iPad why 3g?

[old-wiz]

You're clearly staying at premium level hotels. They tend to charge for WiFi.

Only the premium hotels charge for wi-fi. The more economical ones have free wi-fi; they do it as an incentive to stay there. In 3 recent trips, two hotels were more budget minded and had free wifi, the 3rd was a contention oriented place and wi-fi was $9.50 per device per day.

 

[mrtune]

Sometimes the free wifi at the hotels isn't what it's cracked up to be anyways.

I've stayed at hotels that offer free internet. I always end up turning on the personal hotspot on my iPhone since the 3G in the area is faster than the wifi the hotel offers.

Seeing as adding tethering costs about the same getting a dedicated 3G connection on my iPad I elected to get the wifi only version. My iPhone is always with me. However, I do see the benefit of the 3G version for the GPS features or if you don't have a tethering feature on your cell phone plan.

 

[wrinkster22]

seagate makes a 500gb HD that you can use with the iPad it is around 200$, and requires a charge to use it.

 

[nutmac]

...or you want GPS built-in.

If you tether iPad WiFi to iPhone 4, A-GPS coordinates are sent along the WiFi stream as well.

 

[l3it3r]

I use the 3G on my iPad every day. After owning a non-3G iPad, I decided to give the 3G a go on the iPad 2 and I'm glad I did

 

[jsh1120]

Sometimes the free wifi at the hotels isn't what it's cracked up to be anyways.

I've stayed at hotels that offer free internet. I always end up turning on the personal hotspot on my iPhone since the 3G in the area is faster than the wifi the hotel offers.

Seeing as adding tethering costs about the same getting a dedicated 3G connection on my iPad I elected to get the wifi only version. My iPhone is always with me. However, I do see the benefit of the 3G version for the GPS features or if you don't have a tethering feature on your cell phone plan.

I've found a mobile hotspot to be a lifesaver as well when traveling. If I'm in a 4G/LTE service area, my mobile hotspot runs sometimes 15 times faster than the lousy wifi provided by the hotel. Even in 3G areas the mobile hotspot is often much faster than the hotel's "free" wifi. Or for that matter what I'd pay $10-$12 per day for. Doesn't take long for the $50 monthly data plan to be a significant savings over paying for wifi in a hotel.

As far as GPS is concerned, the units available for the iPad are now consistently less than $100 so if you need only that functionality, you're better off purchasing one of the units available than paying the $130 premium for a 3G iPad just to get the GPS functionality.

 

[poloponies]

I've found a mobile hotspot to be a lifesaver as well when traveling. If I'm in a 4G/LTE service area, my mobile hotspot runs sometimes 15 times faster than the lousy wifi provided by the hotel. Even in 3G areas the mobile hotspot is often much faster than the hotel's "free" wifi. Or for that matter what I'd pay $10-$12 per day for. Doesn't take long for the $50 monthly data plan to be a significant savings over paying for wifi in a hotel.

As far as GPS is concerned, the units available for the iPad are now consistently less than $100 so if you need only that functionality, you're better off purchasing one of the units available than paying the $130 premium for a 3G iPad just to get the GPS functionality.

So a WiFi iPad PLUS a GPS add-on PLUS a Mobile HotSpot is the ideal set-up? Versus a 3G iPad that has all that functionality built-in, doesn't require a subscription and has the flexibility to accept SIM cards worldwide?

Well, maybe that's why Apple has either option available but your argument isn't going to win me over anytime soon.

 

[Sandman1969]

So a WiFi iPad PLUS a GPS add-on PLUS a Mobile HotSpot is the ideal set-up? Versus a 3G iPad that has all that functionality built-in, doesn't require a subscription and has the flexibility to accept SIM cards worldwide?

Well, maybe that's why Apple has either option available but your argument isn't going to win me over anytime soon.

I believe he was referring to the fact that if you only need the GPS functionality and not the 3g, it is the better route to go.

I am still debating with myself. I may just get the 3G and not get a data plan until I need it just in case that one time I do need it I can turn it on.

 

[poloponies]

I believe he was referring to the fact that if you only need the GPS functionality and not the 3g, it is the better route to go.

I am still debating with myself. I may just get the 3G and not get a data plan until I need it just in case that one time I do need it I can turn it on.

I get what he was saying - and the better route would be a stand-alone GPS, because without 3G you still need a map package and while the free ones are "adequate" you need the functionality of the paid ones to really replace the GPS function absent 3G.

Bottom line, it's a hard economic argument to make if you think you can retrofit GPS and 3G into a WiFi iPad, so it's sometimes best to bite the bullet and pay for the 3G if you think that GPS and occasional 3G might have value to you later on.

 

[Batt]

I believe he was referring to the fact that if you only need the GPS functionality and not the 3g, it is the better route to go.

I am still debating with myself. I may just get the 3G and not get a data plan until I need it just in case that one time I do need it I can turn it on.

I bought my 3G iPad the day they came out in April 2010. I've activated the plan three time since - once for 2GB and twice for 250MB. I never actually used more than a few MB, but if you want to use GPS and be able to use the Maps app while out of wi-fi range, it's worth the money. I just came back from vacation and only used 8MB of a 250MB plan, but it was worth the 15 bucks.

 

[Sandman1969]

Well I picked up a 64GB Wifi yesterday. Can't wait to use it. Haven't really been able to mess with it yet since the wife has been staying up later the past two nights. Figures...

I am gonna finish setting things up with it tomorrow and Monday Night after she goes to bed.
We are heading to the beach on Tuesday and I plan on giving it to her right when we get ready to leave. So she can enjoy it on the way there. Got the tethering plan setup just need to configure it. Now to rip a couple movies she will like and get on there as well. Very excited!

I got the Otter Defender for it. For all the complaints about the case, I really like it. It is a little odd about the holes on the four corners, but other than that it seems to be a pretty solid case. Amazon has it for $48 so about half of what Otterbox is selling it, so that helps.

 

[penfan82]

I have a first gen iPad and have been away with it a few times I'm wifi only just blue tooth tether it from ur smart phone no need for 3G I did it for a week at the parents who still are without a computer and it worked fabulous no need to pay for hotspot or 3g

 

[jsh1120]

I get what he was saying - and the better route would be a stand-alone GPS, because without 3G you still need a map package and while the free ones are "adequate" you need the functionality of the paid ones to really replace the GPS function absent 3G.

Bottom line, it's a hard economic argument to make if you think you can retrofit GPS and 3G into a WiFi iPad, so it's sometimes best to bite the bullet and pay for the 3G if you think that GPS and occasional 3G might have value to you later on.

No. I was not referring to a "stand-alone GPS." The units below provide the same GPS functionality as that provided on the 3G iPad. Except, of course, that the receivers are somewhat better than that integrated on the iPad's 3G chip. The iPad treats each receiver below identically to the built-in GPS in the 3G iPad and interface identically with the "Maps" functionality of the iPad.

Nor did I say it was an "ideal" setup. I simply pointed out that either of the units below is less expensive to purchase than the same functionality provided in the 3G iPad. And with the mobile hotspot I routinely get download speeds from 7 to 10 times faster in 4G/LTE coverage areas than the 3G iPad provides and at least equal performance in 3G areas. Since I travel frequently and have to connect a laptop as well as an iPad to the internet, it makes little sense to pay for a separate data plan for the iPad. (Those who are able to/wish to tether their smartphones, including 4G models, can do much the same thing though the speeds tend to be somewhat less.)

P.S. My mobile hotspot (from Verizon) uses a SIM card and can be used "worldwide."

http://www.amazon.com/Dual-Electron...BICU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1319372213&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Elf-Recei...7ZJ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319372213&sr=8-1s

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I bought the 64GB 3G iPad1 right after then iPad2 came out, because AT&T was closing out their 3G models for CHEAP ($300 off). I did activate the 3G plan for one month to play with it, but then decided like you mention that it was a pretty good deal to activate tethering on my iPhone (4GB data, plus I can use it with my laptop when I want to).

I use the tethering feature a lot, and I like that the 4GB plan is basically combined on the devices (e.g. if I wanted to watch a lot of movies on the iPad with its own 2GB plan, I might run out in a month - whereas I seldom use more than a few hundred MB on the iPhone so I can use more data on the iPad this way).

The big drawback to tethering is that you pay for it EVERY month, whereas with the iPad 3G plan you can just activate it for 30 days when you are traveling.

WiFi iPad does not have GPS, but when you tether to iPhone it will use the iPhone's GPS so that is not much of a drawback IMO.

If I get an iPad3, I will get WiFi only.

 

[jsh1120]

...

The big drawback to tethering is that you pay for it EVERY month, whereas with the iPad 3G plan you can just activate it for 30 days when you are traveling.

WiFi iPad does not have GPS, but when you tether to iPhone it will use the iPhone's GPS so that is not much of a drawback IMO.

If I get an iPad3, I will get WiFi only.

I'm unsure if all carriers add a tethering charge for the duration of your (data plan) contract for tethering. It doesn't surprise me if they all do, however.

As far as using the iPhone's GPS (or the GPS of other phones), I've seen conflicting information about that. I was under the impression that it was a rumor that turned out not to be true. Can you confirm?

 

[penfan82]

Bluetooth tethering is awesome and u don't get charged and it's legal I asked Verizon before I did it

 

[Sandman1969]

The big drawback to tethering is that you pay for it EVERY month, whereas with the iPad 3G plan you can just activate it for 30 days when you are traveling.

You can change the data plan each month as well. I switch between the 200MB and 2GB plan for her when she is away for netflix. I don't think there would be any reason you can't turn tethering on and off as needed as well. I just enabled it for her phone for our trip this week so she can enjoy the new toy on the trip.

I plan on switching her back to the 200MB plan when we get back.

Now I am trying to figure out what the best way to share contacts, photos and emails. I am syncing it to my computer since I can do it without her noticing. I pulled her music library via iTunes.
We share an iTunes account, but have separate iCloud accounts.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

As far as using the iPhone's GPS (or the GPS of other phones), I've seen conflicting information about that. I was under the impression that it was a rumor that turned out not to be true. Can you confirm?

I can't personally vouch for it. My iPad is a 3G model so I have no way of knowing if the GPS features are working through tethering or using the built-in GPS receiver.

 

[BostonBrawler]

I have the 3g 64gb model, and personally use it on the road more than at home.

To be able to open the cover, and be instantly connected in my car is priceless. To everything from emails, to business items, to publications such as the NY Times, and WSJ - everything in the palm of my hands.

Not to mention, Netflix app is a beauty for crying kids in the car.