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Which iPad to buy?

TW200

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I'm sure somebody has asked this already but I did a search and can't find the answer I'm looking for.

I'm new to the Apple world and I am going to buy an iPad and was thinking of buying a refurbed unit. If I go the refurbed route should I buy a 4th gen or an Air and why/why not?

Sadly, I don't really know what I'm going to do with the iPad but it looks like it will be some fun finding out what it's capable of doing. I've wanted an iPad since I got my first Apple device, an iPhone4, about a year and half ago.

Having said I don't really know what I going to do with the iPad should the 16gb model be good enough or should I get the higher gig model?
 

AQ_OC

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Get the Air. I would not buy a 16 gb unit, but that doesn't mean you should do as I do.
 

KevinJS

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The number of uses for an iPad is probably as high as the number of users.

Have to admit, when my wife asked me if I wanted an iPad nearly 3 years ago, I said no, for the reason that I figured it was a big iPhone that couldn't make phone calls. Since then, I've found multiple uses for it, and it has become my go-to device for finding my way around the oilfields in my job as a trucker. Some of the other uses have fallen by the wayside since I bought a MacBookPro to go along with it.

I would tend to go with the latest model, with the largest storage affordable, unless there are pressing reasons to go for an older model, like a REALLY good deal, or a need to use existing peripherals such as 30-pin connectors.

One thing that never bores me is the interoperability between iDevices. Update a document on your phone, and it's available on your iPad (or Mac). For me, this never gets old.

Add stuff like Skype, podcasts, iBooks and whatever else you can think of and you'll only just have scraped the surface of possibilities.

By the way, welcome to the forum.
 

giradman

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......
I'm new to the Apple world and I am going to buy an iPad and was thinking of buying a refurbed unit. If I go the refurbed route should I buy a 4th gen or an Air and why/why not?

Having said I don't really know what I going to do with the iPad should the 16gb model be good enough or should I get the higher gig model?

Welcome to the forum! :) You've already received some great advice from several of the mods here. Before just buying an iPad, you might want to give us more information on 'why'? What uses are you looking for in a tablet? Will this be a partial replacement for a desktop or laptop computer? Do you just want to browse the web, check email, or are there other purposes? Please provide more information and maybe we can give you a specific recommendation - Dave
 

leelai

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Hi and welcome to the Forum!

It's a big question on what you should buy and it really is a personal choice.

I myself would always buy the newest iPad available.....why?....because it has the latest technology and will last longer in the long run.

The iPad Air is also that bit smaller than the 4 without sacrificing the size of the screen, it's also quite a bit lighter.

As you cannot add storage later, I would buy the largest I can afford. We have had many folk here buy the 16gb only to regret not buying a larger capacity iPad. Movies take up the most space and if you want to watch movies, then go for a larger size. Keep in mind also, that's it's not until you do buy an iPad that you then find out all the different things it can do for you....I have movies, music, photos, books, inventory, recipes stored on mine and that's just the beginning. You can always manage your iPad by transferring items back and forth between your PC/mac when you need them but that's not something I personally like to do, which is why I bought the 128gb size.

Then you need to consider wifi or wifi with cellular, do you travel? And like to stay connected? Do you want true GPS capability?

Only an iPad with cellular will give you true GPS and you don't even need to have a charged sim for this to work as it's built into the iPad itself. It has saved me many times when in a foreign country to find my bearings. I also go 4wd and this comes in handy when you're out of cellular reach and still are able to navigate.

When travelling it's much cheaper to buy a sim rather than pay hotel internet fees each day.

If you do buy wifi only, you can always hotspot from an iPhone or use a mifi when out and about to connect or take advantage of free Wifi spots.....but you won't have true GPS capability.

I hope this helps and good luck with your purchase and let us know what you do decide on.
 

KevinJS

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That's sound advice from Leelai.

I wouldn't recommend buying any iPad without cellular/GPS. To me, it's worth the $130 extra.
 

s2mikey

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I think a refurbished iPad 4 is a decent buy, especially if the price is right. But, the latest and greatest is always nice to have and if you can swing it then a 32GB Air seems to be a happy compromise between price and storage. Cellular support is entirely up to you. I decided to go with it this time and I'm glad I did but for some people that extra money would be better spent on more storage or just put back in your pocket.

Plenty or good advice here. Enjoy shopping..... That's half the fun! :)
 

mydave

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May I join the crowd ?

. I'd suggest to stick this thread. It is very informative for new users.
. I'd think that any iPad would be good. The hardware is reliable and the firmware and software are smooth like silk.
. I'd add to the list the iPad Mini with Retina display. My wife recently got one. She tried several tablets, iOS and Android. She likes nothing until this new one. Easy for her to carry around, even in the kitchen cooking and checking recipe.
. As for the storage, more is better of course. But even 16 GB would be plenty with this toy Amazon.com: [5-in-1] RAVPower® FileHub Wireless SD Card Reader with 3000mAh Backup Battery, Wireless Mobile Storage Media Sharing, WLAN Hot Spot & NAS File Server: Computers & Accessories

Best to all new users.

P.S. Her precious toy with SUPCASE Beetle Defense and home-mad Polyethylene Stand
iPad Retina.SUPCASE Beetle Defense.Polyethylene Stand.1.JPG

iPad Retina.SUPCASE Beetle Defense.Polyethylene Stand.2.JPG
 
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zstairlessone

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The beauty of the Air and the Mini (besides the faster processors and better Wi-Fi and cellular) is how much lighter they are than the 4th generation and older. It may not seem like much at the store, but laying on the couch or in bed reading or watching movies it makes a huge difference.
 

leelai

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The beauty of the Air and the Mini (besides the faster processors and better Wi-Fi and cellular) is how much lighter they are than the 4th generation and older. It may not seem like much at the store, but laying on the couch or in bed reading or watching movies it makes a huge difference.

Ain't that the truth! Well I don't have the 4 but my daughter has the 3 which I was using on the weekend, and the Air is just so much lighter for a full size iPad. And my iPad 2 weighs like a brick compared to the Air!

Good point on the wifi and cellular also, it's certainly a lot quicker! ;)
 

epb

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I'm new to the Apple world and I am going to buy an iPad and was thinking of buying a refurbed unit. If I go the refurbed route should I buy a 4th gen or an Air and why/why not?

Based on your screen name, I suggest an iPad Mini, which will fit in the inner pocket of a motorcycle jacket. (Full disclosure - so does my Kindle Fire.) Until you've got a better idea how you want to use it, a 16GB wi-fi model is the smart choice. Now that you can download maps, they make a good road atlas. Mine also has PDF versions of my bike's owners manual and shop manual.
 
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TW200

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Thanks so much for your time and effort responding. I apologize for posting a vague post but i was hoping that would get replies that would help me with my decision on what to buy.

Nice interpretation of my username, epb! I don't plan on riding around the street or trails with an iPad in my pocket, don't trust myself.
 

keith500

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Whichever one you get I would try and buy one with at least 32gb of memory as they fill up so fast!
 

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