Returned the Ipad 3

[BoxerGT2.5]

Bottom line is whether you went with the 3 or stuck with the 2 we can all make justifications for our decisions. We can also convince ourselves what we see and don't see in regard to the differences. I think if someone did a randomized blind study, the average user would fail to pick out the new iPad probably 70% of the time. In the end all that matters is if YOU think it's worth it. Doesn't matter what others think and everyone should stop trying to argue their rationalization.

 

[Peanut207]

As a first time iPad owner, I have no desire to return mine (64GB Wifi-Only, Black). Loving the hell out of it 😉 To an average iPad 2 owner, however, there's really no incentive to upgrade.

As an owner of an iPad 2, the blazing fast LTE and a huge upgrade in screen resolution is plenty incentive for me to upgrade. 😀 Not to mention a much better camera. I can't wait for my new iPad to arrive Wednesday!

 

[ixodes]

This is supposed to be a fun conversation, personal attacks aren't fun..

I agree, it'd be nice to have an open minded enjoyable conversation, with the participants being respectful of each others opinions, values, preferences & needs.

Unfortunately my observations reveal that it's highly unlikely that an adult, mature conversation is possible in the iOS, pads, pods & phone forums, without the riff raff attacking.

It's best & quite easy to ignore the dolts, and enjoy those who are worth communicating with 😀

 

[IbisDoc]

As an iPad 2 owner who preordered the iPad 3, I've now had both iPads in my possession since Friday. My original plan was to give away the old iPad 2 to a family member. I have now been able to compare the advantages of a slightly lighter iPad that recharges faster with a non-HD display to a slightly heavier iPad that takes longer to charge with a retina display and blazing fast LTE. Now, my new plan is to.......give away the old iPad 2 to a family member.

 

[fattire357]

As a first time iPad owner, I have no desire to return mine (64GB Wifi-Only, Black). Loving the hell out of it 😉 To an average iPad 2 owner, however, there's really no incentive to upgrade.

EDIT: The charging times don't seem too long. Plugged into my Macbook Pro USB port, it charged halfway in around 4 hrs. (while being used). If you use the supplied adapter, it'll probably charge all the way in 3-4 hrs.

You have no idea what you were missing on the iPad 2, charging times wise.

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As an iPad 2 owner who preordered the iPad 3, I've now had both iPads in my possession since Friday. My original plan was to give away the old iPad 2 to a family member. I have now been able to compare the advantages of a slightly lighter iPad that recharges faster with a non-HD display to a slightly heavier iPad that takes longer to charge with a retina display and blazing fast LTE. Now, my new plan is to.......give away the old iPad 2 to a family member.

haha thanks for your feedback. i'm wrestling with a similar dilemna

 

[bcaslis]

I got caught up in the hype and pre-ordered one(ATT 64GB) too, worrying that I would not be able to get one (last year it took me four weeks to get one, post launch).

Opened it up with bated breath and played around with it.. The screen was pretty good, but in everything I compared, i was hard pressed to identify which was the ipad2 vs the ipad3.

Then debated hard with the following being the key arguments
* ATT does not have LTE yet in Portland OR
* Not happy with the longer charge times
* No significant upgrade in day-day activites (webbrowsing etc)
* $$$$ 🙂

So with a heavy heart, I went back and returned it.

Anyone else do that? I realize this is fan-forum 🙂 so please don't flame me. Just curious..

I'm in Portland. I got the Verizon one instead of AT&T because Verizon DOES have LTE here. I'd rather have the great screen and Verizon LTE than a shorter recharge time. It's called plugging it in overnight.

 

[tomegun]

Bottom line is whether you went with the 3 or stuck with the 2 we can all make justifications for our decisions. We can also convince ourselves what we see and don't see in regard to the differences. I think if someone did a randomized blind study, the average user would fail to pick out the new iPad probably 70% of the time. In the end all that matters is if YOU think it's worth it. Doesn't matter what others think and everyone should stop trying to argue their rationalization.

I was with you until the bolder part.

• How many of us go from the iPhone retina display to the iPad 1/2 and notice it? I did all the time.

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

I was with you until the bolder part.

• How many of us go from the iPhone retina display to the iPad 1/2 and notice it? I did all the time.

I would argue the AVERAGE user excludes most on this forum. Hand 10 people two iPads, a 2 and 3, let them check email, browse a few web pages, and watch a movie from iTunes. I'd bet 7 of them couldn't tell the difference.

 

[m13]

I was comparing my ipad 2 to my dad's ipad 3

The performance is the same really in terms of app launching/web browsing and whatnot

The screen on the 3 is nice BUT for me, it was not hugely different imo. My dad, who is close to 60, couldn't even tell them apart without really scrutinizing it and going "ohh I see it now" in terms of text crispness.

I will say that if you are getting an ipad for the first time, the 3 is a no brainer. If you are upgrading from the 1, the 3 is a good upgrade. However, if you have a 2, I would consider waiting till next years ipad

I have the same sentiment. I have iPad and iPad 2. New iPad was not as big an upgrade for me. The extra weight is noticeable if I have to hold the unit rather than putting on a table or my lap. The increased thickness is also noticeable but not a deal breaker. The biggest drawback IMHO is the battery. I worry that I will run out of battery and not be able to recharge it fast enough in a hurry. I feel that Apple should have redesigned the charging system as they did going from the iPhone to the iPad.

I also kind of wondered what Steve thought about the 2 steps forward and 1 step back.

 

[gorskiegangsta]

You have no idea what you were missing on the iPad 2, charging times wise.

Let me guess, an hour less? An hour and a half. Makes no difference to me, personally as I can easily charge it overnight. Besides, to me the compromise is well worth it.
I just checked, with the adapter it takes ~3.5 hrs to charge the new iPad from 11% to 100% while idle.

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As an owner of an iPad 2, the blazing fast LTE and a huge upgrade in screen resolution is plenty incentive for me to upgrade. 😀 Not to mention a much better camera. I can't wait for my new iPad to arrive Wednesday!

Would you consider yourself an "average" iPad owner? Probably not.

 

[xxstatic]

I will stick with my 2 and wait for the 4th gen, not much there for me at this point to justify the jump.

 

[aristotle]

Wow, another troll thread. :roll eyes:

1. The LTE iPad should be faster even on 3G if your area has 21 Mbits/s or faster HSPA+ than even the iPhone 4S so I call bull crap on this thread.
2. The screen is light years beyond even any MBP screen let alone the previous iPad models in both raw resolution and pixel density.
3. The new iPads can pickup both Wifi and Bluetooth data modems on a variety of phones whereas the old ones could only pair with phones through Wifi and the number of hotspots it could pickup was a fraction of what the new one sees. My new iPad LTE was picking up dozens of phones on my floor at work and new wifi hotspots that I could not see on my iPad 2 Wifi.
4. The quad core graphics not only drive a much higher display but offer smoother motion even at that higher resolution.
5. The camera is now 5MP and 1080p so you can use it to record video in a pinch if you don't have your camera with you.

I did one speed test on my iPad on LTE in Vancouver at Pacific Centre Mall and the testing app claimed that I had a 98.9 Mbits/s downlink and 5Mbits/s uplink. I don't know if that was a fluke or a bug because the claimed maximum on Apple's page is 75 Mbits/s. Maybe the iPad can achieve a peak of 100 Mbits/s but AT&T and Verizon don't support speeds that high?

 

[deeddawg]

It is 4x the resolution and thus 4x the amt of pixels

Not to split hairs, but resolution is a linear measurement. Pixels per inch. Not Pixels per square inch.

Resolution doubled -> total pixels quadrupled.

 

[aperry]

I would argue the AVERAGE user excludes most on this forum. Hand 10 people two iPads, a 2 and 3, let them check email, browse a few web pages, and watch a movie from iTunes. I'd bet 7 of them couldn't tell the difference.

Only if those 10 people had terrible eyes. Sorry, but I have compared them side by side and the iPad 2 looks distinctly fuzzy compared to the iPad 3. It's plainly obviously to anyone with any kind of passable eye sight. If you limited the test to movie watching then *maybe* some of them would have issues. But as soon as anyone sees text on a web page the difference is plainly obvious.

 

[Hello...]

I look at it this way.
I sold my iPad 2 for $325 I bought my new iPad 3 for 499 so it's really only a$175 upgrade

 

[phpmaven]

to Deedawg:
I am confirmed Apple addict (iphone1-4, ipad1-2, every MBA). This is the *first* time I am returning an upgrade. Feels strange. so wanted to see if i was an idiot for returning mine 🙂

Well... If you just think the screen was "pretty good" and didn't go 😱 when you saw it, I can only conclude that either your last statement is true or you have very poor eyesight and need glasses.

 

[VidPro]

I kind of felt the same way with the iPhone 4. It didn't strike me as a big difference. I do wear reader glasses so that may be a possible reason why i am not getting the Retina Display excitement. I still want to check out the new iPad to see for myself. I just talked to someone here in IT and he has a 2and a new iPad at home and said it didn't seem worth the upgrade.

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

Only if those 10 people had terrible eyes. Sorry, but I have compared them side by side and the iPad 2 looks distinctly fuzzy compared to the iPad 3. It's plainly obviously to anyone with any kind of passable eye sight. If you limited the test to movie watching then *maybe* some of them would have issues. But as soon as anyone sees text on a web page the difference is plainly obvious.

Because there were 100's of threads of "distinctly fuzzy text" over the past year. Again, holding it at an average distance of 10-14 inches, I'd wager 7 out of 10 wouldn't pick out the new iPad.

 

[Lindenhurst]

I agree, it'd be nice to have an open minded enjoyable conversation, with the participants being respectful of each others opinions, values, preferences & needs.

Unfortunately my observations reveal that it's highly unlikely that an adult, mature conversation is possible in the iOS, pads, pods & phone forums, without the riff raff attacking.

It's best & quite easy to ignore the dolts, and enjoy those who are worth communicating with 😀

You said it perfectly.

 

[spiderman0616]

This is what I don't get.

Go back through the MacRumors, Boy Genius, Apple Insider, etc. forums for the last year or two and find posts complaining about the non retina display of the iPad/iPad 2 and how it pales in comparison to the iPhone 4/4S. There are several. Look for articles, criticisms, complaints on CNET, Engadget, and all the other usual suspects. Lots of whining about the lack of a retina display. Even more whining about the lack of a good quality camera. Sprinkle in lots of speculation about when they're finally going to add LTE to an Apple device.

Now you get the 3rd Gen iPad that has all this stuff, and now we have a new rash of people.......COMPLAINING about it. It's not a good enough upgrade, I don't care about LTE, who uses a tablet for a camera, the retina display is no big deal, wah wah wah wah.

It's getting ridiculous. In the tech media (especially CNET) it's quite obvious that they're only doing it for the clicks. That's how they make their money. But in forums like this one, it's usually people trying to justify not spending the money on the new model. There's more logic to CNET recycling headlines and posting click bait than there is to forum commentors trashing a product simply because they don't think it's worth THEIR money.

 

[aperry]

Because there were 100's of threads of "distinctly fuzzy text" over the past year. Again, holding it at an average distance of 10-14 inches, I'd wager 7 out of 10 wouldn't pick out the new iPad.

Sure, no one complained about DVD quality movies for years until HD came along. Is this really your argument?

If you have compared the iPad 2 to the iPad 3, then you have seen the noticeable difference. My guess is that you haven't or else your eyes are bad. The difference is pretty obvious and there's nothing subjective about it.

 

[Gix1k]

My Dad came over yesterday with the new iPad. Immediately I was able to tell the screen was far better than my iPad 2. I didn't even need to do a side by side to tell it.
However, I am still happy with my iPad 2 screen. No way I would have upgraded for the screen. It's still my opinion that the update from iP1 to iP2 was bigger than this.

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Totally agree. In my opinion, the update from the iPad 2 to iPad 3 is far bigger than the iPad 1 to iPad 2.

No way!! iPad 2 is half the size, sexier and got cameras. Over the iPad 1.

The iPad 3 got heavier and a better screen.

 

[aperry]

No way!! iPad 2 is half the size, sexier and got cameras. Over the iPad 1.

The iPad 3 got heavier and a better screen.

As far as comparing improvements, I'll take the screen any day. Say what you want about the form factor and weight, it's the screen that you're interfacing through 100% of the time.

 

[andiwm2003]

This is what I don't get.

Go back through the MacRumors, Boy Genius, Apple Insider, etc. forums for the last year or two and find posts complaining about the non retina display of the iPad/iPad 2 and how it pales in comparison to the iPhone 4/4S. There are several. Look for articles, criticisms, complaints on CNET, Engadget, and all the other usual suspects. Lots of whining about the lack of a retina display. Even more whining about the lack of a good quality camera. Sprinkle in lots of speculation about when they're finally going to add LTE to an Apple device.

Now you get the 3rd Gen iPad that has all this stuff, and now we have a new rash of people.......COMPLAINING about it. It's not a good enough upgrade, I don't care about LTE, who uses a tablet for a camera, the retina display is no big deal, wah wah wah wah.

It's getting ridiculous. In the tech media (especially CNET) it's quite obvious that they're only doing it for the clicks. That's how they make their money. But in forums like this one, it's usually people trying to justify not spending the money on the new model. There's more logic to CNET recycling headlines and posting click bait than there is to forum commentors trashing a product simply because they don't think it's worth THEIR money.

+1 000 000 000 000 000

This is the best summary of the forum/blog enviroment I have read in a long time. They should make this a sticky.

 

[Shutterbug78]

I had the first iPad, until it was stolen at Christmas. I knew the 3rd gen was coming out in early 2012, so rather than getting the 2, I decided to wait. (and it was then I realized just how addicted I was to the dang thing). I waited until two weeks ago, but then the rumors started coming out that the 3rd gen was going to be +$70 and best buy had the 2 at -$50.

I went ahead and got the 2, but it never really felt "right."

As soon as the announcement came out that the price was going to be the same as the 2 was originally, I returned it and placed my preorder. I got the 3rd gen in hand Friday morning.

It feels "right" again. It is the same feeling I had upon getting the first one in hand. Same wonder, same obsession.

I think those that skipped (or in my case, only had for a week) the iPad 2, the jump isn't that great. But for those of us that came from the first iPad, it is a huge leap and totally worth it.