iPad to wifi or wifi & 3G?

[Tom Hendricks]

I don't want to turn this into a debate about usefullness or pro/con apple. I'm buying an iPad and I'm having a tough time deciding between the wifi only and wifi & 3G. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the 32GB version.

I use my iPhone to surf the net a lot, especially on 3G so I'm thinking thatvis the way to go. Anyone else getting an iPad and have you made a decision and what is it?

 

[RoJoHen]

Well, I can tell you that I wish my iPod Touch has 3G instead of just wifi. I constantly find myself wanting to use but not being anywhere near in a wifi router.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

My dad and I are getting iPads with 3G. You never know when you might need it. And you can activate and deactivate the data plan pretty much at will (AFAIK, there's even a control *on the iPad* to do this) - there's no contract.

 

[clint g]

Well, if youre going to shell out the money on the iPad you might as well not get the gimped version and get it with 3g

 

[omegaone]

I'll be going wifi myself if I get the Ipad, 3G bandwidth in Australia costs heaps.

 

[The Doctor]

I know that I'd miss even the piddly EDGE speeds that my original iPhone supports if I were to try to go WiFi only. Since the data plans are so reasonable in the US, I'd get the 3G version in a heartbeat.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

The answer to this question depends on how good AT&T's 3G coverage is in your area, and the places you are likely to go.

 

[Marten]

If i were to get a Ipad, which I'm not though, i certainly get the 3G one.

 

[Warp Coil]

If you're going to get an iPad, I think you pretty much need to get 3G. I don't understand the point in having a portable device that's designed to access the web if you can't use it whenever, wherever you want.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

I agree, looks like I will pre-order the 3G version. Especially after Steve Jobs said no to tethering with the iPhone.

 

[TheBrew]

Yeah, 3G is the way to go.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Well I pre-ordered the 32GB 3G version this morning. So I have a little wait, no biggie. I'm looking forward to April 3rd when I can go to an Apple store and try it out before I get mine.

I didn't order any of the peripherals to go with it. Figured I would take a look at them in person and decide. Also want to see what others come up with. I hope that Timbuk 2 develops some nice things for it.

 

[Hermiod]

Something that's suddenly made me a lot more inclined to buy one, quietly added to the specs page:

H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

AVI support ?

 

[Flavius]

I was uncertain for a short while after somebody reminded me of Verizons mifi and the like, but the monthly AT&T plans are much closer to what I will need.

I ordered the 3G version of the 64GB iPad today.

 

[Data Holmes]

Early reports are suggesting that the iPad was averaging 25,000 pre-orders per hour today.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

I think the iPad is perfect for me and last week really underscores it, I went to Florida on vacation. I brought 4 books to read, my laptop to check e-mail and such and of course my iPhone. Well I did get to read my four books, but I never took my laptop out of the bag and checked my e-mail and surfed the web on the iPhone. The iPad could have taken the place of everything and I wouldn't needed to lug my Macbook Pro with me on vacation.

So I'm really looking forward to getting mine.

 

[FordSVT]

Something that's suddenly made me a lot more inclined to buy one, quietly added to the specs page:

H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

AVI support ?

Good, that probably means iPhones and iPod Touches will support .avi files in the future and I won't have to keep converting them.