Swaying back towards non-3g version

[msduncan]

ok so I think I've swung back over into the '64GB Wifi only' column.

Figure the following places where I am most of the time:

1. My house. Wifi available
2. Work. Wifi available
3. My Parents. Wifi available
4. Her mom's. Wifi available
5. Her Dad's. Wifi available

This leaves an average of 1 vacation per year. I've never done it, but I think I can hook a wireless router into the hotel internet room connection and effectively give myself wifi there. Am I right about that?

Then consider the cost:

1. $130 extra for the 3G enabled device.
2. Either $14.99 or $29.99 when I want to get 3G access.

If I keep the device for 3 years, then that's $130 + (29.99 x 3) = appox $220
If the average vacation lasts 5 days x 9.99 per day internet access..... then I can use the trick above with the wireless router in the hotel rooms (assuming I can do this) for $150 total.

I would consider being able to surf while in transit in the car... but then I realize that with AT&T the 3G would probably be available less than 20% of the trip if even that much. I believe only the 3G versions have GPS in them... but am I really going to use that tablet as a GPS device? Methinks not?

Anyway... I'm leaning back in favor of the non-3g version now.

 

[bobsentell]

3G makes sense if you only have a dumbphone. If you already have a smartphone of some kind I, personally, would stick with WiFi only.

 

[Sketh]

My thoughts exactly.

And when I absolutely NEED (AKA want really really badly) to have 3G, I can tether my Pre, not a big deal.

 

[Spankey]

I commute and I want to surf the web on the iPad. I need 3G. Even if you don't NEED it, it is there when you want it. For a vacation use the 250mb subscription then cancel.

 

[drjsway]

3G version is WAY overpriced. I personally think paying $130 for a 3g chip is nuts.

 

[3N16MA]

Also as another poster pointed out the 32GB wifi only iPad is cheaper than the 16GB wifi+3G iPad.

 

[applesupergeek]

Don't be cheapos guys, $130 isn't much, you can cut corners here and there for it, because you are going to end up in some cafe/pub/restaurant/hotel lobby/train/park/etc. etc. there are so many scenarios, and then what? you gonna be asking and begging for a password from you local stingy cafe that won't offer wifi, or for that hotel that charges $10 per hour for it? Or begging the trees in the park that they somehow develop wifi capabilities, or go to the other side of the park to find that hot spot.

Remember it's not 3g + contract that will saddle you, it's 3g and you use it when and if you need it. If you find that you are that kind of person that somehow miraculously avoids all these situations, then, well $130 not so well spent, but everyday even the most frugal of us spent money here and there that we might not really make the most of them.

 

[d21mike]

Most hotels have WiFi so you may not need the Wireless Router.

 

[rgarjr]

Go with WIFI. They will most likely come up with GPS dock/mounts for it if you want GPS

 

[bobsentell]

Don't be cheapos guys, $130 isn't much, you can cut corners here and there for it, because you are going to end up in some cafe/pub/restaurant/hotel lobby/train/park/etc. etc. there are so many scenarios, and then what? you gonna be asking and begging for a password from you local stingy cafe that won't offer wifi, or for that hotel that charges $10 per hour for it? Or begging the trees in the park that they somehow develop wifi capabilities, or go to the other side of the park to find that hot spot.

Remember it's not 3g + contract that will saddle you, it's 3g and you use it when and if you need it. If you find that you are that kind of person that somehow miraculously avoids all these situations, then, well $130 not so well spent, but everyday even the most frugal of us spent money here and there that we might not really make the most of them.

I will add this to my original suggestion: If you travel a lot, then 3G may make sense. I don't intend to use it outside the home unless there is WiFi available. I'll just use my iPhone otherwise.

 

[bossxii]

I'm in the Wifi only camp as well. I've seen so many people stuck in 60/mo data plans and rarely use it. My work issues these cards to salesmen that want it, then end up taking 75% of them back as they don't use them after the first 60 days. They end up giving them to someone else to try since stuck in a 2 yr plan. I think we have 14 or 15 air cards with Verizon for probably 45 sales and management. With the managers using Blackberries they rarely find a need but they keep theirs. The other 9 cards seem to float around until they can cancel the ones that don't get used.

I'm sure some people will use 3g allot, but if it's for personal use and you don't already have an aircard, the novelty will wear off quickly. Plus the obvious if you have a 3g smart phone may as well tether and save some cash.

 

[applesupergeek]

Also as another poster pointed out the 32GB wifi only iPad is cheaper than the 16GB wifi+3G iPad.

I would go for the 16gb + 3g, 32 gb won't be enough anyway, you ll be using idisk (or whatever idisk hopefully evolves to) all the time.

It's a bad choice to go with 32gb sans 3g because you don't future proof the device. Hey I got this fabulous 3g ipad, but you can only use it with a wifi spot, can't use it in your car, and in all the other scenarios mentioned above.

With 3g you ll be able to get any file from the cloud, with 32gb you won't be able to have much in there to begin with, and you won't be able to allow the device to be liberated from the wifi hotspot.

 

[applesupergeek]

I will add this to my original suggestion: If you travel a lot, then 3G may make sense. I don't intend to use it outside the home unless there is WiFi available. I'll just use my iPhone otherwise.

Another option I didn't mention was using it in a car, going out for a movie and checking the times, your passengers doing this of course, or having someone read something to you off the web, or whatever, just let that damn thing lying there for the kids to pick up and browse the web, or the wife to do the shopping...

 

[bobsentell]

Another option I didn't mention was using it in a car, going out for a movie and checking the times, your passengers doing this of course, or having someone read something to you off the web, or whatever, just let that damn thing lying there for the kids to pick up and browse the web, or the wife to do the shopping...

Case by case. My oldest is 20 months old and my wife has an iPhone. And we don't travel that often. Besides, that defeats my whole "deal with boredom the way I did" routine I have planned.

 

[applesupergeek]

Case by case. My oldest is 20 months old and my wife has an iPhone. And we don't travel that often. Besides, that defeats my whole "deal with boredom the way I did" routine I have planned.

Fair enough then.

 

[melman101]

I would go for the 16gb + 3g, 32 gb won't be enough anyway, you ll be using idisk (or whatever idisk hopefully evolves to) all the time.

It's a bad choice to go with 32gb sans 3g because you don't future proof the device. Hey I got this fabulous 3g ipad, but you can only use it with a wifi spot, can't use it in your car, and in all the other scenarios mentioned above.

With 3g you ll be able to get any file from the cloud, with 32gb you won't be able to have much in there to begin with, and you won't be able to allow the device to be liberated from the wifi hotspot.

Ehhh future proof? I think the Wifi iPad will hold it's value quite well. Someone who might not need the 3G connectivity but wants 32GB as opposed to 16GB + 3G. The same reasons why I want it. And yes, 32GB is double than 16GB so that will be plenty for me.

Edit: Also, I pay for 3G on my iPhone 3Gs so I can set up a Wifi hotspot using MyWi (jailbroken of course) and can still do all the things in the car you said.

 

[ucfgrad93]

3G makes sense if you only have a dumbphone. If you already have a smartphone of some kind I, personally, would stick with WiFi only.

This is my thinking as well.

 

[3N16MA]

I would go for the 16gb + 3g, 32 gb won't be enough anyway, you ll be using idisk (or whatever idisk hopefully evolves to) all the time.

It's a bad choice to go with 32gb sans 3g because you don't future proof the device. Hey I got this fabulous 3g ipad, but you can only use it with a wifi spot, can't use it in your car, and in all the other scenarios mentioned above.

With 3g you ll be able to get any file from the cloud, with 32gb you won't be able to have much in there to begin with, and you won't be able to allow the device to be liberated from the wifi hotspot.

It really depends on the situation the user is in. For me I have wifi access on campus, at home, and at work. Those three places from September to April make up the majority of my time spent during the day. I would not even bother paying for 3G then. From May to August I lose on campus wifi so I have to think how much I will carry the iPad with me outside of the house this summer.

 

[MacCurry]

Don't be cheapos guys, $130 isn't much, ....<snip>

Its relative. $130 is 20-25% of the price of the iPad and using your smartphone which has 3G as a wifi access point is a better use of your resources.

 

[lordhamster]

I'm gonna go for the 3G because the Hotels I frequently stay in either don't have Wifi or they charge some outrageous fee for it. But for someone who spends most time in Wifi covered areas I totally get not goin' for the 3G. Plus worst case you could always get a Mifi or something.

 

[drjsway]

Don't be cheapos guys, $130 isn't much, you can cut corners here and there for it, because you are going to end up in some cafe/pub/restaurant/hotel lobby/train/park/etc. etc. there are so many scenarios, and then what?

Why wouldn't anyone just tether their 3G phone wirelessly?

 

[jav6454]

I will end up getting a 3G version regardless.

 

[Nebrie]

3G version is WAY overpriced. I personally think paying $130 for a 3g chip is nuts.

There's not much that Apple can do about it. Dell charges $125 for the same thing because it's really a $15 chip with about $100 worth of GSM patent royalties behind it.

 

[drjsway]

It's a bad choice to go with 32gb sans 3g because you don't future proof the device.

I think it's the opposite. The WiFi standard will be around a very long time and is future proof. 4G, however, is just around the corner (this year).

 

[applesupergeek]

I think it's the opposite. The WiFi standard will be around a very long time and is future proof. 4G, however, is just around the corner (this year).

It will take much longer than this year to implement 4G on wide basis, and 3g will be compatible too. When I said future proof I meant that the value with a device with 3g which withstand more the test of time than one without that is limited thus. Eventually mobile connectivity will become a standard on the ipad, as it has become to be so with netbooks.