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I have the original iPad. The iPad 2 and the new iPad. The new iPad is by far the best and clearest picture of them all. Until you compare them side by side you will never know. I use my new iPad all day and have no idea about any heat issue. The screen itself is worth the extra 100 dollars. I'm sorry but I think the new iPad is amazing.
 
I finally decided to take the iPad plunge and I bought an iPad2. reason being is because I keep reading about people complaining about how their iPad3s run hotter and their battery life isn't quite up to par vs. the iPad2.

not having the high def screen or the higher front camera ratting wasn't a big deal to me. we don't live in an LTE area so that wasn't a big deal either.

so what do u guys think? did I make the right decision or should I get an iPad3 for future OS compatibility reasons on newer hardware?

A great many posters here, just post to bitch.With all the items sold by Apple, something has to be unacceptable, or they would be made by God. Problems arise, send it back, let Apple make it right, then move on, poor them, the complainers, they got a Lemon, life deals us all varying degrees of adversity, if yours is only a problem with your Apple product, as annoying as it is, pull up your big boy pants,deal with it and move on:eek:
 
Both the iPad 2 and 3 are good tablets for the money. You aren't going wrong with either one. Everyone has different needs and budgets.
 
Maybe its my eyes.. but I have to say I have to look hard to see a huge difference between the screens.
I have an iPad2 and went to BestBuy ready to get the iPad3 because my wife wanted mine.
I compared and compared and unless I am looking at photographs that have been zoomed in I really cant see a huge difference. Even websites unless I enlarge the letters I cant tell that much difference.
Sure its nicer but to say "wow" or all the hype that Apple is putting in I am not sold on it.

I can actually tell the difference MUCH more in the iPad3 camera (although I have yet to use mine on the iPad2 in real life)
Also I do notice the extra thickness and weight.. i am sure unless you are comparing specifically you will not notice this after a while.. but then again I think its the same for the screen :)
 
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Maybe its my eyes.. but I have to say I have to look hard to see a huge difference between the screens.
I have an iPad2 and went to BestBuy ready to get the iPad3 because my wife wanted mine.
I compared and compared and unless I am looking at photographs that have been zoomed in I really cant see a huge difference. Even websites unless I enlarge the letters I cant tell that much difference.
Sure its nicer but to say "wow" or all the hype that Apple is putting in I am not sold on it.

I can actually tell the difference MUCH more in the iPad3 camera (although I have yet to use min on the iPad2 in real life)
Also I do notice the extra thickness and weight.. i am sure unless you are comparing specifically you will not notice this after a while.. but then again I think its the same for the screen :)

If I look closely at icons on the home screen and the fonts I can easily tell that ipad 2 is pixelly. but it still has a beautiful screen. it's just not high res.
 
If I look closely at icons on the home screen and the fonts I can easily tell that ipad 2 is pixelly. but it still has a beautiful screen. it's just not high res.

Exactly.. you have to look for it and look closely. And if I am looking for will likely notice it in some cases.
In everyday use I am not "looking" for it. Yes the screen is better but certainly not night and day or a whole new user experience like some people on the forums imply.
 
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Exactly.. you have to look for it and look closely. And if I am looking for will likely notice it in some cases.
In everyday use I am not "looking" for it. Yes the screen is better but certainly not night and day or a whole new user experience like some people on the forums imply.

I don't even need to try at all and I can tell the difference right away. To each there own but for me personally it was money well spent.
 
Both the iPad 2 and 3 are good tablets for the money. You aren't going wrong with either one. Everyone has different needs and budgets.

Wish more answers were like this rather than "You made a terrible/horrible decision" "You'll regret it".

It ultimately depends on what you want and how you will use it. For me, i just bought a refurb ipad 2, $168 cheaper than buying a new ipad (here in canada) and to me, the price difference was not justified because i won't really take advantage of the retina display, won't ever use the camera on my ipad because i have an iphone4 anyways. I don't read PDFs, don't read books, don't store any photos on the ipad and none of my movies/tv shows are 720P, much less 1080 or bluray quality. And to me, the iPad is simply a toy i use maybe 3 hours a week and when travelling. I don't feel the need to spend more than $500 on an item for that.
 
At the end of the day you dont miss what you never had as long as your happy with your iPad Theres no problem.
 
I finally decided to take the iPad plunge and I bought an iPad2. reason being is because I keep reading about people complaining about how their iPad3s run hotter and their battery life isn't quite up to par vs. the iPad2.

not having the high def screen or the higher front camera ratting wasn't a big deal to me. we don't live in an LTE area so that wasn't a big deal either.

so what do u guys think? did I make the right decision or should I get an iPad3 for future OS compatibility reasons on newer hardware?

lol hell no you did not make the right decision

you bought something vastly inferior when you had the option not to. quite foolish imo.
 
I finally decided to take the iPad plunge and I bought an iPad2. reason being is because I keep reading about people complaining about how their iPad3s run hotter and their battery life isn't quite up to par vs. the iPad2.

not having the high def screen or the higher front camera ratting wasn't a big deal to me. we don't live in an LTE area so that wasn't a big deal either.

so what do u guys think? did I make the right decision or should I get an iPad3 for future OS compatibility reasons on newer hardware?

This is what you think now, I suggest you try the new iPad and let it do the talking. For one thing, the battery is better than the iPad 2 imo, I charge mine every 3 days or so, and it depends on what brightness you use. I use around 30-50%. It is plenty for me, even in the bright sunlight. As well, the new iPad does run hotter, but can you tell the difference? Usually no, unless you run really graphic demanding apps/games. And then things get scambled when you say the screen is not a big deal I must say, the new Retina Display is what defines the new iPad, it an awesome sight for reading and browsing through the web without things being pixelated. And then the camera, well the back camera blows the iPad 2's camera out the water that is a very big given imo. And then the front has no change, although I have not used it once since I have gotten my iPad.
 
Very glad to read you went with the iPad 3. It's a much better decision, you are already spending $400, why not another $100 for a vastly superior version? :D
 
I think if your already spending $400, what you get for the extra $100 makes it a no brainer.
I'm sorry $100/$400 is a 25% premium over the iPad 2. It not a 'no brainer' especially if price was a factor for the OP. Then again if it was, he should have bought a refurbished one for $350.
 
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I think you made the right move. Yes the screen is better on the Ipad 3.... blah blah. Apple knows what they are doing they are just banging out products to make some more cash....

You have already seen this with the Iphones, after every two models is when you can REALLY tell a difference.

Agreed. I have iPad 3 and love it however for someone who isn't going to be using it for reading then ipad2 is fine. It's - ipad2- better than any other tablet out there and at a reasonable price.
 
thanks for all the good info. I returned the 2 and got the 3. $100 isn't chump change (at least not to me), but I can easily blow $100 on other things that might not be so worthwhile.

Good decision! :D what color is the screen :p
 
I'm sorry $100/$400 is a 25% premium over the iPad 2. It not a 'no brainer' especially if price was an factor for the OP. Then again if it was, he should have bought a refurbished one for $350.

well, you may not agree, but he did and so do many others:)
 
The problem with a thread like this is that people will give you an answer which is designed to justify their own purchase. Nobody likes to feel that they've made a bad decision.

My situation, is that I took my iPad 3 back to Apple for a refund at the weekend, because I didn't feel that there was enough of a leap between it and my iPad 2. The Apple employee that processed my refund seemed to agree, saying that she had not made the jump from iPad 1 for the same reason.

In truth, the screen is slightly nicer, but in my opinion, that is due to the colour saturation as much as the resolution.

As someone else said in this thread, people were more than happy with the iPad 2 screen a month ago, and the other so-called improvements in the iPad 3 are very slight.

I suppose it boils down to how much disposable income you have, and whether you feel you'd rather have a slightly higher resolution screen on your iPad or an extra £100 in your bank account for other things.
 
iPad 2 Screen = Mud

I bought the iPad 2 a couple of weeks ago, before I had the chance to actually physically try an iPad 3.
Then at work we got our iPad 3 demo model in, after I spent all of 20 seconds with it I knew I had made the wrong decision buying an iPad 2...
eBayed my iPad 2 lost 30$ and bought an iPad 3 through work so didn't actually lose any $ - To me the screen on the iPad 3 is exceptional, the screen on the 2 looks like mud in comparison.
When I look at my MacBook Air 11 screen it also looks pretty average when compared to the iPad 3.... Timmy bring on the retina display laptops please...
 
The other day, a coworker handed me their iPad 2 to get his email configured correctly.

I have the iPad 3 (my first and only iPad), and I immediately noticed the pixels -- pixels everywhere! -- on the iPad 2. The 3's Retina screen truly does spoil you, and going back is hard.

I won't say the iPad 2 is a bad device, hardly... it is a great piece of hardware at a great price. The 3 is even better, but there are some concerns: price for one, and also the quality of some display elements/assembly (screens with hues, backlight bleeds, etc.).
 
Let's get one thing straight. For anyone looking at the iPad and doesn't want to go all out to splash cash on it, the iPad 2 is perfect.

Especially if you're new to the iOS ecosystem. For us who came from the iPhone, it makes sense to go for the newer iPad. As some have said already, the screen and thinness make the iPad 2 brilliant for any newcomer. Use the $100 for apps as you'll then have a good basis to look at the iPad 4. Skipping a generation of Apple products is always a wise move as the major improvements come every 2 generations.

iPad > iPad 3
iPad 2 > iPad 4
 
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