UKC

so i'm planning on a post christmas treat, and for the first time i'm going to get a decent piece of IT equipment rather than whatever phone/laptop was cheapest or on sale at the time. i'd like an ipad- but which one...?

Going to use it for generalised internet browsing, nothing flashy like the latest games, and not really that bothered about the camera. Will use on wifi only.

the Pro is really, really expensive- £570 upwards. can't really justify that.

the Air 2 looks more reasonably priced- but hard to find now, and i think its been discontinued. not sure i'd notice the difference in processor speed, but is there any disadvantage in getting it if its at the end of its 'shelf life'?

having seen the mini, its not as small as i thought, so a Mini 4 might do- same price as the Air 2 as far as i can see

what memory is likely to be needed? 32GB seems to be the 'entry level'- as a light user, mostly browsing as mentioned, is there any call for the larger memory sizes? a review i read suggested no...

thanks for any advice!

cheers
gregor

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

A normal sized one is way better for me. My missus has the mini and it never gets used.
Mine is 5 years old and still works pretty much the same as the day I got it. If it got stolen or broke I'd buy a second hand one personally.

In reply to snoop6060:




Same.

In reply to snoop6060:

thanks- and i found a comparison of the air 2 vs mini 4, suggesting that the spec of the smaller tablet is still not as good.

any issues forseeable issues with loss of support for the device in terms of updates etc- or am i inventing problems where none exist...?

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Apple seem to pretty good at maintaining support for stuff imo. I have an air (3yo) that is mainly now used for photo viewing, internet browsing and entertainment (Netflix/films/iplayer) so we are not the most arduous of users but we've never had any issues.

Only thing I'd say re memory is that it can't be bolted on after a change of heart. Keeping a few photos, a few apps, a couple of films, some mucus etc for a flight and 32GB can seem quite small. I have more than 32GB of stuff on my iPhone and I'm a light (but disorganised) user.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Not sure yet. Mine has had updates the whole time but I believe it was the oldest model that could be updated to IOS 10. I guess that means I won't get IOS 11 whenever that is out.

Then again, the constant update reminders are the one thing that gets on my nerves with an iPad so maybe a blessing in disguise.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:


No problem with support as long as Apple continue doing what they always have. They support updates for far more years than most folk need, and when they don't, the iphone/iPad/iPod still work but only with the current programs and apps installed. Only "problem" is after a few years no new things are available and some of the latest apps can't run on older iOS so you can't buy them. Of course some of the app sellers may not support the older iOS for as long as Apple does.

I still have a iphone 3G and though they don't support it anymore it is still going strong. There maybe (?) a risk with security but given what I use it for, I don't consider it worth worrying about.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

No problems with lack of support but the older iPads suffer with iOS updates. My iPad 1 would still be perfectly fine if it wasn't for iOS 6 or 8 or one of them which made it impossibly slow

I'd agree with others on memory - go for more rather than less. A few podcasts, photos and you quickly smash through memory

In reply to galpinos:

hmmm- that's interesting- and sounds like the sort of thing i'm likely to use for

argos have the 128GB version for 469 just now- sounds like i might be better with that, don't want to be niggled by worries about the memory filling up too fast!

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:
Re memory, if you intend to download your songs, videos, photos, and don't delete, expect to run out of memory faster than you think! Even as a light user myself I reckon 64 GB is better to have minimum. Some apps take up a lot of memory, and along with songs, photos, etc., it's easy to just leave stuff on the iPad rather than delete and memory can become an issue.
Edit: Remembered that updates use memory at least temporarily to install which is important if your close to your limit - I've twice had it where the updates could not happen until I deleted stuff off greater than the update space the iPad said it needed to update.

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

To add a different slant on the memory thing , mine is only 32G and has never bothered me. Whereas I had to recently upgrade my phone to 128G. The reason is that the iPad rarely ever leaves the house so I don't need to store much on it, mainly Spotify downloads and certainly not multiple GBs of photos.

When going on a flight I take it to watch a series or 2 and just delete whatever I watched last and replace it. These are a few GB max.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Worth a read;

http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/10-best-tablet-pcs-i...

I'm not a fan of Apple stuff.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs: i have a mini2 ,and I'd rather have a full size one although the smaller size is good in the field. I got one with a Sim capability as the Wi-Fi only mini doesn't (or didn't ) have a GPS chip, but lets say having Internet access on trips is very nice.

Support the above advice on memory - i dont watch/store films , just. Music and photo's, and it still gets tight with 32gb. Mine is 3 1/2 years old, and now struggles to hold charge for more than a couple hours. And the latest version of Safari is pretty crashy.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

I have an Air 2. Memory size and processor size don't seem an issue for me, the speed of doing things is usually set by the wifi speed, not anything else. (I don't, though, *store* much on the iPad, just watch things on it.)

One gets told that updating the OS slows older tablets down, for which the solution is simply not to update the OS (I never have).

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

The Air 2 is still fantastic. I increasingly use mine as my main computer. They can be found relatively cheaply now, too.

In reply to Coel Hellier:

hi Coel- what capacity memory did you go for- 32GB?

In reply to Only a hill:

yes; i increasingly find the time taken to fish out my (now moderately old) laptop and wait for it to boot up, plus then plug it in as the battery is inevitably nearly flat, puts me off even going on it unless i have to. i think i will use the tablet much more than the laptop.

In reply to Coel Hellier:


That's all very well until you want to use an app that requires the facilities of a later OS. I had to update from iOS 5 to iOS 8 on my iPad 2, in order to use a WD mobile app. That slowed the iPad down, and made it crash, as well as degrading the accessibility, due to the use of the new 'design paradigm' of single-pixel stroke width features.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:
All true! Plus, recent versions of iOS are actually extremely powerful when combined with some of the newer apps. There's still a lot of dross on the App Store, but – for example – Microsoft Word is in many respects better than its desktop counterpart, and is powerful enough to cope with multi-hundred-page manuscripts packed with thousands of tracked changes. Ulysses, Lightroom and Pixelmator are also fantastic. I use all three heavily. There are a few areas where I still need a traditional computer for my day job, but iOS can now quite comfortably cope with 95% of the work I need to do on a monthly basis (and close to 100% on a daily basis).

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

I recommend you don't go for a 16GB iPad. Nowadays it's only sufficient for light use (i.e. one or two extra apps installed, plus a minimum amount of media stored locally). 16GB hardly gives you any breathing room for updating the operating system without deleting everything first. I have a 64GB iPad; 32GB wouldn't be sufficient for me, and I would recommend at least 64GB for anyone using an iPad as their main computer.

In reply to Only a hill:

thanks Alex- i didnt realise you can get lightroom for it- that may increase the amount of stuff i do with it then...


the 64GB one seems to be a hard beast to track down- 32 or 128 seem to be the sizes available in the main retailers. I had thought 32 would be enough, now i'm thinking that bigger probably better....

cheers
gregor

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

I have an Air 2 which I have been very pleased with. The spec was a big step up from the Air - I bought it as soon as they came out on the basis that it would still be current for a good while but that was more than 2 years ago so maybe good for running the latest OS for only another three years. The Pro doesn't seem so much of a step up to me, unless you really want to use the pencil or the smart connector for a keyboard (making the set up even more expensive).

There are suggestions the whole iPad line may get an update in the early spring http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/ipad-pro/ in which case the current iPad Pro would presumably get a price cut. Having waited this long, unless you can get a really good deal on an Air 2, it might be worth waiting a bit longer and getting an extra 2 years or so of usable life from an iPad Pro..

As far as memory, more is always better but it depends on what you will use it for - mine only has 32Gb and that has never felt too much a limitation - you can always use the cloud or a host computer for more storage. Given a fixed budget, I'd prioritise newer / faster (and therefore with more remaining lifespan) machine than buying more than 32Gb storage. Of course I'd rather have both.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

if you want it to last and can spare the dosh, go big!

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Worth bearing in mind that Lightroom has some notable limitations:

1. No user presets
2. When editing raw files, no sharpening or noise reduction (except for very crude sharpening as a radial filter option)
3. Raw editing works well and can export at full resolution, but syncing raw files back to desktop Lightroom is very slow, and the app has to be in the foreground the whole time during the upload
4. No way of importing raw files directly from an SD card into Lightroom. You have to import the files into the iOS camera roll first, which is a clunky experience and there's no way of distinguishing raw or jpeg files. With a bit of practice this isn't too much of a big deal, but this process definitely needs to be improved.

Overall Lightroom for iOS is quite amazing considering what it can do, but it still isn't a 100% replacement for desktop Lightroom. I reckon it'll get there given another year or two, though.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:
If I had my time again I would get a 3G version. With young kids the ability to download the odd thing on the move would have been useful. The other experiental advice is that I'm really glad we got a decent case. We got a Survivor by Griffon I think and pretty soon we hardly noticed it was there - until it got dropped a few times without any issue. Ours is an iPad 2 by the way. The battery is on it's way out now, £96 for a battery service I think. Good kit though; amongst other things we use ours with a lightning HDMI connector to look at Netflix and IPlayer in the bedroom on an old telly.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Even the lowest spec iPad will more than meet your stated needs. So really it's about what else you might want to use it for and which you like the most in terms of size, weight etc.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:


Yes, 32, and much of that is unused at the moment (after having had it a couple of years).

Note, though, that I use it only for browsing and on-the-move emails, and a few other apps. I don't use it as a main computer and I've never used it to store stuff.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Does anyone remember this thread? Makes quite interesting reading.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=410760&v=1#x5871907

In reply to The New NickB:

With hindsight, that thread is hilarious.

In reply to The New NickB:



That's priceless! 6 years ago we were all wondering whether tablets would "take off".

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

I liked the thread juxto earlier today...

ipad advice
Religious argument anyone?

In reply to andy:

The comments about Flash and how touchscreens are inherently unreliable cracked me up

In reply to the thread:

thanks for the comments everyone- now i'm even more undecided- the rumours of a price cut on the Pro in april make me think holding off a few months might be worthwhile

i need to replace my phone, so might do that first- but that's a whole new world of confusing options!

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Thanks for the informational advices.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:
have a iPad mini 3 and its a superb bit of kit fast light and so easy to use although if your coming from android or windows it will take some time to the get around how apple operate but once your in your never go back.
I do have a iPhone 6 which is now over 3 years old and still works like new as well as a MacBook Air so bit of a apple fan
Some one mentioned the 3g version yes could be useful but if you have a 4g phone you can just use your phone as a personal hotspot which works just the same .

In reply to neil0968:


Not sure I agree with that. I have an ipad Air(?) which is indeed a very nice bit of kit. However it's incredibly frustrating that the ghost of Steve Jobs has forbidden me from downloading certain files and no one in the very shiney apple stores can tell me exactly where my backed up stuff in the cloud is or how I can access it without buying another shiney i-thing.

That said I bought Mrs Ridge a Samsung tablet and was underwhelmed at how someone can make a really good phone but a really clunky tablet.


I think most new android phones are at least as good, if not better than the iphone. However if you intend to have exclusively one set of devices then I think apple stuff works better for the novice.

In reply to Ridge: downloading certain files sounds a bit strange to me are you sure its the pad and not the file .
Samsung make good phones are you for real android is the most bug ridden operating system out there i had a s3 and it had so many issues and Samsung refused to do anything about it until i took to Facebook.
Also i think your wrong apple is harder to use than android it takes time to get to learn how all the devices are integrated .
i owned a Samsung tablet myself a few years back plus have had friends and family members that have all suffered the same issue battery life .
People have this thing about apple iPhones being not very robust all i can say is I'm quite hard on my phones they go every where with me I've dropped this iPhone more than any other phone admittedly it is in a apple gel case with a tempered glass screen protector on but take it out of the case and it still looks like new its there years old and i bought it second had on eBay even now i could still get £300 for it and thats the other thing about apple products they hold there value so well try getting £300 for a 3 year old android phone you would be lucky to get £100.