Replacing 1st Gen iPad – suggestions?

April 27, 2017 8:12 PM

My 1st Gen iPad is just not doing it for me. It cannot be upgraded; and, just as important, the unit itself at just one pound with a basic Apple cover, is frequently too heavy for my hands to hold. Can you suggest a replacement? Details after the jump.

Took it to local Apple Genius Bar, could not be upgraded (iOS 5.1.1 "your software is up to date"). There are so many apps that it can't handle, youtube, links: for instance on this site any links that involve images, articles with photos, imgur – no furbaby photos – it just crashes. Any site that has moving images or video? Crash.
Driving me a little nuts.

However, just as troubling, I spend a lot of time on the iPad; and, the unit itself, at just one pound with a basic cover, is really too heavy for me to hold for long periods of time.

While at the Apple store I checked out the new 9.7 inch diagonal display iPad and it is still one pound and that's without a cover (because Apple hasn't bothered to design one yet). That's $459 for WiFi & Cellular, which I guess I will need if I'm traveling domestically (plus a plan from my carrier).

No one at Apple showed me the iPad Mini4 7.9 diagonal display -- which has an even bigger price tag ($529 with WiFi & Cellular) but weighs in at 0.67 pounds (more with cover?)

Basically I need a unit (Apple or other brand that you might recommend)

*to pickup/send emails while traveling
*for web browsing at home or while traveling
*for Kindle books, whenever
*for Google calendar
*maybe some games if I'm sitting in an airport, but I have no games currently

I don't need a camera.

Any suggestions?

TLDR:
Small, lightweight "tablet" (less than a pound?) for home and travel,
with Wi-Fi and Cellular
for email, web browsing, Kindle, Google calendar, camera unnecessary

Suggestions?

Many thanks!

posted by alwayson_slightlyoff to Computers & Internet (16 answers total)

The first generation iPad is actually 1.5 pounds (1.6 for the cellular model). The difference between that and the iPad Pro (at .96 pounds) should be VERY noticeable.

Is it 1lb. that is unholdable or the old iPad?
posted by paulcole at 8:26 PM on April 27, 2017 [4 favorites]

refurb Retina ipad minis are nice, reasonably cheap and still pretty functional.
posted by Sebmojo at 8:38 PM on April 27, 2017 [6 favorites]

I have a Retina iPad mini and adore it. It fits really easily in my (small) hands and is much easier to carry around than its larger siblings.
posted by Tamanna at 8:42 PM on April 27, 2017

The new iPad (the one they showed you) will feel much lighter than your first-gen iPad and was very recently updated; it's probably the best deal in the range. (I know a lot of people who love the iPad mini form factor, and if you do too it might be worth it, but the current one isn't a great deal—it's slower and pricier than the new iPad. One of the refurbs would be a better deal if you go that route. [Our mini 2 is starting to feel a little slow, but it'll feel much faster than what you've got and it's likely to be updated to the current version of iOS for at least another year-and-a-half.])

Do you use the cellular function a lot on your current iPad? If you can get away with using your phone while traveling in areas where you don't have wi-fi access that $329 iPad is a great deal, at least as far as iPads go.
posted by Polycarp at 9:01 PM on April 27, 2017

Best answer: I bought an Amazon Fire tablet for $60. I've been amazed at what that thing can do. It's not snappy, but it does browsing and video fine. It's almost cheap enough to just see how it does. Don't bother getting the 16gb version, just get an sd card.
posted by Pacrand at 10:24 PM on April 27, 2017 [2 favorites]

I got a hand-me-down iPad Air to replace my first-gen iPad a couple of years ago. It's still compatible with software updates and any app I throw at it.

What I'm trying to say is that even a few year old iPad is so much more capable than a seven year old first-gen iPad.
posted by sleeping bear at 11:06 PM on April 27, 2017

tip: don't hold the iPad - get a cover with a stand.
posted by mirileh at 12:22 AM on April 28, 2017 [1 favorite]

I went from a 2nd-gen iPad (very similar to yours) to an iPad Air 2. The difference in slenderness, weight, and performance is startling. Apple currently doesn't offer the iPad Air—the base-model "iPad" is 5/100" thicker and 7/100 lb heavier.

If you have a smartphone that you'll have with you when you are carrying your tablet, you probably don't need to get cellular on your tablet. Just tether off your phone.

If you're considering getting the iPad Mini, another option you might consider is getting a phone with a giant screen, and just make that your one device.
posted by adamrice at 6:23 AM on April 28, 2017

The lightest iPad was the iPad Air 2, introduced in October 2014. It's 444g. Your iPad 1 with cellular is 730g. The newest model of iPad introduced in March 2017 is 478g. That's significantly lighter than your old iPad. It's also a nice upgrade at a good price, I'm quite happy with it as a replacement / upgrade. (And Smart Covers are available for it. Not sure of the cover weight, but it's lighter than the iPad 1 cover.)

But if you tried it in the store and it's too heavy, I think your next best bet is the iPad mini. It's 300g. But you need to try it and see if the smaller screen is acceptable.

The lightest tablet-like thing I've used is a Kindle e-reader: weights here. The basic cheap reader weighs 161g. But it's a book reader only, it's not suitable for actual web browsing, etc.
posted by Nelson at 7:45 AM on April 28, 2017

Response by poster: Not to threadsit, but to clarify and I should have mentioned that part of the weight issue is that I have MS which affects my hands (weaker/strength):

@ paulcole: Really, the 1st Gen is 1.5 lbs? Hmm ... then it must be a combination of weight plus size because I felt just as uncomfortable holding the new iPad at the store.
@sebmogo: thanks for that link. The refurb ipad minis seem quite nice, and a good price!
@Tamanna: I am realizing that part of the problem is that I do seem to have smallish hands, weakened by MS.
@ Polycarp: I don't have cellular function on my current iPad. But I don't have email on my phone, either -- just personal preference. I thought it would be easier to handle email from the tablet. I agree, the $329 price is what started me down this rabbit hole, but that's WiFi only.
@mirileh: have the cover with stand, but I'm always slumped in a chair/on the couch so that doesn't work ;)
@adamrice: I'm going to have to go take a look/actually hold that iPad Mini.
posted by alwayson_slightlyoff at 7:50 AM on April 28, 2017

I went from a 2nd generation iPad to an iPad Pro 9.7" and it is indeed much lighter and easier to manage.

What about an iPhone Plus, the larger phone?
posted by Autumnheart at 8:17 AM on April 28, 2017

You might not need cellular. Check to see if your cell phone has a tethering option (obviously this assumes you have a data plan on your phone).
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 11:05 AM on April 28, 2017

Best answer: An iPad mini with cellular is the obvious choice here as many have said. However, given your limited use cases It is worth considering the basic Kindle Fire HD 8. It is a similar size, does not have cellular and is slightly heavier than the iPad mini (though much lighter than your current device) - though as others have mentioned you may be able to tether your phone and save on a contract. In addition the Kindle Fire HD 8 is $90 rather than $459+ a monthly contract. Even if you are not sure if it would work for you - plausibly it would be worth trying for a few months given the price difference.
posted by Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory at 12:01 PM on April 28, 2017

Best answer: Seconding several others in the thread: I would look very carefully at whether you really *need* cellular or not. I got cellular for our first iPad, and the only use case where it ever mattered was having driving directions on the go. For everything else (work, home, airport, waiting room in some doctors office), I was usually in an area with WiFi. Or I could afford to wait, or plan ahead and pre-load the stuff I'd want to read at leisure. Sacrificing cellular saves a little bit of weight and a significant chunk of money.

After that, if the iPad Air is too heavy for you, the Mini is your next best bet. And refurbs do save some more money.
posted by RedOrGreen at 12:53 PM on April 28, 2017

iPhone Plus

Personally, having had a couple regular iPhones, original iPad, iPad Mini and lately (for last 2 years) and iPhone 6 Plus, I just don't like the iPhone Plus.

The screen is still too small for "tablet" purposes - yet, it is too big to fit into my pocket easily.

I *thought* I would love it more than I did - the only thing I loved was the 128gb of memory - but *cough* even that I find limiting now.
posted by jkaczor at 1:43 PM on May 3, 2017

Response by poster: Thank you, all of your comments helped me re-think what I needed. Since I always have my phone with me and it has a data plan, I can add my email to it while traveling (or ... people can wait till I get back, as I'm making short domestic trips, not heading to the Amazon). I am also looking into "tethering."

I got a great reduced price on the Kindle Fire HD 8 and I'm trying that out for a while. I'm not sure about the Silk browser, but I understand there is a way to introduce Chrome?

I think I was struck by the glamour of "cellular;" and, you helped me determine that, for the cost, it just was not necessary for my needs.

Many thanks for the extensive, helpful input!
posted by alwayson_slightlyoff at 9:25 PM on May 9, 2017