Considering the iPad. I have a few Q's :)

[thomo45]

Hi All, I’m in the UK and am very close to ordering my iPad. I have a few questions I was hoping you maybe able to help me out with. I want to be able to use my iPad for day to day browsing and e mailing as well as having a multimedia device with me to play music, films and check out pictures. My main concern is, is it worth investing in an iPad when a Laptop / Netbook can do all these things and are a lot cheaper.



1 .Will the iPad display any web site. I understand that apple and Adobe don’t like each other and the iPhone for example wont display any flash on sites you visit. This is a serious concern for me. I want to be able to view any site. I want to be able to play videos from the site ie BBC sites.

2. Are you able to buy a device in order to hook up a DVD/RW drive in order to take ot load data to and from the iPad.

3. If I want to print a document / email etc received or created on my iPad is there a way to do this without transferring the document to my laptop for printing.

4. Are there any serious compatibility issues with opening excel spreadsheets or MS Word documents on the iPad.

Thos are my questions for now although I’m sure I’ll have more soon.

Cheers ppl.
Paul

 

[Wolffmann34]

1 .Will the iPad display any web site. I understand that apple and Adobe don’t like each other and the iPhone for example wont display any flash on sites you visit. This is a serious concern for me. I want to be able to view any site. I want to be able to play videos from the site ie BBC sites.
Here is the BBC site I tried, if you have others send a link I'm sure people with an iPad won't mind checking them out.

2. Are you able to buy a device in order to hook up a DVD/RW drive in order to take ot load data to and from the iPad.
Might be possible, but I doubt it.
3. If I want to print a document / email etc received or created on my iPad is there a way to do this without transferring the document to my laptop for printing.
I've heard printing is coming, there are some apps available now, but I think you will see better solutions from Apple in the future available through software updates.
4. Are there any serious compatibility issues with opening excel spreadsheets or MS Word documents on the iPad.
I've had no problems, and I haven't even bought the iWork apps.

 

[thomo45]

Thanks Wolfmann34. Appreciate your time to respond.

Could you see if the following link will display videos on the iPad. You dont need to take a screenshot just reply letting me know if they displayed.

bbc.co.uk/radio1/bigweekend/2010/videos/

As i said i do appreciate your time.

I'm looking at the 64g 3g Ipad and for £699 i want to make sure im making the right choice.

Cheers mate

 

[Wolffmann34]

Could you see if the following link will display videos on the iPad. You dont need to take a screenshot just reply letting me know if they displayed.

bbc.co.uk/radio1/bigweekend/2010/videos/

Nope - it asks you to download the flash player - which IMHO is a lame way to play video.

Here is a test of the first mobile use of flash, not good.

Web Browsing Performance on Android 2.2 Hampered by Flash Compatibility [Updated] - Mac Rumors

 

[epb]

4. Are there any serious compatibility issues with opening excel spreadsheets or MS Word documents on the iPad.
I've had no problems, and I haven't even bought the iWork apps.

What are you using? I've tried a couple of spreadsheets and the formatting has been awful. I haven't heard much positive about any of the Office conversion apps available, including the iWorks trio.

 

[thomo45]

Just as i thought. So really the iPad doesn't offer a true web experiance then. This is the only thing holding me back on ordering an iPad compared to a small netbook.

For £699 i could order a mean small laptop that will offer the same as an iPad but without the touch screen.

 

[Wolffmann34]

4. Are there any serious compatibility issues with opening excel spreadsheets or MS Word documents on the iPad.
I've had no problems, and I haven't even bought the iWork apps.

What are you using? I've tried a couple of spreadsheets and the formatting has been awful. I haven't heard much positive about any of the Office conversion apps available, including the iWorks trio.

Maybe you are looking for it to do more than me. When I get a spreadsheet emailed to me I am able to open it and look over the information, no it's not beautiful, but I can figure it out.

 

[Wolffmann34]

Just as i thought. So really the iPad doesn't offer a true web experiance then. This is the only thing holding me back on ordering an iPad compared to a small netbook.

For £699 i could order a mean small laptop that will offer the same as an iPad but without the touch screen.

Yes, if inline video is important to you, then I could see the iPad being a problem.

I do believe this will all be resolved fairly soon, either flash will die or it will get fixed well enough for Apple to consider using it. Personally I don't think it will end up being the web choice for video, but it does have other uses such as interactive games. Unfortunately even if it gets abandoned as the mainstream source for video some sites will continue to use it, just like some sites still use real media even though it is dead in the mainstream world.

 

[jervis961]

If your main concern is BBC news and videos, there's a BBC app for iPad that is free.

The iPad is not a computer replacement by any means. I do find myself using it more than my notebook though. Do your research and think about what you really need it to do.

 

[Wolffmann34]

or just get both

I like the idea of getting both -- At this point I couldn't live without my iPad or my MB Pro.

(Although my Mac Pro has not been turned on in over a year.)

 

[Bremen]

Just as i thought. So really the iPad doesn't offer a true web experiance then. This is the only thing holding me back on ordering an iPad compared to a small netbook.

For £699 i could order a mean small laptop that will offer the same as an iPad but without the touch screen.

If the internet to you is flash, then if I were you I would forget the iPad and get a laptop! Did you honestly not know the iPad did not do flash? Wow.............

 

[Blkjk13]

Just as i thought. So really the iPad doesn't offer a true web experiance then. This is the only thing holding me back on ordering an iPad compared to a small netbook.

For £699 i could order a mean small laptop that will offer the same as an iPad but without the touch screen.

If the internet to you is flash, then if I were you I would forget the iPad and get a laptop! Did you honestly not know the iPad did not do flash?
Wow.............

You sign up for an iPad forum, and you don't know if the iPad has flash. Are you sure you don't want to renig on being a member?! Flash is dying. H.264 has been leading the way for a couple of months. If you are patient enough, after a while you won't even remember flash.

 

[epb]

Just as i thought. So really the iPad doesn't offer a true web experiance then.

I don't know if I'd consider the web missing something vital because it didn't include Flash content. Maybe because I was on the net before it was prevalent.

What's annoying is that the old schooler in me remembers when it was a point of pride among web designers that anyone be able to view a site, no matter what they were using, by offering at least alternative content tags; even wthout the latest browser you could stll get around. I'm amazed how many sites are crippled by the absence of third-party software. I doubt many people do it anymore, but I'd like to think I could still fire up Lynx and surf if I wanted to.

 

[Wolffmann34]

Just as i thought. So really the iPad doesn't offer a true web experiance then.

I don't know if I'd consider the web missing something vital because it didn't include Flash content. Maybe because I was on the net before it was prevalent.

What's annoying is that the old schooler in me remembers when it was a point of pride among web designers that anyone be able to view a site, no matter what they were using, by offering at least alternative content tags; even wthout the latest browser you could stll get around. I'm amazed how many sites are crippled by the absence of third-party software. I doubt many people do it anymore, but I'd like to think I could still fire up Lynx and surf if I wanted to.

I agree EPB, and those of us with companies that create web sites to sell products do still create them to run on 'all' platforms. No need to limit the customer base.

As for H.264, I believe it solves the web video experience problem. But does anyone know if there is another solution available to create the interactive game experience. My daughter was playing with my iPad and could not do anything on many of her favorite sites such as Disney and Webkinz. Not saying I support flash because it is often a source of crashes, but would like to see something that can do everything flash can come around that works good.