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Should I get an iPad?

Death-T

Death-T

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 18, 2012
125
0
Savannah, Georgia
I have an iMac, Apple TV 2, and an iPhone 4S. I may be getting a Macbook Pro soon too. To the point, I'm in the market for a tablet and am trying to decide between getting an Android tablet or an iPad. Apple products tend to work well together and I suppose it would be cool to have the whole collection so to speak.

But then again, with all these Apple products maybe it would make sense to get something with a different OS. I've had a Samsung Epic Galaxy S phone before and liked what it had to offer, and the iPad is sort of like an oversized iPod. If I'm going to buy a tablet on top of everything I already have it makes sense to get something less redundant.

So having said that, are there any redeeming qualities about the iPad that make it a better choice over its competitors? Just asking for suggestions--I've done a decent bit of research but would like to hear some more opinions.
 
I'm a really big Android fan. I'm using a Galaxy Nexus right now, and haven't used an iPhone since I had a 3GS. That being said I really can't recommend an Android tablet right how over an iPad. Apple is just really miles ahead of Google at this point when it comes to polish and an app ecosystem. The lack of apps on Android tabs is what lead me to get a new iPad which I am very happy with, although I do miss a lot of the flexibility Android has to offer. My main gripe is that there is no sort of file system whatsoever so i can't share files between apps. I like being able to email files with my Android phone which is impossible as far as I can tell with my iPad.
 
Are you really asking if you should get a non Apple product on this forum ?
 
boomboom2 said:
I'm a really big Android fan. I'm using a Galaxy Nexus right now, and haven't used an iPhone since I had a 3GS. That being said I really can't recommend an Android tablet right how over an iPad. Apple is just really miles ahead of Google at this point when it comes to polish and an app ecosystem. The lack of apps on Android tabs is what lead me to get a new iPad which I am very happy with, although I do miss a lot of the flexibility Android has to offer. My main gripe is that there is no sort of file system whatsoever so i can't share files between apps. I like being able to email files with my Android phone which is impossible as far as I can tell with my iPad.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. If you don't mind my asking, would you know how the Android tablet browsing experience compares to iPad? To my understanding the iPad's browsing experience is somewhat limited due to its inability to support flash plugins. Is Android an improvement in that area?

Really what I'm asking is, what makes the iPad more than an "over sized iPod"? I have no doubt it's a great product, but does having an iPhone and several Apple computers really demean its purchase?

sinser said:
Are you really asking if you should get a non Apple product on this forum ?
Click to expand...

lol, yeah I figured. I just thought I might get an opinion from Apple enthusiasts even if it means searching for a bias because I'm strongly leaning towards an Android device due to my abundance of Apple stuff.
 
Death-T said:
Thanks for your input. If you don't mind my asking, would you know how the Android tablet browsing experience compares to iPad? To my understanding the iPad's browsing experience is somewhat limited due to its inability to support flash plugins. Is Android an improvement in that area?

Really what I'm asking is, what makes the iPad more than an "over sized iPod"? I have no doubt it's a great product, but does having an iPhone and several Apple computers really demean its purchase?



lol, yeah I figured. I just thought I might get an opinion from Apple enthusiasts even if it means searching for a bias because I'm strongly leaning towards an Android device due to my abundance of Apple stuff.
Click to expand...

Apps. That is the difference. It's all about the apps.

Why won't you buy an Android tablet, try it out, return it after a week and than try the iPad and see what you prefer?
 
One advantage of getting an iPad if you already have an iPhone is that a lot of apps are universal, that is, you buy once and get to use it on both your iPhone and iPad. A lot of apps also have data syncing and integration between iPad, iPhone, and even Macs using iCloud and/or Dropbox. For instance, I have a Todo app that syncs data between my iPad and my iPhone, so if I add a task on my iPad, it shows up on my iPhone and vice versa. EBook apps like iBooks and Kindle app also sync bookmarks, notes, and last read positions across my devices.

I really don't thnk of having an iPhone and iPad as redundant -- it's more of a convenience, because no matter which device I pick up, my data is there. I take the iPhone with me everywhere I go, the iPad I sometimes leave behind if I don't feel like toting a bag, and when at home the iPhone mostly stays on the charger while I use my iPad. But no matter which device I have, my data is always there, I don't have to think about it. I doubt an Android tablet will give me this much data integration with an iPhone.
 
Death-T said:
I have an iMac, Apple TV 2, and an iPhone 4S.

/snip

If I'm going to buy a tablet on top of everything I already have it makes sense to get something less redundant.
Click to expand...

The iPad will compliment the ecosystem you already have invested to in Apple. In this case, redundancy as you put it, is a good thing.

You can mirror your iPad display to your Apple TV. You can stream music from your iMac to your iPad using iTunes home sharing. Some apps you've already bought are going to be Universal. Others will use the iPhone as a controller and the iPad as the screen. Really cool fun stuff.

There's more examples but those are the big ones that stand out to me. Can you do those things with Android? Probably, but it's not going to be as fluid or easy as Apple makes it.

Just my $0.02
 
In my opinion, anyone who goes on a forum and asks "should I buy a XXXXX" should not. If you should, you'd know it.
 
I have an iPod touch 4th gen, original iPad and a "new" iPad...I also have an HTC Evo and a 7" Samsung tablet (Japanese model SMT-i9100). The Android units are both from July 2011, the iPod Touch is from 2010 along with the original iPad and the new iPad is 2012 hardware.

Even the older Apple hardware runs iOS 5.1.1 much better than the tablet on Android 2.2.2 (won't upgrade any furter either & crashes a lot on one of the games I use on it) and the HTC on Android 2.3.4 (the phone is very stable and rarely crashes)!

I just don't see myself getting Android products again with the poor tablet experience and good/fair phone experience I've had compared to even my older apple devices.

I describe the phone experience as good/fair because I expect the device to work properly once its released and the phone seems to work properly and seldom crash when using it.

As far as the "new" iPad, I like it because I got a deal on a new boxed 64Gb 4G model for ~$738 when I had originally settled on an iPad2 32Gb 3G model for $620 NIB so for the $118 more it was a no-brainer to get the newer unit with double the Gb storage, the better camera (even though I rarely use the camera), double the ram (1Gb vs 512Mb) and the higher resolution screen...yes it does run warm on the middle left compared to the original iPad or iPad2 but usually only when I'm playing games on it.

Good luck with making your decision!
 
I'll break it down for ya, with positives and negatives from both devices.

iPad
+ iOS is brain dead simple to use
+ iOS, in my experience, is more stable than Android, this might be because there is so many different hardware configurations that android apps can run on.
+ Apple has the eco-system nailed, they are well established and have a large selection of tablet optimized programs.
+ Retina display, nothing can compare currently.
- No file system, though it can be somewhat circumvented with online storage and/or jailbreak hacks that involve the camera kit accessory. This can be viewed as a plus for some because file systems are complex and confusing for people that just want something that works.
- No external slot, this means you are limited to the internal memory so if you buy an iPad make sure you get enough capacity to grow on!

Android
+ Android is more customizable and open compared to iOS
+ External storage (on the good tablets anyway), allowing limitless storage space and you can also run apps from external storage SD cards.
+ File system, for those that like to modify and organize your files then android allows it.
+ Available with the fastest processor on the tablet market (Tegra 3 in the Transformer Prime)
+/- Less control over the approval process with the android store, this can be both a good or bad thing. Bad for security reasons, good because it keeps the availability of apps more open.
+/- Available in all sorts of configurations, from 7 inches up to 13 inches, giving you more choices for screen estate.
- Android market is seriously lacking, so many apps are designed for 4 inch screens and not the 7 inch + screens. The app looks like crap because of this and also seems to lead to stability problems. The market is just weak right now for tablet-optimized apps. This is a HUGE downside to android tablets at the moment
- Even though it may run on the tablet with the fastest processor it is not much of a benefit when there are few apps that are optimized for tablets in the first place, unfortunately.
- Less secure, malware can be a issue with android devices, where I have not heard of any malware problems with Apple's strict approval process.


Bottomline: I don't think you can go wrong with either one, I do favor the iPad slightly just because the app store offers so much more than the android market does for tablets. If you can afford it, I recommend them both in all honesty. If only one though I think the iPad is the better choice currently.
 
Last edited:
Death-T said:
Thanks for your input. If you don't mind my asking, would you know how the Android tablet browsing experience compares to iPad? To my understanding the iPad's browsing experience is somewhat limited due to its inability to support flash plugins. Is Android an improvement in that area?

Really what I'm asking is, what makes the iPad more than an "over sized iPod"? I have no doubt it's a great product, but does having an iPhone and several Apple computers really demean its purchase?



lol, yeah I figured. I just thought I might get an opinion from Apple enthusiasts even if it means searching for a bias because I'm strongly leaning towards an Android device due to my abundance of Apple stuff.
Click to expand...

There are several browsers for iPad that support flash - puffin, photon, iswifter, just to name a few. I have puffin and really only use it for the occasional video - most of the web has moved to html5.

that's the thing - its less about what's in the box and more about apps that let you do stuff. And iPad easily beats android there. It's easy to say that it's just a big iPod, so who cares if the apps are for a phone or a tablet, but once you get your hands on it you'll realize that the form factor truly makes them entirely different products.
 
Death-T said:
I've had a Samsung Epic Galaxy S phone before and liked what it had to offer, and the iPad is sort of like an oversized iPod.
Click to expand...
If anything, unless you're a hardcore Siri user, you may end up using the iPad a lot and the iPhone a lot less. Once you have a iPad, the iPhone often ends up being the "iPad" that you use when you don't have the real iPad with you.
 
TLewis said:
If anything, unless you're a hardcore Siri user, you may end up using the iPad a lot and the iPhone a lot less. Once you have a iPad, the iPhone often ends up being the "iPad" that you use when you don't have the real iPad with you.
Click to expand...
I have noticed this too. I spend much less time with the iPhone compared to the period when I had no iPad.
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys. After doing some research it seems the only Android tablets worth getting are the higher end models which equal or exceed the iPad price tag anyway, so price really isn't a factor here.

With everything said I'm now really considering the iPad. I may not get the iPad 3 though--the retina screen is nice but I'm not trying to spend too much.
 
The only Android tablet that seems interesting to me is the ASUS Transformer Pad 300. It's 400 dollars for the 32 GB model and it's packing a quad core Tegra. It's not as smooth as the iPad, but it's pretty close. I've browsed the internet on a Tegra 3 tab before and it's a pretty slick experience.
 
Death-T said:
I have an iMac, Apple TV 2, and an iPhone 4S. I may be getting a Macbook Pro soon too. To the point, I'm in the market for a tablet and am trying to decide between getting an Android tablet or an iPad. Apple products tend to work well together and I suppose it would be cool to have the whole collection so to speak.

But then again, with all these Apple products maybe it would make sense to get something with a different OS. I've had a Samsung Epic Galaxy S phone before and liked what it had to offer, and the iPad is sort of like an oversized iPod. If I'm going to buy a tablet on top of everything I already have it makes sense to get something less redundant.

So having said that, are there any redeeming qualities about the iPad that make it a better choice over its competitors? Just asking for suggestions--I've done a decent bit of research but would like to hear some more opinions.
Click to expand...

It depends on what you want to do with iPad. If you are going to get MBP then you might not need to use iPad when you want to take MBP out. I noticed myself less taking my MBP out when I bought an iPad.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys! I really am considering an iPad now with everything that's been said. Having said that, if I do buy an iPad I will probably go with the iPad 2. Presuming the Macbook Pro with the retina display comes out this Summer I may save the extra cash that an iPad 3 would demand to get the new MBP instead.

Call me an Apple fanboy but it would be cool to have the whole family of devices. Now I just gotta shop for the right iToilet. :D

http://e.winandmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/itoilet-3.jpg
 
Good post by ivolution. You ll love your tablet, don't worry, it's not an oversized nothing, it's a product category. I can't suggest the current iPad due to screen quality issues and that fact that android is currently a superior os in many respects (inferior in others), and windows 8 is also around the corner. In any case if you do buy the iPad, you are really going to enjoy it, that's for sure.
 
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