Anyway, it’s about the the most amazing thing ever. All kidding aside – there are a few things it does better that both a laptop and an iPhone. I have not spent much time using the “Word Like” program though, so I can’t speak to the productivity of it. However, ease of use is incredible, and there are many free apps to try (as well as ones to buy). Not to mention it is a “e-reader”, and it seems like an above average one – though it is the only one I’ve spent a serious amount of time using.

Also, it seems like a great “kid” computer device (albeit heinously expensive for that use). Very interactive, and I am just waiting for more learning games to show up.

I’d love to hear which pads you’re looking at and why. I also think waiting 3-6 months and saving more would be wise. I wouldn’t wait over a year though since some people are worried about inflation. Good deals are to be had on electronics right after back to school (Aug/Sept?) and right after xmas right? When do you guys think is the best time to buy electronics?

I love SmartyPig and have the same “problem” you have now. It’s been so fun and also challenging saving up the money and now that I have the money, I want to make sure I’m getting a good deal.

You’re right…there’s something about credit cards that doesn’t really make you do that so you end up spending more for sure!! I can really tell the difference.

I have been smartypigging (saving) for a new summer and fall wardrobe and instead of buying brand new $120 shoes now that I have the money, I’ve bought previously owned shoes of the exact model I wanted right off of ebay for $20-$40! Then more money stays in my savings too. Yay!

So I tracked prices of the Deskjet every week or so, and watched the prices plummeting. As the prices began to level off, I seized the moment and bought the printer — not an impulse buy at $500, but a bargain compared to its price only a couple months earlier.

Sadly, this was right at the start of the period when manufacturers began cutting product cycle times down to 6 months or less. I’d figured based on past experience that I had at least another 6 months before the next model came out, and guessed wrong: the next model was cheaper and far better.

So Trent’s advice is sound: figure out a compromise between buying at the right price (and when you have the money) versus buying when you really need something, even if you pay a slight premium.

It is better than a laptop, though, for surfing the web, reading books, and comic books. The latter two cost money. Especially the books: they cost a LOT of money, because you’re buying them from iBooks or Amazon, as opposed to the cheaper ways to get books like the library, used book stores, or paperback swap. You spend more to read the same books on an iPad (whereas with comics you spend the same–but it’s always been an expensive hobby).

Also, there are a number of apps that you inevitably get that also cost money.

Still, it is a slick piece of gear and I enjoy mine, and since I read and surf the web a lot at home, I get a ton of use out of it. But it is a little luxury item, like cable, and for someone who reads a lot and doesn’t usually pay $10/book, it may be prohibitively expensive. Just two books a week would cost over $1000 a year on the iPad (or Kindle). If you have access to a library, that’s a hard price tag to justify.

As for non-iPad tablets, I don’t think they’ve really managed to identify what they are useful for, yet. The iPad targets a limited type of usage and does it well, but at least it knows what it is for.

I work in IT and personally with any technology purchase, I would buy the best thing (be it laptop, phone, touchpad) that I can afford at that time. Yes, you can wait a few months and the price will come down. But then, a newer model with more features will be available that is more expensive.

When it comes to tech buys, I do not recommend playing the waiting game.

However, I would wait when I know a newer model of something is about to be released. That is usually when the older models get a price drop.

Just my 2c worth.

Thanks again and keep writing.

Srini
Australia

Why does every purchase have to be justified? If someone has the wants to buy something and has the money (after saving for retirement, education, blah, blah blah), then they should buy it.

I can’t justify my Xbox 360, iPhone, or vehicle, but that didn’t stop me from buying them.

As for Trent’s friend working on her thesis while she and her kids are at the park, focus on the kids and the park while there; the thesis at “thesis work time.” Doing both activities at the same time means not doing either activity justice. You don’t always get a chance for “do overs.”

Gotcha. I think I wasn’t seeing this from the POV of a casual user. Instead I was thinking the iPad wouldn’t be of any use to me in a professional context, even if it was just a secondary computer.

If I am in a situation where I need to be mobile (on a trip, etc) *and* able to do my work, I would need my laptop at the very least — I don’t think the iPad handles Photoshop and such. For e-mail I have got a smart phone, and that’s enough. Otherwise, if I don’t have to work, I just don’t take any computers with me.
A Moleskine would suffice if I happened to have some idea during a vacation or something.

I might change my mind in a few years, who knows. Tablets should have improved significantly by then. If they come up with one that is lightweight and works as well as a Cintiq (computer/Cintiq hybrid, I guess), I’ll be in line for that.

On the other side, I analyze the need. I say “I wish I had this thing”, learn about prices and then I let it cool down in my head. If a while later I still want the thing, I go out and get it.

I get very annoyed at my husband for overthinking the process. There are 3 things I really hate about it:
1. the impressive amount of time he takes for his research. I don’t mean he takes a week thinking about it, I mean he can easily spend 4 or 5 hours doing research online.
2. the enduring of bad situation that triggered the thought of the purchase. His phone chip gets disconnected when it rings (yeah, it’s that bad), he gets blisters in his hands for using bad gloves, his non waterproof jacket gets wet because he didn’t buy the other one, etc.
3. the money spent. In the end, he usually buys something quite expensive, and truth be told, oftentimes things don’t turn out as expected. The super photo camera is so heavy that we take the point and shoot instead, the cellphone is used mostly to talk and the other features sit idle, the jacket is too warm or too short. I’m not saying that big purchases are doomed, I’m saying that you can’t possibly know 100% sure beforehand if the thing you’re spending your money on will live up to your expectations.

So, I can’t say I’m an impulsive buyer, but I put a limit to the research and worry. Either I will buy that artifact or I will stop worrying about living without it; either I will try to buy it at the cheapest price or at the most convenient place; either I will save for it before the purchase or I will use a credit card; either I will buy a lower or a higher end version of it. I might even decide to spend a maximum amount of money and wait until it comes up; if I find it, good, if not, too bad (I write wishlists I update every year or so with those things). I’m very happy with some well thought purchases and regret others, but I don’t dwell on that too much either.

So once I decided something is important and I want it, I refuse to worry about every possible factor and no, I don’t mind not doing the best possible deal or that in the future there will be better versions of that thing. If the price is reasonable and I can afford it, why enduring a disadvantaged situation? Life is short and in the end, my money is there for me and not the other way round.