iPad November 1st is the big day.

[MeSue]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I know the engraving slowed it down, but I got the email with the UPS tracking number on November 4th. Strange, but it doesn't bother me much. I've waited this long for Apple to come out with this generation; a few more days won't hurt.

They probably put it in the system and get a tracking number before it ever starts moving. Or sometimes the Apple shipments come straight from China. They are usually still pretty fast.

Mine's out for delivery! I'm shocked! I don't know why, though, Staples has never let me down on delivery estimates.

[JTravers]

Originally Posted by MeSue

It's THE BEST… and I have used a lot of cases! Here is a pic:
Attachment 114708

With this you can carry it securely like a briefcase, and then it converts to a portrait or landscape stand that goes to any angle. Or you can grab it from the back and hold the iPad one handed. Most of the time I use it like a stand propped on my belly. I have a review on my website, which is linked from my profile, I think.

The Gripster is fantastic. Good to hear that they're making an Air version. I am a bit hesitant, though, because the Gripster adds some bulk to the iPad. Not a bid deal with the 3rd and 4th gen, since they were already heavy and the added functionality (which is really outstanding) of the Gripster far outweighed the added bulk. However, with the iPad Air, its thinness and lightness are the most defining features, so using the Gripster may make that less noticeable. And then the biggest part of the attraction of the iPad Air vs. the older gens becomes nullified. I wonder if they'll be able to engineer a version for the iPad Air that still keeps it feeling light and thin. Otherwise, I may have to start looking for an origami-style case instead.

[MeSue]

Originally Posted by JTravers

The Gripster is fantastic. Good to hear that they're making an Air version. I am a bit hesitant, though, because the Gripster adds some bulk to the iPad. Not a bid deal with the 3rd and 4th gen, since they were already heavy and the added functionality (which is really outstanding) of the Gripster far outweighed the added bulk. However, with the iPad Air, its thinness and lightness are the most defining features, so using the Gripster may make that less noticeable. And then the biggest part of the attraction of the iPad Air vs. the older gens becomes nullified. I wonder if they'll be able to engineer a version for the iPad Air that still keeps it feeling light and thin. Otherwise, I may have to start looking for an origami-style case instead.

I agree with you completely! I am hoping that since the iPad Air is lighter that they can make the Gripster less hefty since it won't have as much to support. I've been checking their website daily. Newtech has a case very much like the Gripster, so I have been checking there too.

Is an origami style case those ones that look like a smart cover but fold in different ways? I've seen them on eBay and wondered about them.

[JTravers]

Originally Posted by MeSue

I agree with you completely! I am hoping that since the iPad Air is lighter that they can make the Gripster less hefty since it won't have as much to support. I've been checking their website daily. Newtech has a case very much like the Gripster, so I have been checking there too.

Is an origami style case those ones that look like a smart cover but fold in different ways? I've seen them on eBay and wondered about them.

Yes, that's exactly what an origami case is. The Moshi Versacover seemed to be a good one for the earlier iPads. They are making one for the Air which is due out later this year. Honestly, with the Air I think the perfect cover would be an origami-style Smart Cover. I want something that can stand the iPad up in both portrait and landscape orientations and can also be quickly removed and reattached. Well, either that or an extremely light weight Gripster.

[WT Sharpe]

The iPad Air arrived, about 80% charged. It's now charging up and transferring all the apps. I was a bit surprised. Even the documents and photos are transferring. What a breeze this thing is to set up.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

The iPad Air arrived, about 80% charged. It's now charging up and transferring all the apps. I was a bit surprised. Even the documents and photos are transferring. What a breeze this thing is to set up.

That is the way Apple is supposed to be. The competency that made it a best seller. Glad to know that it didn't (not yet anyway) let you down.

I had guests this week end. You know. Those relatives that use Apples. One, the younger - know it all type, I didn't bother speaking to about Apple technology.
The other was a bit more open minded. A retired engineer. He knew about the iOS7 problem and wasn't putting it on his wife's iPhone 5 yet. His 4 won't get it. He actually runs Windows software on his 17" iMac. (He always buys refurbished machines so the 17" is still available to him. That was another incident where Apple reversed course. Another relative was very disappointed that the new retina display was NOT available on a iMac 17". A sure sale was missed.

[Faterson]

Originally Posted by frahse

That is the way Apple is supposed to be. The competency that made it a best seller. Glad to know that it didn't (not yet anyway) let you down.

It did let me down. Restoring from iCloud is supposed to create an exact copy of your earlier device (on the same device, or a new device). That failed for me in several respects (see here for an example).

By the way, iOS 7 does run on iPhone 4 just fine. (It's just that I dislike it, and I'd downgrade to iOS 6 instantly if that was possible.)

[robertc88]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

The iPad Air arrived, about 80% charged. It's now charging up and transferring all the apps. I was a bit surprised. Even the documents and photos are transferring. What a breeze this thing is to set up.

Please give some feedback on the display and also the RAM after you have had some time with it. Thanks.

BTW folks, the rMini is now available at some Apple stores if you are interested. No telling the amount of stock on hand though in each location or exactly where. I guess one may be able to find in somewhere in the "Big" Apple, NYC.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by robertc88

Please give some feedback on the display and also the RAM after you have had some time with it. Thanks....

Will do. I was disappointed yesterday at how fast the battery seemed to be discharging, but that's perhaps due to the fact that the device was downloading all my programs, documents, settings, pictures, as well as updating the programs to their iOS 7 versions. The battery seems to be holding its own today.

[krighton]

everything restored except some comics and books...not sure why those were left out.

[Faterson]

Another thing not restored for me were certain email settings. Well, I was finally able to restore everything (with luck) as it should have been, but the user experience was disappointing and far from "magical".

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by krighton

everything restored except some comics and books...not sure why those were left out.

Because they weren't backed up. I forgot what version of iOS it was but Apple added some guidelines regarding stored data. Anything that can be downloaded again are not saved and were put in cache or something like that. It likely has to do with minimizing the size of iCloud backups.

[MeSue]

I restored from an iTunes backup and everything came over perfectly. The only time I'd use an iCloud backup was if I didn't have access to iTunes, or if I had no way of getting a more recent backup from iTunes than what was on iCloud. Not that I have any love for iTunes, but sometimes it is a necessary evil.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by Faterson

It did let me down. ---

By the way, iOS 7 does run on iPhone 4 just fine. (It's just that I dislike it, and I'd downgrade to iOS 6 instantly if that was possible.)

My brother in law was the one that said that about iPhone 4. He has that one. He had to fly home, but my sister with the iPhone 5 is still here. I don't know if she knows what the problem he spoke of was. I doubt it. If I think of it when I talk to him again I will ask.

Maybe when he said it wouldn't work on the 4, he meant that the problems were too great.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Faterson

Another thing not restored for me were certain email settings. Well, I was finally able to restore everything (with luck) as it should have been, but the user experience was disappointing and far from "magical".

The only app I seem to be missing is the YouTube app. Not only is it missing, I can't find it in the iTune store; although there seem to be a number of 3rd party YouTube apps there. But as it was all restored from the cloud, perhaps the first time I connect to iTunes I'll be able to transfer it.

The only thing I'm missing in functionality so far is the ability to do an in-page search in Safari. I can do it in Chrome, however, and I don't believe I had that option on my old iPad's Chrome browser. And certain things function differently in iOS 7 than they do in iOS 5. For example, there's no delete among the edit options to remove calendar events, but you can press and hold to select them, then lift them off the page into cyberspace oblivion.