iPad I think I'm sold-- give me the poop.

HistoryWes · 05-14-2010, 02:21 PM

Alright, after actually playing with one I now really want an ipad. And I just remembered I'm getting longevity pay at the end of the summer.

So.... Which model should I buy. I don't need 3G, wifi is fine. How much memory. I suppose I WANT 64gb, especially since it doen't have an SD slot, but how much do I really need for a good selection of apps, a bunch of epubs, and maybe 1 or 2 movies?

scottjl · 05-14-2010, 02:28 PM

apps are small.. even the largest i have installed is only about 250megs. most are in the 10-20 range. even with the 16G ipad you'll have plenty of space for apps..

epubs are also very small, a few hundred k for even large books in .epub format. pdf files can be larger, especially with graphics. if you do comics, expect them to take up a bit more too. but even 1g would mean plenty of reading material for a few weeks.

movies. i rip my own using handbrake at the highest settings and most movies are 1-2G in size.

you don't mention music at all, so i'm assuming you have a mp3 player and use that (the ipad is an awkward mp3 player imho).

so given what you mentioned there, a 16G would be fine if you go a week or two with the same content before you're able to get to a computer and re-sync (swap out movies and the like). larger space just means less time between swaps. i have the 64g model and was able to fit 100 or so apps, over 500 epubs, 250 or so pdfs (many technical with lots of diagrams and graphics), 80 albums, 20 movies and still about 9g left of space.

HistoryWes · 05-14-2010, 02:34 PM

Thanks! That is exactly what I wanted to know. I forgot about music, but though I do have an mp3 player I would want to have at least some. I've always felt bummed that I wasn't able to really use my Sony Reader to play music.

lilman · 05-14-2010, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HistoryWes

I suppose I WANT 64gb, especially since it doen't have an SD slot, but how much do I really need for a good selection of apps, a bunch of epubs, and maybe 1 or 2 movies?

You'll probably be good with the 16gb model then. Apps don't take up too much space, epubs are very small, and only 1 or 2 movies won't be a problem on the 16gb model. I've found that hq iPod video (640x480, 1500kbps) looks great on the iPad and is half the file size of hq iPad movies (720p). I have a lot of episodes of anime on mine (ripped by me from dvds) and each one using hq iPod video settings is 250-350mb (for 22 mins of video). On the other hand, I tried converting a dvd anime episode to hq iPad video and it came out to a little over 700mb... not worth it.

scottjl · 05-14-2010, 02:49 PM

hmm.. my sony 600 played music. though it was awkward to do so on it.

ylsul · 05-14-2010, 02:50 PM

I got the 3G with 32G in it.

You'll always be able to keep track of space used on your iPad with itunes -- it will show you how much space is taken up by apps and your media. The itunes store will show you the size of the apps you're installing. Generally, they are all pretty small, but there are some exceptions: Elements for iPad comes in at about 1.8G. I also have a foreign language dictionary (on my iphone) which takes up about 750Mb. That said, I've got hundreds of apps installed.

ylsul · 05-14-2010, 02:54 PM

Re movie file sizes, I found this online:

http://www.zinf.org/qna/How_large_is...e-qna1299.html

I quote:
"around 700 mb for a dvd movie and 350mb for series episodes if they are encoded with mp4. and 600-650 for a dvd movie and 200-250 mb for series episodes if the files are m4v (default Ipad movie file format). If you want smaller size you`ll have to convert the files yourself and cut from the image quality."

I have not done this myself, fyi...

Fotoman · 05-14-2010, 03:22 PM

I have the 64GB wifi version but only because that was the only one I could get my hands on. After using it for a month, I believe 32GB is enough. With the 16GB I would already need to carefully manage content and apps.

The 3G models have an ease-of-use advantage but the lack of data sharing in most countries with your existing phone data plan makes the 3G use pretty expensive. There are already multiple solutions for wifi models to access data tethered through Bluetooth or through 3G devices that can be wifi hotspots such as the Novatel mifi, any Android phone with PDAnet or any jail broken iPhone running Myfi. For casual 3G use, IMHO, this is the way to go.

scottjl · 05-14-2010, 03:51 PM

700mb for a dvd movie is simply because that's what the piracy groups would fit them into so they could be burned to a standard cd. 350 for an episode of a tv show because it is half that.

my suggestion, pick up a copy of handbrake and convert a couple of movies on your own, it's free, only takes some time. there are a number of pre-sets for quality (i use high profile for everything) and see how big your movies are, you can use vlc to watch them on your system. think about how many movies you want to carry at a time and how long you'll go between syncs with a desktop. then you can figure out what size is going to work for you.

Fotoman · 05-14-2010, 04:07 PM

This seems like a good opening to plug the iPad/iPhone app I would give my award of excellence to, Airvideo. Not only does it do iPad conversions of any video content you throw at it-including 1080p Mkv-it does so faster than handbrake AND it can also convert on the fly and stream it to the iPad over wifi or through the internet... Internet, not a typo. I've tested it streaming from my home computer through the Internet to my work wifi network. It converted and streamed a 720p Mkv full-length movie (Inglorious Basterds) with zero hiccups. Just amazing.

It streams video only but this is a very good thing since it doesn't try to do it all but streams just video flawlessly. This is not something I could say for any other streaming program I've ever tried including Nero, Tversity, Windows Media Player or Media center.

Airvideo is easily worth 10 times it's modest $2.99 price.

scottjl · 05-14-2010, 04:11 PM

airvideo is great for streaming and you're sitting around the house and want to grab a quick flick. it's not so good when you're flying at 25,000 feet or on the road with kids in the backseat watching cartoons off your ipad. conversion speed is also affected by quality. you can convert at iphone/ipad native resolution and headphone stereo sound and it will be pretty quick, the high quality preset i use keeps 5.1 and hd resolution so i can play the same file back on my 62" projection system or on my iphone or ipad. i got sick of converting once for each platform and having multiple copies of a movie. recently picked up a drobo fs (great little system), stocked it with 2g drives and using it for my media storage center now. i can mount it on my macs, my pc's, my linux boxes, etc. itunes works just fine with mounted storage.

Fotoman · 05-14-2010, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottjl

airvideo is great for streaming and you're sitting around the house and want to grab a quick flick. it's not so good when you're flying at 25,000 feet or on the road with kids in the backseat watching cartoons off your ipad...(snip)...

When I said faster than handbrake (which was my previous go-to converter) I was talking about highest quality off-line conversions which you can then sync with iTunes if you wish for off-line viewing. Most people think of Airvideo as a streaming app but it's also a very competent and speedy off-line converter.

The same files will play on my 52" home screen although, of course, they'll be upconverted to the big screen through my PS3. I find this upconversion to be only slightly less quality than standard definition DVDs.

Tamara · 05-14-2010, 05:09 PM

Based on what you say your needs are a 16gb should do just fine. I have an 8 gb iPhone and I still have a ton of space left even after my apps and ebooks.

jibril · 05-15-2010, 06:13 AM

There is an adapter for an SD card. I hope the next version just builds it in instead of that nonsense.

http://www.apple.com/ipad/accessories/

Stngray · 05-16-2010, 11:59 PM

I have a 64G 3G and would recommend the 32gig. It is more than enough space, and the sweet spot on pricing. I would get the 3G though if your budget allows, and you don't have tethering on your phone. You will be surprised how much you use this thing,and it is nice to have the 3G option available if you need it.

05-14-2010, 02:21 PM	#1
HistoryWes Teacher/Novelist Posts: 632 Karma: 2274466 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Device: Nook STR, iPad	I think I'm sold-- give me the poop. Alright, after actually playing with one I now really want an ipad. And I just remembered I'm getting longevity pay at the end of the summer. So.... Which model should I buy. I don't need 3G, wifi is fine. How much memory. I suppose I WANT 64gb, especially since it doen't have an SD slot, but how much do I really need for a good selection of apps, a bunch of epubs, and maybe 1 or 2 movies?

05-14-2010, 02:50 PM	#6
ylsul Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 53 Join Date: Mar 2007	ipad size I got the 3G with 32G in it. You'll always be able to keep track of space used on your iPad with itunes -- it will show you how much space is taken up by apps and your media. The itunes store will show you the size of the apps you're installing. Generally, they are all pretty small, but there are some exceptions: Elements for iPad comes in at about 1.8G. I also have a foreign language dictionary (on my iphone) which takes up about 750Mb. That said, I've got hundreds of apps installed.

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05-14-2010, 02:28 PM	#2
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	apps are small.. even the largest i have installed is only about 250megs. most are in the 10-20 range. even with the 16G ipad you'll have plenty of space for apps.. epubs are also very small, a few hundred k for even large books in .epub format. pdf files can be larger, especially with graphics. if you do comics, expect them to take up a bit more too. but even 1g would mean plenty of reading material for a few weeks. movies. i rip my own using handbrake at the highest settings and most movies are 1-2G in size. you don't mention music at all, so i'm assuming you have a mp3 player and use that (the ipad is an awkward mp3 player imho). so given what you mentioned there, a 16G would be fine if you go a week or two with the same content before you're able to get to a computer and re-sync (swap out movies and the like). larger space just means less time between swaps. i have the 64g model and was able to fit 100 or so apps, over 500 epubs, 250 or so pdfs (many technical with lots of diagrams and graphics), 80 albums, 20 movies and still about 9g left of space.

05-14-2010, 02:34 PM	#3
HistoryWes Teacher/Novelist Posts: 632 Karma: 2274466 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Device: Nook STR, iPad	Thanks! That is exactly what I wanted to know. I forgot about music, but though I do have an mp3 player I would want to have at least some. I've always felt bummed that I wasn't able to really use my Sony Reader to play music.

05-14-2010, 02:49 PM	#5
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	hmm.. my sony 600 played music. though it was awkward to do so on it.

05-14-2010, 02:54 PM	#7
ylsul Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 53 Join Date: Mar 2007	Re movie file sizes, I found this online: http://www.zinf.org/qna/How_large_is...e-qna1299.html I quote: "around 700 mb for a dvd movie and 350mb for series episodes if they are encoded with mp4. and 600-650 for a dvd movie and 200-250 mb for series episodes if the files are m4v (default Ipad movie file format). If you want smaller size you`ll have to convert the files yourself and cut from the image quality." I have not done this myself, fyi...

05-14-2010, 03:22 PM	#8
Fotoman Groupie Posts: 157 Karma: 2160 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Device: iPad 64GB wifi (Sony 505 RIP)	I have the 64GB wifi version but only because that was the only one I could get my hands on. After using it for a month, I believe 32GB is enough. With the 16GB I would already need to carefully manage content and apps. The 3G models have an ease-of-use advantage but the lack of data sharing in most countries with your existing phone data plan makes the 3G use pretty expensive. There are already multiple solutions for wifi models to access data tethered through Bluetooth or through 3G devices that can be wifi hotspots such as the Novatel mifi, any Android phone with PDAnet or any jail broken iPhone running Myfi. For casual 3G use, IMHO, this is the way to go.

05-14-2010, 03:51 PM	#9
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	700mb for a dvd movie is simply because that's what the piracy groups would fit them into so they could be burned to a standard cd. 350 for an episode of a tv show because it is half that. my suggestion, pick up a copy of handbrake and convert a couple of movies on your own, it's free, only takes some time. there are a number of pre-sets for quality (i use high profile for everything) and see how big your movies are, you can use vlc to watch them on your system. think about how many movies you want to carry at a time and how long you'll go between syncs with a desktop. then you can figure out what size is going to work for you.

05-14-2010, 04:07 PM	#10
Fotoman Groupie Posts: 157 Karma: 2160 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Device: iPad 64GB wifi (Sony 505 RIP)	This seems like a good opening to plug the iPad/iPhone app I would give my award of excellence to, Airvideo. Not only does it do iPad conversions of any video content you throw at it-including 1080p Mkv-it does so faster than handbrake AND it can also convert on the fly and stream it to the iPad over wifi or through the internet... Internet, not a typo. I've tested it streaming from my home computer through the Internet to my work wifi network. It converted and streamed a 720p Mkv full-length movie (Inglorious Basterds) with zero hiccups. Just amazing. It streams video only but this is a very good thing since it doesn't try to do it all but streams just video flawlessly. This is not something I could say for any other streaming program I've ever tried including Nero, Tversity, Windows Media Player or Media center. Airvideo is easily worth 10 times it's modest $2.99 price.

05-14-2010, 04:11 PM	#11
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	airvideo is great for streaming and you're sitting around the house and want to grab a quick flick. it's not so good when you're flying at 25,000 feet or on the road with kids in the backseat watching cartoons off your ipad. conversion speed is also affected by quality. you can convert at iphone/ipad native resolution and headphone stereo sound and it will be pretty quick, the high quality preset i use keeps 5.1 and hd resolution so i can play the same file back on my 62" projection system or on my iphone or ipad. i got sick of converting once for each platform and having multiple copies of a movie. recently picked up a drobo fs (great little system), stocked it with 2g drives and using it for my media storage center now. i can mount it on my macs, my pc's, my linux boxes, etc. itunes works just fine with mounted storage.

05-14-2010, 05:09 PM	#13
Tamara Evangelist Posts: 446 Karma: 1812 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: iPhone	Based on what you say your needs are a 16gb should do just fine. I have an 8 gb iPhone and I still have a ton of space left even after my apps and ebooks.

05-15-2010, 06:13 AM	#14
jibril Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 54 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: none	There is an adapter for an SD card. I hope the next version just builds it in instead of that nonsense. http://www.apple.com/ipad/accessories/

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05-16-2010, 11:59 PM	#15
Stngray Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Goodyear, AZ Device: nook STR, iPhone 4, 3G iPad	I have a 64G 3G and would recommend the 32gig. It is more than enough space, and the sweet spot on pricing. I would get the 3G though if your budget allows, and you don't have tethering on your phone. You will be surprised how much you use this thing,and it is nice to have the 3G option available if you need it.