Team-BHP - iPad-ed !!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by s4ch

Have you ever used a playbook? I have one and I really dont agree, the interface on the playbook is really slick and at about 13.5k it is absolute value for money. Also with the new OS2.0 there is a whole new world of apps available aka Android Marketplace. Anyway this is going a bit :OT so my apologies.

Ok so I also want to get an iPad, but have the following doubts, would appreciate some insight on this if possible guys:

1. I will be using it as a replacement for a lot of books, and every week I would like to download the latest copy of a magazine that I subscribe to. Now on my playbook I just visit the website and download it in epub format, open my epub reader and browse to it and voila there you go, read and enjoy. However I know how finnicky Apple devices are on syncing with itunes and the like, so every time I download my new epub will I have to do it on my PC and re-sync with the iPad, or can I download it over wifi/3g on the iPad and view directly from iBooks or the Nook app etc?? What about other format files - is there a kind of file manager app on the iPad? As I know earlier Apple devices had these limitations.

2. For my work, I connect to my office VPN server and then use RealVNC viewer to remotely work on my office computer. On the iPad will I be able to connect to my work VPN? Is there an option to configure? Also I know there is a RealVNC app available for iOS, has anyone had any experience in using it?

3. Finally, I know the iPad uses a micro-sim for 3G. Is it easy to get a micro-sim from say Airtel? Anyone had any experience with this?

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Playbook had inherit issues of using it with BB service only which had limited acceptance, yes the book looked delicious in the current format and pricing. Ok enough of OT ;)

1. Apple uses ePub as well. So your existing books will be easily transferred using iTunes.
2. iPad too can configure and its out of the box VPN support. You can also make use of 3rd party apps. It works just fine.
3. I got my microsim from Reliance. Airtel too has micro-sim available but I liked Reliance speed better in NCR.

Cheers!

Quote:

Originally Posted by DerAlte (Post 2718840)

I use an Airtel microsim in my iPad. It started life as a regular sim, which the Airtel store person cut using the microsim cutter. If you call ahead, they will surely get the regular microsim for you.

Thank you for the input. Once the sim has been cut into a micro-sim can it be used in a phone that requires a normal sim size?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sn1p3r (Post 2718711)

...
1. Apple uses ePub as well. So your existing books will be easily transferred using iTunes.
2. iPad too can configure and its out of the box VPN support. You can also make use of 3rd party apps. It works just fine.
...

Thank you also for the input. Do the books have to be transferred using itunes or can I just download them straight through the Safari browser? Also do you have any idea if PPTP is supported for the VPN profile? (Sorry for the finnicky questions, just weighing up between android and iOS.)

Thanks! Will probably get the 3G+Wifi from ebay as Bluengel180 mentioned, they are doing a great deal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by s4ch

Thank you for the input. Once the sim has been cut into a micro-sim can it be used in a phone that requires a normal sim size?
.

Yes, retain the outer shell when they cut your regular sim in to Micro sim. If you wish to use it as normal, you just need to pop in the micro sim in to the shell. I tried it and worked like charm, initially I didn't had any contacts stored in SIM they all were in my phone, I realised this only after converting it into micro, followed above procedure to insert the SIM back to old one to copy them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by s4ch

Yes PPTP, L2TP, IPSec are supported.
You can also download the books, PDFs, documents directly to iPad or for that matter any iOS device. Saving image is also easy. With new releases it is foretold that iOS will take as much from OS X as its the other way around. I think for sometime in future thus is the OS to beat so enjoy the journey.

Since the iPad is launched, my attention to it grew from indifference to non-acceptance to acceptance to liking. In fact, last one or two months, I was toying with the idea of buying one and if I do, what could be the good enough reason to convince the "One and only one". For some reasons, she was against it. The other girl in the household, my daughter, on the other hand was gently pushing me to get one for us.

Now, with the announcement of iPad3 price of iPad2 came down. So, decided to buy one. About the convincing part: my home desktop, an assembled one with low budget, keeps givng some issues on and off and while installing some linux patches lately the windows partition got corrupted and I could not recover it so far. And she is not comfortable with linux. So, finally she said let's get a branded one: this time, no desktop, but a laptop. My reasoning: laptop is ~45k for the configuration I am looking for and that's a lot of money. Secondly, I already have an "office" laptop for work. Why one more? So, the war was won.

So on Ugadi evening, visited the Apple Store in Forum Mall, Koramangala and after spending half an hour or so experiencing the iPad2 there, bought one. It's a 32 GB wifi iPad-2, with white bezels. I got it at Rs.30500. A leather wrapper (iAccy make) that can protect the device on both sides (front and back), came as a free gift along with the purchase. I also bought a screen protector of 3M make. This costed me Rs.1500. The price is steep, but I guess, that's how it is with all Apple accessories. The guys at the showroom applied this screen on the iPad and they have done a very good job at that. I must admit that the screen protector quality is superb. I can't figure out that there is one unless I look very closely at the sides.

BTW, I don't like the Apple's proprietary connector to the docking port. It seems to me that this is the weakest part in the whole deal. Only time will tell if it's build quality is at par with the device or not.

The surprise part: my daughter. She didn't know that I would buy one straight away. While at the store, she experienced the iPad and was happy and asked if we would buy one. I said: today we experience it and will buy later. After the purchase when I showed her the iPad, her smile was priceless and I got a tight hug, again priceless.

This is my first Apple device, so, I am getting accustomed to Apple way of things, I must admit.

Now, I need some help from the gurus:
a. What are the "must have" apps?
b. How does one know what all apps are running at a given time and, how to close one app, if I want to?
c. The iTunes app can't connect to the store/server (whatever); what could be the issue? Other apps like iBook, appStore, Safari etc have no connection issues.

Cheers
Pratim

Quote:

Originally Posted by pratim (Post 2726302)

Now, I need some help from the gurus:
a. What are the "must have" apps?
b. How does one know what all apps are running at a given time and, how to close one app, if I want to?
c. The iTunes app can't connect to the store/server (whatever); what could be the issue? Other apps like iBook, appStore, Safari etc have no connection issues.

Cheers
Pratim

a) Depends on what you want to do, so go through the app store, read reviews and maybe even trial the app and then download. So many of them.

b) Double click the home button, you will see the different apps that have been switched ON at the bottom. In iOS very few app run while kept at background (instead they are just put to sleep at the last knows state and recalled when needed), only the ones with background updation (say latitude) run.

c) First try login using a browser and see if the iTunes account password etc is correct and working fine. Then start afresh in the app by restarting the app and maybe even re-entering the password.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pratim

After the purchase when I showed her the iPad, her smile was priceless and I got a tight hug, again priceless.

This is my first Apple device, so, I am getting accustomed to Apple way of things, I must admit.

Now, I need some help from the gurus:
a. What are the "must have" apps?
b. How does one know what all apps are running at a given time and, how to close one app, if I want to?
c. The iTunes app can't connect to the store/server (whatever); what could be the issue? Other apps like iBook, appStore, Safari etc have no connection issues.

Cheers
Pratim

Congratulations! The lowered prices are a boon, the device lacks nothing that you want from the new one (screen is gorgeous but nothing more).

The tight hug and smile are priceless. I now hope you get some time on it ;)

I think you got the wifi version and not the 3G version, am I right?

The have must app as Jaggu mentioned depends on your demands from the device, it can convert to an incredible learning device to your accountant with a few clicks. So choose, the app store has abundant apps for your every need. There's a section for top free apps and those come along with lots of reviews.

You can use 4 finger upward stroke to bring the open apps screen or as Jaggu mentioned use the double home key. Hold on to any app in the strip and you can close once they jiggle, you can also swipe along the strip to see many more that are open.

iTunes not working, maybe the iPad was not hooked to net at the first go. Try to close the iTunes app and try again, it's finicky about the connection first issue. I seldom use it, if not for iTunes Univ app.

If moderators permit, I will post a link to my blog that has description to most of the app I use and rate them.