If you're planning on buying an iPad when it goes on sale this Saturday, you have some deciding to do. Unlike the iPhone, there are six different versions of the iPad, ranging in price from $500 to $830.
The three models shipping this weekend are Wi-Fi only, while another three shipping late April include both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity.
Your first decision is between those two fundamental differences: Wi- Fi only, or 3G plus Wi-Fi? After you decide which route to take, from there you need to pick a storage capacity: 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB.
For a lot of us, the decision is complicated by the fact that we already own an iPhone or iPod Touch or another smartphone, for that matter.
So lets break it down for you.
Wi-Fi or 3G?
Lets face it: in its current state, the iPad is primarily a device you'll use to veg out on your couch for watching movies, listening to music and playing games.
A lot of these media-consumption activities are going to work just fine offline, so even in places where you're without Wi-Fi, you shouldn't feel completely deprived.
For the majority of users, Wi-Fi will probably be sufficient, assuming you have a wireless network set up in your home. (Even AT&T seems to believe that the iPad is mostly going to be a Wi-Fi-driven device.)
But nonetheless there's a strong argument for choosing one of the 3G- equipped models. If you travel often, you'll inevitably find yourself in a hotel lobby or restaurant that doesn't have Wi-Fi, and at that point the lack of 3G could be irritating.
Also, if you commute for work, you'll probably enjoy a 3G connection for those times when you're on the train or bus assuming you can get a signal from AT&T in those spots. On top of that, the 3G model of the iPad includes GPS, while the Wi-Fi-only version does not, making it a more capable traveling device.
3G will cost you more, of course. Each 3G model costs $130 more than the corresponding Wi-Fi counterpart with the same storage.
What makes the 3G option especially intriguing for the iPad is there's no contract. Its all month-to-month, and you only buy a plan when you need one: $15 a month for 250 MB or $30 a month for unlimited data. During the months when you're not traveling, you can simply turn the 3G service off.
In short, if you're a very mobile person, the 3G model probably suits you best. If you're a homebody, you'll be happy with the Wi-Fi version.
Storage
If you take the Wi-Fi route, you're probably going to be using the iPad mostly in your living room for consuming media such as movies, music and graphic-intensive games all of which will be stored on the iPad's flash drive. For that reason, larger storage should be more important for Wi-Fi only customers. Wed recommend either going with the 32-GB or 64-GB model for Wi-Fi-only models, as you'll fill up 16 gigs pretty fast.
The three models shipping this weekend are Wi-Fi only, while another three shipping late April include both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity.
Your first decision is between those two fundamental differences: Wi- Fi only, or 3G plus Wi-Fi? After you decide which route to take, from there you need to pick a storage capacity: 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB.
For a lot of us, the decision is complicated by the fact that we already own an iPhone or iPod Touch or another smartphone, for that matter.
So lets break it down for you.
Wi-Fi or 3G?
Lets face it: in its current state, the iPad is primarily a device you'll use to veg out on your couch for watching movies, listening to music and playing games.
A lot of these media-consumption activities are going to work just fine offline, so even in places where you're without Wi-Fi, you shouldn't feel completely deprived.
For the majority of users, Wi-Fi will probably be sufficient, assuming you have a wireless network set up in your home. (Even AT&T seems to believe that the iPad is mostly going to be a Wi-Fi-driven device.)
But nonetheless there's a strong argument for choosing one of the 3G- equipped models. If you travel often, you'll inevitably find yourself in a hotel lobby or restaurant that doesn't have Wi-Fi, and at that point the lack of 3G could be irritating.
Also, if you commute for work, you'll probably enjoy a 3G connection for those times when you're on the train or bus assuming you can get a signal from AT&T in those spots. On top of that, the 3G model of the iPad includes GPS, while the Wi-Fi-only version does not, making it a more capable traveling device.
3G will cost you more, of course. Each 3G model costs $130 more than the corresponding Wi-Fi counterpart with the same storage.
What makes the 3G option especially intriguing for the iPad is there's no contract. Its all month-to-month, and you only buy a plan when you need one: $15 a month for 250 MB or $30 a month for unlimited data. During the months when you're not traveling, you can simply turn the 3G service off.
In short, if you're a very mobile person, the 3G model probably suits you best. If you're a homebody, you'll be happy with the Wi-Fi version.
Storage
If you take the Wi-Fi route, you're probably going to be using the iPad mostly in your living room for consuming media such as movies, music and graphic-intensive games all of which will be stored on the iPad's flash drive. For that reason, larger storage should be more important for Wi-Fi only customers. Wed recommend either going with the 32-GB or 64-GB model for Wi-Fi-only models, as you'll fill up 16 gigs pretty fast.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
