iPad Should I upgrade to iPad 5 from 4th Gen?

[Anonymous Freak]

I have so much trouble discerning whether some of the posts on these forums are being serious or just sarcastic.

Part of the problem is that you asked for purchasing advice on an item that nobody on here truly knows what it will be.

It would be like asking if you should upgrade from a current-model Prius to the next model that hasn't been revealed yet.


While we can make assumptions, nobody can tell you for sure. So many people respond to requests-that-can't-be-seriously-answered with sarcasm.


The simple answer to "should I upgrade from <x> to <y>?" is nearly always "if you will get the extra value out of it that it will cost to upgrade, sure."

The iPad 5 will almost certainly contain the new 64-bit CPU. There are a few (very few) applications for the iPhone 5S that have already been announced that take enough advantage of the 64-bit instruction set to allow for new features they can't do on the older 32-bit instruction set. If those features are something you would find useful enough to justify the upgrade cost, then it's worth it. (One example was a video DJ app that can do multiple 1080p streams at once.)


As for "keeping my losses to a premium," I still have an original iPad. It is still useful to me. I will likely keep it until it either stops working, or there are software reasons for me to upgrade. But let's say I pick this year to upgrade to the iPad 5. I paid $500 for mine in late 2010. I got three good years' use out of it. That is approximately $170/year to use. If I had upgraded to the $500 model each year, and sold the prior one for $400 (extremely unlikely,) then I would have spent a total of $700 over three years (before buying this year's - the original $500, plus a net $100 to upgrade to an iPad 2, plus a net $100 to upgrade to an iPad 4 - skipping the 3 based on my purchase cycle.) That is about $230 per year to use. So from a "keeping my losses to a minimum," perspective, if I had no compelling software reasons to upgrade, it made more financial sense to stick with the old one.

So, when the new one comes out - look at the software. If software you need/desire comes out that requires the new iPad, then by all means, upgrade. But upgrading "to get the most out of selling my old one" will always be a money loser, since you are not going to get your original purchase price out of the old one.

 

[3lite]

Part of the problem is that you asked for purchasing advice on an item that nobody on here truly knows what it will be.

It would be like asking if you should upgrade from a current-model Prius to the next model that hasn't been revealed yet.


While we can make assumptions, nobody can tell you for sure. So many people respond to requests-that-can't-be-seriously-answered with sarcasm.


The simple answer to "should I upgrade from <x> to <y>?" is nearly always "if you will get the extra value out of it that it will cost to upgrade, sure."

The iPad 5 will almost certainly contain the new 64-bit CPU. There are a few (very few) applications for the iPhone 5S that have already been announced that take enough advantage of the 64-bit instruction set to allow for new features they can't do on the older 32-bit instruction set. If those features are something you would find useful enough to justify the upgrade cost, then it's worth it. (One example was a video DJ app that can do multiple 1080p streams at once.)


As for "keeping my losses to a premium," I still have an original iPad. It is still useful to me. I will likely keep it until it either stops working, or there are software reasons for me to upgrade. But let's say I pick this year to upgrade to the iPad 5. I paid $500 for mine in late 2010. I got three good years' use out of it. That is approximately $170/year to use. If I had upgraded to the $500 model each year, and sold the prior one for $400 (extremely unlikely,) then I would have spent a total of $700 over three years (before buying this year's - the original $500, plus a net $100 to upgrade to an iPad 2, plus a net $100 to upgrade to an iPad 4 - skipping the 3 based on my purchase cycle.) That is about $230 per year to use. So from a "keeping my losses to a minimum," perspective, if I had no compelling software reasons to upgrade, it made more financial sense to stick with the old one.

So, when the new one comes out - look at the software. If software you need/desire comes out that requires the new iPad, then by all means, upgrade. But upgrading "to get the most out of selling my old one" will always be a money loser, since you are not going to get your original purchase price out of the old one.

Are you running iOS 7 on your iPad? If so, how is it?

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Are you running iOS 7 on your iPad? If so, how is it?

The original iPad is stuck at iOS 5 - no 7 for me. (Nor even 6.)

It's just fine on my iPhone 4S, and my wife's iPhone 4, though.

 

[puma1552]

I'm trying to decide myself whether to upgrade from my 64 gig wifi black iPad 4.

Thing is, I hit the quality control jackpot with the one I got - fantastic battery life, no cosmetic issues, and an absolutely PERFECT screen with virtually zero backlight bleed whatsoever. So mine really feels like a keeper.

If I knew I could get a flawless 5, I'd be tempted. I paid only $630 including tax on black Friday. I could sell mine now and then hold off until black Friday again and come out in good shape.

Only other thing though is I want a black front but hated the slate color. Space gray is a big improvement which I'm sure the 5 will have, but still not sure I like it. Also hate the ultra cheap screen printed Apple logo.

 

[3lite]

I'm trying to decide myself whether to upgrade from my 64 gig wifi black iPad 4.

Thing is, I hit the quality control jackpot with the one I got - fantastic battery life, no cosmetic issues, and an absolutely PERFECT screen with virtually zero backlight bleed whatsoever. So mine really feels like a keeper.

If I knew I could get a flawless 5, I'd be tempted. I paid only $630 including tax on black Friday. I could sell mine now and then hold off until black Friday again and come out in good shape.

Only other thing though is I want a black front but hated the slate color. Space gray is a big improvement which I'm sure the 5 will have, but still not sure I like it. Also hate the ultra cheap screen printed Apple logo.

How much money did you save by waiting for Black Friday?

 

[puma1552]

How much money did you save by waiting for Black Friday?

The 64 gig was $752 with tax normally. And actually, I bought it a little less than two weeks before black Friday not expecting Apple's deal to be worth fighting crowds, but for kicks I walked into Apple around noon on black friday, saw the deal was quite good so just asked if they'd refund the difference since I was in the return window anyway and they said sure and refunded me $120 bucks just like that. Worked out well.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Part of the problem is that you asked for purchasing advice on an item that nobody on here truly knows what it will be.

It would be like asking if you should upgrade from a current-model Prius to the next model that hasn't been revealed yet.


While we can make assumptions, nobody can tell you for sure. So many people respond to requests-that-can't-be-seriously-answered with sarcasm.


The simple answer to "should I upgrade from <x> to <y>?" is nearly always "if you will get the extra value out of it that it will cost to upgrade, sure."

The iPad 5 will almost certainly contain the new 64-bit CPU. There are a few (very few) applications for the iPhone 5S that have already been announced that take enough advantage of the 64-bit instruction set to allow for new features they can't do on the older 32-bit instruction set. If those features are something you would find useful enough to justify the upgrade cost, then it's worth it. (One example was a video DJ app that can do multiple 1080p streams at once.)


As for "keeping my losses to a premium," I still have an original iPad. It is still useful to me. I will likely keep it until it either stops working, or there are software reasons for me to upgrade. But let's say I pick this year to upgrade to the iPad 5. I paid $500 for mine in late 2010. I got three good years' use out of it. That is approximately $170/year to use. If I had upgraded to the $500 model each year, and sold the prior one for $400 (extremely unlikely,) then I would have spent a total of $700 over three years (before buying this year's - the original $500, plus a net $100 to upgrade to an iPad 2, plus a net $100 to upgrade to an iPad 4 - skipping the 3 based on my purchase cycle.) That is about $230 per year to use. So from a "keeping my losses to a minimum," perspective, if I had no compelling software reasons to upgrade, it made more financial sense to stick with the old one.

So, when the new one comes out - look at the software. If software you need/desire comes out that requires the new iPad, then by all means, upgrade. But upgrading "to get the most out of selling my old one" will always be a money loser, since you are not going to get your original purchase price out of the old one.

Excellent analysis! Thanks.

 

[Icaras]

The dream Apple customer is someone who buys an 64GB iPad with cellular data and the 64GB iPhone every year and never jailbreaks their phone and purchases all of their apps legitimately.

::raises hand::

Besides not having cellular data, that's basically me.

 

[Tysknaden]

Current on 4th Generation iPad with retina.

Should I upgrade? What are the new enhancements besides it being a tad faster and new design?

I am one of the people, who do show the behavior of skipping one or two generations in a product's line.
But this is out of shortage of money. I did harm my income by a sudden and unplanned migration to another country, which brought (ex-)wife into control of everything. If I would have a wealthy life, still - I would act like a child and buy each years new incarnation of the iPad.
So - if you're able to buy this new iPad 5... give a ****! - BUY IT. Life is short. And if buying this device brings fun - just do yourself the favour and buy it.
Buying things brings a lot of fun - this I do remember. And while being reduced to an absolute minimum, by now... the memory of having bought nice things, once, still brings a little light
And no. I am not a pure materialist. I am a person, who deeply believes in spiritual things. I just think, this shouldn't be a reason to play the total monk. I have wonderful works of literature and music on my iPad, and it allows communication with the world. I think, this is a lot of reason for investing money in such a magical device.
I did a wolfswinter alone in a hotelroom, the only living creature inside the hotel. It was like The Shining - just without aggression or ghosts.
This is a place in the middle of the Baltic Sea.
Steve Jobs saved my mental health. I will never about forget this.