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Help with IPAD Purchase for Husband

B

BellaLucia

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 2, 2010
4
0
I am reaching out to all of you to get help with the purchase of an ipad for my husband. I have read internet blogs, dealt with Best Buy and I still am not getting some straight answers. Thank you advance for your assistance:

Here are his specs:

-He has a MiFi device
-He has a Verizon Droid (with 3G of course)
-He is in his car for his job (all day) so often times he can't find a wifi hotspot
-He has told me that he needs 32gb - so this much I know.


My questions:
1. Do I need to spend the extra $$$ and get an iPad with 3G or not?
2. I understand he can use his phone/MiFi and a 3G iPad wouldn't be necessary, if that's the case, is the connection speed really slow or are there any other limitations he'd face?
3. What are the battery limitations if I do go this route?
4. If I chose the 3G model, that makes his MiFi obsolete, correct - or does he need some kind of data plan?
5. I have heard the terms tethering and jailbreak, can you explain?

THANKS!
 
1. If he has a MiFi, don't bother with the 3G.

2. Only limitations are the MiFi's battery.

3. 3G uses more battery if you buy the 3G model but not massively so.

4. He won't need the MiFi if he wants to get the iPad online but could use the MiFi for any other devices. And yes, you'd have to pay a monthly fee to AT&T.

5. Tethering is turning your iPad into a hotspot that you can access (in effect, turning it into a MiFi.) Jailbreaking is hacking the iPad to run apps unauthorised by Apple (such as hotspot apps)
 
BellaLucia said:
I am reaching out to all of you to get help with the purchase of an ipad for my husband. I have read internet blogs, dealt with Best Buy and I still am not getting some straight answers. Thank you advance for your assistance:

Here are his specs:

-He has a MiFi device
-He has a Verizon Droid (with 3G of course)
-He is in his car for his job (all day) so often times he can't find a wifi hotspot
-He has told me that he needs 32gb - so this much I know.


My questions:
1. Do I need to spend the extra $$$ and get an iPad with 3G or not?
2. I understand he can use his phone/MiFi and a 3G iPad wouldn't be necessary, if that's the case, is the connection speed really slow or are there any other limitations he'd face?
3. What are the battery limitations if I do go this route?
4. If I chose the 3G model, that makes his MiFi obsolete, correct - or does he need some kind of data plan?
5. I have heard the terms tethering and jailbreak, can you explain?

THANKS!
Click to expand...

Without the 3G ipad, he wouldn't have the GPS chip, but there are ways around it.

If I were in your spot, I'd go with a 32GB or 64GB Wifi model and use the MiFi for internet while in the bush.
 
THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I think it's being recommended that I get the 32 gb ipad without 3G. The only limitation I need to consider is the MiFi battery life. I think my husband has the car charger...so that would solve my problems. (Unless I am missing something???)
 
BellaLucia said:
THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I think it's being recommended that I get the 32 gb ipad without 3G. The only limitation I need to consider is the MiFi battery life. I think my husband has the car charger...so that would solve my problems. (Unless I am missing something???)
Click to expand...

I'm probably in the minority but if you do any travel at all it's nice to have the 3G, even with a MiFi. It's just convenient to not have to carry one extra thing (and to have GPS). And if you go outside the Country it's getting easier to find prepaid MicroSIMS - and should be easier still in the future.
 
don't discount the GPS in the 3G version. What do you think he'll use the iPad for? If it is any way attached to navigation, I would recommend you pay the extra for the 3G version. That doesn't mean you have to get the AT&T data services with it, but it does mean you'll have an internal GPS.

Yes, there are ways to get GPS data into a non-3G iPad, but they involve jailbreaking and a separate external GPS antenna. Is your husband savy enough to do this? Even remotely interested in doing this?
 
poloponies said:
I'm probably in the minority but if you do any travel at all it's nice to have the 3G, even with a MiFi. It's just convenient to not have to carry one extra thing (and to have GPS). And if you go outside the Country it's getting easier to find prepaid MicroSIMS - and should be easier still in the future.
Click to expand...

This isn't helping her situation as she already stated what her husband has and where he spends his time in. She didn't mention he travels outside of the country but spends all his time in a car.

For everything that she has mentioned as to what her husband wants, a 32GB Wifi ONLY model fits the bill. This isn't about what other people think the best model is but whether or not the the 32GB Wifi only meets her husband's needs and in this case, it does.
 
Gps?

Thanks to everyone for this great information! You have all helped so much.

I think what I need is the iPad 32GB "non-3G" version. He has the MiFi and I'm pretty sure he has the car charger for it.

He uses a GPS app on his cell phone so I don't think it matters that I get the 3G for the GPS purpose only.

If there is anything else you feel I need to purchase or should consider, please let me know. (I'm letting him get all the accessories.)

***Perhaps I am not GPS saavy, but I assume his GPS on his phone is fine - unless it does something magical in the iPad that I don't know about. ???

I should have come here FIRST!

My sincere thanks!
 
Last edited:
BellaLucia said:
Thanks to everyone for this great information! You have all helped so much.

I think what I need is the iPad 32GB non-3G version. He has the MiFi and I'm pretty sure he has the car charger for it.

He uses a GPS app on his cell phone so I don't think it matters that he the 3G for the GPS purpose.

If there is anything else you feel I need to purchase or should consider, please let me know.

I should have come here FIRST!

My sincere thanks!
Click to expand...

I sgree. I bought the same for my husband for is BD. The difference is we bought Palm Pre Plus cells from Verizon last May when they had the promotion of free mobile hot spot and we were already due for 2 yr replacement. It works just like the Myfi. So, I have a 64gb wifi only and he has a 32GB wifi only. If we would have bought the 3G version we would have had to deal with AT&T which has iffy service here. We use the hotspot/Ipad in our cars quite often

We got notification about the Myfi from Verizon when it came out and I believe they have different data plans with no contract for the Myfi/Ipad. If we didn't have the free mobile hotspot I would choose the Myfi solution. The Myfi is really small so I would never worry about carrying another device. It will also allow 4 other devices to be attached (laptop, Touch, etc) altho' speed will drop with each addition though we have had 2 open at one time.

Nice gift. He'll enjoy it a lot.

Diane B
 
Outrigger said:
This isn't helping her situation as she already stated what her husband has and where he spends his time in. She didn't mention he travels outside of the country but spends all his time in a car.

For everything that she has mentioned as to what her husband wants, a 32GB Wifi ONLY model fits the bill. This isn't about what other people think the best model is but whether or not the the 32GB Wifi only meets her husband's needs and in this case, it does.
Click to expand...

What are you, forum monitor? I was pointing out some advantages to 3G that she may not have considered. She's a grown-up and can figure out whether it applies to her or not.
 
All suggestions, comments and recommendations are welcome and appreciated!

The GPS idea is actually important for me to consider. :)
 
If he is the type who has to have the latest and greatest you may want to hold off for the G2 Ipad - expected in March-April. For folks who have waited this long to adopt - G2 might make more sense.

BellaLucia said:
All suggestions, comments and recommendations are welcome and appreciated!

The GPS idea is actually important for me to consider. :)
Click to expand...
 
Get him a Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Just kidding just kidding!!!

I'm sure your husband will love any iPad you buy him. I say 32 gb wifi model.
 
BellaLucia said:
THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I think it's being recommended that I get the 32 gb ipad without 3G. The only limitation I need to consider is the MiFi battery life. I think my husband has the car charger...so that would solve my problems. (Unless I am missing something???)
Click to expand...

The MiFI uses the same charger as the Droid, so if he has the car charger for one he can use it on the other. I am in the exact same circumstances as your husband, I have a MiFi, Droid Incredible and a 16gb wifi iPad. everything works great together
 
poloponies said:
What are you, forum monitor? I was pointing out some advantages to 3G that she may not have considered. She's a grown-up and can figure out whether it applies to her or not.
Click to expand...

The OP also has many questions and too much "extreme case" information would only serve to confuse, as it seems she just signed up and came here to "ask the experts" for the most straight-forward answer.

For instance, if her question was a game or a puzzle with only one possible solution to win the prize, 99 out of 100 informed Macrumors members would answer "32gb WiFi" so I think Outrigger was simply trying to do the OP a service and kindly defend against unjustifiably convoluting the matter for her.

And it sounds to me like her husband has plenty of 3G at his disposal, more than most folks do, even, so he'll be just fine.

Merry Christmas to you and your husband, BellaLucia. :)
 
I'll post my 2 cents. Up until recently I had the 16gb Wifi iPad and I absolutely loved it. I used it in conjunction with a rooted Motorola Droid to act as wifi hotspot when needed. I, ultimately, sold my iPad to "upgrade" to a 64gb 3G iPad. 16gb is probably ok for most people and 32gb is more than enough (I wanted to use the iPad as backup storage for photos when traveling so I opted for the 64gb). Listen to those that say it's nice to have an "all in one package" instead of having to connect through a wifi hotspot. It is very nice to have the convenience of a "all in one package" and I found myself thinking my wifi iPad was lacking without the GPS. I'm not saying I use it all the time, but it's a nice thing to have when you want/need it.

Based on my personal experiences, I would say the 32gb 3G iPad. Regardless of whatever option you choose, your husband will be thrilled, as it is an incredible device and it has retired my Macbook (from a mobile perspective... I wouldn't want to rely on my iPad totally, still need my iMac).

Merry Christmas-
 
gatearray said:
The OP also has many questions and too much "extreme case" information would only serve to confuse, as it seems she just signed up and came here to "ask the experts" for the most straight-forward answer.

For instance, if her question was a game or a puzzle with only one possible solution to win the prize, 99 out of 100 informed Macrumors members would answer "32gb WiFi" so I think Outrigger was simply trying to do the OP a service and kindly defend against unjustifiably convoluting the matter for her.

And it sounds to me like her husband has plenty of 3G at his disposal, more than most folks do, even, so he'll be just fine.

Merry Christmas to you and your husband, BellaLucia. :)
Click to expand...


Please. She is obviously unfamiliar with the iPad and is trying to find the best solution. Suggesting that she may also want to contemplate other benefits of going with 3G is not a stretch. And what I find offensive is the implication that she's so simple-minded as to not be able to figure out how to deal with suggestions other than the one you believe she wants. I not only give her more credit than you do but she was polite enough to accept the suggestion in the manner in which it was offered.
 
I have 3G with unlimited plan and my battery fine I get 10 plus hours no problem and that heavy using
 
BellaLucia said:
I am reaching out to all of you to get help with the purchase of an ipad for my husband. I have read internet blogs, dealt with Best Buy and I still am not getting some straight answers. Thank you advance for your assistance:

Here are his specs:

-He has a MiFi device
-He has a Verizon Droid (with 3G of course)
-He is in his car for his job (all day) so often times he can't find a wifi hotspot
-He has told me that he needs 32gb - so this much I know.


My questions:
1. Do I need to spend the extra $$$ and get an iPad with 3G or not?
2. I understand he can use his phone/MiFi and a 3G iPad wouldn't be necessary, if that's the case, is the connection speed really slow or are there any other limitations he'd face?
3. What are the battery limitations if I do go this route?
4. If I chose the 3G model, that makes his MiFi obsolete, correct - or does he need some kind of data plan?
5. I have heard the terms tethering and jailbreak, can you explain?

THANKS!
Click to expand...

Here is my 2cents....I do think you have your answers though..:)

1. Don't spend the extra on 3g. Mifi covers it.
2. The MiFi connection speed will vary just like the 3g built in. As it is now At&T is the only service carrier for 3g data plans (this might have changed recently, since last i checked), but regardless, if he already owns the mifi...then there is no need to pay the extra for it. Now if he didnt own the mifi, the pros and cons can be weighed out.
3. Battery limitiations will be tied to the data plan and geographic area on both devices. So the built one can drain battery if the spot isnt so great the same as the other, depending on service carrier and area. I say let the mifi worry about it's own battery with charger and use the iPad with maximum battery life.
4. Both mifi and 3g will require a data plan. If he is using mifi to hot spot his pc, then even more of a reason to not hassle with the extra cost of 3g, because he isnt going to want to loose the mifi and will have to pay for both plans..(possibly, depending on scenario)
5. Jailbreaking a device just means taking off the restrictions/limitations that Apple puts on a devices capabilities. Just about every gadget we buy has some proprietory information on it and is "locked" if you accept that term. Apple just gets a little more controlling than others so you can jailbreak it. This allows it to do other functions at will. Jailbreaking is good and bad. It comes with pros and cons. Not sure if your husband would want to go that route anyway. I say get the device and if he is tech savvy he can make that decision later on. Besides the current ios is not capable of jailbreaking at this time

My suggestion is the 32-64 gif iPad "wifi" only model.

Have fun!
 
Does he have Virgin Mobile or Verizon/Sprint MiFi.

The Virgin Mobile MiFi is non-binding and he isn't tied down to a contract. Verizon on the other hand comes with a contract.

I would say go with the 32GB Wifi + 3G if he is indeed using the Virgin Mobile MiFi since he would have the option to pay the $40/month for unlimited data or not, as opposed to Verizon's/Sprint's Mifi.

What's more is that the 2GB/month ($25) data plan for the iPad 3G model offered via AT&T is MORE than enough if he isn't using it for heavy video viewing. And if he decides not to use the 3G on the iPad at all, that's okay too. It's always good to have the 3G anyway, if not for the GPS, for the fact that maybe another carrier will come along with a better data plan in the future (and he may ditch the MiFi).

Ultimately, the difference is $130. It's a premium, but it's well worth it.

If you buy an iPad from Best Buy, you won't have to pay tax since it's an energy efficient item, so that may make your decision a bit easier.

Good luck and hope your hubby loves his new paddy. :)
 
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