New iPad vs. iPad 2: Which One Should You Get?

[gardon]

A colleague asked me an interesting question the other day: "So I can get a free iPad 2, but should I get the new iPad?" Now, I don't anticipate many out there will have the chance to get a free iPad 2, but Apple has dropped the price of the 16GB iPad 2 to $399, making the iPad 2 vs. the new iPad a worthy fight.


"Should I get an iPad 2 for $399 or the new iPad for $499?" and "Should I get rid of my iPad 2 for the new iPad?" are questions I have been getting since the new iPad was announced.____________________

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[doc.zed]

I take the free one..But if you had make the choice on which to buy the best thing would go a local store and give both a test drive, from there you can warrent which is better for your needs.

 

[Twism86]

Free or spend $500?? Yea go with FREE!!! If it was between spending $400 vs $500 then get the new one....

 

[rushmore69]

Agreed on the free. Though the display on the new iPad approaches a religious experience and the scaling of lower res apps is much better, "free" is compelling in its own right.

 

[AQ_OC]

For most people it would make good sense to go with free vs $500. And, for a lot of folks, who just want to be rather casual iPad users, paying $400 vs $500 makes sense too. However, I do think there is a segment of the population that is really busy all day, doing zillions of things, and for them, when they look at an iPad, they will appreciate being able to clearly see whatever text is on the screen. They should get the $500+ version no matter what. IMO, if you can afford it, saving $100 and living with fuzzy type is a very poor choice. Heck, when it comes to what you see, even $500 is a poor choice against eye strain. Look at what people spend on eyeware, both perscription and otherwise. It only make sense to protect that investment and your overall health.

 

[saholz]

I had purchased an iPad2 just before the new iPad came out. The iPad2 was very impressive, but I decided to return it and order the new iPad based on what I read on the Internet. The idea of a sharper display, better camera, and faster processor all appealed to me. Now, having used both, I think I made the right choice.

The display on the iPad2 was very clean and sharp, but the retina display is even better. The new unit is a bit snappier in performance too, but the big difference is in the camera. The camera on the iPad2 is barely adequate in bright light, and awful in low light. The new 5mp camera is surprisingly good, with crisp output and acceptable low light performance. My unit is WiFi only, so I can't comment on the 4G capability ... although I hear it's incredibly fast.

If cost is a factor, the iPad2 at the lower price is an attractive deal for a very competent device. If you can afford the extra $100, the new iPad is an evolutionary, not revolutionary, step up.