We now own an iPad!

[disneysteve]

My gift to DW for Mother's Day was her choice of a MacBook Air or an iPad. After much debate back and forth, she chose the iPad. Of course, iPads were nowhere to be found. I ordered one online and it finally arrived today. They are incredibly cool. We've played with them in the store but once you can actually use one at home without being tethered to the counter, it is even nicer.

If anyone has any favorite iPad apps to recommend, feel free to make suggestions. We both have iPhones so we are familiar with most stuff but I know there are a number of things exclusive to the iPad.

[gf1723]

Glad to hear you picked the iPad over the MB-Air. I just can't see the cost justification of how much it costs compared to a regular Macbook.

My mom got an iPad for Christmas last year and she uses the MLB At-Bat app on it all the time. She likes to listen to games for free on there when it streams over the wifi network. It's a very good app and well worth the $15 if your a baseball fan. If I had one I would probably use it for watching movies that I download and streaming Netflix. I have the Netflix app on my iPod and it's great!

[disneysteve]

Not baseball fans but she already put Netlix on there and we tested that. Much nicer watching movies on the iPad then on the iPhone.

[KTP]

I need Apple to be at 360 by Jan 2012 so please buy a few more guys! phones too.

But seriously...very nice. I think there will always be a place for laptops for heavy duty work, but I could see replacing my ebook reader and morning browsing with an ipad.

[disneysteve]

We really went back and forth a lot before deciding on the iPad. The Macbook Air is sweet but pricey - $300 more than the iPad. Of course, it does a lot of things the iPad can't, but the opposite is true as well. We have an older PC laptop that we travel with but it is showing its age and can't be used for certain websites (like some facebook games). The biggest problem with the iPad is that it doesn't have Flash player which makes it impossible to do various online things, including those same facebook games. The Macbook could do that but isn't useful as an e-reader and isn't nearly as good for games. Plus the iPad has both a digital camera and an HD video camera. I'm sure we would make good use of either one but overall, I think she made the right choice.

[Andrew Jackson]

I still live in the dark ages. Not i-pads or even smart phones for me yet. I might look into getting a smart phone when I get married at the end of this summer and my fiance and I merge our cell phone accounts.

[Simplicity-]

Everything I own is mac, smart choice either way.

Next thing you need is a Mac Mini, with a wireless keyboard and mighty mouse best 650$ I ever spent!

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by Simplicity-

Everything I own is mac, smart choice either way.

Next thing you need is a Mac Mini, with a wireless keyboard and mighty mouse best 650$ I ever spent!

No. Next on my Apple radar is Apple TV. Only $99 so a much more affordable item.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by Andrew Jackson

I still live in the dark ages. Not i-pads or even smart phones for me yet. I might look into getting a smart phone when I get married at the end of this summer and my fiance and I merge our cell phone accounts.

You won't be sorry. Having the internet with me at all times has proven to be incredibly useful. It has streamlined meetings because we didn't need to wait to get information - we just pulled it up right away. It has also saved us hundreds of dollars by allowing us to comparison shop on the spot before buying things. I use it on a daily basis at work, too, to access several medical apps (I'm a physician).

[snafu]

DS: can you remember life before iPhone? I recall your decision process. iPad helps keep horizontal surfaces clear as the are so-ooo portable than a laptop. I got a MacBook with a sling [case] and it's nearly tethered to me.

fun checking out apps but it sure can eat up time; like Pages, stock ticker, Angry Birds

[LivingAlmostLarge]

i'm addicted to pocket frogs

[ActYourWage]

My dad won an iPad a few days ago, he doesn't even use a computer. How ironic! I may try to buy it from him.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by ActYourWage

My dad won an iPad a few days ago, he doesn't even use a computer. How ironic! I may try to buy it from him.

I've been entered in various contests to win one but have yet to get lucky. There is actually one medical education site that I use regularly that gives out 3 or 4 each month. I do all of their programs just to have a lot of entries in the drawings but I have yet to win.

[snafu]

ActYourWage, wouldn't it be wonderful to teach him how to use an iPad, internet and bring the world to his finger tips. We're teaching the senior [82 yrs young] down the road how to use a keyboard and internet since her DKs bought her a laptop for Xmas. She says it's wonderful for her arthritis, bad for her spelling

[disneysteve]

My 80-year-old mother loves using the Internet. We got her a laptop last year and she has Wifi in her apartment. Prior to that, she was using the community computers in her building. She uses e-mail, watches her soap operas, finds and prints coupons, uses facebook and various other online things. If anything, an iPad would be even easier for her since it is so much easier to use than a typical laptop.

[studentloansescape]

Congrats.I hope you got the latest ipad 2.Its an amazing device with simplicity and performance unmatched.There an eco system of apps.Regarding suggestions,it depends on purpose you intend to use the ipad.One of my favorites is Netflix,which I read you are already having on.How about Angry Birds and Pulse.They are great addons as well.

[SFA]

I'm so jealous... I have been thinking of getting one soon to help my consulting business. It is much more attractive than a laptop to whip out (which I instead use printouts unless I have to grab the laptop). Plus.. they're just fun... and sexy!

[disneysteve]

Yes, it is an iPad 2.

I've discovered that the medical survey app I do on my iPhone works tremendously better on the iPad. Between the larger screen and the much faster processor, using it on the iPad is a snap compared to the phone.

[Like2Plan]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

Yes, it is an iPad 2.

I've discovered that the medical survey app I do on my iPhone works tremendously better on the iPad. Between the larger screen and the much faster processor, using it on the iPad is a snap compared to the phone.

Hmmm.... maybe your DW should get you an Ipad2 for Father's Day so she can get hers back.

I asked DH is he wanted an Ipad2, a Macbook Pro or a golf club for Father's Day.... He picked a golf club (much to my disappointment ) .

[TBH]

I've been using Overdrive to read ebooks from my library so I don't have to buy them. I don't like it very much. A friend just recommended Bluefire, another ereader app that works with library books. I'm going to try that this week.

I like Instapaper, Evernote, and I'm just experimenting with Remember the Milk.