new Ipad user, already hating Apple

[Wolfpuppies3]

One man's trash

another's treasure. May I recommend that the OP, who clearly has very little Mac experience, simply discard the offending object and carry on with his IBM XT, AT, or whatever he prefers?

Does he need my address for a location to discard said machine?

 

[DrHouse]

Typical call from a Windows user:

Wu: my PC is broken...
Me: what is broken?
Wu: my xxx does not work anymore...
Me: hmmm, last time I checked, all was fine. Have you changed something lately?
Wu: no...
Me: no new software, updates, anything?
Wu: no...
Me: ok, I see you soon to figure out what happened.

... After investigating...

Me: hey, some DLL are missing for that xxx to work...
Wu: ???
Me: have you uninstalled something?
Wu: oh yeah, I wanted to make some space on the HD, so I deleted that folder, and that folder, and that folder...
Me: you should not go in admin, and delete under the windows folder you know...
Wu: I read on a forum that I could do that...
Me: don't ever try stuff like that, please!

... And then another call from another windows user, who did nothing... Deja vu?

I just can't wait for my mom to get an apple product, i'll save a lot of time!

VicoPad addict!

 

[SanityKills]

I have to sympathize with the OP.

The iPad 2 was my first Apple device although I've supported both Macs & PC's in business environments for several years--but obviously, mostly PC's. I bought the iPad 2 because of the form factor and because Android operating systems aren't yet as fine tuned for tablet form factors as Apple's product is. I have not yet experienced Android's Honeycomb OS but perhaps I will for my next tablet device.

My first experience of note with the iPad was how much they skimped on the power cord. I charge my Ipad on a nightstand next to my bed and I literally have to pull an extension cord to the top of the stand since the cord is so short and pricing for the few limited extension cables are ridiculous. If I break down and get an extension, if I can find one that will actually CHARGE through the extension effectively, I'll already be hacking the out of box experience to make it a functional one--a simple power cord.

My next shocker was that I had to actually plug it in to my PC to sync with iTunes. Coming from the Android Market I guess I've been spoiled with over-the air installations and SD cards. The last time I had to plug a device to a PC was, I think, on a Palm phone way back when. My first real annoyance due to this was when my girlfriend & I decided to trade iPads--mine had an engraving on the back that I didn't like (bought it off of Amazon at the time) and we couldn't switch out in the field since it would require a PC to activate them. On practically any other current device in existence we could have swapped them at the restaurant, factory defaulted them and then started syncing with our online accounts to get our apps and set things up. But nooo... As I become more familiar with the Apple way I understand now that I have to unplug the power from it's charging area, walk the iPad to my desktop, plug it in, and do an occasional sync to make sure everything is backed up. Awkward.

So I decided to hit the famed App Store where there's an app for everything... so I heard. My first item on the agenda was to find a profile app that will keep the auto-lock from locking when it's plugged in to power. Nope. Not one app. Android has half a dozen of these apps if not more. I soon began to realize, at least for my purposes, that despite Apple having the mother of all app stores that it's a tossup if I'll find anything I'm looking for. Search after search merely turns up nothing, and if you buy an app, if I'm not mistaken, you're stuck with it so paid apps are definitely a gamble. On Android you can return the purchase within a certain amount of days/hours.

So now, my general usage is just reading or composing an email--maybe some instant messaging & checking out the social networks. The same thing my EVO 4G does but definitely a better reading experience. I've almost replaced my nightstand laptop but not entirely since I have to use my main PC for certain things that aren't allowed on an Apple device (like Flash). I'm still evaluating. I may return to my laptop as a night stand device, I might not.

I originally had an Android gTablet but figured that a blown up mobile phone operating system just wasn't worth the point of having an extra device so I sold it. So I guess the question is whether or not I'll return my iPad? Probably not. Due to the lower pricing I knew that, at worst, I'd probably get my money's worth and it won't be the "all to end all" device like many people tout it to be. It is a GREAT ebook reader! It's just too bad one couldn't have the freedom of an Android device on the sleek Apple hardware. I guess it makes it worse because the iPad *could* be all that but it's intentionally not so in so many ways ON PURPOSE.

My girlfriend loves hers. She's not a tech. She doesn't know what she's missing (not being facetious). I suppose 80% of the rest of the Apple world doesn't either, or at least doesn't care, so I guess that's okay for both Apple and the typical consumer.

 

[Seadog]

Item 1: Auto-Lock on the iPad is when it goes to sleep when not in use. If you plug the iPad in to charge, it still works. If you plug it into the computer it syncs to, it will not work until the sync function is complete. That would be why there are no apps for that.
Item 2: Apple has one of the most generous return policies available. However, since they are not the origin of most apps, they cannot be responsible if you do not like one. There are things that most retailers will not return without strong proof of a defect. You cannot return movies, music, books, magazines, and software if the package is opened. The only time I have done so, was a television series arrived with one of the discs missing. I had a good enough sales-to-returns ratio that I could be reasonably believed. I still had to return the whole set and take another set in return. I could not return it for refund. I know of no major company that would do a return because you do not like an app. If its free, delete it, if it is paid, I would think that you would make sure of it before buying.
Item 3: We know exactly what we are missing. Aggravation, quirky programs, long periods of exasperation, hours to do a ten minute task, etc. Pay attention. Most apple/iPad users are not computer illiterate. We value our time more than we enjoy tinkering with a NQRFPT device.

 

[SanityKills]

I know of no major company that would do a return because you do not like an app.

All software in the Google Marketplace. (

We know exactly what we are missing.

)

If its free, delete it, if it is paid, I would think that you would make sure of it before buying.

Of course I do my research. If it gets rave reviews you'd think it'd be worth the investment. What else can you do but take the word of others to base an educated purchase upon? If they're wrong, you're wrong (and out $30 bucks).

Item 3: We know exactly what we are missing. Aggravation, quirky programs, long periods of exasperation, hours to do a ten minute task, etc. Pay attention. Most apple/iPad users are not computer illiterate. We value our time more than we enjoy tinkering with a NQRFPT device.

Not true from my experience. Check out reviews on Netflix & Friendly for just a few examples. Netflix crashes upon opening unless you modify your router settings (which I'm SURE every average user knows how to do in '10 minutes') and Friendly would crash immediately. It happens on Android too although not nearly as much as what I've seen in the Apple store despite supposed "quality control" but to say that the Apple store is superior based on this particular consensus would be a resounding FALSE from a newcomer's perspective... and I was expecting better quality control based upon how tight Apple supposedly is with the apps they allow. Just because Apple reviews their apps to see if an app may pose a threat to their walled garden doesn't mean they're reviewing it for functionality and quality (obviously).

I'm not really going to have a lengthy debate on an opinion. The above was my experience going into the iPad 2 from a non-Apple world. I feel a sense of loss but enough value in the product to keep it for whatever that's worth.

 

[Catfiend]

I have to sympathize with the OP.

So I decided to hit the famed App Store where there's an app for everything... so I heard. My first item on the agenda was to find a profile app that will keep the auto-lock from locking when it's plugged in to power.

I don't know about a profile app, but that's one of the options of the Nightstand app.

I originally had an Android gTablet but figured that a blown up mobile phone operating system just wasn't worth the point of having an extra device so I sold it. So I guess the question is whether or not I'll return my iPad? Probably not. Due to the lower pricing I knew that, at worst, I'd probably get my money's worth and it won't be the "all to end all" device like many people tout it to be. It is a GREAT ebook reader! It's just too bad one couldn't have the freedom of an Android device on the sleek Apple hardware. I guess it makes it worse because the iPad *could* be all that but it's intentionally not so in so many ways ON PURPOSE.

My girlfriend loves hers. She's not a tech. She doesn't know what she's missing (not being facetious). I suppose 80% of the rest of the Apple world doesn't either, or at least doesn't care, so I guess that's okay for both Apple and the typical consumer.

Yep. If Apple wanted to target techie dweebs specifically they'd do things substantially differently. The fact that many techie sorts, people who do know what else is out there, also use Apple products suggests that marketing to the much, much, much larger non-techie audience hasn't hurt them too much.

Sure I'd love wireless syncing and not having to use iTunes for updates - but I don't care about these things enough to worry about jail breaking my iPad to get them since they're things that happen very rarely.

 

[Good karma]

I like that case which is it

Thanks, it the standard ipad case from apple, the one that cost £30

Sent from my iPad using iPF, using iOS 4.3.2

 

[Mountainbikermark]

Item 2: Apple has one of the most generous return policies available. However, since they are not the origin of most apps, they cannot be responsible if you do not like one. There are things that most retailers will not return without strong proof of a defect. You cannot return movies, music, books, magazines, and software if the package is opened. The only time I have done so, was a television series arrived with one of the discs missing. I had a good enough sales-to-returns ratio that I could be reasonably believed. I still had to return the whole set and take another set in return. I could not return it for refund. I know of no major company that would do a return because you do not like an app. If its free, delete it, if it is paid, I would think that you would make sure of it before buying.
: .

Is there a sticky somewhere on this forum to help us make use of this "generous return policy"?
I'm used to Android return policy; open the market, tap myapps, find the app ,tap refund, done, email sent confirming refund.
I don't get emails even confirming my purchase from Apple for 3 days at the minimum.
600 reviews stating " works great" 45 posts in a thread stating " you need it" and websites by the developer stating " the greatest thing ever" do not always pan out to meeting my needs.
Fwiw, Target though they state they do not accept electronics returns that have been opened took back my Kindle when I wanted to exchange it for an iPad. My reason for the return, strong proof of defect? " I don't like that there is no back light" . They gave me a refund with no hassle.

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[DontUnderstandMyIpad]

Is there a sticky somewhere on this forum to help us make use of this "generous return policy"?
I'm used to Android return policy; open the market, tap myapps, find the app ,tap refund, done, email sent confirming refund.
I don't get emails even confirming my purchase from Apple for 3 days at the minimum.
600 reviews stating " works great" 45 posts in a thread stating " you need it" and websites by the developer stating " the greatest thing ever" do not always pan out to meeting my needs.

When you receive the receipt for the app purchase, contact Apple and only then. The receipts gets send every couple of days after purchase, so you basically get multiple days to testdrive the app.

 

[Mountainbikermark]

Contact them how?
I had a couple though not defective, they did NOT work as advertised. When I got my receipt I tapped links, followed procedures and it just seemed to send me in loops with no terminology about getting a refund.
When I got SkyOrb and it actually didn't work the developer suggested I contact Apple, even gave me a link to them but again , nothing about a refund and a " contact us" attempt only tried to open a trouble ticket for my iPad.
I have just relegated to I lost about $10 on apps that didn't work right or as advertised.
I read somewhere there is a phone number to call but the post did not supply the number and I can't remember which forum I read it on to look for it again.
Again I'm not bashing Apple but to state a liberal and easy return policy for an Apple newb is just not correct when compared to Android market or even the Windows Mobile market.


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[DontUnderstandMyIpad]

In iTunes, on the desktop, you can select Store->View my account->Purchase history->Select an app and choose report a problem

I think that would be the standard way of getting a refund, haven't tried it myself though.

Edit: here is a post from the discussions.apple.com forum:
You can some times get a refund. Under purchases in iTunes, there is a section to report a problem. Select the reason you want a refund and fill in all the additional fields including the order number. A determination will be made whether to credit your account with a refund or not.

 

[Hayles66]

In iTunes, on the desktop, you can select Store->View my account->Purchase history->Select an app and choose report a problem

I think that would be the standard way of getting a refund, haven't tried it myself though.

I have! I've had a few apps where when you download the update it charged me again so I had to report it and they got back to me within a day or two and refunded the money. Its happened a few time and I've never had any problems with them refusing.

 

[Mountainbikermark]

In iTunes, on the desktop, you can select Store->View my account->Purchase history->Select an app and choose report a problem

I think that would be the standard way of getting a refund, haven't tried it myself though.

Edit: here is a post from the discussions.apple.com forum:
You can some times get a refund. Under purchases in iTunes, there is a section to report a problem. Select the reason you want a refund and fill in all the additional fields including the order number. A determination will be made whether to credit your account with a refund or not.

Thank you.


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[sgtcasey]

My understanding on the refund is that the app developer still pays Apple their cut of each sale whether it is refunded or not. Just something I read months ago.

As for comparing Macs and PC's I've owned both over the years for various amounts of time and I always find myself using the Windows machine more. I've never had a problem with a Windows machine that I couldn't fix with a bit of time spent searching the Internet. Oddly enough the same could be said for trying to get some stuff to work on a Mac.

Neither is better than the other... they just have different things each are better at or it simply comes down to personal preference.

Dave

Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[Nancybout]

I guess it is different strokes for different folks. On the basis of this post I went after Perfect browser. After two days, I just wasted my money IMO. I much prefer Safari... Of course I have been using Safari on my Mac Mini I have Google on my PC's. I build em also. But, I've built my last PC. I could care less about customization that so many Geeky folks think is important. With my focus on Mac ... and it does take a bit of time ... I don't deal with virus at all ... I am careful where I go on PC's. Everything is just seamless and EZ with Mac stuff. That is why we went with iPad. Best of luck ... hope your rants don't affect your health.

Lmao