You don't have to pay for 3G just because you have the 3G iPad. You can opt in or out on a per-month basis.
Do you need a tablet???
- Thread starter Warped9
- Start date
You don't have to pay for 3G just because you have the 3G iPad. You can opt in or out on a per-month basis.
I bought an iPad a few weeks ago and I would say it has improved my life immensely. For a start I am reading more because I can use a large font which overcomes the problem of my poor eyesight and has reduced the number of headaches for me. I realize that a Kindle could have done this as well, at a cheaper price but I decided on a iPad because I am sometimes bedridden when my arthritis gets really bad.
About two weeks ago my hip got really bad with the arthritis. I could get up in the mornings and do a little bit of housework and the exercise regime my doctor had given me but by about mid-day I had to lie down for several hours to take the weight off my hip and it was wonderful to have the iPad in bed with me. I could surf the web, play games, read, use various drawing apps etc which was a change from watching videos that I had watched many times before, from reading books with small fonts or from watching horrible day-time TV. It also meant that I was less likely to fall asleep during the day (through sheer boredom) which means I sleep better at night.
I recovered more quickly during my last flare up which I put down to me actually staying in bed when I needed to rather then only staying in bed until I got bored.
So the iPad is really improving my life and was a wonderful investment for me.
About two weeks ago my hip got really bad with the arthritis. I could get up in the mornings and do a little bit of housework and the exercise regime my doctor had given me but by about mid-day I had to lie down for several hours to take the weight off my hip and it was wonderful to have the iPad in bed with me. I could surf the web, play games, read, use various drawing apps etc which was a change from watching videos that I had watched many times before, from reading books with small fonts or from watching horrible day-time TV. It also meant that I was less likely to fall asleep during the day (through sheer boredom) which means I sleep better at night.
I recovered more quickly during my last flare up which I put down to me actually staying in bed when I needed to rather then only staying in bed until I got bored.
So the iPad is really improving my life and was a wonderful investment for me.
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I can do so much more than a tablet with my laptop, I can read off my Kindle, and between my cellphone and iPod Touch all the functions and apps are covered, so every time I get the itch to get a tablet I just remind myself of that and never end up buying it. Granted, it would put many of those functions into one small package, but that's not a major concern for me.
This is probably the reason I haven't bought one yet, either. There's nothing I can do with a tablet that I can't already do with something else.
I have a desktop computer with two monitors set up in my living room, and that handles my reading/media consumption activities very well. I have an Android phone, as well, and a netbook for mobile computing.
Odds are I will buy a new netbook since the one I have is getting a bit long in the tooth and I fear it will crap out on me anytime now.
So yeah, I don't have any needs a tablet would be filling, although I could do with an MP3 player.
Odds are I will buy a new netbook since the one I have is getting a bit long in the tooth and I fear it will crap out on me anytime now.
So yeah, I don't have any needs a tablet would be filling, although I could do with an MP3 player.
I have a Blackberry that is my only phone (I don't have a landline.) I share that plan with my Samsung tablet (it's about half the size of the iPad and fits in my purse perfectly). I use the e-reader when I'm out anywhere waiting (at the dentist for my son, getting a pedicure, etc) and it allows me to browse on any site, anywhere. I have a netbook at home, but it doesn't fit in my purse 
I love my tablet! I only got it in June and now I can't imagine not having it now
I love my tablet! I only got it in June and now I can't imagine not having it now
Quite happy at the moment without a tablet. Just don't need it, as I have my laptop and my phone for browsing the web.
I love the idea of a tablet as smartphone screens are a little small for extended web browsing, but I hate carrying stuff around, so will never buy one.
Call me back when they make one that folds up like a map (I believe there's actually work on foldable LED screens and such like that should make this possible fairly soon).
Call me back when they make one that folds up like a map (I believe there's actually work on foldable LED screens and such like that should make this possible fairly soon).
If they could somehow make such a device double as a wallet, I would buy it in a heartbeat.
That bit's easy, smartphones can already double as electronic wallets with the right software/hardware on them and the right reader in the shop. Just pay with a contactless swipe. Already in existence.
Unless you meant somewhere to store a year's worth of useless receipts. Althugh you could always take photos of them...
I have a smartphone and a PC but also recently bought a Toshiba 10.1 Android tablet. I figured it would be more portable than a laptop, especially if or when I travel somewhere. I admit it's more if a luxury than a necessity, but I like it. I've been playing a lot of Angry Birds lately. I also like the fact that I can watch porn more easily when I'm just lying in bed.
Netbooks are awful: too small screen and the itty bitty trackpad they come with is even worse than the postage stamps you get with a Wintel laptop. Hate!
My sister has discovered some serious downside to not having a landline: international calling plan. As a result I never talk to her because it costs her a mint to phone me. Since you pay to receive calls in the States on your mobiles having me phone her is no better.
Aside from that there's the fact that she lives in earthquake country where losing main power to charge your phone for extended periods of time isn't an impossibility. I'd at least have a hardline phone (not a DECT) in a drawer for that eventuality.
I've read entire novels on my iPhone 4 (Retina Display for the win!) without incident. Of course I general do my reading 40-60min. at a time which might make a difference.
In the UK you can buy the phone pay as you go. You can also buy it from the Apple store without a contract. Can you get pay as you go micro SIMs in the States? I was thinking of getting my iPhone 4 unlocked before my NYC trip in October and getting a PAYG SIM to save roaming charges for calling home.
The big killer for me is holidays - I charge the kindle before I go, use it solidly for five hours a day and it still has a charge a week later. Same with long flights and train journeys. I could read books on my smartphone but it's a poor experience compared to the kindle.
This is an interesting thread as many folks share their experiences. It's eye opening.
I'd like to reiterate that it isn't I'm against particular gadgets per se, but it's true that one might not appreciate a gadget's worth unless made aware of how it can be used and/or it suits one's particular needs. If you think someone of my age can be skeptical I think many here can easily imagine how doubtful seniors can be.
I've already stated that I'm not a fan of ebooks, but then (like an iPod with music) an ebook could be handy when going on vacation or traveling by plane, train, bus or car---no need to decide and/or carry a number of books, rather carry all the ones you might want with you. It certainly doesn't negate still owning actual hardcopy books you can read at home and display on your shelf.
I must say that I've never found the idea of lugging a laptop around appealing. I know a lot of people do, particularly students, but it just doesn't appeal to me. But then my lifestyle doesn't require that I need to have work or data instantly accessible. It's been a very long time since I've been in school---do kids beyond a certain age still take notes in hardcopy notebooks or do they all just make noted right onto their laptop? Actually when I think of that it seems rather funny, because what would prevent a student from surfing the net or messaging with friends when they're supposed to be paying attention and taking notes?
I'd like to reiterate that it isn't I'm against particular gadgets per se, but it's true that one might not appreciate a gadget's worth unless made aware of how it can be used and/or it suits one's particular needs. If you think someone of my age can be skeptical I think many here can easily imagine how doubtful seniors can be.
I've already stated that I'm not a fan of ebooks, but then (like an iPod with music) an ebook could be handy when going on vacation or traveling by plane, train, bus or car---no need to decide and/or carry a number of books, rather carry all the ones you might want with you. It certainly doesn't negate still owning actual hardcopy books you can read at home and display on your shelf.
I must say that I've never found the idea of lugging a laptop around appealing. I know a lot of people do, particularly students, but it just doesn't appeal to me. But then my lifestyle doesn't require that I need to have work or data instantly accessible. It's been a very long time since I've been in school---do kids beyond a certain age still take notes in hardcopy notebooks or do they all just make noted right onto their laptop? Actually when I think of that it seems rather funny, because what would prevent a student from surfing the net or messaging with friends when they're supposed to be paying attention and taking notes?
At my school, it's a mixture. Most students still use paper, but a few (such as myself) will use laptops instead. On the issue of not paying attention, in my experience there's not much to stop a student from doing that, except their own desire to actually catch what the professor says.
The same thing that stops them from hiding a magazine behind their notebook, or from doodling, or passing notes around, or whispering to each other or in the case of university just cutting entirely. Students have been not paying attention in class since forever, they don't need technology to do it.
I had a laptop all through college, but I never took it to class. I simply prefer laptops to desktops because I like to be able to use it while laying in bed or sitting on the couch.
I also like to bring my laptop with me...
when I poop. 
I simply could never be comfortable doing that.
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