iPad questions.

[J Arcane]

So, my netbook is basically at the end of the line for me. Fixing the AVG bug got performance back to normal, but the bottom line is, I don't enjoy the small screen and the lack of gaming ability even on what is actually pretty top of the line for netbooks. Plus, my school is now blocking WoW on campus, which is one of the only things I could play with it anyway.

So, I started thinking about getting a tablet. I'm mostly using my netbook for websurfing now anyway, I prefer writing at home, and a laptop that would play any more advanced games would also exceed my budget for a secondary computing device.

Android tablets basically don't exist that aren't either "some hacking required" or made by Samsung, so that puts my square in sights for an iPad.

I've been wanting to check out all these iOS games anyway, and this seems like a golden opportunity to replace my netbook and give me the chance to give iOS a fair shake.

Rambling prologue out the way now, I have some questions:

iPad without iTunes: How possible is it? I know the App Store will run direct off the tablet now, but is anything else still requiring it? Do you still have to do OS updates via iTunes? I just hate running it on PC.

iOS 4: Is it on there yet? Can the iPad "multitask"? Did they make any improvements to the UI, or is it still full of wasted whitespace like before? Is the home screen still limited to the same 4 columns like the iPod/iPhone?

Jailbreaking: This does seem worth it for some of the functionality like RetinaPad and access to the Cydia market, but how does it affect my access to the normal Apple ecosystem? Am I cut off from the App Store if I'm jailbroken? How about OS updates? And what's the stability like on jailbroken iOS? I've had bad experiences with this hackery shit before, but there's some cool stuff you can do with a jailbroken iPad that a regular can't.

Apple warranty service: Should I even expect them to honor it? My roommate's had 5 separate Apple devices and they refused to honor warranty on every damn one of them. I've owned several Macs over the years but they never broke so I never needed a warranty. Also, anyone have any experience with Apple's refurbished devices? Is it a big risk, or is it no brainer savings?

Gaming: This is pretty much the main reason I'm getting an iOS device at all. How is the support for iPad? Are a lot of games still coming out that only support iPhone res, or is iPad support pretty standard now? Basically, how many games am I gonna be looking at that are gonna force me into 2x mode? Also, how many games are updated for the Retina display from iPhone 4, as with RetinaPad I can alleviate the awkwardness of 2x mode somewhat if that support is in.

Productivity: Like I said, I do most of my writing on the PC, but occasionally I might want to do something on the portable. Obviously touchscreen typing is gonna be awkward, but what I'm more curious is app support. How is Pages/Numbers for iOS? How does the functionality compare to the Mac versions (which I adore)? How do documents get moved from iPad to PC, iTunes? Are they in a place that's accessible PhoneDisk/iPhone Explorer? How about alternatives? Are there other document suites like DocumentstoGo or even an OpenOffice port available for iDevices?

Reading: I spend a lot of time reading off the screen of a Nexus One, so no "eINK IS BETTER" trolling please. What I want to know is, how's PDF support? Is there a good PDF app? I'd love to have my RPG books and stuff in finally readable form, that would rock.

Speaking of RPGs, what are there in the way of tabletop gaming tools for iOS?

And I'm done. If I think of anymore I'll ask.

[burger]

Android tablets basically don't exist that aren't either "some hacking required" or made by Samsung, so that puts my square in sights for an iPad..

That might have been true last year but after CES it's safe to say this is the year of the Android tablet....Samsung representing a fraction of the options.


Can the iPad "multitask"?

Yes and no. It doesn't perform multi-tasking in the traditional sense but Apple has added new features to the OS that allows for applications to perform a very limited and specialized form of multi-tasking.

[J Arcane]

Yeah, sorry, I almost clarified the "multitask" bit, I know iOS4 "multitasking" isn't exactly the normal method of things (thought neither is Android really), I just meant did the iOS4 update for iPad include it.

[Lekon]

I'd say wait if you can. It is almost certain there will be a new iPad coming out very shortly, that will probably make it even better for gaming and whatnot.

[Cactaur]

If you're going to do word processing iPad is a pain. Sure there's bluetooth keyboards but mouse and keyboard is really the way to go.

File management wise I use Readdledocs. Its primarily a presentation app for PDF, excel, jpg etc but also supports webdav so you can manage folders and files from the windows file manager. Has Dropbox and Gmail attachment support too.

Don't use iphone explorer but it should work too.

You can get apps direct from the iPad but firmware updates and overall management will still need iTunes. No real way around it. Apple doesn't bar jailbroken devices so you're safe there. I'm running 3.2 since there isn't an untethered jb for it at 4.2 yet. Stability is fine on jb ipad.

Fast app switching is available in IOS4.

One of the nice things is I've got Mocha VNC on it so I can connect back to my home pc to manage my TV torrents. There's definately lag but it suits my purpose.

[Banacek]

While I really enjoy my iPad, if you're getting one with gaming in mind I would definitely wait for the new one coming out. Infinity Blade looks better on my friends iPhone 4 then it does on the iPad.

Also, you can't avoid iTunes, so if you hate it I wouldn't get an iPad.

[J Arcane]

Total noob question I'm sure, but: What does an "untethered jailbreak" mean? Is there a "tethered jailbreak"?

[Banacek]

Total noob question I'm sure, but: What does an "untethered jailbreak" mean? Is there a "tethered jailbreak"?

I believe that one allows you to use the iPad 3G with another network and the other just allows you to install unsigned applications but still tied to AT&T.

[J Arcane]

Ahh, I'm getting a WiFi-only iPad, so I take it that particular concern doesn't really apply to me?

[Banacek]

Ahh, I'm getting a WiFi-only iPad, so I take it that particular concern doesn't really apply to me?

Nope. It's the better choice too. It's incredibly easy to find Hotspots nowadays, and I'd much rather get more storage space for the same price.

[J Arcane]

Nope. It's the better choice too. It's incredibly easy to find Hotspots nowadays, and I'd much rather get more storage space for the same price.
I've also got a Nexus with WiFi tethering, so if I can't find WiFi I can always do that anyway. I mainly use my netbook at school and in the living room though, which have ample WiFi access.

[Cactaur]

A tethered jailbreak means you need to connect to a pc to re-activate cydia if you reboot. Think if you have stuff that hooks into the springboard like sbsettings it hangs on reboot and has to be connected to pc. Reboots are few and far between but I've done it once or twice to resolve hanging apps.

New ipads might already be on 4.2 so your only option may be the tethered jb. Dev team says no new jb until 4.3 or 4.2.5 is released, whichever is later.

[J Arcane]

Ahhh. Yeah, tethered jailbreak sounds like a pain in the ass, as I'm not likely to have my PC handy if I have to reboot.

So it sounds like jailbreaking might have to wait, as I'm guessing the refurbs ship with 4.2 already installed.

[Banacek]

A tethered jailbreak means you need to connect to a pc to re-activate cydia if you reboot. Think if you have stuff that hooks into the springboard like sbsettings it hangs on reboot and has to be connected to pc. Reboots are few and far between but I've done it once or twice to resolve hanging apps.

New ipads might already be on 4.2 so your only option may be the tethered jb. Dev team says no new jb until 4.3 or 4.2.5 is released, whichever is later.

Ahh, that's it. Yeah, if you get an iPad now it's going to have 4.2 on it.

[OldJadedGamer]

A friend of mine works on iOS at Apple (I live a 40 minute drive from Cupertino) and while he won't tell me anything about the new iPad he was selling his original one. When I asked him why he was selling it cause he loved it so much he told me that he has a "new one". I asked if I should buy his and he told me not to and to just have patience. So it's coming soon, they were just waiting for all the folks at Xmas to buy theirs before announcing version 2.

And as for Android tablets... are there any that are just wifi only? The only ones I've seen require a contract.

[J Arcane]

There are Wifi-only Androids, but most all of them fall under the "some hacking required" as they're usually not Google-certified, which means no Gmail, no Market, etc. unless you hack it in.

[roboninja]

The Android market is set to become much more crowded, from what I have read. I am looking at getting a tablet too, but am waiting until iPad2 and the Android boom before deciding.

[J Arcane]

Well, I bought one. It's sitting on my desk right now, getting ready to set up.

I have one more conundrum, however, that leads to a question: Does the initial setup/syncing process entail an automatic update of the OS?

If so, will I still be able to jailbreak later (assuming an untethered update for 4.2 becomes available at some point)?

EDIT: NM, this is now an irrelevant question. While their demo unit was still 3.x, mine came 4.2.1 right out the box.

[Banacek]

I really hope you like it. It's a cool little device.

[J Arcane]

I really hope you like it. It's a cool little device.
The Find my iPad feature is a really awesome thing. Though without GPS or at least cell service, it's a little limited in terms of location accuracy.

I'm letting the battery charge up now, but I foresee spending a lot of time with it in the coming weeks.

[Banacek]

The Find my iPad feature is a really awesome thing. Though without GPS or at least cell service, it's a little limited in terms of location accuracy.

I'm letting the battery charge up now, but I foresee spending a lot of time with it in the coming weeks.

This sounds really sad, but once you're laying in bed, gaming or on the internet and in a world of comfort you'll wonder how you lived your life before you got a tablet :D

[burger]

Was it discounted? With the iPad 2 right around the corner I hope you don't suffer from buyers remorse right off the bat.

[J Arcane]

If I suffered from buyers remorse every time the new version of some random computery thing came along (or in this case rather, some rumors of a new thing coming along), I'd never buy anything at all.

It's just technology. The bottom line is, I don't like using my netbook, I like using a tablet, this was the best tablet for the money on the market, my beefs with some of Apple's policies aside. If a new Retina displayed 3D camera hyper-iPad2 comes out tomorrow, my iPad isn't going to magically stop working.

At least, not until Apple crosses a whole new line in sleaze. ;)

[burger]

If I suffered from buyers remorse every time the new version of some random computery thing came along (or in this case rather, some rumors of a new thing coming along), I'd never buy anything at all.

I tend to agree with that logic when we're in the beginning or middle of the release cycle...I just wanted to point out that Apple will be announcing the next version in a few weeks which means we're clearly at the end of the current cycle.

I pointed this out to a coworker and he returned his a few days after xmas.

[Banacek]

Forgot to mention, but you should get Air Video. It's the streaming video playing the iPad should have come with.

[J Arcane]

I will check it out. I already have Audiogalaxy for my music, video could be handy. Orb tried to do video but it sucked.

I am really enjoying this thing so far. I have literally spent all day using it, and the battery is still at 37%. I've bought a fair few games already too, 100 Rogues, Fargoal, Canabalt, Weird Worlds, and I think I got some silly deer hunting game because it was free.

I think I might get one of the keyboard cases or the Apple dock though, as doing my French homework without cursor keys is kind of a bitch. Typing posts and even some writing is fun, I have been very surprised at how pleasant typing on the touchscreen can be, but trying to constantly correct short sentences gets rather pixel bitchy.

I could also use some kind of cloth for wiping the fingerprints off the screen periodically, this thing seems like it shows every touch. At least it does stop working because of it like my Nexus One does.

[Inverarity]

I highly recommend Air Video - it works beautifully.

As for the screen, I bought a $5 package of three green microfiber cloths in the auto section of Target, and they do a great job of cleaning the screen. The iPad may pick up fingerprints if you so much as think about using it, but their oleophobic-coating voodoo does actually seem to work: one swipe with medium pressure and the screen is shiny again.

[OldJadedGamer]

As for battery life, I heard that using flash on it drains it by half which is another big reason Apple chose to exclude it.

[J Arcane]

In the final balance, my all day iPad marathon lasted almost 12 hours of nearly uninterrupted use. I was quite impressed.

From a usability stand point it was a good test, and it gave me a good sense of what to expect from the battery. I quite like it. For all of the unfortunate limitations imposed on an un-jailbroken device, it still feels more capable than my netbook ever did, just because it actually works. Which is something I can't really say about trying to run Windows 7 on a 1.4ghz processor.

[Lance Uppercut]

I bought my iPad as a netbook replacement as well, but it's quickly gained a new role as portable gaming device, especially now since iOS games are getting bigger budgets and better graphics. Infinity Blade is an obvious and popular choice, but I've also been sinking some time into FIFA 11, and Dead Space, which is a surprisingly competent portable version with a new story.

Can't beat the game prices either. Publishers like EA will regularly hold sales where they give deep discounts to their already cheap games (they published a badass iPad version of Monopoly, and I grabbed it during their winter sale for a buck).

[J Arcane]

Picked up a Kensington keyboard case for it, because I discovered that trying to do my French homework without arrow keys is a rather frustrating proposition. A little nervous about the rubber keys, but I guess I'll see how it goes.

[Inverarity]

The AppShopper app allows you to make the most of the regular game sales - you can establish a wish list and it'll notify you of price changes. Very handy. Even without sales, the iOS devices are the hands-down winners for gaming value.

As for keyboards, I've used the Apple wireless keyboard with the iPad, and it's very good (if expensive). I find that the on-screen keyboard is more than adequate for most purposes, though. How do diacritics work with the Kensington keyboard? Do you hold down the key, as you would with the on-screen keyboard?

[J Arcane]

Diacritics are easy with the long press, it's the lack of cursor keys. The magnifying glass is great for an occasional edit, if awkward, but for short sentences that you're constantly having to edit over and over, it gets really agitating. It took me 20 minutes to do 8 problems with the normal interface.

I might be taking this thing back though, I'm not sure if it's working, I need to charge up the battery some more to make sure it works.

[MagGnome]

Glad to hear you're enjoying your new toy. I don't have a laptop, netbook, or tablet. My phone is my portable internet device now.

[Inverarity]

What sort of problem are you having, J? If it doesn't seem like the battery is charging, keep in mind that the iPad only really charges well from the wall adapter. It takes forever and a day to get a proper charge into the thing via a computer's USB port, and it'll only take a USB charge when the device is sleeping. Not sure of the reasons behind that limitation, but it confused me a bit the first time I ran into it.

[J Arcane]

Wasn't an ipad problem, the keyboard just came with just enough charge to turn on. Charged it up and it's fine now, now it's more a matter of getting used to the odd layout.

There's no right shift key, which is annoying as that's Tue key I tend to use. The " key is in a weird place too.

[Banacek]

I've been playing with DOSPad with weekend, and I'm pretty disappointed with the controls. Specifically the touch screen as a mouse. It's incredibly unresponsive, and it also doesn't use gestures but its own motions which barely work. That said the games that I threw at it work great. I'm dying to get some gaming out of it but with the controls the way that they are it's pretty hard.

[J Arcane]

I jailbroke mine last night as well, and picked up DOSPad. You're right, the mouse method is sorta weird. It feels exactly like trying to play Virtual Apple's IIgs emulator without locking the mouse. You move your finger across, and it moves the cursor accordingly, but it doesn't exactly coordinate with where your finger is at all, which gives it an odd, indirect feeling, so I found myself periodically cornering the cursor so my finger could catch up with it just like I always did on the IIgs.

The bigger issue though was getting software into it. I finally wound up just buying the Safari Download Manager and saving to the DOSpad folder. This did produce some minor issues as well, in that apparently DOSpad still sees filenames as case-sensitive even though DOS itself doesn't display case. Had a bit of a time figuring that one out.

[Wilkz07]

isn't ipad2 coming out in the summer? wait until then.

[Banacek]

I jailbroke mine last night as well, and picked up DOSPad. You're right, the mouse method is sorta weird. It feels exactly like trying to play Virtual Apple's IIgs emulator without locking the mouse. You move your finger across, and it moves the cursor accordingly, but it doesn't exactly coordinate with where your finger is at all, which gives it an odd, indirect feeling, so I found myself periodically cornering the cursor so my finger could catch up with it just like I always did on the IIgs.

The bigger issue though was getting software into it. I finally wound up just buying the Safari Download Manager and saving to the DOSpad folder. This did produce some minor issues as well, in that apparently DOSpad still sees filenames as case-sensitive even though DOS itself doesn't display case. Had a bit of a time figuring that one out.

If you install OpenSSH on the iPad you can SFTP into the iPad and put files where they need to go. If you do this you have to remember to change the owners of the files from root to mobile or else the iPad apps won't be able to see them.

I forgot all about DOS naming conventions. Now every time I add something I just go with the 8.3 filename format. The docs say that a wireless mouse works, but that kind of goes against the whole idea of the tablet. It seems I'm stuck with point-and-click games right now, because if I need to do anything fast with the mouse it's just not going to happen.

[J Arcane]

I downloaded mine directly through Safari, and while I had half a mind to remember to shorten it, it didn't occur to me that I'd need to change case, as I have never had to on any other DOS environment because DOS isn't normally case-sensitive.

I haven't set up SSH yet, but I would like to change my root password at least. Unfortunately the version of MobileTerminal on Cydia crashes on iOS 4, so I can't get at a terminal to change it. I'm really not comfortable having it on default like that.

I also grabbed Adblocker, and Retinapad, which are both quite handy. RetinaPad makes iPhone-only apps look a lot cleaner in 2x mode, they almost look like native iPad apps!

[Banacek]

Oh sweet. I'm going to have to download RetinaPad today.

[J Arcane]

Oh sweet. I'm going to have to download RetinaPad today.
It's totally sweet. Basically, it means any app that's updated for iPhone 4 looks almost native on iPad. I recommend strongly.

I also found a repo that has a MobileTerminal version that works, so I've thankfully managed to change my root and mobile passwords now. I felt naked with them running on defaults like that.

[Banacek]

It's totally sweet. Basically, it means any app that's updated for iPhone 4 looks almost native on iPad. I recommend strongly.

I also found a repo that has a MobileTerminal version that works, so I've thankfully managed to change my root and mobile passwords now. I felt naked with them running on defaults like that.

Yeah, that was the first thing I did when I installed OpenSSH. Last thing you want is to go out in public with the default root password.

[J Arcane]

This terminal stuff does get me thinking though: has anyone ported the BSD games package to Cydia yet? ;)

[Banacek]

They did bring the Infocom emulator over, it's called Frotz, and it has a built in FTP server to upload games to it. So you can get some terminal gaming in on your iPad :)

[Bone]

I haven't set up SSH yet, but I would like to change my root password at least. Unfortunately the version of MobileTerminal on Cydia crashes on iOS 4, so I can't get at a terminal to change it. I'm really not comfortable having it on default like that.
Install openSSH, then just ssh to your iPad from a computer on the same network. Default password is alpine. I just changed mine, thanks for the reminder (Though I usually use SBsettings to keep ssh disabled until I actually choose to use it).

I can't believe they haven't fixed Terminal, though. It's been broken for awhile now.

[J Arcane]

There is a fixed version of terminal, it's just not on the main repo for some reason.

[J Arcane]

So, I discovered something today, that has since been confirmed in an Ars story: The greenpois0n jailbreak breaks iBooks.

Your iBooks purchases will not load, even the free ones.

This is fucking bullshit, though par for the course with this kind of situation.

But to be honest, I'd been considering reverting to stock anyway. I like having proper access to the file system, I like having a proper download function in Safari, and the Retinapad app makes iPhone apps actually worth buying.

But my books don't work, books I've paid for, DOSpad is kind of a bust (it's slow and it destroys your battery life, plus the interface is kind of shit), and I think there's some kind of issue with the touchscreen as well, I've been having failures to click a lot since I jailbroke. Even if it's not the JB that's doing it, if I make a warranty claim, I still need it to be on stock or they'll reject it out of hand.

So I think it's restore time.

[Banacek]

I'm with you on the DOSPad. Great idea, but the interface destroys it. I might revert at some point as well.

[J Arcane]

So, I have a query: I bought Words with Friends HD since I jailbroke.

When I revert, what happens to it? Is it still on my account, so I can just download again, or am I out 99 cents or something?

[Banacek]

It should still be on your account, as long as it's sync'd to iTunes. As long as the app shows up there it will be available if you ever format the device.