Why not buy an IPad?

[wishing4PA]

Lots of different reasons. I don't like iTunes, so I bought an Android phone. Now I've done most of my music purchasing through Amazon, and I have bought a lot of apps for my Android phone through the Amazon android store - I can install those on my Kindle Fire without having to purchase them again through iTunes. I liked the size of the Kindle Fire better (there was no iPad Mini when I bought mine.)

With that said, extended family use Android phones and PC based products. They prefer the lower cost and are familiar with their use. I will say that my Imac is still working well, no viruses (or virus protection software) and they have all had to replace their computers at least once. In my opinion, the Apple products are made better and I don't mind paying a little more for the quality. Just my opinion and I'm sure others feel differently.

I would pay a "little bit more" for quality, but over the years, whenever I've looked into Apple products, they were always a whole lot more (for my budget.) And honestly, I've never noticed the supposed universal lack of quality of non-Apple devices. Some are better than others, so I just try not to go with a brand or device that seems to be especially cheaply made.

I do have extended family that is primarily Apple-based, so I've used their Apple computers, phones, etc. from time to time. On the Apple computers I always find myself hitting the wrong keys - just from years of comfort with PCs.
On the phones, well, I find myself hitting the wrong letters whenever I type, due to the virtual keyboards. So last weekend I finally moved into the smartphone world with a Pantech that has a slide-out physical keyboard. No constant backing up and fixing things (and don't try to tell me the auto correct software is perfect at that - I'm better off fixing my typos myself.) If there's an iPhone with a physical keyboard, that would solve the one problem but I probably still would have gone with the Pantech.

One reason is I just like Amazon. I like it for shopping for whatever odd things I can't find in physical stores nearby. (FWIW, I don't like that they don't charge sales tax so I have to pay up the use tax instead at the end of the year. I'd much rather they took care of that, but apparently I'm the exception.) So, I have a fairly active Amazon account. When I got the smartphone, the sales guy told me I needed a google account. After having it a few days, I'm not sure that was necessary, because I get all my apps from Amazon. Of course, my preferred user name was taken on google, so I've got a weird new username there that I didn't really want and will probably forget someday. But at least I didn't need to set up any real money on that account.

But if I ever get an iPhone or iPad, I'd have to have an iTunes account, I think. Ugh. I'm getting sick of all these extra accounts. That alone is almost enough to make me go for an Android tablet when the time comes. Unfortunately, I think DD8 is going to ask for the iPod for Christmas. I am not sure yet what the android equivalents to that are, but I might go that direction. I don't want an iTunes account!

 

[Happiest mommy]

I love my Android phone so for my first Tablet i'm thinking Samsung or Nexus must compare both to see which one I decide to buy and where I can get a better deal

 

[Colleen27]

I think price is the main reason, particularly when it comes to wifi only models. I just can't wrap my mind around $500+ when there are a number of <$200 Android tablets on the market that will do everything I want mine to do. And if I decide the storage capacity on my tablet is inadequate I can buy a microSD card and add up to 32G more - with an iPad, I'd have to make due or by a whole new system.

Now if the 3G was a selling point I'd lean Apple because of the pay-as-you-go option with AT&T but I just don't need the always-available connection on a tablet when I'm already carrying a smartphone. I just want something portable with enough power to run a few simple games and take my books/movies/music with me on vacation or to the ballfield or even on long car rides, and I can get that for far less than the price of an iPad.

 

[Colleen27]

I'll add another thing regarding Apple Vs. Android (this is just in regards to the phones though, but can probably apply across the board).

I have never heard anyone who already owned the iPhone say they were going to switch to Android when their contract expires. I have on the other hand (3 coworkers in the last month) had people switch to the iPhone from an Android phone.

I think that is generally because people make the mistake of an "entry level" device and end up buying something of poor quality or inadequate hardware capability for what they want to do. And rather than correctly identifying the issue they perceive it as an Apple vs Android question rather than one of high end vs inexpensive.

Also the intuitive aspect is totally incorrect. My niece is 4 and can pickup my iPhone and use it. I guarantee if I brought her a nexus 7 she would have no clue how to do it.

I suspect you'd be surprised on that count if you actually tried it. My 4yo is just as capable of operating my (rooted) Nook Color as she is her sister's iPod Touch. The differences in navigation are that minimal that a 4yo can adapt to either one with ease.

 

[dawnhaze]

Wow. That was a bit snide. Apple also charges considerably more for their tiny improvements. You want to sell at that price point.. fine. However I'm going to expect more than a few basic upgrades that they had the technology for a year ago. And if you are going to release a new operating system let's not make it suck first. Basic requests in my book.
I don't make things up to be anti popular. I also don't fall victim to slick marketing and pay twice as much for it since I am not a fangirl.
I have several different products, reasonably analyze pluses and minuses with each, and base my opinion on my needs.
For MY needs I am honestly happier with the BB playbook. I also prefer my Macbook pro to any other laptop. Choices.. I have them.

A Galaxy S3 costs the same as an iPhone. Choices are great, fanboy lie-mongering is silly on both sides.

 

[STLnative]

Why would someone buy a different brand?

I hate having to deal with iTunes, and when you have an Apple product, you are basically required to use it. If I have stuff on my computer that I want on my tablet/phone/music player, I want to just hook the two up and transfer, without having to load it into a whole separate program first, wait for a sync/update that sometimes totally wipes whatever I had on the device to begin with...argh. Just not worth it.

I had an iPod touch for a while. The non-Apple smartphone I have now basically has all the same features, and none of the frustration. My computer sees it as though it were a big USB stick - copy/paste what I want into the right folders - done.

 

[princesspwrhr]

It's also important to think about what you want to DO with the tablet. If you're just looking for a tablet to play apps on, maybe read a book, watch netflix and occasionally check email or a tablet for your kid - then go test out all the ones in your price range and choose the one that seems more intuitive for the family (or one that matches the software you already have)

But if you need your tablet for work or school, then you really need to pay attention to the technical specs and software of the tablet. If you need creative software - which platform performs better for what you need? does it integrate with your computer and software at work? If you need word processing and spreadsheets or databases - does the tablet have programs available that are easy for you to use and share with your computer at work or those in your group? For example, in my opinion, apple creative media software blows anything for windows or android out of the water, but for documents, Microsoft office is the most prevalent software so you need to get Microsoft for OS if you plan on sending things to anyone.

When I upgraded to my iPhone, I went into the stores many many times before purchasing and tried out every smart phone - the iPhone and all the available Andriods, then a new Android based phone came out and I tried it. I kept coming back to the iPhone. It was completely intuitive for me. I kept fumbling around on the Androids and they frustrated me. The only thing I really liked on them was the lock screen! lol My husband has an iPhone through work. He loves it. My 14yo is in love with her iPhone. My younger two (8/9) will be getting 4th gen iTouch for Christmas. It works for our family. But I grew up on Apple. I had an Apple IIc and Apple IIe back in 84 (ish) when I was in K-2 and our schools had Apples. Funny enough, my parents find my iPhone frustrating and both have Droids. (And my mom worked as the computer teacher in one of my Apple based schools and worked for an Apple retail and software solutions place for a while!)

So think about what you want to use it for, research if the apps you need are available and easy (and affordable), see which is more intuitive and get what works for YOUR family.

 

[ssawka]

I have never heard anyone who already owned the iPhone say they were going to switch to Android when their contract expires. I have on the other hand (3 coworkers in the last month) had people switch to the iPhone from an Android phone.

Oh, I have and I know lots of people who have done it, especially the previous version. Granted, it was Apple dragging their feet on 4G support that led most of those people to switch. I also know some people that decided to get an Android phone over the iPhone because of the free navigation. I know the iPhone now has voice navigation, but I believe there is a monthly charge for that.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Oh, I have and I know lots of people who have done it, especially the previous version. Granted, it was Apple dragging their feet on 4G support that led most of those people to switch. I also know some people that decided to get an Android phone over the iPhone because of the free navigation. I know the iPhone now has voice navigation, but I believe there is a monthly charge for that.

No charge for the voice navigation on the iPhone.

But I agree with you, some people will like the functionality or the screen size of an Android based phone better than the iPhone.

I don't get all the iTunes hating by other posters but maybe its because I find I rarely need to use it (at least on the computer). I get the content I consume from lots of places: Kobo, Amazon, and dedicated apps like ABC Player and NBC Nightly News. Not sure what content I am locked out of by using an iOS device.-- Suzanne

 

[eliza61]

I'll add another thing regarding Apple Vs. Android (this is just in regards to the phones though, but can probably apply across the board).

I have never heard anyone who already owned the iPhone say they were going to switch to Android when their contract expires. I have on the other hand (3 coworkers in the last month) had people switch to the iPhone from an Android phone.

Like I said earlier though I'll never switch over to Android. Mostly because I'm used to iOS but also because I just have no issues with their software ever.

Also to the person saying how Apple locks up the devices etc. This is true, but the jailbreaking community is thriving and once jailbreak is achieved the sky is the limit.

I run my iPhone 4s right now with widgets, file system access, and basically any other function of a Droid phone (except NFC).

I work for a major chemical company and almost the entire legal and HR departments left APPLe and switched back to android. Not sure of the entire reason, we just got an email saying

"Due to numerous complaints and technical Issues we have decided to drop APPLE as our major supplier for phones and laptops. We will issue another email in the next coming weeks to inform everyone of who the new supplier will be".

Now as I said, I don't know what the issue was (if it was price) but the email said numerous complaints so I'm thinking the technical community must have had problems. All I know is every is happy to be turning in their Macpros

 

[richmond282]

I hate having to deal with iTunes, and when you have an Apple product, you are basically required to use it. If I have stuff on my computer that I want on my tablet/phone/music player, I want to just hook the two up and transfer, without having to load it into a whole separate program first, wait for a sync/update that sometimes totally wipes whatever I had on the device to begin with...argh. Just not worth it.

I had an iPod touch for a while. The non-Apple smartphone I have now basically has all the same features, and none of the frustration. My computer sees it as though it were a big USB stick - copy/paste what I want into the right folders - done.

I second this entire post. I had an ipod touch for a brief period of time. I despised using itunes. I also found I didnt use the touch ever b/c my android smart phone had all the same features AND 3G/4G. I didnt' have to use wi-fi.

The 2nd reason I don't have an ipad is they are too expensive. If I'm going to fork out $500-$600, its going to be for a laptop!

 

[Fyrefly]

Not even cost. I have the Asus Transformer and it cost $499, the same as an iPad.

I have never found a difference in quality between an Apple product and a competing brand that made it worth the premium. You are paying for a name. There is nothing better about an Apple device. Too many people make the fallacy of comparing say a Toshiba Wal-Mart special to a Macbook. Of course they're not the same because you're comparing Apples to Oranges. Comparing a premium brand windows or android product with similar hardware specs to Apple devices has always in my experience resulted in the competitor coming out ahead.

I dislike the lack of freedom in their operating system. Maybe it's intuitive and "idiot-proof" but frankly I tried to use one in the office for about a year and it got in my way more than anything else. As far as the mobile OS goes, I don't need or want them looking over my shoulder to figure out what Apps I'm allowed to use. Android is very friendly towards customization.

The iOS interface puts me off, I found Android much easier to pick up.

Apple puts a lot of money into advertising. They pay other unrelated companies to show iPhones and iPads when advertising mobile software, they make sure they are out in every store and they want you to think its your only option. And why wouldn't they? They're trying to make money. But the simple truth is they aren't any better than anything else out there. Not necessarily worse though I don't like them. But Apple products are not the perfect glowing white bringers of light to mankind that they advertise themselves to be.

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

My answer is straight to the point, if you don't want an iPad, don't get it. If you do, then enjoy.

It's all about perspective, folks.

The Apple lovers: "Android is the toddling little sibling, their products aren't polished enough, Android anything is confusing, slow, and buggy." Anyone who dares to switch to "their" side is a traitor.

Others see Android as the best thing on Earth. "It's so easy to use, they are inexpensive, I don't need dumb old iTunes!" They find Apple the evil one of the electronic universe, and despise anything created from them.

Then there's the group that doesn't really care which brand they buy, as long as it satisfies their needs.

Personally, I'm an Apple customer for life. I love the ease of use, the platform of iOS, the design, and just the experience. I chose to pay more for (IMO) better quality and better content. If you ask, I'm an Apple fanwhatever. That's just me. Everyone will be different. If you really want my opinion, get an iPad.

 

[tcufrog]

I have a iphone solely because my Palm Pilot which I used heavily died and since they weren't made anymore I needed to find a different replacement. At the time Android phones didn't exist so the option that best suited my needs was an iphone. I'm not a big fan of it especially since it keeps pocket dialing people in my address book but I've already invested quite a bit of money on apps so I don't wish to have to do it over again with another kind of phone.

When the ipad came out my dh insisted on buying one. Our older son loves it and it's handy for distracting the kids when we go on trips but I was disappointed by what it didn't do. It's a pain to type anything lengthy with a virtual keyboard, it doesn't run flash which means missing a lot of Internet content, the one that I have won't run Office which means I can't do real work while I'm using it, and I can't send stuff to my printer to print.

I find that other than travelling I use my cheap Dell laptop much more than I use the ipad. I am intrigued by the Surface tablet. I like the physical keyboard cover and the built-in kickstand. I think at least according to what I read it combines the best features of a tablet with the practical usability of a laptop.

 

[StuckInKS]

I always wonder that as well when I see commercials etc for phones other than iPhone.

I recently had to choose between an iPhone 4S or Samsung Galaxy III (I also briefly considered the HTC One X). I went with the iPhone because of the processor, screen size and because it is 4G LTE. I might have considered waiting for the iPhone 5 I'd taken the time to research it, but I was looking for a phone ASAP and am perfectly happy with the phone that I choose. It is awesome!

 

[MrBean]

I recently had to choose between an iPhone 4S or Samsung Galaxy III (I also briefly considered the HTC One X). I went with the iPhone because of the processor, screen size and because it is 4G LTE. I might have considered waiting for the iPhone 5 I'd taken the time to research it, but I was looking for a phone ASAP and am perfectly happy with the phone that I choose. It is awesome!

Just to clarify, none of the iPhone 4S' are compatible with LTE. The best they get is HSPA+. The iPhone 5 is the first Apple phone with a LTE antennae.

Personally, I would have gone with the GS3 for the processor, bigger screen, and LTE, but I'm more of a power user that uses Linux on a daily basis. I can understand the appeal of the Apple ecosystem for others.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using DISBoards

 

[mrodgers]

My personal feelings with Apple....

I don't like their business model. Create a product that can not be upgraded, and thus you have to pay 10x the cost to upgrade compared to every other product.

You want an iPhone/iPod/iPad. You realize 8 gb wouldn't be enough. Pay $100 more for $10 worth of more memory.

You have an iPhone/iPod/iPad. The battery goes bad. Any other product, you would just buy a new battery and put it in your device. Apple, you're out of luck.


I do see often the misconception of how people mention they like to buy mp3s through Amazon and don't want to repurchase through iTunes. You can just load the mp3 files you already have or purchase in the future and iTunes will convert to the Apple format. My kids' iPods are 75% loaded with the mp3s that they had prior to having the iPods from Amazon, Walmart, and CD ripping.

 

[eatatmidnight]

My 21yos is a loyal Apple customer. He has 2 Apple computers, Ipods, etc. But when it came to tablets, he did not really want one until the Nexus 7 came out this summer. He loves it. It was not simply a financial decision. He likes the Nexus 7 over the Ipad. I think he likes having the USB port on the Nexus 7.

 

[Princess Dolly]

I love my iPhone, iPad and my iPod Touch (received it as a gift before I bought my iPhone). I am now in the process of converting our home computers to Apple (hoping for a new iMac to be announced next week). My Dell XPS laptop (four years old) is crapping out (the Nvidia graphics card issue, and I don't feel like putting a new card in an old machine), so I think I'll be buying a MacBook Pro this weekend.

I have no issues with iTunes. I also buy songs occassionaly from Amazon and I can import them right into my iTunes. I do admit that on occassion I am lazy and don't price shop because it's so easy to just buy on iTunes directly to device and know I can easily restore all my purchased items if the need would ever arise (I do keep backup copies of my iTunes folder).

 

[wishing4PA]

You want an iPhone/iPod/iPad. You realize 8 gb wouldn't be enough. Pay $100 more for $10 worth of more memory.

You have an iPhone/iPod/iPad. The battery goes bad. Any other product, you would just buy a new battery and put it in. your device. Apple, you're out of luck.

I do see often the misconception of how people mention they like to buy mp3s through Amazon and don't want to repurchase through iTunes. You can just load the mp3 files you already have or purchase in the future and iTunes will convert to the Apple format. My kids' iPods are 75% loaded with the mp3s that they had prior to having the iPods from Amazon, Walmart, and CD ripping.

Just a question... Do you need an itunes account to use ipad or ipod? For me it is mostly a matter of not wanting yet another account rather than whether or not I can buy things elsewhere. Yes I would want to use our mp3 files and it is good they can convert. But can we do that without the account... or if someone knew dd had an ipod and gave her a gift card can it be used without an account? I am drowning in accounts already.