Are iPads THAT good?
Genuine question – the wife is setting up a greetings card business and needs a tablet to go and meet prospective clients/outlets so she can show off her website etc (along with taking samples). She has £400 (birthday money) to put towards a tablet with a view to buying an iPad Air. I know that a decent memory one of those is considerably more than £400 but we can find the rest.
The site (not up yet) will be pic-heavy and she’ll want to be able to take pics with it and upload to the site easily. The retina versions will do this very well I take it?

Competitors do good versions – I’ve not done a huge amount of research into them but the Samsungs look decent.

It will be used around the house etc for the usual web browsing etc but when she goes to meetings she wants to ‘look’ the part. We’ll be getting a mac for the house too so compatability will be less of an issue too.

In a nutshell, apart from the kudos of the brand, are they that much better/justify cost than the competition?

Make a case for that or any competitors please!

They’re very very good but you do pay a premium.

If you don’t have any other Apple products then it may not be worth paying that, I’m not up to date with the other ones to know which is closest to the iPad Air.

If you are wanting pictures to use commercially I would really consider an actual camera. Lots have WiFi so you can still get to the pictures easily from tablet/iPad but, as you would expect, it’s a much better camera.

No real knowledge of the competition but MrsJulianA and I love our iPads. Very good bits of kit, reliable and very useful.

You might want to consider a wireless hard drive over larger capacity in an iPad if you need more storage – about £110 for a terabyte from Maplin.

Get an iPad and enjoy!

Surface Pro 3, i5, 128GB, Windows 8.1, will run full PS – brilliant piece of kit!

Have you got any apple product currently? What is her experience of smart phones/computers? (has she used Andriod or apple IOS).
Simply if your a novice with no experience of a smart phone or are ‘generally’ scared by computers, the apple is the one to go for. Android tablet do exactly the same job, and can be cheaper but are more ‘frightening’ for a 1st time user or some-one put off by computers IMO. This is not to say you can’t learn the “android” system quickly but that the Apple Ios is very very user friendly

I have a friend who is a big apple fanboi but even he is considering an android replacement (the bargain Hudl) for his next tablet, as the prices difference is huge. The hudl might not be quite up to business needs though, in this situation

If photo taking is a serious buying factor, than a half decent compact camera will be streets ahead than any tablet. To transfer images just put the sd card into a usb adaptor and the tablet will read them, I don’t know if iPads do usb, but my Samsung copes so I guess they will.

I don’t see how an android tablet is frightening, I’m far from a tech-geek but haven’t found anything confusing or difficult about using one 🙂

will the tablet be the sole computing device for the business?

iPads don’t do USB but there is an adapter kit which enables you to connect a camera via USB or plug in an SD card. Works very well.

I don’t see how an android tablet is frightening, I’m far from a tech-geek but haven’t found anything confusing or difficult about using one

but your computer literate.. cause you can post here. Ppl I know like my g/f and builder m8’s (& many many others) who don’t use computers or aren’t au fait with them struggle. I’ve seen this time and time again, those same builders stuggled with an andriod phone for a year then were overjoyed by their iphones, which they could use. My g/f picked up the iphone 3 and could use it within minutes (it was enough to convince me to go buy an apple device for the 1st time), when buying a tablet she thought the extra andriod (cheap devices) features silly and unnecessary & currently hates her samsung works phone.

Don’t pay the extra for a cellular version if you have a phone which can create a hotspot. Tethering works pretty well.

Keynote (comes with iOS now I believe) would probably do for presentations if you can’t get an internet connection for some reason.

Thanks folks.
As with any post there’s almost an equal amount of love for iPad and ‘other’.

She’s pretty set on an iPad so I think we’ll end up with one…just a case of which one.
We have an external drive (terrabite I think) but didn’t realise iPads don’t have a USB 🙄

We have a small MacBook and it will shortly be joined by an iMac so the iPad will be part of the Apple family, as opposed to being our only Apple product (2 x iPhone too). I use a Mac in work too so it makes sense to go that way.

I’ll do a bit more research into them then try and hunt down a deal somewhere.

A Galaxy Note/Tab Pro with a 12.2 inch will give your wife a lot more photo to show than an ipad will.

The details of the Note Pro’s screen:

DISPLAY Super clear LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 12.2 inches (~71.6% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 2560 x 1600 pixels (~247 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes, up to 10 fingers

Samsung tablets also have SD card slots.

Pricing is pretty standard across the board – they are very rarely discounted.

£319 for a 16gb wifi model – and as you already gave iPhones tethering won’t be a problem.

Enjoy!

One good thing about the iPad is there is a vast range of third party accessories available.(cases, keyboards etc.)

Contrary to the people who have said use a phone for tethering I would get an iPad with the cellular facility as it will make for simpler demos for customers. I know tethering works reasonably well but not every contract allows it and you want demos to be as slick as possible.

Android tablets of comparable quality to the iPad are around the same price – e.g. Sony Z2, Samsung Galaxy Tab.

The main advantage these tablets have is easy memory expansion via Micro SD card.

Moving down to something like a Hudl would (maybe unfairly) give the impression that your wifes business is a bit low rent.

I have to agree I would go cellular too for your needs.

Got OH an iPad air 2 128gb for xmas and myself a hudl2, did fancy an iPad mini though. Yes the iPad is very nice and the battery is great. Case is bloody expensive. Apple CS was terrible for us this time round. Courier stole the iPad, apple were useless and then had the cheekbto accuse me of actually having it. Took over a month to sort out and had to go buy another in the mean time from a store. After that I doubt I will buy anything else from them again. Sticking with android.

Apple refurb. iPad page.

Artist/designer/photographer here – ditched Android as choice of apps are better on the iPad IMO. Plus the colour display is the most neutrally profiled I’ve yet seen and I’m fussy like that. Not so much a ‘fan’ of Apple as much as it works for me – still think is expensive and loathe itunes. If found anything better with bigger screen would be happy to give that a whirl too. Problem is creative apps for IOS already (largely) have the jump on other platforms, could be a while for them to catch up.

Onboard camera is useful for web stuff, nothing amazing though.

(iPad air, 3rd party camera kit, Sensu Brush, bluetooth keyboard and various stylii)

A little note on having an SD card slot: it’s not just extra storage, it’s a way of easily transferring files (although, that said, Androids will do this via USB too). Personally I find the iPad is a massive pain in the balls when it comes to getting files on and off of it, but then I don’t have a Mac and I don’t shove all my stuff into the cloud.

iPads have great screens and iOS has the best creative apps. Galaxy Notes have the unique stylus support (though there are some cute Bluetooth-based peripherals for the iPad that do similar things). As someone who has an iPad and an Android tablet (and a Windows Phone), if I was swinging enough cash I’d go for the Microsoft Surface unless there are some killer iOS apps you can’t live without, but YMMV.

On the other hand, I’d say go for anything other than a Surface… brilliantly made machines, but the low end ones are pretty stunted, and the high end ones cost an arm and a leg.

I’d also disagree with those saying a compact camera is essential, the cameras in a lot of tablets are perfect for product photography.

I’d default to Apple, or a ‘Droid that’s about the same price. Lots of good options… but don’t buy something cheap for “showing off” product photos and website, get something with a shit hot screen. There are other tablets with screens as good as the iPad, but not for much less money.

File transfers… what ever tablet you get, forget cards and cables… try something like Dropbox.

iPad plugs into USB, it’s just the Lightning port that’s different, and there are half a dozen different mini/micro USB plugs anyway.

If photo taking is a serious buying factor, than a half decent compact camera will be streets ahead than any tablet. To transfer images just put the sd card into a usb adaptor and the tablet will read them, I don’t know if iPads do usb, but my Samsung copes so I guess they will.

In this case, there’s an SD card reader available, called the Camera Kit, to enable cards to be read and photos downloaded onto the pad, I’ve been doing this for around two years with mine. You can get wifi enabled SD cards with an appropriate app so you don’t even need to take the card out of the camera, photos will just copy straight across, and there’s Dropbox as well.

+1 for Dropbox (and Google Drive) – apps for both work very well IME. And i use a third party Lightning connector/SD card reader, costs a lot less and works fine (although sometimes pop-up states ‘unsupported’, yet it works just the same)

One thing I would say about the iPad Air and they might have changed it with the Air 2 is the feel of the screen, after upgrading from the IPad 4 I’m very disappointed , it’s feel like plastic when you tap it , nothing like the nice solid feel of the 4, while this might not bother some it’s made me look at the Galaxy tab s as a replacement .
The Airs size and the weight are a great advantage over the 4 though ..

I was sort of in the same boat when I got my wife a tablet. As she has an iPhone and isn’t great with tech the iPad was a no-brainer.

I got the non-cellular one but with 64gb of memory – the 16gb seems very small and the 64gb would allow her to store presentations on it if no wi-fi. I also got the Air2 as it has the most up to date processor in it which will means it will last longer with iOS upgrades and not slow down.

Yes expensive but you get it back when you sell it to upgrade later – easily. It’s like my iPhone – bought my 3 for £100 on contract and have always sold it and subsequent iPhones for more than the new one cost me.

How does the 3G thing work in terms of cost? If you we’re using it so where there was no WiFi and therefore using a 3G signal how are you charged for that? Is it kind of like PAYG or a specific amount per month for the iPad? The thing itself is £80 more which is fine but wondering how much more it will cost over the course of a year…

Cletus – Member
…Moving down to something like a Hudl would (maybe unfairly) give the impression that your wifes business is a bit low rent.

That is much more important than you’d think with some clients and may be the prime reason to go iPad. Those who don’t care, don’t care, but why risk setting up an impression you don’t want?

The price differential between an iPad and an equal quality pad is very small anyway.

I’ve been looking to update my first model iPad recently, in the hope that technology advances mean cheap tablets, but I’ve found that while there are cheap tablets, there are no bargains. Some of the Samsungs are very nice indeed, but there’s so little difference in price (I want 3g) that there’s not much point unless you are a person who likes playing with the OS and doing tweaks.

I bought one for my wife for Christmas because she wanted one rather than because it was the best tablet. I’m struggling to see what is so good about them other than weight (which is a pluspoint). My cheap Samsung has expandable memory and can screen mirror to pretty much anything. I was amazed to find out the Ipad wouldn’t connect to a wireless Tv without an apple TV box. The ipad won’t connect to my DSLR without another £30 widget, whilst my galaxy can do it out of the box

I used to use apple when they were a computer company and moved away when they started taking the p!ss out of their customers and it doean’t look like that’s changed yet

One of the good things about Apple products is they hold their value. Buy a £399 iPad Air and you could easily still get over £300 for it on eBay when the next model comes out. Try that with a Samsung and you might get £100 pushing it. I have to buy the latest model every time they come out for work and we then sell off the older model. Never end up loosing that much sometimes only £50 for a iPad that is at least a year old.

OP, get the iPad, they work very well and will integrate very well with your other Apple kit. They will also look “right” to customers, shows you are professional business and not “fly by night”.

By way of background I got an iPad1 which was used every day for 4 years until replaced by an Air2 and the iPad1 my parents now have. You can get a USB adapter, I got one but never really used it as you tend to do WiFi transfers and the new ones have AirDrop do don’t even need WiFi for other Apple devices. I did use the SD card reader a lot to transfer photos from my camera (at the time the USB and SD card reader where sold as a package).

3G, mine are both WiFi only and I suggest if you want connectivity you buy a mobile dongle like the ones from Three Mobile. Similar cost (£75) but 4G and you can use it for many devices. I have one and it works really well. Alternatively you can share your phone connection via iPhone personal hotspot (not as reliable but works for email and web-browsing). Many phone / mobile companies now offer hotspots too.

they’re nice to use, but if you want to actually ‘do’ something, prepare to be thwarted at every step.