IPAD virgin - help please!

[Barmaid]

It is Mr BM's birthday next week, so I thought I might buy him an IPAD. He needs it to surf the web and create documents and spreadsheets, receive emails and access pdfs. He'd also like to be able to control the lights in the house from it (but we'll ignore that bit for now cos he is a geek). He normally uses word and excel.

My problem is, I just have NO FLAMING IDEA which Ipad to get and which accessories he will need. I *could* go to a shop and have some spotty 17 year old explain it to me like I am some sort of neanderthal idiot, or I could ask you very knowledgeable lot for some help, please.

Until now he has been using a laptop. Although that died last week.

[Tilly2]

I can't help barmaid but I will be very interested in the answers as I am thinking of getting an IPAD. I feel the same as you about actually going and buying one.

[Barmaid]

Tilly, I am on the Argos website and I am utterly overwhelmed. I have no idea at all.

[Tilly2]

Someone will be along to help soon. What sort of prices are they, barmaid?

[vodkancoke]

I bought my Ipad 3 from the Apple store, they were incredibly helpful and not pushy at all. I just bought a cover for mine as an add on. They set it up for you there and then too. You can also join the workshops they have to show you all the features if you are not comfortable using one.

[Barmaid]

Well on Tescos website they are about £369 to £569. I've just had to have someone explain to me what 3g is.....

[bibblebub]

If he does a lot of typing, such as creating documents or spreadsheets, is a tablet best for his needs?

[Barmaid]

We haven't got an Apple Store here Vodka! Nearest one is Cambridge and Cambridge is a bugger to get into and park.

[Barmaid]

lol, I don't know Bibblebub. I know you can get keyboards for them because I saw someone at work with a keyboard.

[vodkancoke]

Oh bum! Well I got the IPad 3 (there may be a newer version out by now though)64gb with wifi and cellular as I use it abroad. I use my laptop for business as I have excel and word on there. I'm not sure if Apple have their own version though. I'm sure Chuck or Snaggy will know though xx

[sfby]

There are 2 main decisions to be made...

Size of internal memory - 16 / 32 / 64 gigabytes. If it's just going to be used for emails & web access, 16 gb will be fine. If you envisage storing downloaded films / TV programmes, or a large music collection, then probably 32 gb would be better. 64 gb if a large number of High Definition stuff is to be stored.

Connection type - WiFi / 3G / 4G - the basic model comes with WiFi only which is fine if you're only going to use it at home with your own WiFi signal, or at any spot where WiFi is available (e.g. hotels, cafes, bars etc). The models with 3G / 4G will connect via a mobile phone signal, but this incurs extra costs and currently I believe it's quite expensive.

Someone else will hopefully advise ref Excel / Word etc - but my view is that if a lot of work is going to be done on these applications a laptop would be a better choice.

No idea at all about controlling the lights!

Hope this helps

[boxtops]

I'm going to be interested in the replies too - I want a "thing" but no idea if iPad, tablet, etc would be best for me. Ignorantly I call them all iPads...

[Barmaid]

thank you sfby, that makes things significantly clearer.

[Barmaid]

He's just thrown another thing into the mix. Now he's talking about Androids. this is sounding more and more like something out of Blake's 7.

[AB Editor]

Get the most expensive one. It is a tactic which has never failed me - until they bring out a newer one!

"The models with 3G / 4G will connect via a mobile phone signal, but this incurs extra costs and currently I believe it's quite expensive."

This can be true, but pop over to T-mobile and you can get something like 10GB of data for £10-15. I'm not sure if the tariff is still available, but it was just "coming out" at the beginning of summer.

[Barmaid]

lol Ed - I don't love him THAT much!!!! The most expensive one is nearly £700! And I need to buy a new printer today as well. Although it is a fair point. You are not the first person to have said that about technology.

[boxtops]

someone was on here a couple of days ago talking about 4G - is it worth waiting until 4G is released (I don't know)?

[RATTER15]

Im with Ab Editor on this one, ive always been a believer of buy the best you can possibly afford, the quality will still be with you long after you have forgotten the price!

[philg]

and then toss the iPad Mini into the mix as well.....

Yes, it's smaller than the "traditional" iPad but it's also half the price

These things matter to some of us - in effect it's a step UP from my iPod Touch and I found it hard to justify the cost of an iPad proper

Phil G

[VHG]

>>>Now he's talking about Androids.

Every computer or smartphone needs an "Operating System" to make it run. Most PCs and laptops run Windows for example.

iPads are made by Apple and run their own Operating System called iOS.

But other tablets are also available (like from Samsung and others) and they run an operating system called Andriod (supplied by Google). Many smartphones also run Android (like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and others).

Note that Samsung Galaxy phones are currently outselling Apple iPhones.

Andriod phones and tablets can do everything iPhones and iPads can do, but are usually cheaper.

Note that a tablet is NOT a replacement for a laptop. If he used Word or Excel then NONE of the tablets available run Word or Excel.

Microsoft announced their own tablets this week, alongside Windows 8, but they ae not out yet. When they come out they will run Word and Excel.

[VHG]

Google recently announced the Google Nexus which is a 7 inch 32Gb tablet that runs Android.

This is only £199 and a perfect way to "dip your toe" in the water of tablets without spending 300 or 400 or 500 pounds.

Most major stores sell them, but they are selling quickly.

More here

http://www.currys.co....RR~Computing~18781475