iPad for gaming

[Humanaut]

Greetings,

Anyone using an iPad for gaming? How do you like it? What did you buy and how do you use it?

I was thinking about keeping my maps, notes, and access to the SRD and such on it and with me at the gaming table. Practicle? Useful? Overly expensive toy?

If there is already a thread about this, would someone provide a link?

Thanks!

[Ichneumon]

I have an Ipad and I haven't used it for gaming, yet, mostly because I am currently not playing any games.

I do however find it to be very useful. Most pdf's are very easy to read. I have stored all my dragon and dungeon pdfs on them. Notekeeping is very useful too, and I've stored all my campaign notes on it too.

My overal experience is that the iPad is certainly worth the money, as it has almost the same utility in some fields as a laptop and I imagine it to be far better than a Laptop on the gaming table as it will be smaller and create less a barrier between you and the other players. However, you have to accept certain limits, as not being able to run programs like Maptools or whatever else you use.


EDIT: I wouldn't buy it exclusively for using it for gaming, more so if you already have a small laptop or something, but if you were already thinking about buying one, I don't think it will be a waste of money.

[Meta]

Many of the useful apps cost money, and i find my laptop more conveniant overall when DMing and playing

[Swiftest]

One of the players in my Red Hand of Doom Campaign has one and uses it for D&D purposes. He has several apps including one which turns the SRD into a -- I don't know how to describe it -- a more convenient app form, I suppose? It has super easy searching and indexes including a full listing of all spells with a quick touch-screen-based scroller. The design of the app plus the touch screen makes it very nice to find what you want fast, so he is slowly becoming our new rules lawyer haha. He also uses a dice rolling app and he's working with a battlemat type app I think.

Very cool stuff, but to be perfectly honest it's nothing that a laptop couldn't do (and he already owns a couple of laptops haha), albeit not with the fun touch screen and not with quite as much speed. I'd call the Ipad a nice toy but just that -- only for the luxuriously-inclined gamer, but a useful device if you can afford to drop the cheddar for one.

[Humanaut]

Hrm...

Well, I only have a desktop computer, no laptop. That's kinda the choice I guess. Laptop or iPad. I wouldn't use it exclusively for gaming, but one of those I'd like to have near me as I game since I'm the DM.

I do have an iPhone, but it's too dang small to use at the table.

[Dragosai]

The iPad can be helpful but I think more for a player then a DM, at least at this curent time. My reason is that if you are going to use an electronic device to add in gaming you might as well have it be able to do everything or as close to everything that you want. I still find a laptop much better as there are no combat tracker apps that I have seen for the iPad. Coming back to my one big issue with the iPad, it is not fully, and in some cases even remotely, usable cross OS. The new tablet type device that Google is putting out seems like it will be better at this and might replace my laptop for gaming id it lives up to what the claims are.

[FelixG]

I would second the upcoming droid based pad as well.

But really, i would prefer my laptop everytime over a pad, simply because it can just flat out do more.

Though if i were to choose to buy a specific device for gaming...it would hands down be a touch screen netbook.

The touch screen combines the simplicity of the pads but it remains a netbook with all the versatility and battery life of a real computer that can multi task and everything :D

and the Price blows an Ipad out of the water

Netbook:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220568

Ipad:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00365F6EG/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002C7481G&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ZWNVJ8CCW7VJTVYC2JW

[Meta]

newegg is always cheaper to begin with

[FelixG]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002GCR04Y/ref=dp_olp_new_map?ie=UTF8&qid=1282314896&sr=8-1&condition=new

From the same site then, listed at 30 dollars less than the new egg price 0.o

better? :smallbiggrin:

[valadil]

My concern with an iPad would be multitasking. I usually GM without a laptop, but when I do use one I keep tons of windows open. I have PDFs of several books, plus the SRD, plus my own notes. The iPad is designed to do exactly one thing at a time. Without having used one I can't really say if it would let you quickly switch from your PHB to your MM. If it can, it's probably worthwhile. If not I'd skip it.

[Hzurr]

I would strongly, stongly recommend holding off. One key thing to remember with apple: Never buy the first generation of products. Wait for the next ipad; which should have a decent processor - so multitasking should be a bit more realistic, front facing camera, more memory (seriously, 512MB? What were they thinking) and (we can only hope) USB ports.

If nothing else, by Christmas there should be some Android based tablets, as well as Windows based tablets (and if it's running a slimmed down version of Win7, you might even be able to have the Character builder on there).

Also, remember that the more tablets that are out there, the better the price will be, and the more options you'll have to get exactly what you want.


So...yes. Wait 6+ months, and then look at getting something, because the iPad is nice, but it could be so much better, and if you hold off it will be (or we'll have something else that will be)

[Lysander]

Ipads are generally designed to be used on the go, while riding the train for example or on a park bench. It's easy to hold in one hand. If you're sitting at a table with friends it loses much of its purpose because you have a table to hold your laptop for you.

[OverdrivePrime]

I would strongly, stongly recommend holding off. One key thing to remember with apple: Never buy the first generation of products. Wait for the next ipad; which should have a decent processor - so multitasking should be a bit more realistic, front facing camera, more memory (seriously, 512MB? What were they thinking) and (we can only hope) USB ports.

{snip...}

So...yes. Wait 6+ months, and then look at getting something, because the iPad is nice, but it could be so much better, and if you hold off it will be (or we'll have something else that will be)

^^This... 100%. I love Apple and their products, but I generally treat the first gen of any of their products as extended beta testing. I've been sorely tempted by the iPad, but I'm holding to my guns and enduring the (surprisingly difficult) wait until the 2nd gen is released.

[Howmandu]

I'm in the same boat. I'm chomping at the bit to get one of these for gaming (player in my group is using one and loves it) but I am forcing myself to wait for the next gen model. I would alos like to see some other options come out as well.

[Dizlag]

And if you wait for the Android based pad, you'll be able to write your own apps for it for free using Eclipse, Java, and the Android SDK. I've written a loot generator for D&D 4e and D&D 3.5, plus an adventure generator for Savage World's The Day After Ragnarok campaign for my Droid phone.

Dizlag

[BobSutan]

Greetings,

Anyone using an iPad for gaming? How do you like it? What did you buy and how do you use it?

I was thinking about keeping my maps, notes, and access to the SRD and such on it and with me at the gaming table. Practicle? Useful? Overly expensive toy?

If there is already a thread about this, would someone provide a link?

Thanks!

One of the guys in my group uses it and he loves it. I just started using an app for rolling dice on my iPhone and it's nice, although having that huge screen like he does is better for the DM (he can see what he rolls from across the table). Personally I miss the feel of rolling the dice, but for practical purposes it's just better since it does all the math and everything is just there for you to read off. Plus, no more worrying about dice rolling off the table, caught dice, or being in low light and having to squint to read the numbers, and so on. Just tap the screen and go. I imagine the iPad is the same for him.

It's also pretty nice having all the ebooks available and not having to strain your back lugging all the gaming gear around like he used to.

[Dragosai]

It's also pretty nice having all the ebooks available and not having to strain your back lugging all the gaming gear around like he used to.

Oh! I was not aware the WOTC books were available as ebooks. That puts me back in the seat of getting a tablet type thing at some point. I think I will wait for the next gen iPad and also wait and see what Google does with their pad thing.

[Flickerdart]

Oh! I was not aware the WOTC books were available as ebooks. That puts me back in the seat of getting a tablet type thing at some point. I think I will wait for the next gen iPad and also wait and see what Google does with their pad thing.
They're not legally available as eBooks.

[AlterForm]

You know what else is really nice about a touch-capable system running Windows?

OneNote 2010.

It is, in my opinion, the one and only saving grace of Microsoft Office Suite that is making me want to shell out 75 dollars instead of getting by on OpenOffice. It is that good.

Here's how it breaks down.

On your left taskbar, you have notebooks.
Each notebook can have an arbitrary number of tabs laid out across the top.
Each tab can have an arbitrary number of pages laid out on the right.
You can write on a page. You can type on a page. You can insert images on a page. You can draw (rudimentarily) on a page. You can take a pdf, and "print" it to OneNote, inserting it into a page. You can drop screencaps (whole or in part) on a page. You can then write on top of all of this, again. And then erase some. And then you jump to a new page. Or a new tab. Or a new notebook. In seconds.

A practical example, you say? Why, certainly.

I have a notebook in OneNote labeled "Character Sheets."
I have tabs for 4e, 3.5, MnM, and other.
I have a default page that contains only a blank character sheet.
I have several characters per tab, each of which I have written over the character sheet image with the proper information. If I need to change something, I flip my pen around and erase with the eraser nub, and write the new stuff in. Just like a real character sheet. Only digital. So it never gets smudgy. It never gets worn out by erasing. It never gets lost.

I'm shilling for Microsoft software here, and I don't care.

It is that good.

[Hzurr]

-snip- ONENOTE -snip-

That's actually really cool to read. I just installed Office 2010 on my home PC last week (my wife still gets her University Discount, and $25 for the full Office Suite is pretty awesome), and I saw OneNote, but didn't really know what it was.

From the description you gave, it sounds like having this on a tablet could be fantastic. I'll need to explore this further...

[Asheram]

That's actually really cool to read. I just installed Office 2010 on my home PC last week (my wife still gets her University Discount, and $25 for the full Office Suite is pretty awesome), and I saw OneNote, but didn't really know what it was.

From the description you gave, it sounds like having this on a tablet could be fantastic. I'll need to explore this further...

It's a lovely little program to use while DM'ing. The tabs are a wonderful ability.

[TheThan]

Any sort of laptop is great for gaming, you can keep notes, character sheets, web material, books, all sorts of stuff. Any sort of smart phone, pocket pc or PDA type device works great for storing data. But for Dming a game, I think a tablet PC is the way to go, as you can store maps in it and use it as a battle grid with digital miniatures. So you have everything you need right there, no need to lug around a box of miniatures and waste money printing maps.


the problem with gaming with computers, is that they offer distractions, the internet, games etc can all detract players from what is going on. so it does take a certain amount of self control.

[Oslecamo]

So...yes. Wait 6+ months, and then look at getting something, because the iPad is nice, but it could be so much better, and if you hold off it will be (or we'll have something else that will be)

Don't wait too long tough. Apple will get lazy and start to think you'll buy the next generation no matter how much they screw up. Like a cellphone that can't make calls.

Get the laptop. You can get some pretty cheap with good capacities nowadays and the only thing you're losing is the touch screen, wich is inferior to keyboard+mouse anyway.

[Tal_Akaan]

I just got an iPad and although I have only used it in one game I really enjoy it. The thing about the apps is I have everything I really want with a PDF reader that cost all of 99 cents, and a free initiative tracker that has a spot to have a current hit point total. Would I like some kind of character builder? Yes, but the odds that I'll find one that has all the books that i use in it is slim, I play pathfinder and my group uses most 3.5 material. So for me i enjoy it, it's plenty fast for me, it takes all of a second to render a page in a pathfinder book.

On a side note, not to start a war here.

When i was doing my research before my purchase i think I remember hearing that windows 7 wouldn't run well on a device that utilizes a touch screen. I could be misremembering, I'm not sure.

All in all i' really happy with the iPad and think it works great at the table during games.

[Mando Knight]

Get the laptop. You can get some pretty cheap with good capacities nowadays and the only thing you're losing is the touch screen, wich is inferior to keyboard+mouse anyway.

And for a bit more, you can have that, too. On top of being freed from Apple's App Store. Don't like Safari? Fine! Just use Firefox. Despise iTunes? VLC is free! Need to run the 4e Character Builder? Last I heard, .NET 3.5 only ran on full-blown computers. Want an advanced paint program? Go GIMP! Tabletop map software? MapTool is available for laptops! The list keeps going on and on... I personally don't have much use for an oversized iPod Touch. An iPad-like computer? Sure, I could use that. But not an iPad proper.

[AlterForm]

When i was doing my research before my purchase i think I remember hearing that windows 7 wouldn't run well on a device that utilizes a touch screen. I could be misremembering, I'm not sure.


Windows 7 runs quite well on a touch screen.

No, it's not an OS built for touch (like iOS4 or whatever it's called), but is an OS built with touch in mind. From what I've come to understand, W7 added several touch- and pen-specific event calls for developers to utilize to make their programs touch and multitouch friendly. And from personal experience, even using something like Firefox (which has no touch functionality beyond momentum scrolling), is very fun and enjoyable.

[Dragosai]

They're not legally available as eBooks.

Damn it! Well back to hoping for a Windows pad that can run the CB.

[Hzurr]

Windows 7 runs quite well on a touch screen.

No, it's not an OS built for touch (like iOS4 or whatever it's called), but is an OS built with touch in mind. From what I've come to understand, W7 added several touch- and pen-specific event calls for developers to utilize to make their programs touch and multitouch friendly. And from personal experience, even using something like Firefox (which has no touch functionality beyond momentum scrolling), is very fun and enjoyable.

Yes, but are there any cost-effective Win7 touch-based laptops? Everytime I've checked, they've been under-powered and over-priced. If one was available, I'd pick it up in a second. I'm a big fan of Windows 7, and a tablet-based computer that I don't have to rely on an AppStore for? Sign me up.

[AlterForm]

Yes, but are there any cost-effective Win7 touch-based laptops? Everytime I've checked, they've been under-powered and over-priced. If one was available, I'd pick it up in a second. I'm a big fan of Windows 7, and a tablet-based computer that I don't have to rely on an AppStore for? Sign me up.

Unfortunately, tablet tech isn't cheap. I picked up a maxed out HP Touchsmart tm2 for just under 1200 with student discount. (But unlike most (all?) other tablet laptops, it has a dedicated graphics card for gaming, which was very nice.)

If you just wanted it for barebones tablet tech...hmm... **scurries off to HP Store**

If you play around with some online deals (http://www.logicbuy.com/deals/hp-touchsmart-tm2-12-inch-convertible-laptop/14734.aspx), you can get the lowest config model for just over 800 dollars.

Asus' Eee PC T91 goes for right around 400 on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Asus-T91SA-VU1X-BK-8-9-Inch-Netbook-Computer/dp/B002GCR04Y), but it's squarely in the "netvertible" category and apparently has a few issues with sluggishness and touch/pen detection.

I think those are the two frontrunners in terms of "affordable" tablet laptops; HP's Elitebook series are supposed to be incredibly excellent but are priced at 2000+ dollars, while other vendors' machines are priced at well over 1000 for pretty standard laptop power with a touchscreen laid on.

Alternatively, you could wait for the deluge of slate-form windows machines that are lined up for the next 6 months or so. Those will probably be priced competitively with the iPad, although you will have to sacrifice things like your keyboard and probably a lot of ports.

Also, above all else, if you want touch/pen compatibility, GET A WACOM DIGITIZER. None of the other big names in digitizers come close to the excellence of Wacom digitizers.

[Hzurr]

Alternatively, you could wait for the deluge of slate-form windows machines that are lined up for the next 6 months or so. Those will probably be priced competitively with the iPad, although you will have to sacrifice things like your keyboard and probably a lot of ports.

Yeah, I think this is what I'm going to have to do. I'm fine without a keyboard, and as long as it has at least 1 USB port, it'll be ahead of the iPad :smallsmile:

I'm not a fan of Apple, but I do appreciate them forcing everyone else to get on the ball drive tech forward. Without the iphone, I wouldn't have my beautiful Android phone, and without the iPad, I won't have afordable tablet PCs....

[Tyndmyr]

They're not legally available as eBooks.

However, if you own the actual books, format shifting is fine. Just like photocopying them at the library is fine. Just don't try to distribute the stuff to others.

I have a wide collection of pdfs, but I have no worries over it because I actually did buy all the books. So, if Im DMing elsewhere, I sometimes pack my netbook, since it's light and portable. However, when playing at my place, I prefer to use the books, as I can find things vastly quicker, and it's much easier to have half a dozen open at once, strewn around.

Netbooks do pretty much everything the pads do, at the moment. Unless you really need a touch screen, Id advise sticking with them.

[BobSutan]

They're not legally available as eBooks.

Yes and no. Many books were available on WoTC's website as pdf's up until 4E's release, but not everything got a PDF released. For those you'd have to either scan the book in yourself, or break the law (assuming the country you live in has copyright laws similar to the US).

Getting back to the tablet issue, if you guys can wait 6 or 7 months ASUS has some awesome products coming out. Bigger screens than the iPad, equivalent battery life, and should be $100 cheaper. They weree planning to use Windows 7, but there's talk of them scrapping it for some flavor of Android or ChromeOS.


EDIT
It's official, they dropped Windows 7 in favor of Android. Sorta. It looks like the "low end" version will come with Android and a more expensive version with some sort of docking station will have Windows 7 and can double as a PC desktop.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/197719/asus_releases_the_eee_pad_121_tablet_pc.html

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20013613-260.html

http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/08/13/asus.eee.pad.with.android.due.in.march/

What sucks was in June they were saying the 12" Windows 7 version would sell for $499, and now it's up to $1000. Looks like I'm getting the Android version which will sell between $399-499.

[Flickerdart]

Damn it! Well back to hoping for a Windows pad that can run the CB.
You could dredge eBay for one of the old TC1100 hybrid tablets. They're a much better form factor than anything made since and easily more powerful than the iPad. Cheaper, too - the device is something like a decade old.