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Attn: 16gb wifi owners - any regrets?

B

Bag302

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 23, 2009
134
6
My old laptop just croaked which I only used for web surfing and slingbox watching.

I think I can replace it with an iPad. However, funds are tight so I'd like to get a 16gb wifi, maybe even a refurb.

I also have a 9" Asus netbook and a desktop. The screen on the netbook is lacking though. A little too small and poor viewing angle. I like the ipad because the screen looks great to me, no wait time to boot and loong battery life.

I plan to use the ipad for web surfing, netflix, slingbox and a few apps/games while on the couch and around the house. If I need to take it outside, I'll use Mywi on my iphone.

So the question for you is: Do you regret going with only 16gb? Why?

Thanks!

PS: Should I consider any other devices? Price range has to be $500 or less.
 
I have a 16 gig wifi + 3G model, and I use it every single day. I do use 3G a lot more than I thought I would, and if I hadn't bought the 3G model, I might have regretted that. But I think your question was more along the lines of "will 16 gigs be sufficient for me?"

It certainly has been for me. I don't think I've even hit 50% capacity yet, since I don't carry everything on my iPad. It's really easy to sync over a couple of movies, a couple of TV shows, a few albums, etc. The iPad makes a rather awkward mp3 player so you don't need to carry your entire music library with you. I also have a few dozen apps installed. Plenty of room still.

I replaced an Asus EEE PC netbook when I bought the iPad. For typical uses like email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and general surfing, the iPad experience was better than the netbook experience hands down. The iPad on screen keyboard is awkward, but so is a cramped netbook keyboard, so I'd consider them tied when it comes to taking notes or writing long emails -- doable, but not enjoyable, on either one. The iPad wins on portability, battery life, instant-on accessibility, the ability to easily pass it to someone else. (Every time I do, I feel like I'm on Star Trek, passing a PADD between bridge officers...)
 
I just got a 16GB Wifi iPad last weekend, and I have no regrets so far. About 350 photos and 60 apps loaded so far, and I still have 12GB left. That leaves me plenty of space for a few movies if I ever go on a trip and need movies on the go.

No music on my iPad though, I have decided to save my music just for my iPhone.
 
Well I guess it just depends on how rich you are. . . .

I bought the 16GB Wifi a few months back as a spur of the moment present to myself. I had no NEED for it as I have a laptop and iphone.
I use it all the time every day and indeed it has taken away 50% of the daily use that my MacBook was used for.

While I would love to have the top end one and be able to store all my music on it (especially with airplay for AppleTV coming) the large cost is just too much for what is essentially an unnecessary device. I need my iPhone and I need my laptop. The iPad is pure luxury. And with the high end model costing the best part of a new laptop I just couldn't justify that much money.
 
i think the 16gb is plenty for just web browsing and watching tv over wifi. I purchased the 32GB 3g ipad about a month ago and have since used 1gb of my 10gb allowance and have 28gb free HD space lol, and yes i do use my ipad all the time.
 
I have been contemplating buying the lowest price on for about a month, solely as a toy.
As far as movies go, I stream netflix and occasionally rip a movie and ad it to the library.
I really don't have a need to put 40g of music on a device, some do though.
My iPhone is 32g and it's rarely over 16g.
It depends on what you want to use it for.
I like the full screen all the time of a laptop and not half the screen disappearing for a keyboard.
That's why is merely a toy and the lowest price one will suffice.
I usually buy the one with the largest capacity and functionality. But not in this case.
 
My regret is not the 16gb choice but more to go the non-3G route. I would rarely have used it, but having it would have been very, very handy, and might have given me pause for opting into the Iphone 4 (instead going for a 64gb Touch and dumbphone.)

That said, I'm thrilled with my 16gb Ipad. There's been one time when I filled it with video just to see if I'd even care, taking it on a short trip. By the end of the trip, we'd watched part of one of those videos. It's just not our way of dealing with things, so no, I don't regret the size. Without the video, I have barely hit 2gb used.
 
I have the 16gb and only use about a 1/3 of it. You can load a decent amount of music if that's your thing, lots of apps, and a good bit of photos. Depends on what you want to do...such an individual question.
 
My 16GB iPad is perfect for what I use it for at home...surfing the web...Facebook...Netflix...email...basic content consumption.
 
No regrets. Perfect couch computer.

I have

An iPhone for true portable consumption
A Home Theater and PS3 for true home consumption
A MacBook Pro 13 for true portable creation
A Beastly Mac Pro with 2 30" monitors for true content creation.

The iPad 16GB Wifi fits RIGHT in the middle of all of that. Light creation, portable consumption, great browser, great casual games, great battery life.

It can be a great tool in a number of areas. Until Apple provides a file system (which they will no doubt roll out as a great innovation called "Files" lol), I have no need for a larger drive.
 
You need to take a close look at what you intend to do with it in order to decide.

The biggest thing that takes up space on the iPad is MOVIES, especially HD movies. Since you won't have 3G, you won't be able to stream Netflix unless you are on a Wifi connection. That means you'll be more likely to want to load movies on to the device in advance. Each one is going to take up 1 - 3 GB depending on quality. If you don't mind being limited to no more than two or three at a time on the device, and your music library isn't massive, then you shouldn't have an issue.

You can almost certainly make 16 GB work. You just have to do a little more shuffling of stuff on and off the device if you're a heavy user.

Also keep in mind the iPad doesn't shoot photos or video like the iPhone, so you won't be consuming space with that unless you like to bring a lot of photos/videos over. My 32GB iPhone 4 is more than half full just with photos and videos (I have a 2 year old that I take a lot of shots of).
 
I'm a type of guy who loves a lot of storage, but the 16GB wifi only is still awesome. I have no regrets in choosing that model. I don't store music on it because I have my iPhone for that. I store only a few movies, about 10 books, 30 pdf's, around 3 pages worth of apps and I always save about 1-2 GB's to download any other apps while I'm away from my computer.

I use MyWi on my iPhone to tether my 3G though, That is the only thing. Right now, I'm not away from a wifi signal that often, but I can see that if I was, it would get tiresome always using my phone and draining the battery to provide a connection.
 
I have the 32GB wifi only one so essentially the same. No regrets for me. Only in very rare situations have I wished for 3G on it. And then I just use my iPhone and not worry about it. :)
 
Thanks for the responses so far. I went over to best buy at lunch to check out the web surfing experience.

The screen is great - just what I'm looking for. However, I have a couple of questions.

1) I went to a familiar website where I like to listen to guitar clips. However, the iPad said "Safari cannot open this type of file" (mp#).

Here's the link with the attachment. http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=33234

Is there a workaround for this?

2) I usually keep my laptop on the arm of my sofa while watching TV. I don't see how I can do the same with the iPad. How do you guys hold this thing on the couch?

Otherwise, I think the iPad fits the bill.
 
I have 16GB wifi only from day 1. no regret whatsoever. i brought it to a trip and load it with videos for entertainment and doc for reference. I also bought a camera kit to load pics on it at the end of each day to review them. with iPad, i didn't need to bring my laptop to trip at all. of course if you have more $$ more storage is always nice, but 16gb is perfectly fine for normal usage.
 
I don't regret my purchase at all. Not since day one...however, at times fantasize about having all my iOS products being 64GB's or more. This would allow me to truly leave my MBP @ home all the time...

But for the time being am forced to share my products w. other individuals in the home...so the 16GB's works out fine. In a few years however I see myself with a 128GB iPad, 128GB iPod Touch or iPhone...and am upgraded MBP and never let anyone touch any one of them. :D:D:D
 
Bag302 said:
I usually keep my laptop on the arm of my sofa while watching TV. I don't see how I can do the same with the iPad. How do you guys hold this thing on the couch?
Click to expand...

I'm at work or I'd try and see about the audio file but I use the Apple cover for the iPad and it works pretty well. I used the iPad naked for a long time but I found the cover does help a bit more. The cover can help prop it up to a more useful position on the couch or chair.
 
Bag302 said:
1) I went to a familiar website where I like to listen to guitar clips. However, the iPad said "Safari cannot open this type of file" (mp#).

Here's the link with the attachment. http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=33234

Is there a workaround for

Otherwise, I think the iPad fits the bill.
Click to expand...
When I clicked in it I got server not configured. (using an iPhone)
Using downloads ($1.99 in the apps store) I downloaded it and played it no problem.
 
I bought a 16gb 3g, deciding that I would rather have the 3g than extra space, and that I probably wouldn't buy the thing at all if I were to spring for the full 64gb 3g model. I do only plan to keep it until the next generation comes around, and if the new one has the key features I'm looking for, I'll buy the big kahuna then and sell this one. I don't NEED the space, but I'd love to be able to have all of my music and all of my pictures ON the device - just something about that.

Apps like Zumocast and Dropbox go a long ways towards filling the gap, by letting you keep data you'd like access to in the cloud or at home, but it's not quite the same thing.
 
Bag302 said:
Thanks for the responses so far. I went over to best buy at lunch to check out the web surfing experience.

The screen is great - just what I'm looking for. However, I have a couple of questions.

1) I went to a familiar website where I like to listen to guitar clips. However, the iPad said "Safari cannot open this type of file" (mp#).

Here's the link with the attachment. http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=33234

Is there a workaround for this?
Click to expand...

I tried that on my iPad and it worked fine.
 
Yes, I regret purchasing my 16gb iPad. It was fun at first, but then it just became toy that I use (only cut the rope and angry birds are used). My MacBook Pro and iPhone more than fulfill my computing needs.
I don't so much regret the model I bought, as I do purchasing the iPAd in general.
 
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