Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Anybdoy else finding the iPad expensive with all the add ons?

How much have you spent on your iPad?

  • 500-600 Euro

    Votes: 17 44.7%

  • 600-700 Euro

    Votes: 6 15.8%

  • 700-800 Euro

    Votes: 5 13.2%

  • over 800 Euro

    Votes: 10 26.3%
  • Total voters
    38
ryanwarsaw

ryanwarsaw

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Apr 7, 2007
2,746
2,441
So Apple says magical device at an unbelievable price. Fair enough the price of the iPad itself is a little high but not too bad. The thing is the price of all the things you need to really use it and protect it. I priced various things and haven't bought them yet. The prices I list below are typical and certainly middle of the road and not high end.

iPad 16 GB 3G 599 Euro

screen protector 29 Euro

case 39 Euro

bag 49 Euro

camera kit 29 Euro

a few apps 30 Euro

So basically the cost of an iPad for me is 775 Euro for the low end 3G. If you don't already have headphones etc. then you are in for more. Throw in a dock or keyboard or and a few apps and you have just spent as much as a Macbook.

I am interested to see how much others have spent so far on theirs. Yes, I know if you can't afford it don't buy one so need for remarks of that sort. I can afford it but just questioning what kind of value for money I actually ended up getting. What did the rest of you guys come up with for a grand total?
 
I see your point but for my MBP the only thing extra I needed was a bag. Every app I use is free. The proportion of the value to the MBP to the bag is much less than that of the things for the iPad. I know people spend quite a bit of money on accesories for their computers but I look at the ones listed in my post as ones you can not go with out. If the case, screen protector and Apple's crappy earphones were in the box I would feel it was an adequate value for money.

Maybe I am just getting cheap in my old age. :eek:
 
ryanwarsaw said:
I see your point but for my MBP the only thing extra I needed was a bag. Every app I use is free. The proportion of the value to the MBP to the bag is much less than that of the things for the iPad. I know people spend quite a bit of money on accesories for their computers but I look at the ones listed in my post as ones you can not go with out. If the case, screen protector and Apple's crappy earphones were in the box I would feel it was an adequate value for money.

Maybe I am just getting cheap in my old age. :eek:
Click to expand...

If I were to buy an iPad, the only add ons in your OP that I would buy is the case. As I would just use my backpack to carry around the iPad. Most of the apps that I use are free, so it wouldn't add too much cost from the app store.
 
These are what YOU chose to add on. They are not required in any way, and are not essential to the core iPad usability. If YOU chose to get a screen protector, a case, and a bag, or course it would be expensive. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but that is how you chose to make it fit your lifestyle.

A similar example, cars. There are plenty of extras available, but none of them are essential. You wouldn't complain, "You mean when I buy a car, I'll also have to pay for it to have a high-end stereo? And to get the windows tinted? And GPS?" No, these are extras. Same with the iPad.
 
I suppose it's just a case of how you look at it. When I bought my iPad, I accepted the fact that I would end up spending more money on accessories. So far I have only bought a case (official apple one for £30), and about £40-£50 on apps. I am planning to buy the camera connection kit & a dock at some point soon. So when you add it all up, It does add quite a bit on to the purchase. I knew this would happen, so haven't really thought much about it. If you genuinely expected to by you iPad and not much else - I suppose you might be feeling like you've spent a lot more than you wanted.
 
I bought a Timbuk2 bag - before i got it, and used it before i got it, so i don't count that...

I bought a Speck Case, got the BT Keyboard for Mothers Day, the dock was purchased out of household funds for my daughter (but she stole my kb).

Overall not a lot of expenses outside of the monthly 3G fee.

No clue what i've spent in euro's - what is the exchange rate! LOL!
 
The whole iPad is kind of new to me because there are SO MANY accessories available for it. This is my first apple product so it is just insane how many companies are making stuff for it compared with anything else I have ever owned.

It has been a lot more expensive than I anticipated but the biggest problem I have is that yes there are SO many accessories...but they are all ONLINE. You can't see them in person so if they sold some of this stuff in store, I wouldn't have spent nearly as much.

Half of the accessories I purchased (cases, bags, screen protectors) I don't use because they aren't quite what I thought they would be.

I have a feeling I am going to feel the same way once I start purchasing more apps. I wish that apple would implement the same thing as google where you can download an app and if you don't like it, you can "return" it within 24 hours for a full refund.

So yea...if you want to get a nice case, bag, screen protector, etc...plan on shelling out at least a couple hundred more than you were planning. And that isn't even including apps.
 
I only have the case but that's mainly because I want to protect the Steve Wozniak signature on the back. No screen protector either. I don't know why you have a bag just for the iPad but I just toss it in my backpack's laptop compartment. I rarely bring both my MBP and iPad so the compartment won't be fought over. Camera kit is not necessary at all, but I plan on buying one as soon as inventory picks up (Best Buy doesn't have it in stock and nor does my 5 local Apple Stores). Apps are a given, most of the ones I use are free.
 
Oh dang, i was supposed to include App's in there?

But i had a ton for the Touches we own, so that doesn't count! And we have been pretty selective with buying iPad apps so far.
 
nixiemaiden said:
The whole iPad is kind of new to me because there are SO MANY accessories available for it. This is my first apple product so it is just insane how many companies are making stuff for it compared with anything else I have ever owned.

It has been a lot more expensive than I anticipated but the biggest problem I have is that yes there are SO many accessories...but they are all ONLINE. You can't see them in person so if they sold some of this stuff in store, I wouldn't have spent nearly as much.

Half of the accessories I purchased (cases, bags, screen protectors) I don't use because they aren't quite what I thought they would be.

I have a feeling I am going to feel the same way once I start purchasing more apps. I wish that apple would implement the same thing as google where you can download an app and if you don't like it, you can "return" it within 24 hours for a full refund.

So yea...if you want to get a nice case, bag, screen protector, etc...plan on shelling out at least a couple hundred more than you were planning. And that isn't even including apps.
Click to expand...

Some people take advantage of that return policy to pirate apps. I'm not going to say how but I read about it on AnandTech. Also, most companies have return policies which you could use to return the item if you don't like it. Like a case or bag.
 
SnowLeopard2008 said:
Some people take advantage of that return policy to pirate apps. I'm not going to say how but I read about it on AnandTech. Also, most companies have return policies which you could use to return the item if you don't like it. Like a case or bag.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that you could use it to pirate apps. I know that if you purchase and then return within the 24 hour window you get refunded...but if you download it a second time, you don't have the option to uninstall & refund.

I just know that I have paid for apps that aren't at all what I thought they would be and was grateful to be able to get refunded for them. Especially when the apps crash or the app has porn banners in it!

The other side to this is that it seems like at least with apple products that some people jailbreak so they can pirate apps just to preview them before they buy them.

The problem is partly my own fault with accessories I don't use. I bought a somewhat expensive bag off of etsy and since it was custom made, I can't return it. It is a really nice bag...just not what I had in mind. And the rest have been folio cases and screen protectors off of ebay. I haven't really found a case I really really like so I keep buying stuff off of ebay hoping to luck out...so far everything I have gotten has been decent...but I'm still looking for my perfect case. And I am satisfied with the current screen protector I have although it isn't 100%. I just can't bring myself to pay more than $10 for a screen protector and much prefer wayyyy less.
 
fizzler said:
I suppose it's just a case of how you look at it. When I bought my iPad, I accepted the fact that I would end up spending more money on accessories. So far I have only bought a case (official apple one for £30), and about £40-£50 on apps. I am planning to buy the camera connection kit & a dock at some point soon. So when you add it all up, It does add quite a bit on to the purchase. I knew this would happen, so haven't really thought much about it. If you genuinely expected to by you iPad and not much else - I suppose you might be feeling like you've spent a lot more than you wanted.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I bought the iPad expecting to spend at least another $100 on accessories. As for comparison with computers, the only reason I don't spend too much on accessories every time I buy a new one is that most of the accessories I already own work with the new machine. If I'd never owned a computer, and was buying my very first one, the cost of everything I'd need for it, including printer, pointing device, internet connection, backup hard drive, all the cables I need to hook everything up, software... It could easily add up to double the cost of the computer itself, if I got a low-end computer. So looking at it like that, I don't think the cost of accessories for the iPad is excessive at all.
 
Some people take advantage of that return policy to pirate apps.
Click to expand...

To do that, the device would most likely need to be jailbroken. These users can already pirate apps if they so choose.
 
ryanwarsaw said:
So Apple says magical device at an unbelievable price. Fair enough the price of the iPad itself is a little high but not too bad. The thing is the price of all the things you need to really use it and protect it. I priced various things and haven't bought them yet. The prices I list below are typical and certainly middle of the road and not high end.

iPad 16 GB 3G 599 Euro

screen protector 29 Euro

case 39 Euro

bag 49 Euro

camera kit 29 Euro

a few apps 30 Euro

So basically the cost of an iPad for me is 775 Euro for the low end 3G. If you don't already have headphones etc. then you are in for more. Throw in a dock or keyboard or and a few apps and you have just spent as much as a Macbook.

I am interested to see how much others have spent so far on theirs. Yes, I know if you can't afford it don't buy one so need for remarks of that sort. I can afford it but just questioning what kind of value for money I actually ended up getting. What did the rest of you guys come up with for a grand total?
Click to expand...

You don't need a screen protector. You don't really "need" a bag, but you would be buying one anyhow if it was a laptop. Camera kit I can see your point, Apple really should have included a SD slot. Apps you can't really argue as any computer or even smartphone you have to buy apps for.

In all reality I'd say $499 +$50 for the case is what is more realistic since you really shouldn't count the other things. In all honestly I would have paid more for the ipad seeing how much incredible use I've gotten out of it. I think Apple could have easily priced it more expensively and gotten away with it, and because they set the market we can benefit from other tablets in the future pricewise.
 
spinedoc77 said:
You don't need a screen protector. You don't really "need" a bag, but you would be buying one anyhow if it was a laptop. Camera kit I can see your point, Apple really should have included a SD slot. Apps you can't really argue as any computer or even smartphone you have to buy apps for.

In all reality I'd say $499 +$50 for the case is what is more realistic since you really shouldn't count the other things. In all honestly I would have paid more for the ipad seeing how much incredible use I've gotten out of it. I think Apple could have easily priced it more expensively and gotten away with it, and because they set the market we can benefit from other tablets in the future pricewise.
Click to expand...

Okay on the app point you brought up, the iPad has no clock. I had to spend something trivial like £1.79 (my itunes account is in the UK) to get clock pro HD. I can see that it is possible to live without it, this is a fact. However this is very basic functionality that I find a little bit ridiculous that it isn't a feature inclusive of the core OS.

This I don't mind as I really think the app I purchased is good. It blows Apple's clock out of the water in terms of looks and usability. However it is limited because the timer and alarm can't be used as the app has to be open for those to work. So even though I had to pay extra for it, it still can not do what an iPod touch can do for less.

The iPad is supposedly designed for people on the move such as travelers. No world clock included for free, really? The iPhone which undoubtedly is the flagship product has it included. The iPod touch which is arguably a bit lower on the totem pole still includes that functionality.

As far as the screen protector goes this is necessary even if Apple doesn't admit it. They really love their screens to double as mirrors. The glass does scratch but maybe not as risky as an iPhone because it doesn't go into your pocket and as such care is much easier.

I guess I feel that the iPad is okay but it is like being nickled and dimed to death on trivial stuff.

I know this poll is also a bit skewed but I didn't have enough options to add in different currencies. So if the main poll isn't suitable for you then refrain from voting and just give your two cents or opinion here.
 
iBookG4user said:
If I were to buy an iPad, the only add ons in your OP that I would buy is the case. As I would just use my backpack to carry around the iPad. Most of the apps that I use are free, so it wouldn't add too much cost from the app store.
Click to expand...

Okay one last post before I stop for the night. I could use my laptop bag but the point of the iPad is portability. If i were to carry my backpack that fits my MBP it would have my MBP inside of it. A full fledged laptop bag for an iPad is a bit of overkill like using a Mac Pro to surf the web.

Sorry for multiple posts in a row but I havent learned how to do multiquotes. I will figure it out later.
 
You don't need any of those things or even an iPad in general. If you can't afford any of them don't buy them. Simple.
 
spinedoc77 said:
You don't need a screen protector. You don't really "need" a bag, but you would be buying one anyhow if it was a laptop. Camera kit I can see your point, Apple really should have included a SD slot. Apps you can't really argue as any computer or even smartphone you have to buy apps for.

In all reality I'd say $499 +$50 for the case is what is more realistic since you really shouldn't count the other things. In all honestly I would have paid more for the ipad seeing how much incredible use I've gotten out of it. I think Apple could have easily priced it more expensively and gotten away with it, and because they set the market we can benefit from other tablets in the future pricewise.
Click to expand...

I would tend to agree with most of this, although I honestly couldn't care less about the "missing" SD slot. I've used my CCK once since it arrived, that's it. Screen protectors are more nuisance than protection in my book, most of us had a laptop bag lying around the house already (plus quite a few, like my husband, simply opt to carry the case in one hand), and there are amazing numbers of free, decent to high quality apps out there if you watch the app review/tracking sites.

Like nixiemaiden, I fell into the trap of buying a bunch of "must have now!" accessories and regretted it. I do like some things I bought, some I don't use, and some I bought knowing ahead of time that they were luxuries, not necessities. That's hardly Apple's fault.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back