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not a current iPad owner, should I buy a '2' or a '3'?

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macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 9, 2008
30
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Hey guys,

Looking into buying a new iPad. Just for surfing the web at home and travelling. I don't currently own a iPad or other tablet so I'm wondering if I should buy the newest iPad? It is $100 bucks more than the 2.

I'm also wondering if anyone has taken their iPad to China before? I'm going on a two week trip there, and I was wondering if there was a chinese translator app thing on there?

Thank you
 
personal choice...i'd go for the 2 with 3g (check the forums for why...and i do have all 3 generations)
i've found a few different chinese translators in the app store...not the greatest but ok (most are for learning the language)
 
taipan61 said:
personal choice...i'd go for the 2 with 3g (check the forums for why...and i do have all 3 generations)
i've found a few different chinese translators in the app store...not the greatest but ok (most are for learning the language)
Click to expand...

What this person said. Get an AT&T iPad 2. Save the $100 dollars. There's a number of translator apps available.
 
I would always chose the 3rd generation because of the screen, but the advantages depend on what you use it for. If you will use it for reading, then absolutely go with the third generation. The screen makes a massive difference to text.
 
If it were me I'd get an iPad 2 refurb direct from Apple. The discounts over a new 3 are fairly substantial.
 
I'd go with the 3 if you've never had one just for the screen and camera. I know you're just using it for browsing but by the time you get a hold of an iPad you won't limit yourself to just browsing.

The 2 is great (what I currently have) but again if you don't own one yet go new.
 
In my household, there are iPad 1, 2 and 3. 1 is definitely too slow due to processor speed so skip it unless 'cost' is the most important factor. There is not that much speed difference between 2 and 3 on surface... Not in everyday use. 3 does have a beautiful display. Not just high res retina but also the colour reproduction is more true to life. If you have been using 1 or 2 and start using 3, you will know! So, if image quality and colour reproduction is important to you, get 3. Otherwise 2 can work.
 
Go with the one that you feel financially comfortable with. If you have the extra cash, get the 3. If that $100 savings is that important to you, go with the 2. You really can't go wrong with either device.


Take this into consideration. You could get the 3 and have the latest and greatest. Or you could get the 2, which is still a great tablet, and put that savings towards accessories/apps. Your choice.
 
I was in the same exact position, went with the 3, same requirements: surf the web and read...glad I went with the 3
 
spiderman0616 said:
If you have the money for a 3 there's absolutely no reason to buy a 2.
Click to expand...

1.) Less expensive
2.) Generally better battery life
3.) Does not have heat issues
4.) Shorter charge times

If you are only looking at a wifi model, there really isn't any difference between the 2 and 3 outside of the screen and camera. As someone who never uses the iPad camera, the improved screen is not worth the $180-$200 difference between a new iPad 3 and a refurb iPad 2 (and its arguable as to whether it is worth it if comparing to a new iPad 2, which you can get for $359 if you are anywhere near a Microcenter).

Is my usage pattern the same as everyone else? No. But to say that someone should categorically buy the 3 without taking how they will use it into account wouldn't be smart.
 
ugahairydawgs said:
1.) Less expensive
2.) Generally better battery life
3.) Does not have heat issues
4.) Shorter charge times

If you are only looking at a wifi model, there really isn't any difference between the 2 and 3 outside of the screen and camera. As someone who never uses the iPad camera, the improved screen is not worth the $180-$200 difference between a new iPad 3 and a refurb iPad 2 (and its arguable as to whether it is worth it if comparing to a new iPad 2, which you can get for $359 if you are anywhere near a Microcenter).

Is my usage pattern the same as everyone else? No. But to say that someone should categorically buy the 3 without taking how they will use it into account wouldn't be smart.
Click to expand...

1.) Less expensive

I believe I said if you have the money for the 3.

2.) Generally better battery life

Untrue

3.) Does not have heat issues

Neither does the 3

4.) Shorter charge times

Who cares? If you charge overnight, what's the difference? And if you have to leave the house with it partially charged to 80% for some reason, you can still go several days without plugging it back in.
 
Having extra disposable income is not a good reason to be wasteful. There are a lot of things I somewhat want but don't come close to needing that I can afford....not really a good reason to buy them.
 
Battery life is generally better on the 2. Important for travelers. A US to China flight can easily be 10+ hours. Charging is also longer on the 3. Again, an important consideration for travelers. This article details these differences. http://www.anandtech.com/show/5688/apple-ipad-2012-review/10

Also, if you get a new iPad 2, there is a good chance you will get the more power efficient 32nm CPU, for even greater battery life. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell prior to purchase what chip is in your device.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5789/the-ipad-24-review-32nm-a5-tested
 
ugahairydawgs said:
Having extra disposable income is not a good reason to be wasteful. There are a lot of things I somewhat want but don't come close to needing that I can afford....not really a good reason to buy them.
Click to expand...

A retina display, quad core graphics, LTE availability, and a hugely upgraded camera is not a wasteful thing to spend money on. Going by the fact that an iPad is a luxury item and could be considered by a lot of people as wasteful in general, the differences between the 2 and the 3 are worth a lot more than $100.
 
If you just surf any tablet will do. I would pick the iPad 3 because it is available in 32 & 64 sizes and has a better resale value.
 
Personally I chose the 3 because I like to read off the iPad for work and the fonts are much crisper. However, I was still very tempted by the refurbished iPad 2, which currently goes for as low as $319 for the 16Gig Wifi version, which I think is a complete steal for an excellent tablet.
 
Buy the 3rd generation iPad. Being someone who has owned both the 2 and the 3 I was much happier with my purchase this time around. It's hard to go back to the 'normal' screen on other devices after prolonged use.
 
I have the iPad 3, this is my 1st iPad too. The crispness of text on this device makes it all worth it to me. My eyes don't hurt after long sessions with it which guarantees that it is going to get a lot of use. Add in the fact that is has more memory as a plus, apps are just going to use increasingly more resources over time.

All that said, if your tablet usage is going to be fairly light, the iPad 2 is an excellent value, particularly if you are lucky enough to get one with the newer chip.
 
Batavian said:
Battery life is generally better on the 2. Important for travelers. A US to China flight can easily be 10+ hours. Charging is also longer on the 3. Again, an important consideration for travelers. This article details these differences. http://www.anandtech.com/show/5688/apple-ipad-2012-review/10

Also, if you get a new iPad 2, there is a good chance you will get the more power efficient 32nm CPU, for even greater battery life. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell prior to purchase what chip is in your device.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5789/the-ipad-24-review-32nm-a5-tested
Click to expand...

I've seen all these reports, but I am getting no noticeable difference in battery life between my iPad 2 and my new iPad. I have not changed my usage patterns in any way. I usually charge on Sunday night to start the week out at 100%. I have used both models for 2-3 hours a day. Usually Thursday night I charge again because it's running low enough that I may not get through Friday with enough juice.

So yes, the tests have been done and some people claim one way and some claim another, but for me, Apple is living up to the advertised battery life.

EDIT: That's not to say that the iPad 2 is a bad device. I loved using my iPad 2. But I love my iPad 3 even more and I don't feel that I compromised anything by upgrading.
 
Batavian said:
Also, if you get a new iPad 2, there is a good chance you will get the more power efficient 32nm CPU, for even greater battery life. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell prior to purchase what chip is in your device.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5789/the-ipad-24-review-32nm-a5-tested
Click to expand...

There's actually a pretty bad chance you will get the 32nm chip. Apple isn't mass producing the iPad 2 anymore, they most likely made (are making) a set amount of it with the new chip to test it with the public. Chances are probably 1/30 that you will get one with the new chip, as the older iPad 2's greatly outnumber the new model.
 
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