Saturday, April 30, 2011

Cognitive Dissonance

I am starting to think that the reason everyone raves about the iPad so much is that after spending all the time and money to acquire one they can't admit they may have made a mistake.

Easy to use, I don't think so.  And here is just one example.  I downloaded a free e-book from guttenberg.org, no problem.  But to access and read it you need to download a free app, iBooks.  Okay, again, no problem.  But then no icon shows up.  You need to reboot to get the icon.  And then the icon doesn't appear on the main page of icons, even though there is plenty of room, but on a "hidden" page.  After scrolling to the "hidden" page you can then drag it to the main page.  Now really, would you say that is intuitive?

Also, to use Hotmail (I know, using a Microsoft application on an Apple product) I went to Safari and then went to msn.com and accessed Hotmail from there.  I can't simply use the Mail feature on the iPad because it only shows me my main mail box, but none of my other folders.  Okay, so now I am fine with getting to Hotmail.  But originally when I went to Safari you could get a panel of icons that worked like a user guide.  Now I have no idea how to get that to reappear.

No USB port is also a pain, although I knew there wouldn't be one going in.  But now I don't know how to get pictures from my camera to the iPad without first loading them to my main PC (I did finally manage to get iTunes completely loading by doing the install in Administrator mode) and then either doing an iTunes sync or uploading them to Photobucket and accessing them from there.

Tried to download Rhapsody, which I really like, but it needs Adobe Flash Player.  When I try to download and install that on my iPad I get this message:

"Thanks for trying to access Flash Player.  Unfortunately it is not available for your device because of restrictions that Apple has put in place.  Click here for a wide array of the latest smartphones and tablets that do support Adobe's Flash Player."

I can see where the iPad isn't meant to replace your PC or Mac or whatever, simply augment it.

I realize that I am still on a steep learning curve here, so hopefully things will get better.  Kind of disconcerting, though, when you go on Google and see how much stuff there is on work-arounds for what should be trivial stuff (getting an icon to show up after downloading an application, for example).  Microsoft would be ripped to shreds by Apple users if their applications or operating systems were half as buggy.  Just my humble opinion, of course.

On the other hand, with its orange cover that I bought it goes nicely with my Kindle, which has a purple cover.

Okay, last post kvetching about my iPad.  For now at least.  I am sure there will be more on this subject as time goes by.  Maybe, as I become more familiar with it, my comments may become more favorable.  Or someone will be getting a slightly used iPad for a Christmas present next year.

Yay!! Found the iPad version of Rhapsody.  Only problem is that it seems not to recognize my current membership, Unlimited Access, really isn't that unlimited.  It covers PCs, such as my HP Notebook and my Dell laptop and, of course, my HP TouchSmart.  What doesn't it cover?  You guessed it, "portable devices," which include the iPad.  So although I can load and use Rhapsody on my iPad, it will cost me an additional
$9.99 a month to do so,  My current subscription only costs me $71.88 a year.

11 comments:

Splunge said...

I went through a similar learning curve when the wife got me an iPod touch. That was a couple of years ago. Now I have an iPhone 4G and I don't know how I lived without it.

Once you get over the hump, you'll probably feel somewhat the same about your iPad.

I just can't get used to typing a small i in front of a capital.

Bar Man said...

It will cost me an additional $9.99 to use Rhapsody on it. Only costs me $71.88 for an Unlimited Access account that is good for up to three PCs, including laptops and notebooks.

mediumstrain said...

Dissonence? All Macs have a very nice Dictionary, which can be invoked with a right-click.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Sir, please don't take offense, but you are seriously technically challenged. The problems you are having are entirely operator error. May I strongly suggest that you make an appointment at your nearest Apple store ASAP. Once you spend just a few minutes there getting some pointers, you will be slapping your forehead at how simple the iPad is and how hard you have been making it for yourself.

In the meantime, check out this link: http://www.apple.com/ipad/guided-tours/

Best of luck!

John said...

Your comments sound like a driver going up a one way street the wrong way.

Open your eyes. Look at it. It's an iPad. Note that not a netbook running XP.

And, please, if you're going to misspell, do try not to put your misspellings in the title where they really stand out.

Bar Man said...

I changed the spelling of "dissonance," thanks.

I have admitted that when it comes to Apple products I am technically challenged and am on a learning curve.

Seriously technically challenged, not really. I have been working on mainframes since they had punch cards and have had PCs since Radio Shack's Trash 80. But the first time I encountered a Mac I have to admit, I couldn't even figure out how to turn it on.

I am sure I will like the iPad just fine once I get the hang of it. I think of it like the first time I drove an older British motorcycle into a wall even though I had been riding motorcycles for years. Put in the clutch when I wanted to hit the brake.

Interestingly, Blogger has a spell check for the body of the text but not for the title. Go figure.

JB said...

U know that apple stores have free classes ... And the ipadis set up so u don't have to look for anything unlike pac ... Use of the free ebook readers to download books if u don't want the hassle of loading through iTunes. iBooks obviously works best for buying books - did u know u can download preview of EVERY book there?

As for music, if u don't want to have to build ur own playlists , there are plenty of free choices including pandora. Or hundreds of radio stations, search for cumulus, CBS, aol, etc, etc ...

Good luck!

Bar Man said...

I am learning, I am learning. My only point is that I never needed a class to learn how to use a PC. And I never owned a PC where you had to buy something to get access to a USB port that only works for some stuff, unless you hack the iPad. Not being able to upload pictures to the iPad seems to me, at least, to be just wrong. Particularly when none of Apple's ads indicate the need to purchase their "Kit" to be able to do so.

But, I am learning to like it.

I have also learned that Rhapsody's unlimited service is not really unlimited.

And I like to build my own playlists. Isn't that kind of the point?

Scott said...

https://discussions.apple.com/message/12837110#12837110

how to use the mail app for hotmail folders...

Scott said...

Finally, I've read most of your complaints in all of your ipad posts and there is a solution to almost all of them... Also, photoshop is available for the ipad from adobe; scaled down but it is out there.