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mclld

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 6, 2012
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I have a friend looking to get a couple cheap, used ipads and I recommended looking for an ipad air 1 at least. I figured they are still more than good enough for kids to play games on.
 
For simple tasks, the Air 1 is still good
For simple tasks and nothing heavy in multitasking.
 
Yes Air 1 is fine for basic productivity and media consumption day to day. Students use them a lot still. They are definitely alittle less smooth as the Air 2 but the time to load webpages, emails, documents and PDFs is not that far apart. Personally I would recommend a Air 2 still as it will provide a much nicer overall experience.
 
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It really depends on what you're using it for and what your expectations are. I know a number of people with iPad Airs or even older models who find them perfectly fine and see no reason why they should replace them.
 
It really depends on what you're using it for and what your expectations are. I know a number of people with iPad Airs or even older models who find them perfectly fine and see no reason why they should replace them.

Replacing is very different than buying...OP's question makes it difficult to recommend anything other than air2 (or better).
 
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Replacing is very different than buying...OP's question makes it difficult to recommend anything other than air2 (or better).

True. I just meant to say that an Air 1 is still capable of fulfilling most people's tablet needs. But yes, unless one is getting significant savings over a more current model then the more current model is always going to be better. The OP asked about getting a couple of cheap tablets for kids to play on. I don't agree that the Air 1 should be out of the question
 
Typing this response on an Air 1. I find it to be more than enough for my needs...web browsing, streaming, etc. I use it a lot to take notes in grad classes. I don't play games on it though. I'd say if you're going for an older model, the air should be fine. I wouldn't go older than this though.
 
I gave my husband my 32GB Air & he enjoys it. Perfect for Netflix, Facebook, web surfing
 
I picked up a used iPad Air 16GB with 8 months left on AppleCare fro $220. This iPad is for my mother and will replace her iPad 3rd gen. She was still fine with 3rd gen iPad but wanted something smaller and lighter, so I figured iPad Air 1 would be great upgrade without breaking the bank.
 
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A Brand new air2 32gb is $400.

Like I said, if you are considering an air1...I think you are crazy.
 
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A Brand new air2 32gb is $400.

Like I said, if you are considering an air1...I think you are crazy.

I do not believe it is crazy to consider iPad Air. For what I paid and the intended use case the Air 1 is perfect at the half the price of new Air 2. My mom loves it. It is snappy, no lag in keyboard and the 5 apps she is using are flying on it. I would feel really bad recommending Air 2 at the double of cost for her.
 
Depends on the price. Honestly, they could likely find Air 2s or Mini 4s for just a bit more than an original Air, and that being the case, I'd recommend that route.

But, that being said, if the price on the Air is excellent? It'll still work decently. Maybe not the best option, but at a super cheap price it's still reasonable for kids.
 
I do not believe it is crazy to consider iPad Air. For what I paid and the intended use case the Air 1 is perfect at the half the price of new Air 2. My mom loves it. It is snappy, no lag in keyboard and the 5 apps she is using are flying on it. I would feel really bad recommending Air 2 at the double of cost for her.

Knock yourself out on the air1 if you want to...most places have it around $220 (and up) used and that's the 16gb.

You won't get anywhere near the longevity of the 2gb ram iPads.

The air2 is where the smart money is at.
 
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I wouldn't reccomend to buy ANY iPad and iPhone with 1 GB of RAM TODAY . It's waste of money. Buy an Air 1 now with just 1GB of RAM is not a good idea . I think the maximum OS that the Air 1 can run is IOS 12. Really, if you buy the Air 1 or any 1GB of RAM IPhone/IPad you are stupid !!
 
I wouldn't reccomend to buy ANY iPad and iPhone with 1 GB of RAM TODAY . It's waste of money. Buy an Air 1 now with just 1GB of RAM is not a good idea . I think the maximum OS that the Air 1 can run is IOS 12. Really, if you buy the Air 1 or any 1GB of RAM IPhone/IPad you are stupid !!

To call them stupid is a bit much. Some may choose the Air1 because money is extremely tight, etc.
 
I wouldn't reccomend to buy ANY iPad and iPhone with 1 GB of RAM TODAY . It's waste of money. Buy an Air 1 now with just 1GB of RAM is not a good idea . I think the maximum OS that the Air 1 can run is IOS 12. Really, if you buy the Air 1 or any 1GB of RAM IPhone/IPad you are stupid !!
This all depends on cost. If one can buy 2x iPad Air for close to the same price as 1x iPad Air 2, particularly given they'll just be for kids to play with, I'd say go for it. After 1-2 years, if future perfomance is lacking, one can always buy the iPad Air 2 or even Pro 9.7 at a fraction of the current price.
 
I wouldn't reccomend to buy ANY iPad and iPhone with 1 GB of RAM TODAY . It's waste of money. Buy an Air 1 now with just 1GB of RAM is not a good idea . I think the maximum OS that the Air 1 can run is IOS 12. Really, if you buy the Air 1 or any 1GB of RAM IPhone/IPad you are stupid !!

If it goes as far as iOS 12 that's still nearly 3 years of support. Depending on intended usage and the price, there may be nothing stupid at all about getting an Air 1. Sometimes buying a generation or two old to save some money is actually really smart.
 
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If it goes as far as iOS 12 that's still nearly 3 years of support. Depending on intended usage and the price, there may be nothing stupid at all about getting an Air 1. Sometimes buying a generation or two old to save some money is actually really smart.
Buy an Air 1 in 2016? it is 3 years old now not worth it
 
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iPad Pro 2 12.9 inch should include :
True tone display
A10X with 4GB of RAM or maybe more
2 gen Touch ID
Better Apple Pencil (I don't care for it, but it's cool )
12MP and 5MP camera(I really don't care as I don't take pictures on iPads)
3D Touch (I really don't miss if don't have it)
New colors options
3.5 headphone jack
Features that the first iPad Pro don't have it
Let see what Spring 2017 will bring to us! Really satisfied with Air 2.I can't say now if I will upgrade to 12.9 inch IPad Pro 2 next year I have to see the event to decide it if it's worth the upgrade.No problem to stick with Air 2 for 2 more years
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Buy an Air 1 in 2016? it is 3 years old now not worth it

Not worth what? It depends on the price. You act like it's a paperweight. An iPad Air can still do most of the things that any other iPad can do.
 
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Not worth what? It depends on the price. You act like it's a paperweight. An iPad Air can still do most of the things that any other iPad can do.
Multitasking feature,2 apps running at the same time, touch id,it s really annoying to put the passcode, slo mo and more
 
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