Which used iPad should I buy?

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geekIT

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#191807 17-Feb-2016 09:41

I've started looking at used iPads and I'm getting confused about which one to buy.

Could someone please enlighten me about the features and failings of various models?

The reason I'm looking for an iPad (and why I don't want to buy latest and greatest) is basically to watch movies while I'm on an elliptical trainer at the gym.

So such a tablet would need a reasonably large screen (9"?), have a battery life of at least an hour, and be able to support a headphone.

I could use one of several old Windows laptops but they're heavier, clunkier and would be a pain to set up every day.

Another thing I'd probably use it for would be idle sofa surfing, while watching TV. Again, I have a good Windows laptop for this, but a light tablet would be more convenient.

Suggestions would be welcome :-)

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jtan

122 posts

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#1493687 17-Feb-2016 09:50

I would suggest at least one of the Air models - They're significantly lighter than the previous generations before them and have the screen size you're looking for.

The Model Comparison on Wikipedia is a good place to start to get some idea of comparisons between models: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad#Model_comparison

I purchased the iPad Gen4 for my Mum and she loves it - However she has of late been complaining it is a tad heavy after using it for a while (which I would imagine you might encounter the same problems if you're using it for prolonged periods of time - if watching movies)

sidefx

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#1493689 17-Feb-2016 09:51

If you watch trademe carefully, ipad 2 minis can be had for $150 (I know of a school that sold a hundred or so recently for $150 buy now) The screen isn't huge, but I reckon it's big enough and that price is pretty sweet.

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jonathan18

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#1493694 17-Feb-2016 10:04

The first gen iPad Air is still performing absolutely fine, and I'd have no hesitations recommending this. However, I do notice my parents' Air 2 is that much lighter and thinner (amazing how different it feels in the hand), so if that's a concern for you...

I'd be wary, given you say it's to watch videos, of going for an iPad Mini - given the ratio of the iPad screen, one will often lose a large amount of screen real estate to letter boxing, given how much video content is now in relatively wide-screen formats. As such, on a small screen like the Mini your actual video image will be pretty damn small. It's ok on the 9.7" iPad however.

Given this appears to be your first iPad, one thing to be wary of is the lack of expandability on iPads - hence buy the biggest one you can afford, and don't touch anything less than 32GB - if not 64GB.

Jaxson

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#1493718 17-Feb-2016 10:08

jonathan18:

one thing to be wary of is the lack of expandability on iPads - hence buy the biggest one you can afford, and don't touch anything less than 32GB - if not 64GB.

This +1

There are options to move some data into the cloud, but apps etc need to reside on the device. Apple don't have any external ports for adding memory, so you're stuck with whatever you purchased initially.

sidefx

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#1493724 17-Feb-2016 10:12

Hmm, true that. And I guess if OP is using it at the gym they might not have wifi so can't stream stuff from cloud... The 2 points above are good ones.

"I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." | Octopus Energy | Sharesies
- Richard Feynman

dickytim

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#1493786 17-Feb-2016 11:03

a little off topic but when you do get one make sure you get wireless/ Bluetooth headphones.

I have sent my iphone flying quite regularly at the gym, mostly on the treadmill but still!

Jaxson

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#1493790 17-Feb-2016 11:12

You guys take a full ipad to the gym?!

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ludez

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#1493793 17-Feb-2016 11:16

sidefx:

If you watch trademe carefully, ipad 2 minis can be had for $150 (I know of a school that sold a hundred or so recently for $150 buy now) The screen isn't huge, but I reckon it's big enough and that price is pretty sweet.

Jesus that is cheap. I have seen them for $320+ on trademe.

And currently trying to sell mine for $250 which i thought was fair

lxsw20

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#1493796 17-Feb-2016 11:18

ludez:

sidefx:

If you watch trademe carefully, ipad 2 minis can be had for $150 (I know of a school that sold a hundred or so recently for $150 buy now) The screen isn't huge, but I reckon it's big enough and that price is pretty sweet.

Jesus that is cheap. I have seen them for $320+ on trademe.

And currently trying to sell mine for $250 which i thought was fair

I got a 16GB Mini 2 in as new condition about a year ago on here for $250.

ludez

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#1493818 17-Feb-2016 11:22

Well i guess my hopes were too high :(

What would be a fair price?Has a brand new screen and is pretty much mint condition

geekIT

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#1494055 17-Feb-2016 14:42

Thanks for your responses, folks, very helpful.

To expand on my original post, the tablet won't be handheld - the ellipticals and the treadmills have a little ledge where I can prop the gadget. And assuming the battery will last an hour, say, there'll be no need for a power connection.

I won't be streaming video. I'd planned to watch prerecorded mkv, avi and mp4 files, fed from a USB (2.0 or 3.0) memory stick. Also, on that score, I thought that a tablet with miniscule ram might not be a problem, seeing as I'd be loading the movies from a USB source. Or is that not possible? Actually, I don't have many movies that are over 2Gb. Perhaps it'd be easier to preload one at a time into the iPad.

The suggestion of bluetooth cans is worth considering. Do all iPads output that type of signal?

Keep the info coming, please :-)

'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' Voltaire

'A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.' Edward Abbey

sidefx

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#1494062 17-Feb-2016 14:54

Using a USB stick with an ipad just isn't going to fly I don't think. Even googling for options, the solutions look pretty sub-optimal: http://www.macworld.com/article/2103582/using-a-flash-drive-with-an-ipad.html

Perhaps an android tablet with an SD slot of some description might be a better fit...?

"I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." | Octopus Energy | Sharesies
- Richard Feynman

jonathan18

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#1494068 17-Feb-2016 15:05

I assume you know that iPads don't have USB slots? Sites like this one (http://www.macworld.com/article/2103582/using-a-flash-drive-with-an-ipad.html) talk about how to get around this to allow you to connect a flash drive to the iPad. Other options I think include external drives with built-in wifi.

Personally, I've just transferred video files from our NAS to the iPad using nPlayer - what was (and may still be?) one of the better video players for iOS (at the time it was one of the few which had DD support).

So this'll be a call you'll need to make - sticking videos directly on the iPad may mean you need a larger capacity device which will cost more, plus the hassle of transferring files; using an external source will also have cost and some hassles (though the wireless drive may have fewest hassles of all?).

The other option is looking at a tablet that's not an iPad - are you wedded to using an iPad?

Yes, all iPads support Bluetooth headphones; they're definitely worth it for exercising. They can be as low as $20 (if not lower), but to some degree you get what you pay for. I use a pair I got from Amazon after reading pretty positive reviews (http://www.amazon.com/66-Audio-BTS-Bluetooth-Headphone/dp/B00E0GRRR4) - these are around-the-neck over-the-ear models which just don't fall off, a critical feature for this use! Personally, I'd not touch in-ear ones as they always fall out and plus I don't like being too isolated from the world. Larger models (such as the ones I use) may also be easier to control, simply because there's more real estate to stick buttons (given they allow you to skip tracks forward and back, play, pause, take phone calls etc).

Edit: my habit of being overly verbose means sidefx beat me to many of the same points. Same link even!

jonathan18

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#1494074 17-Feb-2016 15:19

As covered above, for your intended purposes you may be better off with an Android tablet, given these typically include SD card slots, which provide an easy and cheap way to both increase capacity and access content such as movies.

My nephew was looking for something for the same use (watching movies etc), and he settled on a Lenovo tablet - it's available from $330, and offers a high-resolution screen (unusual at this price); I saw in the paper today JB's having one of their cost+GST sales, so may be cheaper again there?). Grab a 64GB card of eBay or elsewhere and you're away, plus with the assurance provided by the CGA if you buy new in NZ - something a s/h product won't have.

http://pricespy.co.nz/product.php?p=3153283

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TR05L9Y/?tag=geekzone-20&ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&psc=1&redirect=true&linkId=M3ITZRCGCV2CHUOT

Android tablets will also support Bluetooth headphones.

geekIT

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#1494139 17-Feb-2016 16:15

sidefx and jonathan18: Good tips, thanks.

No, not married to iPad. Being an old PC guy, I've never gone for Apple stuff, but my wife has been doing all the tablet research and initially, kinda liked the look of that product.

I agree that we'd probably be better off with an Android system. Re the Lenovo, we saw one at Harvey Norman recently, and I thought it looked pretty, plus the new price wasn't too crippling.

Any other suggestions about non-iPad devices?

'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' Voltaire

'A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.' Edward Abbey