5 Reasons NOT To Buy A New iPad 3
Just because it's the coolest gadget around doesn't mean you should rush out and buy a new iPad 3
By: Stewart Wolpin
March 20, 2012

Has the world gone crazy? What is it with these lemmings, standing on long lines spending so much money - for what? An new iPad 3? What do I need a new iPad 3 for?

And yet, you're tempted. After all, this is the 21st century, and Apple's tablet is a uniquely 21st century device.

And you're even more tempted by the five reasons I gave yesterday for buying a new iPad 3 (hereafter abbreviated iP3).

To help you resist the cultural and technological pull, here are five justifications for responsibly resisting your tablet temptations.

1. iP3 is inappropriate for kids.

For one thing, sharper small text is meaningless for largely large type-size, image-based kid activities, eliminating iP3's key upgrade benefit. Plus, junior's finger smudges would mar any of iP3 higher resolution advantages. Kids also aren't likely to need the sophisticated gaming or productivity apps that require the kind of super-charging iP3's improved A5X chip provides.

But most of all, do you trust your young'un with such an expensive toy? And speaking of expensive...

2. It's too expensive.

In a world with a more pocket-friendly $200 Kindle Fire and other lower-priced/lower resolution Android tablets, there's no need to spend so much money on a new tablet simply to casually surf the Web, answer occasional email or read an e-book.

Plus, if you'll use your tablet mostly at home or where you know there'll be Wi-Fi connectivity, you can opt for a cheaper Wi-Fi-only tablet.

3. An iPad 2 is good enough.

There is nothing wrong with an iPad 2 - it's not as if it's a 1978 Ford Pinto with 200,000 miles on it. In fact, iPad 2 was state-of-art just a couple of weeks ago.

If you have resisted buying a Blu-ray player because you believe your DVDs look just fine, than either your current iPad 2 or buying a newly $100 discounted or even a refurbished iPad 2 to save $150 will certainly satisfy.

4. I hate Apple's ecosystem.

Yes, once you buy into the Apple ecosystem there really is no escape. Any music, movies or books you buy in iTunes will play only on Apple hardware, which means you'd lose all your media content if you, at some future date and for whatever reason, decide to switch operating system sides.

Living in the Android or even the Microsoft Windows Phone/Windows 8 world is far more forgiving. You get more media purchase options and device flexibility – all your purchased media bought from any source will play on any Android or Windows Phone device from any manufacturer – and keeps you from being co-opted by the cult of Apple.

Even I sometimes feel a little Apple claustrophobic, but I consider the company a velvet dictator. Or maybe I'm just rationalizing my purchased content trap.

5. Why do I need it?

If you equate "need" with breathing, eating and wearing clothes (at least in public), you don't need an iP3. Even if you equate "need" with watching TV, social networking, reading or a clock radio - although any tablet combines all these activities into a single portable gadget - you don't.

Like anything else, you definitely should decide on a specific need before plopping down $499-$829 for a device whose precise personal utility you're still fuzzy about.

Although, once you buy one you won't know how you lived without it.