My iPad as a Tool

[alfredo]

This is a good hands on review of the iPad.

From DailyKos

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/4/11/856114/-My-iPad-as-a-tool

Will this work for you? Beats the shit out of me. It depends on what your job is, whether there are apps that fill your needs, whether you're happy or not with an on-screen keyboard, and whether you care enough about "open versus closed" systems to let Apple's heavy-handed control over the device's hardware and software bother you.

For me, all I care is whether a device makes my life easier. I could give a shit about whether the hackers love or hate it, or how much hype something has. The iPad filled my needs seamlessly, with only minor hassles. It was better than a laptop, allowing me to travel more efficiently.

[romana]

1. Thanks for the link

Here's pretty much how I use mine.

At home, I use it to surf the web, read news, read email, and watch videos. My favorite thing is to have a bit of a lie in on weekends twittering, reading news, surfing the web, etc. I have a Pogo Stylus, and do quite a bit of sketching on it, using ArtStudio and SketchbookPro.

At work, I use the iPad for lecture prep. Instead of creating text documents of my lecture notes, I've been making powerpoint slides. Our system at work doesn't allow us to have a presenter screen, so I've turned the iPad into one. I can have their slide up, and my notes available should I need them. It means I don't have to schlepp my laptop to work with me every day for that, or to use when I'm working in my lab. I've also downloaded a few PDF readers and use them to read and make notes on journal articles--such a relief not to have to carry all that stuff around with me. I also have a few eTextbooks to review on it, which I'm looking forward to.

If someone makes a brain atlas as cool as Theodore Gray's The Elements, I will be in heaven! :D

It's been great. I've already reached the point where I can't imagine my life without it. While it hasn't totally replaced my laptop, it's come pretty close. I wrote a letter of recommendation on it over the weekend, as well, and typing on it is getting easier and easier (though I still have to look at the keyboard since it's not touch typing).

[alfredo]

2. Have you figured out the key combo for the apostrophe?

[stopbush]

3. Update to the article:

On Twitter, someone pointed out that holding down the comma/exclamation point key on the iPhone/iPad's on-screen keyboard turns it into an apostrophe. I just checked it out, and it definitely works. So that one niggling annoyance has already been solved, if surreptitiously, by Apple.

[alfredo]

4. Good. I tried the on screen keyboard, I liked it, but I'm not

used to it how things are done on mobile devices.

[romana]

5. Tab key

I would like a key combination to TAB, particularly in Pages. That's annoying as all hell, I have to say.

[alfredo]

6. Most of the time I would use a bluetooth keyboard.

[romana]

7. Keyboard

I'm trying to avoid having to buy a separate keyboard. Just another thing to carry around. The iPad keyboard in landscape mode is really not bad to type on at all.

[alfredo]

8. I don't go out much anymore due to my arthritis. I can

use the keyboard on my desktop and then on my iPad.

[tomm2thumbs]

9. wondering if there is going to be a new type of carpal from typing on a flat surface?

so many keyboards were devised to assist with this problem, either by arcing the keys, or splitting them to keep wrists from bending to type, has anyone devised a layout on the screen-keyboard that isn't horizontal - like angled towards both sides? Curious

[romana]

10. Flat keyboard

On the iPad keyboard my hand positions do mimic the hand angles on a split keyboard more than they do on my laptop. I don't quite touch type on it so I don't rest my fingers near the home keys. It's more like efficient two finger typing because of the size. Definitely takes some getting used to. I have been able to spend a couple of hours of typing in short bursts comfortably. If I had a heavy duty typing project I'm not sure I'd use the iPad, at least not yet.

[alfredo]

11. This is a nice add on.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. got my partner the 64 gig iPad as a surprise.

She has fallen in love again. Her fave? Elements, a must buy app.
(the song alone is worth it)

I loaded it up with 50-60 books, Pages, and many games. Now, she runs into my office bragging that she beat the backgammon program 3 more times in a row. Or how she managed to beat her last time trial in a racing program. AND she loves the super fast loading safari.

I am waiting for the WiFi + 3G version, only because I need it for work.

It really is a nice machine.

[alfredo]

13. Do you believe it would be better for us arthritis sufferers

than the old keyboard mouse configuration?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. absolutely. It takes a bit to get used to the

screen still being active, while using the keyboard to type. But all of a sudden, it works GRRRRREAT.

[alfredo]

15. I will probably try Dragon Dictation to see if it will

help me discard the keyboard for short messages, and uncalled for snark.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

16. luckily, the era of BUSH is gone. Stem cells will cure arthritis within 10 yrs.

[alfredo]

17. I will be 75 by then.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

18. a sprightly, active, healthy 75, we hope. And bet on.

[alfredo]

19. I hope so too. My mom lived into her 80's.