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Thinking buying an iPad not sure which one?

Christian 5G

Christian 5G

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 16, 2010
1,081
744
Orange County, CA
Hello,

I've had one iPad and it was first generation mini. Helped a lot, I used it every day.

Now I think I would love to have one again just to be able to use it around the house. Not the mini this time.

I have macbook air with external 27 inch display I use a lot but it is mostly for work and on the table.

1. Which one do you think would be good one for me? (I don't need the latest one, not really into the best and latest for iPad category)

2. I am thinking about air first gen or iPad 4, which one would you recommend?

3. Should I wait longer for price drops or there will be very significant decrease in cost for older versions within the few months?

Thank you for your help.

Rich
 
jev425 said:
If you plan to keep it for awhile, I would look into a air 2 with at least 64gb. Staples has a great deal on them right now.
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I agree with this. Especially considering that the Air 1 only has 1 GB of RAM vs 2 GB on the Air 2, the Air 2 will likely last you longer than the Air 1 or iPad 4.
 
I agree with the recommendation for the Air 2. It's one of those gens that are keepers (like the iPad 2 was, too), so it will serve you a good amount of time without feeling dated. I'd not buy anything older. The price different is off-set by the higher resell value, too.
 
Yep. Air 2 which you should be able to get a good deal on right now. You'd have to save a lot of money to make an Air 1 worthwhile. The 4 is much heavier and on the verge of being outdated right now so there is no way I'd go for one of those short of a very cheap purchase of one used.
 
Mivo said:
I agree with the recommendation for the Air 2. It's one of those gens that are keepers (like the iPad 2 was, too), so it will serve you a good amount of time without feeling dated. I'd not buy anything older. The price different is off-set by the higher resell value, too.
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+1
I wouldn't recommend any iPad model with less than 2GB RAM at this point. The constant Safari refreshes alone would make you regret the purchase (IMO). I'd look at picking up the Air 2 (via the current Staples deal: $150 off). Someone mentioned Staples is now sold out. However, when I go to their website, they are still showing, can be added to the cart, etc... So, unless I'm missing something, the deal is still good. These are close to clearance prices for an iPad that should hold its own for a good while.
 
I'd recommend either the Air 2 or the mini 4. The most recent devices are more expensive of course, but they'll be likely to remain pleasant to use for a longer period of time, as iOS and applications are upgraded.

Choosing between the Air 2 and the mini 4 is a matter of choosing which form factor you like best, and is something only you can decide. Some people like having a more spacious screen, other's a more compact device. You already have an idea what using the mini form factor is like and seem to have liked it at the time. The mini 4 is a wonderful upgrade from the original mini. If you can, I'd suggest going to a store with display models and playing with the Air 2 and mini 4 to see if one or the other appeals to you more.
 
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^ THIS. Best to try them both out and make that decision.

I can vouch for the Mini 4. Really impressed with it: screen, weight, speakers. It's fast enough for what I'd like it to do. I had an Air 2 on order at Staples but am ultimately glad I cancelled that. I thought I'd have the same issues with my vision and the mini screen, NOPE. :)
 
wait until november because if you wanted only for house so not a very very portable device for traveling wait and see the ipad pro..that hardware seems to work well on the next three iOS releases
 
You mention you don't necessarily need the latest iPad, in which case you might consider the mini 2 or 3. While it's not quite as colorful or fast or sleek as the mini 4, mine still works great, and I don't think I'll upgrade.

Still, if I didn't have the mini 2 and I were buying a new unit, I'd choose the mini 4 over the 2 or 3. It's faster with a nicer screen, it runs all the new features of iOS 9 including split screen, and most importantly it will be longer before obsolescence forces another upgrade.

Another question is whether you want a cellular model. An advantage of the cellular models is they also support gps, a feature I use on my mini all the time.
 
Air 2 or Mini 4 will last you longer, with updates and apps you might use. Since it seems you would hang on to it longer. If you want the larger size of the Air 2 see if staples is doing a back order with their deal they had, or if Best Buy will price match.
 
Both, Air 2 and Mini 4, will last for a while. I had two of them and returned the Air 2. Personally, I just couldn`t stand the speakers vibration on the air 2. I very happy with my mini 4 though. As many mentioned on this forum, it`s light, fast enough, has a great screen and speakers.
 
I'm sorry I was confused. You said the Air or the iPad 4, not the mini 4. I would go with the Air over the iPad 4. It's a slimmer, faster device.
 
Also, the iPad 4 is a 32 bit device. It won't support some of the newer software. For example, it won't support the new adblocker software that's available in iOS 9.
 
If I were you, I would pay Apple's asking price only if I decide to buy the iPad Pro (the iPad with cutting edge technology in line with its cutting edge price). All other iPad's are at least running on technology one generation old. So, look for deals - like what Staples is offering or ask if someone selling their used iPad.
 
Thank you for all your replies. I have decided to get iPad air 2.

Have no use for iPad Pro. Too big for my needs.

Will wait though until beginning of next month to use my discover card with apple pay :)

Thanks again!!
 
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Christian 5G said:
Thank you for all your replies. I have decided to get iPad air 2.

Have no use for iPad Pro. Too big for my needs.

Will wait though until beginning of next month to use my discover card with apple pay :)

Thanks again!!
Click to expand...
You missed a really good sale at Staples. Next decent one should be on BF. Good luck.
 
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