About the iPad 2, well, I've listed below all the things I use mine for and what it can do, if that helps
1. Yes you can transfer your photos to an iPad using an iPad Camera Connection Kit for £25. It works brilliantly. Before iOS5 I used it to transfer photos from my iPhone to my iPad but now it automatically transfers across. I do still use the camera connection kit to transfer photos from a memory card to the iPad
http://www.apple.com/uk/ipad/accessories/
2. You cannot use Flash on an iPad . However, there's lots that you can use it for. I have downloaded the iPlayer and 4OD apps which are brilliant for catching up[ with telly. Of course you can also watch downloaded films from iTunes (you can buy or rent them). If you have an iPhone you can watch QVC live via the QVC app which you can also install on the iPad but the screen will be much smaller. I also use the BBC new site and can watch live TV using that app.
3. There are tons of games to play on iPad - Angry Birds, Plants vs Zombies, Scrabble are some of the games I play regularly.
4. There is a great Ebay app if you use Ebay a lot and you can use the iPad to sell items on Ebay
5. The Skype app is great too - It has a full screen so you can really interact with the person you're talking too. Apple has FaceTime installed on the iPad which is Apple's version of Skype for Apple users - so you can use it to contact anyone else on their iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac etc. You can also use iMessage which allows you to message anyone using an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch free of charge over WiFi connection.
6. You can use the internet via Safari, but there are lots of apps for popular sites like Facebook and even ST.com via the Tapatalk Forums app. Many apps are free although there are many you pay for. iPad apps are generally more expensive than iPhone apps.
7. I use it also for online banking. I'm with RBS and they have a really good RBS app. Its secure too.
8. Apart from its entertainment aspect, it has some serious business applications too. Professionally I use Apple's office suite - Pages, Numbers and Keynotes. I use Pages frequently on the iPad which is a word-processing app. It enables me to produce documents and email them. I can also transfer them onto my MacBook Pro using iTunes as I store have a library of documents on my Mac. I also use Keynotes, to produce presentations using the iPad and can even use my iPhone as a remote control. These apps are phenomenal. They are very easy and quick to use and the presentations you can create on Keynotes are impressive and very professional looking. I also have various apps which I use professionally to obtain information whilst I am out on a job. My usage of the iPad is about 70% for business and 30% for leisure now. Huge emphasis is often placed on the entertainment aspect of the iPad, but its real versatility is in the business world. I'm discovering more and more what it can do for me professionally on a daily basis.
8. You do not need to buy a 3G enabled iPad. I have a white iPad 2 32GB WiFi which cost me £470 and a further £30 for a smart cover. I access WiFi in various ways whilst outside the home: Access to BT Openzone/BTFon is free if you're a BT Total Broadband customer. You often find BT Openzone in places like Starbucks. You can get free Wifi via The Cloud in Caffe Nero and MacDonalds. If I can't get free Wifi then I used to use a MiFi dongle from 3 (PAYG or contact) which is a little device that emits its own Wifi hotpot. You can use it with any wireless device
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As you can use it with any wireless device it is cheaper and more versatile than being tied into a 3G contract for your iPad as you can only use it on your iPad.
Now that I have an iPhone 4S I can tether my iPhone to my iPad via Bluetooth. My iPhone becomes a WiFi hotspot for my iPad. I don't pay any extra for this - but whatever data I use on my iPad whilst tethered to my iPhone comes out of my iPhone contract monthly data allowance.
9. A factor often overlooked is the after-sales customer service. At Apple you are treated with respect as a customer and their after sales service is 5 star. You can walk into any Apple Store, go right up to the Genius Bar and someone will always help you. I cracked my screen on my previous iPhone (a 4), on a contract with O2. I went into Apple and they gave me a replacement free of charge. Whilst I was there I overheard another assistant replacing someone's faulty iPad without any quibble whatsoever. How many places can you go into and be given a replacement product that costs £500 without any negotiation or persistence? For this reason alone, Apple are worth it. I have no idea what Archos are like with after-sales customer service but I bet they're not a patch on Apple. I know that if I have any problems with any Apple product, Apple will sort it out for me without any hassle. And they do it with courtesy and a smile. Never grudgingly. My kind of company.
10. And lastly, its does what it says on the tin. An iPad is such a pleasure to use, its so intuitive and not a day goes by where I am discovering what more it can do for me. For the aesthete, it is a beautiful product with its sleek, slim body and clean lines. How could you not want one?
