I returned my iPad.
Kicked it to the curb.
It was a nice little computer, with a lot going for it. It looked good, felt really nice, and had a really impressive display. Pictures look incredible on this computer! And, web browsing is fast; pages load quickly and display very well.
I also liked the touch screen and enjoyed using my fingers to scroll, zoom and open pages, pictures and documents. Like so many other Apple users, I found the controls to be intuitive and easy to master, and even more, fun!
Ah, but there's a rub. As much as I liked the iPad, it just wasn't ready for a serious relationship. It wasn't going to give me what I desperately needed from it.
It only wanted to play.
Okay, maybe I've stretched this metaphor a little too far, but only because I am pretty disappointed. You see, I was really ready to LOVE the iPad. I wanted it to be right for me so badly...
But, it fell short in the most critical areas for me, namely performance and dependability.
I bought the iPad because I need a mobile computer. My laptop burned in a little while ago, and I've been hobbled in some of my business. I've managed so far, but I knew I would be traveling quite a bit this month and next, and knew I needed a computer to travel with me.
So, I went shopping and compared several laptops, notebooks and the iPad. I chose the iPad for simple reasons--the size is perfect, I didn't need to do a lot of document creation on it, and it would be a great display for my clients. I was also happy with the price--not cheap, but a seemingly good value.
Unfortunately, so much of what I need, the iPad can't give. I discovered on the very first use that we were going to have a rocky relationship.
I wanted to use the iPad to show my clients some houses in the MLS. We met in my office and I intended to hook up the iPad to the large screen display in one of the conference rooms so that clients could have a good view of the houses. Sounds good, right?
Well, except the iPad can't do that. Oh, I had all the right equipment, but the web browser that comes with it, Safari, doesn't display externally. I know, there's an app for that, and I found it, but it took several hours of searching, and I missed my target audience by half a day. We did it the old fashioned way, on a desktop computer, while my pretty little iPad sat by my side making fun of me.
Next, the iPad doesn't work very well with my local MLS. I am able to use Safari to search for listings and it works okay. But, remember I wanted to show them on a larger display? Well, the app (another browser) that allows me to use an external display DOESN"T work with my local MLS--Java problems. Is there a work around? Well, yes, sort of. I can go to my own website, pull up my search page which is a framed page, and use that to search and the results will display. But, that framed solution doesn't have all the functionality of the MLS, so it's a less than desirable solution.
And, Java problems on the iPad almost led to me letting down my clients when they really needed me. I went to visit family over the Labor Day weekend, and took the iPad with me. During the weekend, I had to make changes to several forms on a couple of contracts I have pending. I use ZipFoms and DocuSign for this very reason--web based forms that I can email and get signatures if I'm not near my clients. These are great programs for me; I use them very heavily.
But you can't access Zipforms on the iPad. It lacks the right Java software and Apple doesn't support it. There is a ZipForms app, but it is rated so poorly that I didn't even bother to try it. 32 out of 33 people who used it said it stinks! So, I couldn't access my ZipForms, and I had to beg a computer from family members to be able to help my clients. While I waited for the computer, I did research on how to use the iPad to fill in and sign forms (PDFs) if I needed it. There's a way, a great little app called Noterize, but by this time, I was a little ticked to HAVE to find work-arounds all the time. By the way, I did read plenty of articles about why Apple doesn't use Java and Flash and how I'm supposed to love that, but frankly, I don't. I use Java and Flash, and I'm a little sorry Apple thinks so poorly of me.
Then, the final insult. After I fixed all my little problems, my family and I sat outside on the deck on a beautiful evening enjoying our time together. My husband took out the iPad and opened the Rhapsody app and we sat there talking and listening to music. Great! I asked him if I could check my email while we sat there and he said no. "Why," I asked, thinking he was being selfish.
"It doesn't run multiple apps at the same time," he said.
Huh? You can't listen to music and check email at the same time?
Nope.
Can't open my email while I'm reading a book?
Nope.
Oh, come on. Even my phone is smarter than that!
I know. There's an update coming, supposedly in November. But really, only one app at a time?
So, I took it back. Enough.
I don't want to own a laptop and a iPad just to have the functionality I need. I really want a tablet like the iPad and I want it to do more than the iPad does.
It's not too much to ask, I know. My husband's phone does everything I asked of the iPad and it does it all at the same time.
I'm not asking for the impossible. I know that Apple has a reputation and an excellent image, and I wanted to be part of that.
But, until the iPad gets a little more serious, I think I'll find a really good laptop that works with all my existing software and programs, and wait for something to come along that wants to treat me better.
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