Help me justify a 32GB iPad 2 vs. 16GB

[Invincibilizer]

Can we get past the "I don't need it so nobody does" responses? The most helpful responses relate to how the purchaser intends to use it. If he's going to be within 3G or WiFi range most of the time then it's obviously not going to matter as much as if he's traveling outside of Internet range. I've been on several trips with my iPad where I spent days away from Internet contact and even when I had it it was so expensive that streaming was not an option. So added storage was a boon.

Because the people that respond with that are most similar to the majority of the population. A fellow poster can agreed with his idea and know that 16GB is the right fit.

32GB is too much space and 64GB you are just throwing your money way.

Stick with 16GB

 

[Bob Maxey]

This recurring "go small (memory) and use iCloud" argument so often seems to ignore the toll to connect with that iCloud. Too often, iCloud is rolled out as "just $25/yr" when in fact, every single bit streamed from it is going to have a cost tied to it unless you limit your access to free wifi. If you do that, then you don't have ready access to stream whatever you need at any given time from the iCloud.

So unless a person doesn't care about AT&T & Verizon tolls, it's hard for me to understand the philosophy of little-to-no local storage and streaming everything from iCloud. I personally believe lots of local storage makes much more sense except for those that don't care about the data tollmaster's fees. For example, in this case, I certainly would not be pitting the OPs question against just $25/yr. Instead, I would- and did- encourage him to go 32GB since he's already so close to the 16GB on his current iDevice.

As some have posted, even iPod apps can be big. If an app is around a GB and the AT&T toll at $25 is capped at 2GB, downloading that app just 2 times in a month will burn up the entire $25 allowance. One movie download can be 2GB too. Etc. I can't see how the general answer to all such stuff can be "just get iCloud" or "just stream everything from iCloud" when you have the likes of AT&T or Verizon charging heavy tolls for the flows between users and this cloud.

The Cloud is marketing speak for something that has been with us for ages. Just a new word for old tech. I lived in 'the cloud' while building Palm Pilots, Modems, NIC Cards, MP3 Players, and so forth. Our group used the 3Com Intranet site to collaborate and edit each other's documents.

The cloud is nothing new; the entire net has been in the cloud since the beginning.

What happens when everything you have is in the cloud and you can't get to the cloud? Perhaps you have no net access, the servers are down, or something goes wrong with your iPad and you cannot connect? Lots to be said for local storage.

I can store everything I need on a single SD card. Not much need for that when you consider my current project is editing and updating a thirty five page plain text Word document.

Besides, I cannot always use the cloud due to NDAs and other agreements. The cloud is nice and convenient but when you depend on your work files to eat, it is a real problem when you can't get to them.

 

[weretaco]

They were out of 16GB wifi and my wife said yes....


Too be honest though, having gone on a few trips with just an ipad2 as my entertainment/reading/etc device having the extra space really helped out. Being able to have a bunch of music and video for the travel time and being able to backup my photos (in raw) from my slr each day was a great option.

 

[palpatine]

The Cloud is marketing speak for something that has been with us for ages. Just a new word for old tech. I lived in 'the cloud' while building Palm Pilots, Modems, NIC Cards, MP3 Players, and so forth. Our group used the 3Com Intranet site to collaborate and edit each other's documents.

The cloud is nothing new; the entire net has been in the cloud since the beginning.

What happens when everything you have is in the cloud and you can't get to the cloud? Perhaps you have no net access, the servers are down, or something goes wrong with your iPad and you cannot connect? Lots to be said for local storage.

I can store everything I need on a single SD card. Not much need for that when you consider my current project is editing and updating a thirty five page plain text Word document.

Besides, I cannot always use the cloud due to NDAs and other agreements. The cloud is nice and convenient but when you depend on your work files to eat, it is a real problem when you can't get to them.

I agree and disagree.

Sure, we have certainly had cloud-like services. But, not like this. I do most of my work in plain text as well, and Elements saves the files to the Dropbox servers as I write. The always-on Internet access + 24/7 access to the servers + tight integration of applications with the cloud is significantly different. In the old days, I'd upload a file to the server. Nowadays, it's all occurring in the background automatically. It is certainly similar, but on such a grand scale and with such amazing complexity that I think it deserves its own term.

What I like about Elements (and other similar apps) is that I have a local copy and one on the cloud. I agree with you. Over-reliance on the cloud is a bad idea. If we learned anything from the old days (and just a few months ago if you recall Amazon's cloud debacle), it was to save often and backup religiously. It seems that we are being encouraged to outsource both of these tasks to server farms, but the applications and cloud services are definitely not able to deliver the service I expect (I have had lots of problems with Evernote, for instance). And, of course, when you cannot connect to the cloud, for whatever reason, everything grinds to a halt.

I hope forum members will take your cautionary words seriously. It might save them headaches in the future.

 

[MikeDTyke]

If you are considering the iPad camera connection kit, then i'd plump for the 32GB, it gives you the head room you need for large digital images.

 

[Bubba Satori]

Because the people that respond with that are most similar to the majority of the population. A fellow poster can agreed with his idea and know that 16GB is the right fit.

32GB is too much space and 64GB you are just throwing your money way.

Stick with 16GB

Incredibly bad advice.

People should get what they need, not what others think they need.

 

[S1njin]

I figured I needed a 16 GB, but seeing as how I didn't know for sure how I'm going to use the device, I bought a 32 GB.

I usually find I avoid a lot of buyer's remorse by purchasing one step higher than what I think I need.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Incredibly bad advice.

People should get what they need, not what others think they need.

I do think lots of people often underestimate their needs. It would be nice if you could upgrade the memory, however.

 

[dragonbong]

I figured I needed a 16 GB, but seeing as how I didn't know for sure how I'm going to use the device, I bought a 32 GB.

I usually find I avoid a lot of buyer's remorse by purchasing one step higher than what I think I need.

Wanted to upvote your response 2x! At around $100 more it's a good security against buyer's remorse.

 

[Wolfpup]

The ONLY thing keeping me from regretting my 16GB one is the thought that I have $100 towards an iPad 3 or 4

16GB...really 14GB...is SUCH a tight space, at least for me (and I don't really feel like a big iOS user!)

 

[Kyotoma]

Get more music. High quality music.

 

[ericg301]

I just got a 16GB iPad2. I also have a 32GB iPhone 4, with about 3GB of apps, 20 of music, and a few photos and video.

It really just comes down to what you're going to use it for. My iPad is for streaming video, web browsing and games. Maybe I'll rent an iTunes movie or two. I'm taking a trip shortly, and loaded up a couple gigs worth of music - just enough for the flight. Even with several pages of apps, I've barely used 25% of the capacity.

If you don't plan on using the iPad as a movie/music/photo storage device, then the 16GB should suit you fine. Otherwise, you should consider the larger size.

 

[johnnyturbouk]

16GB is ample.... especially with camera-conversion kit + 32GB SDXC
+ ifile

 

[Night Spring]

16GB is ample.... especially with camera-conversion kit + 32GB SDXC
+ ifile

Not everyone wants to jailbreak, and I haven't been following the jb scene recently, but last I checked, newest iPad2s with 4.3.5 factory-installed couldn't be jailbroken.

 

[Arelunde]

As with computers, it isn't so much the things YOU add (although they certainly DO figure into the equation) as much as the operating system and apps that are getting larger and larger as they get more sophisticated. Also, when you get close to capacity on most devices, you also invite slow responses and potential operating issues. I would always go for the most space I could afford.

 

[cinca]

I am a huge huge fan of my iPad and am not afraid of letting people know. As a result, I have become the expert on all things iPad for friends and family. As a result I CONSTANTLY get asked for advice on which one to purchase. After forming an opinion and sharing it quite a bit I am happy to share the advice I nearly always give and give it strongly.

Per your usage (a lot of streaming, etc.) I think you are definitely right to think the 16 gig will serve you well. Unless you want to walk around with 11 days worth of music on your iPad or several seasons of your favorite television shows then 16 gigs is plenty. Someone made a comment about some games getting large but even 'large' games are no more than a few hundred megs which is just a tiny slice of 16gigs. There are a few exceptions like Dead Space and Infinity Blade but keep in mind with the itunes store once you buy it you can redownload it so unless you want to walk around with a 20 of the largest iPad games available to you at ANYTIME then 16gigs is PLENTY even with two or three games that have a large file size.

The second piece of STRONG advice I would give is seriously consider the upgrade to the 3g version. It's just $30 more than what upgrading to 32g from 16g would cost and it really (really) changes the relationship you have with your iPad. It becomes SO much more useful and feels like an indispensable piece of technology -- much like the experience you might have had with the iPhone when you purchased it. I describe it as 'an insurance policy' that gives you the option to take your iPad with you when you are camping or travelling or staying somewhere with relatives. Keep in mind the data packages are monthly so there isn't a commitment or the need to sign up for a contract. For simple email and web browsing you can easily get away with the least expensive data plan which for a month of use is often barely more expensive then signing up for internet access at a hotel for a single night.

For me the mobile data aspect of the iPad is really the thing that has it's usefulness off the scale compared to a laptop -- it's always connected wherever I go. I don't even need to think about it.

So if you were a friend or family and asked me (as many have) I would definitely say the 16 is a safe bet (even with some music and photos and games, etc) and I would strongly recommend you consider how much more indispensable it will become if you extend your budget another $129 to upgrade to the 3g version. I know money doesn't grow on trees but that's my recommendation.. I also think you are more likely to get more of your investment back trying to resell a 16G+3G rather than a 32G.

I will finally leave you with the recommendation that you hold off for another week until the October 4th (or was it 5th?) Apple event... The consensus (myself included) it will be an iPhone event and there won't be any big iPad announcements.. BUT there is also rumors of some big fancy new iOS features and it could be that they aren't supported on even an iPad 2... If they are KILLER then maybe you pick up a cheap iPad 1 and live with it for a few months until the iPad3 hits the shelves and gives you all that fancy new iOS5 hotness. And if you do decide to get an iPad2 I would recommend waiting (if you can) for a week or two after iOS5 is released so your new ipad 2 comes with the latest and greatest right out of the box..

Good luck!

 

[iMacoo7]

I recently sold my iPad 2 with 3G + wifi 32GB, extended square trade warranty with ADH, bluetooth apple keyboard, Zagg screen protector , and Folio carrying case. When it boiled down to it, I could have gotten by with just 16GB and wifi. I did allot of traveling and had my files for work on it and still had more than ample space (I only used 7GB total).

If I would have thought about it,I would have gotten a 16GB wifi only.
I plan on getting another iPad once the new one arrives and stick to the smaller version, because as with iPhones, I like to adapt the newest technology.

Either way you will be satisfied, but just remember when your adding your extended warranty that you will be paying out more money. If you plan on not updating your iPad when the new year rolls around then go for the bang, but if you like to keep up with the times, then go for something that has less capacity.

 

[S1njin]

I am a huge huge fan of my iPad and am not afraid of letting people know. As a result, I have become the expert on all things iPad for friends and family. As a result I CONSTANTLY get asked for advice on which one to purchase. After forming an opinion and sharing it quite a bit I am happy to share the advice I nearly always give and give it strongly.

Per your usage (a lot of streaming, etc.) I think you are definitely right to think the 16 gig will serve you well. Unless you want to walk around with 11 days worth of music on your iPad or several seasons of your favorite television shows then 16 gigs is plenty. Someone made a comment about some games getting large but even 'large' games are no more than a few hundred megs which is just a tiny slice of 16gigs. There are a few exceptions like Dead Space and Infinity Blade but keep in mind with the itunes store once you buy it you can redownload it so unless you want to walk around with a 20 of the largest iPad games available to you at ANYTIME then 16gigs is PLENTY even with two or three games that have a large file size.

The second piece of STRONG advice I would give is seriously consider the upgrade to the 3g version. It's just $30 more than what upgrading to 32g from 16g would cost and it really (really) changes the relationship you have with your iPad. It becomes SO much more useful and feels like an indispensable piece of technology -- much like the experience you might have had with the iPhone when you purchased it. I describe it as 'an insurance policy' that gives you the option to take your iPad with you when you are camping or travelling or staying somewhere with relatives. Keep in mind the data packages are monthly so there isn't a commitment or the need to sign up for a contract. For simple email and web browsing you can easily get away with the least expensive data plan which for a month of use is often barely more expensive then signing up for internet access at a hotel for a single night.

For me the mobile data aspect of the iPad is really the thing that has it's usefulness off the scale compared to a laptop -- it's always connected wherever I go. I don't even need to think about it.

So if you were a friend or family and asked me (as many have) I would definitely say the 16 is a safe bet (even with some music and photos and games, etc) and I would strongly recommend you consider how much more indispensable it will become if you extend your budget another $129 to upgrade to the 3g version. I know money doesn't grow on trees but that's my recommendation.. I also think you are more likely to get more of your investment back trying to resell a 16G+3G rather than a 32G.

I will finally leave you with the recommendation that you hold off for another week until the October 4th (or was it 5th?) Apple event... The consensus (myself included) it will be an iPhone event and there won't be any big iPad announcements.. BUT there is also rumors of some big fancy new iOS features and it could be that they aren't supported on even an iPad 2... If they are KILLER then maybe you pick up a cheap iPad 1 and live with it for a few months until the iPad3 hits the shelves and gives you all that fancy new iOS5 hotness. And if you do decide to get an iPad2 I would recommend waiting (if you can) for a week or two after iOS5 is released so your new ipad 2 comes with the latest and greatest right out of the box..

Good luck!

Thanks for all that feedback. To address some of your recommendations:

A. I have a 4G VZW MiFi - so my connectivity is a non issue. Had it not been for that little piece of gear, I would have gone 16G ATT.

B. The October 4th event is within my 14 day return period for Best Buy.

 

[Technohead]

I SO wish that Apple would make their products with expandable memory, but why would they do this when they know consumers will spend more $$ to assure that they have enough space on their devices????

Having said that, go with the 32g. The worst thing will be having the 16g and suddenly find out that you'd like/need more space. You'll end up selling the 16 and eventually buying the 32 anyway. Save yourself the headache.

 

[Wolfpup]

Per your usage (a lot of streaming, etc.) I think you are definitely right to think the 16 gig will serve you well. Unless you want to walk around with 11 days worth of music on your iPad or several seasons of your favorite television shows then 16 gigs is plenty.

I have over 10GB of programs on there now without really trying, and (pre iOS 5.0) you've only got 14GB on the 16GB model. I definitely wish I had a 32.

Someone made a comment about some games getting large but even 'large' games are no more than a few hundred megs which is just a tiny slice of 16gigs.

Actually many things are over 500MB, and easily take a LARGE chunk of 14GB, and who knows if we'll even have 14GB after the update next week (?).

There are a few exceptions like Dead Space and Infinity Blade but keep in mind with the itunes store once you buy it you can redownload it

Well I wouldn't recommend doing that...I mean you're eating up both your and Apple's bandwidth. You can manage stuff on your PC thankfully, but it's kind of a pain compared to just keeping everything on your device.