Tuesday, 22 March 2011
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College Students: Trying to Decide on iPad vs. Laptop?
Disclaimer: This is my personal review. Also, I'm comparing the iPad to laptops in general but I say "Macbook" here because that's what I have.
Laptop vs. iPad: The great debate! I’ll tell you all the honest truth; I was a HUGE skeptic of the iPad. Before its release, I read the pros & cons & decided to wait to see how it does in the market. I was appalled at some of the App prices too, but still I decided to give it a chance after a good friend of mine told me how much she loves hers. She’s a lawyer and she says she’s prepped for cases on it, uses it for reading and movies, and is impressed how light it is.
I remembered my dad had one, so I texted him and asked what he thought of it. He barely used his 16GB iPad, so he said I could have it. I took him up on his offer faster than a dog snatching meat off the grill at a barbeque! After 4 months of use, I can give a good review from a college student’s point of view:
Pros to the iPad:
- It’s lighter than a computer. Granted, a 4.7 pound laptop isn’t a huge weight burden, but in your book bag, alongside books averaging 5-10 pounds, along with supplies, it’s a strain. The iPad is just under 2 pounds and about as thick as a pen, if that.
- It’s cheaper than a laptop. If you’re a Mac user, you know the laptops run at least $1200. The iPad ranges from $499-829 depending on the size and connections you get. (Note: Apple has an education store so if your school is listed, you get discounts for as long as you go to school. You need to have the school campus and your ID number to get the price cuts!)
- This will sound kind of vain, but it’s a good conversation starter. A lot of people want to get iPads but they want honest reviews & want to know how they work from an average Joe/Jane view. We all know critics get something on the side at times so I trust consumer reviews more than some paid one.
- Apple works with publishers to get school textbook apps and other education products, so if you’re looking for something to help with studying, this is a good work investment. Even if the apps are a bit pricey, you get what you pay for and they’re cheaper than the books. Some books now even give you free study apps to go with them! I don’t have to lug around my medical dictionary, regular dictionary, flashcards or cheat sheets. (I still make hard copies of those things and get the books because technology is unpredictable. Always have backup!)
- I think it’s a bit more secure than a laptop. If my iPad should get lost or stolen, I just change my Apple account info and the thief doesn't make off with important personal details (just some good music! Haha). My laptop has sensitive information on it and I don’t take it out the house much. If I do, my bag never leaves my side.
- They have a free app for books. You have to buy books for the most part, but iBooks start you off with a free one. I got Winnie the Pooh! A lot of people want e-readers that have their own internet connections; I think the iPad is better because you can read your books, magazines, newspapers or whatever and you have the internet with all the extras. They all run in the same price bracket anyway, at least the ones I’ve seen. Unless you want an E-reader strictly for downloading books with NO internet connection, then those will be drastically cheaper.
- The iPad has epic battery life. 10 hours! I use my iPad every day and I charge it up about once every 2 weeks, if that much. There have been times I was rushing back to class and put it back in my bag while it was still on, and I came back the next day and realized I never turned it off. It goes to sleep on its own, and it has a one month standby if you don't use it for a while. Even in sleep mode, a laptop's battery will eventually go down to nothing after a few hours.
Cons of the iPad:
- Turnover rate. I admit I’m a bit mad that less than a year later, we have the iPad 2, but as consumers we really can't complain. Apple is far from stupid. They make this stuff to last for YEARS; Apple products are immune to almost any computer virus, and even if you have to get repairs, they’re cheaper than replacing the whole unit. Their warranty & protection plans far outweigh this con for me, but I listed it because I know a lot of people are mad about that. How do I know how good a Mac is? We have a Mac computer from the 1980s that still turns on 25+ years later. I kid you not. That’s why Mac doesn’t always give replacements to some people. Every time something gets upgraded or a new generation comes out, people break their units on purpose to get the new stuff but the tech geniuses are like “yeah….no, we know you did this on purpose." One of my best friends still has a laptop that was made over 5 years ago from Mac and it still works as if it were brand new. She only had to replace the battery once! I’ve dropped my Macbook more times than I can count, but it still works! It has a few scuff marks on it but as long as it turns on and performs its magic, I don't care! Macs are expensive because they are investments. You get your money's worth out of the products in a short amount of time.
- It doesn’t have all the use and space of a laptop or some of the same features, but this will probably improve with the coming generations.
- I wish iPads came in colors. My favorite color is purple! But you can accessorize it with skins & accessories.
Verdict: Don’t knock the iPad until you try it! You can even go into the Apple store and play with them to see if you like it. I still use my laptop faithfully for work, but it works well hand in hand with my iPad anyway, so there’s no either/or for me.
Do you have an iPad? What do you think of it? If you have a similar product, how does it work for you?
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- From: Shinbi_Belldandy@xanga
- About Me: *~Te quiero. Me gusta tu voz. Me quieres? ¿Tienes novia? ---Mi Amor~* Hola. This is Mina! <3 I smile when I feel like it so don't force me <3 As with cheeses and fine wine, I get better with age but I dont act the age I am. LOL <3 Proud Lady of Cherokee, Blackfoot, PR, German & Black decent. Haters stay away! <3 If you want to talk to me, speak to me like the lady I am & leave the street talk where it belongs, in the street. Mommy raised me better than that! <3 Single but not desperate <3 Anime & Manga fanatic for life! <3 Love me or leave me because I won't change for anybody. I've lost friends over this but then again they weren't my friends if they treated me that way right? "You may feel alone when you're falling asleep, And everytime tears roll down your cheeks... But I know your heart belongs to someone you've yet to meet. Someday you will be loved... ---Ghost Girl"
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Comments (33)
Another important feature to consider is a keyboard since you will be writing papers in college. While there are physical keyboard attachments for the iPad, I don't feel it will ever be a replacement for the kind of usage you get out of a laptop. My personal suggestion is getting a cheap laptop/netbook for any writing/intensive usage and using your leftover money to get an iPad if you can for reading textbooks and PDFs (a lot of my professors will just scan sections that you need to read and upload them as PDFs) and also for the fun of an iPad.
why would you get an oversized ipod? im a huge apple fan and i hate the ipad its stupid. also when in college you will need to have space and a stable keyboard to type papers.
I imagine the iPad would be better for business people that are on the go. College students really need a laptop. There is no comparison between a laptop and an iPad when it comes to word computation.
The ipad has no where near the software capabilities as a laptop. It also doesnt support flash. So there will be times you're browsing the internet, and certain sites wont work for you. Also, if you're a student, you'll be needing a USB flash drive and the ipad doesnt come with a port to plug in a flash drive. I'll buy an ipad once it becomes as functional as a laptop
Laptop ftw.. I like the storage amount and the fact that I could use necessary programs that do not work on the iPad.
This is no debate at all. The ipad does not even compare to a laptop computer in an academic setting.
1. No word processing, the most important component of a college student's personal machine. Sure, you can go to the library to write a paper, but I thought we were talking about convenience here. If we're a lazy enough people that a laptop being two pounds heavier than an ipad makes it an unbearable burden, surely saving a walk to the computer lab counters that pretty hard. Not to mention touchpad keyboards are freaking annoying.
2. You can get a netbook with way more functionality for the same price. Mac enthusiasts tend to forget that computers exist outside of Apple.
3. Laptops have the same education tools as the ipad. Download Amazon's Kindle for Mac (for free) off of their website; buy digital textbooks for cheap; read them on your computer screen; profit. If free books are your game, then Kindle has you covered also. I bought two textbooks and got three books free: Pride and Prejudice, a collection of Aesop's Fables, and Treasure Island.
4. My Macbook Pro lasts 6 hours. Have to charge it once a day because I use it for notes in class and everything in between, but hey.
*5. NO FLASH. How am I going to show my friends stupid cat videos when I can't run youtube? Screw education, THIS IS WHAT COLLEGE IS REALLY ABOUT.
I'm not saying ipads are worthless; they are probably great for professionals that just need to jot down quick notes and look up something quickly on the internet. But you can't pretend that it compares to an actual computer.
These reasons would not make me want to choose an iPad over a laptop. lol
I would stick with a laptop over an Ipad. I really don't like Mac products. I prefer my PC computer an Mp3 player over an Ipod. My Mp3 player is much more affordable and easier to use.
@soulfuric - I'm not quite a Mac Enthusiast just yet. LOL. I'm actually pretty new. I've had PCs all my life & my desktop is one. My dad got me a Mac book for school 2 years ago so I'm still kinda new. My biggest gripe about Macs is that they dont have games. They're getting better at it but Mac is more for school/business. I still love it though. Regarding your comment though, I'll reply in order to make it easy (I'm SO exhausted. I havent been to sleep since 9am last night. yay college! XD)
1. You can get iWork or Word for the iPad. There's free versions or affordable apps for it. The keyboard dock is pretty affordable too & it turns the iPad into a laptop.
2. This I agree on too, that's why I said I was comparing to laptops in general. I havent had a netbook in 6 years though because mine died on me. That one was 10 pounds & made of metal. I dont miss it. XD
3. I'm not into buying ebooks for pleasure yet because things I like arent on there yet but I'm looking into it. For school hell yes I want to download because I'm in a medical program & those books are like weighs. LOL. I'm old fashioned too, I like holding books when I read for fun,
4. Mine is about the same. The newer computers have a 10 hour battery life too.
5. I dont know about this actually. As long as I have a good internet connection, mine works just fine for youtube & net browsing.
I dont thing iPads will ever take the place of computers, no way! As mentioned, there's no either or for me because it goes hand in hand with my computer & I need it to load the stuff on the iPad. I go to school in the morning so I dont need much with me, that's why I leave my laptop at home & bring this with me instead. =)
@treeless@xanga - @KickDrumHeart@datingish - @ilikemynamealso@xanga - @nomnomyourbewbs@xanga - @mesokimy@xanga -@bAbiiExxPiNay@xanga - @individually_surveys@xanga - You guys all pretty much said the same things so I'll make it all one comment. haha! In a nutshell, I mostly upload my work on here so I can study without 50 pounds of paper & books. For my Anatomy & Physiology class alone (& I STILL have a week & a half to go), I've written over 800 index cards full of combining forms, prefixes, suffixes & little study hints I made up. That card box is a good 10 pounds right there but my friend typed hers all up & we upload them onto our devices (she has a nook) for review. So I have my hard copy & something to bring to school to add things to everyday. Plus the textbook I use has audio chapters I can listen to on my iPad while I study.
I dont think iPads will make laptops obsolete but it's like a notebook you can have everything in & not worry about things getting lost or going missing on you. The docs app I use is free & opens Microsoft files too, which is a huge help since I do alot of work on my desktop & I can transfer it to the iPad via Wi-fi connection. It's good for on the go work. As mentioned in the comment above, I go to class in the morning so I dont have much to do since the classes are mostly lecture & copy so I come home, do the work & upload what I need to get done.
Also, alot of schools are giving iPads to students to use instead of textbooks so maybe within the next decade or so, paper textbooks will become obsolete & not just at college level!
If you're a student, you need decent word-processing software and a decent keyboard, as well as good storage space and things like flash player. An iPad struggles with things like that. I personally would not buy one for college use.
@millionofstars@xanga - One thing I do agree on is that MP3 players are more affordable. Plus they play ANY file! I'm mad that iTunes will play any file but the iPod only plays MP3s. That annoys me because I have to convert so many files to MP3s (which also takes up more room).
@Shinbi_Belldandy@xanga - Yeah, you could only buy about 3 or 4 textbooks for the price of an iPad. They are ridiculously overpriced!
I'd still rather have my laptop over an iPad. I like having a keyboard. Blogging, writing papers... can't efficiently or easily be done on an iPad, IMO. I need the USB & extra storage, too.
@KickDrumHeart@datingish - That's true too. What my friends & I do is get the titles & author(s) of the books they need & look to see if they're in e-book format (which is way cheaper) & get that & when it's time to pick up the books at school, we sell them back & get the money.
The iPad does sound intriguing. Can you plug a keyboard into it or something and type?
i use my ipad to take notes in class, i have all my text books on there, its so easy! ilove it! i have word excel powerpoint my music my email liek everything and its smaller and it easily is backed up on my itunes. i still use my boyfriends laptop for cs3 and such only because they ipad can not suport the huge storage necessary for it.
IPAD FTW
i have a blue tooth keyboard i carry all in a cute bag and htat's it. i love it and wouldn't trade it for the worlddd
One thing is that I just don't want to move my head up and down checking if I typed the notes correctly :P I would rather be darting my vision back and forth. At least with an iPad I could shove it in my purse. I have to bring a backpack for one laptop.
IMO if you buy an Ipad over a laptop for college you're way stupid. You can't TYPE on an ipad comfortably.
Not to mention cost wise it'snot worth it.
don't forget "no tactile keyboard" under cons
@lizpimphat@xanga - @happyobligations@xanga - Yes they do have a Keyboard dock. It's very cute. I dont use it much because like I said in a comment, I mostly use it for reading & review work but I do take it with me in case I do need to type up something long.
Others should look at the long comments I wrote earlier before calling me stupid because I explained things to them.
@MoonFaeEyryan@xanga - I got mine used & free. =) Depending on what you do in college, it might be better or not for you. I mostly have mine for review so I dont carry all my books & cards with me. I still do my homework & research on my laptop & then upload it to my iPad. And since my music is on there too, it's one less thing to carry. It's useful enough to me that I will buy one down the line because I want one with more space.
It's nice to have something light you can use on the go. Being in the allied health field, I have apps on there for looking up things in class (which helps my teachers at times! LOL), my schedule & I can check my email. It's saved me many times when I forgot papers at home & I had to show some proof I did things. Granted yes a laptop can do all that & more but I dont like to carry mine out alot. Even password protected, someone would get in eventually & then all my information is out there.
A piece of technology I personally dont get are mini netbooks. Everyone I knew that tried one returned them the next day. You may as well get a regular one! Like a Mac book starts at 13 inch screens & a mini is like 9. What's 4 less inches going to do except make everything look crowded. Plus they keboard is awkward. I can type with one hand so it's not that big of an issue for me but I can see how annoying it can get after a while.
@Shinbi_Belldandy@xanga - I'm thinking about getting an iPad for grad school so I also don't have to lug around a ton of articles and books-- has this been successful for you? I"m kind of concerned that I won't be able to find my books for it. I'm kind of relying on the Kindle App to be able to save the pain in my back!
@tsuimei@xanga - The kindle app is free too & awesome! While it's true some books may not be on there yet since it's still new, some may have the audio verson you can buy. Or you can atleast type up the work you need & upload it on there. I do that alot! I have so many terms to remember & practice long after class ends next week. The Docs app is free for the basic version & then there's pay ones. The app works so that you can read & type! That's good incase you want to type on the go or edit your notes.
And if you profession has magazines, chances are you can get the app for it from the store too or atleast read the mobile versions off the sites if you get internet access on your iPad.
Just make sure when you get the Kindle app you get the right one. There's one for PCs & one for Mac. I had to get the Mac one!
Get a tablet PC = best of both worlds. Seriously. iPad is an overpriced and bigger version of an already overpriced iPod touch.
iPads, imo, are the most pointless, useless products in the market. Anything you want to do on an iPad, any smartphone can also accomplish. Comparing an iPad to a laptop is like comparing apples to oranges. If you're talking about STUDENTS, get a freaking netbook. They're small, lightweight, portable, and cheaper than iPads [in general] and can actually do the things that a student would want them to do. For the price of an iPad, you can get a decent netbook AND smartphone, and voila! You can now do all the things an iPad can and then some. And you've still probably saved some money. And your netbook is flash compatible. Just sayin'....