Well... I'm not going to lie, I'm fairly confident that the iPad suffers from both a hardware and software issue. I say hardware because I think the antenna in the damned thing is either very piss poor, or part of the reason why the battery life is so high is because there's not a lot of power running into it. Everywhere in my apartment is perfectly fine, but in the bedroom, I'll go from 12mbps down to about 4mbps, and if I prop the device on my legs, I'm lucky if I get about 100kbps before the connection is lost.
Well... I'm not going to lie, I'm fairly confident that the iPad suffers from both a hardware and software issue. I say hardware because I think the antenna in the damned thing is either very piss poor, or part of the reason why the battery life is so high is because there's not a lot of power running into it. Everywhere in my apartment is perfectly fine, but in the bedroom, I'll go from 12mbps down to about 4mbps, and if I prop the device on my legs, I'm lucky if I get about 100kbps before the connection is lost.
That, to me, sounds like an interference issue. You probably have more RF interference in the bedroom, and are experiencing network drops because of it. That's not necessarily an issue that can't be resolved through software, but is compounded by the fact that the iPad is enclosed in aluminum.
Still that should be resolvable by finding a channel that has less interference than others. The easiest way would be to scan the wifi networks you can pick up locally with a laptop and observe what channels they're using, then pick one that isn't in use.
I know you already returned it, but considering how few the numbers are on the vocal minority experiencing the issue, and that most have been able to resolve it really makes me doubt there are any significant hardwarre defects at play.
If anyone is having frequency interference issues and happen to be running something like DD-WRT or Tomato on their router, the iPhone and (I assume) the iPad will connect just fine to wifi channel 14. Just watch out for the FCC.
Well... I'm not going to lie, I'm fairly confident that the iPad suffers from both a hardware and software issue. I say hardware because I think the antenna in the damned thing is either very piss poor, or part of the reason why the battery life is so high is because there's not a lot of power running into it. Everywhere in my apartment is perfectly fine, but in the bedroom, I'll go from 12mbps down to about 4mbps, and if I prop the device on my legs, I'm lucky if I get about 100kbps before the connection is lost.
That, to me, sounds like an interference issue. You probably have more RF interference in the bedroom, and are experiencing network drops because of it. That's not necessarily an issue that can't be resolved through software, but is compounded by the fact that the iPad is enclosed in aluminum.
Still that should be resolvable by finding a channel that has less interference than others. The easiest way would be to scan the wifi networks you can pick up locally with a laptop and observe what channels they're using, then pick one that isn't in use.
I know you already returned it, but considering how few the numbers are on the vocal minority experiencing the issue, and that most have been able to resolve it really makes me doubt there are any significant hardwarre defects at play.
Like I said, I'll pick one up down the road. Loved the device but needed the phones a bit more now, and I couldn't exactly afford everything. Well, I could, but I'm cheap.
Oh also I'm still on this things first charge with 1% battery life, been streamin video for about 5 min trying to kill it. I've always heard with cell phones it's not good to charge if it isn't dead. Is that still an issue with technology, was it always a wives tale, or was it true, just a thing of the past now?
jeddy lee on
Backlog Challenge: 0%
0/8
PS2
FF X replay
PS3
God of War 1&2 HD
Rachet and Clank Future
MGS 4
Prince of Persia
Oh also I'm still on this things first charge with 1% battery life, been streamin video for about 5 min trying to kill it. I've always heard with cell phones it's not good to charge if it isn't dead. Is that still an issue with technology, was it always a wives tale, or was it true, just a thing of the past now?
That's an old wives tale. Lithium ion batteries don't have the memory effect from partial discharges like NiCd and NiMH batteries. The reason those types even develop memories is because they electrolyte substance tends to crystalize and so becomes less permeable electricity flowing through it. With a lithium ion you're only going to damage it if you leave fully discharged for long periods of time.
Oh also I'm still on this things first charge with 1% battery life, been streamin video for about 5 min trying to kill it. I've always heard with cell phones it's not good to charge if it isn't dead. Is that still an issue with technology, was it always a wives tale, or was it true, just a thing of the past now?
That's an old wives tale. Lithium ion batteries don't have the memory effect from partial discharges like NiCd and NiMH batteries. The reason those types even develop memories is because they electrolyte substance tends to crystalize and so becomes less permeable electricity flowing through it. With a lithium ion you're only going to damage it if you leave fully discharged for long periods of time.
Oh, well thanks for the very comprehensive answer.
jeddy lee on
Backlog Challenge: 0%
0/8
PS2
FF X replay
PS3
God of War 1&2 HD
Rachet and Clank Future
MGS 4
Prince of Persia
I couldn't contain my gadget lust any longer (and I got a nice promotion at work) so I picked up an iPad this morning at Best Buy. It is really fucking cool. I'm typing on it right now and I feel like Captain Picard.
The idea that it is just a big iPhone is somewhat accurate but definitely not a negative thing. I really like browsing on my iPhone save for the small screen. It's great when I'm out and about but when I'm at home and can take the time to really read things I want a larger screen. I've got a netbook but it can be a hassle to browse for long periods with it. The widescreen makes it so I need to scroll all the time but the trackpad gestures for scrolling suck ass. I also can't easily hold it up to recline on the couch with it. When it comes to reading portrait layout PDFs all of it's interface issues get exacerbated. So far my iPad has been way more comfortable for on-the-couch browsing. GoodReader won my heart by working fantastically reading PDF books.
I grabbed a few Project Gutenberg books in the iBooks app and they were pretty nice. I also already had some ePub versions from PG for Stanza and they loaded up into iBooks without any trouble. I'm really looking forward to more apps getting the iPad treatment as the 2x zooming makes some apps like kind of crappy. The native apps I either had or bought look great, the iPad AIM app is actually pretty damn impressive.
How do I just browse apps in the app store on my iPad? All that I seem to be able to do is search and see what's hot and featured apps. I'm pretty sure there are more than 50 or so games for example, but I can't figure out how to browse through them all.
Any good case recommendations, preferably ones that have the ability to stand the iPad upright? I've heard the Apple case is expensive for the cheap piece of garbage it is.
I found this study stand from Amazon, it's cheap and foldable. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007LTJFO/ref=oss_product
I bought this because I already had a Bluetooth keyboard for use with my MBP, so I didn't want a dock or anything. It's really nice for use with iDisplay's second monitor set up.
How do I just browse apps in the app store on my iPad? All that I seem to be able to do is search and see what's hot and featured apps. I'm pretty sure there are more than 50 or so games for example, but I can't figure out how to browse through them all.
I think it works like this...
if you go to the main app store front page there are two buttons at the very top. (iPhone / iPad) Click iPad.
Then if you click the App Store pulldown at the top of the page and go to games I think it only shows you iPad games...
I actually really like Apple's case, though I didn't really comparison shop since it was a gift. The way the cover folds back and tucks in to create the slanted edge for typing also makes it usable to stand vertical in either portrait or landscape, plus if you're a righty the cover actually gives you something to grip with your left hand when in portrait, making it very usable for one-hand typing.
Does anyone have any good Bluetooth keyboard recommendations? I'd prefer something with as small of a footprint as possible.
I actually really like Apple's case, though I didn't really comparison shop since it was a gift. The way the cover folds back and tucks in to create the slanted edge for typing also makes it usable to stand vertical in either portrait or landscape, plus if you're a righty the cover actually gives you something to grip with your left hand when in portrait, making it very usable for one-hand typing.
Does anyone have any good Bluetooth keyboard recommendations? I'd prefer something with as small of a footprint as possible.
Apple's is pretty tiny if you need a full sized keyboard.
Also, consider this:
Logitech DiNovo Mini
syndalis on
SW-4158-3990-6116
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
I posted this in the apps thread, but I'm looking for a variety of opinions. I don't really need an iPad, but the one thing that could convince me to get one would be if its touchpad keyboard were large enough for me to use it for typing longer documents. I've written a novel on an Acer netbook, so a smaller keyboard than normal doesn't bug me -- I just need something physically large enough for me to use more than just one finger at a time. If it could do that, it could essentially turn into my mobile word processor, which would be awesome. Opinions from people who've used it?
(I know about the Bluetooth keyboard, but as soon as I'm carrying around multiple items, this loses its cool "Hey, I could just whip this out at Starbucks and work on my writing anywhere!" potential.)
As someone who has both an iPad and a 92% full-keyboard-size netbook, my take is that primarily for word processing, the iPad is serviceable at best but definitely not a netbook replacement. You can definitely type with all of your fingers when the iPad's in landscape mode, and I am able to type a lot faster than I would have expected, but there's just too much of a reliance on auto-correct to catch your purposeful typos and such. I'm a copy editor anyway, so it's just too difficult for me to leave words without apostrophes and capitals. :P That's combined with the form factor, too; on a iPad you'll be leaning forward most of the time when typing in landscape, whereas a netbook's hinge-based design just makes things a lot more comfortable, especially for crafting coffee-shop poetry and such.
The iPad soft keyboard is great for quick e-mails, Facebook posts, URLs and such, but if I'm trying to write more than two grafs I just want a real keyboard, part of the reason I might get a Bluetooth one if I can find one on the cheap. The iPad is designed to absorb media first, and create it second.
How do I just browse apps in the app store on my iPad? All that I seem to be able to do is search and see what's hot and featured apps. I'm pretty sure there are more than 50 or so games for example, but I can't figure out how to browse through them all.
I think it works like this...
if you go to the main app store front page there are two buttons at the very top. (iPhone / iPad) Click iPad.
Then if you click the App Store pulldown at the top of the page and go to games I think it only shows you iPad games...
I don't see buttons or pull downs like you are describing. (I'm doing this all from the app store app on the iPad itself.) i think I'm asking something slightly different too -- I just want to browse a big list of apps, not just the featured apps. Maybe I can't do this from the iPad though.
So... I broke down and bought an iPad. Gonna be a week or so though, because only standard shipping is available? Which seems kinda odd, but whatever. Now I just need to find a good case.
While we are on the subject of cases, I picked up the Apple case assuming it would be the best fit for it. I was half right and half wrong. It doesn't add a lot of weight which is good, but I feel like the only thing it was built to protect was the screen. You are also supposed to be able to fold it and have it stand on its side, which works...unless there is a stiff breeze. Although after having the case 'broken in' a bit, it stays up a lot better.
How do I just browse apps in the app store on my iPad? All that I seem to be able to do is search and see what's hot and featured apps. I'm pretty sure there are more than 50 or so games for example, but I can't figure out how to browse through them all.
I think it works like this...
if you go to the main app store front page there are two buttons at the very top. (iPhone / iPad) Click iPad.
Then if you click the App Store pulldown at the top of the page and go to games I think it only shows you iPad games...
I don't see buttons or pull downs like you are describing. (I'm doing this all from the app store app on the iPad itself.) i think I'm asking something slightly different too -- I just want to browse a big list of apps, not just the featured apps. Maybe I can't do this from the iPad though.
While we are on the subject of cases, I picked up the Apple case assuming it would be the best fit for it. I was half right and half wrong. It doesn't add a lot of weight which is good, but I feel like the only thing it was built to protect was the screen. You are also supposed to be able to fold it and have it stand on its side, which works...unless there is a stiff breeze. Although after having the case 'broken in' a bit, it stays up a lot better.
the only thing that really bothers me about it is the fucking feathered edge along the sides
I'll never understand why they put that there. it stabs into my palm and is just generally very annoying.
I also wish there was a snap or velcro or something that kept the lid snug against the back when you had it open, but that's not really a big deal
Also, how does the autocomplete thing work? Every time it pops up and I click on it, it cancels it apparently. It seems to almost never pop up when I need it and then when it does, I click it or type past it and then it won't come back and I end up typing the word out anyway. It does seem to work for capitalizing "I" though.
Bunch of cases on this page. Some of them are pretty nice. One of the MacAlly cases caught my eye. I'll definitely check these out in more depth later...
Also, how does the autocomplete thing work? Every time it pops up and I click on it, it cancels it apparently. It seems to almost never pop up when I need it and then when it does, I click it or type past it and then it won't come back and I end up typing the word out anyway. It does seem to work for capitalizing "I" though.
you just keep typing if you want it to autocorrect. clicking on the word stops it from autocorrecting
Also, how does the autocomplete thing work? Every time it pops up and I click on it, it cancels it apparently. It seems to almost never pop up when I need it and then when it does, I click it or type past it and then it won't come back and I end up typing the word out anyway. It does seem to work for capitalizing "I" though.
you just keep typing if you want it to autocorrect. clicking on the word stops it from autocorrecting
Oh. Hmm, that seems opposite of every other auto complete system that I've encountered.
Also, how does the autocomplete thing work? Every time it pops up and I click on it, it cancels it apparently. It seems to almost never pop up when I need it and then when it does, I click it or type past it and then it won't come back and I end up typing the word out anyway. It does seem to work for capitalizing "I" though.
you just keep typing if you want it to autocorrect. clicking on the word stops it from autocorrecting
Oh. Hmm, that seems opposite of every other auto complete system that I've encountered.
makes more sense though... you don't want to break the flow of what you are doing to accept the autocorrect; since typos happen FAR more often then flubbed autocorrect attempts.
syndalis on
SW-4158-3990-6116
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
0
WulfDisciple of TzeentchThe Void... (New Jersey)Registered Userregular
edited April 2010
Or if you don't want to keep typing, you hit space when the corrected word comes up. Unless they changed it for the iPad...
Are there any good free or cheap image creation / coloring apps on par with ms paint at least? I have drawing or something, but there's no fill or eraser or various other useful features, just colored pencils.
jeddy lee on
Backlog Challenge: 0%
0/8
PS2
FF X replay
PS3
God of War 1&2 HD
Rachet and Clank Future
MGS 4
Prince of Persia
Are there any good free or cheap image creation / coloring apps on par with ms paint at least? I have drawing or something, but there's no fill or eraser or various other useful features, just colored pencils.
Are there any good free or cheap image creation / coloring apps on par with ms paint at least? I have drawing or something, but there's no fill or eraser or various other useful features, just colored pencils.
Adobe Ideas is passable and free, but lacks fill
Autodesk Sketchpad looks fantastic, but it's $7 and I haven't spent the money on it yet.
I'm surprised no one has brought up Pocket Legends yet. A free MMO with very high production quality.
The wife and I have been playing it pretty much all day.
Cryo84R on
So, I see the caterpillar has emerged from his cocoon...as a shark...with a gun for a mouth.
0
Big Red Tiebeautiful clydesdale style feettoo hot to trotRegistered Userregular
I'm surprised no one has brought up Pocket Legends yet. A free MMO with very high production quality.
The wife and I have been playing it pretty much all day.
we talked about it in the G&T game apps thread
i would be playing it but i just got pokemon. it is pretty polished for being free, i gotta say
I'm surprised no one has brought up Pocket Legends yet. A free MMO with very high production quality.
The wife and I have been playing it pretty much all day.
we talked about it in the G&T game apps thread
i would be playing it but i just got pokemon. it is pretty polished for being free, i gotta say
i haven't tried it myself, but when I asked a friend who did he said there's no depth whatsoever. Walk. Kill. Walk. Kill. Walk. Kill. i guess that's what most games are anyways... It is interesting, though, and makes me look forward to what else they can do MMO-wise...
I'm surprised no one has brought up Pocket Legends yet. A free MMO with very high production quality.
The wife and I have been playing it pretty much all day.
we talked about it in the G&T game apps thread
i would be playing it but i just got pokemon. it is pretty polished for being free, i gotta say
i haven't tried it myself, but when I asked a friend who did he said there's no depth whatsoever. Walk. Kill. Walk. Kill. Walk. Kill. i guess that's what most games are anyways... It is interesting, though, and makes me look forward to what else they can do MMO-wise...
yeah, but it's still really young and is also free
i too look forward to these kinds of portable MMOs (with more depth of course)
Posts
That, to me, sounds like an interference issue. You probably have more RF interference in the bedroom, and are experiencing network drops because of it. That's not necessarily an issue that can't be resolved through software, but is compounded by the fact that the iPad is enclosed in aluminum.
Still that should be resolvable by finding a channel that has less interference than others. The easiest way would be to scan the wifi networks you can pick up locally with a laptop and observe what channels they're using, then pick one that isn't in use.
I know you already returned it, but considering how few the numbers are on the vocal minority experiencing the issue, and that most have been able to resolve it really makes me doubt there are any significant hardwarre defects at play.
Like I said, I'll pick one up down the road. Loved the device but needed the phones a bit more now, and I couldn't exactly afford everything. Well, I could, but I'm cheap.
PS2
FF X replay
PS3
God of War 1&2 HD
Rachet and Clank Future
MGS 4
Prince of Persia
360
Bayonetta
Fable 3
DS
FF: 4 heroes of light
PS2
FF X replay
PS3
God of War 1&2 HD
Rachet and Clank Future
MGS 4
Prince of Persia
360
Bayonetta
Fable 3
DS
FF: 4 heroes of light
Oh, well thanks for the very comprehensive answer.
PS2
FF X replay
PS3
God of War 1&2 HD
Rachet and Clank Future
MGS 4
Prince of Persia
360
Bayonetta
Fable 3
DS
FF: 4 heroes of light
The idea that it is just a big iPhone is somewhat accurate but definitely not a negative thing. I really like browsing on my iPhone save for the small screen. It's great when I'm out and about but when I'm at home and can take the time to really read things I want a larger screen. I've got a netbook but it can be a hassle to browse for long periods with it. The widescreen makes it so I need to scroll all the time but the trackpad gestures for scrolling suck ass. I also can't easily hold it up to recline on the couch with it. When it comes to reading portrait layout PDFs all of it's interface issues get exacerbated. So far my iPad has been way more comfortable for on-the-couch browsing. GoodReader won my heart by working fantastically reading PDF books.
I grabbed a few Project Gutenberg books in the iBooks app and they were pretty nice. I also already had some ePub versions from PG for Stanza and they loaded up into iBooks without any trouble. I'm really looking forward to more apps getting the iPad treatment as the 2x zooming makes some apps like kind of crappy. The native apps I either had or bought look great, the iPad AIM app is actually pretty damn impressive.
I bought this because I already had a Bluetooth keyboard for use with my MBP, so I didn't want a dock or anything. It's really nice for use with iDisplay's second monitor set up.
I think it works like this...
if you go to the main app store front page there are two buttons at the very top. (iPhone / iPad) Click iPad.
Then if you click the App Store pulldown at the top of the page and go to games I think it only shows you iPad games...
Watch my music videos
Does anyone have any good Bluetooth keyboard recommendations? I'd prefer something with as small of a footprint as possible.
Apple's is pretty tiny if you need a full sized keyboard.
Also, consider this:
Logitech DiNovo Mini
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
yeah, even I have a hard time swallowing that pill.
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
As someone who has both an iPad and a 92% full-keyboard-size netbook, my take is that primarily for word processing, the iPad is serviceable at best but definitely not a netbook replacement. You can definitely type with all of your fingers when the iPad's in landscape mode, and I am able to type a lot faster than I would have expected, but there's just too much of a reliance on auto-correct to catch your purposeful typos and such. I'm a copy editor anyway, so it's just too difficult for me to leave words without apostrophes and capitals. :P That's combined with the form factor, too; on a iPad you'll be leaning forward most of the time when typing in landscape, whereas a netbook's hinge-based design just makes things a lot more comfortable, especially for crafting coffee-shop poetry and such.
The iPad soft keyboard is great for quick e-mails, Facebook posts, URLs and such, but if I'm trying to write more than two grafs I just want a real keyboard, part of the reason I might get a Bluetooth one if I can find one on the cheap. The iPad is designed to absorb media first, and create it second.
I don't see buttons or pull downs like you are describing. (I'm doing this all from the app store app on the iPad itself.) i think I'm asking something slightly different too -- I just want to browse a big list of apps, not just the featured apps. Maybe I can't do this from the iPad though.
click "Categories" on the bottom
you can browse the entire appstore from the iPad
the only thing that really bothers me about it is the fucking feathered edge along the sides
I'll never understand why they put that there. it stabs into my palm and is just generally very annoying.
I also wish there was a snap or velcro or something that kept the lid snug against the back when you had it open, but that's not really a big deal
I also have no idea how to scroll inside of a text box in iPad safari or I would have quoted the post.
Edit: ok I guess 2 fingers will scroll in a text box
You can usually (but not always) scroll within a text box using a two-finger scroll.
fuck, really? that was driving me nuts
i could've sworn there was a way to do it on the iPhone but I just couldn't remember
http://www.macworld.com/article/147154/2010/03/ipadcasepreview.html
Watch my music videos
you just keep typing if you want it to autocorrect. clicking on the word stops it from autocorrecting
Oh. Hmm, that seems opposite of every other auto complete system that I've encountered.
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
PS2
FF X replay
PS3
God of War 1&2 HD
Rachet and Clank Future
MGS 4
Prince of Persia
360
Bayonetta
Fable 3
DS
FF: 4 heroes of light
Gizmodo mentions Brushes
Edit: Also check out Drawing Pad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEU0EmiZcAk
Edit 2: And a discussion comparing Brushes with Colors, apparently another option
One last find: a chart comparing the features of some iPad drawing apps
Adobe Ideas is passable and free, but lacks fill
Autodesk Sketchpad looks fantastic, but it's $7 and I haven't spent the money on it yet.
The wife and I have been playing it pretty much all day.
we talked about it in the G&T game apps thread
i would be playing it but i just got pokemon. it is pretty polished for being free, i gotta say
i haven't tried it myself, but when I asked a friend who did he said there's no depth whatsoever. Walk. Kill. Walk. Kill. Walk. Kill. i guess that's what most games are anyways... It is interesting, though, and makes me look forward to what else they can do MMO-wise...
Watch my music videos
yeah, but it's still really young and is also free
i too look forward to these kinds of portable MMOs (with more depth of course)