What to advise my friend?

A

andygabriel

macrumors regular
Hey all,

A friend of mine has been saving for an ipad. He's still a student and can't really afford it now but he'll have the money by July/August.

He asked me a lot of info about the iPad and i did tell him to dive in and make the purchase but now i'm wondering whether he should wait for iPad 3 since by the time he gets it the iPad 2 will be in mid cycle.

It seems like Apple releases the iPad in February. I'm worried that if he gets it then a new one comes out in February.

Do you think i should tell him to wait a little bit longer for the iPad 3. Since he has to save for it anyway.

He doesn't really need one but he WANTS one for fun and he's thinking about trying to use it for school. He's studying Business/Law.

Please help me to give my friend the best advice.

Andy
 
It goes back to that same old saying, if you are one of those who needs the latest and greatest, you will always be waiting. Buy the product that is available now, not the product you think will be available later on.

Example, the past 4 iPhones have been released in June/July, but this year their are heavy rumors that it won't be released until September, well, what if Apple decides to also push back the release of the next iPad until next June during WWDC 2012?

Will you still keep waiting then? Apple hasn't committed to any time frame for releasing any of its products, so don't be so sure that their will be a new iPad next Spring.
 
Since you specifically say he does not NEED an iPad, and won't be able to get one for a couple of months anyway, and since he has to save up to get one and thus probably won't be the type to constantly get the latest model whenever it comes out, I think you can point out that iPad 3 will likely be out by early next year and is rumored to have a much upgraded screen resolution that will probably become the new standard for iPad software going forward.

Assuming this rumor is true, would he mind having maybe 6 months of use of iPad 2 followed by years of not having the latest thing? Or can he wait 6 months and then get the new standard that should last him for several years without compromise?

If he doesn't mind the wait, he should wait. If the thought of waiting bothers him, he should buy now.

I have the iPad 1 and nothing about the iPad 2 made me want to upgrade, but the rumors about iPad 3 absoutely make me think this will be the next level up.
 
Why don't you just tell him that the iPad 3 will likely be released next spring with a retina display, etc., etc., and let him make the decision?
 
Or wait until iPad 4 which is rumored to beam the internet directly into your brain...:rolleyes:

Buy now and enjoy.
 
OP, I would advise your friend to go ahead and purchase the iPad 2 OR if he wants to save some money, get the iPad 1. A lot of people opted to skip the iPad 2 (me being one of them) to wait for the iPad 3 which is rumored to have a Retina Display and more horsepower for sure.

Tell him ALL the options that people have given him in this post and let him make the final decision because in the end it's HIS money he's spending.

Cheers!:apple:
 
Wait!

nwbusa said:
Or wait until iPad 4 which is rumored to beam the internet directly into your brain...:rolleyes:

Buy now and enjoy.
Click to expand...

No, he should wait for iPad 5, which has a holographic display AND beams the internet directly into your brain (using a proprietary connector).

Or wait for the iPad 6, which is a slight upgrade the the iPad 5 with something called a "sexbot", whatever that is.

No, the iPad 7 is for him - it's got the new "hoverboard" feature, using anti-gravity paint (code named "McFly").

Actually, now that I think about it, he should wait for the iPad 8, which is the 7 plus a 2 megapixel camera!

/sarcasm off: I agree, buy now, relax, enjoy.
 
Advise your friend to have a look at the Asus Transformer 10.1" tablet. It'll be updated to android 3.1 in a few weeks, and the features it has right now are better than the iPad2. 16gb for $399, with microSD expansion for up to another 32gb. 1280 x 800 IPS screen, for a 16:10 ratio and better media (codec) support than the iPad. HDMI-out with a cheap (but still optional) cable. A keyboard dock if friend wants later that adds more USB ports and additional battery life as well. Access to the android market and google apps, as well as any other android app store out there. Better cameras than the iPad2 too.

I have both. The Asus is a better tablet if a specific brand is not the only thing your friend really wants.
 
mbhebsgaard said:
He should get it when he needs it and get WORKING :)
Click to expand...

Very few people *need* an iPad. Most just justify it while confusing need and want.

That said, you can always be waiting for the next best thing one the horizon or up can draw a line in the sand and be happy now.

In my opinion any time up through say mid January is a good time. He can always sell it to get money for the next version. But summer to late summer is when he will have the money, yeah buy an enjoy it now.

I waited for the iPad 2 since the first was announced, I wanted the first refinement on the original model and to give competitors a chance to do better. I am glad I waited but just as glad I didn't wait any longer than I did.
 
SRLMJ23 said:
Don't advise your friend to get an Android based tablet, I gaurantee he will regret it!
Click to expand...
Right. He'll still have money left, and be able to do everything he could of on an iPad, and then some (OK, alot!). I've got both to compare side-by-side, which is why I'm making the suggestion. Do you SRLM, or are you simply aping the uninformed party line?
 
What party line? Just compare the iPad apps available with the Android apps designed for a tablet, and there's no comparison that the iPad has far more of what a person might want.
 
4DThinker said:
Right. He'll still have money left, and be able to do everything he could of on an iPad, and then some (OK, alot!). I've got both to compare side-by-side, which is why I'm making the suggestion. Do you SRLM, or are you simply aping the uninformed party line?
Click to expand...

While I don't want the OP's thread to digress onto more Apple vs Android blather, I must admit that you CANNOT do everything the iPad can because the apps are not there and won't be, for a while. In addition, the Honeycomb interface is still laggy and underdeveloped, NO MATTER what manufacturer you have purchased. It still needs some time for development, and if you actually have a tablet running Honeycomb, you'd agree. I'm typing this from my Transformer and I have had 3 different apps crash within the last 45 minutes, this after wiping the data of each one. Plus, I have light bleed and a gap on the right side big enough to slide my plastic business card into.

To the OP- I'd advise him to either save a little money and buy a refurb'd iPad (1st gen) or get an iPad 2. Either way, he could sell his purchase for a decent bit of money come next February (before the next iPad announcement) and put it towards the iPad 3. I'm thinking that the iPad 2 will be around a while, and the iPad 3 will be a more expensive, high-res version.
 
jonhcox said:
I must admit that you CANNOT do everything the iPad can because the apps are not there and won't be, for a while.
Click to expand...
You're not admitting anything, you're claiming it, and if numbers over a thousand matter then you are right. All you've done is counted though. How about "the apps" anyone actually uses? The OP should ask his friend what he wants or expects to be able to do on a tablet. I'll bet there is an app for that on both. As for the Transformer you claim to be typing on, I have one. You haven't described mine. Not the hardware or the software. You've described the flaws iPad users on this forum complain about pretty well though.

A simple check of specs will prove there is plenty you can do with the Acer or Asus tablets that you'll never be able to do on an Ipad2. The iPad2 doesn't match the hardware, and no app or firmware update will fix that. Start with better cameras. The Acer has LED flash with its rear 5mp camera. Memory expansion via MicroSD and external storage access via USB. No $29 dongle required. That, and better media sharing off your home network. iTunes need not be running. With HDMI outputs they both do UI mirroring on HDTVs, but don't need a $39 dongle first.

4D
 
4DThinker said:
A simple check of specs will prove there is plenty you can do with the Acer or Asus tablets that you'll never be able to do on an Ipad2. The iPad2 doesn't match the hardware, and no app or firmware update will fix that. Start with better cameras. The Acer has LED flash with its rear 5mp camera. Memory expansion via MicroSD and external storage access via USB. No $29 dongle required. That, and better media sharing off your home network. iTunes need not be running. With HDMI outputs they both do UI mirroring on HDTVs, but don't need a $39 dongle first.

4D
Click to expand...

Wow, no wonder geeks don't get it. Nothing you mentioned would make the slightest difference to the average consumer. Better rear-facing camera? Who takes pictures with a tablet? It's not very often anyway. Memory expansion? Why? My tablet works just fine as is. External storage via USB? With the cloud or our existing computers, who cares? HDMI output? Why not just wirelessly flip the video to the TV as you do so easily with an iPad?

For the average consumer the iPad is the right choice because Apple makes it easy to use in every way. For you it's got to have these odd geek choices that matter to you. But you are in the tiny minority.

The minority that can't stand the fact that the post-PC era is going to leave them behind when the vast majority of new computer users won't care about checklist items any more.

So to the OP, if your friend is a hacker, let him buy an Android tablet. If he's like the other 90% of humanity, let him buy the iPad.
 
saving107 said:
It goes back to that same old saying, if you are one of those who needs the latest and greatest, you will always be waiting. Buy the product that is available now, not the product you think will be available later on.

Example, the past 4 iPhones have been released in June/July, but this year their are heavy rumors that it won't be released until September, well, what if Apple decides to also push back the release of the next iPad until next June during WWDC 2012?

Will you still keep waiting then? Apple hasn't committed to any time frame for releasing any of its products, so don't be so sure that their will be a new iPad next Spring.
Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better myself.
 
NebulaClash said:
Who takes pictures with a tablet? It's not very often anyway. Memory expansion? Why? My tablet works just fine as is. External storage via USB? With the cloud or our existing computers, who cares? HDMI output? Why not just wirelessly flip the video to the TV as you do so easily with an iPad? So to the OP, if your friend is a hacker, let him buy an Android tablet. If he's like the other 90% of humanity, let him buy the iPad.
Click to expand...
Predictable. Of course things that iPad can't do are things no "average" joe needs them to. No defense for more potential uses of the Acer or Asus though. And there is no need to hack android, its just that you can. Exactly the same thing as jailbreaking an iPad. Of course you don't get it, you're only average.
 
4DThinker said:
Predictable. Of course things that iPad can't do are things no "average" joe needs them to. No defense for more potential uses of the Acer or Asus though. And there is no need to hack android, its just that you can. Exactly the same thing as jailbreaking an iPad. Of course you don't get it, you're only average.
Click to expand...

No, I have a hacker background, but I also understand the average computer user in a way that seems to elude my hacker friends. No idea why, just my brain is wired a bit different than theirs. So over the years I've been able to tell them a number of trends that seem obvious to me but are pointless to them, and then they come true.

So yes, for you the Android world is perfect, and I respect that. But you (and I) are very much in the minority in this world. The world as a whole will be buying computers the way most people buy cars, and how it's put together under the hood is way down the list on most buyer's minds.

Don't worry, you'll always have your choices. They just won't be the common choice.
 
I always dislike "advising" my friends on electronic purchases. Mostly because each person's needs, wants, and capabilities are different.

In this case the point was made that you friend should check out an Android tablet. Since your friend is tight on money I think this is a good point to make. I would advise him to sit down and think hard about exactly what he wants and needs to do with his new device. Then research the capabilities of each one and THEN actually go try each out. Despite some peoples love for everything Apple, there are good alternativies out there, especially for someone who is cash strapped.

Your friend needs to buy the best solution for his needs. As a friend, your job should be to help him determine those needs so he can make an informed decision.
 
donnaw said:
I always dislike "advising" my friends on electronic purchases. Mostly because each person's needs, wants, and capabilities are different.

In this case the point was made that you friend should check out an Android tablet. Since your friend is tight on money I think this is a good point to make. I would advise him to sit down and think hard about exactly what he wants and needs to do with his new device. Then research the capabilities of each one and THEN actually go try each out. Despite some peoples love for everything Apple, there are good alternativies out there, especially for someone who is cash strapped.

Your friend needs to buy the best solution for his needs. As a friend, your job should be to help him determine those needs so he can make an informed decision.
Click to expand...

100% agree, EXCEPT that some of those sub $500 Android tablets are pure garbage, so he should be very careful here and do lots of research on performance and what version of Android he's dealing with. (Ars Technica does some awesome, in depth hardware reviews.)

But I also hate advising friends/relatives about what stuff to buy. Then they expect you to be their support person and blame you when things go wrong.
 
I was in the same boat as your friend with the iPad 1...wanted one, but needed to save the money first...by the time I had the money, the iPad 1 was mid-cycle. I decided to wait for the iPad 2 to come out...

With the iPad being a want and not a need, I wanted to get in at the front of the cycle and not mid-cycle...I felt my investment/outlay of money would be better served and more personally justified if I waited a few months and bought in at the beginning of a new model cycle...It wasn’t like my life was missing anything by not having an iPad, so I felt I could afford to wait...

Personally, this line of thinking works for me and I have no regents...but in the end, spending this kind of money on something like an iPad is a highly personal decision...tell your friend to trust his gut; your friend knows himself and what he wants better then anyone...
 
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