Ha! You forgot about the pencil! I don't like cordless earphones. The cordless ones are $159. I save $150 buying the adapter. That covers the pencil and the case.

So "free" wasn't entirely free either!

But still a pretty nice "win". I don't have to have the pencil, do I/ I do kinda want the smart keyboard. The total is rising.

Heeheehee! It WAS a nice win. Told my boss I like free stuff.

Since I'm in a rural area I always order my Ipad's from Apple on the telephone. I end up asking a hundred questions and they are so helpful. I'd stick with buying it from Apple.

I have an Apple store in my town and that's always where I buy. I do my research online first and then walk in and say I'll have this, this, and that. With most purchases I buy Apple Care so I have three years of work, replacement parts. I have an aversion to Best Buy in general.

Before you settle on 64M, remember that the system uses at least 20M of that and subsequent upgrades will probably use even more.

It depends on how you use the ipad. I have a 32GB older ipad and a 12.9" ipad pro, and really, for most things I need the 32GB is fine.

I just can't put more than a certain number of movies on it at once, but I rarely need to have more than a dozen films on it. That's with all my ebooks, music, etc. On the other hand, if you need to record video or edit mulittrack audio, 32 GB won't be enough, and neither will 64GB.

I would say, check your screen carefully when you get it. I actually prefer watching movies/TV shows on the older ipad because the screen on the ipad pro I have (was given to me used) is atrociously bad. Very magenta and way too much contrast. If I'd bought it new it would have gone straight back for an exchange, since you can't really calibrate i-gadgets.

My first iPad I got from AT&T, the last one was from Walmart . At the times where I got them from was the cheapest. To me it’s if on sale it is where I have bought it.

Aren't Apple prices dictated by Apple meaning they can't charge that much less or maybe I am thinking of another company. Micro center has 120 complaints with BBB.

As long as where you buy it is an Authorized reseller by Apple, Apple will warranty it, and will give you the same support as if you bought it directly from them.

Yes, Apple does restrict pricing on their products. So either MC is not an authorized reseller, or there is a difference in the 2 models you’re comparing. The 64gb is $799, my assumption is that is the model you got pricing from.

Regarding what size you need, if you intend to watch and store a lot of movies, I’d go for the 256gb if not larger, and if it just going to be used for browsing the net and playing games, 64gb is more than enough. Any use case between that and you’ll need to determine your storage needs. But for $150 spread out over the life of the unit, its a worthwhile investment.

I thought Apple prices were pretty well set by Apple. Sometimes a store, like Target, will offer gift cards to you if you purchase your device there.

My last iPad (Pro, 11” screen, 64 GB) came through my VISA reward points store. During the setup I screwed something up, the Apple store folks fixed it and showed me my mistake.

From what I see it just says instore pick up only. I see they do sell refurbished stuff but it doesn't indicate this is refurbished that I can see. Says save $150 and that they are an authorized apple reseller and 1 per household. We don't have that store here.

We use Micro Center for all of our pc needs, they’re service has always been as good if not better than Best Buys so there’s no reason to avoid them especially if you can get it for less. The one thing that you may want to inquire about is if it’s an early 2018 model or an more recent 2018 product and if it is what’s the difference. That could be why they have it offered for less. Regardless of where you buy it from though the warranties are honored by Apple and you will still be able to utilize the Genius centers. I’ve had lots of Apple products bought from a variety of stores and have taken them to the Genius centers for help multiple times without a problem.

The website they posted about doesn't say, just states what I posted so one is led to believe it's new unless I am not reading right. I would be leery of that much savings on an apple product.

You would want Bluetooth Earphones or buds anyway so no need to plug in. I love not having any cords. My guess is that there's a difference in the specs for the much cheaper item. Of course I am all Android lol.

Just looked, and it appears legit. Model number matches the current model number from current devices. Its also NIB, and says it comes with the full warranty. We have a local MIcro Center here in MN and they’re legit. I wouldnt hesitate buying from them. With that pricing and their return policy, I’d buy one and register it with Apple right away. If they balk for any reason, just return the iPad.

Thanks, Steve (and everyone). I guess I should go for the 256 at Micro Center if its the same price as a 64. I have to go by there tomorrow so I will stop and see what's what.

Yes, you can buy your Apple iPad anywhere and it will still be covered by Apple's warranty. It is important when one sees a significant price difference, to compare actual product ID number to be sure it is the exact same product. Sometimes, places will sell the previous model at a discounted price.

I do always buy AppleCare with any transportable Apple device I own. It extends the warranty but most importantly, it extends the on-line free support from 90 days to 2 years. That's a big advantage as their online support is typically outstanding. Often, even if one is calling about a product that's warranty has expired, if one owns a product still covered by AppleCare, they will extend the courtesy of a free technical support call.

The only place one must be careful about is eBay. Be sure the product is truly "new" and has never been registered with Apple. If it has, one must have the password to unlock the device or it must have been restored to original condition. Otherwise, you just bought a brick.

I would be curious to know how they can charge $150 less. Mary

We did get both our girls the new IPad Pro for Christmas. Directly from Apple. Since my husband did the ordering, he chose the biggest screen size and storage. They both got the keyboard and the pencil, too. They are both very artistic, downloaded some app and boy, some incredible artwork by the new year :)

I would skip the offer at Micro ($749) and purchase the refurbished iPad from Apple Store for $679, along with .99 month for 50GB of cloud storage, then set all devices to Family Sharing.

I really don’t want refurbished. I’d rather screw it up myself.

Seriously, I bought a refurbished laptop and it was fine at first but started having problems sooner than a new one.

That's probably what happened to the laptop. (wink)

Dedtired,

There is nothing wrong with purchasing the iPad from Microcenter, we have a local Microcenter and I have purchased many items from them in the past. Apple will still support the iPad. I believe Microcenter also sells AppleCare if you are worried about long term support. You don't have to buy the AppleCare immediately, you have about 30days from the purchase to procure AppleCare if I remember correctly.

It looks like Microcenter and a few other places are discounting the WiFi based new model iPad which is 11" not the same as the refurbed models on the Apple Website (the ones on the apple website are the previous generation of iPads).

Microcenter 11" ipad

Most retailers are discounting the iPad at least $50 off right now.

Good luck!

I try to find refurbished for almost everything electronic, and make sure it is warrantied. I have refurbished Apple products that are certified by Apple.

Refurbished buyers can save a lot of bucks and know that the product has been thoroughly checked out and serviced, which isn't always true of fresh-from-the-factory items.

And even if you don't buy from their stores or apple.com, you can still take it to the store for service, etc., or contact them for help.

FWIW, here's my local refurbished Apple dealer. They have some great bargains. I've bought from them and have been well pleased:

macofalltrades.com

I have purchased factory refurbished Apple products from Apple, and the savings is excellent. The item comes with the exact same warranty as a new one and is also eligible for AppleCare. It looks exactly like a new one - even the packaging is the same. I bought my last iPad Air2 that way. I loved my previous one but I had made the mistake of not buying one with enough memory. I did not really like the newest model, so I bought an iPad Air2 with more storage from Apple as a reconditioned item. I've had it over a year and it's great! It's a win-win situation when one buys these.

Just got back from Microcenter with the a new iPad. The young woman working there was amazingly helpful and did not try to upsell at all. (Shout out to Megan!)

So, she said the 9.7" iPad would be plenty for me but I really wanted a larger screen. After looking at the 11", I realized it is much more than I needed, plus I'd have to buy new chargers, etc.

I ended up with a 10.5", 64 gb for $499.99. It was marked down $150, compared to the Apple store. She assured me this was plenty of space to download movies for travel, just to be sure to delete them when I was done with them.

I also got two years of Apple Care for $99. When they went to ring up my sale the Apple Care came up as $129. They couldn't figure out why, so they called Apple to ask and learned that they had printed out the wrong bar codes and the correct price is $129. However, since they had quoted me $99, they gave me that price. Woo hoo for me!

Hope I am happy with this. I think I will be. I always get stars in my eyes and want the fanciest whatever and end up paying for bells and whistles I don't need and never use.

Anyway, the sale at Micro Center is legit so go snap up an Apple product while you can. Sale ends 1/28, I think.

All the comments here were very helpful in making my decision. What would I ever do without you? Thanks.

Great outcome. Enjoy it!

That sounds great. I want the Samsung tab S4 256gb but I don't see they sell it and the 64gb is the same price as every where else. Mary

I’m happy for you and your great deal! Enjoy your purchase!

One thing to note...Apple does take old products and gives you a gift card for the trade in for a new item. I traded in an old iPad mini and used the $100 toward the purchase of an Apple watch for DH last year. You don’t have to do the transaction the same day. They give a military discount on certain products also. Not watches but on most computers and iPads.

Awesome deal! Enjoy.

When you get it home, you'll have a big update waiting for you. 12.1.3

A big update? 12.1.3? Kind of lost me there. Oh wait -- an operating system upgrade? Ugh.

I still haven't opened the box. Had to go to a big town meeting tonight.

I am going to hang onto my mini for now since I use it as a Kindle. Unfortunately, the battery is dying so I'd have to invest $100 in a new battery.

Congrats on the purchase.

A note on the OS upgrades: I always recommend waiting a week after OS upgrades are released before updating yourself. More and more bugs and flaws are making it into public OS releases so let others deal with the bugs. I also google them for any major issues before proceeding with the update. Not saying you will have problems should you update immediately, but you are safer waiting a few days to make sure the coast is clear.

The Update removes bugs from previous OS fixes. No need to wait. If you do, you may be experiencing sluggish performance of some features. Before you call Apple, do the update.

As for size of update, it depends on how long your iPad Pro has been on the shelf and what OS is running.

I guess I am happy I bought Apple Care.

Yes, they are meant to fix bugs, but can also create more bugs themselves. For instance many devices simply lost cellular connectivity on their devices after updating to iOS 12.1.1, and some users iMessages were sent to the wrong people on iOS 12. both issues caused by an update themselves. And on rare occasions, updates have been pulled because of the problems they have caused. If you want to be one of the first to find these problems for Apple, be my guest. Just trying to help you be more informed.

I've been thinking about getting a new iPad too and passing my older model on to DD. I won mine about 5 years ago, it's an iPad Air with a 9.7 " screen and I have streamed movies or TV shows on it. I seldom download a movie since it's only 16GB.

I checked but we don't have a MicroCenter near me and this deal is only available in store. I could try to print out their ad and see if Best Buy will match it. The 10.5 " that you picked looks like a great deal.

Did you splurge and find a nice cover too?

This thread reminded me I had 3 iPhones in the closet. That’s $195 gift card. Thanks dedtired!

Got my pencil today. It’s super cool.

Just sayin’

Maire-cate, I was so mentally exhausted from choosing an iPad that I just couldn’t face buying a cover. There is a cover with a keyboard that looked nice so I may get that. I still haven’t taken the iPad out of the box, I’ve been so busy. Maybe tomorrow but book club meets at my house so I have to get ready for that. One of these days!

yeah, and I might need a pencil!

Dedtired- how do you like your new iPad so far? The 10.5" is intriguing but I wonder if it's more than I need so I was curious what you thought. I like the keyboard/cover too.

I know how you feel about the mental exhaustion - this week I've been researching cell phones but when I discovered that Verizon will give me $200 additional off an iPad I figured I'd upgrade that too and give my 9.7" to my DDIL. She's pregnant with her first and may find the iPad handier than her big Macbook.

As I mentioned in my other thread my son gave me an iWatch a month ago that's still in the box. So I envision moving into my local Apple store while I take their classes - luckily I have 2 Apple stores within 8 miles so I can spread my ignorance around a little. lol

maire_cate, i love my apple watch, its so easy and u should no trouble navigating it... always good to take a class or two to be sure u are using all the functionality.

Thanks Sprt - The classes should be helpful, I'm looking forward to them. My son gave the same watch to his wife and she loves it too.

I still have an iPad2 (!) I got through work, but it's so old and slow now. Some of the apps cannot be updated it's so old. I'm thinking about turning it in back to campus (yes, I technically don't own it) and getting a newer version that would be mine. Although I use it a lot less than I used to. I bought a small 11" Dell laptop for travel that has more functionality than the iPad.

I’m very happy with the iPad I purchased. The size is right and there’s plenty of storage. I wouldn’t have been happy with anything larger or smaller. I wasn’t crazy about the external keyboard. I bought a regular cover and pretty much stick with that.

ironically, I am writing this on my old iPad mini, which has become my upstairs iPad.

Id also consider something like a Chromebook.

Thanks for the comments. I did decide on the 10.7 with 64 storage. It's only a tad larger than the one I have so the size is right. At first I thought I'd get the cover with the keyboard but then I realized that it will add to the bulk and I probably just won't use it that much so I'll get a regular cover.

Maire

We have twin iPads!

I felt like Goldilocks picking out a new phone and iPad this week ---

not too big, not too powerful (not too expensive) not too small - but just right!

Ha maire-cate, that is exactly what I was thinking as I was shopping last night! I am opting to stick with the 9.7.. only because it fits into 3 of my purses (2 are a snug fit!). I hope I won't be sorry I didn't go larger!