iPad Buyer's Guide: Sussing Out Six Configurations
Apples iPad tablet, which becomes available April 3, is a first-generation device, and youve got a rule: never buy first-gen hardware. The iPad wont let you truly multitask, either. It lacks a camera, its a closed system, it uses AT&Ts network for 3G wireless connectivity (which elicited boos at the iPads Jan. 27 unveiling).
And yet -- you want one as soon as humanly possible. Or youve been tasked with buying iPads for your company. In the prior article, "19 Key Considerations for the iPad as Enterprise Mobile Device," we covered security, deployment , mobile application and online collaboration issues. So, with six different iPad configurations, the only questions left to ponder are: Which one is the right one for you or your users? Lets break it down so you can figure it out.
Mobile Device Dilemma: Six iPad Configurations, Two 3G Options
There are a total of six different iPad configurations. Three iPads offer Wi-Fi connectivity only; these iPad models will be available April 3. The other three provide Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity on AT&Ts network and are due in late April. The Wi-Fi-only iPads have 16GB of storage for $499; 32GB for $599; and 64GB for $699. IPads with Wi-Fi and 3G begin at $629 for 16GB, then go to $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB.
Unlike the iPhone, you can get AT&T 3G wireless iPad service without a contract. Also unlike the iPhone, youve got two 3G plan options: $15 per month for up to 250MB of data or $30 per month for all-you-can-eat service.
Apple says you can sign up for and discontinue the AT&T 3G service directly from your iPad as well as monitor your data consumption on the device as you go. Youll receive onscreen messages as you get close to your monthly data limit so you can decide whether to turn off 3G or upgrade to the unlimited plan, according to Apple.
This is good news, because you can consume 250MB of data thisfast. For instance, one episode of Mad Men in HD downloaded through iTunes is about 1.4GB, while a standard resolution Mad Men is approximately 475MB. Heck, even a 22-minute "Modern Family" episode in standard resolution will consume nearly 250MB.
Start with the iPads Storage
To figure out how much storage your iPad should have, take a look at whats in your iTunes library and/or on your iPhone now, and give some thought to how important it is to have all your current and future content stored on the iPad.
Example: I currently have 17.18GB of music, 2.95GB of movies, 17GB of TV shows, and 85.8MB of audiobooks in my iTunes library. Ive got nearly 1GB of photos, 598MB of apps, and 241MB of other data (such as contacts and calendar items) stored on my iPhone. All told, thats nearly 40GB of data. So if I wanted all of this data (plus future downloads) on an iPad, Id have to spring for a 64GB configuration.
If you or others in your company hope to travel with an iPad in lieu of a laptop, youd probably need a 32GB or 64MB configuration. A 16GB model is probably fine for those who plan to carry only a portion of their multimedia content and who plan to use the iPad primarily for e-mail and Web surfing. But for others, the 16GB limit will most likely be too confining.