The iPad for Family Travel: Wi-Fi vs. 3G
Do you really need another gadget and another monthly bill?
As a longtime PC user, I’m usually pretty invincible to Apple hype. Heck, I resisted the iPhone for an entire year before succumbing to its charms. But when I fell, I fell hard.
Then came the iPad. Anyone could see that it was cool, but fools rush in. Right?
Unfortunately for me, a friend of mine brought his when he came to dinner last weekend and my entire family got sucked in. Now it’s all over but the shopping.
The only decision that remains for me is this: to 3G or not to 3G?
I’m going with the 3G. Here’s why:
1. My laptop is big. And heavy.
I travel constantly and I usually schlep a huge amount of gear with me: cameras, a video camera, a tripod, a portable DVD player, and a laptop. I really only need the laptop for email and occasional access to my blogs. On some trips, the iPad could replace both the laptop (with the WordPress app) and the portable DVD player. That’s a win.
2. I don’t own a Kindle.
I always meant to get one, but I never did. It’s true: iBooks is no Amazon.com, but what do you want to bet it will be? Also, unlike the Kindle, the iPad is backlit so you can use the iPad to read at night without an external book light. That’s one less thing to pack. I’ll have to get back to you on eye fatigue, though.
3. I don’t have to use the 3G or sign a contract when I do.
Just because my iPad has 3G doesn’t mean I have to use it. And if I do decide to switch it on, there won’t be a contract. I can grab a 250MB data plan for $15 or an unlimited data plan for $30. As a person who recently paid $20/day for in-room Wi-Fi at a fancy hotel, that sounds pretty good to me.
4. With the 3G model, I’ll get GPS. I like GPS.
I don’t know about you, but some of my favorite apps use GPS (Geocaching, I’m looking at you!). And if I need to use it to navigate on a trip, I can leave my portable Garmin at home, download MotionX-GPS HD or MotionX-GPS Drive HD, and I’m all set.
5. I want to leave the door open.
What else is coming that I could use with the GPS version? Hulu (free streaming video) is rumored to be working on an iPad app and I bet there will be lots of other great apps that use 3G. The point is, I don’t know. For $129 it makes sense to me to leave the door open.
Update: Now that I’ve had my iPad for awhile, read about some of my favorite iPad apps for kids.
April 28th, 2010 | by Jamie Pearson 11 comments
1. Mary Jo on April 28th, 2010
I’m having this same debate with myself. I’ll probably still take my laptop, but I’ve downsized to a netbook for travel, but I really like the iPad for entertainment.
2. Gudrun on April 28th, 2010
we are also taking our netbook along on travel, leaving the laptop at home. I like the iPad for the size and movie watching capabilities. We bought a Roku this December, thinking we could take that to watch movies in hotel rooms, but so many hotels used closed media systems that we cannot. An iPad would be a nice alternative for entertainment watching….
3. Amy @ The Q Family on April 28th, 2010
We slowly are turning into Apple family. It all started from the iphone then a macbook.. :) I’m still holding out on the iPad because I am hopeful that they will add USB port soon! That’s my only gripe. But if I win it from your Best Kids Apps site, I will take it. :) Wait! It means I have to submit my post soon.
4. Luciana Bordallo Misura on April 28th, 2010
The logic you use is the same I did, the only flaw is replacing the DVD player with the iPad. Since the iPad only comes with a maximum of 64GB and it doesn’t have an optical drive to read DVDs, you can’t really carry DVDs with you or save a ton of cartoons in the iPad since the storage is so limited. Of course there’s YouTube streaming but when you are on the plane and can’t use web, what to do? I wish they released an optical drive as one of the accessories, or had iPads with more memory, then it would really work as the travel tool that it can be.
5. MJ’s Travel Favorites 5-2-10 | Traveling with MJ on May 2nd, 2010
[...] Travel Savvy Mom is debating the pros and cons of an iPad purchase. I’m doing the same thing, trying to think of how I’ll use it and where. This analysis helped me a lot. [...]
6. Donna Hull on May 8th, 2010
I’m lusting for an IPad. Although, I don’t think it will replace my macbook when traveling due to its limitations in editing photos. But I still want one.
7. dvd to ipad on May 11th, 2010
dvd to ipad converter can convert dvd to the ipad formats.
8. Gavin Wright on May 14th, 2010
i am planning to buy an iPad since it looks lighter than a regular desknote and i don not use much of the features of a laptop.::~
9. movietoipadconverter on October 19th, 2010
That is a very cute picture above, I love it.
10. dvdtoipadconverter on November 6th, 2010
Thanks for sharing the story. the picture is really great
11. printer drivers on May 2nd, 2011
yes, owning a ipad is really a happy thing.
11 Responses to “The iPad for Family Travel: Wi-Fi vs. 3G”