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How often do you upgrade your IPad ?


  • Total voters
    244
  • Poll closed .

itsOver9000

macrumors 6502
Mar 29, 2013
374
329
B.F., KS
Air 2 - Nov. '14
iPad Pro 12.9 - May '16

Not sure when (or if, in the case of the 12.9 Pro) I'll replace them. Probably not next year.
 

Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,688
4,400
Here
Really not consistent and depends on my usage and what new devices bring

  1. iPad 3 June 2012
  2. iPad Air 2 October 2015 after iOS 9 made mine unusable.
  3. iPad Pro 9.7 March 2016 - had the Pencil
 

ttNB

macrumors 6502
Sep 21, 2012
355
124
Nor' Jersey & New York (Twi-State)
iPad 1st Gen.(still own) -kids
iPad 2nd Gen.(still own) -kids
iPad 3rd Gen.(sold)
iPad 4th Gen.(sold)
iPad Air,(sold)
iPad Air 2,(sold)
iPad Pro 9.7"(current)
iPad Mini 4.(current)

TBH, the 1st iPad is so well built, and I've managed to keep it like new, they don't have any issues with it, it runs iOS 5, but it still moves pretty good with 215 MB of RAM. iPad 2nd gen. Doesn't get any updates past iOS 9.x.x, but it still moves pretty good. The 3rd gen. Was the shortest iPad ownership out of all of them. Not just because apple made the 4th gen. A couple of months down the line with lightning connectivity, but because the retina killed the speed of that years AX chip. It was the 1st Retina display on iPad, but it was slow. 4th gen was the way the 3rd gen was supposed to be. That was my most favorite iPad to date. The Air was a welcoming change because of how light the iPad had become. The Air 2, just killed everything with its speed. And lastly, the Pro is a sick iPad with good sound and very noticeable speed in getting tasks done without taking the MBP out. Wish it had more RAM though.
 

Math889

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 7, 2016
1,052
422
I am undecided about upgrading .
I always skip one generation
iPad Air 1 and IPad Pro
Should I skip IPad Pro 2 too ?
 

bufffilm

Suspended
May 3, 2011
4,227
2,536
I am undecided about upgrading .
I always skip one generation
iPad Air 1 and IPad Pro
Should I skip IPad Pro 2 too ?

It's only money...ha, ha.

Me...I'm still on my first iPad (the 2).

No retina, but I really don't hanker for it. Sure, it would be good to have, but reading comics. FT, music, ebooks...all the basics are covered nicely.

JB so I have tweaks like Swipeselection loaded...it is a delight. No silly waste space that the Pro is limited by.

I really hope Apple bring some needed fixing to the iPad next year. The iPad could be much much more if they wanted it to.

Best iPads were the 2, 4, and the Air2.
 
Last edited:

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,420
12,431
No retina, but I really don't hanker for it. Sure, it would be good to have, but reading comics. FT, music, ebooks...all the basics are covered nicely.
Personally, reading manga/comics is the primary reason I got retina (it's also the primary reason I bought my iPad 2 in the first place). I like to see full comic pages and even prefer reading in 2-page landscape mode. On the iPad 2, 2-page mode wasn't really an option and even in full page portrait, I'd have to zoom in on occasion in order to read small print.

Now that I'm starting to read American comics, planning on getting a Pro 12.9. American comics are considerably bigger than Japanese tankoubons and the size reduction in 2-page mode makes the text too small to comfortably read.
 
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bufffilm

Suspended
May 3, 2011
4,227
2,536
Personally, reading manga/comics is the primary reason I got retina (it's also the primary reason I bought my iPad 2 in the first place). I like to see full comic pages and even prefer reading in 2-page landscape mode. On the iPad 2, 2-page mode wasn't really an option and even in full page portrait, I'd have to zoom in on occasion in order to read small print.

Now that I'm starting to read American comics, planning on getting a Pro 12.9. American comics are considerably bigger than Japanese tankoubons and the size reduction in 2-page mode makes the text too small to comfortably read.

Reading full page comics is the -main- reason why I'm looking to buy the 12.9" in 256g!!!

Even w/putting up all the unoptimized bullcrap that exists now.

What reader are you using, btw?
 
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zhenya

macrumors 604
Jan 6, 2005
6,929
3,677
iPad 1
iPad 4 (still have for kids)
iPad Air
iPad Air 2
iPad Pro 9.7

Should have probably skipped the Air 2.

Unlikely to upgrade the Pro for another couple of generations. With the Pencil it's exactly the iPad I've been waiting for since day 1.
 

itsmilo

Suspended
Sep 15, 2016
3,985
8,728
Berlin, Germany
I went from iPad 2 to iPad 3 and from there straight to the iPaid Air 2 which i will hold onto for as long as i can as i have yet to see a reason to upgrade. Be it hardware or let alone iOS wise. It runs as fast as on its first day and i am sure the 2GB of Ram will keep it running fine for quite some time
 
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rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,420
12,431
Reading full page comics is the -main- reason why I'm looking to buy the 12.9" in 256g!!!

Even w/putting up all the unoptimized bullcrap that exists now.

What reader are you still, btw?
Yep, definitely need 256GB for comics. Heck, if Apple releases a 512GB model, I'd probably get that one as long as it's not cost-prohibitive. I think a single 20-page HD issue on Comixology uses around 50MB and is good for maybe 5 minutes of entertainment. :rolleyes:

Since I initially started reading because of manga (right to left pages), I use ComicGlass and have continued using it for DRM-free comics (e.g. Image, IDW, Valiant, etc).

I've got a subscription to Marvel Unlimited so that app's mandatory. For Marvel stuff not on Unlimited, I use Comixology. Typically, I just wait for sales on back issues/collections but for ongoing series I'm currently following, I pre-order floppies from Previews/LCS at 30% off cover and use the Bonus Digital Edition code. DC, I get from Comixology, too, when they're on sale. :)

Honestly, I'm more of a DC gal (mostly due to growing up watching 90s Batman, Superman and Justice League cartoons plus Christopher Reeve Superman and Michael Keaton Batman). However, I find myself reading and buying a lot more Marvel comics due to the existence of Marvel Unlimited (e.g. read something on MU and if I really like it, I end up buying physical HC or TPB edition).
 
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B.A.T

macrumors 6502a
Oct 16, 2009
840
697
Idaho
Original iPad (refurbished)
iPad3
iPad mini2
will buy 12.9 when this one dies so hopefully not for a couple more years
 

bufffilm

Suspended
May 3, 2011
4,227
2,536
Yep, definitely need 256GB for comics. Heck, if Apple releases a 512GB model, I'd probably get that one as long as it's not cost-prohibitive. I think a single 20-page HD issue on Comixology uses around 50MB and is good for maybe 5 minutes of entertainment. :rolleyes:

Since I initially started reading because of manga (right to left pages), I use ComicGlass and have continued using it for DRM-free comics (e.g. Image, IDW, Valiant, etc).

I've got a subscription to Marvel Unlimited so that app's mandatory. For Marvel stuff not on Unlimited, I use Comixology. Typically, I just wait for sales on back issues/collections but for ongoing series I'm currently following, I pre-order floppies from Previews/LCS at 30% off cover and use the Bonus Digital Edition code. DC, I get from Comixology, too, when they're on sale. :)

Honestly, I'm more of a DC gal (mostly due to growing up watching 90s Batman, Superman and Justice League cartoons plus Christopher Reeve Superman and Michael Keaton Batman). However, I find myself reading and buying a lot more Marvel comics due to the existence of Marvel Unlimited (e.g. read something on MU and if I really like it, I end up buying physical HC or TPB edition).

Great minds think alike! I use ComicGlas as well. A veritable gem!

Still looking for the closest equivalent on Android...if anyone can proffer something, I'm all ears!

Grew up reading Marvel exclusively...wasn't until I returned to comics after nearly a 20 year absence (and after I had repurchased many of the Marvel back issues) that I set my sights on DC.

Now, I'm firmly entrenched in DC. Marvel books are a waste now.
 

Still100

macrumors regular
Dec 21, 2011
203
17
I've never upgraded! I'm on iPad 3 and was waiting for something special but looking back I should have upgraded to iPad Air 2.

I was serious about upgrading to the pro 12.9 but when I saw the price at launch it put me off because it was £100 more than I expected. In the uk the prices have gone up again (thanks brexit) so now I think it's around £250 more than I had originally expected.

I will get the pro 2 12.9 in April... unless it goes up in price again...
 

bufffilm

Suspended
May 3, 2011
4,227
2,536
I've never upgraded! I'm on iPad 3 and was waiting for something special but looking back I should have upgraded to iPad Air 2.

I was serious about upgrading to the pro 12.9 but when I saw the price at launch it put me off because it was £100 more than I expected. In the uk the prices have gone up again (thanks brexit) so now I think it's around £250 more than I had originally expected.

I will get the pro 2 12.9 in April... unless it goes up in price again...

What version of iOS are you on?

My sister upgraded to 8.x to keep compatibility w/WSJ and complains about slowness. From some informed feedback, I'm very leery to suggest going to iOS 9.
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,420
12,431
Great minds think alike! I use ComicGlas as well. A veritable gem!

Still looking for the closest equivalent on Android...if anyone can proffer something, I'm all ears!

Grew up reading Marvel exclusively...wasn't until I returned to comics after nearly a 20 year absence (and after I had repurchased many of the Marvel back issues) that I set my sights on DC.

Now, I'm firmly entrenched in DC. Marvel books are a waste now.
PerfectViewer is my favorite comic reader on Android. Alas, finding a good Android tablet has been difficult (my requirements are: stock Android, microSD support, 4:3 aspect ratio, 250+ ppi and 10+ hr battery life).

Only current series I'm following is Black Widow (Mark Waid, Chris Samnee) and the recently ended Mockingbird (Chelsea Cain, Kate Niemczyk). For the most part, I'm just enjoying being able to read thousands of Marvel back issues (including golden and silver age) for just $6/month instead of the $$$ it would have cost for physical copies. Heck, even buying digital copies would still cost $1-2 per issue and I've already read hundreds (probably getting close to a thousand).

I'm actually spending more on Image comics and TPBs (Monstress, Fatale, Criminal). One reason I never got into superhero comics is because you practically need an encyclopedia to keep up with all that history. Meanwhile, Japanese manga is usually self-contained. I'd get the odd TPB here and there (e.g. JLA: Tower of Babel, Death of Superman, etc) but that was it. Alas, MCU got me interested in Black Widow and Marvel doesn't seem keen on making a Black Widow movie so I've had to delve into comics in order to get my fix. Thankfully, Marvel Unlimited is a very cheap way to do that. :p
 

bufffilm

Suspended
May 3, 2011
4,227
2,536
PerfectViewer is my favorite comic reader on Android. Alas, finding a good Android tablet has been difficult (my requirements are: stock Android, microSD support, 4:3 aspect ratio, 250+ ppi and 10+ hr battery life).

Only current series I'm following is Black Widow (Mark Waid, Chris Samnee) and the recently ended Mockingbird (Chelsea Cain, Kate Niemczyk). For the most part, I'm just enjoying being able to read thousands of Marvel back issues (including golden and silver age) for just $6/month instead of the $$$ it would have cost for physical copies. Heck, even buying digital copies would still cost $1-2 per issue and I've already read hundreds (probably getting close to a thousand).

I'm actually spending more on Image comics and TPBs (Monstress, Fatale, Criminal). One reason I never got into superhero comics is because you practically need an encyclopedia to keep up with all that history. Meanwhile, Japanese manga is usually self-contained. I'd get the odd TPB here and there (e.g. JLA: Tower of Babel, Death of Superman, etc) but that was it. Alas, MCU got me interested in Black Widow and Marvel doesn't seem keen on making a Black Widow movie so I've had to delve into comics in order to get my fix. Thankfully, Marvel Unlimited is a very cheap way to do that. :p

Only time for a quick reply...Fatale and Criminal are outstanding!
 

ron7624

macrumors 68020
Oct 14, 2011
2,228
437
Houston, Texas area
How often do you upgrade?
Historically it has been within minutes of release. But I am talking about the mini form factor. I'm composing this on my iPad mini 4.
I did not buy the three however because it was simply a two with touch ID. But whenever there is a significant change and I instantly purchase it.
 
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Still100

macrumors regular
Dec 21, 2011
203
17
What version of iOS are you on?

My sister upgraded to 8.x to keep compatibility w/WSJ and complains about slowness. From some informed feedback, I'm very leery to suggest going to iOS 9.

Ios 9 and it's quite slow when opening apps or files like PDFs. So you don't feel like using it. But once the webpage, file or app has loaded it's not too bad. So you can get used to it. I don't know how iOS 8 was, I skipped it.
 

craig1024

macrumors regular
Feb 15, 2016
127
48
Ios 9 and it's quite slow when opening apps or files like PDFs. So you don't feel like using it. But once the webpage, file or app has loaded it's not too bad. So you can get used to it. I don't know how iOS 8 was, I skipped it.
iOS 8 was even worse although 8.3 fixed it mostly.
 

bufffilm

Suspended
May 3, 2011
4,227
2,536
Ios 9 and it's quite slow when opening apps or files like PDFs. So you don't feel like using it. But once the webpage, file or app has loaded it's not too bad. So you can get used to it. I don't know how iOS 8 was, I skipped it.

Thanksgiving, I'll be able to judge an ipad2 on 9.3.x for myself My ipad2 is on ios 7.1.2 and will stay there forever.

Obviously (to me anyway), there comes a point beyond which one should not upgrade your iPad for best performance.

For the ipad2 and 3, ios6 or 7 was the highest. For the Air, it looks to be 9.

The ipad4...I'm not sure. Probably 9 as well.
 
Last edited:

ozaz

macrumors 68000
Feb 27, 2011
1,575
513
Whenever I feel the need. No set schedule.

So far I've had
iPad 1 (2010-2011)
iPad 2 (2011-2013; upgraded because significantly thinner)
iPad mini 2 (2013-2015; upgraded because I decided to switch size)
iPad mini 4 (2015-present; upgraded for Touch ID)
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,420
12,431
Only time for a quick reply...Fatale and Criminal are outstanding!
Yep. Got interested in Brubaker's creator-owned works after reading his run on Captain America and Winter Soldier. I started with Velvet (w/Steve Epting), then went on to Fatale and Fade Out, and now Criminal. Lol, I'm buying both digital editions and TPBs. With Fatale, I got the Deluxe HCs, too. :p

Monstress, I started reading because I enjoyed Marjorie Liu's Black Widow: The Name of the Rose. :D

Getting harder and harder to wait for a Pro 12.9 everyday. I'll probably jump on the next model immediately upon release. :rolleyes:
 
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