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iPad 2 worth waiting for? Just get the iPad 1?

I

iNole

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 16, 2011
32
0
A-Town
Hello! I am interested in buying an iPad 2 but am getting a little frustrated by the shortage. If I order online, it seems that I wouldn't get an iPad 2 until late April or even May (MacMall gave me a ship date of April 30 yesterday). Driving to multiple stores everyday is getting old. (I drive there versus just calling because I feel like if I called and they had stock they would be out by the time I got there...) Even if I do find stock, who knows if they will have the model I want. (32 or 64 ATT black)

I have been reading a lot of reviews and it seems to me that the iPad 2 is not a huge improvement over the iPad 1 in real life. Do you agree? I am primarily concerned about speed. I might use the cameras every once in a while but I probably wouldn't miss them.

With that being said, should I just get an iPad 1 and be done with it? Are the improvements in the iPad 2 worth waiting a month or more for? Saving money is obviously an added bonus but is not the primary reason I would buy the iPad 1. I am particularly interested in your opinion if you have owned BOTH iPads.

Thanks in advance :)
 
Everyone will have an opinion but here is mine...

Until Apple resolves the LCD backlight bleed issue I would not buy an iPad 2 right now. I had one for two days and came to the conclusion that the product was not worth the money given it had a defect in one of the most critical elements of the experience... the screen. It went back.

While I had the iPad 2 I compared it against my iPad 1 (zero screen defects). The iPad 2 is faster but unless you are a heavy gamer or need the cameras it is not more functional for most use cases. The Smart Cover is nice but they really missed the mark by not offering some level of protection of the back surface.

If Apple fails to resolve the LCD issue I'll stick with my iPad 1 and see if iPad 3 gets any better.

Tim




iNole said:
Hello! I am interested in buying an iPad 2 but am getting a little frustrated by the shortage. If I order online, it seems that I wouldn't get an iPad 2 until late April or even May (MacMall gave me a ship date of April 30 yesterday). Driving to multiple stores everyday is getting old. (I drive there versus just calling because I feel like if I called and they had stock they would be out by the time I got there...) Even if I do find stock, who knows if they will have the model I want. (32 or 64 ATT black)

I have been reading a lot of reviews and it seems to me that the iPad 2 is not a huge improvement over the iPad 1 in real life. Do you agree? I am primarily concerned about speed. I might use the cameras every once in a while but I probably wouldn't miss them.

With that being said, should I just get an iPad 1 and be done with it? Are the improvements in the iPad 2 worth waiting a month or more for? Saving money is obviously an added bonus but is not the primary reason I would buy the iPad 1. I am particularly interested in your opinion if you have owned BOTH iPads.

Thanks in advance :)
Click to expand...
 
If cost is a factor, get the iPad 1. A refurbished one from apple comes with the same 1 year warranty as a new one and a new battery for 349! We bought a refurbished one and you can't tell the difference.

I also have the iPad2 and IMO it is fine, but it is not all that much better. We don't see such a huge difference in speed, we are talking maybe 1 second to load up heavy graphics pages, which is barely noticeable unless they are side by side loading the same page.

With the iPad 2 we still get checker boarding, and it is still slower than my Mac, and it isn't all that light and I still have to put it in a case to protect it. The glass is thinner and therefore more prone to break, and the slots for charging are angled and I don't like that. It is " new" and all sold out, but the camera is crap, and I use my iPhone camera for pictures, because you can't print a good quality photo off the iPad camera at all, and there is no auto focus in the ipad2 camera either.

So if you want to spend the money or want the latest version, get the iPad 2 just check it for bleeding backlights before you leave the store, cause it isn't a " bad" deal, it is fine and a nice new toy... If money is a factor , get a refurbished one and put the 150 bucks on bills or in savings or donate it to a worthy cause!
 
I love my iPad 1 and still recommend it to everyone I know

To me, the iPad 2 brings nothing that I PERSONALLY NEED OR WANT

Now? Others may want the iPad 2 upgrades such as wanting the camera or playing MANY games

But me? I use it for email, news apps, etc...nothing hard on the iPad, imo.

If you are not a serious gamer or will use the camera, I suggest the cheaper iPad
 
I have an original iPad and messed around with an iPad 2 for about half an hour yesterday in-store. Is it worth it for me to spend at least $500 to get a new version? Probably not.

But I think the situation is a bit different when you have no iPad and you're trying to decide between the first or second version.

The iPad two isn't a huge upgrade but it does have some significant processor, graphics, and memory bumps. I personally would consider that worth the $100 difference between the two models at the moment.

Also, based on the iPhone's history, whenever Apple releases a new version of iOS, there tends to only be full support for the previous two versions of the phone (I believe 4.0's features were only fully available on the iPhone 4 an the 3GS). So buying the iPad now means you might be purchasing an iPad that will only work with the latest software for another year. If that doesn't bother you, then the iPad 1 should be ok.
 
Thanks for your help! Some more info:

I don't want to say money doesn't matter because I feel like that's silly, but if I could buy an iPad 1 or 2 with equal ease I would buy an iPad 2 no question!

I used to have an iPad 1 and sold it about 3 weeks ago. I would basically be rebuying my iPad but would probably go for a higher model. (I used to have a 16 GB wifi and would probably go for a 32 or 64 3g version)

The number 1 reason I would buy an iPad 1 over iPad 2 is TIME. I do not want to wait forever for something that is not even that much better.
 
Pretty much the only thing that is keeping me waiting for my 2 (I have a reservation at Best Buy - who knows when that will come through) rather than saving $100 and grabbing a 1 is video chat. For me, this is an important enough feature to wait for. Only you know whether the new features are important enough to you.
 
Once the 2 was announced I pulled the trigger on a used 1. Got it for half the price that the equivalent 2 would cost me. I don't need the camera and the faster processor would be nice to have, but not essential. For me the key decision factor is that I do a lot of reading on the device, so I see the screen as the weak link. I'm not willing to pay the extra scratch for an iPad 2 with the same screen as the first one. So I'll save my money for now and get a new one once they announce a higher res display... hopefully next year.
 
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I was recently in Florida but missed the iPad 2 launchby 45 minutes. As I knew I would be missing it I bought the iPad 1. It's my first iPad (had 3 iPhones now tho) and I am over the moon with it.

Like you money wasn't a real issue, $100 is nothing for an investment. I was all set to buy is two but as my flight back to England left I couldn't get it. This made the decision for me.

Ok, cost was a tiny incentive, iPad 1 16gb 3gb for $529 or wait for same spec iPad 2 in uk and pay $849 here, quite a substantial difference! Anyway had iPad 2 been available whilst I was in fl I would have bought it.
 
2 is worth it for the weight alone. At first I didn't think there was much difference, but after using 2 for a few days and then picking up the 1 again, the first gen iPad felt REALLY heavy. I used to get tired of holding up the 1G iPad. That's not the case with 2.

Additionally, the iPad 2 is WAY faster than the original, and that's when its running software optimized for the original iPad. As the weeks and months progress more and more applications dialed for iPad 2 will come out and they will be even faster. Meanwhile, that same software will run slower and slower on the original iPad.

So the bottom line (from my POV) is that the upgrade is absolutely worth it.
 
I would say it depends on how long you plan on keeping it. Will you find yourself wanting the iPad 3 in a year? If so, definately just go with the iPad 1. If you keep your electronics for a while, then the processor/GPU in the iPad 2 will be supported for a longer period of time. Just like Apple is not supporting older iPhone/iPod touch models with older CPUs, in a few OS releases they will stop supporting the iPad 1.

Definitely go for the refurbished one to save $$ if you go with the iPad 1.
 
I got my first iPad which is an iPad 1 on release day for the iPad 2. It was a gift from my husband. I debated back and forth on whether or not to keep it, he was fine with my returning it for the iPad 2 which none of my local stores had in stock. I decided to keep my iPad 1. I know its not the latest and greatest but it seems pretty fast to me. I use it to browse the web, read my Kindle books, and for watching Netflix. I had no need for the camera or won't be editing any video, or even playing any hardcore games on it...I have gaming computer for that. The faster processor, ram, and being lighter does make me envious, but in reality this one does everything I need it for. My advice..evaluate your needs and go from there. The iPad 1 is still a great a little device. I intend to enjoy mine until iPad 3 or 4 comes out, then I will upgrade.
 
With the prices the original iPads are selling for on Craigslist, I would get one of them. 16gb wifi only going for $200-$250 and 64gb 3G for $500 or less. Cannot beat those prices, and many of them have covers, accessories and balance of Apple warranty included. How can you go wrong????
 
Thanks!

Thanks for the help everyone :) I ultimately decided to go with a 1st Gen iPad. Realistically, even if I got an iPad 2 it would be just something to keep me busy until they update the screen resolution (the upgrade that would really make me pull the trigger). For me personally, I don't think I'd notice the differences between 1 and 2 and I'm sick of waiting!

Good luck to everyone still looking for iPad 2s! :)
 
Good decision". My $500 iPad 64gb 3G is my first iPad, and when the next one comes out ( most likely with retina display and better cameras) I will jump on it. In the meantime, this baby rocks!
 
I'm surprised you all are pushing for the iPad 1.

I loved my iPad 1 but the iPad 2 is a really big improvement in my eyes. It feels WAY thinner. Amazingly thin. I like the form factor much better than my iPad 1.

It is also a lot faster browsing the web. Pages load quite a bit faster as the benchmarks from around the web show. As someone who uses the iPad for a lot of web browsing I can tell a pretty big difference.

And for me, the screen is significantly better with very even lighting, better color and black depth and nice font smoothing. No, it is not high res and I know some have backlight bleeding. I have none of that and the screen is just much better than what was on MY iPad 1.

So I am very happy that I sold my iPad 1 and bought an iPad 2 and paid about $200 more to get it. (64GB wifi)

With the smart cover and new form factor, screen, speed, etc... it is a good decision.

Now if you can get an iPad 1 for cheap and money is a big consideration that outweighs the benefits of the new one.... that is up to you.
 
The iPad 2 is worth getting... and not just because of the Hardware but because as history has shown in like a year iPad 1 will not be supported in the latest iOS firmware. This pissed me off when I had an old 2G touch and it didn't support wallpapers and multitasking.
 
robertpetry said:
I'm surprised you all are pushing for the iPad 1.

I loved my iPad 1 but the iPad 2 is a really big improvement in my eyes. It feels WAY thinner. Amazingly thin. I like the form factor much better than my iPad 1.

It is also a lot faster browsing the web. Pages load quite a bit faster as the benchmarks from around the web show. As someone who uses the iPad for a lot of web browsing I can tell a pretty big difference.

And for me, the screen is significantly better with very even lighting, better color and black depth and nice font smoothing. No, it is not high res and I know some have backlight bleeding. I have none of that and the screen is just much better than what was on MY iPad 1.

So I am very happy that I sold my iPad 1 and bought an iPad 2 and paid about $200 more to get it. (64GB wifi)

With the smart cover and new form factor, screen, speed, etc... it is a good decision.

Now if you can get an iPad 1 for cheap and money is a big consideration that outweighs the benefits of the new one.... that is up to you.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. I have both right now (gave the old one to my wife) and I love it. If you can wait and you can afford it, I wouldn't even think about getting the old one. Not that it's a piece of junk, but the new one just feels sleeker and it's much snappier at everything. You know that little lag that you get when you type the first few characters on the iPad 1? Doesn't happen on iPad 2. It's just little things like that that make it much more enjoyable. Is it a revolutionary upgrade? No, but IMHO it's worth the money.
 
Having a perfectly fine 1st gen iPad with wifi and considering spending another $250-$300 for a comparable specc'd iPad 2 is a little hard to swallow. If you currently own the 1, this is the scenario from current CL prices.

The 2 is definitely much more advantageous in the areas of speed, weight, form factor, cameras and longevity. But is it worth the before mentioned cost? In my mind, it is... but to others it probably isn't. After having juggled the two for the past 5 days, I notice the iPad 2 is quite a bit lighter and easier to hold for reading, etc.
 
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