Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me choose between a Wi-Fi and 3G iPad

Why would I ever drop my grandfathered unlimited plan? I don't tether and it's only five bucks more a month for me to never worry about going over my data 'cap.'

Most of my data is streaming radio over 3G in my car and places where there is no WiFi.

the reason i went 3g was just so i can use it for gps. with onboard maps (no download required) i can use the 10 inch screen for gps. has something changed with the wifi version that allows for this? i ask as i haven't heard this side of the argument yet?

Just buy a mobile hotspot with a wifi model, it's the same price month by month and it is initially cheaper

Meg-3G or you'll regret it. I tried to be frugal when I bouht my original WiFi iPad. I told myself "this baby is expensive enough without a monthly data charge" and then replaced it with a 3G iPad 2. The luxury of connecting to the Internet anywhere is well worth the extra cost.

Here's the deal -- if you travel abroad, and are running 3-G on your iPad and iPhone, you're going to be paying a lot more for data, even if you have a plan. Been there. It's data x2. I personally want to control it - and turning data on and off on your devices is a pain and you'll forget to do it and be boned. If you have a 4-G iPhone or later, you can tether your iPad and use your phone as a hotspot if need be. This makes more sense to me. Additionally, the 5G iPhone is going to have a bigger screen -- I suspect I'll be using it like a mini iPad. I advise the iPad without 3G.

Trust me, you want a 3G model.

I was recently on a trip back from Florida, and was in a rush to get to my connecting flight in Atlanta. It was 10 minutes before my next flight, on the other side of the compound nonetheless, when I realized I left my iPad in the seat-back pocket on the plane.

I still haven't gotten word back from Delta, buti have sent out a Find My iPhone ping request in case in enters a wifi zone (supposing it gets recharged, the battery is probably dead by now).

The lesson here is, if you lose your Wifi-only iPad, you're effectively boned unless it gets carried into a wifi hotspot. If you have the 3G model, the chances of finding it are infinitely higher, especially if you don't live in an urban area where there aren't ten billion hotspots around.

Lesson learned. I picked up a 3G Verizon iPad. I'm still hoping my old iPad turns up somewhere, some day. It's full of irreplaceable memories and the like, but çe la vie. I can only hope and wait. I feel a lot more comfortable having 3G. I highly recommend it.

How to choose? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Think about how often do you think you'll want Internet access when Wifi isn't available, and see if the difference in cost is worth it to you for the convenience of having 3G available if you need it. In Canada, it's a $150 difference (not to mention the cost of the 3G service, too) and to me that additional price isn't worth it.

Wrong!

I had my iPhone the first week Verizon came out with them last winter, but when I bought my iPad 2 later on, I sprang for the 3G model.

I have never turned on 3G data, relying on my iPhone for web access in transit or away from wifi. But after suffering through having a first-gen iPod Touch that didn't know whether it was at my house or on the moon, the location awareness was a must-have feature. Especially when traveling.

Plus, if you want Find my iPhone to work reliably on your iPad wherever it is, you need that GPS chip.

Get the 3G. You'll be glad you did.

Funny thing is, after getting my iPad 2 with 3G, I use my iPhone far less now. In fact, I'm beginning to consider ditching the iPhone since I also ditched Facebook.

2 things:
1- Don't like it don't read it. The header on the home page is pretty straight forward.
2- I've got an iPhone with MyFi and a WiFi iPad. I wish it was 3G. The hassle factor is high than I want to deal with.