Product Review: Apple Watch Series 4

 

I bought mine refurbished from Amazon. Despite being refurbished it looks brand new and may have well have been factory-sealed. If you have an iPhone, it is extremely easy to set up. You just pair it with your phone and it connects to your account and basically sets everything up automatically. You have the option of having it download a bunch of apps at one time, or you can pick and choose apps to download after the watch is set up. I have used it mostly for workout and sleep tracking, but there are a lot of other apps specifically for the watch available. I have not come across any issues with it having been refurbished, and getting it that way is much more cost-efficient than getting it brand new. 

After a couple of years, the face plate popped off. It actually still worked, and I could use a rubber band to keep the plate in place, but I did not want to do that long-term, and I was leery of using superglue on it.  Because it was out of warranty, Apple wanted $600 for the honor of sending it in to get fixed. So, needless to say, it was a lot more cost-effective to purchase a new one. I do not think the face plate popped off because it was refurbished. I just think that is a thing that happened with the older model. So far, I have had no issues with my new watch.

Product Review: Apple Pencil (1st Generation)

 

I have this along with an iPad Pro. Aside from the fact that you have to charge it, unlike passive styluses, it is perfect. Even so, the charging is quick and can be done by plugging it into the lightning port on the iPad itself, or you can connect it to a charger through an adapter that comes with the pencil. It also comes with an extra tip. It is fairly easy to set up, although the instructions are printed in tiny print that is hard to read. Basically, you just make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your iPad, plug the pencil into the lightning port, and tell it to pair when the dialog box pops up.

If you are a student taking notes for class on an iPad or iPad Pro, it is indispensable. There is little to no lag/latency (at least not that is noticeable like there was on the first generation pen tablets), it is easy to control, and if you get one of the screen protectors that mimic the feel of paper (I use the Sapper paper-like screen protector) you can barely tell any difference from writing on paper. It does take a little getting used to because it does not feel exactly like a pen-and-paper writing experience, but once you get the feel of it, it is very close.

Product Review: Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (2017 Model)

 

I got this to basically use two apps, Notability and Dropbox. I recently finished an electrical engineering degree and have my class notes in a bunch of different notebooks and three-ring binders. I use Notability to transfer my paper notes to an electronic format and back them up to Dropbox. I also use Dropbox for work so I can access any work files on the iPad when I am on the bus going to and from work.

The setup is extremely easy, especially if you already have an iPhone. You can just connect to it via your phone and it will automatically connect to your Wi-Fi, have your Apple ID settings (you still have to enter your ID and password, but can skip most of the setup screens) entered, and know any other apps you have downloaded.

For what I use the iPad for 64 GB is plenty big, but obviously, the more expensive models can get you a lot more. I got the 12.9" model expressly for taking notes since you can mimic an 8.5 x 11" piece of paper. For anyone who is just going to use it for school or work, it is a perfect size. If you plan on using it as a more traditional tablet (surfing the internet, reading e-books, etc.) you may want to get one of the smaller models since this is larger and heavier and gets to be kind of a pain to hold and maneuver.