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Looking at buying an iPad2. Got a few questions?

J

joe schmoe

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 15, 2011
6
0
Looking at buying an iPad2 for my mom as a e-book reader and probably using a few apps. She'll figure out that part of it.

Plan is for me to download the books via my wi-fi here at the house to the iPad and then take it to her in the Assisted Living facility...They don't have wi-fi...

When downloading the books, do they truly download (the whole book) or are they just read online?

Do most apps work without a wi-fi connection? or is it like my iPhone where you need either wi-fi or 3G for updating content for the iPad?
 
joe schmoe said:
Looking at buying an iPad2 for my mom as a e-book reader and probably using a few apps. She'll figure out that part of it.

Plan is for me to download the books via my wi-fi here at the house to the iPad and then take it to her in the Assisted Living facility...They don't have wi-fi...

When downloading the books, do they truly download (the whole book) or are they just read online?

Do most apps work without a wi-fi connection? or is it like my iPhone where you need either wi-fi or 3G for updating content for the iPad?
Click to expand...

It will fully download the entire book. Depends on what apps youre talking about, but yes, some work on wifi only.
 
joe schmoe said:
Looking at buying an iPad2 for my mom as a e-book reader and probably using a few apps. She'll figure out that part of it.

Plan is for me to download the books via my wi-fi here at the house to the iPad and then take it to her in the Assisted Living facility...They don't have wi-fi...
Click to expand...

If your mom doesn't have wifi, she's not going to be able to download any apps. Many apps don't need an internet connection to work once they are downloaded, but you do need to be connected to download them. I think if reading books is the main thing, then you should consider one of the e-ink kindles with 3G. There's no fee for the 3G connection (Amazon subsidizes it), so you can download books anywhere you are, no wifi needed.
 
Night Spring said:
If your mom doesn't have wifi, she's not going to be able to download any apps. Many apps don't need an internet connection to work once they are downloaded, but you do need to be connected to download them. I think if reading books is the main thing, then you should consider one of the e-ink kindles with 3G. There's no fee for the 3G connection (Amazon subsidizes it), so you can download books anywhere you are, no wifi needed.
Click to expand...

What he said. Much easier to read, lighter, and variable font size via "pinch".
 
True, Kindle's free 3G for downloading books is a consideration. And if used exclusively for reading, eink is better. And it's cheaper. But there are so many other things you can do with an iPad, even offline. Little games, family pictures, movies, podcasts, alarm clocks and calenders, just to name a few.

Of course you have to visit to update it. Going twice to get it and bring it back is inconvenient (for both of you) if you have a long drive. And movies take up a lot of room.
 
Thanks for the posts....I was unaware that the Kindle came with FREE 3G....

As for the round trip to update an iPad it's only 5 or 6 miles from my house to the assisted living facility...

I think the screen size of the iPad would be better than the 6" screen size of the Kindle as Mom already has glasses and is complaining about reading some books now....

Scaling on the 7+" 9+" screen on the iPad would probably be better...Just wasn't aware of some of the things you all have posted here....

Thanks!
 
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