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

Having bought the iPad 2 for my wife and the 3 for my son, I can honestly say the 3.

Why?
The screen. the iPad 2 looks ugly and text isn't as sharp as on the 3. Also the 3 uses the quad core a5x graphics which make things on the new display look amazing.

The 2 is fine but I rather have the latest and greatest since apple will bring the iPad to to eol soon.
 
Redjericho said:
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.
Click to expand...

Where did you get this information? I'd be curious to see.
 
ugahairydawgs said:
If it were me I'd get an iPad 2 refurb direct from Apple. The discounts over a new 3 are fairly substantial.
Click to expand...

I decided this was good advice and ordered a refurbished unit today. Since I already own a 13" Macbook Air and an iPod Touch, this iPad 2 will mainly be used for surfing the web and streaming Netflix. It sounds like your needs are similar to mine. I won't use the cameras, nor productivity apps, nor games. For light surfing and streaming, it should be fine.

To be completely honest, I'm not even sure how much I'll use it. By spending nearly $200 less, if it sits gathering dust, I can ease my conscience a bit. By the time the next iPad refresh comes along, I will know if I want to upgrade.
 
Thanks all. Went into best buy yesterday to buy a 32gb iPad 3. They didn't any new ones so I ended up buying an open box 32gb 4g iPad. Its only been one day and I already don't know how I lived without this thing. Is it lame that I have no real intentions to use the 4g on my iPad?
 
wmp.dll said:
Thanks all. Went into best buy yesterday to buy a 32gb iPad 3. They didn't any new ones so I ended up buying an open box 32gb 4g iPad. Its only been one day and I already don't know how I lived without this thing. Is it lame that I have no real intentions to use the 4g on my iPad?
Click to expand...

Not really, unless you feel you paid for something you will never use. I think the 4g has gps. If you ever decide you want 4g, you will have it. And resale will be better should you decide to trade up when/if iPad 4 comes out.

Enjoy!
 
My iPad 3 takes a good 6.5 or 7 hours to charge and the battery does not last as long under heavy use - we probably use 7 hours or so a day and this drains it, probably because we have to set it at 75-80% brightness to have a nice bright view. Retina is not a game-changing difference for me - not sure why since I was overwhelmed by retina difference on iPhone. It's up to you but there are tradeoffs in battery life, charge time, heat factor, QC, ETC. LTE is best reason to upgrade IMO. The LTE speeds are awesome.
 
Retina makes more sense on the phone due to the small screen size. Text is easier to read and you don't have the option of increasing the font size to a comfortable viewing level as you do on the iPad.
 
Good choice taking the 3. I had an ipad 1, and my dad has a 2. I just got a 3 and the other two simply don't compare. Once you go retina, you don't go back!
 
Should have gone with a refurbed 2 and used the extra money to buy a nice case, accessories, apps, go out to dinner, etc, etc.
 
Buy the 3.

I had this dilemma and the real kicker for me was, how long am I planning on keeping this? I bought the 3rd for $100 more, since I plan on keeping this for at least 2-3 years before upgrading. If I got the 2nd, I would have probably wanted to upgrade to the 4th generation, for sure.

And after using the retina display, its really hard to go back. Especially, since the screen is what you use the most on the iPad. I believe that matters.
 
iPad 2 is fine but the retina display imo is just too superb. If you look at text on an iPad 3 there's no way you can stand the old model.
 
Seriously, I don't get some of the people on here. iPad 3 is a major upgrade from the 2. Like someone else said, considering the iPad is a huge screen, a screen update is a pretty big deal. OP, you should definitely spend 100 more and get the 3.
 
The iPad 3 has completely replaced my laptop/main computer and home cable. I can editing my YouTube videos with iMovie , image editing with iMovie, watch tv with Hulu/Netflix with AirPlay(optional ),office work with iWork's, and just general browsing. I have a huge video and music library. I manage this with iTunes match. Basically I have the torrent version then let iTunes match it for $25 yearly. So I can delete and redownload at will. Wanna download a YouTube video there an app for that . Or just the audio? Same thing. Have a lot of pics? Get Dropbox, box, google drive, Asus storage, and sky drive . That's 100 gb of free cloud storage right there. Type fanactic ? Apple Bluetooth keyboard is the cure for a speed demon. I manage with heavy apps(GB,iMovie, iPhoto,etc) and videos on my iPad . While music and light apps(angry birds,fruit ninja,draw something) on my iPhone. Hope this helps

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Just get the 3 you will notice the benefits instantly and you'll have a better resale value next year
 
I'm considering an ipad and just found this thread.
Not sure how much I'll use it and it will be used by my kids so I'm planning on getting a 16gb refurb wifi ipad 2. For me personally it's not worth spending the extra cost especially when it's $180 (new 3 vs refurb 2)
 
if you have the money, go for the 3. I was on the fence about the ipad, but after enjoying that display for the past week or so, I am hooked.
 
Redjericho said:
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.
Click to expand...

Batavian said:
Where did you get this information? I'd be curious to see.
Click to expand...

It is likely BS. Apple typically utilized "just in time" manufacturing. Meaning, they only make what they can sell (with little sitting in warehouses).

If you order from Apple online, it should be 100% new chips.
 
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I just bought a refurb iPad 2 from apple.com for only $319. That's $180 less than the comparable iPad 3. It does everything that I want and the screen is great. Definitely not as sharp as the 3, but unless you have a 2 &.3 side by side, you'll never miss it.
 
wmp.dll said:
Thanks all. Went into best buy yesterday to buy a 32gb iPad 3. They didn't any new ones so I ended up buying an open box 32gb 4g iPad. Its only been one day and I already don't know how I lived without this thing. Is it lame that I have no real intentions to use the 4g on my iPad?
Click to expand...

The dude has already bought the 3 folks. :D

I hope you enjoy it OP. :)
 
...

I have had all 3 ipads, I would buy an ipad 2. I see no reason to spend the extra money on the ipad 3. I have the ipad 3 but really there was no reason to upgrade as I feel the 2 was better. Thinner, less warmth in use, much shorter charge times, these things dont reslly affect usage but for the price differance I would take a refurb ipad 2
 
calderone said:
It is likely BS. Apple typically utilized "just in time" manufacturing. Meaning, they only make what they can sell (with little sitting in warehouses).

If you order from Apple online, it should be 100% new chips.
Click to expand...

I also figured as much. He never replied. Too often I see posts with people posting info without an iota of fact.
 
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