Traveling with Ipad- Bad idea?

No real difference to any other valuable- people have been traveling with expensive cameras etc since the year dot. You just have to take good care of it and yes that can be a headache. Due to connected gadgets there are now less internet cafes around than there used to be but they exist. The less "stuff" generally that you take the more relaxed you should be. Personally I like to take a vacation from all technology....

Loads of people travelling around with i-pads these days.

As above...there are fewer Internet cafes than there used to be,but you can still find them.

I prefer to travel with an old,small netbook (I won't be too worried if it breaks or is stolen,and no-one is likely to want to steal it anyway ;-)

This thread reminds me of the Expert Vagabond that has posted on this branch. Interesting story about retrieving his stolen laptop in Panama by installing a tracking program called Prey Project.
http://expertvagabond.com/tracking-stolen-laptop/
I would bring along the IPad but be very careful with it.

Epic story #3. I enjoyed that.

Funny, how people cannot live without this stuff. I guess I have been out of the country too long.

Thanks for sharing that ridiculous story. I guess the moral is to download tracking software, so if your computer/ipad is stolen at least you'll get a good story out of it.

And yes, we are pretty dependent on our technology. I go back and forth because having instant access to internet really does take the stress out of booking last minute lodging, finding cool things to do in the area, etc. But at the same time, we miss out on connections and conversations when we don't ask strangers for directions and recommendations.

Besides the internet, the iPad is pretty nice for reading, writing, storing photos and I have a handy Spanish/English dictionary.

Funny, how people cannot live without this stuff.

Eh, but you can take it beyond that... some folks might look at us here posting on this fancy electronic contraption and wonder why we don't just leave it behind and enjoy what little time with nature we have left. Others see no real need for clothes. It's relative.

A properly used iPad can be a great trip enhancer, as long as it's not being used as an excuse for immersion in a trip. Yes, you could be missing out on certain connections unless you swear off maps, but you can also use it to make different ones that you wouldn't have been able to otherwise.

We usually travel with a laptop and ipad (we work whilst we travel) and so far we have never had anything stolen. Like you we stay in private doubles rather than shared dorms which should help but there are no guarantees obviously. To mitigate against the risk of something being stolen I would suggest you pick your accommodation carefully based on previous reviews rather than rock up somewhere but thats just my personal preference.

I bring my 7 inch tablet. I am glad that I do because as said above, many hotels and restaurants have wifi now and it saves you a trip to the internet cafes. You can download your photos, movies and bring tons of music with you. I don't find that it interferes with my nature studies. I always allocate an hour or two for emails and other stuff. I was initially worried about theft but it is pretty small and hell you have other things that are equally as important like your passport, cash and credit card. I would say bring it.