Data -what does it mean

[Mikeb41g]

Okay , I am going to trade up from my iPad to the ipad2 as soon as the frenzy dies down.
However , I am totally confused as to the data conversations and how much data to buy. 1 gb,2 gb, 5????

How does one determine what those numbers mean in English and how much to buy.

Any and all advice will be appreciated

Mike

 

[ColtsSN]

I'm confused by your question. Your data usage should be the same for either iPad, right?

If you're asking the question because your 1 didn't have 3g, then the amount you need is dependent on your use outside of a WiFi area. If you're streaming a lot of movies and audio when away from a WiFi area, you'll obviously use more.

I have the AT&T 2GB plan for this month and find it to be plenty (so far). I think Verizon offers 1 and 3 gb plans, and 1 is probably fine for most people.

 

[USBill]

Those numbers ARE in English. They represent how much traffic you generate on the network. How much you will need depends on what you use the network for. AT&T offers examples of "how much" certain things use.

Generally, things that use a lot of bandwidth are those that require a "stream" of data to work. Things like Pandora, YouTube, and NetFlix suck up a lot of data because they are constantLy pulling information down. Webpages (like this site) and email (unless you get HUGE attachments) don't eat up so much data because after the page loads it doesn't need to keep loading because it isn't constantly changing.

Note that if you watch video or listen to streaming audio at home over your home WiFi network it won't count against your data plan. AT&T also provides WiFi hotspots at places like Starbucks for free so you get faster connectivity without using any of your data plan.

 

[gmaines]

I just bought my first iPad 2, I got the 3 GB plan from Verizon for $35/month. All I use it for is web browsing and email. I have wireless at home and Verizon at work. I have only used 195MB in 3weeks so far. Changing my plan to 1GB.