3G ipad=Fail?

[aristobrat]

1. 130 dollars is just too much.
2. AT&T network only
3. Data has been capped. Thanks
4. Verizon Ipad will be released. I think Verizon ipad will happen before Verizon iphone.
5. 4G network is around the corner. No reason to spend on 3G networks.

1. Depends. If you're just looking to get 3G mobile data for your iPad, paying the $129 extra for the 3G iPad is far less costly than buying a WiFi 3G and paying monthly for a MiFi tethering device.

2. It's not AT&T only. I'm working in Hong Kong for two weeks. My AT&T SIM is taped in the back of my passport, and my iPad 3G has a '3' network SIM in it. $20 for 5 days of unlimited 3G data.

3. Yes, and that's an issue for the 2% of AT&Ts customers that use more than 2GB a month. With the overage rates that AT&T charge, if a person uses 5GB of data on their iPad 3G, they'll end up paying $5/month less than what other carriers sell their 5GB data plans for. And for months they don't use 5G, they'll pay less. Other carriers won't let you pay less for months you use less data.

4. 3G iPad is fail because there's a chance it will be released on another US carrier?

5. I don't want a first generation LTE device. Chipset makers make optimization in subsequent generations based on the things they learned from prior generations.

 

[koruki]

5 Reasons not to get 3G ipad

1. 130 dollars is just too much.

What do you all think?

Reason 2-5 are all based centre around Reason 1 pretty much. So if $130 isnt an issue then no worries there. I'd personally drop the internal storage if I wanted to save a few bucks.

 

[thelookingglass]

I think it all depends on your usage pattern, but part of me also sees this as a great marketing scheme that Apple/AT&T thought up to milk an extra revenue stream out of its customers. I don't use the 3G network enough to justify paying a monthly fee for the iPad in addition to the iPhone. If I want to get on the internet through my wi-fi iPad in a place with no wi-fi, I just fire up MyWi on my iPhone and take advantage of the 3G connection that way. No extra monthly fee and the 16GB wi-fi iPad works fine.

Is it more convenient to have 3G directly on my iPad? Yes. But, not an extra $30/month convenient considering I can just tether to my jailbroken iPhone.

 

[Alvi]

5 Reasons not to get 3G ipad

1. 130 dollars is just too much.
2. AT&T network only
3. Data has been capped. Thanks
4. Verizon Ipad will be released. I think Verizon ipad will happen before Verizon iphone.
5. 4G network is around the corner. No reason to spend on 3G networks.

What do you all think?

First of all, you get GPS too, that means better experience with GeoLocation Apps and possibility to use it as a great Navigation Device, Second, It's Unlocked, you can move it to other networks, the rest of your points are not really important

 

[cakbar]

OMG. Like, based on your 5 points dude, 3G is so EPIC FAIL.

 

[poloponies]

Is it more convenient to have 3G directly on my iPad? Yes. But, not an extra $30/month convenient considering I can just tether to my jailbroken iPhone.

You are completely ignoring the versatility of this option for travelers. To be able to pick up a microSIM locally and get Internet access has a LOT of value - if you travel. It's a very valuable feature for buyers outside the US (52% of Apple's revenue stream), especially in Europe where travel across borders is common.

 

[pugnut]

5 Reasons not to get 3G ipad

1. 130 dollars is just too much.
2. AT&T network only
3. Data has been capped. Thanks
4. Verizon Ipad will be released. I think Verizon ipad will happen before Verizon iphone.
5. 4G network is around the corner. No reason to spend on 3G networks.

What do you all think?

Clearly you have the pulse of the consumer, Apple only sold 3.27 million iPads todate. With expected annuallaize sales of about 18 million into 2011. Verizon just capped Data as well, the same exact plans as AT&T.

The 3g model has exceeded original expectations and will outsell the wi-fi only. In my opinion you=fail

 

[peapody]

First of all, you get GPS too, that means better experience with GeoLocation Apps and possibility to use it as a great Navigation Device, Second, It's Unlocked, you can move it to other networks, the rest of your points are not really important

I don't understand why everyone is so excited about GPS. I wouldn't use it everyday (I work for a living)...so it's really not that important to warrant purchasing a 3g iPad, when everywhere you go wifi is being offered free now.

 

[JonMPLS]

To me 3G is a nice backup. At some hotels you still need to pay for connectivity, which for me means paying for my work PC only. I might downgrade my program, however. With all the Wifi around, my 3G usage is running about 250 MB a month.

 

[poloponies]

I don't understand why everyone is so excited about GPS. I wouldn't use it everyday (I work for a living)...so it's really not that important to warrant purchasing a 3g iPad, when everywhere you go wifi is being offered free now.

GPS is valuable because there are lots of applications that are GPS-enabled and more coming out all the time. Limiting yourself to no 3G and no GPS limits your options. There's certainly a market for WiFi only and I can see people making that choice, but to suggest that a 3G/GPS model doesn't have added value is shortsighted.

I also work for a living, but I happen to travel frequently (business and pleasure) and enjoy my leisure time (which is why most of us work, I would guess).

 

[Factor1]

I don't understand why everyone is so excited about GPS. I wouldn't use it everyday (I work for a living)...so it's really not that important to warrant purchasing a 3g iPad, when everywhere you go wifi is being offered free now.

Wow! I have free wifi in the passenger seat of my car? And on the train in the morning? In the plane before leaving the terminal? At every single restaurant in America?

Please send me the setup and/or codes that you are using to accompish this. Now I can sell my 3G and save $130! Thanks!

 

[poloponies]

Wow! I have free wifi in the passenger seat of my car? And on the train in the morning? In the plane before leaving the terminal? At every single restaurant in America?

Please send me the setup and/or codes that you are using to accompish this. Now I can sell my 3G and save $130! Thanks!

I commute by train daily with my 3G iPad and the WiFi screen pops up whenever I'm in range of a network. I can confirm that there's free wifi available as I'm passing someone's password-free home router for 3-5 seconds. Would make it tough to download an entire web page on wifi alone, though.

 

[peapody]

Wow! I have free wifi in the passenger seat of my car? And on the train in the morning? In the plane before leaving the terminal? At every single restaurant in America?

Please send me the setup and/or codes that you are using to accompish this. Now I can sell my 3G and save $130! Thanks!

You are a newb, so I am sure you do not know the secret.

Do you need wifi in the passenger seat of your car? How about talking to the person driving and having a conversation instead of wrapping yourself up in a toy? Do you need wifi on the train? How about using Pulse for blogs, and PDFs for books, ibooks, games etc. Do you need wifi in the plane before leaving the terminal? How about listening to the flight attendants and turning off all electronic devices? How about um...eating at a restaurant instead of surfing the web on your ipad?

What the heck is the world coming to? Do we need to be tethered to the internet wherever we go?


If it was sarcasm you were trying to convey, post fail.

GPS is valuable because there are lots of applications that are GPS-enabled and more coming out all the time. Limiting yourself to no 3G and no GPS limits your options. There's certainly a market for WiFi only and I can see people making that choice, but to suggest that a 3G/GPS model doesn't have added value is shortsighted.

I also work for a living, but I happen to travel frequently (business and pleasure) and enjoy my leisure time (which is why most of us work, I would guess).

Yes I agree it has value - that goes without saying.

However, whenever threads like this pop up - there is always "IT HAS GPS" as the top argument. It doesn't make sense to me as the end all and be all reason to get 3g..which is what people here are doing. Whenever I go somewhere I just use google maps before I leave. I am able to navigate wherever I need to go myself - you know - use my noggin. GPS of course has value and I can see it being of great use. But for the sole reason of paying however much a month for however much data? I am not sure abbout that.

 

[poloponies]

You are a newb, so I am sure you do not know the secret.

Do you need wifi in the passenger seat of your car? How about talking to the person driving and having a conversation instead of wrapping yourself up in a toy? Do you need wifi on the train? How about using Pulse for blogs, and PDFs for books, ibooks, games etc. Do you need wifi in the plane before leaving the terminal? How about listening to the flight attendants and turning off all electronic devices? How about um...eating at a restaurant instead of surfing the web on your ipad?

What the heck is the world coming to? Do we need to be tethered to the internet wherever we go?


If it was sarcasm you were trying to convey, post fail.

Let us know when you get off that high horse. People work, people need to get in touch with other people for whatever reason. People need access to information for whatever reason.

When I travel for work, it's often alone. As I'm sitting in the terminal (after yet another delay) it's useful to get emails out and to let my family know what's going on. My wife works and often can't be disturbed by phone calls. We loathe voice mails so it's useful to have email access. As for "eating in a restaurant" I often grab something at the airport - again while I'm waiting (travel used to be fun - hasn't been for years) so it's a nice distraction to surf and catch up on news, etc.

Your lifestyle is not the only lifestyle.

And since you ignored my explanation about GPS, it's GPS-enabled-apps that offer value in addition to the obvious value of knowing where I am in a strange city.

 

[Factor1]

You are a newb, so I am sure you do not know the secret.

Do you need wifi in the passenger seat of your car? How about talking to the person driving and having a conversation instead of wrapping yourself up in a toy? Do you need wifi on the train? How about using Pulse for blogs, and PDFs for books, ibooks, games etc. Do you need wifi in the plane before leaving the terminal? How about listening to the flight attendants and turning off all electronic devices? How about um...eating at a restaurant instead of surfing the web on your ipad?

What the heck is the world coming to? Do we need to be tethered to the internet wherever we go?


If it was sarcasm you were trying to convey, post fail.

1. need =/= want
2. Free wifi isn't everywhere
"Post-Fail-Police" Fail

 

[Consultant]

5 reasons this thread fails.

1. When you actually get a job, paying YOU $130 for a day of work is too much.
2. iPad is UNLOCKED = use on any GSM network. (Verizon devices are locked with no way to use on international standard GSM networks).
3. 98% of users use less than the data cap.
4. Maybe in 2110.
5. 4G? There are not only different technology that don't work with each other, it's only available in a few cities.

 

[peapody]

1. need =/= want
2. Free wifi isn't everywhere
"Post-Fail-Police" Fail

Hahah...sure.


Anyways when I said free wifi is everywhere, I was not literal. However,

Airports, libraries, coffee shops, some restaurants, basically places where you would use your ipad...free internet. Yep. Oh and some cities and doing free public wifi, i.e. San Francisco.

 

[poloponies]

Hahah...sure.


Anyways when I said free wifi is everywhere, I was not literal. However,

Airports, libraries, coffee shops, some restaurants, basically places where you would use your ipad...free internet. Yep. Oh and some cities and doing free public wifi, i.e. San Francisco.

Airports have free Internet? Outside of VIP lounges, that's news to me. None of the major airports I fly through give it away. They'll all sell it to you.

 

[surferchick2]

Hahah...sure.


Anyways when I said free wifi is everywhere, I was not literal. However,

Airports, libraries, coffee shops, some restaurants, basically places where you would use your ipad...free internet. Yep. Oh and some cities and doing free public wifi, i.e. San Francisco.

Actually, there are alot of airports that don't have free wifi...which consumes 50% of my life. I was a boingo subscriber (10.00/mo) for this reason. Other than specific chains, many hotels not near the airport don't offer free wifi (10.00-15.00/day)...not to mention my previous post listing many other areas. Wifi only may work for many, but just as many need 3G. It's about the individuals needs, obviously not all or nothing. I'm one of them....also I don't frequent San Francisco or long beach streets (or the few cities across the country that have public wifi that follow the sidewalks). Oh, and after being married 15 years, we can have a lively interesting car convo for maybe the first 30 minutes, but the next hour on the road the iPad shows itself. lol

 

[TheBritishBloke]

Airports have free Internet? Outside of VIP lounges, that's news to me. None of the major airports I fly through give it away. They'll all sell it to you.

In the UK, if you have home broadband with the biggest UK network provider (British Telecoms, BT). Then you get access to the 'BT FON' network, which lets you connect to 1000's of WiFi's free and legally, this includes other peoples WiFi from their home (it runs on a different channel). This includes WiFi's around the world.. Heck, I've used it in both Germany and Italy free of charge.

 

[surferchick2]

However, I'm in the US. I should have specified, and 95% of my travel isn't overseas. If I could get 24/7 free wifi heck, I wouldn't need 3G, but even 50/50 it's worth it for me.

 

[poloponies]

Oh, and after being married 15 years, we can have a lively interesting car convo for maybe the first 30 minutes, but the next hour on the road the iPad shows itself. lol

I've been married longer and my wife's family is a couple of hours away (each way, duh). We go a couple of times a month and she's usually on the phone for the entire ride. Nothing irritates me more than 1-2 hours of one side of a conversation. Since the iPad, she keeps the phone to a minimum (although on-the-road shopping has increased) and we actually have more to talk about.

 

[surferchick2]

I've been married longer and my wife's family is a couple of hours away (each way, duh). We go a couple of times a month and she's usually on the phone for the entire ride. Nothing irritates me more than 1-2 hours of one side of a conversation. Since the iPad, she keeps the phone to a minimum (although on-the-road shopping has increased) and we actually have more to talk about.

Actually, dh gets offended after a while if I'm on the phone in the car too. lol. The iPad gives us more to talk about, whether it's about the device or what we're looking up on the Internet. If it's a road trip, we can look up info along the way if we need to. It's great.

 

[Alvi]

I don't understand why everyone is so excited about GPS. I wouldn't use it everyday (I work for a living)...so it's really not that important to warrant purchasing a 3g iPad, when everywhere you go wifi is being offered free now.

As Navigation it might be too big, but Geo Location is cool, especially if you're not in the US and your Router is not Skyhooked, however i would totally go for storage instead of 3G, but you get the whole thing with GPS


@OP: Calling everything "Fail" is depressing

 

[Seamaster]

I'm on a 10GB for £15/month 3G plan. That's just fifty pence a day to be connected - just like they said in the Martini ads - any time, any place, anywhere.

Fifty pence. That's less than a dollar for US-types. I bet the 3G haters spend more than that on a cup of coffee every day.