I still use one every morning on iOS 6. Can confirm, it's terrible and always has been (relative to other iPads) even on the best possible software version.
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Apple to Classify Third-Generation iPad as Obsolete Later This Month
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Hm, my iPhone 6 came with iOS 8. And I severely regret updating it. 9 made the keyboard lag, and I still don't know what 10 even changed other than breaking background YouTube playback and screwing up the Music app even more.
iPad 2 was the best ever made as was the iPhone 4s. All the good equipment is now vintage or obsolete.
The newest Mac I have is 21.5 iMac Late 2009 with a more than capable 3.33GHz Core 2 Duo maxed out with 16GB RAM and 2TB Seagate SSHD running through an 22" External LG IPS FullHD Display.
http://lowendmac.com/2009/imac-late-2009/
I remember when this thing was released. It was notorious for getting very hot while doing practically nothing. I can't believe I still see some people with these.
Only if you didn't upgrade to ios7. Once that happens, the thing turns into a figurative brick. I have one and using it is like having one of those nightmares where you are trying to run away from a threat but your legs just won't move. It's awful.
Hmmm, I've got an iPad 3 on iOS 9 (jailbroken), and an iPad Pro 10.5. While I agree the 3 is laggy compared to the 10.5, it's not as bad as everyone here is making it out to be, and I'm keeping it around to run old 32bit apps. Mine never overheated, but it did get warm, and so does every iPhone, iPad, and Mac laptop I've owned.
They also got rid of the perfectly fine and easy to use "Slide to unlock".
And yet, I've never had any real problems with it. Some apps may run a bit slower, but it's also got a Retina display, and I don't think cost anymore than the 2 did new. In general, it performs well. Only this year am I starting to feel it slow down as web pages add even more intensive graphics, and load it up with ads. Apps still run pretty well.
And yet, I took it into an Apple store last year and ran it against the Air when I was thinking about upgrading, and it held its own, and in some cases, it actually outperformed the Air in load time on web pages. And I'm using iOS 9.
I neve had that problem. To this day.
Of course! Scars from an Apple purchase. Those of us who bought the iPad 3 remember 6 months after when the iPad 4 came out.
That was the day when I “completely” converted to the reality about Apple’s sole focus on $ instead of product integrity.
Probably the day I stopped drinking the “coolAid”...and unplugged myself from the matrix..
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I did the same thing. Used it for just internet browsing and email with one game angry birds until the iPad 2017 came out and upgraded.
Actually like the iPad 3 screen still over the ipad 2017. The iPad 2017 bugs my eyes a little, so I had to deuce the white point in “accessories” by 79% and put an ultra violet reducing screen on it.
Should have just bit the bullet and bought an iPad Pro. Went out looking on last day for iPad Air 2, but was sold out everywhere.
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I will never forgive them for that. If they decided to give them half price...or something reasonable..sure.
Same with me. I haven't had the same enthusiasm towards apple since then.
Me too! But for me, I became unhinged (from Apple) the day Steve Jobs killed eWorld. I've been mad at Apple since then! GRRRRR.
I own and still use my iPad3. I would not call it the worst iPad ever, as some have said. But I will said it grew slower with each passing iOS update, and the highest iOS version it can run is iOS9. It's so slow under iOS9 that it is painful to use. It wasn't that way when I bought it. It doesn't matter to me if Apple intentionally slowed down my iPad with each iOS update. All I know is that iOS updates were necessary so I could continue using key apps, yet the iOS updates slowed down my iPad.
The new iPad Pros are expensive but seem much more usable. I bought an iPad Pro 9.7 for my daughter for school use a year ago and it is blazing fast. But it seems Apple is changing fro Touch ID to facial recognition. If that's the wave of the future, along with wireless charging, I guess I'll wait for those features to appear on the iPad before updating. And I will probably get the 12.9" because I like watching Netflix on tablets, and the big screen will be nice.
The only other gripe I have about the iPad, and is why the iPad will not be a notebook replacement for me, is that iOS apps stink when it comes to features. As such, I go to my iOS devices to consume content and go to my Macs to create it. iOS11 helps, but it's still a far cry from the power of the Mac.
The new iPad Pros are expensive but seem much more usable. I bought an iPad Pro 9.7 for my daughter for school use a year ago and it is blazing fast. But it seems Apple is changing fro Touch ID to facial recognition. If that's the wave of the future, along with wireless charging, I guess I'll wait for those features to appear on the iPad before updating. And I will probably get the 12.9" because I like watching Netflix on tablets, and the big screen will be nice.
The only other gripe I have about the iPad, and is why the iPad will not be a notebook replacement for me, is that iOS apps stink when it comes to features. As such, I go to my iOS devices to consume content and go to my Macs to create it. iOS11 helps, but it's still a far cry from the power of the Mac.
How can you tell?
My employer bought everyone on my team an iPad 3 with 16GB. What a brutal combination! I think I'm the only one that still uses it. I have often read, including on this thread, that it's fine for "light browsing" among other things. I have never found this to be true: mine is incapable of holding even a single tab in memory without requiring a refresh. That can get frustrating! That said, it works for streaming ESPN and NBC; Netflix seems to be smooth too. That seems counterintuitive to me; I'd have thought those would be more challenging than a page of text and static images.
I've dropped it multiple times. The corners are shattered and there is a hairline crack all the way across the screen. But I am holding on to the bitter end! Which I define as "the release of a new iPad Mini".
I am not optimistic.
My little daughter uses one for years now - every day. She dropped it, painted on it, had spaghetti sauce on it - and it still works without any problems. So - no, it was a good device. Would buy another one if I get it for a good price (used). It all depends on your needs, but this one has proven to be at least stable and durable.
Jesus...... you get the point. The Mac is a much more mature product than a 10 year old iPhone or 7 year old iPad.
It wasn't that way when I bought it. I find the refresh problem is due to the ads and increasing sophistication of even basic websites. There's a forum I frequent that refreshes if I even switch to look at another tab or leave safari for any reason, and that just shouldn't happen.
I have 6 tabs open at the moment under iOS 9 (which I found to be an improvement over iOS 8). I can switch through 5 of them without refreshing, the only one I can't is that one damn forum.
Then again, I run a lean iPad, lots of free storage, and maybe once a year I clear off unused items and do a factory restore. Corners are dented but no glass breaks or scratches fortunately.
That's cool, I guess. I'm still convinced that a lot of the newer hardware is handicapped by iOS (which AFAIC tanked after 6). I've watched multiple friends with 4th gen. iPads go from flawless on iOS 6 to (comparatively) rather poor performance under iOS 8/9/10. Same with iPad 2 and 3rd gen. on 8/9. The 3rd gen. in particular has always struggled with speed and memory management under any version compared against the 2 and 4 in my experiences, however.
That was my first iPad. I agree, Apple screwed people over with this. All the people here who are so cavalier about calling it “a piece of crap” are basically saying that it’s ok that Apple put out a product, tout its’ specs, then effectively pretend they never sold it 7 months later. They should have offered a huge discount on the next model to anyone they suckered into buying it. I love Apple products, but this was a slap in the face to their loyal customers.
I think the 5th gen will hang around for some time too now.
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Yeah they totally should have predicted the future!