Choosing The iPad That Fit my Needs

 

The iPad 32 GB Wi-Fi, The HTC Hero and the HuaWei E585

It’s been almost a week since I bought my iPad in Hong Kong.  It’s a wonderful device and unlike other gadgets that I previously bought, I did not experience buyer’s remorse whatsoever with the device.   For those who read my blog – I think you will know by now that the biggest disappointment I experienced with gadgets is with the Nokia N97.  The latter had a lot of promise but apart from taking good pictures and being able to make phone calls,  it fell short of my expectations.

The iPad on the other hand was a device I have been lusting over since it was introduced.  Why I wanted the device:

- Battery Life – 10 Hours of usage and more on Stand By. I have an iPod Touch and after using it to surf the net for one hour, I have to plug it into a power outlet.

- Portability – I have a Ferrari One 200 – a very powerful and Handy PC.  However – it is still heavy and bulky.  The iPad can fit into the sleeve of my Brief Case.

- Applications from Apple – I discovered that I can install the Applications I bought for my iPod into the iPad.  They are wonderful iPod applications and the experience was just made “bigger” with the size of the iPad.

All of these needs/wants for the iPad are met wonderfully by the device.  I know that there are a lot of features that the gadget does not have.   Let’s start with the features that I opted out from:

- 64GB of Storage – I opted for the 32 GB of storage.  I have an iPod Touch.  Up to now, I have not filled up that gadget with Music, Videos and Photos.  I recognize that with a bigger device – the same content will fill up more space.  That’s alright,  the iPad is too big to be an MP3 player – so I don’t foresee storing my Music on that device.

- 3G Connection – I did not choose to get the 3G model.  I got the WiFi model.  This lack of 3G connection is addressed by my purchase of the Mobile WiFi router – HuaWei E585.  With the Mobile WiFi – I can connect – not just the iPad – but also my other devices.

- Apart from the Mobile connection – the only other feature that 3G has is GPS.   From my experience of the other devices I have – GPS does not work well in Manila.   For some reason – the GPS Satellites can not pinpoint well where I am.  The “triangulated” location from the Wi-Fi network is accurate enough for my needs.

My Other Gadgets – The ACER Ferrari One 200, The HTC Hero, The Nokia BH503, and the Nokia N97

 

Now on the missing features on iPad and why it is not a deal breaker for me.

- Camera – I don’t do Video Chat.  I have a WebCam on my laptop and have never used it.

- Good display under the Sun – I stay indoors most of the time.  I cannot stand staying outdoors – unless I’m on vacation.

- Flash Support – I never missed it in on my iPod Touch – and it is actually refreshing when I don’t see the FLASH based advertisements on Websites.

- Open Environment for Applications – I can Jailbreak my iPad if I want to.  I don’t see the need for it.  I have Jailbroken my iPod Touch and it seems to be running slower.  As for downloading applications for free – Come On – I work for the IT industry.  I support paying for applications for our enterprising brethren.

I guess it’s clear – I love my new iPad 32 GB Wi-Fi.  It is exactly what I wanted – so for now, I’m in gadget heaven.