# iPad 2, any good for word processing?



## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 21, 2012)

I am thinking about getting myself an iPad 2. Currently I have a netbook which I bought last year for word processing and Internet browsing which it does admirably. It is heavy though and carrying it to school does my back in a bit. I am drawn to the iPad thinking that it would be easier to carry, could do everything I do on my netbook and my phone on there and I could sync my iPhone with it in glorious gadget harmony. (might get an iMac when my netbook dies as ShiftyJunior will probably be using it for homework and probably gaming in a couple of years)
But are ipads any good at word processing? It's not Microsoft so what software is it and if I write something on it then send it to a computer ith Word or put it on a stick or something, would it be compatible? 
Also  how much storage all I be needing if I'm using the word processor a lot, d'you reckon the 32gb will be adequate? I don't think I could justify the expense of getting the 64gb as my netbook is still ticking along nicely.

Whaddayareckon?


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 21, 2012)

A whole book was recently written on one so for long periods of writing it looks usable. There's a good few proper word processing apps out not too and if you're thinking of getting an iMac then you have the opportunity to use things like Dropbox or iCloud to sync your docs between both devices.



> The entire draft manuscript of the Enough book was written using PlainText for iPad and iPhone by Hog Bay Software. Most of this work happened on the iPad but two initial essay drafts occurred on the iPhone as it was what I had available at the time. Sometimes, my writing brain decides to start working at times when my preferred tool is not at hand. I wish it cared about me more than that but it is a very selfish muse.
> I decided on using the iPad and iPhone exclusively for this book a couple of weeks before I actually started writing the first essays. I had long wanted to experiment with the iPad as a tool for long-form and long-term writing and this provided the right opportunity.


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## Citizen66 (Jun 21, 2012)

I find typing on them a bit of a pain; I make loads of errors that I then need to edit which is a bit of a faff. And that's just on BBs, obviously magnify that if writing a fuck tonne of words. You can get bluetooth keyboards for them though.


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## bmd (Jun 21, 2012)

I would get a Bluetooth kb if you're going to type on it for any length of time and you can use the free Cloudon app for Microsoft Office files. 

16GB would be enough if you're just word processing, unless you're writing War and Peace, in which case I'd use Dropbox.


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## magneze (Jun 21, 2012)

Get a keyboard for it. I find the screen really difficult to type on.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jun 21, 2012)

Personally I prefer a proper keyboard, I'd have thought the best thing to do would be to have a go on typing a decent amount of text on one and see how you get on.


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## magneze (Jun 21, 2012)

Bob Marley's Dad said:


> I would get a Bluetooth kb if you're going to type on it for any length of time and you can use the free Cloudon app for Microsoft Office files.
> 
> 16GB would be enough if you're just word processing, unless you're writing War and Peace, in which case I'd use Dropbox.


16GB would probably be enough to fit War & Peace 8,000,000 times.


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 21, 2012)

Never had too much of an issue with the iPad keyboard, its easier for me to type on than most netbooks I've used (aside from the 10/11 inchers and even then the keyboards feel odd) tbh...but yeah definitely try one out and if you like it but want hardware typing grab a bluetooth keyboard.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 21, 2012)

I've got a 36gb phone and have used about 28gb of that, without lots of gaming apps (got about 3) or any documents at al so I thought I might need more storage.
Yeah, I was thinking I'd probably get a keyboard for it but I wouldn't want to carry it around with me as the main justification, I mean appeal, of this is because it's lightweight. If I get it


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## maldwyn (Jun 21, 2012)

I use Apple's bluetooth keyboard and only really bother to take it with me if i'm doing _*massive*_ amounts of typing.

Apple's Pages App for iPad I find useful as my main machine is a Mac anyway and @ £10 is a no-brainer.


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## peterkro (Jun 21, 2012)

Pages is the beat W/P app for iPad and can convert to word docs if that's what you need,Microsoft are releasing Word for iPad soon,again if your required to use it.


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 21, 2012)

Pages has the added benefit of iCloud syncing so if you're thinking of getting an iMac you're set up.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 21, 2012)

peterkro said:


> Pages is the beat W/P app for iPad and can convert to word docs if that's what you need,Microsoft are releasing Word for iPad soon,again if your required to use it.


This is useful, if it can convert documents so that things I ema can be easily printed off then it's a winner.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 21, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Pages has the added benefit of iCloud syncing so if you're thinking of getting an iMac you're set up.


I don't use cloud syncing at present, maybe I will if I move away from Microsoft to apple stuff but I've got to say, there is something suspicious in me which doesn't want to store all my personal details, high minded essays and smutty pictures in the ether


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 22, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> I don't use cloud syncing at present, maybe I will if I move away from Microsoft to apple stuff but I've got to say, there is something suspicious in me which doesn't want to store all my personal details, high minded essays and smutty pictures in the ether


 
LOL! Ok fair enough. Personally I don't use iCloud that much but am a big user and a bit of an evangelist for Dropbox which is excellent imo!


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

It's possible to write a book on an iPad but I can think of a lot easier ways of doing it.

So, no, an iPad isn't the best thing for word processing unless you really, really want a tablet and want to carry around an extra keyboard.

Or get the Asus Transformer which offers a far more elegant tablet/keyboard combo. Or just get a laptop.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 22, 2012)

Laptops are too heavy and no better suited to my needs than my netbook and if I do get an iPad then I won't necessarily need to carry a keyboard around as I do most of my writing at home anyway. 
I was considering getting an ultra book but then I thought that what I really want is portability and to get a family pc when my netbook eventually dies (as they always do).
I won't lie, I like gadgets and from experience with my phone I like the way apple stuff works. I've also just discovered their iBook thing and it's quite useful. I have no experience of android stuff and from what I understand it won't link up with my phone in any useful way. So if I get a tablet then it'll be apple's one.


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## pinkmonkey (Jun 22, 2012)

I'd get the ipad and a keyboard - but just to say, ive now got an android phone and the syncing between ipad, pc laptop and phone really isnt an issue if you choose your apps carefully.  I use gmail, google calendar and evernote for day to day planning etc and they all sync. I keep all my files in Dropbox and they can then be accessed and edited by whatever app Im using on any of my devices. Its dead handy to be able to keep my receipts excel spreadsheet up to date by being able to edit it on my phone or ipad. Even my password keeper (keepass) has a database which is kept in dropbox and different apps for each device all accessing the same database.  Its now easier than it ever used to be to work accross platforms. We' ve even trained our clients to use shared dropbox folders with us.


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## bmd (Jun 22, 2012)

Interesting article here about using the iPad as your main work computer - http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipad-iphone/masterclass/?articleid=3340490&pagtype=allchandate


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## FridgeMagnet (Jun 22, 2012)

I find the iPad quite good for just typing on, as it's a lot harder to get distracted by the internet. Also it has very good battery life, and with 3G and the right software you're always backed up wherever you are. However, for any serious typing I would use a keyboard - the onscreen one is fine for tapping out emails and short pieces (with the autocorrect I can get 60-70wpm) or adding to existing docs, but it starts to be a pain after a while.

I have Pages, which seems fine, but I never use it. I type everything in text editors. I'm writing words, not doing layout work, and everybody can always read text on anything from a ten year old Nokia to a Macbook Pro. (I also do this on computers.)


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 22, 2012)

editor said:


> It's possible to write a book on an iPad but I can think of a lot easier ways of doing it.
> 
> So, no, an iPad isn't the best thing for word processing unless you really, really want a tablet and want to carry around an extra keyboard.
> 
> Or get the Asus Transformer which offers a far more elegant tablet/keyboard combo. Or just get a laptop.



No one said it was the best, the OP asked is it any good. Answer is yes.


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 22, 2012)

pinkmonkey said:


> I'd get the ipad and a keyboard - but just to say, ive now got an android phone and the syncing between ipad, pc laptop and phone really isnt an issue if you choose your apps carefully.  I use gmail, google calendar and evernote for day to day planning etc and they all sync. I keep all my files in Dropbox and they can then be accessed and edited by whatever app Im using on any of my devices. Its dead handy to be able to keep my receipts excel spreadsheet up to date by being able to edit it on my phone or ipad. Even my password keeper (keepass) has a database which is kept in dropbox and different apps for each device all accessing the same database.  Its now easier than it ever used to be to work accross platforms. We' ve even trained our clients to use shared dropbox folders with us.



Very true, I mainly use cross platform apps and products now, the hardware has become less and less relevant for me.


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## dessiato (Jun 22, 2012)

I wouldn't use an iPad for other than the most basic word processing without a keyboard. But, given the cost of a good one, I'd opt for a netbook. Having both I find the netbook is much the better for writing reports etc.


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## sim667 (Jun 22, 2012)

For long pieces I'd use a keyboard....

day to day I just use on the onscreen keyboard.

*reminds himself he must get his bluetooth keyboard working.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 22, 2012)

Hmm. I am beginning to think that I should probably stick with my netbook for the time being and instead get a desktop mac for family use and get an iPad when the netbook dies. I know I'll need a desktop eventually (or buy the boy his own computer) and i have already got a portable thing to  carry about so it'd make more sense to buy the thing I don't have now rather than have two portable things. But I don't know anything about iMacs. The thought of researching tech spech and build quality gives me a headache


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

Unless you're hell bent on getting a Mac you can get equally capable machines for far less.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 22, 2012)

Oh god. Don't confuse me.
I'm attracted to macs because they are beautiful, they are also swish and work really nicely from my limited experience of them. They also seem to have excellent displays and last a long time. I'm open to suggestions, I saw a nice flat screen all in one desktop with blu-ray DVD nonsense for half the price of the 21inch mac, I'm not entirely wedded to the idea but I have gone from one shit computer to the next for last fifteen years and I will happily spend a bit more money now on a machine if  I will get a good few years use out of it. 
I want it to last for at least three years and every toshiba, hp, acer I've bought has died in a year or so.


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> I want it to last for at least three years and every toshiba, hp, acer I've bought has died in a year or so.


Were they really cheap ones? Get something half decent like a Thinkpad and it's easily last as long as any Mac laptop.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 22, 2012)

No they weren't really cheap, I think the laptops were about £350/£400 or thereabouts which I don't think is cheap, for that price I would expect it to survive its warranty period with vigour.
The hp has been the best so far and that was the netbook at around £250. I have tended to buy lower priced and lower specs because my uses are mainly browsing, emailing and writing which doesn't require awesome graphics or masses of storage but I am anticipating more demanding usage with two people using it.

I'll look into thinkpads. Are they by Dell?


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## FridgeMagnet (Jun 22, 2012)

Get an iMac if you want. I did. They are excellent machines. However, it doesn't have all that much impact on the iPad thing - they're not somehow extra-compatible with Macs. There are a few apps that sync with desktop ones which only work with Macs, but in general, everything tends to be very cross-platform.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jun 22, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> Oh god. Don't confuse me.
> I'm attracted to macs because they are beautiful, they are also swish and work really nicely from my limited experience of them. They also seem to have excellent displays and last a long time. I'm open to suggestions, I saw a nice flat screen all in one desktop with blu-ray DVD nonsense for half the price of the 21inch mac, I'm not entirely wedded to the idea but I have gone from one shit computer to the next for last fifteen years and I will happily spend a bit more money now on a machine if I will get a good few years use out of it.
> I want it to last for at least three years and every toshiba, hp, acer I've bought has died in a year or so.


 
Buy a Mac if you like them, but I always think it's a bit unfair when they are compared to cheap PCs...you can get really nice screens for PCs for example, you just have to pay a bit more for them.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 22, 2012)

Yeah, I thought it was an either/or thing and didn't realise that Microsoft provided/will provide word software. Which is cool.
Do macs generally last well then?
I do like the design, I live in a small place and will have to look at the thing quite a bit so it'd help if I liked looking at it.


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## Crispy (Jun 22, 2012)

I bought an iMac in 2007 and have upgraded to every new version of the OS without having to re-install anything. I put more RAM in it myself, but that's not such a big deal because these days they come with enough. It runs as well today as it did when I bought it and still looks great on my desk. In the same timeframe, I've rebuilt/re-installed/salvaged my friends' windows computers multiple times. Make of that what you will.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 22, 2012)

Global Stoner said:


> Buy a Mac if you like them, but I always think it's a bit unfair when they are compared to cheap PCs...you can get really nice screens for PCs for example, you just have to pay a bit more for them.


Do you mean buying a really good monitor? That's true of course but I want an all in one desktop to save space.


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> Do macs generally last well then?


Most expensive machines last well - it's the really cheap ones that fall apart.


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## pinkmonkey (Jun 22, 2012)

Netbooks have a terrible rep for breaking though, don't they? I remember a Which? report saying so.  I guess as you say, it's coz it's cheap.  I've never bought budget laptops for work and I've always got more than 5 years out of them.  
Our dog is fond of sitting on our ipad but nothing seems to affect it, it's as sturdy as hell.


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 22, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> Yeah, I thought it was an either/or thing and didn't realise that Microsoft provided/will provide word software. Which is cool.
> Do macs generally last well then?
> I do like the design, I live in a small place and will have to look at the thing quite a bit so it'd help if I liked looking at it.



From what I've seen they tend to outlast windows based machines and don't suffer from the same level of slow down over time either. My MacBook Pro is two years old this week and it's in far better shape than any windows laptop at the same point.


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

pinkmonkey said:


> Netbooks have a terrible rep for breaking though, don't they? I remember a Which? report saying so. I guess as you say, it's coz it's cheap. I've never bought budget laptops for work and I've always got more than 5 years out of them..


Well, yes. Netbooks were ridiculously cheap and were fine for really basic tasks, but you can't expect something that cost £179 to be anywhere near as sturdy as a decent laptop.


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> My MacBook Pro is two years old this week and *it's in far better shape than any windows laptop at the same point.*


That's quite some claim. How would you know?

Thinkpads are every bit as durable as Macs and it's far easier to replace broken parts too.


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## Kanda (Jun 22, 2012)

Not saying the iPad is the best bet but there are plenty of Keyboard case solutions out there like the Transformer.


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## Kanda (Jun 22, 2012)

editor said:


> That's quite some claim. How would you know?


 
He mentions slow down, which Windows laptops/PC's generally do over time. I agree with him, I look after many of each.


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

Seems some brand new Macs slow down too.


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## Kanda (Jun 22, 2012)

editor said:


> Seems some brand new Macs slow down too.


 
That'll be one then. All machines can develop a fault, regardless of make.


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

Kanda said:


> That'll be one then. All machines can develop a fault, regardless of make.


So to claim that your machine is in far better shape than _any_ Windows one would be a bit of a silly statement, no?


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## Crispy (Jun 22, 2012)

editor said:


> Seems some brand new Macs slow down too.


Looks like a faulty machine. We're talking long-term stability and maintenance here.


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## FridgeMagnet (Jun 22, 2012)

Some Macs have hardware issues. They aren't, however, issues with the OS that mean users get used to the idea that they need to nuke the machine and reinstall everything every so often. This is something I have to actively talk ex-Windows users out of if they switch to Macs.


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## Crispy (Jun 22, 2012)

editor said:


> So to claim that your machine is in far better shape than _any_ Windows one would be a bit of a silly statement, no?


any windows one _at the same point._
ie. after many years of use.
not immediately after starting to use it
encountering problems that look very much like a faulty machine.
not comparable.


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

Crispy said:


> Looks like a faulty machine. We're talking long-term stability and maintenance here.


And, as I said, ThinkPads are right up there with the very, very best in that department. They're as tough as old boots with the added convenience of offering user accessible replacements. No wonder the space station uses them!


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## Crispy (Jun 22, 2012)

editor said:


> And, as I said, ThinkPads are right up there with the very, very best in that department. They're as tough as old boots with the added convenience of offering user accessible replacements. No wonder the space station uses them!


We're not talking about the hardware!


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

Crispy said:


> any windows one _at the same point._
> ie. after many years of use.


That's simply unprovable tosh.


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

Crispy said:


> We're not talking about the hardware!


Err, hello? The conversation was about machines _breakin_g. Read the thread.


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

Anyway, I can see the Apple Reality Distortion gang are circling me now, so I'll leave y'all to it.

*high fives


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## Crispy (Jun 22, 2012)

editor said:


> That's simply unprovable tosh.


I was explaining Kanda's point.
I would replace "any" with "most".


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## Crispy (Jun 22, 2012)

.


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## FridgeMagnet (Jun 22, 2012)

Kanda said:


> Not saying the iPad is the best bet but there are plenty of Keyboard case solutions out there like the Transformer.


I know a few people who've said they really like the Zagg one in the past, but there seem to be loads more nowadays.

I have the standard Apple BT keyboard with an "origami" case, which folds into a stand (meaning it's future proof and friendly to iPad cases). I find that mostly I don't need to type to any great degree, so it's not a huge deal having that in the bag and only taking it out and setting it up when needed, and it's a proper keyboard that's meant for desktops. However, since getting my Air, which is _less bulky_, I really don't carry it that much any more.


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## Kanda (Jun 22, 2012)

editor said:


> That's simply unprovable tosh.


 
I'm going on my experience of working in IT for 20 years and managing HUNDREDS of PC's/Servers/Macs etc etc etc... 

You don't have to agree with what I say, it's fine.


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 22, 2012)

Kanda said:


> He mentions slow down, which Windows laptops/PC's generally do over time. I agree with him, I look after many of each.



I actually meant laptops I've owned or managed (which is at least 30 odd), missed out a couple words due to haste, apologies.


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 22, 2012)

editor said:


> Anyway, I can see the Apple Reality Distortion gang are circling me now, so I'll leave y'all to it.
> 
> *high fives



Don't be a prick it was just a mess up in posting...


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 22, 2012)

editor said:


> Anyway, I can see the Apple Reality Distortion gang are circling me now, so I'll leave y'all to it.
> 
> *high fives


Well, hang on, because I'm interested in what you think. Every post you've made in this thread suggest that you think apple products are either entirely over-rated or not as good as other products in the same price bracket. I'll admit that I am one of those who would be swayed by the added design element but that's not my main concern so if you're saying that they are unreliable or inferior to others (meaning all in one desktops here) then I would certainly be interested in that.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 22, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> I actually meant laptops I've owned or managed (which is at least 30 odd), missed out a couple words due to haste, apologies.


That's what I thought you meant fwiw


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> Well, hang on, because I'm interested in what you think. Every post you've made in this thread suggest that you think apple products are either entirely over-rated or not as good as other products in the same price bracket. I'll admit that I am one of those who would be swayed by the added design element but that's not my main concern so if you're saying that they are unreliable or inferior to others (meaning all in one desktops here) then I would certainly be interested in that.


Apple laptops are superbly designed and generally very reliable laptops. But you can find some equally reliable and well spec'd PC laptops for less, IMO.


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## pinkmonkey (Jun 22, 2012)

I'm no fanboi. When I bought an ipad, my brothers said with a wry smile, 'you'll get an iphone next.' But I didn't, I upgraded to a giant Samsung Android phone. I think I'll continue using a pc laptop, I'm not keen to swap. But for what you want to do, I would suggest an ipad over a netbook everytime, because you can do so much else with them, plus they are easy to transport, light and very durable and a nice gadget and you can buy tons of add-ons, easily because they are the market leader.
I'm not in the, 'ooh they are so amazing....' camp because as far as I can see my phone does pretty much the same things, but on a smaller scale. But if you're looking for durability the the ipad's your fella.


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## editor (Jun 22, 2012)

pinkmonkey said:


> I'm no fanboi. When I bought an ipad, my brothers said with a wry smile, 'you'll get an iphone next.' But I didn't, I upgraded to a giant Samsung Android phone. I think I'll continue using a pc laptop, I'm not keen to swap. But for what you want to do, I would suggest an ipad over a netbook everytime, because you can do so much else with them, plus they are easy to transport, light and very durable and a nice gadget and you can buy tons of add-ons, easily because they are the market leader.


I don't think I'd recommend a netbook to anyone these days, but for someone who primarily wants a machine for word processing, the iPad wouldn't be at the top of my list of recommendations.


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## pinkmonkey (Jun 22, 2012)

Yes but a netbook isn't much use for 'owt much apart from word processing, they have crap screens for a start *and* she says she likes gadgets and apple products, plus ipad games would be pretty good for shiftyjunior, especially seeing how many decent ones you can get for free.


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## FridgeMagnet (Jun 22, 2012)

They also have crap keyboards.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jun 22, 2012)

editor said:


> I don't think I'd recommend a netbook to anyone these days, but for someone who primarily wants a machine for word processing, the iPad wouldn't be at the top of my list of recommendations.


 
Yeah but modern netbooks can be different these days. I've got a 12" one which is a few years old, the screen does the same resolution as modern budget laptops. The main difference is the processor, but it's a form factor I really like. Expect to see the name die, but everything else get better. At them moment it's only price that separates them between the small ultrabooks.


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## mrs quoad (Jun 22, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> But are ipads any good at word processing? It's not Microsoft so what software is it and if I write something on it then send it to a computer ith Word or put it on a stick or something, would it be compatible?


I'm coming late to this, so apols for the inevitable repetition.

Plus wifi keyboard, I've written / drafted a few 5-10,000 word reports on my iPad. Pages is a great little program, and can open Word. Word can't open Pages, but you can save Pages in a compatible form. I think.

Dropbox is vital, if you're going to be working between computers. As is a wifi / compatible printer. Not having an HP photosmart would have done my box in. You also lack printing options from an iPad... So whilst I'd usually print 2 pages per side (or even 4) from my lap / desktop, that ain't a goer with my iPad. Plus Hp Photosmart toner (vs my obscenely efficient desk jet) and the costs of printing are probably... Uff... 3-6 times what they are from my desktop. Theres no "black cartridge only" printing option, either.

Great for convenience printing. Great for brief work, roughing out, workin in the garden, working away from home. Excellent in conjunction with a mac & dropbox. Would swiftly become EXTREMELY expensive as a sole work computer, though, if you ever relied on printing out PDFs or working through / proofing drafts.

Just the thought of printing out a 30 page PDF (let alone a 200 page home office report) leaves me feeling physically sick


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## mrs quoad (Jun 22, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> Oh god. Don't confuse me.
> I'm attracted to macs because they are beautiful, they are also swish and work really nicely from my limited experience of them. They also seem to have excellent displays and last a long time. I'm open to suggestions, I saw a nice flat screen all in one desktop with blu-ray DVD nonsense for half the price of the 21inch mac, I'm not entirely wedded to the idea but I have gone from one shit computer to the next for last fifteen years and I will happily spend a bit more money now on a machine if  I will get a good few years use out of it.
> I want it to last for at least three years and every toshiba, hp, acer I've bought has died in a year or so.


Go for it.

My experiences were similar.

My experiences of Apple have been such raw joy that in the space of 2yrs I've gone to working almost exclusively on an iMac & iPad. Dell laptop too, tbf, but that provided 2yrs of relentless catastrophe followed by a hardware failure and a clean install of (new) windows 7 before it became unshit. It was that collapse that prompted my iMac buying spree.

If you're after no unrelenting gidgets & shit, your policy strikes me as astoundingly good sense!


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 22, 2012)

Good insight into the printing limitations, I never consider that because I never print anything at home anymore (haven't owned a printer for three years)!


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## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> My experiences of Apple have been such raw joy that in the space of 2yrs I've gone to working almost exclusively on an iMac & iPad. Dell laptop too, tbf, but that provided 2yrs of relentless catastrophe followed by a hardware failure and a clean install of (new) windows 7 before it became unshit. It was that collapse that prompted my iMac buying spree.


How much did your iMac cost compared to your Dell?


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## grit (Jun 23, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> I'm coming late to this, so apols for the inevitable repetition.
> 
> Plus wifi keyboard, I've written / drafted a few 5-10,000 word reports on my iPad.


 
Just the thought of that makes me fucking cringe, what position are you using the iPad in? Whats your word per minute speed like?


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## mrs quoad (Jun 23, 2012)

editor said:


> How much did your iMac cost compared to your Dell?


The same, pretty much £ for £.

Three years apart, mind.

(Actually - IIRC, the iMac was about £1-200 cheaper; both had educational discounts, I'd forgotten to take that into account with the iMac...)

And one's a laptop, the other's a desktop.

The Dell, however, crashed on a weekly basis from the moment I got it. It'd bluescreen regularly. IIRC, I ended up doing something like 4 or 5 factory resets in the first 3 months. It was an utter pig; admittedly, an utter pig running Vista (and installing W7 has improved it tremendously); but it was a fucking nightmare.

And, yeah. I bought that because - at the time - friends were recommending Apple, and I looked at the specs on a £ per ghz / gb / whatever bass, and proper loled.

3 years later, I was no longer loling. Owning the Dell was - for 3 years - shit and frustrating. Owning an Apple (in any form) has - to date - not been.


grit said:


> Just the thought of that makes me fucking cringe, what position are you using the iPad in? Whats your word per minute speed like?


The bluetooth keyboard is the key. My wpm is pretty much exactly what it would be on any other hardware keyboard.

And, tbh, I greatly appreciate being able to have a modular / detached keyboard, so to speak - so setting the iPad up on a stand on a table, with the keyboard somewhere around my lap.


----------



## mrs quoad (Jun 23, 2012)

Having said that, and this merits a second post - my iPad died this morning 

Black screen, won't start up, doesn't register when plugged into a computer. I certainly haven't been doing anything with it overnight (and I'm surprised to see I didn't get Applecare with it  ) so genius bar on Monday it is...

e2a: that's after 15 months


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## grit (Jun 23, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> The bluetooth keyboard is the key. My wpm is pretty much exactly what it would be on any other hardware keyboard.
> 
> And, tbh, I greatly appreciate being able to have a modular / detached keyboard, so to speak - so setting the iPad up on a stand on a table, with the keyboard somewhere around my lap.


 
Oh right that changes everything, if thats the case I'd just use a laptop....


----------



## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> Having said that, and this merits a second post - my iPad died this morning
> 
> Black screen, won't start up, doesn't register when plugged into a computer. I certainly haven't been doing anything with it overnight (and I'm surprised to see I didn't get Applecare with it  ) so genius bar on Monday it is...
> 
> e2a: that's after 15 months


I admire your honesty in owning up to that!


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## mrs quoad (Jun 23, 2012)

grit said:


> Oh right that changes everything, if thats the case I'd just use a laptop....


Except my (Dell) laptop weighs about 4 times as much, and has a 2-3 hour battery life.

I can - with great ease - drop my ipad + (boxed) wifi keyboard in my shoulder bag. (A mexican knitted affair, brought back from Mexico my parents  Not a record bag. Fwiw.) And still have room for a sizeable wadge of papers and books.

If I take my laptop, the bag's already strained; and I still need to jam in the adaptor, somehow. No real chance of taking any books.

I appreciate a netbook might have the same technical capacity. And decent specs.

But every time I see Artichoke wrestling, battling, and struggling with her £250-£300ish Samsung netbook, and making her morning coffee whilst it boots, and gnashing her teeth as it begins a Windows update / configuration just as we need to be elsewhere, I find myself thinking 'thank fuck I'm not dealing with _that' _


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## mrs quoad (Jun 23, 2012)

editor said:


> I admire your honesty in owning up to that!


tbf, I've had similar difficulties with a 2nd gen iPod (headphone jack went wonky after 18 months - admittedly, after being sweated on lots; official Apple replacement something like £80 vs new iPod £120) and two... christ... 1st or 2nd gen iPod nanos (about 18 months apiece - one, tbf, is still fully functional, mostly, about 5 years on, but is occasionally wonky. The other just went bonkers).

I wasn't quite honest enough to post _that _earlier 

tbf, for that reason, I'm stunned I didn't go for Applecare on the iPad. I was probably either trusting it to excess; or else already slightly overwhelmed by the £800 I'd spent on getting the iPad itself and accessories. Apple used to send out '1 year reminders' to upgrade to Applecare, too - something they clearly no longer do.


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## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

£800 is an awful lot of money to spend on an iPad and all its bits.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 23, 2012)

I'm going to get a refurbished 32gb (at £320) I reckon. I realised that I use my phone more than I use my netbook for Internet and shopping and reading up in stuff and I only really use the netbook for typing up stuff. I'm a bit concerned about printing an I don't fully understand what you lot were saying about it earlier. I don't have a printer at the moment, I have been emailing documents to myself and printing them off at school do that's why I wondered about pages and Microsoft. I will probay buy a printer and a desktop in September and get a students discount with it all so we'll see. Meanwhile, I'll get thebipad for the iBooks, gaming and to take the pressure off my phone 

Question. Can you set up different login profiles on the iPad as you can for other computers? I might be happy for my boy to use the peggle app but not the Facebook one for example, is there any way to restrict that kind of thing?


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## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> Except my (Dell) laptop weighs about 4 times as much, and has a 2-3 hour battery life.


But you can get much, much lighter machines now that boot up swiftly and have long battery lives and still have a load of change left out of what you would have spent on an iPad (and all the essential extras like keyboard/USB adapter etc).


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## bmd (Jun 23, 2012)

editor said:


> But you can get much, much lighter machines now that boot up swiftly and have long battery lives and still have a load of change left out of what you would have spent on an iPad (and all the essential extras like keyboard/USB adapter etc).


 
Really? Like what? I was thinking you were speaking about an Ultrabook but they're much more expensive than an iPad. Plus I think there's a lot to be said for something just working, which is the reason why people get an iphone over an Android one imo. Apple still rules when it comes to ease of use.


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## grit (Jun 23, 2012)

Bob Marley's Dad said:


> Really? Like what? I was thinking you were speaking about an Ultrabook but they're much more expensive than an iPad. Plus I think there's a lot to be said for something just working, which is the reason why people get an iphone over an Android one imo. Apple still rules when it comes to ease of use.


 
This, even though I'm not a fan of apple tech as a geek, I still bought my mother a iphone when she needed a phone.

I've never had to answer a question about it, and she has never read a manual. Everything she wanted to do was obvious, thats the trade off for a closed platform.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jun 23, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> I'm going to get a refurbished 32gb (at £320) I reckon. I realised that I use my phone more than I use my netbook for Internet and shopping and reading up in stuff and I only really use the netbook for typing up stuff. I'm a bit concerned about printing an I don't fully understand what you lot were saying about it earlier. I don't have a printer at the moment, I have been emailing documents to myself and printing them off at school do that's why I wondered about pages and Microsoft. I will probay buy a printer and a desktop in September and get a students discount with it all so we'll see. Meanwhile, I'll get thebipad for the iBooks, gaming and to take the pressure off my phone
> 
> Question. Can you set up different login profiles on the iPad as you can for other computers? I might be happy for my boy to use the peggle app but not the Facebook one for example, is there any way to restrict that kind of thing?



You can't which is really crap, there's been a few rumours suggesting profile logins like you have with PCs and Macs might happen but I wouldn't take them that seriously. It's a very useful feature for couples too...


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jun 23, 2012)

Bob Marley's Dad said:


> Really? Like what? I was thinking you were speaking about an Ultrabook but they're much more expensive than an iPad. Plus I think there's a lot to be said for something just working, which is the reason why people get an iphone over an Android one imo. Apple still rules when it comes to ease of use.



There's some good advantages in software too, compare prices for Pages to word or the cost up upgrading the OS (w7 prices vs Lion)...


----------



## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

Bob Marley's Dad said:


> Plus I think there's a lot to be said for something just working, which is the reason why people get an iphone over an Android one imo. Apple still rules when it comes to ease of use.


Android's massive, Apple-eclipsing sales would suggest that perhaps the phones aren't as difficult to use as you're suggesting and, of course, not everyone can afford an iPhone. I've known lots of people get an Android as their first ever smartphone and most of them have had no problem getting up and running with the things.


----------



## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> There's some good advantages in software too, compare prices for Pages to word or the cost up upgrading the OS (w7 prices vs Lion)...


Except the software is generally nowhere near as good or as powerful as their desktop equivalents, and there's tons of excellent alternative freeware programs available.


----------



## bmd (Jun 23, 2012)

editor said:


> Android's massive, Apple-eclipsing sales would suggest that perhaps the phones aren't as difficult to use as you're suggesting and, of course, not everyone can afford an iPhone. I've known lots of people get an Android as their first ever smartphone and most of them have had no problem getting up and running with the things.


 
Android has a huge number of very cheap phones available. That said, the Galaxy S2 seems to have put a serious dent in Apple's market share but even you had problems with it, rooted it and found it to be much more user friendly. That's hardly out of the box usability.


----------



## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 23, 2012)

Global Stoner said:


> Yeah but modern netbooks can be different these days. I've got a 12" one which is a few years old, the screen does the same resolution as modern budget laptops. The main difference is the processor, but it's a form factor I really like. Expect to see the name die, but everything else get better. At them moment it's only price that separates them between the small ultrabooks.


Yeah, the screen in my netbook is good an the keyboard is a perfectly reasonable size. It is also light in comparison the laptops around in my budget at the time. I have a dodgy back and carrying a full sized laptop around (unless it was one I those new ones the price of a small secondhand car) would be utterly stupid and this one works well and pretty fast even after a year of regular usage. So netbooks are a good solution to that particular problem.


----------



## maldwyn (Jun 23, 2012)

I think tech is generally getting better and more reliable across the board no matter what platform or OS.

Would I swap my iP4 for the Galaxy s3, yes without doubt. Would I give up my iPad, no - or send back my rMBP when it arrives in a couple of week, not a chance.

What I like most about Apple is its customer service, but I pay a heavy premium for that anyway.


----------



## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

Bob Marley's Dad said:


> Android has a huge number of very cheap phones available. That said, the Galaxy S2 seems to have put a serious dent in Apple's market share but even you had problems with it, rooted it and found it to be much more user friendly. That's hardly out of the box usability.


I had problems with it because I didn't bother hard resetting it when I upgraded the OS, which is what was recommended.

I only decided to root it because like tinkering about with phones. I didn't have to.


----------



## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

maldwyn said:


> What I like most about Apple is its customer service, but I pay a heavy premium for that anyway.


Well, indeed.


----------



## mrs quoad (Jun 23, 2012)

editor said:


> £800 is an awful lot of money to spend on an iPad and all its bits.


£679, tbf, having just checked.

Though that is still a lot.

If it hadn't died over 14-15 months, I'd say it was - still - utterly worth it.



editor said:


> But you can get much, much lighter machines now that boot up swiftly and have long battery lives and still have a load of change left out of what you would have spent on an iPad (and all the essential extras like keyboard/USB adapter etc).


Bleeeehhhh.

Can I read them in bed?

Can I park myself on the toilet with them?

Can I sit next to Artichoke and claim not to be doing work (work pushes her buttons) on it?

Does 'boot up swiftly' mean - actually - instantly? Like, WHAM! There it is.

Can I use it - like I have done, repeatedly - to hold in front of me, like a magic film-containing kindle, whilst enduring a 10hr wait in Nice airport?

Will it run Windows, and have all the pointless irritations that *just aren't present* on an iPad, because it either does shit or it doesn't, and when it does it that's great, and when it doesn't then there's no point worrying about it, because that's not what I bought it for?

Man, again, look, you have a technical argument. But I have a respectable laptop (now with W7). I have a respectable desktop (now an iMac).

I actually DO NOT WANT all the fucking around that goes with the Windows laptop, in particular. I don't want the machinations, and dicking around, and Windows updates. And I sure as shit don't want to spend £400 on an 'insta-wake-up' netbook just so that I can have a marginally smaller version of my laptop, so's I can spend all the time I'm using it wondering why the fuck I've thrown away all the £ I invested in Apple / iPad apps, and why the fuck I'm using something that's nowhere near as smooth, enjoyable, swift, or... uncomplicated... as my iPad was.

Until it died, obv.

Sainsbury's and Tesco sell El Santa strawberries for £2. They're technically adequate strawberries. In terms of shape, size, colour, and smell, they match all the criteria of being an eminently respectable strawberry. I don't buy them and I don't eat them, but I'll gladly spend the extra 50p to £1 and munch through 4 consecutive punnets of Driscoll Jubilee.

Sainsbury's and Tesco sell stuff that looks like coffee beans in every respect. It fills every available criteria for 'being coffee,' and it has - in many ways - superb technical functionality. Despite that - and it's great that people enjoy it - I won't touch it with a bargepole. I'd rather go without coffee, and that's my personal preference.

In several ways, you have an accurate technical point.

But it's - unfortunately - utterly misguided wrt what I actually want, and wrt what I actually want to do.


----------



## grit (Jun 23, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> £679, tbf, having just checked.


 
O RLY


----------



## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> Can I read them in bed?
> 
> Can I park myself on the toilet with them?
> 
> ...


For word processing, the Asus Transformer would strike me as a far better bet being a laptop and a tablet combined, and coming with a proper keyboard, a 16 hour battery life, instant on, USB port and SD slots. 



mrs quoad said:


> £679, tbf, having just checked.
> 
> Though that is still a lot.
> 
> If it hadn't died over 14-15 months, I'd say it was - still - utterly worth it.


But it did die, and £679 is an awful lot of money for something that can't even last just over a year without going wrong.

By the way, AFAIK, EEC law means Apple should have to fix the problem for free.


----------



## grit (Jun 23, 2012)

editor said:


> But it did die, and £679 is an awful lot of money for something that can't even last just over a year without going wrong.
> 
> .


 
Are you genuinely trying to say that failure of consumer electronics is an apple specific problem?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jun 23, 2012)

15 months is 'just over a year'? Wow maths is taking a real hit in today's society...


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 23, 2012)

grit said:


> Are you genuinely trying to say that failure of consumer electronics is an apple specific problem?



Yeah because we've clearly seen masses of headlines saying 'Millions angry as iPads fail within 15 months!'


----------



## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> 15 months is 'just over a year'? Wow maths is taking a real hit in today's society...


Looks like reading comprehensions skills are on the slide too. Or perhaps you're selectively quoting to try and look clever.


----------



## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

grit said:


> Are you genuinely trying to say that failure of consumer electronics is an apple specific problem?


Not at all, but when you're paying a premium for a high end product, I'd be disappointed if it conked out so early.


----------



## grit (Jun 23, 2012)

editor said:


> Not at all, but when you're paying a premium for a high end product, I'd be disappointed if it conked out so early.


 
Sure, but that is completely independent of brand....


----------



## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

grit said:


> Sure, but that is completely independent of brand....


Indeed. And I'm be disappointed if any expensive, premium product conked out just 8-12 weeks after the first year was out.


----------



## maldwyn (Jun 23, 2012)

The point I was trying to make about paying a premium is that if/when it does conk out it's easily repaired/replaced - I can't afford for it not to be, ironically.


----------



## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

maldwyn said:


> The point I was trying to make about paying a premium is that if/when it does conk out it's easily repaired/replaced - I can't afford for it not to be, ironically.


That's not necessarily true because some premium products aren't user serviceable, and repair costs can be prohibitive.


----------



## mrs quoad (Jun 23, 2012)

editor said:


> For word processing, the Asus Transformer would strike me as a far better bet being a laptop and a tablet combined, and coming with a proper keyboard, a 16 hour battery life, instant on, USB port and SD slots.


My laptop has them.

I don't - genuinely don't - want a Windows or Android system. Of any kind.

I've had - and still have - Windows.

I've had - and still have - Android.

No, thank you. Really - no, thank you.

I'd prefer to pay the premium.

Both Android and Windows have - IME (which is what counts, since it's me who'll be buying anything) - involved infinite tiny frustrations, and countless irritating let-downs and shoftfalls, which has made my Windows and Android devices a heap of pissy niggles.

Whereas my experiences of Apple have been _pretty much _untrammeled joy. This death (and the other, lesser deaths) excepted.

That's - actually - worth paying for. For me. Even if it involves one big fuck-up, it means I'm not encountering countless *value* fuck-ups on a daily basis.



> But it did die, and £679 is an awful lot of money for something that can't even last just over a year without going wrong.
> 
> By the way, AFAIK, EEC law means Apple should have to fix the problem for free.


It did indeed. I've just been in to the Apple store, who're saying that it'd be a maximum of £250ish for a full replacement.

I'd be very interested in the relevant EEC law, if you had any easy access to it...?


----------



## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> It did indeed. I've just been in to the Apple store, who're saying that it'd be a maximum of £250ish for a full replacement.
> 
> I'd be very interested in the relevant EEC law, if you had any easy access to it...?


The ever-delightful Apple were recently forced to adopt European law, although I suspect you'll be in for some wriggling.


> *EU law forces Apple two-year warranty*
> 
> Apple has extended its European warranties to include repair of products up to two years after purchase, to bring the company into line with European law.
> 
> ...


http://www.techcentral.ie/article.aspx?id=18663


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## mrs quoad (Jun 23, 2012)

editor said:


> The ever-delightful Apple were recently forced to adopt European law, although I suspect you'll be in for some wriggling.
> 
> http://www.techcentral.ie/article.aspx?id=18663


'Oooo.'

e2a:



> Under EU law Apple now offers to repair or replace a product within two years if "Defects present when customer takes delivery".
> ​


​I suspect I may not be arguing the toss, come Monday ​


----------



## grit (Jun 23, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> Both Android and Windows have - IME (which is what counts, since it's me who'll be buying anything) - involved infinite tiny frustrations, and countless irritating let-downs and shoftfalls, which has made my Windows and Android devices a heap of pissy niggles.


 
I can appreciate how it appears like that if you are not a geek.


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## editor (Jun 23, 2012)

grit said:


> I can appreciate how it appears like that if you are not a geek.


Although it's generally recognised that Apple offers a very slick user experience, I did not enjoy my six months with my iPhone 3G and had annoying problems with the phone and found their customer service almost Sony-like in its poor quality.


----------



## elbows (Jun 23, 2012)

grit said:


> I can appreciate how it appears like that if you are not a geek.


 
I think its a myth that geeks don't care about this sort of thing. I'm a geek and yet funnily enough I didn't want a device that annoyed me all the time with its failings.


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 23, 2012)

elbows said:


> I think its a myth that geeks don't care about this sort of thing. I'm a geek and yet funnily enough I didn't want a device that annoyed me all the time with its failings.



Indeed.


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## peterkro (Jun 23, 2012)

I suppose I,m somewhat of a geek and went Apple as soon as OSX came out,most of the fiddling and fucking about went away.I kept windows on my intel laptop but never used it so wiped it for more storage.I must say 7 is a big improvement on previous releases,but I'd still rather be doing work than faffing about with all the windows settings and wotnot.


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## elbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Back in the day what used to wind me up about windows was registry corruption. Later this annoyance evolved into windows updates getting stuck. But I don't come across such things as much these days, and they were only an issue for me in particular because I was supporting numerous machines at the time. One of my big motivations for switching to the mac in the first place was certain realtime visual software that was only available for OS X. These days Im less bothered by this sort of thing, although I think I'll need to keep at least one mac to do iOS development on.


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## Kanda (Jun 25, 2012)

grit said:


> I can appreciate how it appears like that if you are not a geek.



I work in IT, have done for years. Do I want to piss about with Windows or Android out of work? Fuck no.


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## FridgeMagnet (Jun 25, 2012)

Kanda said:


> I work in IT, have done for years. Do I want to piss about with Windows or Android out of work? Fuck no.


Well quite. I want to use my bloody devices. I was happy to hack shit and recompile kernels when I was younger, but messing about with them is not a hobby any more. As soon as somebody says "oh but you can root the phone to do this obvious thing" that means "SHIT PHONE DO NOT BUY" to me.


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## Citizen66 (Jun 25, 2012)

Don't know about recent netbooks. But the one I had (two years old) was as sloooooooow as hell on bootup where as tablets just generally sleep and are pretty instant. I'm sure they utilise SSDs too where as my netbook clearly didn't and the operating system was obviously too heavy for it.


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## Citizen66 (Jun 25, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Well quite. I want to use my bloody devices. I was happy to hack shit and recompile kernels when I was younger, but messing about with them is not a hobby any more. As soon as somebody says "oh but you can root the phone to do this obvious thing" that means "SHIT PHONE DO NOT BUY" to me.


 
I almost wish I didn't buy my iPad now I've jailbroken it. I bought an iCade and then realised I wanted MAME; Which android devices are perfectly capable of running without jiggery pokery. And the rest of the stuff I mainly use can be used with Android too. I can't think of one app that is iPad specific that I use enough to warrant sticking with the apple device in future*. Dunno if any of the Android tablets actually fit in the iCade though. And having to go through iTunes to get video content on there *yawn* (although this might be easier now it's jailbroken. But that's what we want to avoid, yeh?

*Actually, there's some literature that I bought through apple readers that I don't particularly want to lose and magazines in the newstand too.


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## grit (Jun 26, 2012)

Kanda said:


> I work in IT, have done for years. Do I want to piss about with Windows or Android out of work? Fuck no.


 
I havnt had a crash on Windows 7 in 6 months, everything just works. Ditto with android. Back in the XP days yeah things were not great but that was a long time ago now. In fact just checking my main workstation, it hasnt been rebooted in 2 weeks.


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## Citizen66 (Jun 26, 2012)

Vista, however , was terrible.


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## Kanda (Jun 26, 2012)

grit said:


> I havnt had a crash on Windows 7 in 6 months, everything just works. Ditto with android. Back in the XP days yeah things were not great but that was a long time ago now. In fact just checking my main workstation, it hasnt been rebooted in 2 weeks.



I've not had a crash (work PC) but do need to reboot it weekly. That machine is clean but I have 3 browsers installed which do hog memory a lot every now and then. Windows memory/resource management is still and always been shit. Part of that is due to 3rd party devs.


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## editor (Jun 26, 2012)

Citizen66 said:


> Vista, however , was terrible.


That's pretty much undisputed.


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## grit (Jun 26, 2012)

Kanda said:


> Windows memory/resource management is still and always been shit.


 
How do you figure that, in what situations is the windows scheduler letting you down?


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## elbows (Jun 26, 2012)

Lets wait and see what Windows 8 turns out to be like on tablets before bringing windows into this much.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 27, 2012)

W00t!
It's AMAZING. If I'd known how light they were I would have bought one last year.
Yup. Best birthday present I ever bought myself. Even better than my everlasting lilies which have been going strong for ten days now.


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## pinkmonkey (Jun 27, 2012)

Yep.  gone are the days when I fucked my back up, schlepping a 3kg laptop to a trade show.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 27, 2012)

Fucksake it took me ages to sync this with my iTunes account and now I'm thinking that I just st cut 17gb of stuff o here that I probably won't use as I'll use my phone.hohum.

So, what does Dropbox do then? Is it that you write your document in one app and then transfer to Dropbox so tht you can convert it to word format?
I think I saw an office app for £5.50, I might try that rather than Pages.


----------



## Crispy (Jun 27, 2012)

In my mind, the best office app is Docs to Go. Works with MS office formats natively, no need to convert.

Dropbox is an online storage thing, accessible from any computer, web browser or app (that supports it). Go to www.dropbox.com and get an account. Install dropbox on your computer. In a supported ipad app (Docs to Go for example!) enter your dropbox details. Now, any changes you make to a document in your dropbox folder will be reflected everywhere. No more manual syncing or emailing stuff to yourself.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 27, 2012)

I think office2 is, how you say, native. And you can also make power point presentations which I think ShiftyJunior said he wanted to do. But actually he can do that on the netbook instead.

So I can write stuff in docs to go, save it in dropbox via the same app and then log in to Dropbox from a computer and print my work off, yes?
What if I write something on my netbook? Could I transfer that in to Dropbox somehow?


----------



## Crispy (Jun 27, 2012)

That Office2 also looks very good. Better, in some respects actually. Go for it


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## editor (Jun 27, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> What if I write something on my netbook? Could I transfer that in to Dropbox somehow?


Yes. Dropbox works on just about any platform and so long as each machine can read the document, you can access them on any device.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 27, 2012)

Thank you


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## Crispy (Jun 27, 2012)

To further simplify, you can install some software on your PC, which lets you share your PC's printer over the network to the ipad. There's the free, geeky way: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1293865 or the $19.95 hassle-free way: http://www.collobos.com/


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## stuff_it (Jun 27, 2012)

magneze said:


> Get a keyboard for it. I find the screen really difficult to type on.


Or get an external keyboard for your phone? .... sadly if that's craple you won't be able to compliment it with a massive memory card.


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## mrs quoad (Jun 27, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> I think I saw an office app for £5.50, I might try that rather than Pages.


Oh, just don't. If you want any form of creditable writing / word processing programme, go with the Pages option. The interface is so fucking nice. And it's such a treat to write in.

I've tried most of the other office attempts and... oh. Oh, they're a pain in the arse. Open-screen text, which is fine if all that matters is splattering words in a loose format at a generic white box, but if you want anything approaching formatting (or formatting options) then it really is Pages all the way. It's a beautiful little word processor, allows you to save in .doc format, and has a tonne of nice, polished formatting options. And blinding presentation. It's an actual joy to work with.

The office suites... bleh. I haven't used one for a good year or so, admittedly, but the ones I used (and I bought the lot when I first got it) were just messy, half-arsed substitutes.

Pages is a PITA, insofar as it isn't dropbox integrated (you can DL from dropbox; you can't upload to it). But the quality of the interface and the sheer pleasure of using it is - IMO - neck, head and shoulders above its competitors.


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## mrs quoad (Jun 27, 2012)

Crispy said:


> In my mind, the best office app is Docs to Go. Works with MS office formats natively, no need to convert.


Now this, to me, is raw filth. I have docs to go. I've just checked to see if it's fully updated. And opened it to check whether or not my memory was failing me.

And - yep - that's the one.

Personal preference n all that, but it's such a pale imitation of what's offered by Pages that - IMO - it's a false economy for any substantial formatting / writing process that needs any kind of formatting. Or tools. Or fun. Or engagement.

I appreciate that's a personal perspective, mind.


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## mrs quoad (Jun 27, 2012)

Crispy said:


> To further simplify, you can install some software on your PC, which lets you share your PC's printer over the network to the ipad. There's the free, geeky way: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1293865 or the $19.95 hassle-free way: http://www.collobos.com/


Could you also use something like Splashtop remote desktop to print off? Can't remember whether or not you need to log in at your desktop every time you use it, or if you could access it and remotely print off.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 27, 2012)

Well, the good thing about the apps is that I can try these different softwares relatively easily. Buying software for the iMac (was looking at the MS student one) is bloody expensive. This is from woman who never buys software, I just use whatever the machine comes with.

I'll check out the reviews then I suppose. Pages looks like as many people give it shit review as give it a glowing one.


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## Crispy (Jun 27, 2012)

Pages is definitely more fully-featured, but it doesn't have dropbox and requires an extra step or two to work with MS office documents. Apple have this iCloud thing, which is supposed to have a dropbox replacement function, but it's just not as good.


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## FridgeMagnet (Jun 27, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> Well, the good thing about the apps is that I can try these different softwares relatively easily. Buying software for the iMac (was looking at the MS student one) is bloody expensive. This is from woman who never buys software, I just use whatever the machine comes with.
> 
> I'll check out the reviews then I suppose. Pages looks like as many people give it shit review as give it a glowing one.


I wouldn't buy MS Office for the Mac unless you are 100% sure you need a very specific function in it. I've got on perfectly well with iWork (which includes the desktop versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote).


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 27, 2012)

Crispy said:


> Pages is definitely more fully-featured, but it doesn't have dropbox and requires an extra step or two to work with MS office documents. Apple have this iCloud thing, which is supposed to have a dropbox replacement function, but it's just not as good.


It can save documents in .DOC apparently, which is Microsoft compatible right?
I'm probably going to buy a printer in September so it won't be such an issue if I can print thing at home. I just don't have very much space to put a printer (I've got a crappy old one under my bed which is nigh impossible to use with a netbook so I just I left it to gather dust) and printing it off via email has been really easy.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 27, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I wouldn't buy MS Office for the Mac unless you are 100% sure you need a very specific function in it. I've got on perfectly well with iWork (which includes the desktop versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote).


You're right. It's a bit tough to break out of this Microsoft state of mind.


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## elbows (Jun 27, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> You're right. It's a bit tough to break out of this Microsoft state of mind.


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## elbows (Jun 27, 2012)

Just watch out, because if you break free then you'll end up saving money on software, only to spend it on Apple hardware


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## editor (Jun 27, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I wouldn't buy MS Office for the Mac unless you are 100% sure you need a very specific function in it. I've got on perfectly well with iWork (which includes the desktop versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote).


For the record I use SimpleNote: it automatically syncs your notes, so whatever you type will be visible on your phone, iPad app, desktop app and in any browser.


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## mrs quoad (Jun 27, 2012)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> It can save documents in .DOC apparently, which is Microsoft compatible right?
> I'm probably going to buy a printer in September so it won't be such an issue if I can print thing at home. I just don't have very much space to put a printer (I've got a crappy old one under my bed which is nigh impossible to use with a netbook so I just I left it to gather dust) and printing it off via email has been really easy.


.doc is MS Word. 

It is an irritant, but only in one direction. You need to (e.g.) email docs to yourself instead of just saving to Dropbox. And then briefly work through the irritation of managing duplicate files in your email inbox / on Dropbox. You can still open MS Word Dropbox files on your iPad. 

We've got (absurdly) two AirPrint printers (no setup required, instantly iPad wifi compatible). I bought one because printing from my iPad via email to my inkjet was doing my box in. I then got a second one for £10 when I bought my iMac. I was going to sell it on, but Artichoke wanted to do the independence thing & not rely on *my* printer, so I sold it to her for £10 & a pizza or summat, so now we've got one each. 

They're bloody awful for serious printing. Even through a normal computer, it's about 1.5 to 2x less efficient than my desk jet. And via iPad, there's no "black cartridge only" or "two pages per side" option which - for me - ruins it wrt efficiency, and makes it ridiculous for serious printing. Printing off a 100 page home office document on it would bring me to the verge of tears.

Still.

It's incredibly useful for swiftly knocking out recipes, directions, 2-4 page syntheses & articles, & so on & so forth.



I'd also add - I use MS Office on my iMac. Same reason I use Pages on my iPad. Smoother, more features, all-round more professional / comprehensive. Can't remember what it is that repeatedly irritated me, but I started out using pure Pages on both platforms & ended up using Word on iMac, Pages on iPad.

Tbf, I have a feeling that's also because I went back to sometimes using my Windows laptop through Dropbox, and that rendered Pages files a total irritation.


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## peterkro (Jun 27, 2012)

editor said:


> Yes. Dropbox works on just about any platform and so long as each machine can read the document, you can access them on any device.


Just thought apparently I have invites for Bitcasa,don't use it no idea if it's any good,but if you want PM email.


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## Throbbing Angel (Jun 27, 2012)

for dropbox sync based writing I use PlainText  http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/plaintext-dropbox-text-editing/id391254385?mt=8

it is free, only does .txt and syncs everything with your Dropbox account - it is from the same people who produced WriteRoom which bills itself as the original distraction free writing environment   That also has DropBox integration-plain text again only, though.

It all depends upon how much formatting/editing you want to be doing on the iPad I suppose


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 27, 2012)

I don't expect I'll be doing very much formatting at all, I'm a straight typer. 
He were, I gather that you're nobody without a dropbox so I will get one forthwith.
Seems like such a hassle though, is it getting easier? In five years time will everything just be compatible? I bloody hope so, I don't want to have to remember all of this stuff.


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## peterkro (Jun 27, 2012)

If Microsoft stop bollocksing about,e.g. nominating its own subsidiaries to standards committees and so on,yes we will.Do the right thing and go Open Office et al now.Even people who only work with Office don't know it's intricacies,it's a bloated useless piece of shit.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 27, 2012)

Open Office? Is this a different thing, my mind is already swimming and I have to read mrs quads posts at least four times to have an idea of what he's talking about....
I shall look it up.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Jun 27, 2012)

But it's definitely all Microsoft's fault, yes?


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## elbows (Jun 27, 2012)

I wouldn't worry about it, you've probably absorbed more than enough for now. A lot of this stuff is actually easier when it comes to day to day use (e.g. dropbox), its just the very brief learning curve that may cause travel sickness.


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## FridgeMagnet (Jun 27, 2012)

OpenOffice is a bit shit on the Mac tbh. Well, very shit.


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## elbows (Jun 27, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> OpenOffice is a bit shit on the Mac tbh. Well, very shit.


 
It does have a mid-nineties type suckiness about it.


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## peterkro (Jun 27, 2012)

Yeah I realise Open Office etc are generally crap but I'm not going to buy into a piece of software which isn't compatible between versions let alone OS's.Pages kicks the shit out of Office.I also like the fact that the most pirated version of Office for Mac is Apple's internal corporate multiuser licence I can't help but feel they're laughing at Microsoft.


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## mrs quoad (Jun 29, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I wouldn't buy MS Office for the Mac unless you are 100% sure you need a very specific function in it. I've got on perfectly well with iWork (which includes the desktop versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote).


I'm installing Office on *ahem* a new computer, one without a disk drive, and whilst I was putting together a disk image of it I DLed Pages directly.

I've instantly remembered what I most disliked - the spell checker! Word's autocorrect is occasionally an irritant for me, but it's often a godsend. Whenever I wrote anything substantial on Pages, it'd come out filled with pissy and unnecessary spelling mistakes that Word picks up on 9 times out of 10


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## Throbbing Angel (Jun 29, 2012)

I was contemplating Pages for iPad, but the lack of a decent spellcheck function is just terrible imho
I've looked up a few discussions on the Apple forums and some of the best suggestions are copy & pasting the text into another app to spellcheck it  which is ludicrous

I've read that the spellcheck only works if the language settings are set to US English - which is also crap if true

you can whinge about it here Quoaddy  http://www.apple.com/feedback/pages_ipad.html


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## maldwyn (Jun 29, 2012)

Well every day's a school day, I didn't know that about iPad Pages spellchecker - but then I usually finalise on Pages proper on my Mac.


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## mrs quoad (Jun 29, 2012)

Throbbing Angel said:


> I was contemplating Pages for iPad, but the lack of a decent spellcheck function is just terrible imho


 
Ahhh, tbh I was referring to Pages on the iMac. Which makes it even less excusable.



> I've looked up a few discussions on the Apple forums and some of the best suggestions are copy & pasting the text into another app to spellcheck it  which is ludicrous


Are there apps with better spellcheckers?

tbh, I've rarely _finished _documents on my iPad. I've set out by far the best part of the writing, but if it's something that's going to a formal setting, then I'd tend to do the final stages on my desktop. It's lovely writing stuff outside; but there's nothing that'll beat a 21.5" screen (except, perhaps, a 27.5" screen) for getting an overview of a document, its context, formatting issues, etc.

Erm... Pages is all-round a bit shit when it comes to autocorrecting and spell-checking. I'd be genuinely curious if there's better out there, though. (I'd still probably carry on using Pages regardless, mind, as the other frills - formatting, not least - make it a 90% genuine pleasure to use.)


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## Throbbing Angel (Jun 30, 2012)

I haven't looked into other apps as yet - working on the basis that Pages>Apple>iPad should be a safe bet

it seems that these spellcheck anomalies are something to do with UK vs US settings in the device rather than in the app (I think) and some seem to be able to make the spellcheck work after resetting the device (full power down) and others cannot.

As for finishing stuff on the iPad, no, I probably wouldn't, but, would like to be able to do a substantial amount of work on something and spell/grammar check properly as I go, mainly because I do that as a matter of course/habit (40+ word user  )

I'm trying to move away from sitting at a computer with 2 screens all day at work and then on a laptop at home, hence the iPad. It certainly fills a gap and I love the instant on & writing straight away thing, it is sort of like my Alphasmart in some ways (minus a keyboard but with a much better and bigger screen)

I had a go on Pages in PC World earlier but couldn't get into it as I was being buzzed by sales staff and the local neeks


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## mrs quoad (Jun 30, 2012)

Throbbing Angel said:


> it seems that these spellcheck anomalies are something to do with UK vs US settings in the device rather than in the app (I think) and some seem to be able to make the spellcheck work after resetting the device (full power down) and others cannot.
> 
> As for finishing stuff on the iPad, no, I probably wouldn't, but, would like to be able to do a substantial amount of work on something and spell/grammar check properly as I go, mainly because I do that as a matter of course/habit (40+ word user  )


tbf, I haven't tended to run spell check that heavily on the iPad. I think. Is there one?

My main beef is autocorrect - or the lack of it - and the fact that THAT leaves me with some pointless mistakes that I'd prefer were corrected for me. And which Word would pick up in a jiffy.

I'm minded to think that producing perfect / heavily polished documents on the iPad might be... a suboptimal use of time. Insofar as they can be run through a desktop / laptop word processor in no time. I... offhand... just don't think that the keyboard / touch interface is well set up for it 

On a desktop, it'd require fairly heavy use of the mouse. Wouldn't it? Or tabbing.

Both those functions are a bit fucked wrt the iPad. Oddly enough - IME - the keyboard and touch screen don't really gel that well (particularly as I tend to use them in quite a modular fashion - one on my lap, one on the table), and that makes it more inconvenient than a bog standard WP programme.


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