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iPad iPad buying advice

Yebubbleman

Yebubbleman

macrumors 603
Original poster
May 20, 2010
6,056
2,648
Los Angeles, CA
Hey all. I have a first generation 32GB WiFi-only iPad and while I still love the hell out of it, I have the following problems that unfortunately necessitate an upgrade of sorts:

- I am frequently running out of space
- Apps and updates to pre-existing apps require iOS 6
- Given the above, it's really slow

My guess is that if I were to purge the thing of apps, and just use it for the non-app content (i.e. photos, iTunes video, music) and web browsing, but within means, it'd run adequately until it finally died. Alas, I have apps, some of which I paid for and would very much like to be able to use. So, an upgrade.

Before I go further, I'm finding that the idea of a secondary iPad with cellular data (preferably on Verizon) would prove handy in certain situations (such as while traveling in a friend's car when my phone inevitably dies or in places where I need internet but there's no WiFi. On top of this, I'd later get a 128GB Wi-Fi model 4th Gen iPad, likely new. Towards this end, I'm considering doing one of the following:

(a) Buying a refurb cellular 16GB iPad mini and then later a 128GB WiFi 4th Gen

(b) Doing the inverse and buying a Wi-Fi only 16GB iPad mini and then later a 128GB cellular 4th Gen

(c) Buying a refurb cellular 16GB iPad 2 and then later a 128GB WiFi 4th Gen

Or, completely alternatively:

(d) Buy a refurb 64GB cellular iPad 2, which can effectively and immediately replace my first generation Wi-Fi only 32GB model and will tide me over until I buy a 128GB model from a current generation. When it does, said iPad 2 can become my secondary cellular iPad

(e) do (d), but spend a little more and buy a refurb 64GB cellular 3rd Gen iPad and, in doing so, tide myself over for a while longer before buying a larger capacity iPad

I know the technological merits to each course of action; this is more of a "what would you do?" sort of question.

Utimately, when all is said and done, I'd like to have two iPads, a newer primary WiFi only model and a secondary refurbished smaller capacity cellular model. How much time passes between buying the latter and buying the former doesn't matter. Obviously, if I have something larger than what I have now for a cellular iPad, I can hold out longer on buying a 128GB iPad of a newer generation.

What say you?
 
Well, I'd check the Apple store for refurbished stock...they do have it, but it comes and goes quickly. I currently have the Ipad 4, and have owned them all. One word of advice...I'd avoid the three...either go with a refurbished 2 as you suggest to tied you over, or hang on until the new 5 comes out, which will no doubt have that 128GB option this time....By then grabbing a 4 at a decent price should also be an option, and I don't think it's going to be a long wait for the new one...
 
I don't understand what the secondary iPad is for. Unless you mean you want the mini because it's lighter and more portable. Other than that, I'd just get one cellular model, and take it everywhere with me.

Me, right now I have a mini and an iPad 3. The 3 I use at home, and the mini is for when I go out. However, I find that I really prefer the larger screen of the 3 -- it's just so much easier to not mis-hit touch targets on the larger screen. So I'm looking forward to getting the 5, which is rumored to get lighter than the 3. Hopefully that will allow me to go back to having just one iPad. And I'll get the 128GB model, that will be so sweeeeeet! :)
 
Macman45 said:
Well, I'd check the Apple store for refurbished stock...they do have it, but it comes and goes quickly. I currently have the Ipad 4, and have owned them all. One word of advice...I'd avoid the three...either go with a refurbished 2 as you suggest to tied you over, or hang on until the new 5 comes out, which will no doubt have that 128GB option this time....By then grabbing a 4 at a decent price should also be an option, and I don't think it's going to be a long wait for the new one...
Click to expand...

So, I'm extremely curious at this point; why are you telling me to avoid the third gen? Or rather, what is it about the third generation iPads that makes them worse than the fourth and second? What are your thoughts on the mini?

DesertEagle said:
I would likely go with a), although e) may be a wiser choice.
Click to expand...

e) is likely the wisest choice. My only hesitation with it is that, while it offers up a solid replacement to the first generation that I have now and instantly, I worry that I will fill up 64GB much quicker than I would 128GB; plus I like the idea of my entire music library (32GB [I'm not as much of a music collector as I probably should be]), all of my apps, and then tons of room to spare on top of it fitting on the thing, whereas with a 64GB iPad, I would still have to be sparing (though still not as sparing as before).

d) Wouldn't be a terrible interim, though if it's just an interim, it is substantially more expensive than just doing a) b) or c); though it does allow for my desire for a primary iPad and a secondary lesser capacity iPad with cellular.

M5RahuL said:
Weight, and battery takes forever to charge!!!
Click to expand...

Right, but isn't that the same on the fourth gen? Or did they fix that?

Macman45 said:
More importantly, the 4 was what the 3 should have been....that's why Apple pulled it immediately on the release of the 4...Better CPU faster all round performance etc...the 2 is a better stop gap bet IMO.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree that the fourth gen is better than the third in every way. Though, price is a factor that leans me towards a 64GB Cellular third gen; especially given that even refurbished, the fourth gen equivalent is $200 more. That and I can much more easily stomach buying a 64GB third gen cellular iPad than I can the iPad 2 equivalent given that I have things like retina, Siri, 1080p playback, and the like...unless the iPad 2 was more serving as an interim; but at that point, I'm paying $530 for an interim, which is somewhat hard to swallow.

Night Spring said:
I don't understand what the secondary iPad is for. Unless you mean you want the mini because it's lighter and more portable. Other than that, I'd just get one cellular model, and take it everywhere with me.
Click to expand...

Really, I'm sort of figuring out what I want; this thread is serving to help me sort of figure that out as I already know the technical differences between all of them. Your post here is actually incredibly helpful as really, when it comes down to it, I realize that you're right; there's no point in a secondary iPad if the primary iPad has cellular. That being said, I think that's sort of what I wanted in an iPad mini; something smaller and primarily used for web browsing and very basic web/content consumption. I'd be using it to stand in for my Galaxy Nexus when it runs out of battery in the middle of nowhere; in which case an iPad mini or a sole full sized iPad with cellular would be ideal.

Night Spring said:
Me, right now I have a mini and an iPad 3. The 3 I use at home, and the mini is for when I go out. However, I find that I really prefer the larger screen of the 3 -- it's just so much easier to not mis-hit touch targets on the larger screen. So I'm looking forward to getting the 5, which is rumored to get lighter than the 3. Hopefully that will allow me to go back to having just one iPad. And I'll get the 128GB model, that will be so sweeeeeet! :)
Click to expand...

For me the mini would pretty much just be a stand-in for both my phone and my pre-existing/future 128GB iPad in situations where one of the two are either not present or not sensible to use. That's where having cellular would come in handy and really that'd be the only reason for me to even have it at all. It would probably also replace my former Motorola Droid which is deactivated and solely in use as an alarm clock. So it'd be my alarm clock too.
 
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I'd honestly recommend holding out for the iPad 5. The iPad 4 more than doubled in score on most benchmarks over its predecessor, so it spells good things to come for the system. But to be honest, if you plan on buying two just to have mobile data on one device, your needs may be better served by getting a 128 GB device with cellular connectivity. It would be cheaper in the long run and more convenient.
 
ImpKali said:
I'd honestly recommend holding out for the iPad 5. The iPad 4 more than doubled in score on most benchmarks over its predecessor, so it spells good things to come for the system. But to be honest, if you plan on buying two just to have mobile data on one device, your needs may be better served by getting a 128 GB device with cellular connectivity. It would be cheaper in the long run and more convenient.
Click to expand...

I was also puzzled that OP wanted an extra iPad only for going online when outside wifi-zones, but I'm sure there are valid reasons for it.
 
Macman45 said:
Well, I'd check the Apple store for refurbished stock...they do have it, but it comes and goes quickly. I currently have the Ipad 4, and have owned them all. One word of advice...I'd avoid the three...either go with a refurbished 2 as you suggest to tied you over, or hang on until the new 5 comes out, which will no doubt have that 128GB option this time....By then grabbing a 4 at a decent price should also be an option, and I don't think it's going to be a long wait for the new one...
Click to expand...

I just "upgraded" from the 3 to the 4 this past week and I can tell you that besides benchmarks, I really notice very little difference between the two. The only reason I went for the 4 was because my parents wanted to buy my 3 (didn't want to have different cables and don't care about speed) so basically in the end I paid $50 to go from a 32GB iPad 3 to a 32GB iPad 4.

First think I did was update both to the latest version of iOS. It was interesting in that that 4 did upgrade about twice as fast as the 3. Besides that, playing the games that I play, I notice no difference between the two. On really large websites and apps like Facebook, I notice that when scrolling the 4 still stutters occasionally, but just a bit less then the 3. I believe that while the benchmarks show a big difference real world use is not that much of a difference at all. I only paid $50 for the "upgrade" and I'm not sure it was a wise use of my money...
 
Yebubbleman said:
Right, but isn't that the same on the fourth gen? Or did they fix that?
Click to expand...

Not even close! The iPad 4 charges MUCH faster than the 3! The iPad 4 is more akin to the iPad 2, than the 3..which is to say, the natural progression from iPad 2 should have been 4, named as iPad 3.

I also find the iPad 3 gets quite a bit warmer compared to the 4.
 
M5RahuL said:
Not even close! The iPad 4 charges MUCH faster than the 3! The iPad 4 is more akin to the iPad 2, than the 3..which is to say, the natural progression from iPad 2 should have been 4, named as iPad 3.

I also find the iPad 3 gets quite a bit warmer compared to the 4.
Click to expand...

They started shipping a 12W power adapter with the iPad 4 instead of the previously used 10W.
 
I went from a first gen 32 gig wifi to a fourth gen 64 gig wifi. I usually have 10 to 20 gigs free now.

I wouldn't buy an iOS device with a 30 pin connector. I also wouldn't buy a cellular iPad. Don't want another data plan, even if it is month to month. I have a phone, and I don't want to always be connected.

It's just my two cents, but I would (I did) get the iPad 4 wifi, either 64 or 128.
 
You have a lot of options listed but I would go with a mini now and just wait a little longer and get the iPad 5. But that's only my opinion
 
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