iPad 2...to buy or not to buy

Hi there!

I have ordered my very first Apple Macbook Pro and i can't wait for it to arrive. i decided against a new Windows 7 laptop because i think that the Macbook is simple, easier & user-friendlier to use, excellent OS, features and customer support.

But i'm having second thoughts wether to buy another Apple product right now which is the iPad 2. i will be mainly using my iPad 2 for surfing the internet, Twitter, watching movies, the usual games & apps and the occasional downloading of photos and uploading them to Facebook or Flicker whilst at home, travelling in the UK or abroad.

I'm kind of aware of the release cycle of the iPads and hopfully the new 3rd-gen would come out by just roughly the time before i go on a holiday by March. i am not speculating here mind you.

the things that's keeping me off the iPad 2 so far are several things:

1. Price - for an equivalent i can get a really good Android tablet which (most say) can do more, has more "universal" ports (like an SD card slot, mini HDMI, mini USB or USB 3.0) amongst others.

2. Camera - again for an equivalent or cheaper one the Android tablets has better camera specs & features (i.e. current-gen)

3. Closeness of the iOS - some would say because of Apple's strict hold of the OS that features have taken a back seat.
e.g. in the iPod section you STILL cannot delete a song on-the-fly without connecting to iTunes first. (i could be wrong here). you cannot re-arrange a song to a given Playlist on-the-fly (but i suppose this depends if you have a separate 3rd-party app). you cannot add multiple Playlist and rename a Playlist on-the-fly. (again i could be wrong here so correct me please) Bluetooth STILL not totally unlocked to allow files to be transferred to non-Apple device. (strange that only a Macbook can do that)

4. Speakers - i have seen & heard the iPad 2's speakers. and let's face it. single mono speakers are so 20th century. its not loud and "surround" enough. an iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4/Shas dual speakers. a 1st-gen Galaxy Tab (which was released months before the iPad 2) has dual speakers. why can't the current-gen iPad have them?


Simple things that i think Apple needs to start getting their heads right. the competition is getting stronger this year. an upcoming Google tablet, a Windows 8 phones & tablet, Blackberry having Android apps, Nokia Symbia striking back, etc.

I have spent more than a year emailing Apple of my different "enhancments" suggestions for iPads and iPhones. in rough terms only 2 out of 10 came through. i'm starting to agree with a notion that...does Apple really take into account (i.e. read) all their fans & critics suggestions after all?

should i buy an iPad now or wait for the new one?

It sounds as though you've answered your own question several times .... ( for you..)

gino_76ph said:

1. Price - for an equivalent i can get a really good Android tablet which (most say) can do more

Click to expand...

*splutter*

Man I need a drink guard when reading this site sometimes.

In the sense that an Android tablet is more complicated to use and has more customization options and things like USB ports, I guess that's technically true.

But I've read dozens and dozens of reviews of Android tablets and haven't found a SINGLE ONE that doesn't say "this sucks compared to an iPad" in so many words. If we were talking smartphones it wouldn't be so cut-and-dried but I think beyond even the reviews -- the market acceptance and sales of the Android tablets tell the tale. The manufacturers of Android tablets don't offer genuine sales numbers, but prior to the Kindle Fire the number of web surfers on tablets indicated that iPads had around 90 percent (yes, really, 90) of the market.

As for the Kindle Fire, I hear its an adequate tablet made more attractive by its low price but in the words of David Pogue "you will feel that $200 cheaper price every time you use it." I have yet to find an un-bribed review that doesn't summarize the Fire as "not bad, but not really a competitor to the iPad unless you're broke."

And even though the Kindle Fire is now far and away the best-selling Android tablet, they sold in a month what iPads sell in a week. So yeah, there's that.

e.g. in the iPod section you STILL cannot delete a song on-the-fly without connecting to iTunes first. (i could be wrong here)

Click to expand...

You are most definitely wrong there.

Bluetooth STILL not totally unlocked to allow files to be transferred to non-Apple device.

Click to expand...

As there's no visible file system were exactly would these Bluetooth files go?

I got replies but no REAL answer(s) wether to buy an iPad now or just wait for the new one hopefully with better or updated specs/hardware/software,etc.

Numbers don't speak volumes. It is how the market responds to a specific device, how much the OS works in relation to its features, having that "universality" and openness of it (i.e. not being proprietary) and how people would actually use it.

I have had almost 2-years experience with Android devices. I have seen them grow and improve from strength to strength. Apple has made their won base as well and their OS and devices have grown strength to strength.

I like Android more than Apple tablets because my needs are being met by them. i can send files to any device via bluetooth with no problems. i can listen to movies much clearer with dual speakers. i can insert an SD card without having to buy an adaptor accessory first. i can use standard mini USBs or mini HDMI cables to them when charging or connecting to a laptop. heck even Thunderbolt is coming. these simple things i seem to not find in a 2nd-gen iPad. why? i don't know. maybe Apple is saving up money? maybe Apple hasn't been listening to suggestions? maybe Apple thinks its "not too important and people will not bother and just buy our devices anyway".

Don't get me wrong here. the iPad is still the benchmark (and the daddy) of all tablets. Apple has set that pace & the trend for others to (oops!) follow (?) and copy. i still want an iPad to bring with me during my holidays outside the country. too bad its being let down by still "closedness" of the OS and propreitary hardware. (or lack therof).

Again i could be wrong. but people...prove me WHY i am wrong.

You cant "prove" a subjective opinion.

If you want the iPad, get the iPad. If you want an Android tablet, get an Android tablet. Or, do you want to hand over the $500 and let us go buy you a machine?

If you want a definitive answer from me, I bill out at $175/hr.

gino_76ph said:

I got replies but no REAL answer(s) wether to buy an iPad now or just wait for the new one hopefully with better or updated specs/hardware/software,etc.


I like Android more than Apple tablets because my needs are being met by them.

Click to expand...

Hello....

You answered your own question. You wonder why you are getting short answers? You come here praising the Android tablet and saying it's better and yet want to know if you should buy an iPad?

Stick with Android since you feel it's better and does MORE and has more Apps. You have already made your decision so stick with it.

BTW it does not have more support or Apps. I doubt anyone here can convince you the iPad is better. Also no one knows anything about the iPad 3 so we would just be taking a guess what it will be like.

"Rumour" of a new Ipad announcement at the end of January.

Also, a great article in Fast Company

The Great Tablet War of 2012 | Fast Company

I'd wait to at least see what the Ipad 3 has to offer, or whether Ipad 2 price will be reduced.

I am not very sure on the January rumor as others have said that event will be something else, but I am pretty sure when the iPad3 comes out they are selling the 2 for a lower price. Time will tell I guess.

I don't own an Android tablet at the moment and i haven't made a clear decision yet. I'm merely saying if Apple can better the iPad 2 and come up with a better iPad 3 then i won't hesitate to buy the thing.

And here's hoping that it will be released (based on the release "cycle") come March. things can only go forward if Apple improves (and opens) the OS a bit more and improved hardware as well.

I sincerely doubt that Apple will open up IOS anymore than it is. Improved specs are almost a for sure though.

I have tried to like Android OS and no matter how much I have used it I do not like it. The interface, the store, the overall user experience.

Me thinks if your an Android fan you might like an iOS device. but if you are normally a user of iOS devices you will find Android to be a bit "technical" and lots of features to fiddle around.

Being open doesn't necesarilly mean letting other companies make an iOS devices, etc. it could be as simple as one of those i mentioned before re: the bluetooth sending of files to a non-Apple device to which why a Macbook Pro can only do that is beyond me.

gino_76ph said:

Me thinks if your an Android fan you might like an iOS device. but if you are normally a user of iOS devices you will find Android to be a bit "technical" and lots of features to fiddle around.

Click to expand...

This is a load of crap. Android is just plain "bloated" not "technical."

You can describe Android with your own-language adjectives but i'm sticking to what i believe in and what Apple can & must do to stem the rise of Android OS...listen, learn & improve.

Enjoy your memory leaks, apps to close apps, malware and belt-worn battery packs to keep your Android charged for more than an hour.

Oh, quick question on Android. Can I put the exact same OS on every Android phone still supported and produced? Cause, I can with iOS on every iOS phone and iPad produced and supported. And if the Android breaks, is there a single 1-800 number to call for support? Oh, wait, you mean I have to check which version of phone from which carrier to find out which version of the OS is supported and there is a different support number to call for each phone/tablet/carrier?

Listen, Learn, Improve.

Here is a little comparison of what phone activations did this xmas.

Apple vs. Android: Who won the X-mas bake-off? (update) - Apple 2.0 - Fortune Tech

i-devices' success in numbers (with activations and total number of units sold) doesn't spell success. not always. you see all those statistics are meant to confuse us with real-world statistics. what is on the ground.

your rudeness doesn't help either. i'm here to look for answers and guidance. not rude comments from close-minded persons who use a closed-minded iOS devices.

gino_76ph said:

i-devices' success in numbers (with activations and total number of units sold) doesn't spell success. not always. you see all those statistics are meant to confuse us with real-world statistics. what is on the ground.

your rudeness doesn't help either. i'm here to look for answers and guidance. not rude comments from close-minded persons who use a closed-minded iOS devices.

Click to expand...

And how exactly is he being rude? Your posts clearly spell out that you don't like iOS devices. Fair enough, but then stop with the disingenuous premise that you're looking for guidance when your intent is to simply argue your preference for Android devices.

I find it mildly amusing that you're acting like you're offended that others might have opposing preferences on an Apple enthusiast's forum.

cwa107.................You hit the nail on the head. Cheers G2G

gino_76ph said:

i-devices' success in numbers (with activations and total number of units sold) doesn't spell success. not always. you see all those statistics are meant to confuse us with real-world statistics. what is on the ground.

Click to expand...

What is "on the ground" is that Apple sells iPads as fast as they can make them. So ANY sales figures you hear in regards to the iPads represents SELL-THROUGH.

It is the ANDROID tablet makers who "confuse us" with order numbers or inventory numbers rather than actual sell-through.

not [reasonable] comments from [open]-minded persons who [point out that I am myself rather close-minded].

Click to expand...

Fixed that for you.