[briers]

John Lewis might price match carphonewarehouse at £359 for the 16gb retina

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/ipad...-lewis-1461821

Plus john lewis normally has a 2 year guarantee

I would seriously consider the 32gb too, once you load some games, songs, apps and movies on there, not much space left.

[rich1068]

Originally Posted by E92MP

iPad all the way. Once you have had mac, you ain't going back.

I did. And I did.

Originally Posted by E92MP

Also my phone, iPad and mac all talk to each other which is great.

Apple don't exactly have a monopoly on this sort of thing you know.

I'm not Apple bashing. I had their devices for quite a while and very nice they were too. Besides, the whole 'my xxxx is better than your xxxx/I'm going to get mad because you use xxxx' thing is really dumb. All I will say is that I'm so glad I went for the Nexus 7 rather than an iPad. Since it arrived last year I don't think I've regretted it for one second. The price is one thing (£269 for an iPad Mini!!!) but the major difference is that you don't realise how locked down you are with Apple until you move away from it.

Meh...

[E92MP]

Originally Posted by rich1068

I did. And I did.



Apple don't exactly have a monopoly on this sort of thing you know.

I'm not Apple bashing. I had their devices for quite a while and very nice they were too. Besides, the whole 'my xxxx is better than your xxxx/I'm going to get mad because you use xxxx' thing is really dumb. All I will say is that I'm so glad I went for the Nexus 7 rather than an iPad. Since it arrived last year I don't think I've regretted it for one second. The price is one thing (£269 for an iPad Mini!!!) but the major difference is that you don't realise how locked down you are with Apple until you move away from it.

Meh...

Yeh I hear what you are saying.I tried each i.e. Apple, then Blackberry, then Android before deciding what I liked best.

I'm not saying Apple is best it just works for me. End of the day it's the OP's decision.

[Guvernator]

Went through this choice a few months ago as my missus wanted a tablet for pretty much the same usage and after looking at the various option she chose an Ipad mini for the following reasons

1) While the ipad4\retina is lovely, it's actually a bit too big\heavy for extended use

2) The mini's screen is good enough to look at without having to squint to see things clearly while still small enough to hold in your hands comfortably for long periods.

3) The mini has better battery life

4) She could easily fit\carry it in her handbag when out and about, the ipad4 isn't as portable

Comparing the ipad devices to other tablets, the Apple devices are always a little more restrictive and locked down compared to Android tablets which can get frustrating for more advanced users. Also the lack of things like usb ports etc is a very strange oversight IMO but for basic users this won't really matter. What will matter is that the ipad's have the best build quality by far out of all the tablets and the interface is the easiest\slickest to use.

I'd recommend going to an Apple store to try the different sizes though as only she'll be able to decide which size she prefers.

[davyk31]

Cheers guys for all the replies, I'm pretty sure for all the reasons mentioned that it is best to stick to Apple for me as she won't want to mess around with settings etc and loves her current Iphone.

As regards Mini or Ipad4 I sway one way and then the other. The point above regarding the size of the mini being more suitable for relatively long term reading of web content is important for sure.

So long as the screen size on the Mini is ok I reckon it may be the best option, difficult to get to an Apple store as nearest is 50 miles away and also want it to be a surprise for her. Know she will be delighted with either option so its just a case of deciding which is best. The fact the mini is cheaper is nice but certainly that wouldn't be the deciding factor.

[E92MP]

Originally Posted by davyk31

Cheers guys for all the replies, I'm pretty sure for all the reasons mentioned that it is best to stick to Apple for me as she won't want to mess around with settings etc and loves her current Iphone.

As regards Mini or Ipad4 I sway one way and then the other. The point above regarding the size of the mini being more suitable for relatively long term reading of web content is important for sure.

So long as the screen size on the Mini is ok I reckon it may be the best option, difficult to get to an Apple store as nearest is 50 miles away and also want it to be a surprise for her. Know she will be delighted with either option so its just a case of deciding which is best. The fact the mini is cheaper is nice but certainly that wouldn't be the deciding factor.

Another thing to remember on the mini, don't get the 3G version as she can use her iPhone to tether for 3G.

That said I think same applies on andriod systems but don't quote me.

Good luck.

[davyk31]

Can you explain the point above a little more. From what I understand you are saying buy the Wifi only version and then somehow connect her Iphone4 to the Mini if out of home and Wifi not available. Can you tell me more how that is done please.

[briers]

Go to settings

Beneath the bluetooth option there might be an option called personal hotspot. If you have it you can turn your phone into a modem and connect to it via wifi from the iPad. It uses your 3G signal to give you internet on the go with your ipad. The process is called wifi tethering.

If you dont have this option on the iphone its probably because the carrier hasn't enabled it on your tariff, usually have to pay extra.

If you have an old android handset you can usually tether for free (using your mobile sim data), even if you dont have tethering enabled on your contract.

[E92MP]

Yep that's exactly what I am saying Davy

Ben's explanation sounds good to me,

Yeh, basically you bluetooth [pair] your iPhone and iPad and by turning on the personal hotspot your iPhone becomes a modem.

I think you can link 5 devices but obviously you will loose strength, as in signal.

Hope that helps mate.

[rickyjones1209]

Get the iPad4. The mini is smart but I think you'd miss the larger screen more times then you wished for a smaller screen.

If you're with Vodafone they can give you the iPad4 at no up front cost for £32 a month and you get 2gb of data per month to use outside of your home. Perfect

[davyk31]

Our mobiles don't have the personal hotspot option, current on PAYG which is probably the reason.

How long is the Vodafone contract? Assuming its 18 or 24 months it sounds an expensive option.

[Sir_Pigley]

Originally Posted by E92MP

Yeh, basically you bluetooth [pair] your iPhone and iPad and by turning on the personal hotspot your iPhone becomes a modem.

I don't think that's quite right. It becomes a wifi access point, I don't think it is anything to do with bluetooth.

I'm pretty confident about this as I use the wifi (not bluetooth) to connect my laptop to the iPhone as well as an iPad.

[Laney]

Originally Posted by Sir_Pigley

I don't think that's quite right. It becomes a wifi access point, I don't think it is anything to do with bluetooth.

I'm pretty confident about this as I use the wifi (not bluetooth) to connect my laptop to the iPhone as well as an iPad.

That's correct. The iPhone becomes a WiFi hotspot with a password (if you want). It's nothing to do with Bluetooth.

[davyk31]

So then the option won't be found under bluetooth on the phone, where do I find it?

[Sir_Pigley]

Originally Posted by davyk31

So then the option won't be found under bluetooth on the phone, where do I find it?

Click on settings, then you get this screen:



Pick "Personal Hotspot"





So you can actually use bluetooth, but sticking with wifi is more elegant.

[E92MP]

Apologies if my information is incorrect.

I normally pair via bluetooth then turn on the hotspot.

As luck would have it our IT guy has just walked in and said you can swing both ways,

In other words turn on the hotspot [phone function] then you can use the 3G network by connecting as a wi-fi connection or bluetooth connection.

[E92MP]

Ha ha! sir pigley I like your style, I'm going wi-fi from now on.

[dopper99]

Cool info on the wifi hotspot tethering thing guys , didnt know you could do that. I ordered a new ipad 4 the other day so I'll give this a go with my iphone when it arrives. I think my provider (Giffgaff) supports tethering now with the £10 a month goody bag option.

Going back to Apple kit, I've just bought one of those Apple TV devices and that is very useful. Amonst other things, we want to stream content/video/photos/live TV/iplayer etc...etc... to the TV from ipad/iphone and the Apple TV fits the bill nicely.

[gangzoom]

Just got my iPhone 5 today...I give Apple far too much of my money!!

[davyk31]

Don't have the Hotspot option sadly, probably not the end of the world as she will have her iphone if out of the house.

[rickyjones1209]

Originally Posted by davyk31

Our mobiles don't have the personal hotspot option, current on PAYG which is probably the reason.

How long is the Vodafone contract? Assuming its 18 or 24 months it sounds an expensive option.

Yeh it's a 24 month agreement then the iPad is yours and paid for. Over the 24 month term it work out more expensive than buying the iPad and tethering. But if you can't tether and you buy a 3G iPad for £499 the cost of a data sim is £10 a month so evens itself out a bit. Plus it saves you the cost of buying an iPad upfront.

You can tether with most phones these days though.