Should I Buy An iPad?

iPad has revolutionized the way we use computers. It has redefined mobility in computing and has taken it to an entirely different level. We were used to sitting in front of a PC with a keyboard and a mouse, waiting eternally for it to come up after a start or even waiting for it to shut down. Even though most people use PCs for browsing the Internet, only those who have used iPad realize that surfing the Internet can be so much more fun, and can be made possible for even the toddlers and the very aged if they use iPad.

Apple has successfully strived hard to produce products that are very intuitive and easy to use while giving the best results and user experience. The simplicity of the interfaces has caught the attention of many making Apple products a must have even for those who are not technically savvy.iPads, therefore, are no exceptions.

Before the iPads were introduced, several other companies had tried the concept of tablet computers and failed miserably – primarily because the difference between a tablet PC and a desktop PC was not much. The use of a tablet PC became even more cumbersome as the users had a choice of using either a mouse or a stylus to position the cursor.The lack of touch technology in those days, could have been one of the major reasons for an early demise of the tablet PCs.

iPads brought in the computing power in a handy interface that needed neither a mouse nor a keyboard. The keyboard that is conveniently available right when needed allowed the development of applications and tools that could be used for professional, educational and entertainment uses. Needless to say, the people who could use iPads and enjoy using them, grew by leaps and bounds making iPads one of the most sought after piece of technology of this decade.

Should you buy an iPad?

Well, there are several points to consider:

The main tasks that you can perform using an iPad are:

1. Browse the Internet (non-Flash websites only for the optimum performance)

2. Check emails from multiple accounts

3. Read books, news papers

4. Video chat with another iPad/iPhone user who has FaceTime enabled on his/her device.

5. Run applications and games that you can download from Apple’s App Store.

6. Take pictures or shoot video and organize them.

The main features that you would find lacking in an iPad are:

1. iPads are not full fledged computers: You cannot do everything that you can on a laptop or a PC, using an iPad. It is important to note that iPads can run only the applications that have been developed for the iPads and that are available from Apple’s App Store. There are hundreds of thousands of applications available for the iPad platform, but they may not be similar to what you are used to using on a PC.

2. Using the Internet: If using the Internet or checking your emails is one of the primary reasons you are looking for, you would be surprised at the ease with which you can accomplish these tasks using an iPad. However, you should also note that currently, iPads do not run applications that use Adobe Flash and there are many Flash based applications and games on the Internet that may not run at all on the iPads. There are rumors that Adobe is working on solution that will allow running a Flash app on iPads but at the time of writing this article, that solution has not been made available.

3. You cannot have user accounts on iPads. Unlike a PC or a laptop, where users can create their own accounts allowing them the privacy of usage, iPads do not allow creating multiple accounts. There is a password feature that can be used to lock the iPad, but the password needs to be shared amongst the users. Therefore, if you allow your kids to play on your iPad, they might be able to check your emails or see what you have been using the iPad for.

Therefore, even though iPads are great devices, you should see if it serves your needs you wish to buy one for.