As sone of you know I'm getting my iPad in 3 weeks and I can't wait. I can't decide whether the 3G is worth 130 bucks more but anytime web surfing is just amazing. So i'm going to let the good people of TA help me decide.
Do yourself a huge favor and check 3G coverage in your area before even considering the 3G version. You really do NOT want to end up stuck on EDGE.
Also, one thing to keep in mind is how much you're actually going to be traveling outside of your home(or any Wifi spot) with your iPad. If the answer is not very often or not at all, then maybe the Wifi only option is for you. I know that if I was in the market for one I'd probably get the Wifi only version. As it is I don't even take my iPod anywhere outside of my house, so I'd probably do the same with an iPad.
wifi only, if you have an iphone, you can use that when in doubt. I dont think my ipad has left my home, and anywhere i do need it, it will have wifi. Skip At&t and just use wifi. If you reeally need it get a portable wifi card
I love the 3G since it gives me net anywhere. The nice thing is the plans are no contract right on the device and cost 1/2 to 1/4 a typical data card
I went with the Wi-Fi. I have an iPhone 3gs so not going to pay for 3g twice. If i am ever out of the house, i will pull out my small phone. iPad is for surfing the web and gaming, for my purposes anyways
+1 here. I got the WiFi version. Besides not wanting to wait for the 3G my philosophy was how often am I gonna be taking my iPad somewhere? The answer was not often. I bought it mostly for home. But if I did it wud be to my parents house, or my brothers, or friends house. All of which have WiFi. And if I did bring it somewhere that I had to have the Internet I have my iphone. Why pay another $30 buckS a month? But that's just me. If ur situation Is different or u don't have an iPhone w 3G then it's a whole new ballgame. In that case I wud have gotten the 3G.
My company IT department won't support the Iphone, so I just have a 3rd gen Itouch. Because of that, I went with the 3G model. The fact that there is no long-term contract for the 3G service is what sold me. I can turn 3G on during months when I will be traveling for work, and turn it off the rest of the time. I also like the flexibility of having the 3G option available to me if I want it or need it. I would feel too limited if I just had the wi-fi option.
I bought the wifi+3G, because I like the option of being able to use the 3G if I feel like it. The main thing I didn't like about the iPod Touch was that it only had wifi, and I felt it was kind of limiting. The option to buy 3G coverage on a month to month basis is what really sold me on it. I didn't want to get locked into another contract, so for me, it's exactly what I wanted. I don't know how often I'll use the 3G, but I definitely think I made the right choice. If I had gone with wifi only, I am sure I would have regretted it at some point.
correct me if i'm wrong but if you use the 3G service for say 30 seconds in one month, do you get charged for 30 seconds or the minimum data fee of $15?
im not sure what the big deal is with the 3g ipad. its so much more cost effective to spent 9.99 or whatever it is, and get mywi and just teather your ipad on-the-go. an additional (minimum) $200 a year vs a one time 9.99? im happy with my wifi only ipad!
I can't imagine any plan that will charge by the second. It's charged on a monthly basis--either $15 for 250MB, or $30 for unlimited use. Considering that there is no contract, it's a pretty good deal, and certainly cheaper than the Mifi offered by Verizon. Unless, of course, you want to use several devices at once--that's the big benefit of Mifi. Your iPhone needs to be jailbroken in order to use miwi. Of course, if your phone is not jailbroken you can always use mifi...and the monthly data plan will be much more expensive than the amount charged by at&t for the iPad 3G.