iPads---point me in the right direction?
 

My son has saved up his $$$ and I have agreed to allow him to buy an iPad (with restrictions, of course!) I am unsure of which iPad we need to search for. He doesn't have enough money for the newer models, but I want him to get one that will fulfill his needs. He is primarily going to use it to play games (Temple Run, Bejeweled Blitz, Angry Birds, Minecraft, etc) . It needs to have enough memory to store music and it needs to be wifi compatible. He will also use it as an eReader.

Can anyone give me an idea of which model to start looking at? I tried researching it online and I just got confused.:confused3

Thanks so much!

Few months ago I got a Ipad 2nd gen with wifi and 64 gigs of ram at cowboom.com. A best buy company and I get coupons all the time from them. It plays all the games. I got it for around $249. Works great.

Any generation iPad can be an e-reader, play games, be wifi compatible etc...so, it largely depends on how much you want to spend.

I would suggest a 2nd gen because the cost will be less than the latest 3rd gen. You probably don't need 64GB, unless he's planning on storing a TON of music or lots of movies/music. If he's planning on having a lot of video (which is what will take up the most space) get the 64GB, otherwise a 32GB will suffice. If you get the ipad2 you will also get the camera and FaceTime, which the original iPad does not have. IMHO, that makes it worth the extra money over the original iPad.

All iPads include Wi-Fi. 3G is an upgrade.

Any version iPad will cover all of the items you list in your post.

I recommend the iPad 2 over the New iPad as there isn't enough of a change to justify the higher price in my opinion.

I have a 32GB iPad 2 that I've had for over a year now and love it. I currently have about 200 apps, 6,000 songs, 5 full length movies (each well over 2 hours) as well as various pictures and home video. I'm using 27GB. It's very easy to change out songs and video (though I have to say I despise iTunes).

Whichever you go with, there is the ability on the iPad to put in restrictions based on ratings for songs and video. This feature can be passcode locked by you with a completely separate pincode from what you might use to lock the iPad when not in use.

I bought a refurbished 16gb iPad through the Apple website at a pretty good discount after the new iPad was released last year.

Right now, it looks like they're selling the 1st Gen 16gb iPad (refurbished) for $359 on apple.com. The price is sure to go down after the new iPad is released provided they're still available. Either way, the older version will be discounted.

I've never been one to buy refurbished electronics, but Apple offers the same warranty on refurbished items as they do new items. So you get an entire year of support should anything goes wrong. Just take it to an Apple store and they'll take care of you!

My Ipad looked brand spanking new when i got it, and it has worked perfectly for over a year now with no problems. :)

Happy shopping! :)

Have you looked into the new Kindle Fires? They have a bigger model now that is only $299 and Amazon customer service is great. They are much cheaper and have great apps.

I have a Kindle fire (first gen) for personal use and an Ipad for work. I like them both but for the money I would get the Kindle. I have also heard great things about the Google tablet.

Whichever iPad model you look at, he will need at least a 32gb one at the minimum due to the fact that he wants to put songs on it. If he wants to store thousands of songs as well as games & several full length movies, he will want a 64gb one. I would recommend the iPad 2 but I am unsure of current pricing. As others have said, the newest iPad doesn't have enough upgraded features to justify the cost. The original iPad is much bulkier, doesn't have a camera, etc.

He won't need a 3G model. I have an iPad 2 and absolutely love it!

If you live near an apple store or Best Buy store go there and look and play with them but don't buy... then go to the online Apple store at look at the reverbs, they get the same warranty as a new one , 1 year, you can also get cash back from shopping online too thru the Apple online store.. they all have wifi
We have the ipad 2 with 16g and 3g, we use the 3g on and off, we have Verizon and can sign up for a month for $20 and then cancel if we don't need. We live in woods so can't get wifi but we do get spotty 3g in the winter months and when we drove to Disney last March, I used it in the car the whole trip, had service the whole way down and back..
Good luck but go ask your questions at the Apple store they are very helpful.:)

I use both a Ipad2 and 3. The 3 is smaller but it gets hotter to the touch. The battery dies faster. The new screen is great, but side by side, I don't see much difference.

I agree with others to go with the Ipad2 64. Get a nice case for it to protect it from drops. Make sure the case will still allow the Ipad to go to sleep. A good quality anti smudge screen protector was a great addition for me. I got tired of cleaning the screen every day.

There are so many awesome educational apps. Do a bit of reseach so you can download the best of the free ones. It is just amazing what they can do.

Make sure to turn on the "find my Ipad" feature in case it grows feet and disappears.

I wish my Ipad 2 had 3G service because I can't use it without WIFI. I mainly just use it at home where 3G doesn't work but I have WIFI. If you do get one with a data plan, just remember you can turn off the plan and only use it when you have to (when no WIFI is available) so you only get billed for the months you have the data plan turned on.

I agree! We bought a second gen refurbished from apple. They give the same warranty on refurbished. It could simply mean it was returned and can no longer be sold as new. We got the 32gb and seems to have PLENTY of storage. Enjoy!

Great question, I was wondering the same thing. My nephew has brain damage due to all the seizures he has had since he was 2. He is now going in to first grade and they do not think he will ever be able to write and suggested that my sister should buy an iPad for him. We looked at prices and they are so expensive and I would love to help my sister out if possible. He would definitely need a tough cover that takes a drop since he still has many seizures a day.

If a lot of drops are expected to happen I would get him an otterbox. They are a bit pricey but they provide really, really good protection.

Hopefully they announce the iPad mini soon. I think that would be a good option for people who can't afford the price of a regular iPad but don't want to buy one of the other cheaper tablets on the market.

I would not get a first gen iPad - it's not compatiable with the new operating system that is being released. I'd go for the 32gb for middle of the road storage, 3g is a nice option but not necessary. It's nice you don't have to commit to a 3g plan - you can order service month to month and cancel at any time.

And good for him saving up for this!!

Check Best Buy, they have open box models that sell for less than a brand new one, that's how I got my iPad2, then I dropped it and the screen shattered, so I took it in, because I had Geek Squad coverage, and they were all out of the IPad2, so they gave me an open box iPad3. Nothing was arong with either of them, they were just returned because someone didn't want it and they couldn't sell it as brand new.

You can also buy refurbished ones at the Apple Store, you can check on the Apple website and it will tell you which stores have them and/or will be getting them and when they will get them. I decided to go with Best Buy, because the closest Apple store is over an hour away.

Yes but what warranty did you get from Best Buy that you didn't have to pay extra for...with Apple referbs you get the same year warranty and they mail free to you..no need to go to Apple store... and if you want a extra warranty check out Square Trade warranties cheaper and also if you buy from Apple online store if you have a Discover card and shop thru their link I think it is 5X cash back also you can shop for the Square trade warranty thru Discover...:)