The Pros vs. Cons of the Apple TV

The Apple TV sold in stores today is not the same as the original Apple TV idea. The original Apple TV has been discontinued and Apple has started selling the black second version. Many people have a distorted idea on what the Apple TV actually is. The Apple is NOT like a TV that you would originally think of. It's a small device about the size of your palm that allows you to do certain things not applicable on a normal television set. The device connects into your TV and you can control what you watch from a remote, MacBook, or iPad. You can rent HD movies, watch Netflix instantly, rent TV shows, and stream photos and music from your computer to your TV.


We'll start with the pros of the Apple TV. One of the pros is its small and sleek design. Tech savvy people are everywhere these days and demanding the "coolest" devices with unique and easy to use designs. The size is small and extremely fast in speed. Another plus regardig the Apple TV is consumer friendly interface. The interface is easy to use and navigate through. Along with the interface, the remote is very simple to use and navigate through the interface. The upgrades of different ports including an HDMI port allow easy connection between the Apple TV device and the newest and latest technology in televisions. The Apple TV streams the data from the Apple TV onto your television set rather quickly and without problems. In addition, it is also cheaper than the mac mini.

Now for the cons of the Apple TV. For one, it has limited capabilities. It cannot play CD's, DVD's, or record programming such as a DVR would do. The different connection cables (for example, the HDMI cord) have to be purchased separately. This cord is basically needed in the attempt to connect the Apple TV with your own television console. In addition, the Apple TV is not compatible with older televisions which may cause a problem for some people. The processor cannot be updated so if there were to be a new version to come out, you would just have to buy the product all over again at a pretty high price, leading to our next point. The Apple TV may seem relatively expensive to some regarding its capabilities. Presently, the Apple TV costs $99. In addition, when streaming from Netflix, the resolution is dependent upon your Wi-Fi connection and therefore data could be lost. Also, the DVD rentals are said to come out the day it's released but that seems not to be the case. At times, it takes up to a month for a new movie to come out. One last negative about the Apple TV is consumers simply do not know about the product. Apple could do a much better job in putting this product into consumer's minds when out purchasing a TV or looking into a Netflix account.

The Apple TV would suit different people in different ways. If your extremely tech savvy and like immediacy and the latest movies and apps, then the Apple TV may still be lacking. On the other hand, if you are a consumer just looking for a "cool" and sleek toy to watch a couple movies and TV shows here-and-there, then this may be the perfect device for you!

My Experience of Using The IPad for College

When I began this semester I started weighing the benefits of going to etextbooks. I looked at the cost of the Ipad + books and then the cost of books alone.  I also looked at things like weight of the ipad versus carrying around all the books as well as the ease of using it versus hand writing.  After doing some research I found that mostly every book for my classes were avaliable on the Ipad and at nearly 50-75% off each text book.  Now with the Ipad costing $500-$600 dollars you aren't really hitting home just yet with it but I was able to get within a hundred to two hundred dollars of what printed textbooks would have cost me.  So with the upcoming semesters, in time it will pay for itself as well as save me a great deal of money.
 
          I'd like to mention the weight of the Ipad. The Ipad is only 1.5 Lbs!  Thats less than 1 textbook.  So I've taken a huge amount of weight in books, and put it all into 1.5 Lbs. It's made it a lot more comfortable getting from class to class without the big load of books and binders in my backpack.  So where are all the notes going? Well there are numerous note taking applications avaliable to you and they keep everything very neat. Your able to create virtual binders and keep chapter notes organized. I've never been more organized with note taking.  I never have to worry about where my paper is or thumbing through all of my notebooks to find a particular lecture.  Most applications have a search box and you can type in a keyword and it will take you straight to it.  So with that in mind, you can imagine studying is easier also.  I'm using a small bluetooth keyboard with it to make note taking a breeze. The keyboard is large enough to be comfortable to deal with, yet small enough to not add a lot of weight either.  With the keyboard I'm also able to take notes twice as fast as when I was writing them.  I'm sure most of you have had that one professor who speaks extremely fast and doesn't wait on you to copy the slides.  Well if your good at typing, this problem is eliminated most of the time. With A lot of the professors putting notes on blackboard you are also able to have the internet at your finger tips with just a few clicks and you're able to follow along online.  There are apps that allow you to edit and highlight on notes such as blackboard slides which makes note taking on this device even that much better. Also battery life is not an issue.  I've had it last a few days at some times. If you charge it at night you will make it through even the longest days without an issue.

         For future thoughts from talking to the apple corporation Ive found that they will with time make the etextbooks interactive.  For example for science you could have something about a chemical reaction and you can click on it and it will work through the problem and show you step by step how it works. Or another is with math it will be able to show you how to work through math problems. This could show some real benifit in the future and could be a great learning tool on its own.

        With this being my first semester using the Ipad as an alternative to textbooks and notebooks I'd have to say i'm extremly pleased and can't see going back to paper textbooks. If you're able to afford the extra hundred dollars initally it will eventually save you money and be a great deal easier to deal with than regular textbooks. The Ipad allows me to always have my notes, binders, and textbooks all at my fingertips.  I guess it couldn't have come at a better time as everyone is promoting "going green."

Reasons why I wish I had waited to buy the iPad

Reason 1: The Price!

Just as any new technology is, its expensive. But as any other technology that comes out, the price WILL drop…. Eventually. The first iPad ranged between $499 and $829 for the bigger one with 3G technology included (but doesn’t include the data plan you have to sign up for which will have you throwing another $15-$25 monthly). You would think with a new one right around the corner the price would have dropped by now (just like the 3Gs model of the iPhone did before the iPhone 4 was released). You can now get a refurbished iPad for $430 from Apple but thats still a bit pricy. Your paying for the name and the logo on the back more than you are the actual iPad.

Reason 2: No Camera included!

With no camera, this also means no Facetime, which is already on the iPhone and iPods. Yes, the iPad is bulky and I can’t imagine holding that 9-inch screen up to someone saying “CHEESE” and taking a picture. I do like the features of the iPad that lets you view, zoom, and even edit some photos, BUT you can do that on a digital camera, which would cost MUCH less than an iPad. Oh, and don’t even think about trying to connect the iPad to a monitor or TV without forking up another $30. My recommendation if you absolutely want to buy these accessories would be Amazon where you can buy these accessories for almost half the price.

Reason 3: I’d prefer hardback!

Yes, I like that now when I buy a book its not taking up space on my shelves at home only to collect dust, but it doesn’t have that new book smell. Some people actually prefer the feel of a hardback cover than having to hold the iPad. The prices for the digital copy can be a little cheaper, but to me, its worth paying an extra few dollars for the new book smell and the feeling of not having to hold a 9-inch screen outside worrying that if it rains I have to cover it up. I’ve got a hardback copy; I can close it and be just fine. The rain can just wipe off a cover, but ruin an iPad.

Reason number 4: I had to wait, and would have waited longer!

It was $500! It’s not something I can just go, “Hey mom, I want one,” and expect to have one within the week or so. It was one of those things that had to wait until either a birthday or Christmas (if I was good this year). I didn’t grow up in a family that could fork out hundreds of dollars just for a new toy; I had to earn it. I was taught the value of a dollar. My parents forced me to get into the work force, and stay there, since the age of 18. I must say, after learning the value of a dollar, the iPad is not valued, at least to me, at $500. I should have waited another few months and I could have paid the same price I did with this first generation for a better one! Patients is a virtue.

Reason 5: Rumors about the new one

There are so many things about the new iPad the addition to the camera along with the Facetime, lighter weight, and faster processor was reported by the Wall Street Journal. According to Macrumors, the new iPad will feature a USB connection to the iPad instead of those crummy 30-pin connections. Their also reporting that the new iPad won’t have the retina display, which is already featured in their iPhone 4 models.

Conclusion

I waited till December of this year to actually get one but I wish I had waited another few months for the newer one. If there is one lesson Apple has taught me, it's never buy the first generation of anything. Let the developers fix all the bugs, glitches, and things they forgot to include in the first generations before you fork out several hundred dollars on anything.