Hoggirl Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 So, I have to get one that is EITHER wi-fi or wi-fi/3G, right? And, if I do the latter (the wi-fi/3G) I have to choose either a Verizon or AT&T configuration? Is that right? So, if I want the wi-fi/3G, is either At&T or Verizon "better"???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 I got the wif/3G one, and we went with AT&T, because it was cheaper at the time. I don't know about prices at Verizon now though. I only buy it when we are going out of town. It is nice that I can cancel anytime without a contract. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skadi Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 How much time will you be spending away from a wifi hotspot? Unless your family will be using the iPad on cross country road trips, you may not even need the 3G. Some people buy the wifi/3G (which is $130 more expensive than just wifi) and don't sign up with a carrier to use the 3G. They just want the option of being able to get a 3G subscription at some later point if they want to. My MIL did this, and so far is deciding against getting a 3G subscription because there is wifi everywhere she goes (coffeeshop, home, book store, airports, etc.). I asked her if she wished she had saved the $130 and just bought wifi only, and she said no, she likes having the option there just in case. (I personally would skip getting the wifi/3G.) If you get the wifi/3G and want to buy a subscription, Verizon has the widest coverage in the United States (according to the independent tech websites that address this question). However, AT&T has almost a monopoly in Europe, so if you plan on taking your iPad on a trip over there, that's the way to go. Generally, the companies have more or less the same coverage for a typical area of the U.S., so you may just want to go with the cheaper carrier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5KidzRUs Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 I have 3G and love having it when I need it. I live in Europe and put in a Vodofone microchip so I can buy 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week or one month at a time. When I go to the states I put the AT&T microchip back in and buy the $20 for one month service and shut off the service after the month. A really cool thing I learned is the phone rep. Has a thing that looks like a stapler and it trims chips down to microchips :o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 It's also an option to get the wifi version and upgrade your cell to one that acts as a hotspot or to buy a separate hotspot. We have one from Verizon thatwe pay about $40 per month to use. It allows us to get all devices on when we are traveling instead of just the iPad. We don't use it that much though and both dh and I will switch to cellphones that can be used as hotspots when we upgrade next year so we can drop the service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted November 28, 2011 Author Share Posted November 28, 2011 I am such a techno-idiot. This is all very helpful! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Do note that you can buy an iPad 3G without actually signing up for 3G service. You still need to choose a carrier but you aren't forced to sign up until you want to use the service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted November 28, 2011 Author Share Posted November 28, 2011 Do note that you can buy an iPad 3G without actually signing up for 3G service. You still need to choose a carrier but you aren't forced to sign up until you want to use the service. I got this part! :D I am leaning toward the wi-fi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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