If you use the right tools with the iPad you can make good quality recordings and easily transfer them to a pc. I have no problem doing this whether it's a scratch track or full on recording of vocals, guitar or some created track of drums, synth piano or other up to 8 track recording

I'm not trying to knock anyone's method. But, an iPad for portable songwriting is the greatest thing since sliced bread. With it, I can get my ideas down wherever I'm at. Then, when I get home, transfer them into Sonar and finish them out.

Does everything have to be a full featured recording studio in a box to be useful? I think we've become too dependent on having a gazillion tracks, the latest and greatest plugins, and whatever else our wallets can afford us. We are spoiled. We shouldn't need all of that to write a good song. Just something we can bang out some notes or chords with and anything that we can scribble down some lyrics on. That's it.

Enter the iPad.

It's got everything you need to write a great song. Right there, in the palm of your hand. Want to add guitar? Great, plug it in, get to strumin'. Lay down a quick dummy vocal so you won't forget your melody and lyrics. Push record and go for it.

Not being able to write a song on an iPad because it doesn't have pro-level inputs, outputs, amp sims, VST's, etc ... is like saying you can't drive to work in a Fiat because it's not a Mercedes. It's the same principle.

Capture the idea down while it's hot. Pull the car over and write that hit record while the vibe is knocking you in your head. You know you'll forget it by the time you get home, talk to wife, deal with the kids and pet the dog. That's what an iPad excels at. Getting the bones of that song's body written. You can get technical and produce it all fancy-like later.

I put capturing ideas and creation into two separate bins. For capturing ideas, something simple and small fits the bill for most instances; a simple digital voice recorder (and now phone) fits the bill nicely (esp. the "hands free" option of it). Short and sweet, but captures the gist (straight up lo-fi recording with the meat). When it comes to sitting down and putting time into recording/construction efforts, unless something has the definitive capability that work will not need to be repeated it carries very little appeal for me.

Touch tablets are replacing laptops - they already have in my house.  Of course, I do music work on a tower, but tablets are getting faster and faster.  for those who think inferior sound is the problem, they need to read the SOS (I believe) article about Keith Richards using a cassette to capture the guitar in "Street Fighting Man" (again, I believe it was that song).  He took it into the studio and dropped it in because he couldn't get the sound he wanted on the reel to reel.  Exception to the rule, of course, but it can be done.
 
This doesn't negate the physical problems of the iPad, which stems from it being an entertainment delivery system, not a creation system.  The lack of usb and dependence on wireless, the lack of storage, the smallish screen are all an impediment to real creation.  And it is  silly to have to spend $100 and more to upgrade an iPad so you can record and listen to its audio deliver a $5 app.  My windows tablet is much better in that regard, w/ usb slots (tho the screen is too large to hold and thumb in anything long on the virtual keyboard).  SSDs will make internal storage as large as you please, and the processors faster than todays laptops.  In a couple of years you'll be able to run SONAR on a tablet w/ no sweat.  Or if someone would make tablets plug and play w/ a desktop all the problems would be gone today.
 
Besides, the simplicity of the apps and their slimmed down coding, not to mention price, gives us a cheap ZeTA.  What is not to like?
 
@

Cassette player used in Rolling Stones record shock horror! I hope 64 bit precision dubley was used otherwise I will never listen to Keif ever again!

tabs are good for ideas, and I'm using an ipad as a controller via the touchosc app, but I'm not sure about generating sounds with it

I was hesitant about incorporating an iPad into my home studio, but once I found a decent dock with MIDI in order to connect my controllers to it through Sonar, it's been nice to have.
 
And as far as generating sounds, there are some really good synth apps out including Propellerhead's Thor and Arturia's Oberheim iSEM.  I don't think I'll buy the iPad-based Z3ta since I already have the VST, but I'd be surprised if it doesn't sound as good.  Plus, most of the iPad synths are MUCH more affordable than PC/MAC based synths, not to mention hardware synths (although I find myself getting back into them).
 
I look at tablets as just another tool.  If it ever comes to having a full-fledged DAW on a tablet with the requisite processing power, connections, etc., I'm cool with that.  But I think we have a ways to go before that happens.  :-)

Which dock are you using?
Thanks in advance,

groovey1
Which dock are you using?
Thanks in advance,

I'm using the Alesis iODock.  I walked into Guitar Center several months ago and found it marked down to about $100 as they were trying to get rid of old standing inventory.  Works quite well for my purposes.  It sits on top of my master controller and allows my iPad to work as a tabletop synth.  Plus, it keeps the iPad charged allowing me to turn the brightness all the way up and turn off auto-lock.
I love the look of the new Focusrite dock they just came out with, but it's for the latest iPad, not the 2nd generation.

It really comes down to the apps. A lot of people are basing their perceptions of the iPad's usability on the Garagband app. And you can get usable results with that, too if you really had to. But there are a ton of great sounding apps available. Couple them with the sequencer app of your choice and you're off and running. Also, most of the good sequencing apps will export midi. So, any parts you have played can be exported and opened in Sonar.