All iPads: Just got my iPad 4!

[businezguy]

I have never owned an iPad before, and I made the leap today! These forums were a big determining factor in my decision. I have a large dell laptop which is great for gaming, but it's huge and has lost a couple of the keyboard keys (due to my adorable 4 year old boy). I was seriously considering a MacBook Pro, but I couldn't justify the cost since my Dell laptop is still an awesome gaming machine when I use an external keyboard/mouse/monitor.

So basically it was just a matter of whether the iPad could meet my everyday needs. When I went into the store today to consider the iPad, I was trying to figure out, once and for all, if it was right for me. Looking at the accessories, I saw they had this logitech keyboard which, when fully charged, lasts up to 6 months. Needless to say, I'm successfully typing on it right now. It basically makes my iPad into a MacBook Air for all purposes!

So here I am, sitting in Starbucks, typing to you good folks on my new iPad 4. I couldn't be happier with it. I can't believe I waited this long!

[PhiladelphiaX]

I'm in the same predicament as you are. Previously, I had two options of what I was going to do:

Scenario 1 - get an iPhone 4S (16GB) under contract with Verizon, sell my 17 inch Gateway laptop and use that money to buy a *used* 15 inch Macbook Pro (non-retina)


Scenario 2 - get an iPhone 4S (16GB) under contract with Verizon, keep my 17 inch Gateway laptop and buy the new iPad with retina display.





Now, I've decided to follow through with scenario 2, but I'm stuck on what capacity I should get. Should I get a 16GB for 500 bucks or kick it up to 32GB for 600 bucks?



What capacity did you get, OP?

[atthecross]

congrats to you on the new toy

[jbachandouris]

I have owned 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions and unless you're streaming video rather than saving it to the iPad, 16GB is way too small. 32GB is the minimum I would consider.

With my 16GB, I have little music, limited apps (had to delete a few large games), and 2 movies. It's not full, but its close. Need to exchange for a 32GB soon.

[businezguy]

Originally Posted by PhiladelphiaX

I'm in the same predicament as you are. Previously, I had two options of what I was going to do:

Scenario 1 - get an iPhone 4S (16GB) under contract with Verizon, sell my 17 inch Gateway laptop and use that money to buy a *used* 15 inch Macbook Pro (non-retina)


Scenario 2 - get an iPhone 4S (16GB) under contract with Verizon, keep my 17 inch Gateway laptop and buy the new iPad with retina display.





Now, I've decided to follow through with scenario 2, but I'm stuck on what capacity I should get. Should I get a 16GB for 500 bucks or kick it up to 32GB for 600 bucks?



What capacity did you get, OP?

I went with a 16 gig model. I don't have an interest in games (even though I've read the iPad 4 is pretty good for it), and it's not like I really care if I have my music library on it (that's what my iPhone is for). Ironically I wish I had more storage on my iPhone as I use it for music and audio books and easily fill to capacity.

For my iPad, I'm going to use it for a small number of apps that I'll use, and mainly to store text such as documents, books, etc. Go for a higher capacity if you plan on storing videos, music, etc. on your iPad.

[businezguy]

Originally Posted by jbachandouris

I have owned 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions and unless you're streaming video rather than saving it to the iPad, 16GB is way too small. 32GB is the minimum I would consider.

With my 16GB, I have little music, limited apps (had to delete a few large games), and 2 movies. It's not full, but its close. Need to exchange for a 32GB soon.

I completely agree with what he's saying. If I wanted to do media on my iPad, I'd have gone for the 64 gig version and knowing me easily filled that. When I get a new iPhone, I'll be getting a 64 gig version. However, if you don't plan on storing media on your iPad, 16 gigs is more then enough.

[PhiladelphiaX]

Originally Posted by businezguy

I went with a 16 gig model. I don't have an interest in games (even though I've read the iPad 4 is pretty good for it), and it's not like I really care if I have my music library on it (that's what my iPhone is for). Ironically I wish I had more storage on my iPhone as I use it for music and audio books and easily fill to capacity.

For my iPad, I'm going to use it for a small number of apps that I'll use, and mainly to store text such as documents, books, etc. Go for a higher capacity if you plan on storing videos, music, etc. on your iPad.

Yeah, that makes sense. I think that I may actually go with a retina display new iPad 16GB mainly because when I get my iPhone, I'll most likely get an unlimited data plan - but with that plan, I can tether my iPad to it and use that for on-the-go internet access (I'd rather stream movies, read news/books, and browse the web on my iPad). My iPhone would most likely be restricted to nifty applications, text, and call. Music storage, games, and pictures are all things that I'd use my iPod (80GB), laptop, and laptop for, respectively - not necessarily my iPad.

So at the moment, I'm leaning towards 16 GB, although we'll see... it's only a 100 dollar difference for twice as much space... and I still do have a 50 dollar check from my birthday that's been sitting around... We'll see.


Again, congratulations on your purchase

[nStyle]

I just don't understand anything over 16GB. First, the price is arbitrarily inflated. $100 more for 32GB. I'll pass. Realistically it only costs Apple maybe $10 more to throw in twice the space.

Plus, who stores an unnecessarily huge load of content in their devices these days? Spotify for music, photos are cloud based now, and 16 gigs is enough to store 2-3 1080P movies. What is the purpose of any more than 2-3 at a time? And let's don't forget that 1080p isn't necessary on a device this small, even with retina. One could also argue apps... But is more than 20-30 quality apps really necessary either?

[businezguy]

Originally Posted by nStyle

I just don't understand anything over 16GB. First, the price is arbitrarily inflated. $100 more for 32GB. I'll pass. Realistically it only costs Apple maybe $10 more to throw in twice the space.

Plus, who stores an unnecessarily huge load of content in their devices these days? Spotify for music, photos are cloud based now, and 16 gigs is enough to store 2-3 1080P movies. What is the purpose of any more than 2-3 at a time? And let's don't forget that 1080p isn't necessary on a device this small, even with retina. One could also argue apps... But is more than 20-30 quality apps really necessary either?

If I cared about using media on my iPad, I wouldn't want to depend on streaming over the internet to access my audio books and music. I would HAVE to depend on streaming for a decent sized video library because even the 64 gig iPad couldn't hold a lot of HD videos. Still, I would want to have a few movies physically on my iPad for me to access. I think that would be the rationale behind it.

A lot of folks are depending on a hotspot plan from a cell phone provider, or use satellite internet and have a capped limit. For them they have to depend on the capacity of their device. They may not own a computer where they could offload a lot of the capacity.

These would be reasons I could think of for needing more capacity. Still, I mainly agree with you. I can't see the point in needing more capacity. If you don't plan on using your iPad to store media, what exactly would you use the extra capacity for anyway?

[Sowelu]

If 16GB is just right for you, that's great, but not everyone uses and consumes content the same way (and I am not sure why that annoys those that don't want or need a lot of storage). If Apple would have offered a 128GB option for the iPad, I would have went with it. If money is an issue, then yes, Apple does rape you on storage, but for me it's worth it.

I prefer to enjoy my massive music collection that I have organized in iTunes over online music services. Each playlist is painstakingly sequenced to my liking, the artwork is applied or revamped, and rare mixes and versions are weaved throughout (90% of my music was purchased through iTunes since the store opened). I don't have ALL my music on my iPad, but I do sync the latest playlists (music that defines short eras and periods of time) and a few favorite playlists from 'this time last year'. Just a few playlists in total, but each range between 5-8 hours long so we are talking about 15GB of music alone.

I do enjoy Netflix, but I also subscribe to a few TV shows via iTunes and the latest episodes are synced to my iPad. When I watch them, they are removed. As for movies, when I am not watching Netflix or a DVD, I am watching a documentary that I downloaded via iTunes on my iPad. So, video content takes up about 10-12 more gigs.

While 15-20 apps are 'enough' for most people, I would guess that I average about 4x that amount at any given time. I have 6 main app groups that sit on the dock filled with apps that I use the most. The rest are quality paid games that take up 4 swipable hidden pages (to make for a cleaner home page). I am not a huge gamer, but the iPad is the device I use to play the ones I do like when I want to kill time or unwind. So, apps would account for another 10-12 gigs.

The rest would be miscellaneous items, iBooks, a few PodCasts, some high quality wallpapers, etc. I usually have about 5-10GB free.

[The Game 161]

Originally Posted by nStyle

I just don't understand anything over 16GB. First, the price is arbitrarily inflated. $100 more for 32GB. I'll pass. Realistically it only costs Apple maybe $10 more to throw in twice the space.

Plus, who stores an unnecessarily huge load of content in their devices these days? Spotify for music, photos are cloud based now, and 16 gigs is enough to store 2-3 1080P movies. What is the purpose of any more than 2-3 at a time? And let's don't forget that 1080p isn't necessary on a device this small, even with retina. One could also argue apps... But is more than 20-30 quality apps really necessary either?

games is why

infinity blade 2 for example I havn't been able to do the update on my 16GB ipad 2 because it needs more storage. games like that and real racing are over 1GB EACH...thats why i have to delete apps to do the update for infinity blade 2 which i don't really want to do...and when you get the ipad 4 which is updated to make gaming even better going for the 32GB is something that would be needed if you are using all the main tools.

[hobsgrg]

Originally Posted by The Game 161

games is why

infinity blade 2 for example I havn't been able to do the update on my 16GB ipad 2 because it needs more storage. games like that and real racing are over 1GB EACH...thats why i have to delete apps to do the update for infinity blade 2 which i don't really want to do...and when you get the ipad 4 which is updated to make gaming even better going for the 32GB is something that would be needed if you are using all the main tools.

Yes there are a lot of games that are close to or over 1Gb nowadays, especially after being updated for retina. If you want more than a few games on it then 32Gb is a must. Juggling games isn't really a possibility because if you delete the game it deletes your save game apart from the few that use iCloud to save your progress. If you are using iPad while travelling which is what it's ideal for then you can't rely on streaming even if you have cellular model as you don't always have signal.

[The Game 161]

Originally Posted by hobsgrg

Yes there are a lot of games that are close to or over 1Gb nowadays, especially after being updated for retina. If you want more than a few games on it then 32Gb is a must. Juggling games isn't really a possibility because if you delete the game it deletes your save game apart from the few that use iCloud to save your progress. If you are using iPad while travelling which is what it's ideal for then you can't rely on streaming even if you have cellular model as you don't always have signal.

games and video/movies/tv series is why I think when I buy the ipad 4 i will get the 32GB..yeah it is more money but if i want to store a good amount of TV series and movies it is needed..will be useful if i go away on hoilday or go somewhere as with wifi only you are limited to use the internet but can still use the great new display for games and TV shows e.t.c

32GB is the way to go over 16GB for me i feel...alot of money for me to pay though but still hey it's christmas

[businezguy]

Originally Posted by The Game 161

games is why

infinity blade 2 for example I havn't been able to do the update on my 16GB ipad 2 because it needs more storage. games like that and real racing are over 1GB EACH...thats why i have to delete apps to do the update for infinity blade 2 which i don't really want to do...and when you get the ipad 4 which is updated to make gaming even better going for the 32GB is something that would be needed if you are using all the main tools.

The price was definitely a factor in my decision to get the 16 gig model, as well as a lack of practical needs for more storage. If I was using my iPad in the same manner as you are, I'd likely be complaining that Apple only offers 64 gigs of storage.

I do plan on building up a music collection in the long run, but I'll be using that collection mainly on my iPhone.

I'm not sure people are "annoyed" that Apple offers more storage as much as the fact they charge $200 to increase your memory by 112 gigs. That's pretty rough. On the other hand, they get the money from many people so I can't blame them for asking that much.

[Dlanod]

Originally Posted by nStyle

I just don't understand anything over 16GB. First, the price is arbitrarily inflated. $100 more for 32GB. I'll pass. Realistically it only costs Apple maybe $10 more to throw in twice the space.

Plus, who stores an unnecessarily huge load of content in their devices these days? Spotify for music, photos are cloud based now, and 16 gigs is enough to store 2-3 1080P movies. What is the purpose of any more than 2-3 at a time? And let's don't forget that 1080p isn't necessary on a device this small, even with retina. One could also argue apps... But is more than 20-30 quality apps really necessary either?

Totally agree. I stream all my content from Spotify and Netflix. And I use Dropbox etc. for file storage. So I don't pay for on board storage any more.

[ash211]

I'm in the same boat and trying to decide between a 32gb ipad 4 or a 16gb with LTE. I'm on the road a lot for work and don't always have a wifi connection. I have a couple of wifi hard drives to stream content if I need to and I don't buy a lot of games or apps for my ipad's (my 16 gb iPad 2 has 10gb free right now). I'm leaning toward the 16gb LTE but then again I have a Verizon family share plan so I can hook my ipad up to my iphone whenever I want, of course doing this drains the battery on both devices. Then again they will charge me $10 a month if I connect an LTE ipad up to my Verizon account so that is $130 for the wifi and $120 a month for the service with no extra data so as you can see I'm still undecided. Damn!!!