new ipads vs old ipads

Hi we are about to purchase 31 ipads for our school, thinking long range should we be purchasing the newest technology vs the ipad 2? I saw the tech difference and worry that eventually the newer apps will be built for that technology and i won't be able to download the new apps because of it . thoughts?

i agree after having an iPad 1 and seeing it go obsolete and unable to support newer apps.

I realize that school budgets are usually tight but if you can afford a newer model, I'd go with that. At some point, Apple is going to cut off support for the iPad 2 and that day will come along a lot quicker than it will for the new ones.

czawodzi said:

Hi we are about to purchase 31 ipads for our school, thinking long range should we be purchasing the newest technology vs the ipad 2? I saw the tech difference and worry that eventually the newer apps will be built for that technology and i won't be able to download the new apps because of it . thoughts?

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It's always best to purchase the newest technology when concerned about the long term. The problem is the newest technology costs more money. And since electronic devices can become "obsolete" very quickly & depreciate very quickly...even the newest technology will become obsolete a lot faster than you would like.

- Nick

Some resellers have deals with manufacturers that let you do a cascade lease/buy. You can get maybe 1/2 "older" and 1/2 "newer" and then every other year trade in half for newer tech and an agreed upon trade in credit. It also can be structured in some instances so the purchase falls into certain categories of "spend" that allow tax advantages which bring down long term costs. If you are buying a large number, and see future purchases, perhaps a reseller might be worth at least a call? We have servers, laptops and phones that we work this way to keep things fresh and budgets predictable. Don't get caught up in "one time spend" thinking as it can end up being costly in the end.

Another point to consider: how old are these kids? Would a first-gen iPad mini (same price but two generations more recent and thus probably supported much longer) suit them better than an iPad 2?

I would go for the newest, they are going to last the longest and in the long run save you money over buying iPad 2's