Should I buy an iPad or an iPad 2?

[courteous]

If you had asked me that question a few days after I got my new iPad, I would have recommended you buy the new one for sure. However, with the prices falling on the first gen like they have, the first gen is a great deal. I'd you go with AT&T you can save as much as $300! That's an amazing deal for a great product!

Here in Europe, I can only choose between €390 (=$550) and €500 (=$700) for iPad and iPad 2, respectively. (Unless someone knows a way to buy it from US for $300.)
So, I'm weighing whether the iPad 2 is better-enough given the 25% higher price ... I'm also doubting whether I really need such a device* ... if only I could find a pointy stylus that would deliver (almost) paper-like experience.

To repeat my two Q:

1. are there noticeably less "lags" on iPad 2 when reading (complicated) PDFs?
2. and, is the "empty square-pattern" mostly gone on iPad 2?
3. in general, is speed really that better (when reading PDFs, that is)?

* aka "the denial", the last stage before you buy an Apple product

 

[EdwardMoffet]

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I think ipad 2 is better because eventually their will be games/apps that wont work on first gen ipad.

This is the main reason to upgrade right here. Also multitasking is greatly improved (check some videos on youtube).

If all you intend to use it for mainly is the more casual games (angry birds for example), watching movies, music, web surfing and you're not really concerned with the more graphically intensive games or multitasking then the iPad 1 wouldn't be a bad choice. It all depends on what you want to use it for, but the ipad 2 is worth the extra money.

 

[Sodner]

Go with the 2. In general I would not recommend buying a last years model as it will go out of OS support one year sooner.

 

[ajvizzgamer101]

iPad
+ Availability (No lines, no wait)
+ Price (Save hundred bucks)
+ Orignal (Apple Collectors?)

iPad 2
+ Faster (Apps like GarageBand take advantage of the speed)
+ Thinner (Much easier to hold and saves a few more millimeters in the bag )
+ Lastest OS (Soon iPad 1 will not get OS updates )
+ Cameras

 

[rtztgue]

Same here, I just posted something very similar in the Verizon discount thread. I'm curious to know what you decide! I ended up getting a 16GB and a 32GB for me and my wife. I'll probably end up canceling my iPad2 order. I'll also be ready to upgrade from my 3GS to the iPhone5 this summer so I'll still have a 'brand new' toy to play with.

Well I did cancel my iPad 2 order. From what I see of the two and from people's responses this comes down to which product fits your needs. I know from having my iPhone that I don't play the high end games. I downloaded a few, but never use them. My usage is surfing the web, reading, small apps like evernote. Maps, stocks, etc.

I did notice a slight speed difference from iPad 1 to iPad 2 while I had them next to each other. Took a bit to really be sure, but when I walked away and only had the iPad 1 in my hands, I had nothing to visually compare to so it seems fine to me

My logic from here is simple. This iPad 1 will get me by for the next year. The money I save will be worth it and I will really get familiar with the product, what it will do and what I want to do with it. By that time the iPad 3 will be coming out and I will have the experience, and saved money, to decide about getting that model. Since the ipad 3 will be a big upgrade. I did the same thing from iPhone 3 to ip4. I skipped 3GS to save money. I figure the same strategy will work here.