reply to post by lcbjr1979
I'm 31 and have the iPad1. It has all but replaced my PC ( which is still used for torrenting and uploading photos to websites like this one). The
portability is it's best feature. One with 3G is great for road trips and the assisted GPS feature works even if you don't turn on the 3G function
(although the maps won't continue to load without internet connectivity)
(NOTE: I did copy and paste some of the descriptions to make sure what I was saying was accurate.)
PROS:
10 Hours of battery life (16 with screen at it's dimmest setting And 4 at it's brightest setting) I recommend recharging when you recharge yourself
(sleep)
built in microphone is a plus for VOiP apps such as
Skype for iPad
Also good for the app for Dragon Dictation (
FREE) which helps a lot for
writing papers and the such. Requires an internet connection to work. The PC version costs but packs more features.
Snoozerr Recordings app gives you the ability to take pictures
while recording audio which is cool in and of itself, but what's even more useful is the way it's played back. Every picture you take is
automatically timestamped with the moment it was captured in the audio track. $1 (requires iDevice with a camera, says it's for iPhone, but iPhone
apps work on the iPad)
Maps. You’ll even find things to see, places to eat, and landmarks to visit along the
way. See the best routes in satellite view, terrain view, or street view. Even avoid traffic.
CalendarAll your schedules are easy to read and easy to manage on iPad — even when
everything happens at once. Calendar cleans up, organizes, and creates calm in the most hectic schedules. (never miss a class or due date for a
paper)
Reference tools such as
iBooks Read, look, and listen. Download full-page illustrated books, cookbooks, and
art books. Flip through Enhanced Books, where you can hear an author read a favorite passage, watch supplementary video, or through a library of photo
extras for the inside story. Or listen to a narrator bring a book to life with the read-aloud feature. The page navigator shows you where you are in
the story. And you can use the bookmark feature to highlight text and make notes — perfect for students. When you take a reading break, iBooks saves
your place across all your devices. So you can start a book on your iPad and pick up where you left off on your iPhone or iPod touch. You can even set
up your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to automatically download your new books over Wi-Fi or 3G. PDFs — user guides, business proposals, project plans
— all go on your bookshelf, too. When someone emails you a PDF, open it in iBooks.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary which should be obvious.
Full safari web browser (minus flash).
Larger Screen then a Netbook & cheaper then a laptop.
With
Apple Digital AV Adapter it can be mirrored onto the
television or anything with a HDMI in port (such as a projector) for presentations.
Built in Wifi - a must for any device now-a-days and with colleges, whether it be college provided or a student's personal internet wifi connection
(they have their own connection to the internet and have wifi connected) wifi will be all over the place for connectivity.
Amazon Student -
Lets College Kids Trade In Their Hated
Textbooks first link takes you to the app, second link takes you to the story on Gizmodo that explains it better then me.
AirPrint which can print straight to supported printers.
CONS:
Expensive, often called a trend follower, see the comments earlier that seemed unbiased or negative.
No Optical Drive or USB port. Only connectable by way of the docking cord.
Additional cords can be expensive at $39 for the above mentioned Apple Digital AV Adapter or a replacement docking cable (STRONGLY recommended as they
tend to get damaged at the ends) that's $20. (Recommend getting a roll of electrical tape and use it where the plug meets the cord immediately)
Screen covers (cases) are VERY expensive or super cheap (won't last) but are a requirement to keep the screen safe from scratches.
Collects fingerprints and smudges like a black hole.
Some college classes might require work to be done on a website which might not be compatible. (in particular with cells that need to be filled in or
where you need to scroll down inside a frame and without a scroll bar it becomes impossible to do so)
Limited data space: 64GB (the max size) seems a lot, but movies are about 700MB, MP3s can be about 3MB or more, so it can add up fast. And there is no
way to back it up without a PC to save it on.
AirPrint does not always work, and there are not a lot of supported printers. (so you end up having to send your printings to a computer by email or
dropbox and print from there)
Final thoughts:
iPad is the best assistant and almost a computer replacement for college. But having a computer is still almost a requirement. Get an iPad if you have
a cheap or older computer you don't mind using at college in addition to the iPad and still have money left over on your direct loans. Otherwise go
after a decent laptop and lug it around with the charger.