Maybe last year , the iPad seemed too raw and exotic to be on your holiday wish list . perhaps you were hesitant to bribe the first generation of a unexampled character of gadget . possibly the oohs and aahs of iPad - owning Friend had n’t yet convinced you that the fourth dimension was right to take on Apple ’s pill . Whatever the grounds , things have changed : As the 2011 vacation shopping season buzz off underway , you ’ve resolve to give the gift of an iPad — either to a have intercourse one or to yourself .
We ’re assuming that you did n’t expend a lot of time considering some other tablet . That ’s in part because you ’re read Macworld.com and therefore , a someone of know apart taste . But also , a quick glimpse at the pad of paper grocery store finds very few compelling challenger to the iPad ’s peak . Android tablets led by the Motorola Xoom and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 suffer from a wildly inconsistent experience — apps may run other than on one variety of Android tablet than they do on another — and your ability to get your hands on the the former osmium updates hinge upon the hardware you own . You ’re lease a pass on the BlackBerry PlayBook because you ’d favor to be able to send and receive email without tether a phone to your tablet . The Kindle Fire has failed to instill in its initial release , and theHP TouchPadhas been consign to the remainder bin of chronicle . The iPad may not be the only game in town , but it ’s the only one worth playing if you ’re serious about have a lozenge .
In fact , opt for the iPad over its nominal competition may be about the easiest decisiveness you make . There are a few other critical questions you take to serve , though , before you could grip an iPad 2 in your eager hand .
Which iPad capacity you get depends entirely on how you plan to use your tablet.
How much storage?
The iPad 2 comes in three dissimilar capacity : 16 GB , 32 GB , and 64 gigabyte . How much capability you ’ll take depends on what you plan on using your iPad for .
Do you envision store your entire music library on your iPad ? If so , be prepared to opt for a gamey - content model . If you use Apple ’s iTunes to store your medicine , a glance at the applications programme can tell you just how big a library you have . For instance , my iTunes library contains about 20 GB of music — fairly modest as music libraries go , but it would preclude me from using a 16 GB iPad 2 if I wanted to stock every last song on my tablet . The recently introducediTunes Matchoffers some relief in this area : If you opt to pay that service ’s $ 25 - a - year fee , you may store much of your music in the cloud , freeing up mental ability on your iPad .
If you envision using your iPad to store a lot of picture that you’re able to look on when on the road , you ’ll need to place aside some quad for that . After all , even digital renting from the iTunes Store — which disappear into the ether after you ’ve land up watching them — need some elbow room to be stash away on your iPad . I ’ve got a written matter of the immensely under - appreciated 1993 westernTombstonethat weighs in at 1.45 GB . And that ’s a standard definition video — high - definition video recording is potential to take up much more space . That ’s something to take into thoughtfulness if you plan on turn your iPad into a wandering multiplex .
Which iPad capacity you get depends entirely on how you plan to use your tablet.
There are a few other storage condition as well . Apps from Apple ’s App Store do n’t take up much blank space , loosely speaking ; they ’re usually not any larger than 50 MB . I ’ve get about six dozen apps on my iPad at the moment : They take up around 3.4 GB of place . That order , if you plan on load up up your iPad with secret plan — and why would n’t you since it ’s a capital gambling machine - the more diagrammatically - vivid apps can corrode up hundreds of megabytes deserving of repositing . Photos can add up too , particularly if you be after on using the iPad ’s camera to shoot any TV .
Which iPad capability you get depends entirely on how you plan to use your lozenge .
If you project on using your iPad to surf the World Wide Web , send electronic mail , and dabble with a reasonable number of apps , the 16 GB manikin should serve you just fine . Otherwise , plan on get a higher - content iPad than you conceive you might involve . There ’s no way to tack on store to your iPad after you ’ve buy it , so it ’s right to have room to uprise .
Apple’s Smart Cover comes in a variety of colors.
Wi-Fi or 3G?
Just because the iPad 2 come in three capacity , do n’t think your selection is limited to three choices . Each iPad feature the ability to relate to a Wi - Fi connection , but you’re able to also order the 16 GB , 32 GB , or 64 GB fashion model with the impart ability to connect via a 3 G connection . And if you prefer for the 3 G variation , you ’ve then get to decide whether you want an iPad capable of touch base to AT&T ’s GSM - based connection or the CDMA connection of Verizon .
rent ’s take on the 3G - or - not-3 gigabyte head first . As with storage , you should found your connectivity decision on how you plan on using your iPad . If you ’re get going to adhere nigh to plate or confine your iPad use to locations where you ’ll be able to get at a Wi - Fi internet , the less expensive Wi - Fi - only model are the good choice . On the other hand , if you look that you might be out and about with your iPad fairly often , you might be adept off paying up for a model that includes 3 gigabyte connectivity .
Unlike iPhones , which postulate two - year commitments and monthly data point and voice programme , the 3 G version of the iPad comes with no contract and no commitment . you’re able to go calendar month - to - month with a carrier and drop your service of process at any time . For that intellect , if you want to keep your selection open , you’re able to always choose for the 3 G model and leave the military service unactivated until you need it . You will have to pay for this flexibleness , though : 3G - fit iPads cost $ 130 more than their Wi - Fi - only counterparts .
Whichever attack aircraft carrier you pick , choose sagely . Your hardware pick locks you into a peculiar internet , so there ’s no jumping back and onward between AT&T and Verizon once you ’ve ordered your iPad .
( If you also fall out to own an iPhone , you could use that gadget ’s tether capability to connect your iPad to a web , which could spare you the expense of own to corrupt a 3G - capable poser . You will have to devote for tether on your iPhone programme , but calculate on your architectural plan it could be gimcrack to turn on tether than to pay separately for a 3 constant of gravitation plan for your iPad . Plus , tethering can work with any Wi - Fi - capable machine , including your laptop . )
in the end , if you ’re eager to use a GPS seafaring app with the iPad ’s bragging screen , you ’ll require to opt for a 3G - capable modelling : only 3 gravitational constant iPads arrive with GPS capabilities .
What about accessories?
With the iPad , the question is n’t so much “ Do I need a case ? ” but rather “ Which case should I get ? ” As sleek as the iPad is , it ’s not going to stand up to the bumps and contusion of daily usage without a little protective help .
To that final stage , Apple offers theiPad Smart Cover , a protective flap usable in either Polyurethane ( $ 39 ) or leather ( $ 69 ) . The cover snaps smartly over your iPad 2 ’s screen , thanks to built - in magnets , and you may shut down it into assorted positions to aid typing or video - observation . Because it just covers the iPad ’s screen , the Smart Cover does n’t hide out the iPad 2 ’s light free weight and thin plan under a bushel ; the downside , of course , is that the back of your tablet goes unprotected , leaving it vulnerable to scratches .
Apple ’s Smart Cover comes in a variety of colors .
You ’ll find an assortment of iPad case reviews , including a comprehensive inclination of folio - style pillow slip at Macworld.com .
Other accoutrement possibilities admit stands , which add up in handy if you ’re design on using your iPad as a writing tool or if you want to watch a destiny of picture . ( contain an iPad for the entire run clip ofInceptioncan get a little tiring . ) Apple offer a $ 29 iPad 2 Dock that positions your iPad in portrayal orientation course ; from there , you’re able to charge , sync , or work audio- or video - out . Apple ’s $ 39Digital AV adapterwill also appeal to videophiles : It lets you show the HD telecasting stored your iPad on a high - definition video . ( It also happen to be a handy attention deficit disorder - on for presentations . ) If you ’d prefer to go cable - free , a $ 99Apple TVwill wirelessly receive video ( or just about anything else ) from your iPad and play them back on an HDTV .
White or black?
When you grade an order for an iPad through Apple ’s online store , the very first question you ’re ask is not about capacity nor connectivity . Rather , you have to decide : Should I get a bootleg iPad or a white one ? This is an entirely personal choice , based on your own esthetic style and sensibility . So you ’re on your own here .
Should I wait for an updated model?
The age - former question that dogs every engineering science leverage — bribe now or wait for something better to come along?—is apposite for would - be iPad proprietor , particularly this time of year . While the iPad is a comparatively late entering to Apple ’s Cartesian product batting order , the fellowship has keep an eye on a fairly predictable acquittance docket the past two old age : The original iPad hit retail shelves in April 2010 , while the iPad 2 arrive in March 2011 . That means you could buy an iPad this holiday time of year , only to see Apple roll out a new model just a few months from now .
The particulars of Apple ’s iPad update programme are unnamed outside of a few corner offices in Cupertino , so there ’s no definitive response to the buy - or - wait dilemma . Besides , it ’s a choice that ’s well guided by your own particular deprivation and needs .
Let me put up two personal examples of how to make that decision . Last year , my mother adjudicate she want an iPad just as rumors of the second - generation of the pill were beginning to pick up steam . That did n’t deter my mother — she ’s not one to lust the latest and greatest in technology and the bruit enhancement to the iPad did n’t spread over thing that were on her indirect request list . She buy the original iPad and has been a satisfied customer long after the camera - equipped iPad 2 made its debut . This year , my wife is speculate an iPad purchase ; however , she ’s contented to wait until next bound to see what Apple has planned for a theoretic iPad 3 . She does n’t want the gimmick correctly away , and she ’s willing to defer the purchase to guarantee that she buy the most advanced tablet Apple has to declare oneself .
And that seems like a pretty good usher for making your own pick . If the iPad 2 addresses your every need at this decimal point , it ’s a good clip to tear the gun trigger on that purchase . If , however , the thought of waive succeeding features has you hesitating , you could probably put up to declare off for another few months .
[ Philip Michaels is the editor of Macworld.com . ]
