I am looking at buying either an ok laptop (probably not high end enough for good gaming) or maybe an ipad. I am not fully sure of what direction I should go.

I'd like to be able to do my on-line stuff, possibly even be able to do my on-line classes and papers. For this reason I am leaning towards a laptop as I know I don't want to type papers on the ipad keyboard.

I still have a PC, I can use it for most of my stuff, but having something like an ipad may be what I need for other stuff.

Is the ipad a reasonable option or should I stay away from it?

I gotta tell ya, while it's not a laptop REPLACEMENT - I use my iPad FAR more than my laptop (and I've got an Asus G73). It's pretty fucking incredible when jailbroken, when I can wrest it from my wife that is.

And when it was first released, I was convinced it was just a big ass iPod and pointless. Took less than a day for that opinion to change.

When the iPad first came out, I was the last person that I thought would have ever gotten one. But after reviews and seeing it in action, as well as awesome word of mouth, I'll probably be getting one when the 2nd Generation comes out (if I can hold out that long).

I didn't really like the concept of the iPad when it was first announced but the first day they were for sale I stopped by the apple store and played around with one for about twenty minutes and ended up buying one. Unfortunately as a student some of the companies selling my books prevent me from only bringing my iPad to class so I'm stuck bringing my laptop most days anyway.

Even with some of the limitations I've been taking notes and writing papers on my iPad without much of a problem. Don't expect to just get it and start writing on it right away it does take some getting used to.

The wife and I love our ipads.

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World of Warcraft: Kallaystra, Gweila, Steakumn, Tarathia [ Feathermoon/Horde ]

How does a company selling books stop you to bring a iPad to a class? The company post security guards at the entrance of the class rooms?

He said "only bringing his ipad" meaning not bringing any books.

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World of Warcraft: Kallaystra, Gweila, Steakumn, Tarathia [ Feathermoon/Horde ]

What does it have anything do to with being "stuck" to bring his laptop then?

Ill rephrase then: How does the company selling you books, stop you from not bringing them to class amd only bringing your ipad? What does the laptop has to do with anything?

I'm guessing that maybe the digital copy of the textbook is a drm protected proprietary format, rather than something like a PDF that the ipad can read, so he has to use his laptop?

other than that I don't have any clue.

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World of Warcraft: Kallaystra, Gweila, Steakumn, Tarathia [ Feathermoon/Horde ]

Basically Barnes and Noble was the only company selling an ebook for my business law class. I got it from them but it's only on the Nook Study app instead of the Nook app, this is more Barnes and Noble being lazy than anything else. They claim there wasn't enough "space on the screens of mobile devices" to display the allegedly awesome graphics features that so far haven't existed in the Nook Study app on my laptop. When I got my ipad I decided to switch to ebooks and outside of one class that we were required to buy a hard copy, and one where no ebook was available I've managed to stick with that. I would much rather leave my laptop at home though when I head in each day, but I end up needing it for in class reference.

I haven't given much attention to the Ipad since it launched, so I am a bit taken a back by all the positive comments above. I have an Iphone 4, so would I benefit very much from an Ipad?

Yep. I have an iPhone 4 as well as an iPad. I prefer internet browsing and reading on my iPad -- even some games. iPhone 4 is my utility hardware when it's not appropriate to take my iPad somewhere. (Which is rare.)

My "go to" lookup device in many cases is still my phone, but only because I *always* have it near me, unlike my ipad which usually rests in my laptop bag at the office. The ipad is what I use during meetings at work or on the couch at home.

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World of Warcraft: Kallaystra, Gweila, Steakumn, Tarathia [ Feathermoon/Horde ]

It's a great device.

I never use my laptop anymore. Like Vana, I take it to meetings and can actually get work done, compared to a smartphone where I can't really type real e-mails. It's also made being a clean air commuter and riding the bus a nice relaxing treat to bookend my work day.

And the amount of books I've read on the free kindle app has probably quadrupled compared to buying the print versions.

No doubt. Shit, I just bought Man in a High Castle using the Kindle app, since B&N wasn't selling it for the Nook app. Had I purchased a Nook instead...

It's nice that there are three different ebook stores/formats available (besides pdf/etc)

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World of Warcraft: Kallaystra, Gweila, Steakumn, Tarathia [ Feathermoon/Horde ]