Customer Reviews on Amazon.com

1. 77 of 89 people found this review helpful

   By B. Mullins on Amazon.com 25 April, 2011

   iPadLess - Especially For Photos

   Apple markets this as the ultimate portable computer product, but it has serious shortcomings similar to the iPhone that I wasn't aware of as I don't own one. If you have no interest in external files or photos, then this may not be important to you. I waited a month for mine to be delivered, and after a week, I can say I'm keenly disappointed for specific reasons of Apple's own making.
   
   You can't transfer ANY file to it, you can only SYNC all files from one designated computer, i.e. tethered.
   
   Despite reading enormous reviews & comments about the original, as well as the 2, I never got the impression from anyone that this was the case. There were a few rumblings about "file handling" and workarounds for it ["everything's going to the cloud anyway" "just use dropbox"] - but nothing that says what an incredible restriction it is for anyone using photos/movies at all. Their only official solution is that you buy a $40 dongle that then will allow SD card content [no CF cards, which I have] to be transferred directly. But the worst part is that even if you were to transfer anything to it, it all gets dumped at the bottom of "saved photos" without any file separation, and no ability to separate or make collections of them after transfer either.
   
   Unlike my iPods, you can NEVER transfer any existing file to another, or create a new one. Only with Sync. Apparently they want you to work "with the app" to do whatever you want to do. So the only way you could store photos is randomly, unless you want to sync all file/photos from your one mothership computer. The only semi-solution is to email yourself whatever you want, then download the photos/files...which again will only be dumped in the "saved photo" generic file. You can imagine the limitations with original file sizes.
   
   Another key element to me is the lack of any tabbed browsing, whether in Safari or the special Bing app for the iPad [superior to Safari for most things]. So to actually write an email, while constantly switching between single browser pages etc. I'd find ridiculously cumbersome, not to mention that you can't resize ANY windows/apps at all. You can only resize font/content within a given page.
   
   Which brings me to the keyboard, or lack thereof. I had no idea that the numeric/symbol part of the keyboard is ALWAYS separate from the alpha part, meaning that if you're ever entering alpha/numeric content, i.e. passwords, airline record #'s etc. you have to hit one key to show the number part, hit the number/symbol, then hit another key to reveal the alpha part again, and back and forth endlessly. In addition, because there's no real tactile feel for the keys, and because the entry points are different for every program [where the browser bar is vs input for youtube etc] you're staring at the keyboard to make sure your fingers are in the right place, then having to look back up and find where it's going, then back down etc., which not only slows the process, but can give you a headache from your neck bobbing up & down, as well as the different light/contrast levels for the keyboard vs the rest of the screen.
   
   Yes - I know that you can get a separate bluetooth keyboard, and that would solve some of it - but it also defeats some of the advantage of the form factor if you have to haul the 2 around everywhere you go.
   
   This doesn't even address any particular program you may want to work on - just the physical/OS realities of trying to work with it at all.
   
   Yes - scrolling through photos is very fast, and can be easily manipulated with your fingers. Yes there are some very inventive apps out there that take advantage of finger-abilities, but what the finger giveth, it also taketh away when it comes to anything that requires content creation or precision. I never expected it to do something like Photoshop, but to be this crippled wasn't in the cards either.
   
   This should be marketed to generic users not comfortable with computers, and iPhone users who are used to--and don't want anything more than what their iPhone will already do. The geeks that have championed it should be dismissed for misleading everyone, as they will always find workarounds, and have multiple devices anyway [macbook air/pro/imac etc]. They could just as easily make an Android phone/tablet work for them.
   
   The strength of Apple is supposed to be it's user-friendliness, flexibility and support...with their advertising just teasing out a few of the myriad possibilities of the device. In the iPad's case, I feel they did the opposite: they oversold it's abilities, touting dual-core ships, 9x better graphics etc., when in fact none of that really matters at the only pace the interface allows. [I got my mom a refurb original iPad, the first computer she can work - and there's little difference in most app performance]
   
   At the direction of my local Genius Bar & Store Manager, I went in search of an app that could help with photo file/transfer, but I queried one of the best reviewed, "PhotoSync" to be sure they responded:
   
   "PhotoSync can only transfer photos to the save photos folder. This restriction is made by Apple unfortunately. Third party developers are not allowed to create albums in the camera roll, save photos in other locations than the saved photos folder, or to delete photo from the camera roll. All these features Apple reserves completely for itself. We hope that this will change one day in a newer iOS version but at this point it is the only thing we can offer (though we would like to offer more)."
   
   That may be plenty for most others, but it's not for me. I went back to see if I skipped parts of reviews that mentioned this, and no - i didn't. Here's from Mossberg from WSJ...who runs down all the drawbacks, including poor-quality cameras etc., then says:
   
   "there are two big omissions, one old and one new. The old one is that, like Apple's prior phones and tablets, the shiny new iPad 2 still won't play Adobe's Flash video in its built-in Web browser. This is a deliberate decision by Apple, and puts its devices at a disadvantage for some users when compared with Android tablets, which can play Flash, or say they will soon, albeit not always well.
   
   The other omission has to do with cellular data. The iPad 2 can't use, or be upgraded to use, the new, faster 4G cellular-data networks being rolled out."
   
   NO mention of any of the aspects that are important to me, and I would think to a substantial number of people...even if we aren't a majority.
   
   I want it to be the Next Big Thing - the one that replaces laptops with a smaller, more flexible form factor that's also inspiring to use.
   
   I'm just left with the deflated feeling that I've been had, and mostly because of some very dumb and ridiculous failures in their OS that don't have to be that way...just sticking a finger in my eye as a dedicated Mac user.
   
   **Update** I got the 11" Macbook Air and am very happy with it - although it is a lot more computer power than I needed in pure portable terms - it isn't substantially bigger than the iPad [especially with keyboard] for those of you that can afford it.
2. 37 of 46 people found this review helpful

   By J. Tregaro on Amazon.com 17 April, 2011

   I'm on my 6th iPad 2 replacement

   I have had this thing switched out 6 times at the apple store because there is always dead pixels on every screen, I mean the black pixels that are annoying, I guess apple is now trying to use cheaper products to save them money and rip us off.
   
   I love the ipad and everything but this screen flaw thing is ridiculous.
3. 31 of 39 people found this review helpful

   By E. Mattar on Amazon.com 20 June, 2011

   not really

   First, when you guys say 500,000 application, do you really count the silly games as useful applications?
   For business, this device is Nothing to me. You won't believe how many times I wanted to leave it home and take my MacBook with me again. Believe me, I love Apple products, in fact waited inline for this silly product the second year around, First for iPad and now for iPad 2.
   It all comes down to this: When things are too simple, things become too complicated. No real, heavy duty operating system. If I specify why this thing isn't working for my business, I will need 5 pages to fill. I have in the past posted a review on how great this product was, but that was before really trying it for business,
   Its not even okay for simple web browsing and I am not talking about flash blah blah, because I never encountered a website that didn't run on the iPad, but Im talking physically, To hold it down it made my neck hurt, A MacBook is far more comfortable, you look vertically and type horizontally.
   Again, I wait in line for iPhone, every single version of it, I adore my MacBook pro and can never switch back to a PC but this stupid device, I will never buy again. YUK.
   Im thinking to buy the new 11.6" MacBook Air instead.
   Thanks for taking the time to read my review.
4. 23 of 30 people found this review helpful

   By va on Amazon.com 4 August, 2011

   Here's why I sent it back

   It was with sadness that I returned it - felt like I was returning the Future. But here's why:
   1) It was too heavy for me to rest comfortably on lap while lying down.
   2) I had to purchase GoodReader to see if that would work for the main reason I wanted an ipad2 (to dowload and read academic pdfs from a certain website and zip files from another speciality website). I should have done this to see if it was compatable, but by the time I figured this out I had already invested so much time getting this to work right and had had enuf.
   3) Similarly, i would have to purchase a stylus to see if I could find one that worked for me. I'm used to using wrist movments and finger movements to work for long periods of time - not upper arm movements - so I would have to use a stylus. was not prepared cause I thought my styluses I already have would work on the IPAD
   4) Worst onscreen keyboard I have ever used. You have to hit a seperate key to make numbers and symbols like @ appear, and then hit the key again to return to letters. Perhaps i'd get used to this, perhaps not. so for, not.
   5) Similarly, if you can't touch type with the keyboard (you can't, I tried) then why space them out so far from one another? or why not let it be modifyable depending on the needs of the user?
   6) in the app store the print is too tiny. Much to my surprise, I could not expand it in the usual way. I did not bother to see if there was another way to expand it
   7) there's something dizzying about the way it switches between screens.
   8) Apple's official position is that they will not support WIFI conncections that use the older WEP security. Their only advice is to upgrade to WPA which they are happy to help you with excpet they don't care about the problem that then my older two devices would not be able to connect...So if have intermittant trouple with wifi because of WEP, don't count on Apples help. It took me ages to access some firmware to upgrade, only to find that i can't use WPA.
   9)In the store, the Ipad I tried got so dim as to be practically black. that's what I want for the dim lighting i use it in. My unit does not get as dim as that one. It's probably ok though.
   10) The final straw was an irrational one I guess...I decided to take a break from figuring things out and watch some stuff from NBC. I had not realized NBC does not support IPAD. the shows are on hulu but why shyould I pay 8 bucks a month when I can watch for free on my laptop. Other people have commented that they are going to start watching more ABC. I would rather find a table that lets me watch what I want.
   11)and ok, one more, i would also like to upload files to a speciality website, but didn't check to see if there's an app for that...
   12) I hate all the going thru ITUNES, a behmoth that now sits on my laptop, though i'd probably get used to this.
   
   Overall, Apple is really great at creating problems and then offering to sell you an App for that (no usb, no Word, no excel, can't upload or download files etc.). This is great if your main purpose is to show things to people. Big screen and without a cumbersome keyboard in the way.
   
   I might try and IPOD touch. same idea, but lighter. so now i'd still have to get goodreader and try again...
5. 12 of 15 people found this review helpful

   By Lay3r3 on Amazon.com 13 December, 2011

   Had fun but won't do it again

   I have been a hold out for several years now. I would tell people "I have an iPhone so why get just a bigger version?" My wife wanted to get an e-reader so I decided to put my money where my mouth was and buy a couple of iPads for us. Hers would likely be a casual use device but I was going to try to use mine for business moving to a paperless work style (attempt #1,324 over the course of 12 years of different devices).
   
   Initial review was good... liked the device feel, weight, etc. Clearly it looked nice. I was offended at the cost of covers and accessories but I had somewhat gotten over that shock with the iPhone so it wasn't a new shock :) I felt that a lot of the app makers did a good job with their iPhone/iPad combined apps but it does suck to have to buy a separate app for those that don't have the combined versions. But, overall a nice design and fun product to use.
   
   But, there's a big but here, it's too fragile and no recourse from an accident. Like many others before me I broke mine. Total bone-head move on my part, not at all an Apple fault in my situation, but if you spend some time reviewing forums you'll see the advice I failed to read. The device is incredibly fragile so even simple (aka not bone-headed) slips, drops, and bumps will leave you with a busted screen. With no attractive means of recourse. One would think that any product with a propensity for a major functional piece to break there would be a repair option. Not the case with Apple. Probably part of the business plan to be honest. I tried to find out my options and costs (secretly hoping for a free replacement like others have touted) but two different stores told me 1) not repairable by anyone; 2) any signs or attempt at repair void warranty; and 3) only option is a "courtesy" replacement for $270 (16mb wifi version). No option for repair internally at Apple, let alone an option more reasonable than spending another $300. I checked and the local repair place quoted about $185 plus tax and the parts I found online looked to run about $150+. For a glass screen!
   
   Apple has a unique luxury in that they have a large client base that feels Apple can do no wrong. An Apple "genius" could swing by the house at Thanksgiving and slap the loyalists grandmother and Apple would still be held up on a pedestal - the turkey was dry after-all. So they don't bat an eye if iTunes misbehaves (the user shouldn't have tried to sync contacts), or if they try to connect with Outlook (the user shouldn't consider another product not made by Apple), or consider a good product would have given repair considerations to a critical yet fragile component. The Apple flock is a great thing to have for a business.
   
   So anyway, I would say the iPad is a great device. It'd be better if the screen were more widget based like the android options, but it's snazzy, quick, and a joy to use. But, leave it sitting alone on the desk and protect it with your life if you buy it. Otherwise buy an android option for half the price and if you could bust it three times and still be less expensive than the Apple will arguably as good of performance.
6. 28 of 38 people found this review helpful

   By Maugham on Amazon.com 18 April, 2011

   Wi-Fi a disappointment on iPad 2

   I received a black iPad 2 with 32 GB for my birthday from my lovely wife. It's a beautiful product, as with all other Apple products I have purcThe hased however.....the Wi-Fi capability is not so good. It works for a while and then stops working. I called Apple. They had me delete the password for my network and then put the password back in. It worked fine for a while...just as it did when I first installed it. But only for a while. I don't get it. I have a relatively new Belkin 2 wireless network on Cable and have been using it for several years. I have two laptop computers, two printers, and an iPod touch with Wi Fi. They all work just fine. I can work all day, every day on any of these devices from anywhere in my house or in my yard.
   
   But not with the iPAD 2.
   
   with the iPad 2 it works for a while and then stops working. Very frustrating.
   
   This is not only a review but a request for help if anyone knows what's going on.
   
   BELOW IS A FOLLOW-UP ON MY IPAD2:
   
   BTW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ALL OF THIS, HERE IS A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS:
   
   1. It never worked properly on my home network or other networks I tried at Starbucks, shopping centers, etc.
   2. It was too big and heavy.
   3. To read a book on it was a problems because it was heavy and just touching a little part of the screen caused pages to flip by very fast which meant I had to search for where I was about every few minutes.
   4. Even though I bought a 2 years warranty, sent it in for repair and eventually got a new/used one from Apple it still never solved any of the problems.
   5. Apple never would do anything substantive for me...like give me my money back or give me an Apple credit. So in the end I had to sell it for what I could get - $400, which meant I lost $250+plus the accessories, apps, the Warranty etc. I had spent.
   
   I am NOT an Apple basher and I enjoy my iPods (3) we have in our family. However, I'll never buy Apple again because of their "return" "credit" etc. policy. They have really made me unhappy with this experience and I did everything I could to work with them.
   
   I got an iPad2 with 32Gig memory ($599) + a "magic cover" ($60) from Loretta for my birthday this year. The "magic cover" is magnetic. It covers and protects the screen of the iPad2 when you're not using it and turns the machine on and off by putting the cover on and off. I also bought an $80 2-year warranty service. So all in all, without tax and shipping, we spent about $720 for the thing. The short story is the iPad2 didn't work for me. It wouldn't stay connected to our network. Every time I wanted to use it I had to go through the network settup process all over again. Apple Customer Service was no help. After hours with them I sent it in for "repair." I got it back and it worked exactly the same, which is to say, it didn't work exactly as it didn't work before I sent it in. I kept asking for my money back or a credit but they kept refusing. Finally I sent it to them and they sent me a "new" (i.e. new to ME) unit. That's right, they did NOT say they would give me a new iPad2. They said they would give me a "refurbished" unit. I thought this was crappy since I'd only owned the thing for a month and had spent most of that time on the phone with their service department. Anyway, I got a "new" unit and it worked the same...i.e. it didn't work. Again, they refused to give me my money or a credit. So I finally just sold it. I got $400 for it so we lost about $350 (with shipping and tax).
   Besides not hooking up to our network, it was also big and heavy and no fun to sit and read books or browse the web or do any of the things I wanted it for. Reading a book, for example was a hassle. You had to hold this big heavy thing by the very edge of the "frame" because if you touched the screen anywhere it would flip through pages FAST and I spent most of my time trying to find where I left off. A real pain.
   Apart from all of that, the iPad2 is beautiful, has a beautiful screen and presents a beautiful, rich, colorful picture of whatever you're viewing. But not that much better than my Dell laptop.
   By the way, I KNOW our network works. It's the most recent Belkin WAP2 system and it works flawlessly with both of our Dell laptops, our DELL wireless color printer and our Brother wireless Laser Printer. I also had an Apple iPod Touch which worked perfectly using our same Wireless network. So it HAD to be something in the iPad2 that just didn't work. Anyway, I don't think I'll buy anything more from Apple, mainly because that even when something doesn't work right out of the box they won't give your money back or even give you a credit.
   What I DID buy and am very happy with, is an Amazon Kindle Latest Generation Wi Fi for $140 + $60 for a leather cover with built in reading light which actually works.
   The networking on the Kindle works great...just like our Dell Laptops and our printers.
   For more money, you can get a Kindle with not only Wi Fi but also 3G, so it will work using your phone network as well as your home network. We didn't need that feature though.
   The Kindle is great for reading books, magazines, newspapers, etc. You can get thousands of free books, but current books, or subscriptions to periodicals will cost you. If I was still traveling I'd get the 3G and subscribe to the NY Times but I can't read all of the news I want to (which isn't much) on my computer.
   What I do like, is reading books on the Kindle. You can set up your machine with the font, font size, number of words per line, etc. etc. so that everything you read is the same in terms of those features.
   You can shop for books at Amazon from your computer or from your Kindle using the Wi Fi or 3G system.
   It's black and white, but that's OK with me.
   It's small and light weight and very easy to use.
   The leather cover with built in light is a really nice feature. The light works off of the Kindle battery, which lasts about a month and charges up in less than an hour.
   Reading in bed, the light shines only on the Kindle page so it doesn't bother anyone else in bed with you.
   I've got about 100 books on my Kindle right now. All of them I got free from either Amazon or Gutenberg. When you "buy" from Gutenberg or some other free source you just download the file (in Kindle format) and email it to a special email address you get which is then on Amazon.
   Anytime you turn on your Kindle it automatically downloads whatever you've bought from Amazon or sent to Amazon from where you bought it.
   It also does audio books and works the same way with those. However, you have to plug in earphones of course, to listen.
   It holds 3500 books, so I've got plenty of room left.
   Anyway, if you're interested in an "eReader" I can recommend the Kindle over the iPad2.
   If you're interested in something with which to browse the web, I say, stick to a laptop.
   I know Apple makes some beautiful products, but I think the iPad2 is a flop for what I wanted to use it for.
   I think it's great for playing games on or looking at photos or maybe even watching a movie (after you've downloaded it) but I wouldn't want to try to watch a movie using "streaming" because of the networking issue.
7. 2 of 2 people found this review helpful

   By Zachary Mathis on Amazon.com 25 December, 2012

   After owning both an iPad 1 and 2

   After having both for as long as I've had them, I cannot in good conscience recommend this product to anyone that values roughly $450 or more.
   
   I originally thought the iPad was as good as tablets got, but it simply is no longer the fact anymore. After borrowing friends Android tablets, I realised the iPad was utter garbage.
   
   Reasons:
   -email client constantly freezing up
   -the entire tablet constantly hanging
   -Safari, the worst web browser EVER created
   -lack of truely useful apps that are fully integrated with either Macs or Windows based PC's
   -lack of USB, SD, or any peripheral besides completely proprietary Apple devices
   -iTunes
   -inability to reliably surf 70% of the internet
   -has Bluetooth, but won't connect to non-Apple Bluetooth devices
   -the apps for just straight suck, i.e. YouTube and Apple Maps
   -now that my iPad 1 is over a year old it doesn't even want to turn on about a 4th of the time, so planned obsolesence makes this list
   
   Unless you have money to burn, or just want your kids to have a neat playtoy because the games are at least enjoyable like Cut The Rope, I recommend getting the Samsung tablet. It does everything the iPad does, but does it faster and more reliably, more all together, and is far easier to integrate with other systems
8. 2 of 2 people found this review helpful

   By edsnpw on Amazon.com 6 May, 2012

   thought I was buying new product

   I was in the process of purchasing 26 iPad 2s over a period of 3 months for my employer when Apple switched to the new model and stopped selling the iPad 2 32GB that I need. Found 8 on Amazon that I took to be new in the box (unfortunately no screen shot saved). I purchased and printed a receipt that also stated that the units were "New." When received I was disappointed to find that they were Certified Refurbished. When I tried to return, the seller started an email argument over whether I should have realized the units were not factory new, then said I should try them out before returning, finally said that if I would return them, he would refund upon receipt. No offer of a label, etc. Afraid if I sent them back I would never see my money. Felt like a bad ebay transaction, not the guaranteed, no-hassle returns that Amazon advertises. I ended up keeping the units. Hoping I don't get fired when they fail to perform. They're ok so far.
9. 6 of 8 people found this review helpful

   By P. McWhorter on Amazon.com 5 May, 2012

   Not for Me

   I feel like I might be the only person in the world who does not like the Ipad 2. Basically, its functionality is somewhere between an iphone and a laptop. The first issue that I have with it is that it is expensive and does not fit in my pocket. That means that if I go to town, I really can not take it with me because I would be afraid if I set it down or took my eyes off of it for a minute it would get stolen. I can not walk around holding it all day, so pretty much I have to leave it at home. When I am at home, I have a computer in just about every room, so really dont know what I need the ipad for. It does not really do anything that a computer does not already do.
   
   When I travel, space in the carry on bag is a premium. I tried travelling once with this, and leaving the laptop at home, and it was a disaster. It will handle routine email, but if you need to edit a document, or interact with a web site that has flash, you are out of luck. I went to Africa with this instead of a laptop, and ended up on the phone for long periods trying to get someone back in the states to handle the business items I could not do on the ipad. So, when I travel if I already have to take an iphone and a laptop, what niche does the ipad fill?
   
   In optimizing my carry on for travel, I take an iphone, a small laptop, a good Sony camcorder, and the canon powershot elph. The ipad gets left home.
   
   Bottom line is that I would not buy another one.
10. 6 of 8 people found this review helpful

    By Darrell E. Jones on Amazon.com 24 July, 2011

    Great when it works

    Bought an IPAD for my wife so we could talk while I was out of the country for 9 mo. It worked great the month before I left. One week after I left, it would not go online any more. Since it had only been 40 days she called apple and they reset it, but that did not fix it. So she had to send it in the day before she was going away for a week, the one time that she really needed to keep in touch with me. Apple should have replaced it and sent us a new while they fixed our lemon of an ipad. We have been apple customers for 3 mo, not so impressed with their customer service. I thought their OS was supposedly without problems. Story to be continued after they send back our now refurbished $700 Ipad that is 40 days old. If I wanted a refurbished one I could have paid $400, and I would have expected this kind of action.