Ipads and competitors. Any experience?

I had to use my grandparents iPad to order some plane tickets online. It was so bad I had to resist the urge to chuck it at the wall.

So slow it took forever to load. Then, I invariably accidentally touch it not quite in the right place, and so it decides to send me to another screen. So, then I have to wait for it to take forever to load again, click 'back', and wait AGAIN! Trying to type in a name or address? Repeat this process about 4 times. Then, it can't bring up multiple windows, so I can't quickly shift between the calendar and the web browser, or more importantly, have two browser windows open.

All that, and it wasn't that much more convenient than a laptop, especially since I can't set it somewhere and use both hands to operate it.

Now, I'm admittedly not an Apple guy, but I seriously expected the iPad to be this really nifty piece of wizz-bang equipment where the only fault was being too expensive for my taste.

I am a computer geek by trade. Former security geek, now a data weenie. In short, I am to computers what you all are to cars.

I've tried it all. I run Apple stuff and here's why: it's intuitive and it JUST WORKS. Sure, you have to relax a bit and "think simple" before the intuition really flows, but then it all just makes sense.

I traded in my iPhone for an Android device for two reasons: crappy AT&T network in NYC and crappy notifications on iOS. Those are the only things this Android does better. The Android OS is Windows - there's no unifying interface for anything, the quality of the apps can be worse than abysmal, and things just aren't as neat and polished as Apple's iOS.

I'm not a fan of the iPad, it does nothing for me. But if someone without geeky proclivities asked me which tablet they should buy, it would be the iPad without a doubt. Without the central control of hardware, OS, and software, it's hard to guarantee you'll have a good experience with an Android device.

Geeky aside: if you want to know why Apple is trying so thoroughly to destroy Flash, you need to know about the long-ago battle between Adobe (maker of Flash) and Apple. Very long story short: Adobe berkeleyed Apple over pretty bad on some patent issues about ten years ago, Apple had to re-do some work to get around the patents and it cost them years of time and sales. Steve Jobs has never forgiven Adobe. That and Flash just sucks :)

Barnes and Noble Color Nook. $250MMSRP. It's a 7" capacitive multi-touch Android Froyo tablet.

If you're into the hacking and stuff, it's pretty remarkable for half the price of anything else out there.

I have used iPads and like them, but I am more of an Android fan. From what I'm reading on Engadget and other sites, the first Android tablet that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the iPad 2 is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, which just came out last week.

IMO, there is WAY too much venom and passion spent on the whole Apple vs. Everyone thing. I own a few Apple products, but my phone is Android and my PCs are Windows. Everything has it's strong and weak areas, and in the end, we are talking about little electronic boxes that all do roughly the same thing. It's not a big deal. Or at least, it shouldn't be.

I agree.. however, I think most of the piss and venom comes from the apple fanbois.. There are a couple of them at work.. everytime I even check the time on my Galaxy S.. they have to make a comment about how the iPhone would be better.

I think you all should really take Peter's post into consideration.

I personally have run all major platforms (Mac OS 9, OS X through all revisions, Windows 95, 98, ME, XP, Vista, 7, Mandrake Linux, Ubuntu, Slax) and have spent a decent amount of time on different types of mobile hardware (given that I am 22 and grew up in mobile hardware 'prime time').

I would like to point out that every device has it's pros and cons, much like every car has it's pros and cons.

The Apple products just 'drive well' and they always work. Integration between products is flawless. Apple products are designed to disappear leaving just the experience. They aren't designed to do everything. It's not possible or fair to compare products to Apple products based on specifications and capability alone.

The only thing I can tell you is to actually try both out. A lot of guys will say "don't get an iPhone because it's proprietary and doesn't have flash"

Those are good points, but they have absolutely NOTHING to do with actually using the damn thing. Nowadays Flash = YouTube, and Apple mobile products have supported YouTube since the first iPhone. Not only that but most other video sites offer all of their content in streaming formats that Apple products can handle flawlessly.

I haven't used a site that was inoperable without Flash in probably six years.

So to summarize, Apple's strength is certainly not in price or list of features. It is in usability, and that's what you bought the thing to do. You bought it so you can enjoy using it. There's no other reason to buy a tablet. Try them all out, and buy the one that you find the most fun to use.

cwh wrote: I am interested in the iPad for demonstrating video systems. My son uses it for sales and has an outrageous close ratio. My one requirement is to not be tied to a provider. I can get wi-fi just about every where I need it. Are any of the others available as wi-fi only?

The iPad is definitely available WiFi only. I believe the Xoom is as well.

peter wrote: The Android OS is Windows - there's no unifying interface for anything, the quality of the apps can be worse than abysmal, and things just aren't as neat and polished as Apple's iOS.

I expect that you meant was "Android OS is just as bad as windows..."
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Microsoft-Nooks-Android-OS-Violates-Our-Patents-755969/

I expect that you meant was "Android OS is just as bad as windows..."

Yes, it was early, forgive my frain bart.