General question

[grumpy1015]

Hi - I am considering replacing my ageing Windows XP netbook with an iPad2. What I need to know is if the iPad will do all or most of the things that I can do on the Netbook, or will I still need a PC? I have an iPhone 3GS, will I be able to sync this on the iPad?
Will I be able to transfer photo's from the phone to the iPad?
Please forgive my ignorance in these matters, I'm fairly new to the Apple stable.
Many thanks,

Colin

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

You'll definitely need a PC or Mac of some kind. For one thing, the iPad absolutely has to be initially connected to a PC/Mac running iTunes for an initial 'sync'. Then, if you want to sync your iPhone and iPad, again you'll need a PC/Mac.

The iPad can do most things a laptop can do - sort of. For web browsing and email it's perfect and it can handle most Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents with compatible apps if they're not too complex but complex formatting can cause incompatibility problems, so you're almost certainly going to need access to a regular PC to do certain edits/updates.

It really is what Steve Jobs said - "A third way". It doesn't replace a laptop or PC but it does a lot of what these platforms do now - but better. In my view, and that of a lot of iPad users, one of the iPad's key strengths is the stunning battery life - a real 10 hours! No more searching for power outlets when you're out and about....

Tim

 

[mobi1]

iPad is NOT a replacement for computer (desktop/netbook/laptop).

It is a content consumption device and not good at content creation. It also does not offer access to filesystem as you get in a laptop/netbook.

 

[gray_mouse]

Consider getting an iPad and notebook. I suggest this one. Make ur self a present, apocalypse soon.

 

[Taylork1]

In the last month, I bought 2 netbooks. First for my husband, a Toshiba for $279 at Best Buy. Windows 7 was effortless, and after removing all traces of Norton and installing free Avg, the netbook runs great! It is so solid, and at such an accessible price point, I bought another for my Mother at the same price. set it up the same way. She runs her Kindle app, all her games, Skype, everything she needs. Husband syncs his iPad. Some people will bash netbooks, but for price, portability (same screen size as iPad) and functionality, it's hard to justify a more expensive computer.

Good luck with your new setup!

 

[Dushtin]

I'm a student with a laptop and an ipad but for the most part the laptop is mainly left at home. I'll only ever bring my laptop to school if I need to work on excel spreadsheets or powerpoints. Every kind of pdf, picture, word document, powerpoint, or anything else really is automatically transferred to my ipad using Dropbox.

I type essays on my ipad, browse the internet, create flashcards to study for all of my classes (using the flashcard deluxe app, i love it), check all of my mail, have all of my assignments and tasks scheduled with Todo, and probably a ton of stuff that I'm forgetting. When I first got it I wondered how I'd even use it and now I'm wondering how I got along without it.

 

[Catfiend]

Hi - I am considering replacing my ageing Windows XP netbook with an iPad2. What I need to know is if the iPad will do all or most of the things that I can do on the Netbook, or will I still need a PC?

Other than what Tim pointed out - needing a computer running iTunes to initialize and sync between your iPad and iPhone - it depends upon what you use your netbook for. If you write programs using it, then no. If you build websites, probably not. I know a good author who is using an iPad exclusively, using a bluetooth keyboard for writing (though I'm sure the lack of a change tracking word processor doesn't help) so some content creation is well within its purview. For me - surfing, reading and soon some writing, it has been a complete replacement for my personal time use of another computer. That's just me.

 

[Seadog]

You might consider using a MacBook Air if you do not have a good PC that you can synce an iPad to. It is almost as light as the iPad, and is a fully functional laptop. The iPad is good for 90% of the things people do on the go, but it still must have a computer to nest to.

If your netbook is still working OK, then you can use it to sync to. It will have a lot less to do, and should last for a long time in that function, and then you can have the iPad for most activities. The usual things that go out on a PC are the hard drive and the motherboard. If you have any important stuff backed up, and you keep a regular plan of syncing the iPad, you should have little to worry about. If the netbook were to ever fail, then you can get a replacement and move your iTunes account to it.