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Do I (personally) need the third generation versus the iPad 2?

D

DrJames

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 5, 2012
44
1
Alright, I'm in the market to buy an iPad.

This is what I'd use it for:

1) Netflix / Hulu
2) Web Browsing
3) Email
4) Light Picture Taking / Editing
5) One or Two Movies

I have an iPod Touch so I wouldn't put any (maybe just a few) songs on the iPad. Just apps, and browsing and viewing movies.

Would I really need the third generation versus the second?

What are your opinions about the second versus the third?
 
DrJames said:
Alright, I'm in the market to buy an iPad.

This is what I'd use it for:

1) Netflix / Hulu
2) Web Browsing
3) Email
4) Light Picture Taking / Editing
5) One or Two Movies

I have an iPod Touch so I wouldn't put any (maybe just a few) songs on the iPad. Just apps, and browsing and viewing movies.

Would I really need the third generation versus the second?

What are your opinions about the second versus the third?
Click to expand...

Yes, and given the small price difference it is worth it for the 3rd Gen. The camera is much, much better and the Retina screen makes up for all your entertainment purposes.
 
Nobody needs one. If you want one, and can afford it, why not get the new one? If price is a concern, get the iPad 2.
 
What I can say is that I, personally, would NOT have upgraded from the 2 to the 3 if I wasn't doing a heavy amount of reading on it. The 2 was just fine for all the other stuff I did.
 
I actually think the 3 is more of a luxury upgrade than the iPad 2 was, which had noticeable speed increases in a lot of stuff and was significantly thinner/lighter plus the base ability to use it for videochat.

3 is all in the screen, which is a great screen and enjoyable to use but not particularly needed for anything.. just nice.

1 --> 3 is a recommendation to upgrade for almost anyone imo.
2 --> 3 I would say test out the screen in a store demo. Blown away/love it? Upgrade. Not really? Pass.
 
Yes, you need the iPad 3. The retina display changes everything. Purchase one then if you don't think that it's worth it return it to apple for a full refund.
 
DrJames said:
5) One or Two Movies
Click to expand...

Just one or two? You should probably just borrow an iPad instead :p

My general recommendation would be yes. If you look at the iPad screen at all, you'll want to upgrade. It's not like a spec bump where only hardcore users will notice a difference. The screen is the big update here which affects every user.

I would lean toward #2 since you're in the market for an iPad.
 
If you don't want to end up with the iPad 3, you best not even go to the store and look at it. You'll never look at your iPad 2 the same.
 
bwrairen said:
If you don't want to end up with the iPad 3, you best not even go to the store and look at it. You'll never look at your iPad 2 the same.
Click to expand...

Everybody I've shown the 2 and 3 to in a side by side has chosen the 2. Why? Because the screen is freaking yellow on the 3. If your 3 is a yellow tint it will look inferior for everyday use.
 
smoking monkey said:
Everybody I've shown the 2 and 3 to in a side by side has chosen the 2. Why? Because the screen is freaking yellow on the 3. If your 3 is a yellow tint it will look inferior for everyday use.
Click to expand...

Absolute non sense! I have yet to compare my new iPad to an iPad 2 where the person was not shocked at how much better the new one is. If your is yellow bring the damn thing back.
 
bwrairen said:
If you don't want to end up with the iPad 3, you best not even go to the store and look at it. You'll never look at your iPad 2 the same.
Click to expand...

People who see my new iPad screen go gaga over it.

If you're going to be doing anything photography related whether it be taking pictures with the iPad, editing pictures, or using it to look/show pictures then the new one is the way to go.
 
The screen on my 3 is slightly yellow, but that's only noticeable with my 2 next to it. If you were bothered by the screen on your 2, then I would get the 3. (I was, and did). Side by side my housemates were hard pressed to see any difference between the 2 and the 3. I only have the wifi version, so no comments on LTE but if you need that feature the 3 is awesome. Besides that the 2 is a rock solid choice if you don't care about the screen. In hindsight, while the 3 screen is very nice, I'm not sure if I really needed to upgrade. I'll stick with it since I have it, but I'm looking forward to next year and a re-design.
 
If you can afford it, don't even hesitate. The screen on The new iPad alone makes it worth it!
 
To be honest I'm not that impressed with the new iPad. The new screen is nice but the weight gain sucks and the thing gets really warm. For me the new screen doesn't offset the weight and temp. I would suggest going to the apple store and playing with the new one and the 2 and then decide. See if the resolution on the 2 bothers you.
 
For $100 I definitely would. If/when you come to sell it to or upgrade you'll recoup at least 50% of that (probably more) in the extra resale value of the 3 compared to the 2
 
I've been using an ipad1 and 3 side by side and once you've seen the screen on the ipad3 there is no way youd buy an ipad2.... the clarity and colour is significantly better. The colours are super vibrant ..... it's easy to dismiss this ... in day to day use it's so good to look at the screen compared to previous models. Everything has colour.. the red is more red, the orange is .. etcetc

I sold my ipad1 6 months ago to finance by mbair purchase and knowing id buy the ipad3 if it was retina. And I was thinking of buying my brothers ipad1 (on the cheap!) as hes just brought the new ipad but i quickly let go of this idea after alittle play with the 3. Now it's just a matter of deciding which size & finding the money!! :p

I think youd really be missing out buying an ipad2. It's not a question of need.

The correct question would be :
What kind of experience do you want? Average or WOW?

And if you are using it for photos then there is absolutely no question - iPad 3 is a must. If you can go visit a store and view side by side i would. If you did its highly unlikely youd buy a 2.

iPad 3 / the NEW iPad / the iPad 2012 everytime.
 
Last edited:
Here's my opinion for what it's worth.

if you are taking pics, go with the newer/better camera. There is a marked difference between the two generations.

Secondly, all of the damn apps are going to be optimized for the iPad 3rd gen, so you are going to get hit with bigger files regardless of which iPad you buy, might as well buy the iPad they are being optimized for. If you are gonna lose space, make it worth it by utilizing the new screen.

Cheers!

Also, there is simply more longevity now if you buy the newest, it will be supported longer.
 
DrJames said:
Alright, I'm in the market to buy an iPad.

This is what I'd use it for:

1) Netflix / Hulu
2) Web Browsing
3) Email
4) Light Picture Taking / Editing
5) One or Two Movies

I have an iPod Touch so I wouldn't put any (maybe just a few) songs on the iPad. Just apps, and browsing and viewing movies.

Would I really need the third generation versus the second?

What are your opinions about the second versus the third?
Click to expand...

If that's what you truly use it for, I would say no for sure. As for #4 it must be real light picture taking, no. I've found it kinda weird holding up my big iPad to take a picture (but I do have an iPhone to take pics so I guess thats why). My wife has a 2. I had the original and just upgraded. I feel it was well worth the upgrade from the original.

IMO I feel as we move forward it's more about the software and processing speed. You've got iOS 5.0.1 so it's just as good. Don't see a difference in speed of iPad 2 compared to new iPad.
 
How important is a 100 dollars to you?

That is really the only worthwhile consideration. The new iPad is easily the better choice, especially for everything you've listed.
 
Seems like OP doesn't own an iPad.

So the question is what's $100 worth to them?

It's a no brainer if $100 isn't a huge issue. Get the new iPad.

If op had owned an iPad 2 than I would tell the to save their money.
 
My ipad 3 goes back this afternoon.

I don't see where the awesome screen comes from. It looks a little better than my ipad 2 but nothing to shout about. Text is better if you read a lot. Photos look marginally better and the camera is much better. But I take photos with my 4s and not the ipad. I also get crashes on the new one which I never get on the 2.

The 2 is sleek and the 3 just feels chunky to me. Others on here don't notice the extra bulk but it bothers me.
 
richardmu said:
My ipad 3 goes back this afternoon.

I don't see where the awesome screen comes from. It looks a little better than my ipad 2 but nothing to shout about. Text is better if you read a lot. Photos look marginally better and the camera is much better. But I take photos with my 4s and not the ipad. I also get crashes on the new one which I never get on the 2.

The 2 is sleek and the 3 just feels chunky to me. Others on here don't notice the extra bulk but it bothers me.
Click to expand...

That is the exact opposite of my reaction. Sometimes I will just sit and stare at my homescreen wallpaper. I have never seen any display that looked as spectacular as the new iPad. (I downloaded some 2048x2048 backgrounds from intefacelift). I set my iPad down and I swear it looked like an 8x10 glossy photograph.

If you're getting crashes, then something is wrong. Restore or return.
 
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