Yamiya, Just wanna blog

Archive for the ‘iPad’ Category

A lot of people ask me why don't not wait for iPad 3G. Here's the answer.

1. It's so much more expensive.
2. I waited long enough.
3. I already subscribe to Maxis data plan. I won't pay for another data plan.
4. I have iPhone 3GS.
5. I have a BT GPS receiver.

If you have iPhone 3G/3GS and BT GPS receiver you can save few hundred ringgit and go for iPad WiFi. Again, jailbreak saves the day and my wallet.

To turn WiFi iPad into iPad 3G you need MyWi. Yes they sound similar, but MyWi has nothing to do with ill-fated half breed national car Perodua Myvi. Sorry for Myvi owners, I am a fan of BBC Top Gear. The app is simple. On your iPhone, goto Cydia, search MyWi. Install it, not on iPad, but on iPhone. It gives free 10 days trial. Basically what it does is share your iPhone 3G/3GS 3G connection by creating a WiFi hotspot. In other words, MyWi turn your iPhone into a wireless router. The same way MacBook shares LAN connection thru WiFi. Desktop, laptop and any WiFi devices can connect to iPhone WiFi hotspot, not limited to Mac products. It too supports Bluetooth tethering and cable. Only thing is I don't see any 30-pin to 30-pin connector cable around. The advantage of WiFi tethering is multiple devices can tether at the same time. So far I only tested with three devices tether simultaneously. MyWi runs in background even with screen switch off to save battery. It supports 40 bit and 104 bit WEP Security to prevent others from accessing your WiFi HotSpot. For more information visit Rock Your iPhone.

Some might complain iPhone 3GS battery life is short and they want 10 hours internet surfing on iPad. That's a no brainier request. Imagine how expensive data plan is. With iPad, you probably use up half the monthly bandwidth within hours.

As for GPS, there are two apps in Cydia that connects your iPad to most BT GPS receiver in the market. The first is BTStack GPS (USD5), second is roqyBT (8 euro). Unfortunately Euro crisis is not as bad until Euro drop below USD. Hence I settle with BTStack GPS. I am using Holux M-241. It runs for 24 hours with a single AA battery. Matter of fact, I actually save my iPad battery with this method as we all know iPad/iPhone GPS antenna consumes a lot of power. Driving for half an hour, my iPad battery only reduce by 2%! In addition, iPad speaker is loud. I do not need to connect it to my car stereo. It's a dream to drive with a 9.7" navigation device. So far I tested with TomTom, Google Maps, Motion-X GPS HD, all fully compatible.

Overall I pay USD15 extra and upgraded to iPad 3G 

It's the third day since I purchase iPad. It's been three days since I last switch on my Mac. iPad has free me from sitting in front computer desk to lying on the couch. No regret. This is the best gadget since iPhone, even better than iPhone.

There are tons of reviews on iPad all over the web, hence I won't go into details. Instead I want to give few useful advice for iPad users.

1. iPad aluminum body is smooth, which translates to slippery, which means it is hard to hold and easier to slip and fall to the ground. Ouch! Most people will purchase a case to protect their precious iPad, as do I. Similar to iPhone, they are the soft case, hard case and leather case. My opinion is get a silicon case. For few reasons. One, it's cheaper than the other two. Second, silicon case provides natural grip. Third, it's the lightest of all three.

Since you are likely to use iPad for web browsing, books and magazines reading, chances are you gonna hold it for hours. Hard case generally doesn't do much good except protecting the surface. It's still slippery and requires more strength to hold it. Your hands will feel fatigue sooner than silicon case. Leather case too is nice to hold but most are bulky and heaviest of all three. iPad weights 680g. Adding a silicon case bring it close to 900g, that's equivalent to the thickest magazine you can find in market. Leather case means over 1kg. Unless you don't mind the weight of a hardcover bibliography.

There isn't much choice for now in Malaysia Mac shop. I am using Capdase Soft Jacket2 Xpose (RM128). I like it transparent and comes with removable stand. What I don't like is the hollow circle around the Apple logo, which isn't so bad as a round protector is included.

2. iPad is not scratch resistant, a screen protector is a must. There are two types, matte/anti-glare and crystal/clear. I prefer clear type because matte type spoil iPad crystal clear display. They are many below RM50 screen protector but they likely gives rainbow effect, a big trade-off for such a good screen. A good screen protector should not affect iPad screen performance. You wouldn't wanna spoil the experience of such a good screen with a cheap protector. I am using Power Support Crystal Film.

3. Use only Apple original/approved charger. iPad requires 10W charger, which is double of iPhone. The box comes with one. If you need spare, get the original. Don't toast your iPad just because you want to save few ten ringgit and purchase unauthorized China brand charger. It's a no-brainer vs no-branded case. After all, original charger cost less than RM100. Same goes to car charger.

4. There's really no left right up down for using iPad. Whichever way you position it the screen will rotate accordingly. In fact in portrait mode I prefer to have the home button on top for easy access and not blocking the speaker. Apple is considerate enough to include a disable rotation button (on iPhone it's the mute button) for NASA astronaut. 

5. Jailbreak is not really necessary. With the lack of many iPhone features, and few compatible Cydia apps, jailbreak doesn't make iPad performs magic besides SBSettings, Backgrounder (multitasking) and MyWi. Some would add, "Installous". Anyhow, to keep the jailbreak spirit running, I had mine prisonbreak.

6. Lastly, DO NOT borrow your iPad to anyone to bring home ! Yes, be selfish. It's too addictive! Your friend will give all the excuses and drag on returning. Two of my friends "lost" their iPad for being too generous. One is forced to sell to the borrower. Beware!

PS: All photos are taken from iLounge.com