Things that drive you crazy about the iPad

[Stefx]

The iPad is a big iPod touch, with 3G
However, being bigger enables the iPad to do stuff not doable on the iPod touch

Regardless of the definition of the word ''computer'', the iPad is not a laptop or desktop replacement (those terms are hopefully clear and not ambuguous). It's complementary and is gifted with being highly portable. 90% of my web browsing is now done on the iPad, my laptop and desktop are only used for tasks not doable on the iPad.

 

[Tinman]

The long and the short of it - love the device hate the operating system.

One could argue that if you are not jailbroken you really aren't seeing the operating system. You are mainly seeing the face Apple put on it: Springboard.app. That is a mere shell over the OS.... and since it's locked down it is a kiosk-like shell.

The underlying OS is actually very good. It's a BSD based OS after-all. But alas Apple has decided that access to it is off-limits so has locked it up--unless you jailbreak.

One thing keeps popping into my head about it being so locked down.... Jobs said back in 2007 that the iPhone was not going to just run any app because, among other reasons, they didn't want some rogue app taking at&t's "network down." Even if I accept that how exactly does that fit in with WiFi only iPads and iPod Touches? It doesn't.



Michael

 

[Wreybies]

Techies have a habit of assuming everyone will be using a device for the same reasons they are. If the iPad was so bad, why is it one of the fastest selling device in recent history?

This.

Nearly every negative review I have read concerning the iPad was clearly written by someone who was just chomping at the bit, precision screwdriver in hand, and utterly P.O.'d that they could not get their fingers into the iPad's knickers, so to speak.

The iPad never sold herself as a loose lady. She never said that her "wears" were for the having.

This is a common complaint of all Apple devices in general and one that gets tiresome. You know that Apple is not friendly to the person who doesn't really want what they bought, but instead wants what they can turn that bought item into. It's just not. So why keep coming back for more?

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein

 

[RussW]

Jobs said back in 2007 that the iPhone was not going to just run any app because, among other reasons, they didn't want some rogue app taking at&t's "network down." Even if I accept that how exactly does that fit in with WiFi only iPads and iPod Touches? It doesn't.

I think that would fall into the "other reasons" category; like allowing the widespread ability to hack the 'network' of i-devices and thus the need for huge virus blocking scripts that hog system resources until the processor is overloaded with script scanning and firewall blocking routines (you know, the way PC's are). For this reason; I think the closed OS is a good thing. But it would have been nice to have added more configuration portals so that one could personalize their device more and a more open app store where code that is currently only available on Cydia could be installed (at the end-user's own risk). It's just sorta pathetic that the app store/market is completely ruled over by Apple and what they think you should be able to do with the device (not what you or a random programmer does).

One other thing I hate about it: The Name. Could they have thought of a worse name than the slang for a feminine napkin?? (that's the only other phrase I could think of, since 'pad' is most common word).

 

[RussW]

You know that Apple is not friendly to the person who doesn't really want what they bought, but instead wants what they can turn that bought item into. It's just not. So why keep coming back for more?

The early Macs (running OS 7 and earlier) were EXTREMELY friendly to the programmer! Heck anyone with an interest in tweaking their OS could do it with apps that were designed to make the hacking user-friendly. Apple's cult following for Macs was built on people who loved the ability to re-configure the Mac OS in all the ways that a Windows PC of the day could not! That's why there are so many Mac people who are pissed that the iOS is not at all friendly to 'tweaking'.

 

[iVan]

My favorite TV station offers almost all its programming for free viewing at one's leisure on their website. Unfortunately it's in Flash. Want to watch a sports event? It's in Flash.
This is highly disappointing, even though I knew this as an early adopter it still gets to me every time a refusal occurs.

If only there was a live conversion available...even one with a delay

 

[Stefx]

Yes, Ivan, same for me (I'm in Montreal too).
The illico web TV (web portal for digital cable provider in Canada) is all Flash, and the web radio for hockey games (CKAC) is Flash too.

 

[iVan]

Yes, Ivan, same for me (I'm in Montreal too).
The illico web TV (web portal for digital cable provider in Canada) is all Flash, and the web radio for hockey games (CKAC) is Flash too.

Yes, and then there is tou.tv from Radio Canada...

Those stations have invested heavily in what they thought was a universal platform.
If Flash causes such a security risk why not fix it instead of nixing it?

 

[Stefx]

I think Apple wouldn't enable Flash support even if it was safe...looks like Jobbs has a personal feud with Adobe.

 

[gentlefury]

My favorite TV station offers almost all its programming for free viewing at one's leisure on their website. Unfortunately it's in Flash. Want to watch a sports event? It's in Flash.
This is highly disappointing, even though I knew this as an early adopter it still gets to me every time a refusal occurs.

If only there was a live conversion available...even one with a delay

If you have a desktop computer and a decent internet connection you should look into Splashtop Remote. I use it all day at work....it lets you connect to your home desktop as if you were there.....sounds and video work very smoothly. I use it to watch Hulu and chat on gmail (since there is no reliable chat app on the iPad and you can't watch anything while chatting.)

 

[Sylsurweb]

Yes, Ivan, same for me (I'm in Montreal too).
The illico web TV (web portal for digital cable provider in Canada) is all Flash, and the web radio for hockey games (CKAC) is Flash too.

Yep! There's a lot of flash using site in Canada!

 

[soogoo]

What don't I like? Only a back delete key. No flash. But most annoying of all? I can't use the iPad to post on eBay forums. When I first got the iPad I could type in the text box but just couldn't see it until I had hit the send. Now, presumably because of an os update I can't even do that. It's so annoying. I have searched for a fix but haven't found one, is there a solution?

 

[RAC]

1- No access to the file system and restricted file sharing between apps.
2 - Apologists for the lack of a file system. I have heard no justification for this that I can accept.
3 - The spell checker. Auto-correct doesn't work very well and the only way to turn it off is to turn the spell checker off completely.
4 - Repeated loss of focus for text boxes (vanishing cursor) in Safari when a page is opened.
5 - The lack of cursor keys on the keyboard. The magnifier thingy is no substitute. Text selection in general can be quite frustrating.
7 - Related to Item 1, the lack of a USB port and SD card slot. I would like to see both.
8 - The lack of Flash.
9 - Apologists for the lack of Flash. Regardless of the justifications, it means that there are web sites that I can't access from the iPad.
10 - The "It's not supposed to be a computer" excuse for these shortcomings. There are things that that you should be able to do on the iPad but can't for various of the above reasons.
11 - The fact that Apple doesn't seem to be interested in addressing the above shortcomings.

Apart from the above, I love it.

 

[f4780y]

Wow, where did we dredge this up from guys?

Soogoo, suggest you start your own new thread rather than hijack this old dinosaur... Let's let sleeping threads lie

 

[SweetPoison]

Let's close it ~ it has run its course. Start a new topic.