I must be missing something so I'm hoping someone more familiar with Apple products can clear this up for me. I'm thinking about getting an Apple iPad for my mother. Just the basic iPad, since she'll put very basic use (at most) on it. So, having read other threads here, I surfed to Apple's website and hit the reburb'd page. Nothing current GEN available for sale there. So I flipped to the 'new' iPad page. $329 for the basic GEN 7 iPad. Then I surfed over to Amazon and found what I believe to be the same iPad for $249.

So here's my questions. Are these really the same device? Is $249 a good price for this iPad?

Pretty sure the one from Apple comes with warranty. The AMZN one won't.

I'd encourage checking for one just a little more up the memory scale if she's likely to send/receive a bunch of pic and videos. Otherwise you'll be having to clear out that backlog for her more often than saving $50-70 might be worth.

I have a sister on the sending huge files end, and another on the tech-idiot end who canNOT figure out why her 16GB iPhone keeps locking up and running out of memory.

Heck, there's an iPad Air on their refurb page for $419 with 64G.

The ipad from Amazon will most certainly come with the standard warranty. The same ipad is also available for the same price from Best Buy right now.

And yes, $249 is a pretty darn good price. It has 32Gb of memory, which might be somewhat limiting. upgrading to the next level (128) would be plenty for just about anyone.

Throw out a Want To Buy in the classifieds and see what pops up? If your mom will only do basic things she doesn't need the newest \ best. Just a thought.

Just don't buy one from Samuel Jolly if he emails you an offer.

That was the price ($249) I paid last November for that iPad on a Black Friday deal.

The 32Gb is fine for surfing around the web. I couldn’t be happier with it. Put it in a case. It will be dropped, many times.

Consider the cell phone option. Your locale may have extensive wi-fi, my travels take me where it is not. The cell costs me 10 bucks a month, but has proven invaluable. Further, during a power outage, a full charge ill last days, can be recharged with a hand crank, and gives the ability to communicate (usually.) I even took it to Europe, for a small fee I was able to face time daily with family at home. Also sent pics that way.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Consider the cell phone option. Your locale may have extensive wi-fi, my travels take me where it is not. The cell costs me 10 bucks a month, but has proven invaluable. Further, during a power outage, a full charge ill last days, can be recharged with a hand crank, and gives the ability to communicate (usually.) I even took it to Europe, for a small fee I was able to face time daily with family at home. Also sent pics that way.

I appreciate your comments, but I'm trying to prevent her from having to walk all the way to her office (3rd bedroom) and wait on her old PC to boot up. That, and I'd like her to have the ability to Facetime with my brother and my son occasionally. Traveling for her, given she's 81, is confined to within her home. I setup her WiFi, so she should have a great signal anywhere in the house or on her patio.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:

Consider the cell phone option.

I appreciate your comments, but I'm trying to prevent her from having to walk all the way to her office (3rd bedroom) and wait on her old PC to boot up.me. I setup her WiFi, so she should have a great signal anywhere in the house or on her patio.

Bigdeal, I believe that there's a communication disconnect between Fredward and you.

I think what Fredward is saying, there are two versions of iPad in terms of connectivity.

The base model is WiFi only. The upgraded model is WiFi capable, and also has a cellular chip, so that if WiFi is not available, the iPad can connect to the internet via cell towers.

An additional advantage of the WiFi plus cell model, is that the cell model has GPS capability; the WiFi only model does not have a GPS receiver. This might not matter to your mother if she is only going to use the iPad in the house.

Also, as sigcrazy7 said, be sure to get a case for it. I can not count the number of times that I have dropped my iPad. A good case will protect it from damage -- cracked screen, etc.

Another thing, consider the iPad Air. Thinner, lighter, easier to handle, than the classic iPad. We (my wife and I) have had the classic iPads, a few generations of them, our current models are the Air. Much easier to hold.

I believe Best Buy is having a sale on the Ipads for 250 dollars.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/a...ALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Amazon and Best Buy often mirror each other’s sales. This will definitely come with a warranty.

The base iPad is a fantastic deal, and I got (2) at the $250 price point over the years. Same device as Apple.com. This Amazon place has decent prices, in case you’ve not heard of them.

WiFi only works great using my iPhone as a hotspot when I’m out and about.

quote:

Originally posted by JasonEuc:
The base iPad is a fantastic deal, and I got (2) at the $250 price point over the years. Same device as Apple.com. This Amazon place has decent prices, in case you’ve not heard of them.

WiFi only works great using my iPhone as a hotspot when I’m out and about.

This is what my entire family does as well. We all have wifi only models and we just use our iPhones as hotspots if we are not near wifi. The iPad is cheaper that way and we don't have to pay the monthly cell connection fee.