As I said in a previous post, I recently acquired a 16GB Apple iPad 3rd Gen with the help of a friend and his HSBC credit line. Not an Apple enthusiast myself, though I decided to give it a go anyway since I’ll get to know more about their side of the industry. But as I got to explore the Apple world and how they go about their business- software and hardware wise, the more I got frustrated in using the damn thing. Most people would consider this as a temporary culture shock coming from a Windows user, and they’re probably right, but I’ll blow off steam anyway. Microsoft loyalists who are still in the dark may be able to find refuge in this.

1.) Everything is in the hands of iTunes. This is what pissed me right off the bat. That all must pass through iTunes, meaning you can’t use your Apple gadgets like any other USB storage device. You can open and copy files from the “DCIM” folder with your PC, but that’s it. You sure as hell can’t put files in it. If you’re not importing music or movies via iTunes with the selected formats the gadget can read, you have to either convert them or buy/install an App that can open them.

2.) File management is so not cute. After having to deal with frustration number one, I found out there’s more. That the files you want to open with a certain app must be put inside that app’s location. For example, there’s Paulo Coelho’s e-book I want to read using ‘Good Reader’, so I put that file under the said app in iTunes. Now if I have another reader app like ‘Stanza’ and I want to read the same e-book with it, I won’t be able to since Paulo Coelho’s e-book is located in the Good Reader folder, and Stanza would not be able to access it. You have to put one copy in each app of you want to open them in both apps, doubling space intake.

3.) The Bluetooth feature is only limited to fellow Apple gadgets. Meaning, our iMac, iPhone, iPad or iWhatever cannot detect and link with other Bluetooth-capable devices if they’re not Apple e.g. Android phones or Windows computers. So I won’t be able to enjoy my iPad completely if my other gadgets are not 100% Apple? Thank God my phone is Android so I had to JailBreak my iPad and buy the Cydia App AirBlue Sharing for $4.99 to let me do so! @_@