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Should i buy an iPad 2 or 3?
- Thread starter jlindau
- Start date
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I took my coworker this past friday to the apple store to make this exact decision.
After comparing both, he said he was extremely happy with the IPad 2, and we were able to get apple store to match microcenters price of $359. So, for him it was a no brainer.
After comparing both, he said he was extremely happy with the IPad 2, and we were able to get apple store to match microcenters price of $359. So, for him it was a no brainer.
I'm really in doubt about this as well. I want an iPad for two things:
1) Studying. I have a lot of big textbooks to read, books which are so big that they are hard to hold up; and most of the stuff I have to study are scientific articles published on the internet, so I would either have to read them on my computer or print them and carry them around.
2) Writing. I take a lot of notes on my iPhone; it's the tool I take most of my notes in, in lieu of a physical notebook. But writing on a keyboard as small as the iPhone's, while doable, is tiring.
I'm not worried about the price. To me, the iPad 3 has the following advantages:
a) It's newer, so it's likely that it will be supported longer. I'm still using my iPhone 3GS, so if I'm going to buy something, I want something that will last. As as the iPhone is becoming too slow, I hope the new iPad will last a long time before it becomes too slow to deal with iOS updates.
b) The new screen is better for reading, which is something I do a lot. Even if many apps are not yet optimized for the new display, the apps I need to read PDFs are optimized already, so this isn't a concern.
c) The better camera may be useful (often I have to take pictures in my work), but this isn't really a major concern.
At the same time, the iPad 2 has its advantages:
z) Battery is better. I use my iPhone 3GS so much that I have to keep charging it during my work, but I have access to a lot of UBS ports, and little to no access to an electric wall socket. If the battery of the new iPad is really so bad when just writing or reading a PDF, I risk having the device losing its charge significantly early in the day.
y) It's avaliable now. I'm not in the USA; I don't even know when the new iPad will be released in my country, while the iPad 2 is readily available here.
x) It's faster? I have been told that the iPad 2 is actually faster than the iPad 3 regarding most tasks. Since I'm not that fond of watching videos, and we can't really play games through the iPad in my country, having faster graphic processing doesn't really make a difference, and it appears for everything else the iPad 2 is actually faster than the iPad 3.
Does anyone have any opinion on which one would be better for my needs?
1) Studying. I have a lot of big textbooks to read, books which are so big that they are hard to hold up; and most of the stuff I have to study are scientific articles published on the internet, so I would either have to read them on my computer or print them and carry them around.
2) Writing. I take a lot of notes on my iPhone; it's the tool I take most of my notes in, in lieu of a physical notebook. But writing on a keyboard as small as the iPhone's, while doable, is tiring.
I'm not worried about the price. To me, the iPad 3 has the following advantages:
a) It's newer, so it's likely that it will be supported longer. I'm still using my iPhone 3GS, so if I'm going to buy something, I want something that will last. As as the iPhone is becoming too slow, I hope the new iPad will last a long time before it becomes too slow to deal with iOS updates.
b) The new screen is better for reading, which is something I do a lot. Even if many apps are not yet optimized for the new display, the apps I need to read PDFs are optimized already, so this isn't a concern.
c) The better camera may be useful (often I have to take pictures in my work), but this isn't really a major concern.
At the same time, the iPad 2 has its advantages:
z) Battery is better. I use my iPhone 3GS so much that I have to keep charging it during my work, but I have access to a lot of UBS ports, and little to no access to an electric wall socket. If the battery of the new iPad is really so bad when just writing or reading a PDF, I risk having the device losing its charge significantly early in the day.
y) It's avaliable now. I'm not in the USA; I don't even know when the new iPad will be released in my country, while the iPad 2 is readily available here.
x) It's faster? I have been told that the iPad 2 is actually faster than the iPad 3 regarding most tasks. Since I'm not that fond of watching videos, and we can't really play games through the iPad in my country, having faster graphic processing doesn't really make a difference, and it appears for everything else the iPad 2 is actually faster than the iPad 3.
Does anyone have any opinion on which one would be better for my needs?
Either device will meet your needs. And if price is not an issue for you, an extra $100 dollars is worth the upgrade for the 3.
I bought the iPad 3 and was disappointed by the quality of the screen (pink, grey-ish white, etc). I returned it and bought a refurb iPad 2 and am thrilled with it.
I would say the decision tree should be something like:
Buy a refurb iPad 2 if any are true:
Buy an iPad 3 if any are true:
I think all of the other stuff (excess heat, 1080p vs. 720p camera, dictation, etc) is not a significant factor for the majority of people.
I would say the decision tree should be something like:
Buy a refurb iPad 2 if any are true:
- you need to jailbreak now or don't want to wait if/when the jb is released for iPad 3
- you are price-sensitive
- you are a heavy user and don't want to be constrained by long charging times
Buy an iPad 3 if any are true:
- you care about having the latest and greatest
- you feel you would really benefit from a higher-quality screen
- you need WWAN capability and 4G is available in your area
I think all of the other stuff (excess heat, 1080p vs. 720p camera, dictation, etc) is not a significant factor for the majority of people.
I have had the iPad 1 the 2 and now I have the 3. The new iPad is better than the previous 2 in every way. The new iPad is way faster and smoother than the last one. I use my iPad daily for work and play so it really gets put to the test. If you can swing it get the new iPad.
Assuming everything else is equal (and it is...), the display (resolution/color/GPU) is absolutely worth the new price difference of $100 (16GB vs. 16GB).
If you’re considering a 3G/4G model, the speed difference in an LTE area is substantial, again, for folks that need fast, cell connections, easily worth the price.
There are also other notable perks like the improved camera (kind of nice, not a huge deal but better), and quite a few folks forget the 1GB of RAM (even if more is used by the new graphic requirements, I’m seeing much less, if any, draw-in when browsing).
If you’re concerned about cost - I’d say skip an obvious “luxury item” like an iPad
Joking aside, if you want to save, then a refurb iPad2, or one of the hundreds of used ones I’m seeing in various channels. For $200 or more difference, the iPad2 is a terrific device, but when you get to that $100 difference, I’d personally find it hard to pass up the new display.
Additionally: you’re not going to notice 51g of weight difference, or 0.6mm of thickness difference (I’m using an iPad2 snap on case the difference is so minimal). Video, apps, etc., are not “blocky” on the IP3, all my unenhanced apps look the same-to-better (text is always superior), and my enhanced apps look +stunning+
If you’re considering a 3G/4G model, the speed difference in an LTE area is substantial, again, for folks that need fast, cell connections, easily worth the price.
There are also other notable perks like the improved camera (kind of nice, not a huge deal but better), and quite a few folks forget the 1GB of RAM (even if more is used by the new graphic requirements, I’m seeing much less, if any, draw-in when browsing).
If you’re concerned about cost - I’d say skip an obvious “luxury item” like an iPad
Joking aside, if you want to save, then a refurb iPad2, or one of the hundreds of used ones I’m seeing in various channels. For $200 or more difference, the iPad2 is a terrific device, but when you get to that $100 difference, I’d personally find it hard to pass up the new display.Additionally: you’re not going to notice 51g of weight difference, or 0.6mm of thickness difference (I’m using an iPad2 snap on case the difference is so minimal). Video, apps, etc., are not “blocky” on the IP3, all my unenhanced apps look the same-to-better (text is always superior), and my enhanced apps look +stunning+
I purchased an iPad 3 on opening day but like others was disenchanted with certain aspects of the screen. I returned it and decided to hold onto my iPad 2 for a while. That only lasted a couple of weeks. It doesn't take very long for the retina display to spoil you, especially with text. I decided to try one more time and headed for Best Buy. The screen on my replacement is much, much better, I'm definitely very happy with the iPad 3! I've since sold my iPad 2 wi-fi 64 gb on eBay for $550, good riddance.
Not gonna lie, the reason why I got the 3 instead of the 2 was because my local Walmart had 1, white 16gb iPad 3 in stock. I was surprised they carried any at all, so impulsively, I got it. A 10% discount on it helped too (Family member was an employee).
I had planned on getting a refurb 32gb iPad 2 for the longest time, but seeing one locally, I opted for the 3 and am quite pleased with it. It will mainly be a portfolio tool for my photography and designs, as well as reading books.
I had planned on getting a refurb 32gb iPad 2 for the longest time, but seeing one locally, I opted for the 3 and am quite pleased with it. It will mainly be a portfolio tool for my photography and designs, as well as reading books.
If you do a lot of reading and looking at photos, definitely go with the new Ipad.
When I first got the new Ipad, I was impressed with the screen. Maybe a little disappointed because several reviews said the difference was like regular TV v HDTV. The difference is just not that shocking.
HOWEVER, the screen is definitely worth it. Since my initial reaction, I've been more and more impressed with the crispness of text not only compared to the IP1 but any other computer screen I have (between work and home I use 5 screens, including the IP1 which I gave to my wife). Every other screen text looks like I need to adjust my glasses because everything is just a tad blurry. But on the new Ipad, text just jumps off the page. You'll also notice a significant difference with high resolution pictures and video. Over time, more and more content will be optimized for the new screen and the increased processing power will give you a longer shelf life.
If the question was updating from an IP2, my answer would be more mixed. But new, no question unless the $100 really hurts.
When I first got the new Ipad, I was impressed with the screen. Maybe a little disappointed because several reviews said the difference was like regular TV v HDTV. The difference is just not that shocking.
HOWEVER, the screen is definitely worth it. Since my initial reaction, I've been more and more impressed with the crispness of text not only compared to the IP1 but any other computer screen I have (between work and home I use 5 screens, including the IP1 which I gave to my wife). Every other screen text looks like I need to adjust my glasses because everything is just a tad blurry. But on the new Ipad, text just jumps off the page. You'll also notice a significant difference with high resolution pictures and video. Over time, more and more content will be optimized for the new screen and the increased processing power will give you a longer shelf life.
If the question was updating from an IP2, my answer would be more mixed. But new, no question unless the $100 really hurts.