iPad 2 after two months of ownership--Review

iPad 2 after two months of ownership--Review

Not sure why I bother with a review, when so many are probably out there, but I felt one aspect of the iPad (2) is not covered well in any review I have seen.

First, let's put to rest the ludicrous statement by Jobs, that this somehow replaces a PC. It does not. In fact, due to intentional limitations by Apple, this does not really work well unless you have a PC (by PC I mean Personal Computer, not Windows versus Mac).

The limitations are not the hardware, nor the interface (per se). The hardware is the best on the market and it is an elegant piece of machinery--a blend of art with functionality. I have no major complaints with the hardware, the device itself.

I do, however, feel that iTunes--which is necessary to use this and indeed locks the use of this to essentially ONE computer, is one of the worst pieces of software I have seen. (I am refering to iTunes 10.2.2.12, which was current as of this writing). The use of iTunes as the main method of transfering your own personal files to and from the iPad is what made so many view the iPad as a glorified iPod. The iPad is much more, but is crippled by the methodology inherent in the iTunes paradigm. It is because of this that OVER TIME other devices have a CHANCE to catch up to the iPad in popularity. It may not happen, but this P.O.S. program will be one reason why it stands an increased chance.

This combined with how badly iTunes behaves on a Windows 7 - 64bit computer ruins what would have been a great experience.

At a glance:

Hardware

Pros:

-Thin and elegant

-Simple design on buttons that does what is necessary.

-GUI on the iPad is good.

-Responsive

Cons:

-The only major con on the hardware itself is that the plug is a bit hard to get used to for plugging in. This gets better over time.

-No standard USB plug on the iPad, just the proprietary Apple plug. Not a big deal, but annoying.

Minor cons: HDMI adaptor not included. no second USB-Apple cord provided.

Software:

Pros:

- on the iPad the software is fairly intuitive and easy.

Cons:

-No easy way to transfer files when ever you want from whatever computer you want. You are limited to iTunes for music, books, and movies. This means that when you have three computers and one of those is at the cabin/vacation home you are screwed in using your iPad to upload and download what you want to, when you want to. This is INCREDIBLY annoying. I have ripped 800 CDs (that I 0wn and are sitting on a very large bookshelf covering an entire wall)...I don't necessarily want ALL of those on the iPad all the time...and I want to put a few movies on the iPad for my daughter to watch on the road trip ... then at the cabin, move some off and move some more on...to do this is unbelievably painful with iTunes and not officially supported.

-No way to install an app that does not come from the app store. This is no surprise to anyone, I am sure, but if the iPad is ever to be fully thought of as a next generation to the PC...this will have to change!

-A significant number of people on the forums seem to have the same problem as I do: very often iiTunes will not recognize the iPad. Tip if this occurs: you have to close out iTunes, power down and then power up the iPad while plugged in. This seems to generally get iTunes to start up and recognize it.

-ANother problem that the forums confirm is familiar, iTunes will freeze when first starting up...it doesn't do anything (no CPU usage) ... just freezes for about 10 minutes. Rather annoying.

Bottom Line:

The iPad is a wonderful piece of hardware and I don't regret owning it. I hate, abhor, detest, and would pay money to have a simple drag and drop alternative to iTunes that I could use from multiple computers. This should make anyone think twice before plunking down the significant dollars that an iPad costs. If you already have an iPod or an iPhone, and a laptop, you also might want to think twice about buying.