Two years ago I purchased an iPad as a type of secondary computing device. I keep the iPad in my messenger bag to serve as my mobile computer. While away from my office I use the iPad with a Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard to check and respond to email, to participate in discussions for my online courses, view news and videos, and to write (like I'm doing now for this blog).
During these two years I enjoyed the lightweight and low profile of the iPad. It fit easily in my bag and I was able to carry it around without adding much weight. However, the problem is when I use it for more than simple tasks like email or light browsing. My frustrations began with the poor browser performance and these frustrations grew with apps crashing, inability to capture web content into Evernote, limited features of my web applications through both native Safari and Chrome for iOS, and the slow speed of web page loading in these browsers. The iPad offered wonderful portability but sacrificed productivity when my needs exceeded simple information and media consumption.
This week I have been in Los Angeles with my son's lacrosse team at the MCLA national tournament. I brought my iPad for the week and have been trying to rely on it to check in on my email and stay on top of a few things while I'm away from my office. Throughout the week I have continued to experience poor browser performance, crashing apps, incomplete functionality in my web apps, and the inability to capture content into my Evernote account. I found the iPad to be a very frustrating platform when trying to be productive during my downtime.
After using the iPad for two years I can say that it is a wonder media consumption devise. The display is fantastic and, using my bluetooth keyboard, I'm able to effectively type on the device. I just feel handicapped when using this device compared to my work laptop or my home computer. I think it is time to explore other options. Maybe a chromebook.
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