256GB vs 512GB Storage

[rufas2000]

For me when it comes down to deciding on electronics (or any decision) I ask which one will I regret more if I didn't do it. In this case 6 months from now will I regret not having that $200 or not having the extra storage space? Now I'm not rich by any means but I'm also not running tight margins on my finances (trust me I'd rather have the wife & kids and such along with tighter finances but that's not my situation so I do with what I got and be happy ). So $200 is a healthy chunk of change but not the difference in making my bills. So for me I won't really think about the $200 at all but I just might wish I had the extra storage on an item I spent a big amount of money on.

My advice in such situations is when making a major purchase spend the extra and get exactly what you want. But I'm blessed enough to be able to do that. If it might make you late on rent or not eat or the kid might not get the flute or if it'll cause tension in the home then save the $200 because iPads just aren't THAT important . Its all about perspective.

BTW: this is a response to the topic, not addressed to the OP per se.

 

[missbing]

So I pulled the trigger. I just purchased the 256gb. Unfortunately Apple, Bestbuy, Walmart and Target don't have any until July, so I purchased online from ABT which is no sales tax, which is a bonus. I really don't think I will need anything more than 256gb and if I do, it will just push me to upgrade sooner which is fine with me. I'm always looking for reasons to justify upgrading.

 

[rufas2000]

So I pulled the trigger. I just purchased the 256gb. Unfortunately Apple, Bestbuy, Walmart and Target don't have any until July, so I purchased online from ABT which is no sales tax, which is a bonus. I really don't think I will need anything more than 256gb and if I do, it will just push me to upgrade sooner which is fine with me. I'm always looking for reasons to justify upgrading.

Hope you get it soon and enjoy it.

 

[mike_nyc]

I currently have the 512GB iPad and wondering if this is too much, especially since the 256gb is $200 less. I'm wondering if I should exchange mine for the 256gb and save $200. I previously had an iPad Air 2 which had 128GB of storage and I literally had less than 1gb of storage left. I have about 50gb of music, 10gb of pictures (with another 300gbs in the cloud), 30+gbs of apps, 10+gbs of videos (I have a ton of movies in the cloud, but didn't have enough space to download more to my iPad). So with this in mind, I knew that when I upgraded I needed more storage. But even with downloading a few more videos, I don't see how I could possibly get to 512gb. I plan on keeping this iPad for the next 3 to 4 years, so wanted to make sure I had enough space.

For those who have the 256 or 512, what made you decide to get one vs the other? Do you see yourself using more storage with the new file system coming with OS 11?

[doublepost=1499645162][/doublepost]From 64GB to 256GB is a 192GB increase 3x times storage ( additional $100 )
From 256GB to 512 GB is a 256GB increase 1x time storeage ( additional $200 ????)

Does it make sense. Apple charges more for people who wants the best...

 

[masotime]

[doublepost=1499645162][/doublepost]From 64GB to 256GB is a 192GB increase 3x times storage ( additional $100 )
From 256GB to 512 GB is a 256GB increase 1x time storeage ( additional $200 ????)

Does it make sense. Apple charges more for people who wants the best...

Probably because of the hardware chips used. I'm guessing e.g. 256GB uses maybe 64GB x 4 chips in parallel, whereas 512GB requires more expensive 128GB x 4 chips. As usual this is probably due to manufacturing difficulties / lack of scale, which will come down eventually, but right now I'm glad Apple has the option available. If you think about it - no portable device out there has 512GB now - only laptops have it.

 

[rui no onna]

Probably because of the hardware chips used. I'm guessing e.g. 256GB uses maybe 64GB x 4 chips in parallel, whereas 512GB requires more expensive 128GB x 4 chips. As usual this is probably due to manufacturing difficulties / lack of scale, which will come down eventually, but right now I'm glad Apple has the option available. If you think about it - no portable device out there has 512GB now - only laptops have it.

Yep. I still remember paying $120 for a 40GB SSD and then $650 a few year later for 1TB when 512GB was around $200-250. Price of being an early adopter.

Same as you, I'd rather have that 512GB option for $1099/1229 now than have only 256GB available now and a 512GB model released 6 months later for $999/1129. That extra $100 is likely gonna be less than the depreciation hit if I try to sell the 256GB and upgrade to 512GB.

If I had bought a 1st gen iPad Pro 12.9 128GB back in November 2015, I'd have been really frustrated when the 256GB model was released in March 2016.

 

[lax28]

Was debating between the two as well. I had been leaning towards the 512, as I tend to always get most storage available at the time. My thought is that it is usually better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it. However, I ended up going 256 wifi + cellular, saving 200 went towards apple care and accessories. Figured, I had a 128 that wasn't full yet so doubling my space should be fine, especially since 1) this is not my main computer and 2) with the new file system in iOS 11 and cloud storage everything doesn't need to be stored locally anymore. Most places have wifi and if not I have LTE coverage.

The part of me that always wants to max out, questions if I made the right choice but the logical part of me knows that 256 with iCloud, Dropbox, Apple Music and all my iTunes purchases being stored in the cloud nothing is really more than a download away.

 

[rui no onna]

Was debating between the two as well. I had been leaning towards the 512, as I tend to always get most storage available at the time. My thought is that it is usually better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it. However, I ended up going 256 wifi + cellular, saving 200 went towards apple care and accessories. Figured, I had a 128 that wasn't full yet so doubling my space should be fine, especially since 1) this is not my main computer and 2) with the new file system in iOS 11 and cloud storage everything doesn't need to be stored locally anymore. Most places have wifi and if not I have LTE coverage.

The part of me that always wants to max out, questions if I made the right choice but the logical part of me knows that 256 with iCloud, Dropbox, Apple Music and all my iTunes purchases being stored in the cloud nothing is really more than a download away.

Murphy's Law.

I use the cloud a lot and I also have the cellular model but for some reason, I'd always get poor/no internet just when I need it most.

 

[italodance]

Murphy's Law.

What? Who? This?!

 

[Kal-037]

I wanted to go 512gb, but it got cancelled by Best Buy out of nowhere (which actually made me realize 512gb is overkill,) so I opted for 256gb. I decided it was the "sweet spot." Plus I pay for 200GB iCloud, and even when I have tons of RAW photos and larger UHD videos to edit, I have yet to come close to running out of space.
*knock on wood

 

[aevan]

Safari definitely feels snappier with 512GB.

I highly doubt Safari or anything feels snappier with more storage. iOS doesn't use storage to load or cache web sites, only RAM.

So, maybe cognitive bias?

 

[rui no onna]

I highly doubt Safari or anything feels snappier with more storage. iOS doesn't use storage to load or cache web sites, only RAM.

So, maybe cognitive bias?

Safari does cache webpages to storage (starting with iOS 9, I believe). Only logical explanation I'd still see old versions of webpages after weeks sitting in the background and a force close.

That said, 256GB vs 512GB wouldn't really matter. We're talking milliseconds difference here given the size of webpage assets.

 

[Lngwstx]

Way late to the party, but I wanted to add an angle to the conversation for anyone considering this in the future: time. For me, the best option will always be the highest capacity for the simple reason that it’s one and done. Files take time and effort to download/move. I go as big as possible so I can store as much as possible where I will be using it, so I don’t have one more thing to check off my always-growing To Do list. I just grab my iPad and go, instead of pondering which movies/music/whatever I might want with me on the trip. Especially when the trip is somewhere internet might come at a premium or be unavailable altogether. The other consideration for me is the resolution of video I can store on the device; the bigger screen calls for higher resolutions, and that takes up more space. To me that’s worth even a hefty up charge. I like things as effortless as possible; saving time means more to me than saving money.

 

[sparksd]

Way late to the party, but I wanted to add an angle to the conversation for anyone considering this in the future: time. For me, the best option will always be the highest capacity for the simple reason that it’s one and done. Files take time and effort to download/move. I go as big as possible so I can store as much as possible where I will be using it, so I don’t have one more thing to check off my always-growing To Do list. I just grab my iPad and go, instead of pondering which movies/music/whatever I might want with me on the trip. Especially when the trip is somewhere internet might come at a premium or be unavailable altogether. The other consideration for me is the resolution of video I can store on the device; the bigger screen calls for higher resolutions, and that takes up more space. To me that’s worth even a hefty up charge. I like things as effortless as possible; saving time means more to me than saving money.

That's one of the reasons that I use a wireless FileHub and a 4TB WD HDD that's usually attached to my network. Everything is on there I may want so it's just grab it and go.

 

[Lngwstx]

That's one of the reasons that I use a wireless FileHub and a 4TB WD HDD that's usually attached to my network. Everything is on there I may want so it's just grab it and go.

Can you throw that in a bag and use it on an airplane? Sounds good for at home, but sounds like too many parts and pieces for traveling. I do have a 2TB WD and what I think is a Filehub (or something along those lines - a device which hooks up to my hard drive to share its contents wirelessly). It’s nice also; all of my movies are on that and anyone in my network can watch them. But nothing beats “I have my iPad therefore I have access to all the stuff I may want or need for this week-long excursion” level of hitting the road. I suppose the cloud is meant to function like that, but once you start asking me to pay subscription fees and trust you to manage my stuff, I get salty. And when I’m so far off the beaten path that I have no WiFi, then I have to pay for (usually slow) data on top of that, if I can get any at all. I’d rather pay $200 up front than deal with the hassle and the extra stuff to remember to bring. Just me, probably, but that’s my way I guess.

 

[sparksd]

Can you throw that in a bag and use it on an airplane? Sounds good for at home, but sounds like too many parts and pieces for traveling. I do have a 2TB WD and what I think is a Filehub (or something along those lines - a device which hooks up to my hard drive to share its contents wirelessly). It’s nice also; all of my movies are on that and anyone in my network can watch them. But nothing beats “I have my iPad therefore I have access to all the stuff I may want or need for this week-long excursion” level of hitting the road. I suppose the cloud is meant to function like that, but once you start asking me to pay subscription fees and trust you to manage my stuff, I get salty. And when I’m so far off the beaten path that I have no WiFi, then I have to pay for (usually slow) data on top of that, if I can get any at all. I’d rather pay $200 up front than deal with the hassle and the extra stuff to remember to bring. Just me, probably, but that’s my way I guess.

Yes, it's small and can be used anywhere. In lieu of an HDD, I sometimes just use a 256GB uSD in an SD adapter and put it in the FileHub. It's much the same as a WD wireless drive like you have except that you can attach any USB storage or SD card (or both at the same time) so it's more flexible. I also use it to backup photos I take while on the road.

I don't put data out the cloud for travel access as too many places I've gone to have had no Internet access or very spotty, low-bandwidth access. I have a 256GB iPad and felt that was adequate and any more storage could come from the FileHub.

I also use a Meenova Dash-i Lightning drive that is very small and uses interchangeable uSD cards - just plug it in and it's ready to go.

 

[Lngwstx]

Yes, it's small and can be used anywhere. In lieu of an HDD, I sometimes just use a 256GB uSD in an SD adapter and put it in the FileHub. It's much the same as a WD wireless drive like you have except that you can attach any USB storage or SD card (or both at the same time) so it's more flexible. I also use it to backup photos I take while on the road.

I don't put data out the cloud for travel access as too many places I've gone to have had no Internet access or very spotty, low-bandwidth access. I have a 256GB iPad and felt that was adequate and any more storage could come from the FileHub.

I also use a Meenova Dash-i Lightning drive that is very small and uses interchangeable uSD cards - just plug it in and it's ready to go.

Perhaps if I already had those devices that would be a good argument to go smaller. Sounds like a good setup. I don’t think I will look back and deeply regret going larger if I never use the space, but I will definitely regret it if I run out of space, so I went big. Clearly there are other options. I’m pretty allergic to hassle, though, so every remembering a flash drive seems like an irritation. I’m clearly high-maintenance.

 

[sparksd]

Perhaps if I already had those devices that would be a good argument to go smaller. Sounds like a good setup. I don’t think I will look back and deeply regret going larger if I never use the space, but I will definitely regret it if I run out of space, so I went big. Clearly there are other options. I’m pretty allergic to hassle, though, so every remembering a flash drive seems like an irritation. I’m clearly high-maintenance.

Completely understand. For me, even 512GB was too small for what I wanted to take with me and what I wanted to add while traveling (RAW photos & video created on the road).

 

[Lngwstx]

Completely understand. For me, even 512GB was too small for what I wanted to take with me and what I wanted to add while traveling (RAW photos & video created on the road).

Makes sense. For me, one important function is downloading videos within an app I use for teaching. All of that content has to be onboard; there’s no option for using videos stored outside the app (which has critical functions I can’t get elsewhere) and the video library is huge. In my 128 GB iPad I have to choose which content I need to always have available and leave the rest in the cloud, but with the new one all of the available content will fit on the device hassle-free. I’m not a huge content creator (aside from the occasional artwork in Procreate), so my needs are fairly steady once all those videos are downloaded. Those plus al my movies might actually fill up 512 gigs.

 

[DNichter]

I have a 256GB iPad Pro, but I could easily get away with a 64GB. I will likely go this route in 2018. I use iCloud and a 4TB server at home for everything I need.

 

[rui no onna]

Just curious. For those who have 512GB iPads, how much free storage do you still have? I'm currently down to just ~80GB free albeit, I could free up another ~160GB (Game of Thrones season 1-7) if needed.

I don't actually keep a lot of videos on the iPad since those I can either stream from the 20TB server at home, or a 4TB portable HDD paired with either RAVPower FileHub or laptop running Plex.

 

[Makayla]

Speaking for myself I have never regretted going for the larger storage. The opposite cannot be said.

I am currently kicking myself for not going for more on my iPad Pro 9.7.

 

[Perene]

I opted for 256 GB for two reasons:

- My lossless MKVs (direct rips from Blu-rays) are stored in Google Drive (over multiple free accounts). Each movie wastes more or less 20-40 GB, and each account holds 15 GB. These are splitted, of course. Since I can stream directly from these accounts using the nPlayer app I don't need to fill my device with any content.

64 GB shouldn't even be an option because it's bound to be useless in a very short time, especially with 4K contents. Apple should have released 128-256-512.

Google Drive is the best option to stream (and download, storing locally) all sorts of contents. Even my ebooks are there, and in the case of Kindle in the Amazon cloud.

- And the other reason is that 512 GB is overkill and more difficult to be sold in the future, when I might need to replace my old 10.5 iPAD for a new one.

 

[Mr. Zarniwoop]

Google Drive is the best option to stream (and download, storing locally) all sorts of contents.

I’m not 100% convinced of this any longer. Google Drive recently has started to throttle some streaming from files. For example, here is a Reddit thread on the topic, it’s also been mentioned in the Infuse beta forum.

 

[Perene]

I’m not 100% convinced of this any longer. Google Drive recently has started to throttle some streaming from files. For example, here is a Reddit thread on the topic, it’s also been mentioned in the Infuse beta forum.

I noticed these sorts of complaints all the time in their forums:
https://productforums.google.com/fo...ddz808;context-place=topicsearchin/drive/slow

However I am convinced these problems are temporary, Google experiences issues over time and the ISPs might have something to do with the slowdowns, too. I experienced myself this problem and as you can see here:
https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...nly-after-i-reenable-network-adapter.2526533/

Still haven't fixed and will need to format the Windows drive (and a bizarre coincidence is that in the last 2-3 weeks my ISP also had technical problems, while I was updating Windows 10). However these problems are fixed and the bug is still there.

While Google Drive isn't perfect it works for me due to one very important reason: if you don't share the files with others (make them public) they will stay in your account forever. There's no requirement to log into the account again to keep the contents alive. In other words the links don't expire. Even Dropbox had something in their TOS regarding links expiring (and some filehosts require at least that someone download it once), despite this not being enforced.

Note: of course that you'll need a pretty good internet to stream these huge Matroska files using an app like nPlayer... I have VDSL2 (50/5) here, and after loading for a while I am good to continue watching the whole thing. Or I might try streaming a LOSSY/smaller version.

nPlayer is better than inFuse when it comes to Google Drive because it can recognize multiple accounts you have there:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/infuse-pro-vs-nplayer-plus.2052537/#post-25045258