Ipad and Iphone (smartphone) questions

[Blessed with seven]

Hello, I am new to the tablet word and smartphone. I have been told by apple to get the refurb ipad 2 to save money, others have said to get ipad 4 or 3..geesh, am mainly wanting it for around the house for myself and educational apps for the kids. Would like it to have a decent camera (although the phone I get is really what I want to have a good camera). I am not going to get cellular on my ipad as I will have a smartphone, trying to keep costs manageable.

 

I want it mainly for helping me to get organized, maybe stream a show here and there, apps, calendars, like a mini computer for when mine is in use.

 

Also..what phone? I can get iphone 4 for free, iphone 4s for $99, iphone 5 is out..too much. I can also get a Droid Razr M free or one of the Windows phones, Odyssey or something?

 

I have been reading review and review after review, geesh, my brain. I don't understand half of what I read ha! Anyone care to let me know what would be best to get.

 

I also have a used Kindle Fire I got for the kids as I love their Free Time, where I can set time limits but did not like it as far as accessing the web etc..

 

PLEASE LET ME KNOW....HELP!

[Laurel]

If you're going to get an iPad, I would definitely get an iPhone, as you can share apps with your apple account, so you won't find yourself buying the same app twice. I would pay the bit extra for the 4s, as I think it has more memory than the 4. (8g with the 4, and 16 with the 4s?)

[J-rap]

My mother just got an iPhone for her birthday (and she is 85!), and she got the last version (so not the most up-to-date) for 99cents, new. (And it was legit, from a store!) She said the main difference that they told her was that it did not have "Siri" on it, the "personal assistant" that responds to your voice. She would have liked to have had that, but didn't feel it was worth the price for her.

[Blessed with seven]

Thank you!! What about the ipad, which one? Save money and get a refurn 2 or 3 or get the 4 for sure? If there isn't a lot of difference I would like to save a few $. I don't need the newest and greatest, kwim?

[Spy Car]

Thank you!! What about the ipad, which one? Save money and get a refurn 2 or 3 or get the 4 for sure? If there isn't a lot of difference I would like to save a few $. I don't need the newest and greatest, kwim?

 

I am still very happy with our original iPad (iPad 1). I has no camera at all, but still feels "magical to me."

 

What I know about Apple is they will eventually make older hardware obsolete. In part it is "the march of progress" and in part it is a conscious buisness model. Already the current iOS is incompatible with my iPad. Am I hating life yet? No, but eventually there will be apps I can't run that I might want to run and can't.

 

A newer machine will give you more time before eventual obsolescence. So there are trade-offs value wise.

 

Bill

 

 

[Blessed with seven]

So..., thank you Bill... If I were to get an ipad 3 would it be dumb to save $80 and get a referbished? I understand about the older models becoming obsolete and this is a one time for along time purchase. This is not something I can buy every two years so..perhaps a good option would be 3 or shoudl I do 2?

[Blessed with seven]

So..., thank you Bill... If I were to get an ipad 3 would it be dumb to save $80 and get a referbished? I understand about the older models becoming obsolete and this is a one time for along time purchase. This is not something I can buy every two years so..perhaps a good option would be 3 or shoudl I do 2?

[happypamama]

Thank you!! What about the ipad, which one? Save money and get a refurn 2 or 3 or get the 4 for sure? If there isn't a lot of difference I would like to save a few $. I don't need the newest and greatest, kwim?

 

 

I have a iPad 2 with the upgrade to iOS 6+, which is the most important thing. I have yet to find anything that it can't run, and it's amazing. The camera is terrible, but I don't use it for that; I have a nice enough point-and-shoot that does a very good job. TV looks great on the 2, certainly not terrible by any means -- definitely not worth (to me) the increase in price for a 3 or 4. I have the case with the bluetooth keyboard, and that plus a few dollars spent on the Notability and QuickOffice HD apps has made it so that the iPad functions like a laptop. I rarely use my desktop machine any more (and while it's not the latest and greatest, it's no slouch either) unless I need to print something (since I don't yet have a printer that will print right from the iPad) or download stuff I don't want cluttering up the iPad (photos or librivox audio books). The iPad would not be nearly as useful to me without the keyboard.

[Eagle]

I would get the iPhone 4S and iPad 3. That way you can save money but not be too out of date for features.

[Kari C in SC]

I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I did fairly recently. I got a free iPhone 4 through sprint. I don't know it Siri was worth $99 more, so I went with free. I bought a used ipad 2 with 64g and cell capability for about $275. I don't have it connected, but if we ever changed our minds we could. I love both of these and they work so well together.

[Blessed with seven]

awesome...thank you all so much!

[WagsWife]

Can't tell you what do about the ipad...but IMO, if you are not interested in the Iphone 5, and you want to save money...I don't feel like Siri is worth the $100. I upgraded my 4 to the 4s when it first came out. I never use Siri, unless it is to play around. Anytime I try to do anything serious with it, I end up getting frustrated. For me, it is easier to do input/look up things on my own. I think at some point the program is going to be amazing...but it is not even close yet.

[Blessed with seven]

Yeah..I am not interested in Suri! i think the 4s has a better camera, that is one thing I really want, and navigation?? I am getting confused, I have looked at so many phones, read a ton of reviews..geesh! Everytime I contact Verizon I get a different opinion on phones..ha! If I have a smartphone truly no need for cellular on my ipad right?

[happypamama]

The smartphone can act as a hotspot for the iPad, can't it? I don't know if that's expensive, in terms of data, though. I don't have a data plan at all, so I only use my iPad with WiFi, and it's really rare that I wish I had the 3G on the iPad. (Occasionally if I get lost, LOL, but a) a smartphone could find directions for me, and B) many of the gas stations around here have free WiFi that's usable from their parking lots.)

[blondeviolin]

The smartphone can act as a hotspot for the iPad, can't it? I don't know if that's expensive, in terms of data, though. I don't have a data plan at all, so I only use my iPad with WiFi, and it's really rare that I wish I had the 3G on the iPad. (Occasionally if I get lost, LOL, but a) a smartphone could find directions for me, and B) many of the gas stations around here have free WiFi that's usable from their parking lots.)

 

 

My 4s can hotspot our ipad 2, yes. We have an ipad2 and have had no issues with software or whatever. I'd buy the 2 as long as apple continues to sell them. It's a good indication that their software will still work on that device for a while,

[LibraryLover]

I am sure Spy Car, if he sees this, will have opinions you might appreciate.

[LibraryLover]

I am still very happy with our original iPad (iPad 1). I has no camera at all, but still feels "magical to me."

 

What I know about Apple is they will eventually make older hardware obsolete. In part it is "the march of progress" and in part it is a conscious buisness model. Already the current iOS is incompatible with my iPad. Am I hating life yet? No, but eventually there will be apps I can't run that I might want to run and can't.

 

A newer machine will give you more time before eventual obsolescence. So there are trade-offs value wise.

 

Bill

 

 

Ooops! I see Bill has already been here.

 

Yep on the bold.

[LibraryLover]

double

[Spy Car]

So..., thank you Bill... If I were to get an ipad 3 would it be dumb to save $80 and get a referbished? I understand about the older models becoming obsolete and this is a one time for along time purchase. This is not something I can buy every two years so..perhaps a good option would be 3 or shoudl I do 2?

 

I'd swing for the newest one you can afford, but would save the $ by getting a refurbished (by Apple)!model if you can. So me? I'd get a 3 over a 2, but am not chomping at the bit to get rid of my 1. I do see the hardwriting on the wall as new apps are coming along that I won't be able to run. After 3 years, I can live with that. Were it 1 or 2 years, I might be less happy.

 

Bill

[KungFuPanda]

I vote 4s and iPad2. The iPad2 has a lousy camera, but the video feature is handy. You can take great pictures with the iphone4s and just let them synch to your iPad.

 

With 4s, you can do hands-free voice texting while driving it can write and send texts or read incoming ones to you. It also serves as a GPS. Also, the Chipotle app is only on the iPhone and who wants to have to wait in that line?

 

This is the exact combination I own and so far I haven't encountered any issues from them not being newer.

 

HTH

[LibraryLover]

I vote 4s and iPad2. The iPad2 has a lousy camera, but the video feature is handy. You can take great pictures with the iphone4s and just let them synch to your iPad.

 

With 4s, you can do hands-free voice texting while driving it can write and send texts or read incoming ones to you. It also serves as a GPS. Also, the Chipotle app is only on the iPhone and who wants to have to wait in that line?

 

This is the exact combination I own and so far I haven't encountered any issues from them not being newer.

 

HTH

 

 

LOL I used that tonight! It was such a long day, and everyone at Chipotle is sooooo nice.

[KungFuPanda]

It makes me feel special to walk by that looooong line, grab my bag (you pay online with the app) and walk right out. We got some today just because DS and I had a craving at the same time.

[vonfirmath]

I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I did fairly recently. I got a free iPhone 4 through sprint. I don't know it Siri was worth $99 more, so I went with free. I bought a used ipad 2 with 64g and cell capability for about $275. I don't have it connected, but if we ever changed our minds we could. I love both of these and they work so well together.

 

I recently got an iphone and chose the iphone 4s. NOT for Siri (which I've never used) but for the 16 meg memory instead of the 8meg on the Iphone 4. The 5 was too expensive AND used different cords than my ipod so I'd have had to replace ALL that stuff as well.

[Blessed with seven]

You guys are so helpful...wow Chipolte app, if only I lived near a Chipolte! We don't even have a starbucks. Hey...we just got an ihop 30 miles from where we live. I just visited my daughter who recently got married. She lives near Minneapolis, MN, I live in Western, KS, 2 1/2 hours from Wichita, KS, which is the biggest city near here. I loved many aspects of the bigger city.....oh well, we have a Pizza Hut 15 miles away..ha! That is it.

 

So...I really wished I had had an ipad when staying at the hotel because I won't use hotel computers for anything important and the tv shows were horrible. But..planning on future travels, I hope...as my children get older and leave :( . I've got to get out of the stone ages here. I just bought a basic phone I could text with a year or so ago..ha!

 

Thanks again for all your input. I think I will get the 4s and possibly the ipad 3 refurbished.

[GSOchristie]

I have the 4s, and it has Siri. I have the original iPad and every time a new one comes out, dh asks me if I want to upgrade. I haven't felt compelled to do so yet :). I would get the refurb 3 if I was buying one now.