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I know someone who uses their iPad when they goto the UP for a few weeks and loves it. I don't now if she has a cell plan or is still using dialup. I know she was using dialup pre-iPad. We are planning on replacing my mom's computer with an iPad. She is retired and computer illiterate (which is -great- for debugging interfaces). We are just waiting for iOS5 since it doesn't require another computer. Embedded solutions are great for people who are more or less computer illiterate. She may also get a Gurplug Display, Trimslice, or some other low power embedded device to handle printing and a few other tasks. (swapping out a microsd card is much nicer then having to sit and run updates and debug at her house.) I gave her my personal laptop, which is like 6 years old, and I came to a few realizations: -The iPad actually performs nicer and a MUCH better then the laptop. (The GPU is faster, and arguably the chip *tries to avoid a architecture discussion*.) -Adobe Flash has way too much processing overhead and doesn't draw well without video acceleration. -OpenOffice was an acceptable replacement for Microsoft Office for her use. -Linux was usable enough to get Christmas presents ordered. :) -The laptop doubled its performance by using btrfs as the main filesystem instead of ext4 or XFS. (The drive isn't even in the same league as the SSD the iPad uses.) Quoting "Kramer, Jack" <[log in to unmask]>: > You could use a wifi router with a modem port to effectively tether the > iPad to a modem - the kind of router I'm thinking of will dial the modem > when a connection is needed or can also keep the line alive 24x7 if > there's a dedicated line available. Not sure if any have built in wifi but > I remember several ethernet ones and an ethernet network is only an access > point away from being a wifi network. > > As far as using an iPad as a primary machine, you could get away with it > provided you don't need to juggle many windows at once for your browsing > experience (the tab implementation on mobile browsers, both iPad and > android, leaves quite a bit to be desired) and just plan on > sending/receiving simple emails. Major text editing on the device is an > unholy pain. They are, however, highly convenient to carry. Also, I would > recommend a VZW 3G equipped iPad if you do go that route as the UP's > coverage on other carriers is pretty much nonexistent. > > Really though, if an ultralight is desired - why not an 11.6" Macbook Air? > Light, powerful, pretty easy to use, and 5hr+ battery life. > ---- > Jack Kramer > Manager of Information Technology > University Relations, Michigan State University > w: 517-884-1231 / c: 248-635-4955 > > > > > On 7/26/11 4:08 PM, "John Valenti" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> Pardon me for my dinosaur-ways, but I don't know anyone that is using a >> tablet as their primary computer... >> >> I'm trying to advise an MSU retiree. Her XP laptop is getting creaky, she >> is trying to decide how to replace it and wondering if a tablet might >> work. It would basically be used for MSU email and web browsing. >> (reserving the old laptop for word processing) >> >> Are there people that are using tablets as their main system, and what >> limitations does that involve? >> >> I think she is drawn to the tablet due to the light weight and ease of >> carrying around town. >> >> She spends some time in the UP, it is still a dialup world there ... >> anyway to connect a modem to an iPad? >> >> thanks for any comments! > -- "The information in this email, and attachment(s) thereto, is strictly confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the named recipient(s), and access to this e-mail, or any attachment(s) thereto, by anyone else is unauthorized. Violations hereof may result in legal actions. Any attachment(s) to this e-mail have been checked for viruses, but please rely on your own virus-checker and procedures. If you contact us by e-mail, we will store your name and address to facilitate communications in the matter concerned. If you do not consent to us storing your name and address for above stated purpose, please notify the sender promptly. Also, if you are not the intended recipient please inform the sender by replying to this transmission, and delete the e-mail, its attachment(s), and any copies of it without, disclosing it."