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When I found out that Apple would be releasing the iPad, I got pretty excited and decided I would most likely buy one. I could already imagine where and how I would use it. However, I was torn over whether I should go for the 3G or non-3G (WiFi only) model.
After much thought, I have decided to go sans 3G. Here’s why:
- I have WiFi at home, work, my parent’s place, my in-law’s place, my friend’s houses, etc
- Most of the public places where I like to hang out already offer free WiFi
- Most international hotels offer free WiFi and, if not, they offer free internet via LAN which can then be connected to my already existing Airport Express
- If you jailbreak your iPhone (which most people planning to buy the iPad already have) you can use an app called MiWi, which effectively turns your iPhone into a WiFi hotspot. Click to read more information: MyWi
- If I were to travel somewhere without WiFi access, my wife, friends, or even myself are bound to have a laptop. If you tether with an iPhone (or other mobile phone) or use a 3G USB modem, you can easily create an ad-hoc network in Mac OS X or Windows and share your internet over WiFi
- The WiFi version is $130 cheaper and this is important because…
- If I am going to justify buying new upgraded generations of the iPad then I can’t spend a fortune on the first iteration
But this is just my opinion. What are your thoughts? Would you buy an iPad with or without 3G?
5 Responses to “iPad: To 3G or Not to 3G?”
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March 8th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Same thoughts here. However, a recent report said that Steve Jobs himself denied that iPhone-to-iPad wifi tethering is not possible. ( http://bit.ly/b6k6je )
But I think he’s talking about the OFFICIAL iPhone OS’s capabilities.. not the Jailbroken one. And nearly everyone, who will buy and iPad.. including me, are getting their hands on one in hopes of a future jailbreak.
I fear that the first jailbreak will have lots of issues like the current 3.1.3 jailbreak. But still, I might be getting one soon
March 8th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Oh.. I found out something: The 3G model will have GPS, unlike the Wifi model.
Is this enough to wait more and pay more? hmmm, I wonder.
March 8th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Hmm, I didn’t know the non-3G model would not include GPS. What a let down and it just may be a deal breaker for me
I guess I’ll have to wait and actually play with the device myself when I’m in the US. Additionally, the more I think about it, the more I realize that my Dell Mini 9 running OS X may just be a more powerful and mobile device than the iPad will ever be. I think I’m having doubts over an Apple product – very unlike me.
And as for tethering with the iPhone, I was referencing an app called MyWi which needs a jailbroken iPhone. Essentially, it shares the iPhone 3G data via WLAN, which effectively turns the iPhone into a WiFi hotspot. But you’re absolutely right, Apple would never officially allow this and neither would any mobile provider.
In the US and European countries, unlimited data plans are exclusive to only the mobile device and do not apply to tethering, as usually indicated in the fine print of the contract. In other words, if you’re paying a hefty bill for unlimited data (fair usage policies may obviously apply), the unlimited data is only for the iPhone itself and excludes tethering. You would need to purchase a separate plan or pay extra fees to tether to your Mac/PC. This is why they won’t make MyWi or similar apps official, because these apps let you use your already existing data plan without the mobile provider’s knowledge. If the mobile data provider were to find out, they could actually legally cut off your services because you technically agreed to it upon signing your contract with them.
Interestingly enough, with Vodafone Egypt the tethering works (and has worked since day 1 of OS 3) using data from your already existing data quota. For example, I’m on Vodafone 600 which has a quota of 500MB. Regardless of whether I am using data on my iPhone or tethering via bluetooth on my MacBook or Dell Mini, I am consuming data from my 500MB data quota. This is a great advantage over European and US data plans, in my opinion, but then again we’re being ripped off in the first place, e.g. our iPhones weren’t subsidized and yet they’re still locked.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:09 am
Hey Amr… You want more doubt in Apple’s iPad?
I don’t know if you caught the Steve Jobs-Adobe War and the current jump on the HTML5 train (like youtube.com/html5 ), but here’s a glimpse:
Jobs Still Talking Smack About Flash: Report http://bit.ly/d1lSCU
The Real Reason Apple Will Not Support Flash? http://bit.ly/cKHvOR
But Adobe returned the slap.. REAL HARD.. I found this today:
http://blog.gsmarena.com/adobe-show-how-hp-slate-does-flash-heap-pressure-on-the-ipad/
I’m sorry Apple, but I made my mind and getting the HP Slate.
Here’s a comparision between upcoming slates and tabets:
http://phandroid.com/2010/01/29/android-tablets-vs-apple-ipad-comparisonreview/
June 5th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
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8999.00 EGP