I thought I would find a use for it – I really did. I have used Apple products for as long as I can remember, and my computer setup consists of a MacBook Pro and my iPhone. When the iPad was announced, I figured it would fill a nice gap between the two – for using the internet on the couch, responding to emails without booting up the laptop, watching a movie in bed, etc.. But after owning it for 1 week, I returned it to the Apple store and got my $500 back. Now, before anyone says anything, it really is/was a cool product and I am positive that in some circles it will be a groundbreaking computing experience. Schools, hospitals, business conventions, software developers, or for the average person just looking for something to email with, the iPad makes a great gadget. For someone like me, however, who needs the power of a laptop to do his actual work all day, the iPad turned out to be just one more product that needed maintenance/syncing/charging in my house. And after working hard to simplify my computing experience, the iPad wasn’t going to offer anything new that I didn’t already have access to.
For some, it will be very useful. For me, it wasn’t. To each their own, and I hope those who buy them find great uses for them as I do believe that a tablet-type computer is definitely the computer of the future and will play a major role in our lives.
I’m a software developer and I have no desire or use for this gadget.
Thank you for sharing this with us. Like Leo Babauta, you don’t really NEED it right now.
I am an autodidact. I played with an iPad at the Apple store for 15 minutes. I saw that it has an app that allows you to write on .pdf files and highlight them. Thus, pdf reader + Instapaper + instant internet access (Wikipedia, google images, etc.) = I love my iPad.
I don’t give a flying crap about brands, and I can understand why it isn’t for everybody, but I can see that this device is going to change how I consume written material.
It’s cool that you realized that you don’t *need* it. I think many of us want the new gadgets for the sake of owning them. I think a lot of gadgets look really cool but when I really think about it, I don’t need them. Now that I work at home I don’t even use my iPod anymore.
I did the same. Except I returned it the next day after purchasing. I thought it would fill a gap as well, I use a macbook pro and iphone with the new 20″ external monitor that charges my laptop. I was thinking something I could work on when I need simple. Nothing doing. I tried watching movies from my Netflex account and if I dare moved it lost connection. Leaving me to start all over again.
Youtube, some played some did not. I use Evernote and their app would hangup.
Photos, please, I can’t store all my photos on this thing, I thought it would work well with idisk. It didn’t. I think at some point it might fit a need, just not mine:(
They did not even charge me the restocking fee.
I meant 30″ screen!
Thanks for this.
I am considering getting one for when I travel so I don’t have to take my MacBook. I’m still not sure though.
It’s good to hear everyone’s experience. Very helpful as I decide if I really need one.
We’re down to one laptop, and haven’t gotten around to replacing the power supply in that old desktop for two years now. It’s kinda awesome.
I think the iPad has been, in general, a big disappointment. Just not enough… anything… to be worth the trouble.
I agree with you… if it requires maintenance, it’d better be worth it. Even something as simple as recharging takes on a life of its own when you have 50 things a day that need it.
I think you really hit the nail on the head with: “the iPad turned out to be just one more product that needed maintenance/syncing/charging in my house.”
I am a fan of all-things-Apple from way back, and had looked forward to this latest gizmo. But I hesitated to get one, and after the first day of it release, I knew that I had no desire to get one. And part of it is for the very reason you mentioned. Who needs yet another gadget to maintain/sync/charge and take care of when current machines are perfectly up to the task?
Great post!
My inner geek is screaming out for one of these but I don’t really need it right now and like simple computing so I might leave it.