Ask HN: Four months since launch: how are you finding the iPad?

#1

Post by AlexMuir » Wed, Aug 04, 2010, 4:54 PM UTC

I'm curious as to what people's thoughts on the iPad now that the dust has settled.

I use mine almost exclusively for reading blogs in the evening. My girlfriend enjoys just browsing about on it. That's about it - no photos, no videos, no audio. Minimal gaming. I also use Goodreader for technical PDFs.

Aside: It's been four months and there's not really a sniff of a competing product yet.

Re: Ask HN: Four months since launch: how are you finding the iPad?

#2

Post by jawngee » Wed, Aug 04, 2010, 5:00 PM UTC

Honestly, I don't think the iPad becomes truly useful for a couch surfing thing until iOS 4 is released for it.

I started out using it with a bang, but the flow of iOS 3.x was no where as smooth as just using my laptop. Reading in Safari, switching to email, switching to the iPod, etc. it's still clunky and mildly frustrating.

Also, my fingers are getting fatter as I get older, so I'm constantly tapping the wrong fricking thing which is uber frustrating.

Re: Ask HN: Four months since launch: how are you finding the iPad?

#3

Post by AlexMuir » Wed, Aug 04, 2010, 5:05 PM UTC

jawngee wrote: post #2

Honestly, I don't think the iPad becomes truly useful for a couch surfing thing until iOS 4 is released for it. I started out using it with a bang, but the flow of iOS 3.x was no where as smooth as just using my laptop. Reading in Safari, switching to email, switching to the iPod, etc. it's still clunky and mildly frustrating. Also, my fingers are getting fatter as I get older, so I'm constantly tapping the wrong fri…

Even with iOS 4 I think multi-tasking will be crap. Copying and pasting from a web-page to an email is a real slog. The power of multi-tasking comes from having multiple windows visible at the same time and this will never happen.

Re: Ask HN: Four months since launch: how are you finding the iPad?

#4

Post by Dav3xor » Wed, Aug 04, 2010, 5:50 PM UTC

Pilots love using them for mapping. There are a couple of very nice apps for it too. I'd bet you could make really good money if you can ferret out more niche markets that it's perfect for.

Re: Ask HN: Four months since launch: how are you finding the iPad?

#5

Post by Zev » Wed, Aug 04, 2010, 5:50 PM UTC

I use it on the muni/bart ride every day. Games, occasional video, reading a book or something saved on Instapaper. I think it suffices to say that it does what I wanted it to do when I bought one.

Re: Ask HN: Four months since launch: how are you finding the iPad?

#6

Post by scott_s » Wed, Aug 04, 2010, 5:57 PM UTC

My parents loved theirs so much they bought two. I used it for a few days when I was at their house - I thought it was unparalleled for browsing the web. Swipe, swipe, touch, swipe. And I could hold it in positions that were far more natural. More like holding a book than holding a laptop.

My parents bought one because they are both recently retired, and wanted a computer they could bring on the many trips they take.

Re: Ask HN: Four months since launch: how are you finding the iPad?

#7

Post by hanshasuro » Wed, Aug 04, 2010, 6:03 PM UTC

Mine has become the place I prefer to do my evening reading. Twitter, RSS, Instapaper, eBooks; my iPad is my coffee-table/bedside computer.

Re: Ask HN: Four months since launch: how are you finding the iPad?

#8

Post by petercooper » Wed, Aug 04, 2010, 6:08 PM UTC

Game changer for me. Somehow, the format lends itself to reading "properly" in a way a desktop computer does not. So I've actually started reading e-books instead of print and have gone through a ton of academic papers. I also no longer take my MBP out with me. I can present and do most things I want on the road with the iPad. It's also great for getting the "silly" browsing of the news, Reddit, etc, out of the way in bed or at the dinner table.

Re: Ask HN: Four months since launch: how are you finding the iPad?

#9

Post by aaroneous » Wed, Aug 04, 2010, 6:08 PM UTC

Dav3xor wrote: post #4

Pilots love using them for mapping. There are a couple of very nice apps for it too. I'd bet you could make really good money if you can ferret out more niche markets that it's perfect for.

Lots of great aviation possibilities, but overheating has been an issue for several I've talked to.

Re: Ask HN: Four months since launch: how are you finding the iPad?

#10

Post by Tycho » Wed, Aug 04, 2010, 6:10 PM UTC

It'd glorious. I would much rather do any casual net browsing on the iPad because it's easier to read. Then throw in the fact that you can be much more comfortable, take it more places, and not feel like a dork sitting with a laptop while everyone else is watching TV. I loaded a whole bunch of family photos onto it which really becomes 'magical' when you're visiting relatives etc. It's also easy to pass around or crowd around.

Makes consuming academic papers and online lectures much more palatable (that's the main reason I bought it). I'm pretty fast at typing on it only problem is often I hit N instead of spacebar.

Not into the handheld gaming scene but it's got me back into online chess - iPhone screen was too small for that.

Not done a lot of book reading but on the other hand I installed a pagedump of Wikipedia for offline access, so as a reference tool it's brilliant (I also have a Python Docs app). Makes a good compliment to desktop computers for when you need a second screen for something. Or use it as a TV/radio.

And of course I'm sure many great apps will be invented in the future.

P.s. It's worth stressing just how great the battery is - genuinely lasts all day, greatly enhancing the portability factor