iPad: Making Sense And Making Cents

If you're like me, you were excited about the release of the iPad, but had trouble deciding whether it was really worth your hard-earned money to buy it. If you're still wondering, read on to find out if you need an iPad, and how to spend less money to buy one. While the iPad is often referred to as a large iPod touch, it is more like a small computer masquerading as a large iPod touch. While many of us are power users and still need a full PC, in reality most of our time on the computer is spent on lightweight tasks. Reviewing reports, reading email and surfing the Internet all use a fraction of our desktop or laptop computers' abilities. Steve Jobs likened the personal computer to a truck; while you occasionally need its capabilities, most of the time you're just using it to drive yourself somewhere. If you find a lot of your day is spent on lightweight computing, the iPad may be something you need. It can sit next to your computer like a second monitor or be pulled out as an alternative to your laptop. You can do many of the same email and document editing functions you normally do on your PC. While a touchscreen keyboard will always have some disadvantages compared to a physical one, it still works well enough. This article, in fact, was written on an iPad's touchscreen.

A far as watching video and playing games, many users have found the iPad to be superior in many ways as compared to a PC or the iPhone. An iPad screen in your lap is pretty close to the same viewing size as an HDTV on the wall. Many streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu Plus compliment the iTunes library, giving you many viewing options. The larger screen also makes for a better video game experience on many titles. Cost can be a big issue when it comes to the iPad. Many apps that you bought on the iPhone will have to be re-purchased if you want them on the iPad. Apps for the iPad also generally cost more than their iPhone equivalents. While it's great that the iPad doesn't require a long-term contract with a carrier, this unfortunately means higher up-front cost for the hardware. For example, a 16GB iPhone 4  retails for $599, but the majority of buyers get it for the carrier-subsidized price of $199. Since there is no carrier-subsidized version of the iPad, anyone wanting to buy one will have to pay Apple $499 or more, plus taxes. Luckily, there are ways to get an iPad for less than Apple's retail price. Unlike the iPhone, there are no carrier locks, contracts, or major shortages which could artificially inflate the price. Because of this, people wanting to part with their iPad are doing so at, or below, Apple's retail price. While online sites like eBay are always an option, I found the best prices were generally from local sellers. While you may be able to get a good deal at a pawn shop or flea market, iPads are pretty rare in those places. Craigslist is a great option for finding iPads for sale, but they can sell very quickly. In my area, iPad ads disappeared a day or two after listing. However, the prices on those listings ranged from $100 to $250 below what you would pay at the Apple retail store. Unfortunately, finding a great discount like that is no good if you don't get to it in time.

The solution to this problem for me was an app called CraigsPro+. CraigsPro+ is a Craigslist app for the iPhone and iPod touch that not only lets you search for the iPad you want, but also allows you to set up alerts for those searches. Setting up an alert for "iPad," for example, means you will receive a push notification whenever an iPad is listed for sale. Using this method, I was able to contact a seller within minutes of listing, and purchase a 32GB Wi-Fi iPad for about $150 less than I would have paid in the local Apple Store. I also passed on another CraigsPro+ alert to a friend, and he purchased a 64GB 3G iPad for about $250 less than the in-store cost. That's a total of $400 saved by using a $0.99 app.

Example alert from CraigsPro+

While many may feel sticker shock from the iPad's price tag, it seems that careful analysis and shopping can help you both justify and lower the cost. Do you think an iPad is worth the money? If not at current prices, at what price would it be? Let us know in the comments box below.

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