March 7th, 2012
Now that Apple has rolled out the iPad they should have had when they launched the device, I’m finally going to take the tablet plunge.
Advice sought: Do I really need the 3G/4LTE capability, or will I be just fine with the wifi-only model? Insights appreciated.
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I have the original, so shame on me or something, but I don’t have the 3g/4lte, just wifi and 99% time it’s been fine because I can find wifi if I need it. And I don’t know, but it used to be the 3g/4lte was pay as you go, so if you didn’t need it for a while, you could cancel it and use it only when you were going to be out of range.
Also note, however, that I don’t use it to do paying work on, which may be an issue. I have colleagues who do use it for client presentations and email and they most definitely wanted the 4LTE. -
I have the WiFi only version of the iPad 2 and I find that I rarely miss not having 3G access on it. Most places that I want to use my iPad, home, work, coffee shop, etc, provide WiFi access and so I’m good to go.
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I have wifi only too, and I find that I rarely wish for a 3G version. The only time I have, in fact, was when I moved into a new place and was waiting for the cable guy to get my internet going.
However, I don’t travel much. If you’re going to spend a lot of time in airports, riding passenger in cars, or what have you, you’d probably miss it. Most things I do on it require internet access.
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Concur, depends mostly on your travel habits and somewhat where you live.
I have 1st gen in Madison, WI. These days there is hardly a place that doesn’t have wireless access available, expanding quickly to bars and restaurants. And if I am out with no wireless, I have enough media downloaded from Apps that I’m fine (magazines, comics, podcasts). And if an internet search has to happen, I pull out the smart phone. -
It’s pretty simple. If you plan to use where there is WiFi, then buy the WiFi version. If you plan to use it where there isn’t, buy the more expensive one.
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Why would you be suddenly interested now? It’s the same damned product with a nicer screen. And, uh, 16GB of storage (wow, talk about high-end luxury tech!). And the camera is better–good news for the teeming masses who walk around the city taking photos off a tablet.
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Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Then there’s the resale factor.
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So…I have some insights on this.
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I have an iPad 2, wifi, 16 GB. My advice: don’t buy an iPad. No way is it worth $500. With a laptop, a smartphone, and maybe a cheap Kindle, you’re good.
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What he said. Because we have all three of the alternatives. Is it too late for my insights? : )
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Having to use iTunes to move your photos and music onto the iPad is kind of a pain. And typing is awful, so forget doing any kind of work or email. Unless you’re only going to use it for fun stuff: photos, Netflix, etc., I’d wait for a convertible laptop/tablet when Windows 8 comes out later this year.
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The voice-recognition software on it is probably going to be as good as the last Dragon Dictation version, which isn’t terrible (though not as good as the VR on my Droid). Once you learn to enunciate like Professor Henry Higgins, you’re at about 98 percent accuracy.
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Dragon Dictation sounds like something for which you might need gem dice.
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Just jailbreak/root your phone, then you can tether your ipad to it whenever you’re on the road and need an internet connection. Get the 32GB though… 16GB isn’t enough for all the episodes of Dora/Toy Story/Rugrats/etc you’ll need to keep on it.
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I’ve been happy with the samsung 4g galaxy 10.1, btw.
Maetenloch March 7, 2012 at 3:44 pm
If you do a lot of traveling, the 3G/4G is very nice to have since it guarantees you’ll always have internet connectivity. But if you just use it at home and maybe a coffee shop, then you can probably skip it.