iPad v. Macbook

[Anastasius]

iPhones are for the rich! The monthly contract fees are way above what I'd want to pay. Having said that you could probably get an older model iPhone, and a SIM only contract but I've no idea if that is possible. I don't like the iPhone user interface either much preferring Android.

Be very wary about using your SIM card to access data 'on the go'. I use my Android phone when I visit my mother and use that to tether my MacBook Pro to. It doesn't take long, even with very basic browsing for your data usage to be burned up and then you are into expensive costs for extra data. So many sites have so many (useless and pointless) pictures....data hogs.

It's a mindset...you are on holiday. Why do you feel the need to stay on touch with the forum? Give yourself a well-earned break!

[Nick Armstrong]

It's a mindset...you are on holiday. Why do you feel the need to stay on touch with the forum? Give yourself a well-earned break!

In my case, it's not for a break, it's going to be all holiday - I'm retiring! And it's not just the forum - it's friends, family, discounted cinema tickets... etc etc. !

[french frank]

It's a mindset...you are on holiday. Why do you feel the need to stay on touch with the forum? Give yourself a well-earned break!

Oh, the burdens of responsibility!!!

[Dave2002]

Never had one... Same as an iPod too?

Depends a bit on which iPod model. The earliest ones did not have wifi so syncing was by cable and iTunes. It is also possible to use other software to upload/download without using iTunes, but not particularly recommended unless desperate. Later ones had wireless, so can sync wirelessly and iPads are pretty much similar.

If you want to try a portable keyboard I suggest you try a few, to see if you get on with them. As I mentioned earlier, I use an Apple wireless keyboard - the older metal one - which is fine, but a counter to portability. The good thing is that if I really want to do serious work I can take the keyboard, but if I'm merely around and about I don't need to.

Re Anastaius' comment re Android interface I would say beware of the Android interface and the use of additional memory cards. Although it's possible to get more storage in an Android device by installing additional memory cards (e.g SDHC), with some phones with limited in built memory it can be a faff migrating data to and from the SDHC card which is effectivelly treated as an external device. The Apple iOS model is much better for devices with sufficient memory. However, do beware of being taken in by assuming that you can use iCloud storage to avoid having to have memory in your iOS device. Some people may like that, but for others it can be a total disaster, and one family member still refers to her iPad as the chopping board as for her purposes she would far rather have had a MacBook, even at significant extra cost.

[Lento]

Macbook every time for me: except for reading the paper and kindle books. Bluetooth keyboard can help, though mine soon became temperamental.

[Nick Armstrong]

Depends a bit on which iPod model. The earliest ones did not have wifi so syncing was by cable and iTunes.

Yes I use cable and iTunes with my relatively recent iPod Classics.

Presumably then with OS X Mavericks to new iPad, there would be some sort of WiFi sharing of what I have in iTunes, using my Apple ID?

[Dave2002]

Yes I use cable and iTunes with my relatively recent iPod Classics.

Presumably then with OS X Mavericks to new iPad, there would be some sort of WiFi sharing of what I have in iTunes, using my Apple ID?

I think you can do both. I hardly ever connect my iPad with a cable nowadays, everything is via WiFi usually. The cable can be used, and also for backups.

[Stunsworth]

Never had one... Same as an iPod too?

Yes, sorry. Connect the iPad to iTunes - either via a cable or WiFi - and copy the music to the device.

[Anastasius]

Getting too complicated now. FF only wants something relatively lightweight that she can (in extremis) check the forum while drinking her pina colada and watching the sun go down while re-reading Le Chanson de Geste. So talk of SD cards and large storage on an Android, transfer issues (not really a problem) etc are irrelevant. I'd still recommend that to her. FF is after something that is going to be used, maybe, ten minutes a day? OK...an hour tops in dribs and drabs.

For Caliban, an iPad with possibly an external keyboard since his requirements are much more longer term and I can see him using it much more as an alternative to a laptop/desktop.

[Dave2002]

I almost forgot - I have long found the iOS approach to files and applications a total pain. Anyone who has used a "proper" computer with a file system who knows about how such things work might find iOS very unforgiving. Also, the lack of USB has been a problem, as sometimes it is very hard to get "files" moved from iOS devices back to another computer. Apparently many people do find the iOS approach easier to use - I should refrain from commenting much further. "Files" are linked to applications - which is OK if each "file" is only ever going to be used by one application, but in general purpose computing that's not always the case.

Supposedly some applications on iOS are compatible - but in fact they are not as compatible as one might hope. I don't mind Pages, but it is not fully compatible with Word. Anyone who relies on complete compatibility between applications when handling appropriate files is likely to be disappointed. Also, backups are a pain, and Apple are totally negligent when it comes to dealing with pdfs ***. Trying to move pdfs off an iPad can be painful - and Apple's "excuse" is that pdf is not one of their supported formats. This goes down well (not!!!) with students who may get lots of documents for research downloaded as pdfs, which they can't then easily transfer back to their computers. There are ways, but sometimes they have to re download the pdfs, or use other methods. For non controversial documents it might now be easiest to use iCloud to get round the problems with pdfs, but until fairly recently that wasn't even a sensible option (before Mavericks on OS X), and tools such as Papers were needed - and IIRC even that didn't always do things properly.

As I write this I am aware that my views on iOS and its approach to applications and their relationships with files could seem to be vitriolic, yet I still like iPads for some things. The fact is that for some purposes iPads are really good, but for some applications users who are familiar with "normal" computers and who understand file systems, may find them appallingly bad.

Apple try to present iPads as offering powerful computing (now largely correct, at least as regards processing power and memory capacity) which is capable of doing almost everything that a "regular" computer can do. I still think this last view is way off the mark. There are still many things which cannot be done easily on iPads. There are also a few things which are easier on iPads!

*** As I recall, one iOS update caused all pdfs stored on an iPad to be lost. Apple claimed that no files were lost, as they were stored in backups (i.e in iTunes), but later they admitted that only the "files" associated with applications which they had some responsibility for - e.g Pages, Numbers, Keynote etc. were backed up.

[antongould]

I almost forgot - I have long found the iOS approach to files and applications a total pain. Anyone who has used a "proper" computer with a file system who knows about how such things work might find iOS very unforgiving. Also, the lack of USB has been a problem, as sometimes it is very hard to get "files" moved from iOS devices back to another computer. Apparently many people do find the iOS approach easier to use - I should refrain from commenting much further. "Files" are linked to applications - which is OK if each "file" is only ever going to be used by one application, but in general purpose computing that's not always the case.

Supposedly some applications on iOS are compatible - but in fact they are not as compatible as one might hope. I don't mind Pages, but it is not fully compatible with Word. Anyone who relies on complete compatibility between applications when handling appropriate files is likely to be disappointed. Also, backups are a pain, and Apple are totally negligent when it comes to dealing with pdfs ***. Trying to move pdfs off an iPad can be painful - and Apple's "excuse" is that pdf is not one of their supported formats. This goes down well (not!!!) with students who may get lots of documents for research downloaded as pdfs, which they can't then easily transfer back to their computers. There are ways, but sometimes they have to re download the pdfs, or use other methods. For non controversial documents it might now be easiest to use iCloud to get round the problems with pdfs, but until fairly recently that wasn't even a sensible option (before Mavericks on OS X), and tools such as Papers were needed - and IIRC even that didn't always do things properly.

As I write this I am aware that my views on iOS and its approach to applications and their relationships with files could seem to be vitriolic, yet I still like iPads for some things. The fact is that for some purposes iPads are really good, but for some applications users who are familiar with "normal" computers and who understand file systems, may find them appallingly bad.

Apple try to present iPads as offering powerful computing (now largely correct, at least as regards processing power and memory capacity) which is capable of doing almost everything that a "regular" computer can do. I still think this last view is way off the mark. There are still many things which cannot be done easily on iPads. There are also a few things which are easier on iPads!

*** As I recall, one iOS update caused all pdfs stored on an iPad to be lost. Apple claimed that no files were lost, as they were stored in backups (i.e in iTunes), but later they admitted that only the "files" associated with applications which they had some responsibility for - e.g Pages, Numbers, Keynote etc. were backed up.

Not vitriolic - pretty fair I'd say .... We love our iPads but Apple seem to provide little or no guidance on how to interface with the world outside Appleland .... I have recently transferred all her Ladyship's photos from her iPhone and iPad to the family PC and beyond and succeeded more or less by trial and error and access to articles from forums and magazines .....

[MrGongGong]

There are also a few things which are easier on iPads!
.

This looks like a useful variation on the well known German version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAl28d6tbko

[Dave2002]

Not vitriolic - pretty fair I'd say .... We love our iPads but Apple seem to provide little or no guidance on how to interface with the world outside Appleland .... I have recently transferred all her Ladyship's photos from her iPhone and iPad to the family PC and beyond and succeeded more or less by trial and error and access to articles from forums and magazines .....

I think many people use Dropbox to make data transfers simpler. I don't use it much myself, but I think it may help. I also found this tool helpful in the past -
http://www.uk.xilisoft.com/ipad-magic.html Xiilsoft iPad Magic which works with PCs. I didn't pay £30 though.

[antongould]

I think many people use Dropbox to make data transfers simpler. I don't use it much myself, but I think it may help. I also found this tool helpful in the past -
http://www.uk.xilisoft.com/ipad-magic.html Xiilsoft iPad Magic which works with PCs. I didn't pay £30 though.

Cheers Dave but I think I'll stick with the Gould-Heath-Robinson method for the time being .....

[french frank]

Too complicated for moi, but Caliban and others may be interested. Yes, I'd like to be able to check the weather a few days ahead to plan where I might possibly go, so the Met Office website is useful. And check hours of opening, ticket costs &c. How to get there (wherever it is).

Mead more likely than pina colada … Never having used a smart phone, I'm not sure I shall master the 'no keyboard' aspect before I have to come home

I shall probably venture down to the Apple store in town to be shown things. I've always avoided Broadmead - until I realised I could combine a visit with light lunch at the Brasserie Blanc. Betting is I shall get home pleasingly replete, but without a new gadget.

Getting too complicated now. FF only wants something relatively lightweight that she can (in extremis) check the forum while drinking her pina colada and watching the sun go down while re-reading Le Chanson de Geste. So talk of SD cards and large storage on an Android, transfer issues (not really a problem) etc are irrelevant. I'd still recommend that to her. FF is after something that is going to be used, maybe, ten minutes a day? OK...an hour tops in dribs and drabs.

For Caliban, an iPad with possibly an external keyboard since his requirements are much more longer term and I can see him using it much more as an alternative to a laptop/desktop.