iPad 2 or 3?

[Saracen]

A friend is after an iPad and asked me the above question .... as if I have a clue.

So .... opinions? Is the 3 worth the extra over the (current) price of the 2?

Oh, and probably Wifi only.

Thanks in advance.

[Bluecube]

Depends how tight money is. I think it's a £70 difference at the moment? I had an iPad 2 and bought an iPad 3 in a moment of drunken madness. I certainly don't regret buying the iPad 3 as the Retina screen is excellent and really comes into itself when reading magazines or books. Previously, when reading a magazine I would have to zoom in to read the text as it was a bit fuzzy. On the iPad 3 that's not necessary.

If your pal can afford it then I'd just go for the iPad 3 as it is better than the iPad 2. However, it's a subjective opinion!

[Saracen]

Thanks, Bluecube.

I agree entirely that it's subjective. I've looked at the screens on both, and personally, while the 3 is undoubtedly better, it's not better enough that I'd pay £70 more for it. Personally. She can afford the 3, though money isn't unlimited. The question is whether it's worth the difference, and as you rightly say, that is subjective. I wouldn't pay it, you would (did) and that gives me a context for my advice to her on the screen ..... try it, and make up your own mind, because judgements from others differ.

Is there anything much other than the screen, though, that makes going for the 3 a no-brainer? Because I suspect that if that's the only real benefit (as opposed to spec-change) she'll go for the 2.

[DannyM]

From what I remember from my reading when the iPad 3 hit the streets, it had a better screen, a better camera and the WiFi was meant to be a tad better.

As for the performance of device the iPad 2 was generally on par with the iPad 3. Battery performance of the iPad 2 was better.

I'd get the iPad 3 for the sake of been a part of the cycle, if she wishes to upgrade to the iPad 4 she would get better resale value.

Also, I know you say WiFi only but if she does decide to get a 3G/4G device please note that the iPad 3 (4G) won't be compatible with UK's 4G once it goes live nationwide.

[Bluecube]

Performance wise, the graphics capabilities of the iPad 3 are supposedly about 8x better than iPad 2. It's not something I've thought of as particularly useful but worth taking note if the gf likes her 3D shooters or similar. From my own day to day usage, the only difference is the screen.

[Butuz]

What's she gonna use it for? If she's gonna be smashing semi-pro apps all day from the appstore in order to engage her creative vision then get the Ipad3.

If she's gonna be sitting on the couch with a cuppa browsing a bit of facebook or watching kitten videos on n00btube then save her money and go for the Ipad2.

Butuz

[Saracen]

What's she gonna use it for? If she's gonna be smashing semi-pro apps all day from the appstore in order to engage her creative vision then get the Ipad3.

If she's gonna be sitting on the couch with a cuppa browsing a bit of facebook or watching kitten videos on n00btube then save her money and go for the Ipad2.

Butuz

Closer to the latter, though I don't know I'd describe it that way. After all, she might read this and knows where I live.

Mainly home use, a bit of browsing, picking up emails, etc. Probably contact management, etc, and probably a game or two. I'm sure she'll have a good rummage in appstore, and I'm sure she'll find a few, though her opinion of Facebook etc is much the same as mine, so I wouldn't expect much activity there, kittens or not.

[timread]

I'd recommend going with the iPad 3 due to the greatly improved screen.

However, I don't think it's advisable to get the 16GB iPad 3 just to save money. Get a 32GB model. Not only do HD images/videos require more storage space due to their higher resolution, but Apps that have been updated to support the Retina display have also grown significantly too. For example, iMovie has grown from 70MB to 404MB! Forgive me linking a 3rd party review, but here's PC Pro's review that mentions this aspect (page2): http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/table...ipad-3rd-gen/2

The increased weight of the iPad 3 is also more noticeable than I was expecting it to be. Not very comfortable for holding for long periods.

[killee]

ipad2 is better price for money. i have a friend who works as a ipad app developer. he told me he cant even tell the ipad2 and the new ipad easily and got them mixed up quite often during testing.

[Bluecube]

That's because physically they're practically identical. I hope your developer pal can tell the difference between Retina and non Retina displays...

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

That's because physically they're practically identical. I hope your developer pal can tell the difference between Retina and non Retina displays...

Not as obvious as you think though,having had a good look at them both. Perhaps when all the apps suport the higher resolution fully,then maybe.

[Gordy]

I would get the 3 over the 2 everytime. Apart from the difference in the screens, the 3 will get supported by apple for a lot longer than the 2.