I want to do what you see at about 17 minutes into this video. I know I need the app, but should I get any particular IPad and why? BTW, the video is pretty awesome if you like prog, Jordan Rudess, and ELP.
I also want it for general net/music/picture/video use.
personally I think iPads, are overpriced, and too limited...but I will admit android does not have the audio latency to do this as well... yet (but fruityloops for android is slated to be released next month.. and that MIGHT turn the tablet audio world on it's head.)
anyway, rule of thumb for iPADS:
get whatever is the best at the time, otherwise you will kick yourself for not getting the best (storage, model etc.. so right now the largest ipad3)
as soon as you get used to it, a slightly improved version will come out. don't worry, the differences from one model to the next are tiny. it is rarely worth it to upgrade to the "new model" but skipping every other one is usually worth it.
They're toys and they're not cheap.
In reply to GameboyRMH:
Well yes.
iPads seem like they work well as a secondary computing device. If I had one, I'd use it as a travel companion instead of a laptop.
scardeal wrote: iPads seem like they work well as a secondary computing device. If I had one, I'd use it as a travel companion instead of a laptop.
Yup. We use it as a second laptop. It is an internet browsing device, a Netflix appliance, and a child entertainment unit. Pricey, but robust really and quite useful at times. I've traveled quite a bit with it. Install VLC, encode some movies and you have a perfect match for long flights. I have a first gen and don't see any reason to upgrade yet.
I like my 7" droid based tablet. but, all it is a websurfing device to me. I don't use the camera, I don't do e-books, I rarely have used the GPS, or the countless other options.
GameboyRMH wrote: They're toys and they're not cheap.
They definitely aren't toys, but they can be used as toys.
I use mine to replace most of my big computer needs.
I have an older Mac Laptop so I don't have the cloud which makes it a little more difficult to transfer items from computer to iPad and vice versa, but even so that's just like transferring items from computer to computer in the old days before the cloud.
They make a great video camera, but for some reason the iPad iMovie version has been shortchanged. I have to get it over to my computer to do any real editing.
I've played with the iPad mini (one of my coworkers has one) and we have a "regular" iPad (whatever the first generation with the retina display is). For our use (again mostly a laptop replacement) I wouldn't by an iPad mini, mostly because I do subscribe to several UK and German magazine on it and I very much prefer the larger display for reading those.
My current travel companion is a Microsoft Surface RT tablet-like thingy that I think is a bit better for business use and I use it as my always-on device when the wife is using the iPad. Otherwise, the iPad wins.
I could see a lot of good uses for them. They are good for presentations, use as teaching tools, planner, etc. SWMBO just bought an iPad Mini for use in the class room and for general internet surfing and etc.
All good information, but what about doing what the video I posted shows? I never considered buying one until I found out they can do that, so that's what I need to know about. Can that be done on different brand that is similar to the IPad? Do I need an IPad with a certain set of functions? I will get the largest display I can since that seems key to doing this. Can someone explain the differences in the different models, other than screen and memory size? What exactly is retina display? Is the 1080 version noticeably better than the regular HD? Any problem with buying factory refurbished? Anything else??
We have one of each (nexus/ipad) here because my wife is a lover of the fruit based marketing team and insisted on it but I had already got the other as a gift for her... and should have taken it back but... I kept it.
The Nexus is a better performer for half the money. That is really all you need to know. It is fast and flexible and can do real work, connect to HDMI, BT anything, micro USB, accept additional cards... so unless you have a specific app that isn't available or some requirement to buy Apple, I just wouldn't because you can't do any of those things with an iPad unless you buy more stuff. Not that the ipad is crap - it's just not worth the money to have things you cannot do with it.
In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:
But can you get an app for the Nexus like shown in the video? Or if you don't know, how would I find out?
bravenrace wrote: In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: But can you get an app for the Nexus like shown in the video? Or if you don't know, how would I find out?
I'm not sure what that was I was watching but I'll guess... synthesizer so a quick google turned up this. There were lots of others but this one "looked similar".
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2013/02/19/new-android-synth-heat-offers-vst-integration/
The video on that link is pretty cool.
My fiancee loves hers. iPad2 the low storage one, 16gb I think. She's all but forgotten her laptop, enjoys serious battery life, but still has a desktop at work for real stuff. She can also log into her desktop at work through an app on the iPad.
Then again, she got it for free. All she had to do was spend her vet clinic's $$ on a $60k medical imaging device.
I want something to take to car shows and cruise-ins to try to recruit new SCCA members with video and photos. I have a feeling an Android is in my future.
bravenrace - you're welcome. 
http://apps.iosmusician.com/t/categories/synthesizers
or http://apps.iosmusician.com/categories if that isn't a synthesizer (music skillz I ain't got)
http://www.iosmusician.com/
read the EULA carefully...
Despite what others say - THESE ARE NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR A REAL COMPUTER.
Yes, they have a lot of the functionality of one, but they cannot do it all, and actually REQUIRE a real computer (Mac, PC,Linux, etc) to even just be turned on, let alone perform anything more than basic, cursory functions (like, oh, I dunno, move any file besides a picture...)
Theyre great for entertainment, and the always on feature is nice if you quickly need to look up directions or find something online.
Our original iPad is so out of date (2 years and some change later?!? wtf? thanks Steve "berktard" Jobs) that half of the apps for it dont work anymore, as the IOS is out of date. Want to upgrade the IOS for the original iPad? Gotta have a separate computer (which we dont, thats what the Ipad was supposedly for), and the upgrade WILL wipe the entire memory, so better back it up...equals: Hassle
Ours was free (award), so thats great, but I wouldnt pay money for one. Apple is convinced they can construct a framework for your digital life, and no part of their offering can function on its own outside of that framework. Theyre designing all their equipment to work together, but it leaves no room for outside products, or (especially in the case of the pad) for the user to have only parts of the fruit lineup.
I think tablets are certainly the future, but the next one we buy will likely be a Microsoft Surface (both of us are MS Office nerds - Excel, Access, Word, Outlook, Powerpoint etc etc)...open source dummy versions of those just dont cut it for us. Apple is father down the list of tech that I want to buy than Commodore at this point.
AngryCorvair wrote:
Holy berkeley... I can't stop laughing. How did I miss that episode?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sglZGSwK6ow
4cylndrfury wrote: Our original iPad is so out of date (2 years and some change later?!? wtf? thanks Steve "berktard" Jobs) that half of the apps for it dont work anymore, as the IOS is out of date. Want to upgrade the IOS for the original iPad? Gotta have a separate computer (which we dont, thats what the Ipad was supposedly for), and the upgrade WILL wipe the entire memory, so better back it up...equals: Hassle
I don't know where you got the "upgrade will wipe the memory" from - I've upgraded the OS both my iPhone 3GS and the iPad multiple times and it doesn't wipe the data or apps off the device.
I think you might need to upgrade the OS to 6.x via iTunes but with the newer OSs, at least the iPad can upgrade the OS in place. I admittedly haven't tried that as I back them up to the computer anyway, but it does offer me the option on every update.
4cylndrfury wrote: I think tablets are certainly the future, but the next one we buy will likely be a Microsoft Surface (both of us are MS Office nerds - Excel, Access, Word, Outlook, Powerpoint etc etc)...open source dummy versions of those just dont cut it for us. Apple is father down the list of tech that I want to buy than Commodore at this point.
As the owner of a Surface, I would take a good hard look at one and ideally use it for a while before plonking money down for one. I'm not saying they're bad - I like the one I have - but IMHO they are closer to a very lightweight laptop than a "proper" tablet. Oh, and if you get one, do yourself a favour and buy the "real" keyboard cover for it and not the felt one.
We have an original iPad with the 3G data and 64GB of storage and an Android powered ASUS TF301T (with the keyboard dock)
We got the iPad first and love it. With the camera connection kit we use it to back up our pictures while on vacation, etc. With the video out kit we can display the photos and videos on a TV/Screen if we want to. Its been very stable and with the data plan, we don't have to seek out an open WiFi spot to look something up or check e-mail, etc.
The ASUS tablet is a new addition and the ability to increase the storage with a microSD card is a nice touch, but to be honest if you manage your data properly you shouldn't run out of space as you're not going to bring everything you've created with you, just what you feel you need.
The ASUS has a nice feature with the keyboard dock that provides a full-size USB port and SD memory card slot plus upping the battery life to 15 hours (the keyboard and touchpad helps as well). Otherwise you're limited to the microSD slot, the microHDMI and the 30-pin dock connectors.
The wife just has not come to terms with the ASUS and its Android OS (currently at 4.2) and I have to say the usability of Android sucks compared to Apple's iOS. It isn't bad, but it just doesn't work as well for a simple data consumption device (which is what tablets are best at, data consumption, not data creation) and it is a bit buggy at times. As an IT professional, I've gotten a pretty good handle on it now, but I know from now on the wife will be getting Apple devices since I don't like trying to calm her down all the time when the browser blows up and causes the device to reboot (which has happened with both devices, but much more frequently with the ASUS) or it doesn't respond like she wants, etc.
For the OP, get any size iPad you want, it won't impact the functionality of the app you want to use. The newer screen is very nice, but unless you're using the screen's full capabilities, it isn't worth it to the average person. The main thing is to get the device that fits your needs the best. If you plan on storing lots of music, pictures, movies then get the device with the most memory. If you want a data plan capability, then get the device with the cellular modem, etc.
4cylndrfury wrote: Despite what others say - THESE ARE NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR A REAL COMPUTER. Yes, they have a lot of the functionality of one, but they cannot do it all, and actually REQUIRE a real computer (Mac, PC,Linux, etc) to even just be turned on, let alone perform anything more than basic, cursory functions (like, oh, I dunno, move any file besides a picture...)
Gotta love iTunes, eh? Actually if you upgrade to the latest version of iTunes you can sync over WiFi, but I'm not a fan of the locked down nature of the iOS, I understand it, but I don't have to like it. Especially with the trouble many people have had with iTunes and Windows.
4cylndrfury wrote: Theyre great for entertainment, and the always on feature is nice if you quickly need to look up directions or find something online. Our original iPad is so out of date (2 years and some change later?!? wtf? thanks Steve "berktard" Jobs) that half of the apps for it dont work anymore, as the IOS is out of date. Want to upgrade the IOS for the original iPad? Gotta have a separate computer (which we dont, thats what the Ipad was supposedly for), and the upgrade WILL wipe the entire memory, so better back it up...equals: Hassle
I've got an original iPad and none of the upgrades have ever wiped the device and the recent versions of the iOS have upgraded over WiFi without issue. The inability to go to the latest version of iOS (as found on our iPhone 5's) is frustrating, but then I don't expect my Dell C-series laptop to run Windows 7 or even Windows 8. Its technology and it is constantly moving forward. I've got a Nook Color that I've modded with Android JellyBean and it is a slow, poky device. I suspect that running an original iPad with iOS 6.x would result in similar results and would frustrate customers further. So they would be damned either way.
4cylndrfury wrote: Ours was free (award), so thats great, but I wouldnt pay money for one. Apple is convinced they can construct a framework for your digital life, and no part of their offering can function on its own outside of that framework. Theyre designing all their equipment to work together, but it leaves no room for outside products, or (especially in the case of the pad) for the user to have only parts of the fruit lineup.
One of the reasons the devices are so reliable and easy to use is due to that framework. So it is its biggest success and its biggest failure. Luckily, one can jailbreak the device to break out of that, but at the expense of some of the stability in the platform.
4cylndrfury wrote: I think tablets are certainly the future, but the next one we buy will likely be a Microsoft Surface (both of us are MS Office nerds - Excel, Access, Word, Outlook, Powerpoint etc etc)...open source dummy versions of those just dont cut it for us. Apple is father down the list of tech that I want to buy than Commodore at this point.
If you think Apple's draconian rules are annoying, try Microsoft's nonsense. 90% of your complaints with the iPad are due to DRM and Microsoft is just as bad about that, if not worse. So just be aware that unless you can find a way around DRM on your devices you'll always have the potential for being limited in what you can do with the content on your devices. Just a fact of life in the modern world.
4cylndrfury wrote: I want to buy than Commodore at this point.
Oh I miss my Amiga 500 some days... (And C64 before that, and Vic20 before that.)
With regards to some of the replies Ive gotten:
There is no update function with regards to the IOS in my iPads Settings menu. Browsing the Apple website confirms that updates from the original IOS on the original iPad must occur over iTunes. Thats not an option for me - I HAVE NO OTHER COMPUTER IN THE HOUSE. While my company allows web surfing and whatnot in my position, our office prohibits connecting anything to the company's computers that isnt company property - i.e. an iPad. Further updates may be possible over WiFi, but not for the first upgrade.
Some goon in a blue shirt at the local fruit store who called himself a genius told me that it was not possible to upgrade without wiping the memory. Now, again, this is on my 1st gen iPad with the original IOS.
He also told me that the ability to upgrade over WiFi was not possible, again, because I have the original IOS. The only way to upgrade was to plug into a Mac/PC, and perform the update over iTunes.
When I asked if I could do it at the apple store because I dont have a PC/Mac laying around, because the iPad was "supposed" to replace all that, he said I could bring it to the store, and theyd do it there. I asked about the previously mentioned loss of data, and he said"oh yeah, youll lose it all". When I asked how to back it up, he repeated the bit about plugging it into a PC.
Visibly irritated, I mentioned again that I didnt have a machine available to me, he spat something out about me being hosed, and then he walked away to sell an iPod to a high school kid wearing his girlfriends jeans and a beanie even though it was 70° out.
Regardless of the potential limitations of a Microsoft tablet, I think theyre at least similar to the known limitations of similar MS software that I already am used to using.
...the devil you know and what not
Sorry OP for the thread jack
I am not a fan. The I Pad is the latest fad for aviation use. As an insturment rated pilot you need charts for each insturment approach at any airportb that you will be using. The paper charts for the lower 48 states weigh about 50 pounds. An I Pad will store all of these charts, saving weight and space. However, at busy airports you may be cleared for an approach to runway 01. Something changes and you get that clearance cancelled and are cleared for the approach to runway 06. If I have the paper charts out it is simple to grab the proper chart, make the changes to the navigation equipment and continue. With the I Pad you need to search through a list of approaches and select the proper one while flying and communicating. It takes a simple job and adds complexity when you least need it. Also when flying in and out of the cloud tops it is very bright in the cockpit and the display is damn near impossible to see. Most pilots I know print charts before they fly and use the I Pad in case they need to divert to another airport.
Maybe I am just a crabby old bastard that can't keep up. This is an example of an approach plate.
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