11 April 2011

Thinking About An iPad2 - Hit Pause.

Here is a just a pause for thought. I have been resisting the urge to buy an iPad2. It is a very strong temptation. I am in meetings these days where people are happy to flash their tech cred by bringing out their iPads. But then I watch them. They are generally playing with some of the little toys.

I have tried facetime and I like it but I am actually quite OK with skype and its chat features.

One of the fellow Professors has made similar comments - a great toy.

Well here is a more objective view from PCWeek.

Perhaps I will wait a bit

cheers

2 comments:

  1. Here’s what I’ve been doing with my iPad 2 since I bought it three weeks ago (in no particular order of importance).

    • Watched the Masters live in HD while I was getting some work done.
    • Used it for a second monitor for my Macbook Pro; in one case with Photoshop, putting the “palette” on the iPad getting it off the main screen; in another case to monitor Tweetdeck while I worked on a project.
    • Watched a Netflix movie in the airport during a delay
    • Monitored the Airport Arrival/Departure boards through an app called AirportRemote (picks up the airport feed, replicates it on the iPad)
    • Checked unmarked roads in Google Earth during a driving trip to New Mexico
    • Did a Skype Video call with a client
    • Changed an Amazon order
    • Did electronic bill pay with Wells Fargo app and transferred some funds
    • Bought and started a new book on Kindle
    • Received and edited a PowerPoint deck from an associate. In the car (someone else was driving).
    • Caught up on some TV shows via Hulu+ at the hotel
    • Downloaded videos I had taken day before from MobileMe, edited them in iMovie, posted them back up for freinds to see
    • Answered a slew of emails
    • Read a bunch of newspapers with amazing images and detail (NYTimes, etc.)
    • Caught up on favorite magazines via Zite (all in one place)
    • Read up on all the news as well as all social media in one place with magazine style Flipboard.
    • Using Directv app, told me what was queued up for recording, channel guide, used it as universal remote control to play, FF, channel change, schedule recordings, etc.
    • Stream videos and photos to my Samsung HDTV in 1080p (even though it doesn’t have the “Retina” screen, it still outputs in 1080P)
    • Plays everything in my iTunes through the home network
    • Propped it up in the kitchen for recipe on Epicurious, and at the same time listened to a local New Orleans radio talk show (TuneIn Radio)
    • Read offline a bunch of saved online articles and blogs (including yours) using Skyfire
    • Booked a hotel room on Expedia

    All of this with nine hour battery life, using a Verizon 4g/3g hotspot wherever I happened to be. BTW, I did a 4G speed-test in Boston and got 22 gig download speed.

    Otherwise it’s a toy.

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  2. One thing I HAVEN'T done with my iPad. Print. Not gonna happen.

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