Basic ipad, vs Air 2.

[Sea Chief]

Hi folks.

I have an ipad air 2, fantastic etc. I want to buy my dear very old friend, his hands just about capable, similar. He had a quick go on mine, amazed & exited etc. He had a dell laptop, fell & smashed it up recently you see. Too big for him to plonk on his lap, all this faff (using a plug in mouse too, being too sensitive he found irritating to position the arrow).

So, as his "workload" (I don't know how else to put it) is very very light, for eg he might browse a financial site, or bbc news page, maybe hotmail, or play a war youtube doco... but little else... I certainly don't need to buy him a Pro. And I definitely cant afford to.

Im therefore looking at new basic ipads, & for only £260 I can buy an "ipad 8th generation, 32 gb". Remarkable. But will it be alot different, alot worse than my 4 yr old ipad air2 I wonder? Ive seen clips on youtube for starters.

The things I want to ask you knowledgeable guys are: is the OS similar? For eg, if you click in any site's search box the keyboard pops up on my air2.. will this one do the same? Will the keyboard be nice & similarly big? These are (excellent) fundamental design specs I need his to have.

Also 32 gb, I read this number is very low for most folks.. but for his "very light workload" as I've outlined, would you think it might be adequate? (I cant see them designing an ipad with only 32 gb at all unless aimed at those with "very light workloads", which surely is him).

And the difference between the visual aspects.. any idea if the screen quality is vastly different, or only marginally so?

Any general opinions, ideas etc, on these two tablets are really welcome.

Thanks alot for any replies, SC.

[xtian]

iPads, whether 4 years old or brand new, look and function nearly identically...main difference being speed. Any new iPad will be faster than your old one. But the experience will be identical. Storage (you mentioned 32GB) is only an issue if downloading lots of large apps, or recording lots of video. If he's just browsing, that doesn't get stored. I almost always by refurbed units from Apple (look for the link in the footer of the web site). Save money, why not?

[Sea Chief]

iPads, whether 4 years old or brand new, look and function nearly identically...main difference being speed. Any new iPad will be faster than your old one. But the experience will be identical. Storage (you mentioned 32GB) is only an issue if downloading lots of large apps, or recording lots of video. If he's just browsing, that doesn't get stored. I almost always by refurbed units from Apple (look for the link in the footer of the web site). Save money, why not?

Hi xtian,

thats a reassuring reply thanks. Speed is a word Ive never really understood tho.. can you explain what one faster than another means?

Are the basics of the OS the same though one model to the next? Its so important basics like the keyboard Im typing this on right now is the same.. if I bought him this 8th gen one & the keyboards smaller.. he wouldn't be able to use it well at all.

I think you've given me confidence that 32 gb would be ok tho, thats great. Thanks SC

[Sea Chief]

Another thing I was wondering: I find with my fat fingers hitting exactly the right spot, is often very difficult, everything being so small etc. So for my old friend.. it'll be far more problematic. Ive tried using a poined thingy, but it doesnt seem to recognise it.. only it seems a fingertip.

Anyone know if there's anything that can be used? I dont think an "ipad pen" is the right idea, i think this is some costly techno device itself.

I just need, for eg, the rubber on the end of a pencil/ to be able to use something as simple as this.

[xtian]

First, the iOS is the same on each device, and the experience is identical. Not just similar. About speed, I have a very old iPad doing nothing but serving music for the kitchen, because it's too slow to be useful to me as a web browser--every click takes seconds to change, rather than SNAP with modern iPads. Its processor is just much slower. And it crashes sometimes. That's how they lock you into buying new gear--faster! better! more!

There are lots of Accessibility settings on iOS devices: you can make all the type larger, better contrast for vision impaired folks, etc. Here's some info: https://www.apple.com/accessibility

[Sea Chief]

First, the iOS is the same on each device, and the experience is identical. Not just similar. About speed, I have a very old iPad doing nothing but serving music for the kitchen, because it's too slow to be useful to me as a web browser--every click takes seconds to change, rather than SNAP with modern iPads. Its processor is just much slower. And it crashes sometimes. That's how they lock you into buying new gear--faster! better! more!

There are lots of Accessibility settings on iOS devices: you can make all the type larger, better contrast for vision impaired folks, etc. Here's some info: https://www.apple.com/accessibility

Thats a useful page thanks xtian. Never seen that before. Ok things sound good, very pleased the iOS is the same then.. and now I understand the speed thing if related to the processor, or rather i can roughly get my head enough around it after your explaining it!

Any idea on the fingertip thing? Do you know what i mean? I find myself in my diy gloves i put on in supermarkets, stabbing away unsuccessfully at the self service checkout thingys/ the screen just not accepting the glove surface.. take them off & fingertips work seamlessly. I think there a similarity with tablet screens too.

If you could have a pointy whatnot, you could aim it at where you intend to 'click on' with much more accuracy, the tiny enlarge the screen icon symbol for eg on a youtube doco.. Im constantly pressing the red play 'bar' inadvertantly jumping to the end of the prog instead, missing the enlarge icon nearby by just a few mm's. And Im on my 40's.

[xtian]

The touch screens on nearly all modern devices are capacitive touch, and gloves block this. Though you can easily find gloves that are advertised to work with touch screens. And there are many inexpensive pointing devices (pens with rubber tips, basically) that you can use in lieu of a finger.

[Sea Chief]

The touch screens on nearly all modern devices are capacitive touch, and gloves block this. Though you can easily find gloves that are advertised to work with touch screens. And there are many inexpensive pointing devices (pens with rubber tips, basically) that you can use in lieu of a finger.

That's interesting.. capacitive? hadn't heard of that business. Its a pen with rubber tip, exactly that, ideally. But needs to then be 'capacitive' though. Hmm.. will do some googling.

I'm almost ready to jump in & buy one for him I think. Lastly can I just check, if you/ others might know; is everything included to get connected up to an internet hub would you know? (which he has). IE the safari 'tool' browser thing, is this simply included/ not an addition you need to pay extra for?

Mine was given to me you see, a used one so I've no idea about brand new ones. Thanks, SC

[xtian]

Yes, of course, Safari is included, Chrome is a free download, etc. Connecting to WiFi is easy.

[Sea Chief]

Yes, of course, Safari is included, Chrome is a free download, etc. Connecting to WiFi is easy.

xtian do you inow what this ipad 'pen' is all about? Ive just watched an unboxing (ungodly) clip, & the chap whistles thru it too fast i cant decipher a thing, but, has some pen going on. He even stuffs it up its chuff. What on earth is this? Included? At one point he actually uses the end of it to click on the screen. Just like i was on about.

[xtian]

No no. The Apple Pencil is a fancy-ass stylus with electronics it, made to work with newest iPads for fancy-pants drawing and painting. Forget that. You just want a cheap touchscreen stylus, e.g., https://www.amazon.com/s?k=touchscreen+stylus -- you can find them at electronics stores, drug stores and supermarkets too.

[Sea Chief]

No no. The Apple Pencil is a fancy-ass stylus with electronics it, made to work with newest iPads for fancy-pants drawing and painting. Forget that. You just want a cheap touchscreen stylus, e.g., https://www.amazon.com/s?k=touchscreen+stylus -- you can find them at electronics stores, drug stores and supermarkets too.

Thanks for that link again.. I'll look into it, but exactly what I hoped existed, exactly what I was on about.

One thing that confuses me, before I jump in & buy, is the screen size. Afaict ipad air 2's, as mine is, are 10.2" screen size. When I put a ruler acrooss diagonally though mine measures an odd 9 - 11/16". I think. Anyway 9 - 5/8" lets say. But this is nonsensical, doesn't tally with any www info.

If I measure across the case, from corner to corner, which doesn't seem logical with curved corners.. I don't get 10.2" either.

[xtian]

Take it up with the Marketing Department.

[Sea Chief]

Take it up with the Marketing Department.

Well there's an idea.. but seriously, do I just assume this one -is- a 10.2"? I mean they didn't make a '9.5' one in ~2017 I don't think.. did they?

Is an ipad just ' 10.2" ' & nothing but, apart from mini ones (this clearly isn't), & large ones like 15" or something I think they make. I think it's just these 3 sizes.

Very strange, I'm stumped by this tbh.

[Sea Chief]

Does anyone know anything about ipad sizes? I can get the following (I assume current range) info on the www, ipads coming in 5 sizes..


10.2-inch iPad, the 7.9-inch iPad mini, the 10.5-inch iPad Air, the 11-inch iPad Pro, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro


But as said my Air 2, which I think is approx 3 yrs old, measures 9-11/16".

-----

So did they perhaps used to make a 9.7" ? is mine a 9.7" I wonder.. or.. is it just deemed a 10.2" (for some unfathomable reason: seems very strange if so: in fact it doesn't seem possible IMO) -? this is most confusing.

Thanks, SC