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southern MN | Wife got an iPad last October - gift from me.
Little odd that it's an attachment to a computer, have to run music software on a real computer to start it, but that's ok.
Little disappointing that it doesn't run Flash, as that leaves out a lot of the animated world of the internet at this time, but one can overlook that. Tho a year later now, it still seems to be a big omission on Apple's part, it's still an issue in the real world.
Got a new camera this past month, so bought wife the 'Camera Connection Kit' because of course Apple couldn't be bothered to put a regular port on the iPad. This connection kit is actually 2 little dongles, one is a SDHC Card reader but of course in true Apple form, it's only designed to read pic & movie files in certain directories/folders on the card, not actually be able to read the whole card. Let's limit people, in the true Apple spirit!
And the other dongle is a USB port, but of course it too is greatly limited to only allow hook up of several cameras, but not all cameras. I hear a lot of people found ways to use this USB port with other devices in useful ways, so Apple came out with a new OS for the iPad that cut power to this USB dongle to only 20 milliamps so nothing would work with it, not even most cameras any more. Way to limit people even more, Apple, yea!
So, we plug in the SDHC card from my camera - and nothing happens on the iPad. In theory, a window is supposed to open & you can swap in the pics from the card and then view them on the nice screen of the iPad. But - only if it works, and it won't do a thing for my card. I've plugged it in without the iPad cover so it seats all the way in, I see my card is formatted in the proper Fat format, it has the special folder and the proper number of characters in the file name because only that folder with the exact right file names will be seen - but even tho all that is according to the rules, the card reader does exactly nothing.
Got out the USB port dongle which should never be used as a USB port, only to plug in cameras, but only cameras that don't use much power at all, pluggied in my camera - and it does: Nothing. Tried it all different ways, reset this, plug in this order or that order - same result, absoulutely nothing happens.
Way to go, Apple. Make devices that are not compatable with yourselves. I mean, how basic is a card reader supposed to be?
I look on-line, and the answer depends where you go: The official Apple site appears to say there is no problem at all, just plug the card or camera in and a special window will appear and life is good. If the special window doesn't appear, well that can't be, as the window appears as soonn as you plug in the card or camera.... Thanks a bunch for all that wonderful support.
The Apple user groups forums have 2 groups of about equal size - those who plug their stuff in and it works and they wonder what all the fuss is about, and those who can't get anything to work and get nothing for help but blank stares from those who happen to get cards that do work.
Well, that's just frustrating.
People who get frustrated and don't get any help from the company but blank stares tend to move on to something else.
Apple created a wonderful little device here with the iPad, but man they seem heck-bent on making it as hard to use as possible by severly limiting it's use for anything practical and useful. Their iPad is just a glorified keychain for a real computer in their view. When it has so much potential, but they limit at at any oppertunity they get.
I see the PC-based or Android-based tablets have Flash support, USB support, printer support, and can be run without needing to run back to the main computer with the umbilical cord every few days....
Think Apple is holding back one of their best selling items, and going to be overtaken by others if they can't get their act together. Every new idea has a few growing pains, but it's been over a year since iPad's been out, they are on version 2, I'd think they would catch up to what the device's potential is by now. Or, at least get a card reader that reads memory cards reliably????? I really liked the iPad when we got it, kinda wanted one of my own. But the apple mentality is starting to get on my nerves, and I'd sure look at a real tablet these days, see if any of them actually work.
Friend of my wife got an iPad a month ago, has the same problems with the 'camera connection kit' which does nothing.
Family of wife got one this week and having issues understanding the need for the music software on a different computer to get the dern thing to even turn on. They don't see why they can't just turn it on, and I really can't come up with a good answer to that. iTunes is to deal with music, not run a tablet computer.
Yea, I'm frustrated tonite.
--->Paul
Edited by paul the original 8/8/2011 02:24
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iPad letdown
