Apple iPad Impressions

If you use iTunes today, will you have to transfer everything to your iPad?

 

Have to?
From what I understand you can but I don't expect anyone would force you to.

 

What I meant is, if you want to use your newfangled iPad as a central repository of your music/video library, you HAVE to transfer everything you've had up to this point from whatever PC it's currently residing in to the iPad.

Otherwise what would be the point of getting the iPad. Or am I missing something?

 

It's no different from an iPod.

 

And now, for another evaluation... ound::rofl:
But a word of warning regarding some language.

 

So if you have your media stored on your iPod today, if you get the iPad you'll have to transfer everything over and can no longer use your iPod as your iTunes repository?

I'm confused...

 

Don't you have your music on your Mac or PC as well?

 

zen, it is no different than it is now. You could use your ipod as your repository, you could also use your computer. You can choose to use either as your repository.
The iPad is not designed to be the repository any more than your ipod or computer is. Any can serve that purpose, but not of them HAVE to, and using any one as the repository doesn't preclude you from using any other.
I don't quite get your question?

 

My question refers to the possibility that the iPad is used to replace one's laptop as a media repository. Not as a replacement for an iPod.

 

The iPad won't sync with an iPod. They are both meant to sync with a desktop or laptop.

 

What I find confusing (or weird) is that in the Apple world only ONE device is allowed to be a repository, and you have to choose which one that is.

The iPad seems like a nice device to be a media repository (especially for videos) that you can download stuff on the go. But doing so will require you to transfer all your OTHER stuff (on your PC, iPod, whatever) to this one if you want to play those as well. No?

 

IMO, the iPad is poorly suited to be a storage repository as it has limited hard drive space available. Same reason I wouldn't use an iPod as a central repository.
If you want to have multiple storage repositories you might be able to use the 'home sharing' in itunes.
Although maintaining more than one storage area seems a bit of a pain.

 

Exactly! I had originally hoped for full OSX, but then I thought about what I actually use my hackintosh MSI Wind (netbook) for, and realized the iPad will do all of it, and do it more simply and elegantly. I'm sold. It does need a really good VNC client, to make it the ultimate big remote. Lots of use for that...of course the iPhone VNC apps will already work. And it does fill the smart phone / notebook gap quite well. Going for the WiFi version myself. Can use my iPhone's 3G via PdaNet when I need it, which is almost never.

 

Not all your stuff. Only what you want to have in the iPad or iPod. And you can still download video or music directly to the iPad (from iTunes) without connecting to a desktop or laptop.

 

Can you access the mothership's iTunes library wirelessly? That would work in the building at least, but isn't much help for a trip. You'd still need to sync the Pad.

 

You're right. 64GB (top model) still is not a whole lot of storage.
As for maintaining multiple storages, not my cup of tea.

I'm sure the first version of the iPad will have its shares of bugs and missing features. As well as a price point that targets mainly the early adopters. It'll be interesting to see how this product will play out. The last time I bought anything from Apple was the 1st gen iMac (remember those?)

 

You're misunderstanding how the iPad/iPhone/iPod's work.

The master repository is a PC/Mac. 'Devices' such as the iPad/iPhone/iPod etc sync with that repository and you choose what you wish to copy over at any one time.

That way you can have a master repository of unlimited size, file storage space permitting.

You can still download stuff to them such as new music, films etc OTA from the iTunes Store and when you next sync they will be copied back to the master repository.

Works perfectly.

 

Thanks Darren. Understand.

In our household we have multiple PCs (my wife's, my sons', mine). Each has its own iTunes library built on individual preferences and taste. Makes it kinda hard to share songs sometimes.

 

Indeed but any iPod/iPad is designed to sync with one machine only anyway.

If you buy your content through iTunes then you can now sync music etc across a number of home machines with the latest iTunes but it doesn't function well if you import your data from CD or buy from non iTunes stores.

 

I usually buy CDs. I also convert some of my LPs to digital. The iTunes model really doesn't work well in my case. But oh well.

I'm in the process of getting rid of all my MP3s and replacing them with something of higher quality anyway.

I wonder if the iPad can play 24-bit lossless...