have had for years and I don't have any complaints about it. My wife has an ipod touch and it's OK but she never uses it anymore. Apple is to controlling over their iproducts and they are too iexpensive. I do like my playbook that I am currently typing this on.


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## dodgechargerfan (Mar 22, 2006)

I get where you're coming from for some of those things.
Flash is probably the biggest issue, but everyone wants flash to go away anyway.

For transferring music:
Download iTunes to your computer.
Install it.
Point it at your music folder(s)
Plug in your iPad.
Tell iTunes what to sync (or just say all music)
Click sync.

As much as I dislike iTunes on my computer, once you get the sync settings set up the way you like, it's all pretty painless.

There are a ton of good free apps.
I'll bet I've spent less than $100 on apps so far and I'm getting lots of use for work and play.

Interestingly, though, I rarely listen to my own music on it. Just streamed stuff from apps and sites..

Some free apps I find handy

FaceTime
Skype
Tapatalk (free for just reading, a few bucks for posting and other features, but I like it a lot)
Notetaker
Facebook
Snap speed (photo editor)
All kinds of shop/search apps - eBay, kijiji, princess Auto, Canadian Tire, Homedepot, etc..
Soundcloud
Band of the day
NHL game centre
F1 2012
Documents 2 is handy for text, spreadsheets, paint, and stuff like that.

For work, I have a bunch of networking tools like ping, vnc, VMware app, rdp, speedtest, and more.


Most of the apps that I've paid for are guitar related like Amplitube.
There's one or two work apps that I've paid for like CloudConnect which makes file transfers to networked computers a breeze. I use it to connect to my network attached storage drive and upload and download files.


Give it some time and be diligent in searching for stuff in the app store that is free. You can make the iPad a pretty useful tool.

Oh, and get a level app. It's novel and handy at the same time.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

Personally from all my research, I will be buying a 10" screen laptop next. They are small, light, will fit easily in my suitcase and are pretty much completely self contained. They are way more versatile than a tablet and having a built in keyboard with 4+ gigs of ram (which is more than enough without a hard drive page file for Windows 7 and it's next generation in the fall) plus the capability of a faster processor, more various ports and capabilities for a 500 gig+ hard drive for videos and music, I can only see tablets as a novelty or only useful in limited usage requirements.

For the price of an Ipad, imho you can get a much more powerful computer with much more portability.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

dodgechargerfan said:


> I get where you're coming from for some of those things.
> Flash is probably the biggest issue, but everyone wants flash to go away anyway.
> 
> For transferring music:
> ...


is there an app for pictures of naked chicks?


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## 10409 (Dec 11, 2011)

fraser said:


> is there an app for pictures of naked chicks?


you mean...a web browser?


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

yes- i think.
a web browser.
but if so, then- its just a regular pc then isnt it?


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## RobQ (May 29, 2008)

Best musical tool I have bought since my first guitar. 

I keep all my set lists and charts on it, use it for editing and mixing wav files and managing videos. I even recorded a demo video of an acoustic duo for posting on youtube with it.

Also use it onstage for setlists, lyric sheets, charts. Way better than binders full of scraps of paper. I bought a clip for $35 that holds it on my mic stand. No more music stands. And it's backlit. I can email setlists and charts to bandmates from anywhere, and if they have iPads or iPhones, we can manage the same database of setlists, with notes and charts, via the cloud and stay in sync in real time.

Various amp sims and fx sims also allow practicing and recording guitar parts, plugged right into it. And there's metronomes and drum loops for practice, and video guitar instruction available for download, much of it free or cheap.

There are many many many free apps that will do just about anything you want.

To load your music on it you just need to load iTunes (which is free) on your computer and sync from that.

I totally dig my iPad.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

> Also use it onstage for setlists, lyric sheets, charts. Way better than binders full of scraps of paper. I bought a clip for $35 that holds it on my mic stand. No more music stands. And it's backlit. I can email setlists and charts to bandmates from anywhere, and if they have iPads or iPhones, we can manage the same database of setlists, with notes and charts, via the cloud and stay in sync in real time.


Gee why doesn't somebody come out with a digital music stand


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

WOW. I can't believe all the hate I've read about the iPad on this thread. Easiest thing in the world to use. The only thing you "have" to buy from Apple are the apps. Music is easy to sync. Documents are easy to sync. Video is easy to sync. Sorry to hear about all of your issues traynor_garnet. I use my iPad every day and love it. Can't imagine life without it.

Whoever was asking about the naked girls app...Get a twitter account on the iPad and follow ILikeGirlsDaily and a few other associated twitter accounts and there isn't enough time in the day to look at the all. Lol


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## dtsaudio (Apr 15, 2009)

And I thought I was the only member of the ABA club (Anything But Apple club). Personally I would not buy an ipad or iphone. From people I know they are basically semi-useless toys. Not very rugged, and pretty expensive for what you get. My son's Android phone outperforms the iphone in every way, including using it as a phone. He doesn't even use his ipod anymore, all his music is on his phone. Of course, I still prefer a computer as opposed to a tablet any day.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

traynor_garnet said:


> Ok, after a week of using this thing I am frustrated to say the least. I could have bought a kick arse laptop for the same money, but instead I bought a toy/gadget that _*doesn't seem to do anything but allow me to buy things from Apple*_! ARGH! Want to buy apps and music? Cool, spend $1000 on an ipad for that very privilege . . .
> 
> I cannot even get a straight answer about how I can simply add music to this thing. Note, I didn't say _buy_ music from itunes. No, I simply want to add my legal music files that are on pc to the ipad. You would think I could just hook the ipad to my laptop via usb, copy and paste, and be done. Nope, doesn't seem to work!
> 
> ...



Was your iPad a gift? No offense but if you had done some research before you got one you'd know that it's not a laptop, that you can't hook up external drives to it and that like the iPhone, Flash is not supported.

I switched to Mac over ten years ago and haven't looked back. I have purchased three refurbished Macs from apple.com saving myself $200-400 off each purchase. I had problems with one and Apple replaced it via FedEx within 48 hours. My experience with their tech support / customer service has been fantastic. In a decade I have never had a virus, I have had seamless transitions to new computers, flawless software / system upgrades and enjoyed "plug & play" USB devices without having to download drivers from the manufacturer's website.

I have owned two iPods and an iPhone. I have dropped them, had my boys drool on them, left them overnight in subzero temperatures and have never had any issues. 

I'd think I was an anomaly except that I work in an industry that is dominated by Macs and longtime Apple users who share a similar satisfaction.

I am sorry you're not enjoying your iPad.


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## 10409 (Dec 11, 2011)

I wouldn't say anything apple makes is semi useless, if we're being honest they're the pioneers of the present and have done more to change modern technology than anyone. It's not easy to reinvent the wheel, but they've done it with flying colours.

However my problem lies in the fact that i'm too rough for all that touch screen bullshit. i'd rather have a cell phone, an mp3 player, a digital camera, a game boy, and a laptop instead of one machine that does all of that. Sure, it might cost me more money to buy all those things separately, but at least I don't have to worry about breaking them all with one slip. At least I don't have to worry about having a dead battery on my cell phone because i was listening to music or surfing the web. At least I'm not at the mercy of buying only what apple sells at the price they set (aren't monopolies illegal? i guess this is a special circumstance but the concept is still the same) Ok that's not fair, I know there are a ton of 3rd party apps, but you still have to buy them through the apple store as far as I know...feel free to correct me.


edit:

Actually now that I think about it, I guess it's give a little take a little. I can remember paying 5$ to download 8 second ringtones from rogers, before you could hook your cell phone up to your computer and use audio files. that was the single largest crock of shit known to man.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

Apple is "user friendly". That can only mean limiting choices and capabitlities. Unless you are an advanced enough and willing enough Apple user to drop to UNIX, may the techno-gods help you. You will only ever get what they give you. If that makes you happy, may the Apple geek gods bless you.


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## dodgechargerfan (Mar 22, 2006)

bluzfish said:


> Apple is "user friendly". That can only mean limiting choices and capabitlities. Unless you are an advanced enough and willing enough Apple user to drop to UNIX, may the techno-gods help you. You will only ever get what they give you. If that makes you happy, may the Apple geek gods bless you.


But keep in mind that Mac's OS X is UNIX. Open up a terminal session. It's all unix CLI.

iOS I'm not sue about, though I imagine it's an embedded version of some sort.

And for the record, I just want to distance myself from any fanboi-ism. My post above was intended to try and help show some of the uses of the iPad in a helpful way.

That said, I do have a lot of apple stuff, but I have more windows based stuff and lots of unix installs. I'm an equal opportunity geek.


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

I was told that you can't load Microsoft Office on the iPad 3. I don't know if this is true or not. I was planning on buying an iPad but I have always used Office for most of my work. Anyone know if this iPad 3 tale is true? I need my Office, old habits die hard.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

@Mike: Apple didn't re-invent the wheel, they just changed the tread and made it multi-purpose. Sort of like an all season radial.

My son is on his second one....the first one crashed so he had it replaced, and I took a look at his new one to see if it might be useful to me. It's an interesting toy but for me that's all it would be and there is nothing about it that justifies buying one. I'll stick with my cameras and my cell phone and my laptops and guitar amps. If I want to play games I'll put the pegs in the crib board and deal the cards.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

Unfortunately, Microsoft dominates the world as far as OS's go. We don't like it, but we complacently accept it. They convinced the legal world that Internet Explorer was an integral part of their OS. They killed the internet as a Johny Come Lately powerhouse destroying Netscape and nearly destroying the original Mozilla concept with their legally questionable bastardizarion of the Java platform and forced imposition of Internet Explorer onto their niave customers within their Windows OS.

Apple is no better as far as internet advancement or specialized software is concerned. They too wish to dominate and try to win their customers over by presenting themselves as the Soft Machine. They try to tell you that all the choices they give you are really all you need. Granted, the choices they give you are great but they give no options for further exploration.

In an ideal world, the internet would exist in open source programming and world body standardization. But compnies like Microsoft and Apple make that impossible through corporate structure and stockholder greed.

The Ipad would be a wonderful thing for we, the Plebes, if it's advancement weren't in the hands of a bunch of ignorant, expenxive suits with big paychecks and undescernable power calling the shots.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

I have used Apple products for 15 years, but am not a 'fanboi' and don't expect everyone else to like them. The issue is with a new product or new OS is that you have to learn how to use it though. It would be like me using Linux after never having used it, then saying it sucks because I can't just figure everything out in an hour. This is especially true with iOS, which is different than any OS out there.

Second, tablets are not a replacement for laptops, or even a replacement for a lot of good Netbooks at this point. And if you are expecting that, you will be disappointed.

It's the reason some people love them, and the reason some people hate them, but tablets are pretty much completely dependant on apps at this point. Yes you have to buy some from the Apple store for the iPad, but it's the same as buying software. And there is some pretty amazing software out there for under $5. The fact that you can run Garageband so well on an iPad is pretty mind blowing. 

I decided I wanted to give a tablet a shot. I went out and bought a Playbook though which is 1/4 of the price of an iPad to see what I thought. It makes more sense than dropping that much money on an iPad when I don't even know what I will get out of a tablet.


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## mechanic (Apr 1, 2010)

edit due to peoples lack of humor


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Expecting your iPad to do the same as a laptop is your first mistake.

I have both and use them for different things.

As I get more and more acustomed to the Apple device and as the aps allowing me to use MS files improves, I use my laptop less and less when travelling or sitting on the couch at home.

In the office or foe meetings I use a laptop.

I love my Apple stuff. In fact, it's very likely my next laptop will be a macbook of some description.


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## noman (Jul 24, 2006)

This!! Even if you only use it for Garageband as a portable sketch-pad, it's worth the price of admission imo! My wife has a Galaxy Tab........nice unit but not really in the same league as the ipad. I use apple products and am a lot more happy since switching from Windoze-based laptops and computers. Yeah, there's nothing musical you can do with an ipad........

iPad Music Apps




torndownunit said:


> I have used Apple products for 15 years, but am not a 'fanboi' and don't expect everyone else to like them. The issue is with a new product or new OS is that you have to learn how to use it though. It would be like me using Linux after never having used it, then saying it sucks because I can't just figure everything out in an hour. This is especially true with iOS, which is different than any OS out there.
> 
> Second, tablets are not a replacement for laptops, or even a replacement for a lot of good Netbooks at this point. And if you are expecting that, you will be disappointed.
> 
> ...


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

bluzfish said:


> The Ipad would be a wonderful thing for we, the Plebes, if it's advancement weren't in the hands of a bunch of ignorant, expenxive suits with big paychecks and undescernable power calling the shots.


Friend, the world would be a better place if it's advancement weren't in the hands of a bunch of ignorant, expenxive suits with big paychecks and undescernable power calling the shots.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

I'm sure you are correct in that, but What apple seems to give you is way more than adequate. We switched to Mac, love our iPad and pod's have apple tv. It all just works. No glitches, no virus, no blue screen of horror. I love my iPad it's been a really great tool. I have music apps on there and tons of learning apps for my 6 year old. It all just works.


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2012)

When you see how my 2 year old uses an iPad like a pro...well...you start to understand the value of a refined touch interface and well-thought out, touch-based apps. Both my kids were up and using touch screen devices at an early age.

I primarily use the iPad for music as well. Ani-Moog is showing up in my tracks more and more. OneNote (even with all it's creep god/"christian" music stuff happening) is an awesome chart and setlist tool. Skype on it is nice for long meetings as it's easy to wander around the office (which also happens to be my house) -- something I can't do with the laptop -- but the battery can stand up to it. Netflix on it is awesome. QuikCast too. And the Sonos app is stellar for streaming music around my house. The Rdio app on it is great too.

I'm always a little amazed when people buy a computer and then complain that it didn't _blow them away_. That the computer itself didn't suddenly impart some magical, mystical change on their life.

Their tools. They do what you ask them to do. If it isn't doing what you want it to do, it's because you're not asking.

_sudo make me a sandwhich_


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

my iPad has 70% replaced my macbook adn my desktop PC.

I absolutely love it.

When it was first announced many a year ago, my first thoughts were..."LUL, worst invention [email protected]!!! why would i want an oversized cumbersome ipod?!?!?!?!?!?"

now, if mine broke I'd be in line at the store that same day picking up a replacement.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

blam said:


> my iPad has 70% replaced my macbook adn my desktop PC.
> 
> I absolutely love it.
> 
> ...


I go along with this one. When they came out Marnie bugged the hell out of me for one so I got it for her. Then she kept saying "you need to get one". I kept saying I have my laptop thats all I need. But I managed to get an iPad 1 for cheap and go it. I use it every single day. She uses hers all day long. Are they a replacement for a laptop? In my opinion not yet. But can they do a lot of stuff a laptop can? yes and some things a laptop can't.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Hi everyone,

Just to clarify a few points, I didn't _expect _this to replace a laptop but I do lament that I could have purchased an amazing laptop for the same money. I bought this for several reasons: a quick, portable way to check work email, a way to go online without using a mouse and keyboard (which bothers my tendinitis), an entertainment system for my 1.5 year son during long car rides back to Ontario or flights to Alberta.

I am trying to keep an open mind but I am still thoroughly unimpressed. I will keep looking for good apps but the free ones I have tried are crippled versions of commercial products OR still require you to buy something (amplitube interface for example). The inability to fly files back and forth between my PC is mind bogglingly frustrating. I HATE itunes and now have to load it onto my PC just to transfer music files. I am not looking for a "magical change", just a simple device that is easy to use. So far, this isn't the case. 

There is undoubtedly a learning curve here since this is the first applec product I have ever used, but so far I would venture a guess that this could be my last apple product. OTOH in a few months I could be one of those apple people I now hate! LOL


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## noman (Jul 24, 2006)

I bought a couple of used ones over a year ago. Use it everyday. I have one jailbroken and one that isn't. With the jailbreak, I can do all flash stuff, I can sync with my PC for file transfer.(see GoodReader) Cost of apps is crazy cheap so I really don't view that as an issue. Garageband is $4.99!! And it works..............again, I still use my Macbook Pro more but the ipad is used everyday. I always buy used and just saw an original ipad on Kijiji for $225!!


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

RobQ said:


> Best musical tool I have bought since my first guitar.
> 
> I keep all my set lists and charts on it, use it for editing and mixing wav files and managing videos. I even recorded a demo video of an acoustic duo for posting on youtube with it.
> 
> ...


I recently saw a band using that same setup on stage and thought it was an awesome use of the iPad. For guitar related apps alone I'm very interested in getting one of these.
Is there a particular app for charts and set lists or do you just use some sort of txt editor?


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

TG, yes, I agree, its no replacement for a laptop or PC. 

keep in mind that I do own a laptop, a desktop, an iPad and an iPhone when considering the following.

an iPad3 is $520. an iPad2 is $420. you'd be hard pressed to find a great laptop for that money. 

Now, I state the "starting" price of these units because this is what I own. the lowest model. as well, I have an iPhone that I tether to my iPad for data and would not consider a 3G model.

I stopped carrying my laptop when I travel and just bring my iPad now.

I don't leave computers running in my home unless they are being used. the iPad makes checking mail super easy and convenient as well as paying bills, uploading photos (i can connect my camera directly to my ipad, unload onto my ipad, edit and upload, all from my ipad).

I use it for recipes in the kitchen. a laptop is far too large and cumbersome for that. I use it for sheet music. it fits on my music stand like any other book and is a good size. 

it's absolutely GREAT for showing stuff and websites to my folks whom are computer illiterate. they can navigate an iPad much easier than a PC.

If my desktop PC died on me, I can assure you it won't be replaced, as i have a macbook. 
If my Macbook died on me, I wouldn't replace it, as I have a desktop PC.
If both of them died, they would be replaced with a single desktop. probably an iMac.
If my ebook reader dies, I would not replace it. I can read on my iPad.


If they added storage capabilities to the iPad, it would be a much better product, I agree there. as for FLASH, well, it's being phased out by HTML5 so it won't be a big deal. plus, flash is annoying. The lack of flash comes up maybe once a month for me. most sites have "mobile" versions now anyways to help that.


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2012)

traynor_garnet said:


> I am trying to keep an open mind but I am still thoroughly unimpressed. I will keep looking for good apps but the free ones I have tried are crippled versions of commercial products OR still require you to buy something (amplitube interface for example).


So, pay for the non-free ones. Ask here if you're looking for recs and don't want to shell out the $1-$2 without trying first. But, yes, paying for quality software is something everyone should do if only from time-to-time.



> The inability to fly files back and forth between my PC is mind bogglingly frustrating. I HATE itunes and now have to load it onto my PC just to transfer music files. I am not looking for a "magical change", just a simple device that is easy to use. So far, this isn't the case.


If you subscribe to iTunes Match for $20/year all your music will be in the cloud automatically and you can load your iDevice without ever connecting to iTunes. Honestly, I plug my iDevices in to my computers maybe once a month. The rest of the time, between Rdio and iTunes Match and Netflix and QuikCast, everything I need A/V-wise gets brought to it over the air. My iDevices backup to the cloud. And they're even able to backup wirelessly to my Macs if I need them to.


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2012)

Hamstrung said:


> I recently saw a band using that same setup on stage and thought it was an awesome use of the iPad. For guitar related apps alone I'm very interested in getting one of these.
> Is there a particular app for charts and set lists or do you just use some sort of txt editor?


I've settled on OnSong. Mostly because it:

1. Syncs with Dropbox so I can make it current on my iPad or my iPhone
2. Is a multi-device app, but it once and it works on my iPad and my iPhone
3. Takes standard text files so I can create my charts in my text editor (Sublime Text 2) and they just work in OnSong

As an app it's kind of a bit of kludge in the UI department. Lot of features I'll never touch. It's written for people doing church services apparently -- where you'd want to project things to an audience and such -- but it does do the setlist/charts thing well enough.


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## gt90 (May 26, 2009)

And now Digitech has pedal hardware using the iPad and their own app.

iPB-10 Programmable Pedalboard | DigiTech Guitar Effects
iStomp | DigiTech Guitar Effects


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

I love Apple products but detest going to the Apple store. That place annoys the [email protected] out of me!


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## RobQ (May 29, 2008)

Hamstrung said:


> I recently saw a band using that same setup on stage and thought it was an awesome use of the iPad. For guitar related apps alone I'm very interested in getting one of these.
> Is there a particular app for charts and set lists or do you just use some sort of txt editor?


I use SetListMaker for setlists and iRealb for charts (chord charts, not lyric sheets). The latter app integrates with a forum where users share charts. So for example about 75% of the Beatles catalogue is on there. And you can, with a few steps, attach individual charts from iRealb (or any other document) to the setlists in Setlistmaker. Both apps take a little effort to get to know, but now I am flying on both; I can chart a song quicker on my iPad than i could on paper with a Sharpie, the old way!

I also use something called Achording for quick Tab and lyric sheets, tho it is a little less gig-friendly.


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## dodgechargerfan (Mar 22, 2006)

traynor_garnet said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Just to clarify a few points, I didn't _expect _this to replace a laptop but I do lament that I could have purchased an amazing laptop for the same money. I bought this for several reasons: a quick, portable way to check work email, a way to go online without using a mouse and keyboard (which bothers my tendinitis), an entertainment system for my 1.5 year son during long car rides back to Ontario or flights to Alberta.
> 
> ...


It will come in time. I wasn't an early adopter, but like others here have said, I use mine everyday.

I have a customer that has replaced his laptop for about 99% of his work. 
Now he's got a full enterprise infrastructure behind him that delivers a virtual desktop to his iPad. So, he's remote controlling a PC that sits on a server.
But, I do the same at home with Splashtop. So, if I really need to see that flash based movie, I fire up my Splashtop and connect to me PC which is always on anyway.
There are ways...

You'll find the killer app for you and it will make it all worthwhile.

As for the learning curve, you'd be facing it anyway. Have you seen Windows 8, yet?
I have a preview copy. I wish I could get it to run. (and I'm in I.T.!)


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

This is sad 'cause this is probably just misguiding or misinformation.
An iPad is NOT a computer and will NOT replace a computer.

You could change iPad in your first thread with any pedal/amp/guitar you hated 'cause it wasn't for your needs or wasn't advertised properly.

Sorry for your lost of time and money, hope you gonna find something to replace it and enjoy it!


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

post deleted. wrong forum. sorry!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I thought the iPad was stupid when I first saw it, but having used one a few times and seeing what my friend can do with them, I'm starting to re-think.

Also, having read this thread to see what you guys are doing with yours, yeah, just as a tool for me in my two cover acts, it would pretty much pay for itself in terms of usefulness! I'm not sold on it yet, but it's close.

I thought not having Flash would be a huge impediment to my use of iDevices, but I never really encounter it as an issue with my iPhone.


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## RobQ (May 29, 2008)

Yeah iPads aren't really meant to replace computers. Hence the iTunes thing. You have to have a computer to manage music and some other content as well.

They are for quick and easy access to and presentment of content, and some kinds of file editing. They are also reasonably good at things that pda's do such as calendar and email presentment and management.

But for example they suck pretty much totally at file management.

Whoever told you that they are a replacement for a laptop was smoking something damn good. Apple don't even market them that way.

They are their own thing. Approach it with an open mind and you'll find that they are damn cool little appliances. And a musician's best friend!


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

hollowbody said:


> I thought the iPad was stupid when I first saw it, but having used one a few times and seeing what my friend can do with them, I'm starting to re-think.
> 
> Also, having read this thread to see what you guys are doing with yours, yeah, just as a tool for me in my two cover acts, it would pretty much pay for itself in terms of usefulness! I'm not sold on it yet, but it's close.
> 
> I thought not having Flash would be a huge impediment to my use of iDevices, but I never really encounter it as an issue with my iPhone.


The iPad helping to quicken the demise of Flash is a great thing. There are better options out there than Flash now. Even the mobile devices that CAN handle Flash can't do it well. It's just not good for anything mobile.

One other point, there are some decent non-ipad tablets out there. I got a crazy deal on a Playbook, and it's actually a great device. If got a bum rap because of it's weak initial OS, but it has an updated OS now and is a really well built machine with a lot of horsepower. But... it's not as easy to use as an iPad, and there isn't the same software available. That is where the iPad has an insurmountable lead I think. I can run Android apps on the Playbook... but a lot of them just aren't as good as the iOS versions. I think the only people who think so are the ones that hate anything Apple, and have never used as iOS device. Because from my experiences so far, there is a clear difference in that regard. But, for $200, I am very happy with the Playbook for web browsing, email, using my newsreader app etc.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Ok, found my first cool app. A radio app that allows me to listen to different stations all over the world. So far I have CKUA (Edmonton), Jazz FM (Toronto), CBC (1 and 2), and a great rock station called "Deep Tracks." This app will be handy for me because I am a unilingual Anglo living in Quebec; my choice of local radio stations is pretty limited 

I do have an open mind, but still find some things very frustrating (and loathe installing itunes again on my PC).

TG


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

traynor_garnet said:


> Ok, found my first cool app. A radio app that allows me to listen to different stations all over the world. So far I have CKUA (Edmonton), Jazz FM (Toronto), CBC (1 and 2), and a great rock station called "Deep Tracks." This app will be handy for me because I am a unilingual Anglo living in Quebec; my choice of local radio stations is pretty limited
> 
> I do have an open mind, but still find some things very frustrating (and loathe installing itunes again on my PC).
> 
> TG


TG if you want to check out the cadillac of radio apps, check out Tunein Radio as well. It has a pay premium version, but it's incredible. It's what I listen to 90% of the time now. Stitcher radio is another cool one as well for checking out Podcasts.

Another one I highly recommend is Pulse. It's a newsreader app that is fantastic. We cancelled our newspaper subscription because we just read the news on it in the morning now. That alone actually paid for the price of the Playbook I got lol. The Star subscription actually cost more for a year.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Tunein Radio is the one I am using! LOL It does seem cool, and I didn't even know a "premium" version existed.

Does "Pulse" work for simply reading online versions of paper? For example, can I use Pulse to read what I see on the globe and mail's website, or do I specifically need to subscribe to the Globe and Mail and then use Pulse to read that subscription service?

TG



torndownunit said:


> TG if you want to check out the cadillac of radio apps, check out Tunein Radio as well. It has a pay premium version, but it's incredible. It's what I listen to 90% of the time now. Stitcher radio is another cool one as well for checking out Podcasts.
> 
> Another one I highly recommend is Pulse. It's a newsreader app that is fantastic. We cancelled our newspaper subscription because we just read the news on it in the morning now. That alone actually paid for the price of the Playbook I got lol. The Star subscription actually cost more for a year.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

traynor_garnet said:


> Tunein Radio is the one I am using! LOL It does seem cool, and I didn't even know a "premium" version existed.
> 
> Does "Pulse" work for simply reading online versions of paper? For example, can I use Pulse to read what I see on the globe and mail's website, or do I specifically need to subscribe to the Globe and Mail and then use Pulse to read that subscription service?
> 
> TG


It reads feeds from all kinds of sites. No subscription required, though you don't get every single article the paper may have online. By combining a bunch of news sources, you can get all the news you need. All the Canadian papers are on it, plus all the big online news, entertainment, gadget etc sites from around the world. If there is a site they don't have listed, you can add the sites RSS feed manually. They have so many sites preset though, you rarely need to add anything manually. It's basically like building your own magazine using all your favourite sources. Everytime you open it or refresh it, the articles update. 

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/pulse-news-for-ipad/id371088673?mt=8

I have had the app on my iPhone forever, and it's actually one of the key reasons I wanted to get a tablet. I had to sideload (like a jailbreak on a Playbook) an Android version of it onto my Playbook, but now I use it every morning while eating breakfast instead of the paper. The iOS version runs a lot smoother.

Glad you sound Tunein! It's one of those apps that made me love my iPhone. And one of the ones I miss on my Playbook . Thought with my Playbook having such a good web browsers, I can just use the mobile version of Tunein's web site.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

traynor_garnet said:


> Ok, found my first cool app. A radio app that allows me to listen to different stations all over the world. So far I have CKUA (Edmonton), Jazz FM (Toronto), CBC (1 and 2), and a great rock station called "Deep Tracks." This app will be handy for me because I am a unilingual Anglo living in Quebec; my choice of local radio stations is pretty limited
> 
> I do have an open mind, but still find some things very frustrating (and loathe installing itunes again on my PC).
> 
> TG


Yay for CKUA and Jazz FM! Check out WWOZ from New Orleans too.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Jobs Was Right: Adobe Abandons Mobile Flash, Backs HTML5 | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

Adobe Abandoning Flash for Android, Mobile Platforms

Had thought the FLASH deal was a dead one a while ago.

While I HATE FLASH and always have, SO much of the internet is FLASH that browsing on an ANDROID can be a pain in the backside. Mind you I HATE AJAX MORE :C


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

I loved Apple for twenty years. Now I can't stand the company. They're great when they work, but when they don't, look out. Everything started going to crap around 2005 for some reason. I had $35,000 worth of Apple computers at work and a year or so ago I sold them all and went to PC. The Macs were really impractical at work, because when anything went wrong (and it did), no one could help. The Apple tech support (which you pay quite a lot for) couldn't help us over the phone and I'd have to send the whole computer in for a couple of weeks to have someone look at it and then send it back unrepaired because he couldn't figure out the problem, either. It would cause down time in the office and I'd have to remove and then reinstall sensitive files to send it away. I tried the Apple forums, but only found that some other people were having the problems as well--no one had any idea how to fix them. I wasted s-o-o-o much time! By contrast, when you have PC issues, a Google search usually reveals a million solutions in seconds. 

And they're getting far worse than Microsoft ever was for making things annoying to use. You couldn't even burn mp3s purchased off iTunes to a disk and play them in your car for the first few years. You couldn't transfer files, like photos, from your computer to your iPad without going through a ridiculously complicated system involving iTunes and syncing and whatever. You couldn't delete photo albums from the iPad without syncing, either. Safari on the iPad didn't have tabbed browsing for ages. Etc. Annoying.

I've had one tenth the trouble with my PC stuff. Even my phone is Android now. Next time I upgrade my laptop I'll move that to PC, too.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

I don't think I have ever seen an office outfitted with apple computers. What apple does, and they do it better than anyone in the business is sell to young people the name, the little apple icon on the back of the laptop. My own kids would not know a good computer from a bad one and have no idea whatsoever the capabilities of the machine but they know they want an apple computer, at twice the price of a PC. Their product placement on tv and movies is surpassed by nobody. Their pc vs Mac commercials were brilliant. PC a suit wearing nerd and Mac a hip young dude. Perfect. They must have sold a million machines alone having them on sex and the city 

I have used them. I see no advantages over a pc. The iPad and iPhone I use both. Excellent products but not cheap


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> *I don't think I have ever seen an office outfitted with apple computers. *What apple does, and they do it better than anyone in the business is sell to young people the name, the little apple icon on the back of the laptop. My own kids would not know a good computer from a bad one and have no idea whatsoever the capabilities of the machine but they know they want an apple computer, at twice the price of a PC. Their product placement on tv and movies is surpassed by nobody. Their pc vs Mac commercials were brilliant. PC a suit wearing nerd and Mac a hip young dude. Perfect. They must have sold a million machines alone having them on sex and the city
> 
> I have used them. I see no advantages over a pc. The iPad and iPhone I use both. Excellent products but not cheap


I have....but it was more common 10 yrs ago then recently. Used to see a lot of graphic design companies/departments and small-medium sized law firms using Macs.

My wife gave me an Ipad2 last year, and I had pretty much the same experience for the first couple of months. Couldnt get past it limitations, and some of them still boggle my mind (like not being able to create secondary user profiles for family members to share), but it has grown on me. I havent paid for a single app, but I have found lots of really cool ones for free. The portability is great, the virtual keyboard-not so much. a few simple things like USB etc would really improve it.
I still cant wrap my head around how to use it for recording though.

Had a technical issue with mine, and I will say, no company backs their product the way Apple does. I have never returned a product to a store I didnt even buy it at, almost a year later, and get it fully replaced after some on the spot troubleshooting never having shown a receipt even! This is unheard of in retail, IMO.

Its a cool device, but IMO complements a house which already has a laptop and a desktop, it will not replace them.


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## gt90 (May 26, 2009)

Ad agencies, design firms.. a lot of the creative businesses are Mac work environments. Back in the 90s we were probably the ones keeping Apple alive. And it did cost A LOT for hardware and software compared to PC. Apple went for the masses with the iMac, then this little thing called the iPod...


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## Guest (Apr 3, 2012)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I don't think I have ever seen an office outfitted with apple computers.


We're all Mac (software). And Google is heavily Mac (and people will dual and triple boot them). And many of my friends scattered around various software, computer and electrical engineering fields are Mac. It's definitely still a Windows world, but Macs are there.


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

Yeah, the majority of the people I personally know in creative fields use Macs. I haven't looked at actual stats though, but I'd assume that PCs still had a larger market share, even in the graphics and other creative industries. But I've certainly seen more Macs among people I know.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Interesting that several of you point out the creative fields where you are seeing them applied most. Perhaps this is where apple has a real advantage. I just don't see it for everyday computing though


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Excellent products but not cheap


I thought that if you bought off the shelf they were pretty close in price for machines with similar quality and performance. I haven't done any serious comparisons for a while, though. It's definitely true that if you can put a PC together yourself then a PC is quite a bit cheaper.



GuitarsCanada said:


> Interesting that several of you point out the creative fields where you are seeing them applied most. Perhaps this is where apple has a real advantage. I just don't see it for everyday computing though


Originally, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop were developed exclusively for Apple computers. Also, Macs were built to appeal to people who wanted a simpler point-and-click style interface. So early on, graphics people flocked to Macs. They've remained pretty much a mainstay.


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## Guest (Apr 3, 2012)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Interesting that several of you point out the creative fields where you are seeing them applied most. Perhaps this is where apple has a real advantage. I just don't see it for everyday computing though


For a long time there was software like Photoshop and Quark Express and FrameMaker that you could *only* run on the Mac. So they got entrenched there. Those programs have been ported to Windows, but they got a first adopter advantage on Mac that they still enjoy.

Without a doubt PC dominates. Though it's not nearly by the margins it used to (and I'd bet a lot of that is down to Google's love of Apple hardware on campus. I've never seen more glowing Apple logos than when I visit the Mountain View campus).


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Here's a little story about the Apple Store. Back in the fall of 2011, my daughter was playing at a friends place. Her and her friend were playing some games on her mom's iPad 2 64gb 3g. Well when it was my daughter's turn and she dropped it on the tile floor. Although the iPad still worked it had a large crack right across the screen. My daughter was devastated and came home to tell me. She told me she would pay for it. (I tried not to laugh because she was only 10yrs and has no money besides her allowance - I was so proud that she offered though). I contacted the mom, a friend of mine, and insisted that I take care of the repair or replacement. After a lot of back and forth, she reluctantly agreed.

I made an appointment with a "Genius" at the Apple Store fully expecting to pay $900+ to replace the iPad. To my surprise, the "Genius" said that they could replace it with a brand new refurbished one for $400 - newer but same model. I was stoked. This was great. While he was doing the paperwork he asked me how it happened and I explained it all. I also asked if he could put the refurbished one back in the original box because I didn't want my friend to feel bad about me forking out $400-500 to have it fixed. He said sure no problem. He handed me the invoice and I handed him my well worn credit card. He pointed to the bottom of the page and handed me my credit card back. "No charge", he said. 

I was floored. Thank you Apple.



hardasmum said:


> I love Apple products but detest going to the Apple store. That place annoys the [email protected] out of me!


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

keeperofthegood said:


> Jobs Was Right: Adobe Abandons Mobile Flash, Backs HTML5 | Gadget Lab | Wired.com
> 
> Adobe Abandoning Flash for Android, Mobile Platforms
> 
> ...


The Playbook browser actually does a surprisingly good job of reading Flash. They came up with a pretty good browser for that device, much better than Mobile Safari. But, you still will get Flash errors on sites that will crash the browser. And have to deal with the annoyances of constant Flash updates. Unless Abode does something remarkable with it, people will stop using it. You can't just ignore growing amount of site viewers using mobile devices when designing sites, the biggest portion of that market using iPad's and iPhones currently.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I don't think I have ever seen an office outfitted with apple computers. What apple does, and they do it better than anyone in the business is sell to young people the name, the little apple icon on the back of the laptop. My own kids would not know a good computer from a bad one and have no idea whatsoever the capabilities of the machine but they know they want an apple computer, at twice the price of a PC. Their product placement on tv and movies is surpassed by nobody. Their pc vs Mac commercials were brilliant. PC a suit wearing nerd and Mac a hip young dude. Perfect. They must have sold a million machines alone having them on sex and the city
> 
> *I have used them. I see no advantages over a pc.* The iPad and iPhone I use both. Excellent products but not cheap


I have used Apple computers for 15 years because I find them best for my workflow. I simply prefer the Apple OS's (though I am not currently digging Lion). I used PC's as well for years, but at this point I can do everything I need to do on a Mac with the current OS's. I have never had to take a Mac in for servicing in 15 years. But, I have never heard complaints from anyone I know who has had to use their service. The 'debate' for people really shouldn't be any more complex than "use what you want to use".

The funny part is when I first started using Mac's I took crap from tech geeks for using a computer no one used. Now I take crap from tech geeks for using a computer that 'the sheep' use 'because they are cool'. In the meantime I am using my computer for the exact same things I used it for 15 years ago.

I actually know as many people my age using Macs as younger people. I think the difference is a lot of us in media/design work used them at work. I don't know how common they are in the workplace now. The interesting thing is that all my doctor's and specialists office's currently use iMac's, iPhones, and iPad's. They have for about 5 years (starting with iMacs, adding other devices in last couple of years). Up until that point I don't recall seeing them used in medical areas.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Mark P said:


> Yeah, the majority of the people I personally know in creative fields use Macs. I haven't looked at actual stats though, but I'd assume that PCs still had a larger market share, even in the graphics and other creative industries. But I've certainly seen more Macs among people I know.


You'd be surprised how much MS still has! 

Operating system market share


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

History less time.

In the 1970's a new form or saving movies was invented. Any takers on the name of that? If you are too young, or don't remember BETAMAX right off you are not alone. Many have forgotten it ever existed. It was a darling of the analogue era for recording video. Not just good but really good. Better than anything until the digital era took over (which is another debate here the CD vs Vinyl).

But as all "good" things, it didn't catch on. It missed the mark. The reason is simple. Beta was sold as an "educational tool" or "work tool". It was 2000 bucks for a school to buy it and more for the tape and then we got to put on school performances and see ourselves later on on the "big screen" in the gym.

YAY

NOT

VHS came along, had greats like MASH and PATTON and before you knew it there was PORN. LOTS of PORN and with PORN came sales for MORE PORN.

BETAMAX was above all that, it was an educational tool meant for schools and higher pursuits and learning.... 


Now, the APPLE computer focus had been industry. Arts and Design and you know, so Dr's can have good images of Patients....

The PC got BBS's and PORN. The art of PORN the design of PORN and you know, so Dr's can have good images of Nurses....


Apple came into the home market kicking and screaming and STILL hates being there. Yea the iPAD is a TOOL and as a TOOL it is good for the limitations of its purposing. But it is fully representative of the philosophy of APPLE, that all computers are simply TOOLS and you need one for each job and of course you can't put your own pics and vids on it, you might try putting PORN on their TOOL and that isn't what a TOOL is for 


/rant_off


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

torndownunit said:


> I have used Apple computers for 15 years because I find them best for my workflow. I simply prefer the Apple OS's (though I am not currently digging Lion). I used PC's as well for years, but at this point I can do everything I need to do on a Mac with the current OS's. I have never had to take a Mac in for servicing in 15 years. But, I have never heard complaints from anyone I know who has had to use their service. The 'debate' for people really shouldn't be any more complex than "use what you want to use".
> 
> The funny part is when I first started using Mac's I took crap from tech geeks for using a computer no one used. Now I take crap from tech geeks for using a computer that 'the sheep' use 'because they are cool'. In the meantime I am using my computer for the exact same things I used it for 15 years ago.
> 
> I actually know as many people my age using Macs as younger people. I think the difference is a lot of us in media/design work used them at work. I don't know how common they are in the workplace now. The interesting thing is that all my doctor's and specialists office's currently use iMac's, iPhones, and iPad's. They have for about 5 years (starting with iMacs, adding other devices in last couple of years). Up until that point I don't recall seeing them used in medical areas.


The only person that I know personally that owns a mac is my daughter. I don't think she has any complaints about it. But when they were a bit younger and bugging for an Apple I used to ask them "why an Apple". The only answer I could get out of them was "because they don't get viruses". I have heard that many times before. My thoughts on that are if you are a hacker or virus maker where would you spend your time? Making hacks and viruses for a system that has 3-4% of the market share or one that has 100 times that?

I have been using computers since I was a kid. My Father was building heath kits of the things years ago. I can't tell you how many I have owned. There was only one that I would consider total junk and it was an eMachines desk top. But in all those years and all those machines I have never had to bring one in for service and I have never had a total meltdown from any kind of virus. I think the worst I ever had was that one that sent your screen into a fireworks display. 

The problem with the kids, and I am fixing their machines all the time is they will click on anything. Attachments on emails, pictures, whatever. They will click on it. I had to ban everyone from using the computer at work for anything other than running our POS system. That machine runs our store, has all our client info. If we lose it we are in deep shit. But they would get on there and run FB and surf sites. I had to clean it off numerous times. Then I just banned any use other than the program it was designed to run.

I currently run a Toshiba Qosmio and have never had an issue with it. I simply wear the things out is what I do. Mine run all day long and are getting used all day long. I would not say that Apple makes a bad machine. I just don't see the need for me to spend the extra money on one for what "I" do. It sounds as if they are the machine to get if you are using them for design etc.


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

In our house we currently have an iPad2, an iPhone, an iPod Touch, 2 iPods, a Macbook Pro and 3 Windows-based PC's (I know, GEEK ALERT!) The main reason is that I worked in the IT Technical Support field for the last 20 years and needed to be up to speed on all the technology our company was using (at least, that's what I told my wife ). In my experience, Apple got it right from the beginning with their default OS security policies. Every time you want to install anything on a Mac, you have to enter an admin password. That little step right there blocks about 99% of malicious attacks, whereas just about every home-based Windows OS (until the arrival of Vista) did not require password authentication. That is an open invitation to hackers, at least until MS wised up and made it the default setting on Vista and Windows7. Of course, it only works until the user turns off the security settings, which most Windows users do almost immediately. 

As for the iOS devices from Apple, I am pretty sold on them. Having two daughters away at university, our phone bills haven't increased one iota because of Facetime, Apple's free video conference software. As long as my girls have a wifi connection (which is everywhere on campus), we can connect. We love it. My youngest daughter is going to France for two weeks and Facetime will be our method of communicating. And, as already mentioned, the number of music-related apps is phenomonal. I have a Real Time Analyzer on my iPhone/iPad which helps enormously in troubleshooting feedback issues on stage. It nails the offending frequencies and I can EQ them out in seconds. That, to me, paid for the iPad.

My Macbook Pro is 7 years old (I bought it used off Kijiji) and it developed a video issue. I took it to the nearest Apple store in Detroit and they replaced the mainboard for FREE. That impressed the hell out of me!

I use my iPad every day either for band stuff, checking e-mail or browsing the web and it goes with me whenever I travel. I absolutely love it.

For years, I was a Mac hater, mainly because of the elitist attitude that most Mac users (aka graphic designers) had. I dealt with them in my screen printing business daily and it was a real hot button for me as I was a PC/CorelDraw user. I was sneered upon by the Mac fans. I am still no fanboi but recognize that Apple does have some superior products (for specific purposes) and, as my dad always says, "The right tool for the right job."


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I just find that my Apple stuff works faster, better, and fails less often than my PC stuff.

It's that simple.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

keeperofthegood said:


> History less time.
> 
> In the 1970's a new form or saving movies was invented. Any takers on the name of that? If you are too young, or don't remember BETAMAX right off you are not alone. Many have forgotten it ever existed. It was a darling of the analogue era for recording video. Not just good but really good. Better than anything until the digital era took over (which is another debate here the CD vs Vinyl).
> 
> ...


I could agree with a lot of that except for that fact that it's not like any other company is doing anything groundbreaking with the tablet. Definitely not anything that much different than Apple is doing. The iPad even with it's limitations is one of the most functional tablets out there.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

I can live without flash.

Having to use iTunes to copy music on or pictures and videos off is a pain in the butt. I don't want to configure automatic syncing, I don't want iTunes anywhere near any of my music, photos or videos.

If iOS had integrated samba share support or allowed a third party developer to upload to a samba share, I'd be extremely happy. Downloading is currently allowed.

Could you imagine having a file explorer/finder on your iDevice that allowed easily copying of file from/to your network storage? I could live with it still being sandboxed on an app by app basis instead of a true file system. This one feature would be a game changer, IMO.


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## Guest (Apr 3, 2012)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> I can live without flash.
> 
> Having to use iTunes to copy music on or pictures and videos off is a pain in the butt. I don't want to configure automatic syncing, I don't want iTunes anywhere near any of my music, photos or videos.
> 
> ...


Jailbreak it and you can have all that and more.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

iaresee said:


> Jailbreak it and you can have all that and more.


Ya, I will agree it's annoying Apple doesn't include the functionality.... but really, all tablets have their shortcomings right now. Jailbreaking is pretty easy and will address most of the complaints people have. Hacking the device isn't exclusive to Apple in this regard either. People are hacking/rooting/jailbreaking/sideloading pretty much all tablets right now.


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## Andy (Sep 23, 2007)

All I will say is that for the average user, iPads tend to be astoundingly useful and Android tablets still have a long way to catch up. I bought an Asus Transformer on the weekend after having great luck with my Asus laptop. Running both Honeycomb and ICS, I get force closes, rough graphics performance, and most apps don't scale properly. I'll most likely be returning it.

The iPad, like any tech device, is what you make it. Those who deride Apple's products as "toys" don't realise how productive anyone can be with a minimal learning curve on an iOS device. I love my iPhone - I'd prefer Android OS for its easy UI customization and greater user and app privileges, but at the end of the day, my phone does everything I need it to with zero stress. Jailbroken, with multiple tweaks installed, it's more stable than any Android device I've owned (ASUS tab, HTC phone).

For the record, I vastly prefer XP and 7 over OSX.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Andy said:


> All I will say is that for the average user, iPads tend to be astoundingly useful and Android tablets still have a long way to catch up. I bought an Asus Transformer on the weekend after having great luck with my Asus laptop. Running both Honeycomb and ICS, I get force closes, rough graphics performance, and most apps don't scale properly. I'll most likely be returning it.
> 
> The iPad, like any tech device, is what you make it. Those who deride Apple's products as "toys" don't realise how productive anyone can be with a minimal learning curve on an iOS device. I love my iPhone - I'd prefer Android OS for its easy UI customization and greater user and app privileges, but at the end of the day, my phone does everything I need it to with zero stress. Jailbroken, with multiple tweaks installed, it's more stable than any Android device I've owned (ASUS tab, HTC phone).
> 
> *For the record, I vastly prefer XP and 7 over OSX.*


I loved Snow Leopard, but would take Windows 7 over Lion. I bought a new computer that came with Lion preinstalled, and I don't like it at all. I think Snow Leopard was one of the best OS's I have used though. My girlfriend's new computer has Windows 7, and I like it quite a bit though.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

torndownunit said:


> I loved Snow Leopard, but would take Windows 7 over Lion. I bought a new computer that came with Lion preinstalled, and I don't like it at all. I think Snow Leopard was one of the best OS's I have used though. My girlfriend's new computer has Windows 7, and I like it quite a bit though.


Curious. What do you not like about Lion??


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2012)

torndownunit said:


> I loved Snow Leopard, but would take Windows 7 over Lion. I bought a new computer that came with Lion preinstalled, and I don't like it at all. I think Snow Leopard was one of the best OS's I have used though. My girlfriend's new computer has Windows 7, and I like it quite a bit though.


Interesting. I spend all day in Lion and quite like it. Full screen apps are much better than spaces. Gestures are great with the track pad. Xcode sucks but a little less than it did on SL.

What don't you guys like about it?


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## captainbrew (Feb 5, 2010)

I have an Asus Transformer Prime with the keyboard dock. WAY better than an iPad in my opinion.


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2012)

If any of you are gamers, OnLive for your iDevice or Android-tablet is *wickedly* good: Play on-demand video games over the internet - OnLive.com.

I've got their BlueTooth control in the mail I've been liking it so much.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

torndownunit said:


> I could agree with a lot of that except for that fact that it's not like any other company is doing anything groundbreaking with the tablet. Definitely not anything that much different than Apple is doing. The iPad even with it's limitations is one of the most functional tablets out there.


Yes, none of the other companies is doing much and there have been a lot of stellar fails in the iPad knock offs. Oddly a lot of universities are requiring tablets over laptops for students in their first year. That was a news article a few months back and one I am still pondering. I know when you walk into a lot of computer shops the tablets are the first systems you see. I dunno, I would go for the broader versatility of a laptop myself.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

traynor_garnet said:


> Ok, after a week of using this thing I am frustrated to say the least. I could have bought a kick arse laptop for the same money, but instead I bought a toy/gadget that _*doesn't seem to do anything but allow me to buy things from Apple*_! ARGH! Want to buy apps and music? Cool, spend $1000 on an ipad for that very privilege . . .
> 
> I cannot even get a straight answer about how I can simply add music to this thing. Note, I didn't say _buy_ music from itunes. No, I simply want to add my legal music files that are on pc to the ipad. You would think I could just hook the ipad to my laptop via usb, copy and paste, and be done. Nope, doesn't seem to work!
> 
> ...


One of my business associated bought one. I didn't tell him what you said above but I thought it.

On the other hand, a few of my friends have joined a deaf (ASL) congregation in Hamilton and they all use iPads for learning and teaching ASL language to others. It is a very handy tool for this kind of thing. It has its uses but not for the everyday person.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Are any of you fellow iPad owners worried that they may be obsolete shortly due to the iPad 3s retina display having greater graphic requirements from app designers (app sizes will dramatically inflate to fill all those new pixels) thus surpassing capacity on older 16g/32g units that can't be expanded?Apples gotta do something to significant.y increase capacity, but guaranteed the first thing they will say is "throw out your old one and buy anew one with slightly more memory".


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Diablo said:


> Are any of you fellow iPad owners worried that they may be obsolete shortly due to the iPad 3s retina display having greater graphic requirements from app designers (app sizes will dramatically inflate to fill all those new pixels) thus surpassing capacity on older 16g/32g units that can't be expanded?Apples gotta do something to significant.y increase capacity, but guaranteed the first thing they will say is "throw out your old one and buy anew one with slightly more memory".


I appreciate that great news. I am running the iPad 1 at 16g


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## sneakypete (Feb 2, 2006)

About two and a half years ago, when I tried to turn on our Windows equipped lap top...and got nothing, just a black screen I went to a local electronics shop and bought an i-Mac...after having used Windows for years, four desk tops and a lop top in all. I`ve read the 9 pages in this thread, and from what I see it`s basically the same as all threads on every site I go to on the subject...some folks love their Windows, some love the Apples. My Mac wasn`t cheap but I will say this...it has been a frustration free two years, I use it mostly for my photography, cruising the web, filling my i-pods and watching Justin TV...don`t really do any "work" on it, so can`t say what they`re like in a business situation though I do plan on starting a web site soon so I guess I`ll see. I won`t go on to sing the praises of Macs or sing the blues of Windows...all I know is this, I have really enjoyed the Mac from day one and just can`t see myself ever going back to Windows. Late last year my wife said she was going to get a new cell phone and did all her research on her own, she ended up with an I-Phone...and they had a deal...she bought both the i-pad and phone as a package, she had no experience with Macs before I bought mine but I guess she likes it since she went with their products again when she could have bought anything out there...she does however, still use the lap top...we had to have it wiped clean and service...for word and excel...haven`t heard her complain about the i-pad, she uses both her phone and pad daily. I don`t engage in one company is better than the other, I just speak for myself and my experiences...I`m a happy Mac owner. 
Your millage may vary.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Owning a Macbook Pro, I decided to give OSX a fair shake. Ran it for about 1 year. Finally got tired of the Grey Screens of death, installed Windows 7, it's ran perfect every since...


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2012)

Diablo said:


> Are any of you fellow iPad owners worried that they may be obsolete shortly due to the iPad 3s retina display having greater graphic requirements from app designers (app sizes will dramatically inflate to fill all those new pixels) thus surpassing capacity on older 16g/32g units that can't be expanded?


Not really. There's a Gen3 16GB model. And honestly, data is still the largest space consumer in my devices by a long shot, not apps.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I appreciate that great news. I am running the iPad 1 at 16g


Fwiw, I'm running an ipad2 with 16gb as well.


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