Oh! One caveat to,the iPad, as I know there was a very recent discussion regarding stupid printers....

Wireless printing from iPad CAN be an issue, as there are only a handful of printers that will interface with the iOS.  Mine is not one of those select few.  If I've written a new song on the iPad or my iPhone (lyrics), I usually email it to myself so I can print from PC (cut and paste from the email note to Word, usually).


There are TONS of productivity apps that emulate MS stuff and more.... But I don't actually have any of them, so I can't comment on them.  Unless it's music related, I mostly have only free apps. I have shelled out up to $10 for music stuff though... Garage Band ($9.99) and Reason's app ($0.99) included.  I LOVE Reason's new app.  For me, for electronica, its worlds better than Garage Band, but a more traditional musician would like Garage Band better.  Don't ask me what Reason's app is called.  I forget... And one bad thing about this forum is if I close this screen to do something else, like look at what the heck Reason's app is called, I lose what I've already written here... Sure I could cut and paste, blah blah,blah... 


And my father uses a stylus for everything.  I only want one for drawing.

Beagle,

A part from what Jubilee posted there is also :

iSheet Lite
SheetRack Lite

They are free, but I believe full versions exist.

I use Gtr Pro a lot when traveling cos I have my travel gtr with me and if I need to learn something (I play in a covers band) then that's fine.

Cheers,
Jerry

PS : oh and also Cowbell Free. Can't be without it ! LOL

Just a tech note (to balance what Zungle was saying above), and this applies to Apple computers as well.  Apples are actually LESS secure than Android or, especially, Windows machines however, since they really are not a very large segment of the overall PC/pad population nobody really bothers to write any viruses for them.  In other words, Windows has far more security and virus protection available because it's had to repel thousands of viruses that have been written to attack it.  I've read where all pad virus protection is just using up CPU and that there really aren't any viruses made for any pad, but I don't know if that's true.

I will say that my Thrive doesn't get nearly as hot as my friend's iPad (important if you're trying to hold it without any additional protection).  That said, the bulk of the really cool music apps are still only made for the iPad!

I just bought the latest 'new iPad' (unofficially iPad-3), latest OS-5.1.1,  64GB, WIFI only. It wasn't cheap by any means, but I just wanted to join the club and see what I am missing. Getting the 3G would have entailed more cost and a change in my phone plan that I did not wish to do at this time, therefore I opted to go with WIFI only. Most of my use will be around the house anyway where I have a good WIFI setup, or possibly on trips hopefully in locations that offer free WIFI (e.g., hotels, airports). So far its been working great. Found our wireless printer with no problems. Bluetooth headphones work. I am still learning this device and about the different apps available. Overall I like the fact I can relax while watching TV for example, and browse the internet (including the Cakewalk forums) and check emails with a relatively small footprint device in my lap. I also like how fast the product is ready to use. It goes into sleep mode and when needed, you awaken it and you are surfing. As opposed to my computer where I power down when done and need to go through startup when I want to use it.  So for me there is a convenience factor in having the iPad available for fast checks of email and such.
 
One of the things I like is transferring my music concert DVDs to the iPad. With the iPad screensize and the latest display resolution (iPad-3), the video is beautiful. Almost looks 3D. Same with movies. I have been able to convert standard and BluRay DVDs. Basically movies on the go.
 
A recent thread talked about the new Roland R-Mix software and the product video indicated an iPad version coming out eventually. These are the types of apps that might be a real treat on the iPad.  
 
I can't really compare the iPad against an Android device though. I am sure the Androids are quite nice also, and cheaper in cost. I just decided to go with Apple and check out the hype. They do make good products.
 

My wife was interested in the Kindle Fire until she read that Adobe EPub books are not supported.  She reads a lot of ebooks from our public library, most of which are in an EPub format.

She also didn't like the idea of being tied so directly to Amazon.

I bought the same unit as Beagle last month after using an iPod Touch for several months. Both are loaded with over 100 apps, mostly music related. The iPod is great to take nearly everywhere but the screen is soooo small for old eyes. That is one reason why I got the iPad. Another reason is some of the newer apps are designed for iPad only. The extra RAM, GPU, and retina display is icing on the cake. I think you will be happy with your new purchase as you learn the ins and outs of the iDevice world.

I told you I had bad eyes :-) . I now see it was KenB123 who got the new iPad. KenB123, did you get the one year extra protection? I still have until next month to decide if I want it. I don't normally buy added warranties but given that the cost of the protection is about half of what a new battery cost it may be worth it.

One thing about the iPad, the WiFi only version doesn't have the GPS receiver. That may or may not be important to you. I just got a new iPad 4G, and I'm liking it so far. Especially the GPS for my hikes.

KenB123, did you get the one year extra protection

 
Nope. I should look into it though just to see what it covers. First thing I did was get a screen protector and a case for it. Other than that, I really try to take care of my stuff and hope for the best.

Ice cream sandwiches tend to be cool if frozen properly.