Maybe last year, the iPad seemed too new and exotic to be on your holiday wish list. Maybe you were hesitant to buy the first generation of a new type of device. Maybe the oohs and aahs of iPad-owning friends hadn't yet convinced you that the time was right to take on Apple's tablet. Whatever the reason, things have changed: As the 2011 holiday shopping season gets underway, you've decided to give the gift of an iPad--either to a loved one or to yourself.
We're assuming that you didn't spend a lot of time considering some other tablet. That's in part because you're reading Macworld.com and therefore, a person of discriminating taste. But also, a quick glance at the tablet market finds very few compelling challengers to the iPad's crown. Android tablets led by the Motorola Xoom and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 suffer from a wildly inconsistent experience--apps may run differently on one kind of Android tablet than they do on another--and your ability to get your hands on the the latest OS updates hinges upon the hardware you own. You're taking a pass on the BlackBerry PlayBook because you'd prefer to be able to send and receive email without tethering a phone to your tablet. The Kindle Fire has failed to impress in its initial release, and the HP TouchPad has been consigned to the remainder bin of history. The iPad may not be the only game in town, but it's the only one worth playing if you're serious about owning a tablet.
In fact, opting for the iPad over its nominal competition may be about the easiest decision you make. There are a few other critical questions you need to answer, though, before you can grip an iPad 2 in your eager hands.
How Much Storage?
The iPad 2 comes in three different capacities: 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. How much capacity you'll need depends on what you plan on using your iPad for.
Do you envision storing your entire music library on your iPad? If so, be prepared to opt for a higher-capacity model. If you use Apple's iTunes to store your music, a glance at the application can tell you just how big a library you have. For example, my iTunes library contains about 20GB of music--fairly modest as music libraries go, but it would preclude me from using a 16GB iPad 2 if I wanted to carry every last song on my tablet. The recently introduced iTunes Match offers some relief in this area: If you opt to pay that service's $25-a-year fee, you can store much of your music in the cloud, freeing up capacity on your iPad.
If you envision using your iPad to store a lot of movies that you can watch when on the road, you'll need to set aside some space for that. After all, even digital rentals from the iTunes Store--which disappear into the ether after you've finished watching them--need some room to be stored on your iPad. I've got a copy of the vastly under-appreciated 1993 western Tombstone that weighs in at 1.45GB. And that's a standard definition video--high-definition video is likely to take up much more space. That's something to take into consideration if you plan on turning your iPad into a mobile multiplex.
There are a few other storage considerations as well. Apps from Apple's App Store don't take up much space, generally speaking; they're usually not any larger than 50MB. I've got about six dozen apps on my iPad at the moment: They take up around 3.4GB of space. That said, if you plan on loading up your iPad with games--and why wouldn't you since it's a great gaming device-the more graphically-intense apps can eat up hundreds of megabytes worth of storage. Photos can add up too, particularly if you plan on using the iPad's camera to shoot any video.
If you plan on using your iPad to surf the Web, send email, and dabble with a reasonable number of apps, the 16GB model should serve you just fine. Otherwise, plan on getting a higher-capacity iPad than you think you might need. There's no way to tack on storage to your iPad after you've bought it, so it's better to have room to grow.
Wi-Fi or 3G?
Just because the iPad 2 comes in three capacities, don't think your selection is limited to three choices. Each iPad features the ability to connect to a Wi-Fi network, but you can also order the 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB models with the added ability to connect via a 3G network. And if you opt for the 3G version, you've then got to decide whether you want an iPad capable of connecting to AT&T's GSM-based network or the CDMA network of Verizon.
Let's tackle the 3G-or-not-3G question first. As with storage, you should base your connectivity decision on how you plan on using your iPad. If you're going to stick close to home or limit your iPad use to locations where you'll be able to access a Wi-Fi network, the less expensive Wi-Fi-only models are the better choice. On the other hand, if you expect that you might be out and about with your iPad fairly often, you might be better off paying up for a model that includes 3G connectivity.
Unlike iPhones, which require two-year commitments and monthly data and voice plans, the 3G version of the iPad comes with no contracts and no commitments. You can go month-to-month with a carrier and drop your service at any time. For that reason, if you want to keep your options open, you can always opt for the 3G model and leave the service unactivated until you need it. You will have to pay for this flexibility, though: 3G-equipped iPads cost $130 more than their Wi-Fi-only counterparts.
As for choosing a carrier, the plans offered by AT&T and Verizon are fairly similar, though there are some key differences. We go into greater depth about iPad 2 data plans elsewhere, but here's the executive summary. AT&T charges $15 a month for 250MB of data and $25 for 2GB. Verizon offers a range of plans, starting at $20 for 1GB of data, and ranging upward to 3GB ($35), 5GB ($50), and 10GB ($80). The bottom line: If your data needs are modest, AT&T's the better choice, while Verizon's offerings are more appealing to people who plan to frequently connect to a 3G network. Anyone who plans on taking their iPad overseas will want to opt for AT&T's 3G iPad; the GSM technology used by the carrier is more predominant overseas than the CDMA technology Verizon relies upon.
Whichever carrier you pick, choose wisely. Your hardware choice locks you into a particular network, so there's no jumping back and forth between AT&T and Verizon once you've ordered your iPad.
(If you also happen to own an iPhone, you can use that device's tethering capabilities to connect your iPad to a network, which could spare you the expense of having to buy a 3G-capable model. You will have to pay for tethering on your iPhone plan, but depending on your plan it could be cheaper to turn on tethering than to pay separately for a 3G plan for your iPad. Plus, tethering can work with any Wi-Fi-capable device, including your laptop.)
Finally, if you're eager to use a GPS navigation app with the iPad's big screen, you'll want to opt for a 3G-capable model: only 3G iPads come with GPS capabilities.
Next: Accessories, Color Choices, Updated Model Coming Soon?
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