iPad’s Getting Closer!

Written on March 7, 2010 by Katherine W. Prawl

As virtually everyone knows by now, the WiFi (non-cellular) iPad will start shipping on April 3rd, with the 3G version to follow in late April. We have decided to hold out for the 3G edition, since one of the main reasons for getting yet another gadget is to get around the limitations of our existing cellular modem bandwidth restrictions, as well as to have a larger screen than the iPhone’s. From our iPhone experience we know that AT&T’s 3G is really no worse than anyone else’s, despite what people complain about on the Web. Sure, in big cities with lots of users it’s going to be slow, but that’s true for every other network, and it has been getting better over time.

So, we are really looking forward to being able to watch streaming video on the road again, which we have had to forego while using Verizon’s lame 5GB mobile broadband. Even while trying to avoid overusing it, we’ve had to pay extra for exceeding the cap for the past two months, which is very stupid. If AT&T can do unlimited data bandwidth, Verizon and Sprint could do it, too. They just don’t want to. Maybe the competition will make things change eventually, but we need it now. As it is, my Digital Media class online will starting our video project next week, and we have already used all except 1 GB of this month’s allowance on Verizon after just 2 weeks from the rollover date (the 20th of the month in our case). Thank goodness, by the time we are ready to do peer reviews we will be in Dallas (Princeton, TX, actually, but the greater Dallas area) where we will be staying in an RV park with good WiFi. We can supplement it with our Verizon modem if necessary, but I think we’ll be ok there.

But video isn’t the only attraction, of course. By getting the 3G version we will have assisted GPS on the iPad, and larger maps than on the iPhone. I have been using the Google map app with GPS on our iPhone to navigate this year, and it is really wonderful. It will be even better on the larger screen. Naturally, we will enjoy what I anticipate will be a superior ebook reading experience and photo sharing, too.

I’m considering getting some of the accessories Apple has mentioned, like the keyboard dock and camera/SD card connection kit. With the latter and with all the SD cards I’ve bought for my netbook as well as tons of computer hard disk storage, both built-in to the computers and external Firewire and USB drives, I don’t see a lot of reason to spend the extra money to buy the 64GB iPad. We will probably get the 32GB version, just because 16GB seems awfully small these days. We have 32GB on the iPhones, and even with bajillions of apps, ebooks, Audible.com audio books and data files on mine I am only using about 20% of the available storage, so I rather imagine we can get by with 32Gig on the iPad, too.

Now our only decision is where to get it? We will be in central Texas in mid-April, and Phil has agreed to stay there until the 3G iPad is available, so we will have a choice of Apple stores in Austin and San Antonio. I want to go ahead and preorder it for pickup rather than take a chance of them being sold out.

The excitement builds!

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