Questions for iPad owners....

[Japan-Games.com]

Still trying to get my head around this product....heh. I have some questions for anyone who has an iPad. It's hard to figure out what it does natively, what it can do with an app, and what it can't do at all.

I often get an email with a lot of links where I have to click on a link, buy something from a website, then return to the email and click on the next link. How does the iPad handle stuff like this? I know there are some multitasking things it can and cannot do. Is it a situation where the mail program gets completely closed down when I switch to the browser, then the browser gets completely closed down when I switch to the email client? And I have to keep opening and closing each?

Same with Excel files. I often have to open an Excel file and click on a link, browse a web page, then return to the Excel file to enter in some information. I'll have to completely open and closed each application every time I want to switch back to the other? The information I have to add to the file is usually just some text so I don't really need heavy Excel editing.

No dual browsers without an app?

Is anyone using Google Cloud services with the iPad? Any issues?

I'm sure I'll have more questions soon...

Thanks!

[GaijinPunch]

iOS rarely shuts an app down. I think it's pretty stupid, but of course, this is Apple thinking for the end customer. Generally if you "go to" one App from another (like to a browser from email) it will leave mail running in the background. Double click the home button to see your list of apps you can switch over to.

[dj898]

actually unless the App is approved to be run as background processing things will be put into the suspended animation... ahem... frozen in memory ready to be resurrected if you need.

[Japan-Games.com]

I don't necessarily need simultaneous apps processing, I just need to be able to switch back and forth without having to completely shut the other down. If it "suspends" the other app that's fine, I just don't want to have to literally open the same Excel file every time I switch back after using the browser. Sounds like that's not the case? I thought it was and the selling point was the longer battery life since you don't have 2 programs open at once.

[Demo]

You can do that with an iPad, if the app that you use for your excel files supports "multitasking" (being frozen when you switch).
The native mail client and Browser support that of course.

There are some tweaks to enable real multitasking, but that requires a jailbreak and is not necessary for the work you want to do with it.

[IcarusNick]

actually unless the App is approved to be run as background processing things will be put into the suspended animation... ahem... frozen in memory ready to be resurrected if you need.

This is completely right, your thinking to much like its your laptop or desktop PC, Apps suspend in the position you left them in. Trust me you won't have any problem doing what you want to do.

[Japan-Games.com]

OK, I see where I went wrong. I was confusing the concept of split screen with the concept of multitasking. I read about needing an app to have dual browsers open and then read an article about how the iPad can't really multitask. I put the two together and thought it meant all apps had to be fully closed before using another. Now I'm realizing the dual browser was actually about having 2 instances of the same app running at the same time on one screen. I don't have to have a split screen situation as long as I can jump back and forth between apps using the home button.

[Taucias]

You'd be better off getting an Android tablet like the Xoom if you want decent Excel support. Also, the multi-tasking thing is not major on the iPad, unless you do wish to process stuff while you are browsing the web. However, it is a bit inconvenient.

The worst thing for me is the resolution of the screen, but I have not played around with an iPad 2 yet.

[APE]

In all seriousness how is life without being able to use Flash? Someone once asked me point blank "what actually uses flash" when I said it was a downside to using iOS devices. Honestly I came up blank beyond YouTube and ahem, mature reading materials (for the articles I can assure you). Though I'm sure I use flash several hundred times a day without realizing it.

Is it an inconvenience? Do you wish you had it? Are the websites that use Flash offering equivalent (and just as good) alternatives to those using iOS devices?

I've also wondered about what the battery life is actually like. Real life usage, none of that 25% brightness, on WiFi with 3G turned off nonsense. I like having the brightness as high as necessary to read comfortably and with the bells and whistled turned on.

For example, my Samsung Captivate (Android phone of the Galaxy S line, the Google Nexus S is an extremely similar phone) for example gets its unlimited data plan used quite a bit. I don't sit there and abuse it by tethering or using a torrent app but I don't hesitate to watch a Youtube video or three or hit up Netflix for 30-40 minutes while waiting at the doctors office. Typically this means I have to plug my phone in every chance I get lest I want to find it dead before 3pm.

[GaijinPunch]

In all seriousness how is life without being able to use Flash? Someone once asked me point blank "what actually uses flash" when I said it was a downside to using iOS devices. Honestly I came up blank beyond YouTube

Beatport, Vimeo, a number of other humor sites, etc.
Enough that Apple's gay policy against it is a massive cock in the ass.

[7Force]

Honestly, Apple should do whatever they can to get to an agreement to use Flash. Steve Jobs has been working on his little HTML5 video wet dream for how long now with jack shit to show for it? I know Flash sucks and is bloated as hell, but EVERYONE uses it.

[Bad_Ad84]

Apple refused, Adobe had flash ready to go for iOS. Apple dont need to do anything to get an agreement other than say "yes".

[Japan-Games.com]

Like I said I don't really need to have 2 apps processing at the same time, just the ability to switch between the two without having to completely shut one down.

Mostly I'll be going to Yahoo Auctions, so if someone could confirm there are no problems there I'll be happy. I don't watch too many videos online unless I'm there to actually watch videos, but I won't be using the iPad for that. I actually find it kind of annoying to have every sports article I read having some kind of video commentary with it. To me it's just another wasted 30 seconds on a pre-roll commercial. It sucks when I see a good headline that I want to read but instead they are forcing you to watch it as a video conversation and all the ads that go along with it. Then I hear about limiting bandwidth and it would seem to me the best way to do that would be to limit "video articles" and the ads. I'm fine reading through text. I'll go to YouTube if I want to see a video review of something.

No games, either. I find that when I play some games on my Android phone it drains half the battery, then when I get emails late at night when I'm out I don't have enough juice to respond to them all. At that point my mobile phone turns into a useless paperweight. It's like getting a Ferrari with a quarter tank of gas in it. Great machine as long as you don't actually use it too much.

In Japan the only thing I can really get is the Galaxy tab, and that just doesn't look all that great. It looks like a unit Docomo doesn't really support that much.

[Japan-Games.com]

OK, I bought it....but it will take 2 weeks to arrive...heh. Bummer....