Opinions on the ipad please.....

[edk35]

My 18 year old son would like one for Christmas. If we get it, it will also be his graduation gift as well. I just got a Kindle Fire for my birthday. I really love it but compared to an iPad the screen is much smaller. So what makes these ipads so wonderful and are they truly worth the moola? Thanks...

 

[DVCLiz]

My 18 year old son would like one for Christmas. If we get it, it will also be his graduation gift as well. I just got a Kindle Fire for my birthday. I really love it but compared to an iPad the screen is much smaller. So what makes these ipads so wonderful and are they truly worth the moola? Thanks...

I have both as well and I am finding that the Fire can do almost everything I personally use my iPad for, BUT:

the iPad's screen is larger, it has the option for 3G service, and the storage capacity is greater. It has features such as a camera that the Fire doesn't have, so it can do more things than the Fire.

I think it's helpful to think of the Fire as a content delivery device tied to Amazon, and of the iPad as a full featured tablet computer. Yes, the Fire can surf the web, get your email, check FaceBook and Twitter, connect to an app store, act as an ereader, etc. but it doesn't have the same full set of features an iPad does. And, of course, it's not tied to iTunes.

For an 18 year old, I'd go ahead and get the iPad 2.

 

[mom2threecuties]

Both of my sons want tablets for Christmas. I went back and forth between buying cheaper android tablets or spending the extra money for ipads. I eventually decided on the ipad for two reasons. First, they can easily put all of their itunes songs on their ipads. Second, most of their ipod/iphone apps will (hopefully) sync to their ipads without having to repurchase apps through the android marketplace. I did end up buying refurbished first generation ipads through the Apple website. They were $399 for 32gb with wifi and 3G. I couldn't justify the extra $100 for the entry level ipad 2. I miss the days when they wanted Buzz Lightyear toys and Legos for Christmas!

 

[edk35]

Both of my sons want tablets for Christmas. I went back and forth between buying cheaper android tablets or spending the extra money for ipads. I eventually decided on the ipad for two reasons. First, they can easily put all of their itunes songs on their ipads. Second, most of their ipod/iphone apps will (hopefully) sync to their ipads without having to repurchase apps through the android marketplace. I did end up buying refurbished first generation ipads through the Apple website. They were $399 for 32gb with wifi and 3G. I couldn't justify the extra $100 for the entry level ipad 2. I miss the days when they wanted Buzz Lightyear toys and Legos for Christmas!

Can you tell me what the first generation can not do that the newer ones can?? I know that the 499.99 one only had Wifi and I think it is only 16gb too right??

 

[Phil'sFrontier]

At this point I would wait for iPad3
It will likely have Siri and a retina display.
I would not worry too much about storage as these days everything is 'in the cloud'
There is also lots of cool cases to choose from. I think for the iPad a case is a must have.

 

[edk35]

At this point I would wait for iPad3
It will likely have Siri and a retina display.
I would not worry too much about storage as these days everything is 'in the cloud'
There is also lots of cool cases to choose from. I think for the iPad a case is a must have.

Siri/retina When is the ipad 3 coming out??

 

[tinan]

Ok....first of all I will start by saying that I have had Iphone and Ipods and I love Apple, but I am finding that I am not a diehard fan of Apple. I was tempted to look at buying one of the Ipads, but I just could not bring myself to with the price tag. My husband and I always go back and forth between droid and Iphone. He loves his Droid and will always buy droid, where I thought I would always stay Apple. I have since got an awesome deal on Acer Iconia A500 and honestly after playing with both the Ipad and the Droid tablet, there really wasn't enough of a difference to make me pay the price difference. In this week's ad at Best Buy is the best price I've seen this week at $349.00 and they give you a $50.00 best buy gift card as well. This tablet normally runs $399.00. Although it's not as good of a deal as I received on Thanksgiving ($220.00), I still think it's a decent deal. This is a wifi tablet but it can be added on any network from my understanding if you choose to do so, but we will only use it for Wifi. I am cheap and mostly download free apps unless its something I really want. The apps that are on my phone and the apps that are available for the droid tablet almost look exactly like one another.

 

[Sandy321]

what are you going to use it for?

the Fire has limitations - its not a tablet, its not an ereader... (there are many problems being reported - no e-ink so there is a glare that makes it hard to read books - no collections options - on my Kindle, I sort all my books, like a library) it takes content and gives it to you (streamlining videos, music, some games - it does not do so many things for instance dd wants to use google docs - cant do that on the Fire

ipad - it has a camera - not so the fire (so you can skype) you can add external drives - ie keyboards, etc - so its more versatile

Honestly - I've just started looking into the Fire - I read at amazon discussion boards - and that's one of their biggest complaints that people dont understand what they want and need devices for...

this post my make it clear - I only have a little bit of information - so I could be really wrong, or just a bit a tiny bit right!

The point I've read is to research your needs, and how you intend to use the devices - so you dont under use, or have too big expectations...

 

[vsimeone]

Both of my sons want tablets for Christmas. I went back and forth between buying cheaper android tablets or spending the extra money for ipads. I eventually decided on the ipad for two reasons. First, they can easily put all of their itunes songs on their ipads. Second, most of their ipod/iphone apps will (hopefully) sync to their ipads without having to repurchase apps through the android marketplace. I did end up buying refurbished first generation ipads through the Apple website. They were $399 for 32gb with wifi and 3G. I couldn't justify the extra $100 for the entry level ipad 2. I miss the days when they wanted Buzz Lightyear toys and Legos for Christmas!

I just did this too. DH keeps telling everyone "I want an iPad." But he never does anything with technology. He has an OLD outdated phone and he only ever uses his laptop for Fantasy Football. He doesn't even have a Facebook account I figure that I'll start him off with this and if he HAS to have more functionality, we'll hand it down to one of the kids or sell it on Craigslist and get a newer one. I agree that it's saving $100 over the entry level but to get the iPad 2 with 3g and 32mb is actually $729! So I see it as a $350 savings!

Mine is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I will probably be giving it to DH next week before we leave for WDW so he doesn't have to take his laptop with him. (Maybe I'll leave my laptop at home too and just use "HIS" iPad!)

 

[Kies99]

You have to ask this questions before all else...

..What does your son intend to use it for?

If he is going to use it for "entertainment" (surfing, reading, music, movies, games, etc...), then it's great!

If he's going to want to use it for "productivity" (creating document, reports, etc....), then it's not so great.

I have the iPad 2 and I love it. Never leaves my side. However I only use it for entertainment and what little I've attempted on the productivity side I always think it'd be so much easier on a laptop/pc.

If you do decide to get the iPad (again, I love mine), you need to ask this question next...

...WiFi or 3G?

WiFi works perfectly fine when you have access to it. However, when travelling 3G would allow access anytime (generally speaking; based on service coverage).

My iPad 2 is WiFi only. For the most part I use it at home so my network is fine. Sometimes however I kind of wish I had gotten the 3G version. This is especially true when on long car trips (we drive to Florida from Pittsburgh 1x a year and down to Raleigh/Durham 2x a year). When you have kids it'd be nice to be able to access the web from the road. Granted, the 3G is about $130 or so more so you have to weigh that as well.

 

[DVCLiz]

what are you going to use it for?

the Fire has limitations - its not a tablet, its not an ereader... (there are many problems being reported - no e-ink so there is a glare that makes it hard to read books - no collections options - on my Kindle, I sort all my books, like a library) it takes content and gives it to you (streamlining videos, music, some games - it does not do so many things for instance dd wants to use google docs - cant do that on the Fire

ipad - it has a camera - not so the fire (so you can skype) you can add external drives - ie keyboards, etc - so its more versatile

Honestly - I've just started looking into the Fire - I read at amazon discussion boards - and that's one of their biggest complaints that people dont understand what they want and need devices for...

this post my make it clear - I only have a little bit of information - so I could be really wrong, or just a bit a tiny bit right!

The point I've read is to research your needs, and how you intend to use the devices - so you dont under use, or have too big expectations...

Sandy321, none of the issues with the Fire that you mention are "problems", so I think it's unfair to bash the Fire for not being what you want it to be. I thnik your advice later in your post - "people don't understand what they want and need devices for" - is closer to the truth. It's not a "problem" that the Fire's screen is LCD and the glare makes it hard to read books in bright susnshine - it's just a function of the type of material chosen for the screen, and it shouldn't take anybody by surprise if they do even the tiniest amount of basic research before they purchase.

Read, ask questions, do your research, determine the feature set that is most important to you, and then select the device that best fits your needs and your budgets.

I too read the Amazon forums and most people simply whine when they realize that something they are used to on another machine isn't a feature of the Fire. They should have done their research before they bought it. The Fire itself is a great new option and it's no more or less buggy than any other brand new to the market machine. An update has already sorted out a few glitches and there will be certainly more to come.

 

[BrerMama]

I just did this too. DH keeps telling everyone "I want an iPad." But he never does anything with technology. He has an OLD outdated phone and he only ever uses his laptop for Fantasy Football. He doesn't even have a Facebook account I figure that I'll start him off with this and if he HAS to have more functionality, we'll hand it down to one of the kids or sell it on Craigslist and get a newer one. I agree that it's saving $100 over the entry level but to get the iPad 2 with 3g and 32mb is actually $729! So I see it as a $350 savings!

OMG. I just had to check to see if I typed that, because it's totally my husband. My DH doesn't even have an email account... yet he wants an iPad. He doesn't read either (too ADHD to actually sit and read) and we're an Apple family, so I'm thinking if he wants something an iPad makes the most sense. Sigh.

 

[clm10308]

I have an iPad2 and love it. We also have an older Kindle.
For just an eReader the Kindle was fine. I don't know anything about the kindle fire. Because of the difference in screens, I find it much easier to read in the car on the Kindle, but we haven't taken a long car trip in a couple of years.

I like the iPad/iPhones because everything can be stored on one device. iTunes does keep track of all apps that have been purchased so no need to buy again when adding a device. My DH and I share one iTunes account and we both have access to the apps.

The one bad thing that I can say about the iPad is that the screen breaks easily, and that is not covered in the warranty. When my DS dropped my less than 6 month old iPad and broke the screen I nearly cried. At that time Apple was sometimes replacing them for free. I drove 3 hours to get to the neatest Apple store and did get a replacement. My new one has a small crack in the screen now but is still useable. According to a more recent trip to an Apple store, Apple is no longer giving free replacements. So get a good case to go with the iPad.

 

[kidshop]

I have had my iPad2 about 3 weeks now. I do not have have cool phone (mine only makes calls) or an ereader, and I don't do anything on iTunes. for me, this iPad is a computer replacement. it's way better than any laptop. I have an external keyboard if I need it and my printer is compatible. it's a dream!

 

[disneyred]

Siri/retina When is the ipad 3 coming out??

i'd love to hear more scoop on this as well !

 

[Sandy321]

Sandy321, none of the issues with the Fire that you mention are "problems", so I think it's unfair to bash the Fire for not being what you want it to be. I thnik your advice later in your post - "people don't understand what they want and need devices for" - is closer to the truth. It's not a "problem" that the Fire's screen is LCD and the glare makes it hard to read books in bright susnshine - it's just a function of the type of material chosen for the screen, and it shouldn't take anybody by surprise if they do even the tiniest amount of basic research before they purchase.

Read, ask questions, do your research, determine the feature set that is most important to you, and then select the device that best fits your needs and your budgets.

I too read the Amazon forums and most people simply whine when they realize that something they are used to on another machine isn't a feature of the Fire. They should have done their research before they bought it. The Fire itself is a great new option and it's no more or less buggy than any other brand new to the market machine. An update has already sorted out a few glitches and there will be certainly more to come.

Thank you DVC Liz - I was NOT intending to bash the Fire - quite the opposite - I was afraid my post would come across more as "ignorant" (lack of knowledge, but posting anyway) I think what I was also thinking at the time of posting is I will continue to use the Kindle (e ink) to read books - but the Fire will have different functions for my use (magazines being the big one for me! But then I'm not one to save magazine articles, I read and toss magazines!)
I was hoping to also gain information - ITA and believe there will be more updates, I think that is why I truly love the Kindle - that great Amazon Customer service and respect!

- and I thank you for correcting my mistakes, and adding your knowledge and experience - thank you!

Kiess99 Thank you for stating that so easy - I think that may have been what I was attempting to get across!!

 

[cats mom]

I have had my iPad2 about 3 weeks now. I do not have have cool phone (mine only makes calls) or an ereader, and I don't do anything on iTunes. for me, this iPad is a computer replacement. it's way better than any laptop. I have an external keyboard if I need it and my printer is compatible. it's a dream!

I'll give you better than some netbooks currently on the market, but better than any laptop?

An iPad has no physical keyboard, no USB ports, the battery is irreplaceable, there are plenty of useful applications that can't be installed on it, it can't open sites that have flash requirements it doesn't support, and if you want to do much of anything having to do with content creation working on an iPad can be exasperating at best.

But for those mainly interested in watching movies, e-mailing, doing light web surfing, etc. I guess I can see how it could be a laptop replacement.

 

[racechick8293]

Apple products are typically on a 1 year refresh cycle. Using this as a guide, the iPad 3 should be announced/released in March/April of 2012.

If buying new, I would likely also wait for the iPad 3. It is rumored to be getting the Retina display (which is amazing), and I imagine it will also be getting Siri (also a great feature).

 

[scra]

I have had my iPad2 about 3 weeks now. I do not have have cool phone (mine only makes calls) or an ereader, and I don't do anything on iTunes. for me, this iPad is a computer replacement. it's way better than any laptop. I have an external keyboard if I need it and my printer is compatible. it's a dream!

It might be a great replacement for a laptop for you, but I just want to caution the OP against taking this at face value. If your son will be in a situation shortly where he will need a laptop (college, job, etc.) - the iPad will not be a replacement for it. You cannot install word processors or other very important (and very basic) productivity software onto an iPad, and although Microsoft has apps, they are just to view those documents, not to edit or create them.

I agree with the person who said that if your computing needs are primarily Internet surfing, music storage, reading books, keeping a calendar, taking brief notes, and playing games, it definitely can function as a laptop replacement. But for anything more than that, it would be a cool toy to have in addition to a real computer.

 

[Ksquilter72]

I have an app on my iPad that allows me to create word, excel and PowerPoint documents. While I agree that the iPad isn't an all day, every day productivity piece of equipment, I have found it more than adequate for working at home in the evenings or traveling to conferences, etc. I did buy a Bluetooth keyboard that folds up so now I can tuck the iPad and keyboard into my purse and go. It all depends on your needs. If all I wanted to do was watch tv, play games and check email, I would have bought a Kindle Fire. The iPad is much more functional for what I need.