Are Ipads really worth it?

[scbelleatheart]

We are doing Christmas late and I was thinking about getting all four kids Ipads. I looked at the tonight at the store and they were $588 for 32GB. But then they had chargers, docking stations and about two other things to go with them. That start to add up! The kids are all single adults between the ages of 22 and 30.
DH and I have Touchpads so I really am questioning if they are worth the price or will they continue to cost them money with apps and such?

 

[crisi]

We are doing Christmas late and I was thinking about getting all four kids Ipads. I looked at the tonight at the store and they were $588 for 32GB. But then they had chargers, docking stations and about two other things to go with them. That start to add up! The kids are all single adults between the ages of 22 and 30.
DH and I have Touchpads so I really am questioning if they are worth the price or will they continue to cost them money with apps and such?

Well, they will continue to cost them money. They are cool, but they are toys. Is the toy worth $600? I have one, that I use a lot, so I think so.

 

[richmond282]

No, i don't think they are worth the cost, but I guess it depends on what you can afford and what you want to do with one. I have a nook color and DH has a kindle fire and we are perfectly happy with them.

 

[elgerber]

Love love love mine, using it now. They come with a charger, and you dont need a docking station. If you can easily afford it, they are worth it. They are expensive though, I saved a long time for mine.

 

[carebee21]

I think it really depends on the individual.

I have one and I love it. As the previous person pointed out, it really is an expensive toy. It's not as functional as a laptop for school/work type stuff, and is mainly used for entertainment purposes. And as someone who travels a lot, I love the light weight of the ipad and the ability to take it with me everywhere and play games, watch movies, listen to music, etc. Plus it's fun to goof around with on the couch.

DH has played with mine and he just doesn't think it's worth the price for him. When asked if he wanted one for Christmas, he said no. It basically does everything his iPhone does, just on a slightly larger screen, and he doesn't really play games with it, so for him, it would be a waste. We ended up getting him the kindle fire so he has a "toy" when we travel. He seems content with it, although I don't really care for the Kindle Fire much, so it's really a matter of what the person wants to do with it.

And yes, the iPads will continue to cost you money. You have to pay for the music you download on it, the movies you download, the apps you download, etc. You also need some sort of screen protector and/or a case/cover for it. Aside from that, there are lots of other add on's, such as docks, speakers, keyboards, but none of those are really neccessary.

 

[jenseib]

I would look and compare the kindle fire. Much less. See what their needs are. Apple is always way more, but they seem to be a superior too. But I won't be buying one..if anything maybe a tablet in the future. My Uncle has an ipad though and it's is really neat. But I can't justify the cost.

 

[wbeem]

I have two and I love using them. However, I'm a tech geek and it fits into my lifestyle. The chargers come with them, so I don't see an extra fee for that (perhaps I misunderstood you).

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

I love my iPad. I use it all the time. It is convenient. And it does not cost me a lot as I did not purchase any accessories for it and I rarely download apps.

 

[crisi]

I would look and compare the kindle fire. Much less. See what their needs are. Apple is always way more, but they seem to be a superior too. But I won't be buying one..if anything maybe a tablet in the future. My Uncle has an ipad though and it's is really neat. But I can't justify the cost.

Or a Nook. The Nook is an android tablet and isn't a bad platform for Angry Birds.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

We got the IPAD2 as our family Christmas gift this year. My 2 year old, 4 year old and myself "fight" over it. It was expensive but we are loving it so far!

 

[scbelleatheart]

Thanks for the replys! They all have jobs but I didn't want to stress out their budgets on something they may not really use. 2 of them already have Iphones. It's just hard to figure out what to get kids (I know they are not kids). My budget is around $1000 each. or do I just buy AMX gift cards so they can get things they usually wouldn't get for themselves?
We have not done anything for Xmas the past 3 years due to work in '10 & '11 or lack of (2009) so this will be a big make up year.
I guess I'll just ask and they won't be suprised.

 

[kleubanks]

Have you considered refurbs? Same warranty, can be picked up in an Apple store (after ordering online) or delivered. Saved a little cash and bought a model with slightly more memory as a result .

 

[TosaTrio]

New iPad model is rumored in to come out in March. You may want to hold off and give them an Apple gift card (or Visa card) to buy a newer model or get the iPad 2 at a discount.

 

[jenseib]

Thanks for the replys! They all have jobs but I didn't want to stress out their budgets on something they may not really use. 2 of them already have Iphones. It's just hard to figure out what to get kids (I know they are not kids). My budget is around $1000 each. or do I just buy AMX gift cards so they can get things they usually wouldn't get for themselves?
We have not done anything for Xmas the past 3 years due to work in '10 & '11 or lack of (2009) so this will be a big make up year.
I guess I'll just ask and they won't be suprised.

Will you adopt me! I don't think I would go with AMX though if you go that route...many places don't take it. Go with visa or mastercard. Or buy them each an ipad and a gift card to make up the difference.

 

[mdsoccermom]

I got one for Hanukkah and it hasn't left my side. I love it! I do have a small business so it had really helped with that.

 

[Califgirl]

I got one for Hanukkah and it hasn't left my side. I love it! I do have a small business so it had really helped with that.

What business apps do you use? I got an i-pad for Christmas and I can't figure out its worth for business or everyday life. Great for goofing around, though.

 

[ardig123]

LOVE my iPad. If you have a $1000 budget I say absolutely go for it! Get them the $499 version along with the $30 smart cover and an itunes giftcard maybe for $50 or $100. I have had mine for almost a year and have not spent more than $100 on it. Many apps are free and most are very low cost. If they already have iphones they can sync the ipad with the iphone and access all of the music they already own on the ipad. With the type of budget you have I would not bother with the Nook or the Kindle...the iPad is the best of the best...the only reason I would go with the Nook or the Kindle would be if I could not afford the iPad or if they were young kids and I was worried about them possibly breaking the ipad!

 

[ardig123]

By the way, if you have an Apple store near you it might be worth going in and talking to a sales associate. As far as the rumored iPad 3 goes you probably will not be able to get your hands on it until April and my understanding is that there are not going to be that many changes to it which could mean the price of the iPad 2 may not drop that much. I ordered my iPad 2 right when it was released and it took almost 5 weeks to actually receive it. Drove me crazy

 

[jpgpmpcp]

Another vote for "I love my iPad" here! Use it evey day...at work and home!

 

[luvdamouse91]

We love our IPad, we bought the 32GB with Wifi & 3G. We use the cellular for when we travel. One month (up to 250 MB) is $14.99. We can activate and deactivate as we need.

We bought the SD card interface so that we can download pictures off of our camera. Awesome feature.

We can't imagine traveling without it anymore. Another plus, is it doesn't have to be taken out of the bag when going through security since it is not a laptop.