iPad/iPad 2/other tablets...what can you tell me?

[GormanHarvey]

My wife and I are considering getting an iPad 2 when it comes out next week. We own an answering service (her business, I'm not really involved) and she needs something for when we are out of town and the operators at her business get overwhelmed with calls so she can hop on their operating system to help out. The main reason the iPad would work is most times that we are out of town we are at the cabin, where we do not have internet available but can utilize the 3G connectivity (Verizon) of the iPad. It is my understanding that the original iPad would not work for the purpose she needs it for due to a problem with the keyboard automatically popping up while using her operating software. But we have been told the iPad 2 should take care of this problem. As you can see, I do not know much about iPads so I would appreciate anything you guys can tell me about them...likes/dislikes, pros/cons, data costs, contracts, etc. Thanks in advance

[thebruce44]

It sounds like she wants to remotly access her work computer? Where is your cabin? You can get Verizon 3G there? Did you check to see if Verizon's LTE will be available as well? If thats the case, I would at least consider getting a Xoom as speeds will be much faster fore remote access.

Really though, if its for business and not just for small multimedia applications, why not get a Netbook? Cheaper and much better for business in my opinion. And no keyboard problems since it actually has a physical keyboard.

http://www.droid-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ipad2-v-xoom.jpg

[1992casey]

Quoth CNET, 2011-03-02:

---

How much are the service plans from AT&T and Verizon Wireless?

For Verizon Wireless the pricing is as follows:

• $20 per month for 1GB per month
• $32 per month for 3GB per month
• $50 per month for 5GB per month
• $80 per month for 10GB per month

AT&T offers two pricing options:

• $15 per month for 250MB per month
• 
  $25 per month for 2GB per month

Customers of either AT&T or Verizon Wireless are not required to

sign a contract for the 3G service. They can turn the service on and off

as they like.

Previously, iPads connected to Verizon via a separate MiFi Hotspot router.

Quoth CNET, 2010-10-15:

---

Connecting to Verizon's 3G network on an iPad will take a little more effort than connecting to AT&T's service. Verizon will be selling Wi-Fi-only iPads that come with its MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot…. When Verizon iPad owners are away from a Wi-Fi connection, they will need to connect their tablet to the MiFi 2200 to access Verizon's 3G network. The MiFi 2200 allows up to five wireless devices to connect to the network simultaneously.

I wonder if the connecting to a MiFi is still an option. It would be handy for those wishing to connect with variety of devices.

[GormanHarvey]

Yes she basically wants to remote access her work computer. The cabin is on hwy 40 just south of Bruce, WI. What is Verizons LTE? Xoom?? Sorry, as you can plainly see I'm not very tech savvy but I knew there would be some fellow bfnetters that could help us make an informed decision. Thanks for the help so far thebruce and casey...

[thebruce44]

Xoom is an android powered tablet. It is an alternative that seems to have a lot of features for business applications. Really though, a Netbook sounds like it would be more useful. I think a lot of people convince themselves they want an iPad when it doesn't necessarily address their needs as well as other options.

[thebruce44]

And LTE wont be available for you in Bruce, WI for a couple years. It is just a faster network than Verizon 3G.

 

Check this out though:

 

https://www.verizonwirele...c/netbook/?page=features

[GormanHarvey]

Went with the Xoom. Thanks for the help guys!

[DHonks]

I have yet to hear of a benefit that the Xoom has over the Ipad 2. Ipad 2 has better battery life, easier to transport (smaller profile), and so many more apps. Eventually Android may catch up, but for now the consensus is that the Ipad is the better product.

[ad2brewers]

I have yet to hear of a benefit that the Xoom has over the Ipad 2. Ipad 2 has better battery life, easier to transport (smaller profile), and so many more apps. Eventually Android may catch up, but for now the consensus is that the Ipad is the better product.

I disagree, I believe the Xoom is the better product.

 

I believe the processor and screen resolution are relatively similar. True the battery life may be better with the ipad, however Honeycomb 3.0 is superior to Ios 4.3 when it comes to notifications, multi-tasking and app switching, the Android os is also open source, so its only a matter of time before there are more apps developed for it. Lets not forget to mention the fact that Apple bans any apps that it doesn't agree with, i.e. wikileaks, or other "adult" oriented app ideas - which will never be the case for Android.

 

Xoom also uses a chrome-esque browser, which is far superior to the safari browser (ie, browser tabs)

 

Xoom also will be able to run Flash, which for some reason Apple hates and will probably never support on its mobile devices.

 

[1992casey]

Steve Jobs' Thoughts on Flash (April, 2010)

[giffted1]

Jobs basically wants things done their way, or they won't support it. I found his criticism of flash being closed delightfully ironic. It'll be interesting to see how the wars he's waging with Adobe (and Oracle too) will play out.

[Invader3K]

Blackberry also has their Playbook tablet coming out in about a month or so. Might be something to keep an eye on.

[GormanHarvey]

It's great to hear people's preferences and opinions. I did not know blackberry had a tablet coming out. Very early impressions of the Xoom is that its very fast and not as similar to using my Droid phone as I thought it would be

[thebruce44]

I have yet to hear of a benefit that the Xoom has over the Ipad 2. Ipad 2 has better battery life, easier to transport (smaller profile), and so many more apps. Eventually Android may catch up, but for now the consensus is that the Ipad is the better product.

Verizon LTE, Flash, expandable storage, and USB are all benefits the Xoom has over an Ipad2 that I would consider essential for my uses.

[DHonks]

As someone else said, a netbook might be a better option....only if they are now competent. I know Acer was producing a netbook size with actually good specs, but I have yet to hear others jump on the bandwagon. Having 2 tabs in Firefox bring your computer to a crawl is really the trademark of netbooks.

[GormanHarvey]

Another question...I am looking to get battery life on my HTC Incredible than what the original battery provides. Any suggestions of a good place to buy an after market extended life battery? Thanks...

 

Didn't want to start a new thread for this...if it belongs elsewhere please move

[thebruce44]

As someone else said, a netbook might be a better option....only if they are now competent. I know Acer was producing a netbook size with actually good specs, but I have yet to hear others jump on the bandwagon. Having 2 tabs in Firefox bring your computer to a crawl is really the trademark of netbooks.

I've had a netbook for over a year and never had a problem opening multiple tabs in Firefox while listening to music and working in OpenOffice. No, its not a desktop but they work fine for around the couch or on the go. And with flash, usb, and a keyboard it fits my needs much better than an iPad and even a Xoom.

[DHonks]

I had a netbook about 2 years ago. After 6 months it was pretty much unusable because it was so slow. I did everything I could to keep the speed up, but it was just pathetic. The MacBook Air 11" is the first compact laptop I've enjoyed, although the reports were the Acer Timeline X was supposed to be pretty close (specs were better, but reviews said Air won in performance)

[giffted1]

Netbooks have gotten a lot better. I've got a Dell M101z. It's the size of a netbook (11 inch screen), but has the specs of a much larger laptop (dual core processor, 4 gigs of ram). I can have two tabs open in firefox, a video playing, and Ubuntu running in a virtual machine, and it's still snappy.

[1992casey]

This is an interesting topic because there are a lot of ways that GormanHarvey could have gone.

 

If it were me, I think I would have concentrated on getting reasonably priced mobile Internet access for my full-sized notebook. A full-sized notebook has plenty of portability for traveling to a cabin. Using it in other places is where size and weight might start to matter.

 

I'm generally an unhappy camper when using a netbook for a prolonged period, basically because of the itty bitty teensey weensey trackpads. If I were to own a netbook, I'd want an external pointing device that would be practical enough to use most of the time. I don't see a mouse as a great option because mousing isn't convenient in a lot of places where you want to use the netbook. This USB Multi-Touch Smart Pad ($20.98 on Amazon) seems to have potential, especially because it also has a numeric keypad. However, the trackpad gestures seem overly complicated.

 

The Verizon iPad-MiFi Bundle looks like an attractive deal. Essentially, it cuts the cost of the MiFi to $130. The huge advantage is that you'd be able to use the MiFi to connect other devices. Of course, the MiFi doesn't have LTE functionality.

 

As an interesting aside about LTE, a tester managed to "blow through" his monthly 5GB data cap in 32 minutes. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[thebruce44]

1992casey[/b]]This is an interesting topic because there are a lot of ways that GormanHarvey could have gone.

 

If it were me, I think I would have concentrated on getting reasonably priced mobile Internet access for my full-sized notebook. A full-sized notebook has plenty of portability for traveling to a cabin. Using it in other places is where size and weight might start to matter.

 

I'm generally an unhappy camper when using a netbook for a prolonged period, basically because of the itty bitty teensey weensey trackpads. If I were to own a netbook, I'd want an external pointing device that would be practical enough to use most of the time. I don't see a mouse as a great option because mousing isn't convenient in a lot of places where you want to use the netbook. This USB Multi-Touch Smart Pad ($20.98 on Amazon) seems to have potential, especially because it also has a numeric keypad. However, the trackpad gestures seem overly complicated.

 

The Verizon iPad-MiFi Bundle looks like an attractive deal. Essentially, it cuts the cost of the MiFi to $130. The huge advantage is that you'd be able to use the MiFi to connect other devices. Of course, the MiFi doesn't have LTE functionality.

 

As an interesting aside about LTE, a tester managed to "blow through" his monthly 5GB data cap in 32 minutes. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

My netbook has something like a 95% sized keyboard and I assume track pad. I have never had a problem using it, though maybe you would since I hadn't really used a trackpad previous to owning this.

 

Another interesting aside about LTE, it seems the Thunderbolt has been pushed back again and will be coming out "in the first half of the year." I have been eligable for upgrade for quite some time, just waiting for this phone. Looks like I will have to wait another month or so until they can get the battery to last longer than 4 hrs on LTE. It sounds like this technology just isn't quite ready for public consumption. Still, I aplaund Verizon for pushing the boundary and I think early adoptors will be willing to pay a premium for this service.

[1992casey]

It doesn't help that I'm spoiled by Apple's huge trackpads, which eliminate the need for buttons and allow one to scroll in all directions from any point on the pad. I have to wonder why someone hasn't come up with something similar for other platforms.

 

As an aside on the aside, we're going to start finding mentions of Thunderbolt to be a bit ambiguous. The name can refer to either the HTC Thunderbolt or to Thunderbolt I/O technology. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Both are generating quite a bit of buzz right now.

[thebruce44]

It doesn't help that I'm spoiled by Apple's huge trackpads, which eliminate the need for buttons and allow one to scroll in all directions from any point on the pad. I have to wonder why someone hasn't come up with something similar for other platforms.

 

As an aside on the aside, we're going to start finding mentions of Thunderbolt to be a bit ambiguous. The name can refer to either the HTC Thunderbolt or to Thunderbolt I/O technology. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Both are generating quite a bit of buzz right now.

Ah yes, I forgot about the Thunderbolt I/O tech. I was talking about the HTC Thunderbolt phone, which ads have been running for every 10 minutes on TV the last couple of weeks. It seems Samsung's LTE phone may now end up beating the HTC Thunderbolt to market as the first LTE phone. What sucks for me is I need to upgrade and the wait is killing me. I would settle for the HTC Thunderbolt releasing now with a future LTE software upgrade coming later similar to the Xoom.

[GormanHarvey]

A quick question that is somewhat related...I can get the JS Peanuts and Cracker Jack blog on my PC and our laptop with no problems, but I cannot get it on my HTC Incredible or our Xoom. Any ideas? Thanks

[laserbomb]

I don't know if it's still like this, but a few months ago on my phone JSOnline started always showing a crappy mobile version of their site instead of just the regular site like you'd see on a computer. I couldn't get to half the parts of the site I look at.

 

There are a couple free apps in the market that are just different options for internet browsers beside the browser that comes on the phone. Some different browsers have a specific option to choose whether you want to see the mobile versions or the regular full versions of sites. That way JS can't force you to that stripped-down site that doesn't have everything on it. Skyfire is one that has that option, Dolphin Browser Mini has it and I ended up using just using that browser all the time in place of the one that came with it.

 

I know it's not ideal compared to just getting the JS site to work in the browser you're used to. But it's been pretty nice, I didn't want to get one of these phones until the internet by and large looked the same way it'd look on a computer screen. To me a very few mobile versions of sites were really well done to fit being on a phone better, but most of them sucked and I didn't want to get used to 2 different versions.

 

For the battery, I didn't try any batteries from other companies, but ended up just getting the HTC bigger extended one through Verizon. The battery that came with it was just not really cutting it. The extended one is decent. Big improvement. The phone getting thicker from the bigger battery isn't that weird. If you ever put the original one back in, it'll feel really tiny again, which is kind of cool until your battery gets low within a few hours again. The size trade off and cost of another battery was definitely worth it for me. I'm not on the phone constantly but it sounds like you're not either. Basically it was a noticeable difference, and now I can use the phone through the day, charge it at the end, and not have to be conscious all day of using the battery or getting low on battery through the day.