That thing is so difficult to get nowadays. It truly is Apple's best selling tablet. Sometimes the price drops down to $299. Walmart is selling it for $309. I've seen a few in stores this week.
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iPad The Base iPad may finally be at a sweet spot
- Thread starter i4k20c
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I consider the iPad a great invention. It really brought computers and internet access to the masses in a user friendly form that is not anywhere as intimidating (for some) as a traditional desktop or laptop computer.
I’ve met so many people express how much they like or even love their iPad, particularly the over 50-60 crowd. And they also appreciate how many of them seem to last up to 8-10 years, which is generally longer than Samsung and other Android based tablets. That said most iPad users seem to trade up around 5 or 6 years, but longer use is not uncommon. I don’t encounter many Android tablets lasting beyond about 5 years.
I’ve met so many people express how much they like or even love their iPad, particularly the over 50-60 crowd. And they also appreciate how many of them seem to last up to 8-10 years, which is generally longer than Samsung and other Android based tablets. That said most iPad users seem to trade up around 5 or 6 years, but longer use is not uncommon. I don’t encounter many Android tablets lasting beyond about 5 years.
I don’t consider myself a gamer but recently call of duty mobile and nba2k have been getting a lot of run on my iPad.
I’ve been told aside from the graphics not being as crisp that you basically get the same experience as a console as long as you use a ps4/Xbox controller
I actually use my iPad with sidecar as a second monitor fairly often. It’s pretty awesome for that usage imo and justifies its purchase as it actually continues to productivity and not just content consumption or a overpowered drawing tablet.
I've always felt the base iPad was (and is) the best value for most people. Though I have later Air models, I sometimes wonder why as my 2 base iPad 5's still work fine (though sometimes a bit laggy, lately).
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Buy the iPad 9th Gen!! It does 99% of everything that any other iPad does just as quickly. We have 3 in the house and use them every day. Think of it this way, you can buy 3 for the same price as one of the big iPad Pro's. If you're in the Apple Ecosystem (icloud, findmy, airpods, etc) it's no-brainer.
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iPad 9th gen is definitely a fantastic value. Now that the base model is running on the 6 core bionic chips, they are that much more future proof as well. I just got my mom a 9th gen for Christmas to replace her 5th gen and she’s very happy with it
A matter of opinion and bias. Many, if not most, overestimate how much storage they really need. Lots of mainstream users appreciate 64GB after managing with little trouble with 32GB. It’s why I always ask how the user wants to use the device.
probably not but at 330 USD it's a great option for people that don't make use of a lot of large sized apps. If you want to install a lot of games and save a lot of movies on your iPad, then no that's not going to last you long.
But it's a good base config at this price point.
That's one thing where I think the Air 5 missed the mark a bit especially since you have an M1 you want to use with heavier games or apps like lumafusion. that 64GB isn't going to last very long.
on its own, you are 100% right.
but in comparison to what is available used, it certainly does. 32gb iPad models from 2016 are selling for only $100-~150 less. I wish Apple wasn't so cheap with their memory and the base should really be 128gb across the board in my opinion. But I am speaking about it being the sweet spot in comparison to the market that is out there for used Apple ipad models.
The budget iPad is all I buy these days. I have both a 6th and 9th generation iPads. The 6th gen iPad still performs admirably well in 2022. If it can handle MR.com and CBSSports.com with Javascript enabled, it's performing well. It struggles a little with Tom's Hardware but that site loads all kinds of ads and videos at once. So for me the base iPad wins and you can usually get them for $299 at walmart.com as soon as they get released.
My 9th gen came with a 10% employee discount with the $299 price tag. Also unless you need it, from my experience addtional storage doesn't increase the price unless you are dealing with Best Buy or selling it on your own. Apple and Samsung seem to have set price for tablets and phone trade ins whether you are trading in a 32GB or 128GB iPad.
My 9th gen came with a 10% employee discount with the $299 price tag. Also unless you need it, from my experience addtional storage doesn't increase the price unless you are dealing with Best Buy or selling it on your own. Apple and Samsung seem to have set price for tablets and phone trade ins whether you are trading in a 32GB or 128GB iPad.
Until Apple refreshes the iPad Pro 11, they can't make the Air too good.
Mind, 64GB (paired with iCloud) is plenty for most iPad users I know.
i purchased the 256gb for $110 more and im not sure that was the right call or not, but i prob won't buy another ipad for a while and thought the extra storage may come in handy when going on car trips for the kids and downloading netflix shows or something.
I recently purchased a 2018 iPad Pro 11 512gb for about $400 off of fb marketplace / OfferUp. I won’t be buying another iPad for a few years unless the iPad os brings the Ux to dial up speeds
Depending on your needs and what you’re comfortable with there are solid deals on used/old tech.
Depending on your needs and what you’re comfortable with there are solid deals on used/old tech.
my bad somehow i was confused and wrote about the ipad air,whose base storage isnt rly acceptable for that kind of price imho
i agree otherwise ,for the base ipad 64gb probably does fine and can be considered acceptable
Not really sure which Android tablets are usable for a long time (I mean supported).
I once bought an Android tablet. It never received any updates and within two years it became so unsupported I couldn't even surf the web anymore. Once again, not a single update available.
For whatever reason it suddenly became super slow as well and even after resetting it to factory settings for many times it remained super slow.
It took me 5 minutes to open a video file and it started making a weird whistling noise while watching movies. I remembered how I could've gotten iPad 2 for that money, but I chose this random Android tablet, because it had a pen and keyboard included + 3G and it was a little cheaper than iPad 2.
So in 2014 I purchased iPad mini 2 and am still using it, but I need to upgrade soon (obviously). It works fine, but I'm noticing that surfing the web is painfully slow, but when I use apps it's okay.
Maybe Android tablets have gotten better now, but yeah…
I've used some Android tablets here and there and they work just fine and some have very awesome features, but… I'll always remember my first tablet experience.
I’d honestly have to see a side by side spec sheet. In my experience, for my usage, I don’t see the benefits of the super fast and powerful processors being used.
For sure the 512gb, I think 4 speakers, pro motion are things I actually can experience without looking for it. Unless there isn’t promotion on this model.
The traditional Android tablet/phone support was 2 years of OS and security updates. Some of the better vendors have only recently (last 12 months, ie Samsung) have started to stretch their support from 3 to 4 years. However most of the Android phone makers are still at only 2 years.
The Amazon tablet I mentioned, the browser and the Facebook app become unusable on it. After I got her the Air 4 she ended up selling the Fire for a tiny amount (£25) with an honest statement to the seller saying it’s only good as an e-reader now. It’s another reminder as to why used iPads always keep more of their original value compared to Android tablets.
The base iPad is amazing tech for the price point. I think the biggest decision point at that level is just confirming you are good with the screen size.
Personally, I only buy the Pro models. Reason - ProMotion.
Scrolling with a 60hz screen doesn’t cut it for me anymore. Others will differ, but it’s night and day in my opinion.
tempted to buy the 329 iPad as a baby monitor to use via the app to leave the iPad on and an iPad for my son down the line when he will no doubt want one.
Also always budget iPads here as I never saw the huge advantages of the higher end models for my needs. Never any display anomalies, white spots, creaking, etc. with base models. I did break down and buy Air 4 last Veterans Day with $200 military discount. Still haven't unboxed yet as my base iPad 5's are still going strong.
The 9th gen should be great in your case.
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