Pre Purchase advice 2 users

[crashdesk]

Hi,

Want to purchase an ipad as I own a macbook and want to separate work from play, and my partner wants one to surf the web etc.

Here is the thing, if we are both using it how do we have our own areas. Here are things I've picked up so far:

1. There are no User Accounts
2. It's best to sync to one iTunes account
3. Mac Mail isn't password protected so either of us can read each others mail(this comes down to trust )
4. I can set up two separate calendars using Google Sync
5. Facebook and Twitter apps can have multiple accounts but again comes down to trust if we look in each others. May just use web versions.

Any other advice much appreciated.

All in all the ipad is a great wee device but sorely let down by the this main issue of users. Bit of a no brainer since the Steve Jobs himself says that he sees the iPad being used in the home by various family members.

Thanks,
C

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

You're entirely correct - it's not possible to set up multiple user accounts on the iPad. It would be, more or less, impossible to do because of the way that the iPad's operating system, iOS, works. Programs (apps) are isolated (sandboxed) from one another and have very limited scope for interaction. One of the big bonuses this brings is that it protects the iPad from virus infection, but it limits the way in which one app can control or influence another app - the sort of functionality that would be required to implement what you are looking for.

In terms of email accounts, there's a sort of workaround if you're really that worried about your partner reading your emails and that is simply to temporarily de-activate your email account when you've finished using the iPad. It takes only seconds and you can blank out your account password so that it's not possible for your partner to re-activate it.

But, no, despite what Steve says, the iPad was really made as a single-user machine...

Tim

 

[crashdesk]

Mmm. That's a shame. That's just about made the decision for me. No iPad. I wonder if many people have complained after purchasing.

As far as I can see, Apple can fix this "issue" but will be delaying it for future releases of iOS so I think I'll wait.