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I have Verizon FIOS 150Mbps service and a Netgear R7000 router.

With the iPad 3, I got a max of 35-40Mbps.

With the iPad Air, I am seeing 148-152Mbps (about 50 ft away).

Web browsing is dramatically faster. Most sites load instantly.
 
I have the iPad 3 that is gorgeous, but it's heavy, runs hot and was lagging like crazy while playing The Simpsons Tapped Out. It's still running iOS 6.1. (Hate the look of iOS 7).

I picked up an Air yesterday and my first reactions were very negative. Hated the OS, apps were crashing like crazy, missed the deep color saturation of the 3, etc. so I boxed it back up with the intention of returning it to Best Buy tomorrow.

This evening I decided to give it one more try. Rather than setting it up as new like I did yesterday, I restored from the current backup of the iPad 3. I must confess I feel completely differently tonight. The speed of this thing is stunning, love the light weight, love that it is cool to the touch, love that the battery charges while using the iPad (something my 3 never did).

I still hate the look of iOS 7 but the benefits of this iPad far outweigh that negative. I stand corrected.
 
Only way I'll ever leave my iPad 3 is when they get rid of that super ugly iOS 7.
 
I have a 3 and I have a Air. Crazy thing is I'm writing this post from my 3! I do really like the size of my Air. But was it a "needed" upgrade? No.. Not for me. Do I like the Air? Well yes, that's why I bought it.

I'm a heavy user and really just can't tell a speed increase in the study apps tha I use. Looks cool tho.
 
Ummmm yes it was.

Sure was called The New iPad.

No it wasn't. It was called the iPad (3rd generation) or just iPad. It was marketed as "the new ipad", because well, it was the new ipad at the time.

Stop. Step back for a second and use some common sense. How ridiculous would it be for a product to be literally called "The New iPad", so that in 5 years time you would still have to refer to it as the "new ipad"?

The whole mess is Apple's fault for assuming that people actually have common sense.
 
I went from 3rd to mini and it was worth every penny. The speed increase is substantial but the major thing for me is the dramatic thinness and lightness compared to previous generations.
 
ipad-3-price.jpg


It was quite a silly thing to call it the new ipad. But they did. They could've called it ipad r or something for retina.
 
Only way I'll ever leave my iPad 3 is when they get rid of that super ugly iOS 7.

Apart from the fact its not ugly and looks far better them the previous versions of the OS that's never going to happen so I guess you're never going to be able to upgrade your iPad then.
 
I went from an iPad 3 to an air. I can definitely see a difference speedwise, with website browsing mostly. Plus being smaller & weighing less makes it much easier to use, I can 1 hand it while I read now!

Mimo is pretty impressive as well.

I had iOS 7 on my iPad 3, I didn't notice any slowdown because of it, don't be afraid to update!

This is pretty much what I was going to write.

The Air is a good step up from the 3.

Just for reference here is the difference in the wifi speed. Air on the right, 3 on the left. Ran these tests one after the other. The Air was also still downloading my apps during the test.

8F16008B-0CB5-423F-8A72-FE71D9EB1823-14515-0000088FBC544C6F_zps9375c43d.jpg
 
I just made the same jump from 3 to Air. Thoughts:

- The sad truth about the 3 is that it has really bad performance issues. They did so much to get the Retina working on that iPad that the thing is just constantly barely hanging on. It's slower than the 2. It's the reason that the 4 came out as soon after as it did.

- to give you an idea of how far behind it is, iOS 7 runs the same nerfed version on the 3 and the iPhone 4. So imagine going from a iPhone 4 to a 5S. It's that dramatic.

- So the first thing about the Air is speed wise it blows the 3 outta the water. Apps that took forever to load are now ready in a flash. Web browsing in particular. It's like I got a new modem.

- It's almost too small and light. I'm terrified I'm going to fling it across the room or forget it's resting on my chest and stand up. I'm leaning towards a case just to give me some peace of mind.

It's always smart to wait if you like your device because there will always be a new thing that is better. But this jump is more worth it for me.
 
- to give you an idea of how far behind it is, iOS 7 runs the same nerfed version on the 3 and the iPhone 4.

This is not true, iOS 7 still has the parallax & translucent effects on the iPad 3 that the iPad 4 has. There is nothing missing except Airdrop due to wifi hardware limitations.
 
Sold my iPad 3/64/cell to my sis, $500, was needing a new case.
Bought an iPad Air 32 wifi as my work iPhone can do hotspot if I don't have wifi.
No regrets, what a nice machine.
I made the jump from an iPad 1 to iPad 3 to iPad Air.
Each generation just seems to get more slick.
As well, I've been able to sell the older pad for a reasonable price.
Was $300 with new case, AppleCare etc, this round.
 
My ipad3 still runs reasonably smoothly on IOS7. That and I already busted my gadget budget this year upgrading to the 5s and some other odds and ends (external monitor, mStand, misc peripherals). :p

As a teacher, I get $400 a year to spend on "upgrading", which I already claimed this year for my iPhone. Probably will upgrade next year. :)
 
Over time, I've gone from 1 to 2 to 3 to Air. I sold my 3 64GB wi-fi for $400 with accessories and cases to a friend. I'm very impressed with the Air. It's noticeably faster in both screen draws and internet connection that the 3, both running ios 7. When I launch a programme on the 3, there's a delay before it actually starts up; on the Air, it starts at once. Because of the lower weight and the less width, it fits comfortably in my hand. I was using a Kindle as an ereader because the iPad was just too heavy for comfortable use, but I now think I can do with just the Air. I bought the 32GB wi-fi. At the time I bought the 3, I was travelling a lot, but I'm now at home, so I'll be relying more on streaming and sharing. Very happy with the Air!
 
The Air makes the original iPad (I have the 3) seem like an antique. The 3 is a lot heaver, bigger and just slower. The wife said her games load WAYYYY faster.
 
I have the 3 and was planning to upgrade...then they left off the fingerprint sensor. I don't play games on my iPad and I am not having issues with ios7, so I am going to hold out until the next iPad. I have never had a problem with the size of the older iPads, so the lighter weight doesn't really have any appeal to me. I wanted more GBs than the 32 I have have now, but I can wait until next year.

Since I still have a 4s, there is an upside to having the same connectors. Next year, I plan to update both the phone (waiting for a larger size) and the iPad.
 
Have enjoyed the Air since Friday am pickup. My IPad 3 has served me well since launch day in March 2012. The positive differences in speed, weight, handling, size, are remarkable. This Air has been on for 4 straight hours and is as cool temperature wise as when I turned it on. No regrets in upgrading from 3 to Air.

Were iPad 3's noted for running hot? I got my current 3 when it was first launched and have yet to experience heat as an issue either during a longterm session or when charging. :confused: Or did a heat issue manifest itself after installing IOS7?
 
Were iPad 3's noted for running hot? I got my current 3 when it was first launched and have yet to experience heat as an issue either during a longterm session or when charging. :confused: Or did a heat issue manifest itself after installing IOS7?

No, mine ran hot fairly often on previous versions of iOS as well.

The iPad 3 on iOS7 isn't unbearable IMO, but it is definitely a little laggy. The difference between the iPad 3 and the Air is pretty dramatic. Definitely worth the upgrade for me, though the 3 is sticking around and I'm selling off the iPad 2.
 
Were iPad 3's noted for running hot? I got my current 3 when it was first launched and have yet to experience heat as an issue either during a longterm session or when charging. :confused: Or did a heat issue manifest itself after installing IOS7?

Mine ran hot hot from the beginning.
 
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