Torn between iPads - An honest query.

[osxnewbe]

Get the iPad 2.

From my experience, you will regret getting the iPad 1 at a cheaper price and I speak from experience.

Back when the Intel iMacs were released, I bought a G5 the week they were hit the street because they were no applications that required the Intel chip and they dropped the price $200 right after I bought it. About a year later I really regretted it because by then, programs were coming out that required the Intel processor. Looking back given how long Macs last, saving $200 was kind of silly for a computer than can last upwards of 5 years.

If I was looking at buying an iPad now, I would definitely spend the extra $$ and get an iPad 2.

 

[Bleu32]

Wow, thank you all for the informed and varied replies! Really appreciative of the supportive community.

I would say go with iPad 2 as well.

Also, I'd like to suggest you to check out an app called Paprika. It's a great recipe manager and you can add recipes manually and also there's a very smart way to add recipes from blogs and websites. I think it's exactly what you want.

That is actually one of the apps I've really wanted to use for -ages- now! Seeing as my 'recipe management system' is nothing more than text files, excel/word files, etc.

Im in the exact same position. Im a manga/anime otaku. iPad 1 or iPad 2.

The answer? I just brought an iPad yesterday ....

BUT!

Best Buy do a 14 day return no stock return fee. Ive got my iPad 1 for 14 days.

If i think its too slow and prefer a bigger memory space?

Return and buy iPad 2.

Think youve got a good bargain?

Keep iPad 1.

No lose situation.

Fellow otaku, woot! Any good anime/manga app recommendations? I think your 'testing' idea is awesome, I'm just not sure if I'd be comfortable doing that here... our local Best Buy has a history of hassling customers over returns, but it is an option.

You should be worried on how to avoid getting your iPad 2 stolen also.

I am worried about possible theft, yes. What I had assumed was investing in one of the many tracking/remote wipe/etc apps as well as just being very careful where I take it. I see an iPad being much harder to steal out of someones hands or bag, than an iPod Touch. But I'll happily take advice from other users and research ways to protect my purchase either way.

Excellent point, DNA...

Any new buyer to an iDevice should really budget a little scratch for all this stuff, i.e. content. In my opinion, apps are what really bring the iPad to life. Imagine your computer with only basic or no software at all! Not so much fun.

Something else I hadn't thought of... I'd have some money for apps sitting around, but not a case, cable, etc.. good food for thought, thanks!

Isn't Safari supposed to speed up with 4.3?

My impression from the keynote was that yes, 4.3 brings the nitro engine and therefore the speed increase. I do a ton of web browsing, so I'd hope I could at least reap that benefit on the original iPad still.

Maybe for you a Pro/Con list valuing price vs. function will make the decision easier. I skimped on my iPad 1 purchase because I wanted to save some for apps, accessories and content. I wasn't sure if I really needed an iPad or would it become an abandoned sexy toy. It became a daily "go to" tool within a month.

I really see it becoming a "go to" tool for me, with dropbox and other management software. I'd like to use it for school, work, entertainment.. the whole 9 yards. I'm just fighting that annoying voice in the back of my head that is telling me I'll notice performance slowdowns and kick myself, or iPad 2 'only' apps will start coming out, though I doubt it based on everyone's previous comments.

As for your Pro/Con list, good idea! Lesse..

Original iPad - Pro

- Around $150 cheaper. Could use this money for cords, case, apps or anything else. Ooh, money for recipes..
- Should serve many of my needs.

Original iPad - Con

- May get left behind in future iOS updates? (Not sure on this one myself, perhaps someone more informed in this could comment)
- New apps/etc may not run, be supported or run poorly.
- Heavier, thicker.
- Web surfing slower?
- No cameras for taking pictures, including food pictures. (I suppose my original droid phone technically has a better camera on it.. eh.)

iPad 2 - Pro

- Faster general and gaming performance.
- Lighter, slimmer.
- Will be supported longer and more focus will be on it from Apple.
- Cameras for food pictures, maybe some apps will use it to?
- Gyroscope for games and apps that would only work on the iPad2?

iPad 2 - Con

- $150 more, leaving very little money for apps/case/cords.
- ???

I'm still torn, despite making that list up.. but it has given me a lot to think about! I'm trying to silence that annoying 'Get the latest, shiniest!' voice and focus on the facts. Thank you again, everyone that is offering their advice.

 

[J&JPolangin]

...why don't you get a 32Gb iPod Touch 4th generation?

It gives you a cross between the iPad 1 and iPad 2 features in a pocketable size with a good amount of memory, cameras, speed with the A4 processor, etc...

I got an iPad 64Gb 3g for $740 and an iPod Touch 4 (64Gb) model for $275 - both units were new and after playing with them for the 14 day return period and the "deals" I was able to get on each unit I went with the iPod touch since it fit in my pocket!

On iPad 1 I felt that not being able to "pocket" the device made it a non-starter and I'm glad I waited as I love the form factor of the 11" MBA's now = my iPod touch and 11"MBA will be a great portable combo!

To me, the iPad 2 has started to interest me again but with the features I have on my iPod touch = I'll probably wait for iPad 3 unless the demo models really work great once they arrive at our local store...

 

[LiloThePleo]

No matter which one you end up going with, make your first app purchase iCab, Safari sucks

 

[Bleu32]

...why don't you get a 32Gb iPod Touch 4th generation?

While I loved (and MISS) my iPod Touch horribly, I really feel the size of a tablet is what I want. I currently own a droid, due to being locked into a Verizon contract back when they didn't have the iPhone, or I'd have one of those. The droid does fine for now, but it's no iPad.

Plus I wouldn't want to write/use recipes, read manga/comics, work on schoolwork/documents, watch movies, game.. on a iPod Touch due to screen size. But your points are still valid and thanks for making the suggestion.

 

[michael.lauden]

Im in the exact same position. Im a manga/anime otaku. iPad 1 or iPad 2.

The answer? I just brought an iPad yesterday ....

BUT!

Best Buy do a 14 day return no stock return fee. Ive got my iPad 1 for 14 days.

If i think its too slow and prefer a bigger memory space?

Return and buy iPad 2.

Think youve got a good bargain?

Keep iPad 1.

No lose situation.

The lose situation is where in 6 months devs are releasing a slew of awesome new apps that use the iPad 2's increased processor speeds + graphics/RAM - and you won't be able to run them.

 

[alex2792]

It doesn't make ANY sense to buy iPad 1 if you can afford to get the new one. I bought the first iPad day one and I sold it a few months later, the hardware is just way too underpowered. The lack of RAM is killed any kind of web browsing and apps routinely crashed when attempting to do any kind of multitasking.

 

[Beccad]

The lose situation is where in 6 months devs are releasing a slew of awesome new apps that use the iPad 2's increased processor speeds + graphics/RAM - and you won't be able to run them.

Good point. I hadn't thought about that.

 

[Theidev]

iPad 1

Hi everyone, this is my first post, however, after reading the title i decided I had to stick my 2 penneth in.

I have, up until VERY recently been a PC person, in fact, for some reason from way back I was in some ways against Apple in general.

Anyway, I had a Panasonic Toughbook, CF-18. I'd had it a year and a half and it started just locking up, if you know them, then you'll know they don't have a CD / DVD Drive, and I didn't have an external that it would see.

So I could not easily reformat it.

So I sold it, and bought an iPad. This was about 4 weeks ago.

Oh my god, I CANNOT believe I did not buy one earlier, truly, an absolutely amazing piece of kit. It still amazes me every day. Angry Birds anyone?

So, having obviously now looked over the main differences between the iPad 1 and iPad 2, I make these comments.

iPad 1 is thicker than the iPad 2.

Lets be fair, the iPad 1 isn't exactly thick now is it, my friends, most of whom have only seen an iPad from affar are stunned at how thin it is, just a mini diary really. I wonder if the iPad is really as tough as the iPad 1?

iPad 2 has 2 cameras. iPad 1, none.

I have had a Video calling capable phone for what, 5 or 6 years, I get free minutes for it too, NEVER used it. I cannot see that I want too, perhaps you are different. As for the other camera, really, we will have to wait and see, I didn't see a flash, or a resolution? My phone has a dual Xenon Flash and a 5 Mega Pixel camera on it Now? I use it for Digital Stills.

iPad 2 Cost a good bit more now?

You can see where this is heading, save the money.

Buy an iPad 1. You'll be so stunned.

 

[thekb]

The HDMI features are the only reason I'd argue in favor of the iPad 2 over 1 for you.

Do we know for sure that the HDMI cable will not work on the ipad 1? I don't see why it wouldn't?

I am weighing the same decision. I usually am not on the bleeding edge of technology -- I buy a generation behind because I HATE paying full price for anything. The prices on the refurbs are extremely tempting right now.

You will definitely need to factor in the cost of a case and accessories.

 

[AppleScruff1]

I would go with the iPad 2 as long as you can afford it or wait a little while until you can afford it.

 

[fanboy05]

I took the money I had planned on using for the ipad 2 and bought the original ipad. The new features were not enough to spent the extra $ IMO. I have an iphone 4, with the cameras, and have no need for a device that has 2 camera's that have less than 1.5 mega pixels. The faster processor seemed nice in the presentation, but when I saw the ipad for myself, I realized it was plenty fast for my purpose and it wasnt going to be as fast as my phone anyway, nor would it look as good as my phone as far as the display. All in all, I decided for my purposes, getting the original one was going to be the best route as I am not going to resell them and at 350, with a 1 year warranty and a new battery and back, I can justify spending 500 for features I will not use! I could care less about .2 of a pound or 4 mm in size!

 

[bowlerman625]

Isn't Safari supposed to speed up with 4.3?

Yes!

 

[genesis526]

I took the money I had planned on using for the ipad 2 and bought the original ipad. The new features were not enough to spent the extra $ IMO. I have an iphone 4, with the cameras, and have no need for a device that has 2 camera's that have less than 1.5 mega pixels. The faster processor seemed nice in the presentation, but when I saw the ipad for myself, I realized it was plenty fast for my purpose and it wasnt going to be as fast as my phone anyway, nor would it look as good as my phone as far as the display. All in all, I decided for my purposes, getting the original one was going to be the best route as I am not going to resell them and at 350, with a 1 year warranty and a new battery and back, I can justify spending 500 for features I will not use! I could care less about .2 of a pound or 4 mm in size!

^^ This is exactly what I thought and did. I mean the iPad2 seems great and all but what I'm using the iPad for doesn't require the A5 processor or any of the bells and whistles the new one has. So i feel just fine with getting the first gen iPad at a discounted price. The only thing I fear is the risk of it not being able to run IOS5 whenever it is released? Anyone here have the same fear as me? Do any of you think that the first gen iPad wont be able to run iOS5 whenever it may come out?

 

[thesmoth]

The ipad has a lot of fun/cute little games like angry birds, plants vs zombies, cut the rope, doodle jump etc... and those games would be terrible without a touch screen. They are not very deep games, very simple. Pretty much all other games (shooters, etc...) are pretty crappy on the touch screen, and you'll really want to go back to consols/PC afterwards. The games are idea for a quick game on the bus, etc... but it isn't for serious gaming because the controls are awful for anything like a shooter or any other sort of port. Infinity blade was really good, but it would not work for any other system than a touch screen. Every shooter is crap though.

 

[Gryzor]

The only reason you would choose an iPad over iPad 2 right now is if you simply do not have the cash...FACT.

The arguments over whether or not the physical aspects, cameras, and speed are worth it are simply a smoke-screen for people who can't, or don't want to afford the newer, better technology. Take the money out of the equation and iPad 2 plops all over the original in design and specs, and if you were to be given one for free, you would take the newer one every time. So, all of your arguments are moot, apart from to say you can't afford it. Fine, but don't go using lack of features as an excuse.

 

[Compile 'em all]

iPad 2. iPad 1 now won't be able to run all software you might be interested in including some that are coming out straight from Apple.

 

[Dwee8le]

The only thing I fear is the risk of it not being able to run IOS5 whenever it is released? Anyone here have the same fear as me? Do any of you think that the first gen iPad wont be able to run iOS5 whenever it may come out?

Not gonna happen. I had an 1st gen iPhone with iOS 1 and that was supported until iOS 3. iPhone 3g started with iOS 2, fully supported iOS 3 and is still supported but without multitasking (it only had 128mb RAM). IPhone 3gs has 256mb RAM, came with iOS 3 and is still fully supported.

In the future, some iDevices will be left out of the updates, but iPad 1 has not even been on the market for 12 months, so I don't see any reason why it will not be able to run iOS 5. Maybe it will miss some features of iOS 6 in 2012ish.

Same goes for MBA 11" and 10.7 Lion = they're not dropping hardware within 12 months of it's release.

 

[toromac]

The only reason you would choose an iPad over iPad 2 right now is if you simply do not have the cash...FACT.

The arguments over whether or not the physical aspects, cameras, and speed are worth it are simply a smoke-screen for people who can't, or don't want to afford the newer, better technology. Take the money out of the equation and iPad 2 plops all over the original in design and specs, and if you were to be given one for free, you would take the newer one every time. So, all of your arguments are moot, apart from to say you can't afford it. Fine, but don't go using lack of features as an excuse.

Thanks, Mr. Obvious for stating the obvious. Clearly, the reason they are thinking about getting the ipad 1 is to save money. I don't think it's a bad idea assuming the ipad 1 meets their needs. And it appears that ipad 1 does what they need it to do. People think the ipad 1 is just going to magically be obsolete in another year... Yeah right. It will be about two years until that happens (judging based on iphone obsolescence--- the iphone 3gs is still kickin fine while iphone 3g is obsolete). So here's your solution: sell your ipad 1 when ipad 3 comes out next April. I bet you'll be able to at least get $200 for your $350 ipad at that time. And you'll have the latest and greatest next year

 

[Gryzor]

Thanks, Mr. Obvious for stating the obvious.

You're welcome.

Clearly, the reason they are thinking about getting the ipad 1 is to save money. I don't think it's a bad idea assuming the ipad 1 meets their needs. And it appears that ipad 1 does what they need it to do. People think the ipad 1 is just going to magically be obsolete in another year... Yeah right. It will be about two years until that happens (judging based on iphone obsolescence--- the iphone 3gs is still kickin fine while iphone 3g is obsolete). So here's your solution: sell your ipad 1 when ipad 3 comes out next April. I bet you'll be able to at least get $200 for your $350 ipad at that time. And you'll have the latest and greatest next year

Right, so a loss of $150 right there, then they will have to fork out for a new iPad 3 that they clearly cannot afford...smart thinking.

 

[Biolizard]

Clearly, the reason they are thinking about getting the ipad 1 is to save money. I don't think it's a bad idea assuming the ipad 1 meets their needs. And it appears that ipad 1 does what they need it to do. People think the ipad 1 is just going to magically be obsolete in another year... Yeah right. It will be about two years until that happens (judging based on iphone obsolescence--- the iphone 3gs is still kickin fine while iphone 3g is obsolete).

Obolescene is a subjective concept IMO. The iPhone is probably more prone to it because of the higher dependence on apps, whereas more can be done on the iPad through Safari because of the larger screen. When iOS 6 hits, yeah, the OS and app support will start falling away, but for someone who uses their iPad for web browsing, e-mail and e-book reading, that makes sod all difference.

 

[beerglass007]

The HDMI features are the only reason I'd argue in favor of the iPad 2 over 1 for you. This upgrade is not a revolutionary difference. I'm only doing it because it gives me the opportunity to pass my old one on and have a do-over about my chosen storage size.

I got a 4g Touch last year when that was released. Really like the camera features and storage space (got twice the size as my iPad). I use my devices interchangeably.

Maybe for you a Pro/Con list valuing price vs. function will make the decision easier. I skimped on my iPad 1 purchase because I wanted to save some for apps, accessories and content. I wasn't sure if I really needed an iPad or would it become an abandoned sexy toy. It became a daily "go to" tool within a month.

Games do get old after a while. The video option can replace your TV. Ebooks, web surfing and some note-taking/Evernote become a necessity.

HDMI will work on iphone4 and ipad 1

 

[thetruth1985]

This post reminds me of why I am not upgrading my first gen 64gb 3g to a newer ipad 2. Money is not a object and I can get the ipad 2 on day one if I wanted. For all the reasons you will need an ipad, the first gen will serve you just fine. It's funny how people act like the first one is obsolete and developers will forget about all the millions of ipads that apple has already sold. Safari will be updated with 4.3 so the ipad 1 should see the speed difference too. If the difference is 2-4 seconds in load speed between both models, I don't see how that will magically change someone's life. Also, look how long it took for games like "Infinity Blade" to show up on the Ipad 1. Do people realistically think that we are going to see the next big leap in IOS gaming within the next 3 months?

Your school apps will most likely run at a similar speed on both ipads. You also didn't mention any use for the cameras so that's another reason to get a first gen. The facetime camera is cool but I still don't see the point of the rear camera. My Nexus has 2 cameras and I also have a Nikon camera so I doubt I will be reaching for the ipad to take a family photo.

My advice would be to pick up a first gen ipad from somewhere. I just ordered another 64gb wifi ipad off of amazon for $400 plus shipping. There are some good deals to be had and if you feel like the first gen is not powerful enough for you, it will probably be better for you to skip the ipad 2 and just get a refurbished Macbook Air for $849.

 

[fishmd]

Games and perhaps others apps, but mostly games will come out that either won't run or will run badly on the iPad1

If you can mentally deal with that, then no problem.

This will not happen at least for another year. Look at the iPhone. All games that are out can still be played just fine on the iphone 3GS. Don't get the second generation one just because you are thinking that games will eventually come out that the iPad 1 cannot handle. By the time it does, the iPad 3 will be out.

 

[vandal138]

I agree. So an iPad 1 you buy today will have 1 year of full featured use. After that, it will start missing out on feature upgrades when new firmwares are released. iPad 2 will get you 2 years of full feature upgrades. So one consideration when buying is how long you plan to keep it.

Somewhat like my mentality.
I just ordered a first gen ipad to see how well I like it (under $400 is a good price for a toy). If I end up liking it, then hopefully by the time it starts to feel out dated, the ipad 3 will be out. With some actual significant updates.... and hopefully some accurate stylus support. (holding my breath on that one)