Well ... FWIW ... After a year of trying, I've given up on using the iPad as a "serious" computer - but my reasons are likely more idiosyncratic than not. Can't get used to a virtual keyboard - congrats to those who can! Was intrigued by the Zagg keyboard, but for the first generation iPad, the keys are too small and too closely spaced together for my somewhat largish hands and touch-typing trained fingers. But the OS and memory limitations were the final straw - when I work, I often have scads of applications and files open in ways that the iPad just can't do. I can see using the iPad as a writing machine on a commute when you have little else to have to access or deal with - but I commute on a bike most of the time, so that's not a good idea for me ... Still use the iPad as a reader - i.e., with Kindle, Nook, and other apps. Great for that. Sorry you don't "do Mac" - my recently acquired MacBook Air has turned out to be surprisingly satisfying. Following the example of many wise colleagues, I got it initially as a travel machine. But contrary to my initial expectations, it is has enough zip, memory capacity, and storage capacity to serve as my main machine. While not as compact as an iPad with a keyboard - it's not much heavier, and is far more capacious, including a full-sized keyboard. Apple didn't pay me to say any of this. Best, Charles On 1/14/12 7:15 PM, "Barry Wellman" <wellman@chass.utoronto.ca> wrote:
Perhaps because I've been using one for 55 years, but I don't know why anyone would abandon a proper keyboard for a glass iKeyboard. Real keys seem more natural to me than glass keys or even handwriting (for churning out long prose. And using a clip-on keyboard with an iThing seems kludgy. Besides, the OS is awful, wonders of Siri besides.
So when I am not using my desktop (just bought a 27" screen for better editing), I am using a laptop (my old Lenovo Thinkpad X60) and eagerly awaiting the advent of proper ultrabooks this summer. (Don't do Mac; netbooks underpowered).
Just my .02. I ain't gonna argue with anybody, but curious to read others' thoughts on this list.
Barry Wellman _______________________________________________________________________
S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director Department of Sociology 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388 University of Toronto Toronto Canada M5S 2J4 twitter:barrywellman http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-3963 Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php _______________________________________________________________________
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