We have a Verizon shared plan and it comes with FREE hotspot services so we just turn it on and create a hotspot for our iPads to tether to! No need for a cellular plan. I have found that I rarely do this though! I pretty much only use my iPad at home or work--places that have wifi. On the go I use my phone. Great feature on road trips, airports, or hotels that charge though! :-). Check your carrier! Might just be a minimal fee to tether.

garciald wrote:Apple only is selling the 2nd generation with the A5 chip and the 4th generation with the A6X chip. They are not selling this particular model. Better spending the 469 on Apple's website and getting the new version.

While this information is correct for new devices, this is a refurb, of which Apple has many for a $20 premium (which gets you a full warranty)

Choose your own adventure.

dwallace123 wrote:+1, although we may intend it to mean entirely different things.

Probably not. I fully recognize the value Bose brings to those who prefer it, and the trade-offs you get by going that path. Personally, I'd spend that kind of money elsewhere, but since I have a Pioneer budget....

On these iPads - what exactly does 'refurbished' entail? I'm particularly worried about battery life. Would the refurbished unit have a new battery installed?

Thanks - Nelson

Does anyone know if these are Apple Factory refurbished? And if these will carry Apple's standard one-year manufacturer's warranty??

I have a question for anyone else with this model.
I purchased a refurbed 32GB ipad3 (wifi) in December. Everything is great except is has problems streaming music over wifi and playing it over bluetooth to my stereo.
Example: I'm running Pandora on the ipad and want to hear it on my stereo. I have a bluetooth reciever on the stereo. Pandora works fine when it's using the ipad speaker, but as soon as I connect the bluetooth, then the Pandora app seems to have issues. The playback gets choppy and sometimes the songs pause for long periods. It also takes a long time between songs to load. This does not appear to be a bluetooth connectivity issue, as I can see in the Pandora app that the song is not playing (e.g. stuck at 1:52). I disconnect the bluetooth and the app works fine....
Any ideas?

Thank you

dwallace123 wrote:But it has no microSD slot, so you can't dump photos to it while on vacation. It doesn't have native support for .avi, so all of those educational DVDs you spent so much money on and time ripping? You get to re-encode them to Apple's restrictive format if you want to play them. A simple book reader with ebooks you already have? Good luck (hint: Stanza).

A little research would have solved all of the things you consider "bad."

Camera kit gives you access to SD & with an adapter MicroSD. It also allows you to use USB peripherals.

There are other applications that you can install on the iPad that will play different media file formats that you cannot play in the Apple apps (for example CineXPlayer).

Stanza's issues are not limited to the iPad--the app crashes on any recent iOS, as far as I've seen. You can read ePub files in iBooks and you don't need to use iTunes to transfer them. They can be opened from Dropbox or from email attachments in iBooks. There are probably other apps that allow you to read ePub if you don't want to use iBooks. And if you use Calibre to manage your ebook library, you can convert them and use the Kindle app.

HTH--
=V=

marty1993 wrote:Are these WiFi only ? And if they're Cell capable, can I choose between AT&T and Verizon?

They're WiFi only; not cell-capable. AT&T and Verizon use different "standards" for their cell networks, so devices usually aren't compatible between the networks. AT&T runs on GSM and Verizon on CDMA; this article has a nice explanation of the differences.

jhkey wrote:I have a question for anyone else with this model.
I purchased a refurbed 32GB ipad3 (wifi) in December. Everything is great except is has problems streaming music over wifi and playing it over bluetooth to my stereo.
Example: I'm running Pandora on the ipad and want to hear it on my stereo. I have a bluetooth reciever on the stereo. Pandora works fine when it's using the ipad speaker, but as soon as I connect the bluetooth, then the Pandora app seems to have issues. The playback gets choppy and sometimes the songs pause for long periods. It also takes a long time between songs to load. This does not appear to be a bluetooth connectivity issue, as I can see in the Pandora app that the song is not playing (e.g. stuck at 1:52). I disconnect the bluetooth and the app works fine....
Any ideas?

Based on your description, I think that the problem is the Bluetooth connectivity: iPods/iPhones will stop playing music when an external speaker source is disconnected. For example, if I'm listening to music on my iPhone via headphones and I drop the phone, the headphones will stay on my ears but the plug will pull out of the phone as it plunges to the ground; when I pick it back up, the music has paused and I need to manually press play once I've reconnected the headphones. I have zero experience with Bluetooth, but assuming that iPads follow the same "stop playing music when the speakers are disconnected" algorithm as other iP--s, I wouldn't be surprised if the iPad paused Pandora when it lost the Bluetooth connection with the speakers.

pupyluvr wrote:Apple just announced a 128 GB iPad that starts at ONLY $799...

That's just 36 monthly payments of $22.19!!!

Gotta get all the GeeBee's, man.

But it'll be obsolete before it's even 1/2 paid for...

vraptor wrote: There are probably other apps that allow you to read ePub if you don't want to use iBooks. And if you use Calibre to manage your ebook library, you can convert them and use the Kindle app.

HTH--
=V=

Yes, there's an app called BlueFire that will read ePub files restricted by Adobe DRM. So, you can read ebooks purchased from B&N, Sony, or Kobo. (although all but Sony have iOS apps for reading books).

Seriously, there's no shortage of apps for reading eBooks on the iPad. I can't imagine why anyone would pick that, of all things, to complain about.

morninglark wrote:Besides for the paranoid among us, GPS is a negative--it turns whatever you are carrying into a personal tracker--well the cell phone connectivity does

For the paranoid among us, that can be a positive. I like knowing that if something happens to me, it's possible that my cell phone could help locate me. (I left a violent marriage and remain vigilant about how easy/hard I am to track, so I'm not someone who just thinks "if I'm not doing anything wrong, I shouldn't fear being tracked.")

soundxli wrote:iOS4 (iPhone Operating System 4) took a huge step forward when it introduced Multitasking. Most iPad owners don't know what it is and probably don't care, but they probably also don't realize that many apps will stay open and run in the background when the iPad is on due to multitasking, and the iPad remembers the apps that were running even when you turn it off and turn it back on. I would go so far as to say that the iPad hibernates when you turn it off.

Duukdkarn wrote:This is incorrect. If you completely power the IPAD off, it the TSR programs will go away. If you press the power button just once (without holding the power button down for 10 secs), it goes into hibernation and is NOT powered off. (I power it off/power on alot because I dont want to sit there closing 30 apps.)

You two are agreeing with each other. Soundxli used "turn off" in a colloquial way and then specified "I'd go so far as to say the iPad hibernates when you turn it off."

djp519 wrote:This. When they are in stock, Apple is selling their own Apple refurb 16GB iPad 3 for $379, with free shipping and a one-year warranty. And I think we've all heard by now that Apple refurbs are like-new, whereas third party refurbs can vary drastically in quality.

Apple refurbs also include a new outer shell and a new battery in them. That plus the 1 year apple guarantee makes it a better bet IMO.

Wow! A refurb and OLD iPad for full retail price.

You've lost your damn mind woot!

You're better off buying an iPad2 from Best Buy for the exact same amount with full warranty. Or a brad new iPad3 for a little more.

soundxli wrote:It's an OK price but they come with a 90 warranty. So if you're leaning toward the 32GB model spend the extra $20 and get an Apple refurbished iPad at store.apple.com that comes with a full one year Apple warranty (and it's eligible for AppleCare+ for $99). The Apple refurbished 32GB iPad3 is available but the 16GB is out of stock on the Apple website.

I agree, this is good advice. I bought my 3rd Gen 16GB last fall from Apple and it shipped from the factory in China. It came "as new" in the original sealed factory box. It may have come from overstock and was a new unit, or it may have been "reconditioned" during the manufacturing process. I am thrilled with it and feel lucky to have it at such a bargain price.

stevenstepheni wrote:We have a Verizon shared plan and it comes with FREE hotspot services so we just turn it on and create a hotspot for our iPads to tether to! No need for a cellular plan. I have found that I rarely do this though! I pretty much only use my iPad at home or work--places that have wifi. On the go I use my phone. Great feature on road trips, airports, or hotels that charge though! :-). Check your carrier! Might just be a minimal fee to tether.

I have Verizon and Hotspot costs me $20 a month, and most of the time it does not work very well. Very slow. I plan to turn off the feature this month.

vraptor wrote:A little research would have solved all of the things you consider "bad."

Camera kit gives you access to SD...

There are other applications that you can install on the iPad...

I never used the word "bad". I'm not sure why I'm being quoted with it.

Regardless, thanks for making my point for me. Note where I used the word "native". Being forced to buy extras and hunting for apps for simple .avi files on a device that "just works" (not your words) is a negative.

Re:books. Again, please note native support. Now we're talking about conversions with Calibre and use the Kindle app (ha), which proves my original "ebooks you already have" point again.

Restrictive or entirely absent native support = disappointing.

Got the below message, these are 3rd party refurbs.

Hello wisenekt,

Thank you for taking the time to email us. We appreciate your concerns as well as your business.

To my knowledge, these items are refurbished by a third party.

Sincerely,

Bree
Woot Member Services

The new "Share everything" plans include mobile hotspot at no additional charge. But if you only have one phone, the cheapest you can get out the door is $100/month and that's before all of the taxes and what not ... so to get that "free" mobile hotspot, there's a good chance you're going to pay more than the $20/month you are now to get it ad hoc.

dreader wrote:I have Verizon and Hotspot costs me $20 a month, and most of the time it does not work very well. Very slow. I plan to turn off the feature this month.

drpoomanchu wrote:If your actually thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these. This is a decent deal but please do yourself a favor and do a little research online via a reputable source... Quite a bit of mis-information posted here. Get the facts and differences on the 2,3,4th gen iPads. See what's best suited for your needs. Do some research on ios vs android. Allot of these posts are opinion based.

All reviews are opinion-based; that is the meaning of review. Otherwise, it is just a technical comparison.

What you mean to infer is that the opinions, knowledge, and experience of the reviewers on this forum lack the credentials of more professional reviews found through other sources.

My purse was recently stolen from a grocery store. It was found in the parking lot. The thief took my cash and dumped everything else. He apparently did not notice the iPad. My purse was run over by a car WITH my iPad (3rd gen) in it. The iPad still works! It has a dent in the back and is slightly bent, but it works just fine. The glass was not broken! Impressive engineering!

I also suggest that if you get the wi-fi only model, there are plenty of hot spots. I got mine primarily because I was shuttling from work to hospital to nursing home taking care of my parents. Nearly everywhere has free wi-fi. I'm not using the iPad when I'm driving. If I need to look up an address, I use my iPhone.

Also, the 16 GB model holds a tremendous amount if you don't load it up with videos. Use the iCloud for files, music, pictures, etc. Netflix at 8.88 a month is definitely a good buy. Photostream is awesome since my iPhone is always with me even if my iPad is not. My iPad gets the photos from my iPhone automatically.

The battery life is wonderful. You can make it even better if you turn down the brightness slightly.

I cannot say much about other types of tablets, but I know that my iPad has become my lifeline when I am running around all over town. The residents at the nursing home love it when I take pictures of them and they can see them right away!

I have the 3rd Gen iPad 16gb wifi and it is great. But I got a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 10.1 with 46 GB (16 GB plus 32 GB micro SD) for Christmas and it blows the ipad away in every respect. Just sayin...

dwallace123 wrote:
Re:books. Again, please note native support. Now we're talking about conversions with Calibre and use the Kindle app (ha), which proves my original "ebooks you already have" point again.

Restrictive or entirely absent native support = disappointing.

But iBooks is native support for ePub. In all honesty, what other mobile platform has native support for any ebook format? On Android you have to intall Aldiko or some other ebook reader. On Windows or Mac it's back to Calibre.

Dont buy refurbished items from WOOT. I bought tablet, it has white spot on the bottom of the screen and the battery isnt charging. I Contacted Asus, now I have to pay for the shipping...

No SD card slot: check
No GPS: check:
Proprietary Connectors: check
Slower Proc.: check
Used w/ short warranty: check

Why would I buy this?

Okay, I may be dealing with people who don't listen to him, but I just received the 4th generation 64GB with Cellular via Fedex from Rush Limbaugh (he liked my call to his show) and it is freakin' awesome.
Just so excited about it, I had to post it here.

janiscor wrote:Okay, I may be dealing with people who don't listen to him, but I just received the 4th generation 64GB with Cellular via Fedex from Rush Limbaugh (he liked my call to his show) and it is freakin' awesome.
Just so excited about it, I had to post it here.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

kuma99 wrote:No SD card slot: check
No GPS: check:
Proprietary Connectors: check
Slower Proc.: check
Used w/ short warranty: check

Why would I buy this?

Those do!

;)

mkalanja wrote:All my other electronic devices are android how difficult would it be to convert all my files that are on these devices and in windows to mac if I were to to purchase this? Thanks.

What kind of data files do you have? Text? Music? Photos?

Cloud30000 wrote:All reviews are opinion-based; that is the meaning of review. Otherwise, it is just a technical comparison.

What you mean to infer is that the opinions, knowledge, and experience of the reviewers on this forum lack the credentials of more professional reviews found through other sources.

He wrote, "Quite a bit of mis-information posted here."

There are tons of people with no idea of what they are talking about making statements that are simply wrong. I've even done it!

My specialty is digital cameras and sometimes I just shake my head at all the nonsense people put out on Amazon who don't know an f/stop from a french fry.

So it is good to get a consensus and also try to find trusted sources. For example, did you know a lot of "refurb" iPads come from pawn shop chains? You'd be amazed how many people buy them to look cool then run out of cash.

wisenekt wrote:If Apple is doing the refurb, then really I don't think anyone at the store will be able to tell a difference. At the stores I have been to, the Genius Bar will help with any device, in warranty or not.

And repair/replace it for you if any part of the hardware fails?

Android tablets are just web pads, you do mostly web surfing and poking around widgets.

iPads are App tablets, I spend the most time playing games, messing around with various creative apps, and PDF reading.

Even with a quad-core Android tablet, the PDF rendering and display is very slow and choppy.

The good part about Android is that you can just copy and drop files in and out with ease.

i bought a same white apple 16GB iPad for my GF as Christmas gift,she likes it much,

Woot placed restrictions on the shipping - requiring a signature at the door.

Can't sign the failed delivery notice, can't be held for pickup, can't be re-routed, can't have a neighbor sign for it.

Guess it's going back to Woot. Wonder if they'll give me my money back?

Giant fail of restrictions, Woot. Thanks a bunch.

justinables wrote:Hey jblosser99,

Secret weekend CS person here.

It looks like the restrictions on the item were placed by our vendor partner that we had ship these items for us.

If you dont receive it, please monitor the tracking and email us at support@woot.com when it returns.

Once we receive it, we will be able to reship it. Otherwise a full refund will be processed.

Hope that helps a bit!

Well, after 3 failed attempts, I can now put it on hold at the FedEx depot and go pick it up.

not sure why I couldn't do that initially...

All's well that ends well, I s'pose.

Thanks for the assist, Woot!-dude.