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Old 11-22-2011, 12:09 PM   #61
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We tried an iPad, and she's hooked. We're considering a refurbished iPad 2 16 Gig wifi only for $449 or an iPad 1 32 Gig with 3G for $399. We don't travel much, and wouldn't use/rent the 3G service much.
Between those choices in your situation I would probably get the iPad2. I have an iPad 1 and didn't upgrade to the iPad 2 but I would think the advantages of the iPad 2 would make me choose it over an iPad 1. (I do have 3G although I don't keep it turned off since I can use my iphone as a personal hotspot whenever I need 3G on the iPad).
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Old 11-22-2011, 12:26 PM   #62
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The other thing I don't like about my iPad is that I can't download stuff into other units, like my hand-held GPS (which I use for geocaching).
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Old 11-22-2011, 12:43 PM   #63
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I would think the advantages of the iPad 2 would make me choose it over an iPad 1.
Yes, probably, but the only advantages I see are faster, smaller, lighter, forward camera, and most of those won't make a big difference for Lena's purposes.
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Old 11-22-2011, 01:06 PM   #64
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I have an iPad 2 and absolutely love it. I was in a Barnes & Noble this weekend and played with a Nook Color $199 and the new Nook Tablet $249. The display is very nice, though about half the size of an iPad. The display also seems to be a plastic/poly carbonate, the iPad is "gorilla glass" - very durable and first class! Using the Nook is easy, though slightly less intuitive than an iPad. Even though I am addicted to the iPad and prefer the larger screen, I'd certainly look at the Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire at half the price - but they aren't in the same league, more often than not you get what you pay for as the say.
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Old 11-22-2011, 01:12 PM   #65
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Al, if I were to choose one of those two options, I'd choose the iPad 2 with wi-fi only. But then, I don't like the idea of paying for yet another data plan.
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Old 11-22-2011, 01:32 PM   #66
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I would go for the iPad 2 too. App developers cater to the more powerful iPad 2 nowadays and I have started to notice performance issues with some apps running on my slower iPad 1.
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Old 11-22-2011, 02:05 PM   #67
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I have just joined those who have tape holding their computer together. Last week my house keeper got the power cord from my MacBook caught in the rotor brush of the upright vacuum cleaner. It took the plastic shield off but I taped it up and it still works.

I have had the MacBook for at least 2 years. I am quite please with it and have had no problems. I have an Iphone but I don't have any strong desire to get an Ipad at this point.
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Old 11-22-2011, 04:25 PM   #68
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For you iPad 3G owners I am curious about all of this talk about turning the 3G off. I understand the idea of turning the phone data off to use wifi and avoid going over the data limit. But do the carriers allow you to turn the phone data on and off and prorate the monthly data charges based on days used? I can do that with my Verizon Android phone's wifi hotspot but I thought the iPad required the full monthly contract.
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Old 11-22-2011, 04:51 PM   #69
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Well, I ordered the iPad 2. It came out to $490 with tax and recycling fee.

Hey, who's a good money spender? I think I'll go vomit now.
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Old 11-22-2011, 05:01 PM   #70
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For you iPad 3G owners I am curious about all of this talk about turning the 3G off. I understand the idea of turning the phone data off to use wifi and avoid going over the data limit. But do the carriers allow you to turn the phone data on and off and prorate the monthly data charges based on days used? I can do that with my Verizon Android phone's wifi hotspot but I thought the iPad required the full monthly contract.
You can't turn it off daily. You can turn it on and off monthly. I have an iphone with tethering so I use that for my iPad. I would only turn on my iPad most likely if I was going to be going somewhere that didn't have WiFi where I felt I had blown through my phone data (4GB a month). So far, that situation hasn't arisen.
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Old 11-22-2011, 05:03 PM   #71
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Well, I ordered the iPad 2. It came out to $490 with tax and recycling fee.

Hey, who's a good money spender? I think I'll go vomit now.
You did a good job, and didn't even vomit before posting.

I spent about twice that on furniture last Thursday, and was pleased that it only hurt when I thought about it. I'm glad I spent that money, though, and I'm sure you will be glad you bought that iPad too. Besides, after all Lena has been through this year she deserves something special.
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Old 11-22-2011, 05:58 PM   #72
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Well, I ordered the iPad 2. It came out to $490 with tax and recycling fee.

Hey, who's a good money spender? I think I'll go vomit now.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised how much you both enjoy it, hope so...
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Old 11-22-2011, 10:48 PM   #73
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I was all set to order a Kindle Fire for Christmas, but the reviews turned me off. It just doesn't seem as polished as the iPad. I use a Mac laptop for reading websites in the morning, and sometimes read a book in bed with it or watch a video, so I'll wait and get the iPad 3 next year instead. Being able to sync with my Mail app is also important, and I can also use it to Skype too. I usually travel with the laptop, but the iPad will be fine for most trips.

Flash sites are slowly switching over now that Adobe has officially dropped mobile support. Even the Irish TV (RTE) website which is all Flash said they will had an iPad version by the end of this year. Another reason the Kindle Fire just wasn't worth it.

I just discovered Adobe Digital Editions. It's an ebook reader that remembers where you stopped when reading a PDF.
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Old 11-23-2011, 05:36 AM   #74
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Well, I ordered the iPad 2. It came out to $490 with tax and recycling fee.

Hey, who's a good money spender? I think I'll go vomit now.
And then they found the apps store. This is like the razor and blades thing, and that $490 iPad is just the beginning.

I'm thinking about getting one.
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Old 11-23-2011, 05:40 AM   #75
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Well, I ordered the iPad 2. It came out to $490 with tax and recycling fee.
I saw one for $10 at a garage sale on Saturday.
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And then they found the apps store. This is like the razor and blades thing, and that $490 iPad is just the beginning.
This is why I didn't buy it.
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Old 11-23-2011, 05:55 AM   #76
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I bought my wife the Kindle Fire and it came last Wednesday. It seems perfect for her needs, streaming video, web browsing, email. She said it is a little heavy to read with in one hand. Plus, it is only $199. I, like many others, do not care for Apple's policies on content control so will shy away from iPad x no matter how nice they are. YMMV
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Old 11-23-2011, 06:45 AM   #77
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Well, I ordered the iPad 2. It came out to $490 with tax and recycling fee.

Hey, who's a good money spender? I think I'll go vomit now.
After you use it for a while give us reports on how you and Lena like it as a reader. I understand the primary method for side loading anything (including books) is through iTunes. Not being a Mac guy I have been worried that I would screw up trying to load things from various copies of iTunes on different PCs. If I hooked it up to a friend's iTunes to copy something over would it sync and wipe out all my stuff - things like that. I did discover that you can send things over via Dropbox. A friend with an iPad wanted a book I have in Calibre. We opened her Dropbox account on my PC and dropped the ePub file in. It immediately appeared in Dropbox on her iPad and clicking it caused it to open in the iPad's e-reader. Pretty nice.
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Old 11-23-2011, 07:02 AM   #78
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I bought my wife the Kindle Fire and it came last Wednesday. It seems perfect for her needs, streaming video, web browsing, email. She said it is a little heavy to read with in one hand. Plus, it is only $199. I, like many others, do not care for Apple's policies on content control so will shy away from iPad x no matter how nice they are. YMMV
It's funny, since I purchased the K-Fire for me but DW is now using it all the time .

She took it to w*rk the last two days to show her photos from her latest trip (Switzerland). She dosen't like to take the netbook since she claims it is too "bulky"; she can just slip this one into her (oversized) purse.

She was using it to read Jane Austin last night (downloaded all the free books) and had the same comment about the "one handed" weight (would be more so with an I-Pad, I assume). I told her just to put it on her lap, like any other "regular" book.

While the I-Pad may be better overall (depending on use), this little unit fits our needs, and it will be easier (compact) to use on our trips.

Well worth the $199 (actually, it costs Amazon around $202 to build, but they expect to make up the loss on product sales).

The only two "extras" I purchased was a cable ($4.00) to download data from my PC's (such as spreadsheets, photos, etc.) and a $14.95 app to be able to run a portable "Office Look-Alike"; same thing I purchased from my Handspring (how's that for history?), many years ago...
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Old 11-23-2011, 07:55 AM   #79
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And then they found the apps store. This is like the razor and blades thing, and that $490 iPad is just the beginning.

I'm thinking about getting one.
There are tons of great free apps, and many pay apps that are only a couple of bucks. Even Apple's iPad spreadsheet, word and presentation apps are only $10/each (Numbers, Notes, Keynote).

Apps are not expensive, nothing like a PC or Mac. OTOH, you can spend a bundle on books (though less than hardcover) movies and music if you aren't careful.
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Old 11-23-2011, 08:43 AM   #80
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I agree. I doubt if we've spent more than $20 on the iPad2 apps the past year. If you have a Mac you use for work and email etc., then I think the iPad makes so much more sense than the Fire because of the ability to sync stuff like Mail, Calendar, Evernote, etc. Dropbox is just one of the ways to sync files; we just got 5 gigs free from SpiderOak when we bought a hard drive. 2Gigs are always free: https://spideroak.com/
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