16 or 32 gb?

[Gingercat]

Hi,

I am new to this forum and are thinking seriously about buying an iPad 2. I know I won't use 3G because I won't be taking it anywhere but my desk. However, despite reading lots of questions similar to my own, I can't decide on the 16 gb or the 32 gb. The money would make a big difference for me as I have saved it for ages myself. Firstly, I will mainly use it for documents. Here's what I would probably want for the next couple of years:

A lot of documents such as essays - probably about 4 a week (I don't know how much space those would take)
No Music (I have my iPod nano for all my music).
No more than 1 movie on it at a time - probably no movies actually
No books
Quite a few apps
About 30 pictures

How many gb would the documents take, and should I just save that bit extra and get the 32 gb so I can relax with lots of apps?

Basically, I am looking at ipads instead of cheaper laptops, because I think they are just amazing and way better than any laptop or other tablet. My use for it would be as i'd use a laptop - for work and some fun for myself too.

I have a few questions:
If I got the 'Pages' app would it be like Word; so could I easily do essays and documents and graphs and then print to the printer?
Do they easiy connect to your printer, or do you have to email the links to a laptop and then print them off?
With the WiFi one, does it just easily connect to your home box so you can search the internet for as long as you want with no charge?

Could I put my iPad on iTunes to sync apps and stuff but somehow not add my music to my ipad?
And, are they worth it? I have seen some people's and they seem to have amazing touch!

Thanks very much

Please note I know it might be tricky typing lots on the screen, but I am willing to live with that

 

[WoodcarvingGypsy]

I'm new to the iPad as well but experience (42+ years in the computer field with the last 20+ supporting mobile computing) has taught me that you can never have enough disk or memory. I got the 64gb iPad with 3G for myself after returning a 32gb with WiFi. I thought I'd never use the 3G service but realized shortly after I got it that it would come in handy. I get the 250mb monthly and turn it off when I'm not traveling.

 

[AdmiralAdama]

Agree with Gypsy. I'm in the same age demo and new to iDevices after abandoning Blackberry.

Pick 64GB. Once you start using the iPad 2 you'll get download fever. It's irresistible 3G capable too.
Right now I'm tethering to my iPhone because I can share the data plan between devices but plan to activate a cellular account.

Good luck and have fun. That's what these machines are made for.

AA

 

[singlestick]

Actually, it sounds like 16GB would work for you. Documents do not take up a lot of space, and if you don't store movies or music, you would have a good deal of free space most of the time.

However, "lots of apps" suggests that you might want to consider at least 32GB. Apps take up space. I have more than 100 apps and am almost about to outgrow a 32GB iPad.

Some apps can be big. Other apps, such as those for magazines, can take up a lot of space if you keep a lot of back issues archived. Some game or media apps can be very large. You might want to keep a few episodes of a favorite tv show on your iPad, etc.

Anyway, a few thing to think about. Good luck.

 

[Blackbelt]

With IOS 5 you also have 5 free gig of storage in the clouds and you can buy more storage through Apple services. Pictures and video takes more of space than apps however.

 

[jsh1120]

If you do a search on this forum, you'll find very few people who went for 32G iPad who wish they'd gone for 64G. And you'll find a few more who purchased a 64G unit who are sorry they didn't save the money and select a 32G unit. But the largest group, by far, is those who purchased a 16G unit and wish they'd opted for a 32G unit. In other words, 32G is the "sweet spot." If you stick to the constraints you list in your post, you should be fine with a 16G unit. But as you imply, you may find that you have to "manage" your space more actively than if you have the extra storage that a 32G unit provides.

As for your other questions...


If I got the 'Pages' app would it be like Word; so could I easily do essays and documents and graphs and then print to the printer?

Yes, Pages is the Apple app that corresponds to Microsoft's "Word." However, it is not nearly as powerful as Word nor even as powerful as Pages on a Mac. If you don't take advantage of the more complex formatting and content management features of Word you should be fine. But keep in mind that you won't know you have a problem until you encounter it. (There are, by the way, other MS Office "emulators" (e.g. Documents To Go) that are specifically designed to operate like MS Office applications. But those emulators are not perfect, either.)

Do they easiy connect to your printer, or do you have to email the links to a laptop and then print them off?

There are various options for printing but you may want to consider a printer that is specifically designed to operate with an Apple product over your wifi network.

With the WiFi one, does it just easily connect to your home box so you can search the internet for as long as you want with no charge?

Yes. No problem at all. And depending on your internet connection, you'll probably find that the internet performance is far better than with a 3G connection.

Could I put my iPad on iTunes to sync apps and stuff but somehow not add my music to my ipad?

Yes. You can select what to "sync."

And, are they worth it? I have seen some people's and they seem to have amazing touch!

There is nothing else quite like an iPad so in that sense it is "worth it." There are other tablets, however, e.g. ASUS Transformer, Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, that are more specifically designed to serve as a laptop "replacement." You may find that one of those tablets comes closer to meeting the requirements you've outlined, though you'll lack the cool factor of the iPad. And if you're serious about content creation, you'll probably find that an Apple (or third party) keyboard is a necessity.

Further, if you're really looking for a laptop, get a laptop. For the $700-$900 you'll spend on an iPad and accessories, you can purchase a laptop PC with more storage, a faster processor, and far more capabilities (e.g. multiple resizable windows and true multi-tasking) than you'll find with the iPad. In short, I can use my Mini to haul stuff to the dump but it's far more convenient to use a pickup. Just because an iPad can substitute for a laptop doesn't mean it's the best choice.

I love my iPad but it is not by any means an adequate substitute for my 15" quad core laptop. I love its portability especially when I'm crammed into a middle seat in coach on a plane. But if you plan to leave it sitting on your desk, that may not be important to you. And I love the fact that (unlike my Windows systems) it requires practically no management or maintenance. But that comes at a significant price; it also cannot do much of what my Windows systems can do.