Which Ipad?

DicedT · March 26, 2013, 12:58:50 PM

If all I want to do is play games (or write about playing games), which Ipad? Apparently Ipad 1 is too old. Ipad 2 is a possibility, but then there is Ipad 3 and 4. All of which are outrageously priced.

Michael

Barthheart · March 26, 2013, 01:02:54 PM

I bought an iPad 2 when the 3 was first introduced because it was $100 cheaper. I got the 16GB version WIFI only. It's my date book, phone book, game pad for in front of the TV while my wife watches Grey's Anatomy... :P

My 2 has run all the games I've wanted so far.

Bison · March 27, 2013, 05:31:07 AM

Well personally I'd get the newest version. Mostly because it has a retina display, better processor and graphics chip so it will stay relevant longer in terms of playing more graphic intensive games. I think the trend you are seeing is more games like XCOM coming to the iPad which will require more processing power. Granted Apple, because of the DRM they use especially if you are purchasing from the app store, the app requirements tend to stay within the specs of the last few generations of the product. As far as the storage, I think this is where your price point sets. There is no way to increase storage so if you like to have a lot of stuff with you games, music, video, productivity apps the storage can quickly get eaten up.

bayonetbrant · March 27, 2013, 05:55:57 AM

Bison's right. The "current" specs will start to slip on their performance as new ones are released (Apple seems to be on a 24-month upgrade cycle on iPads), so buying the newest will keep you current the longest.

Also, my recommendation is always to get as much storage as you can afford. Remember that had drives come in one size: full.

Staggerwing · March 27, 2013, 06:19:49 AM

Whichever you get, choose the 3G/4G version. It will cost you more (approx $130 new, less used)) but it will hold it's value better if you want to sell it later to upgrade and, while you may think that just Wifi will get you by, it only takes one power outage lasting a few days to bring the internet to a screeching halt and cut off your productivity. You can even use the iPad2 and up as a personal cellular hotspot for the rest of the family's wifi devices. You can skip setting up cellular until you actually need it as there is no contract. Find out which carrier has best coverage on your home street and the places you will most likely need cellular. Older iPads come pre-set for either AT&T or Verizon and newer ones are available with Sprint as well.

My first iPad was wifi only and I've regretted that decision. My new iPad mini is 4GLTE and I've used it twice now to ride out an internet outage during this past year. I ended up giving the old one to my son, who was able to piggyback off of mine during those outages.

Keunert · March 27, 2013, 07:37:58 AM

but as far as i know you can easily delete apps, music and movies and then reinstall them again. the highscore is all you will lose. or am i wrong?

Barthheart · March 27, 2013, 07:50:04 AM

You are not wrong. That's what I've been doing with my games... rotating them off and on as I want..

Keunert · March 27, 2013, 08:58:33 AM

how about mini vs regular ipad? what about the smaller size? mobility wouldn't be much of an issue if i ever get one. but what about gaming, is the smaller screen still ok for complex games like the Bulge game? is the handling so much better that it makes up for the smaller screen? and not being retina, is that an issue for the mini?

DicedT · March 27, 2013, 02:48:42 PM

This is what I mean. Tech creep. Want an Ipad? Well, you need 4G to take advantage of the nifty features. Now you have to get a data plan with your friendly cellular provider. Want an Ipad to play games? An Ipad 2 will play games. Next year's games might not run on it, so best to be safe and get an Ipad 3...no, 4. And now the price tag has doubled.

I'll just go through my buyer's remorse now and save myself the trouble later.

Michael

LongBlade · March 27, 2013, 03:19:51 PM

I own a first-gen iPad and a first-gen Fire.

The nice thing about the iPad is also its biggest drawback: screen size. It's too big to fit in a coat pocket but it's got a nice size for sitting on your lap.

As with all tech things, they will be obsolete in a couple of years. I know you're not asking about the Android OS, but I really like my Fire. Like you, I wish I had the next gen one as mine doesn't have a data card - just a network card. But that works for me because I am mostly home and tethered to my network anyway.

If you can afford it, buy the expensive one. If not, well, you're going to have to pre-think how you'll use it. If you work from home and don't plan on taking it to the grocery store much then having 4G probably won't help. If half your time is spent in the park seeking inspiration from scantily clad women? Then get the 4G.

DicedT · March 27, 2013, 03:30:25 PM

I just want to play games, plus other things (the U.S. Army just put out an ebook for the Ipad). I know games like Battle of the Bulge will eventually migrate to Android, but how long?

So, I want the cheapest system that will play games for the next couple of years. Will games like Xcom run on an Ipad 2? Or 3? I don't know.

Inspiration from watching scantily clad women in the park? Sounds like you need less 4G and more 4G-Spot.

Michael

LongBlade · March 27, 2013, 03:41:01 PM

Ipads are definitely being seen as more mainstream.

The Kindle has made huge inroads, but I am constantly dismayed that wargames are being developed on the iOS and neglecting Android.

That said, I'm not a fan of the iOS guilded cage. My next purchase is likely to be the Fire HD.

As with all things tech, if you're trying to future-proof it, go with the latest. Unless you anticipate the iOS market share shrinking drastically you need to buy the latest version and hope they'll convert Xcom. It's less likely they'll do it for older versions than for the latest.

4G-Spot? Tempting, but probably more theoretical than real.

Bison · March 27, 2013, 04:28:49 PM

Honestly I don't think the 3G is worth the money. WiFi will get you all the connectivity you need on a regular basis from home, to the coffee shop, to the airport, to just about anywhere as most places offer free WiFi. I'd go with the gen 3 because it is a better overall product than the iPad2. You say you just want to play games, but the added versatility will be too alluring to pass up. The gen 3 is important because going forward iPad will have a retina display. iPad2 is not a retina display, but as retina becomes the norm and as the iOS updates the gen3 will remain viable for several years. We still use an iPad 1 generation and it's like 4 years old and runs like a champ. We also have an iPad 2 which is great and good to go, but it's now a couple of years old. If I'm buying today I get the middle of the road iPad 3 with WiFi, you get all the tech benefits of the new generation plus a slightly larger storage. Again you can delete the apps, but soon you'll find yourself using the camera for photos, videos, and other crap that you don't want to delete or transfer everytime you put a new game on it. That's just my take.

DicedT · April 02, 2013, 01:25:12 PM

Supposedly the Ipad5 will ship the end of June. How much do you think the Ipad 4 will drop in price? Debating whether the price drop is worth waiting three months.

Bison · April 02, 2013, 03:28:05 PM

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad

Look at apples refurb page. You can get a refurb with all the warranty coverage as new but save some cash. Otherwise the honest answer is no one can tell you what apple will or won't do regarding pricing or upgrades. However they are generally incremental in nature so a 3 and 4 gen will be close, but a 1 or 2 generation will see greatest benefits of upgrading.