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Post by anneinwa on Jul 15, 2016 19:55:33 GMT
got mine yesterday, and the only thing I've done with it so far is boil water, lol!! We read the manual, made sure it was all put together correctly, and then did the water test. You know that saying "a watched pot never boils?" Yeah, it was like that! The instructions in the manual say to add water to the "3" line... so, I added water to that line. Which, I think, means I put 3 Liters of water in it-- 3 liters of water takes a LONG FREAKIN' TIME to get that much water up to pressure!!! The manual said 'a few minutes...' and that the whole test would take 'about 15 minutes.' (uh-- nope) I stared at the thing for about 20 minutes before it ever started to make steam, wondering the whole time if I had done something horribly wrong and it was never going to do anything. But it finally worked, nothing blew up, and at about 9 pm I asked my BF if he wanted an ear of corn on the cob... Just because I actually wanted to DO something with it, loL!! (he said no, lol) So I will actually USE it for the first time tonight to steam broccoli and make corn on the cob. If you are actually cooking something in it and using 1-2 cups of water (instead of the 3 LITERS I used for the water test), about how much time will I need to add to the actual COOKING time for the thing to get up to pressure?? Just so I know how to time things to get the meal all done at the same time?? Thanks!! You have more patience than me... I attempted the same test and quickly realized it would not be done in the timeframe the manual said... I canceled...
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Post by anneinwa on Jul 15, 2016 19:53:39 GMT
Instapot came yesterday... tried hard boiled eggs today.. Just took the shells off and they are a very light yellowish brown? what I can see of the yolk, looks like they cooked a little took long. Is the white's color due to this too?
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Post by anneinwa on Jul 12, 2016 15:00:32 GMT
Instapot question... I saw someone ask whether it was big enough for 5 people. What about making small amounts of rice or small dishes? I have HD crockpots that were too big. Would this one work for servings for two people?
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Post by anneinwa on Jul 4, 2016 6:51:10 GMT
I complained to my daughter's school this year a couple times regarding parents parking in the cross hatched space next to the handicap space. Her school shares a campus with another elementary school and a preschool, and we are thinking it is probably the preschool parents pulling in for drop off or pick up. To top it off there are signs that it is a teacher's lot (aside from the handicap spots) and no drop off/pick up is allowed.
What's frustrating is that it does block the space for a handicap user who exits on the drivers side and I will probably carry notes next year to leave on the windshield. It would not affect me (I have my MIL with my 90% of the time, when I t is the only handicap spot left, I have been known to park slightly over to the left on the cross hatch to give me enough room to pull the wheelchair up on the passenger side - the space to the left is a regular spot).
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Post by anneinwa on Jun 29, 2016 14:04:03 GMT
I'm actually glad it's not July 1st. My daughter and I are making our way through the series for the first time and still have a few seasons to go. I was not looking forward to trying to avoid spoilers, especially on FB!
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Post by anneinwa on Jun 15, 2016 18:54:33 GMT
Checked my accounts on the 13th. Checked them today before business hours. 10k gone in 24 hours. Apparently a skimmer. Meanwhile my bank kept transferring money from my savings account to checking for them so they could keep going. And now they will be putting it all back thankfully, but still. I live in NC and the transactions were all in California. Grrr. Check your accounts daily. That's my only advice.I thought every couple of days would be good enough, clearly not. Be careful out there. CriminalS suck. Oh, that bites. Criminals do suck. I get a text anytime an amount over $X is taken out of my account. I set the amount. Is there a way you can get that too? I have this alert set up as well. We also have it set up that when the account drops below a certain amount, I get an alert. I can then choose whether to transfer money vs the bank making that decision.
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Post by anneinwa on May 17, 2016 23:30:37 GMT
I'd be careful. I believe formatting the drive could possibly erase it. That being said, I have a drive I created with info from my PC. I was able to copy FROM the drive to my Mac, but couldn't copy TO it. I ended up copying everything to my Mac and then getting a new Mac hard drive and copied everything on there (plus a second hard drive that I use for Time Machine backups). This helps. I should be able to set up the computer and then copy the one drive to the other, once I have formatted it to the correct format. to clarify, and I will update in OP, I have two drives, only one has files on it. I want to reformat the second one, so that it was be written to by the Mac and then copy the first drive to it (and then I guess reformat that one).
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Post by anneinwa on May 17, 2016 22:04:46 GMT
I have a new computer arriving in a couple days. Figured I would see if I can get my hard drives ready so they work with the Mac. Apparently, they are formatted as NTFS, which will not be write-able to with a Mac. I have two hard drives, but only one has files on it. I want to reformat the other so that it can be writeen/read by the Mac and then transfer the files from the PC external hard drive to it.
The user manual says this: To use the drive on Mac OS X operating systems, and to use Time Machine, if you want, you must reformat the drive to a single HFS+J partition.
Is this something I need to do once I get the new computer, or can I do it on the PC so I can then transfer from the HD that is NTFS, to the one formatted for a Mac? If it makes a difference, the hard drives are WD My Books.
On the same thought, if I read correctly, NTFS is readable by Mac, so if this is true, I could format the new drive and move the information once I have the new computer set up, correct?
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Post by anneinwa on May 17, 2016 16:58:42 GMT
I want something reliable more than anything. I don't want crashes and PS to just sit there and spin when I am trying to crop a photo... I don't want bridge to be 'not responding' when I am trying to edit photos. I don't need top of the line, I don't need lightning fast but I also don't want to be sitting there twindling my thumbs when I start charging for sessions (heck I don't want to be now either but it is what it is). My husband says to get what I need and he would be thrilled if it lasts me 5 years. From what I am hearing, that shouldn't be an issue. Going to look at that article when I am back at my computer. I can't tell you how happy I am with the reliability. Everything just works. Email is on my iPhone, iPad, Mac, Notes, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, etc. All on every device. It's so easy. And I can have Pages documents on the cloud and pull them up on my phone (need Pages there, though.) It all just works. And if I get a little click happy and stuff stops working, I just have Apple call me and it's all just fixed--with as much time as it takes. I know a little about computers, but really don't have a lot of interest to learn more. I'm happy to pay Apple $100 a year to fix all of my issues. I did a little digging around and it sounds like you want the quad four processor for sure. Not sure about the flash storage--what I read didn't have a direct comparison and I was busy tonight with family stuff. My specs are: 3.2 GHz, Intel Core i5, 8 GB, 1600MHz, DDR 3. Like I said, I think I went the second one down on the 27". I almost want to say there was a bigger screen available at the time? I can't remember exactly. I paid about $1800 for it. Another thing to ask about--there is a small discount for teachers, students, military and government employees. I want to say it was about $200. It's worth looking into if you qualify. Thank you for all your help. Sorry I have not been back, life has been busy! I just hit buy on a refurbished 27"! For others who may be reading looking at option now or in the future... I decided on the 27" for a couple reasons, even though I was sure I was getting getting the 21.5 After measuring my current screen, which is larger than 21.5, I realized I could manage 27" on this desk. The desk might not be the recommended size, but I still have 10" behind my current screen for a larger one, once I remove the hutch. I also like the fact I could save money upfront on RAM and update it later. I also like the fact I have a 14 day window to decide whether it is too big. Rather try it out and learn, than always wonder. The refurbished model was the highest i5 in the 27" with 2tb of fusion storage. I debated about doing the flash storage, but I would rather have the extra storage space than 256g of flash storage. I think it was a 15% savings, so by the time I added apple care and taxes, it was a wash.. I am happy with that. Now I twiddle my thumbs and try to figure out how to remove the top of this desk before it arrives!
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Post by anneinwa on May 12, 2016 2:45:39 GMT
Here is some advice from a very happy Mac family. If you are buying a Mac either order it directly from Apple or get it from an Apple Store. I bought my Mac Book Pro a year ago from a small, independent Apple retailer in town because there is no Apple Store here. BIG MISTAKE! I had trouble with my cord. It shorted and it burned out. I talked to Apple Care and they said "just take it to wherever you bought it and they will give you a new one, no questions asked". They would NOT. She said "they may replace it at an Apple Store, but there is nothing wrong with the cord SEE???" and I left with my cord in my hand. I contacted Apple Care and they were appauled and sent me a new cord. I would NEVER and I mean never EVER deal with a NON-APPLE store. That means if it ain't got the Apple Name on the door, I won't even walk in. Thank you. Will buy online so I can get refurbished or customize it to my liking. Nearest store is 45 mins (no traffic) so chances of going in there are slim.
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Post by anneinwa on May 12, 2016 1:38:22 GMT
Memory is what is sticking out to me the most when you're talking about this...please, please check with Apple PRIOR to making a purchase. I just don't think memory can be upgraded anymore, Apple is making the sleekest machines. By doing that they have eliminated various things we can do with the machines....no cd drive within the machine for example. I have always been Apple since the 80's so that hasn't changed my mind a bit about them. They last so very long you will not regret it! Someone above me mentioned they did a slideshow and moved their desktop computer. Don't do that! Get Apple TV and you can stream from your computer to your already in place tv your slideshow. It's simple and works beautifully! From everything I am reading on Apple's website the 27" iMacs are still upgradable. And looks straight forward. I will talk to some one first to make sure. I did see there is an external cd/DVD reader (and burner I believe) that is under $100. I'm cool with that if I need it. It's funny cause I grew up in a PC family. My first experience with Apple was in college and I didn't like them. Now after a couple iPhones and an iPad, as well and playing with an iMac, I'm ready to switch.
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Post by anneinwa on May 11, 2016 20:34:06 GMT
So still pricing out new so I know what to look for with refurbished. If you had the choice of upgrading the processor or the storage to flash storage which would you do? I already work with external hard drives. I thought this was a really great article on all the choices. This will probably help you more than me telling you what I use--it's good info that can help you decide what you need, based on how you use the computer. Explanation and comparisonsBut remember my motto--go big or go home. What I upgraded 2 years ago is already standard for some components. How long do you want your computer to last? Are you the type to want the latest and greatest, even if it's not top of the line? Or are you slow to upgrade and want to keep the computer running as long as possible? Is there someone that you could pass down the computer to if you decide you want more? Gotta run now, but will come back with what I currently have. I want something reliable more than anything. I don't want crashes and PS to just sit there and spin when I am trying to crop a photo... I don't want bridge to be 'not responding' when I am trying to edit photos. I don't need top of the line, I don't need lightning fast but I also don't want to be sitting there twindling my thumbs when I start charging for sessions (heck I don't want to be now either but it is what it is). My husband says to get what I need and he would be thrilled if it lasts me 5 years. From what I am hearing, that shouldn't be an issue. Going to look at that article when I am back at my computer.
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Post by anneinwa on May 11, 2016 18:42:27 GMT
Apple care will be bought. A couple more questions for you! How much memory do you have in your 27" and what is the depth of your desk you have it on? I'll probably do an online chat with apple today about the upgradable memory. I am not which model of the iMac was upgradable and need to confirm. Probably years past with my luck. I'll have to check the memory when we get home. I know there was one upgrade from what I bought. I do have a big desk--about 4.5' x 2.5'. But my screen isn't at the back of the desk--probably about 2/3 of the way back. So I'd say it's comparable to having it at the back of your desk. I still put my fingers on the screen to keep track of something, especially if I'm comparing spread sheets. So still pricing out new so I know what to look for with refurbished. If you had the choice of upgrading the processor or the storage to flash storage which would you do? I already work with external hard drives.
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Post by anneinwa on May 11, 2016 18:33:12 GMT
Apple care will be bought. A couple more questions for you! How much memory do you have in your 27" and what is the depth of your desk you have it on? I'll probably do an online chat with apple today about the upgradable memory. I am not which model of the iMac was upgradable and need to confirm. Probably years past with my luck. I'll have to check the memory when we get home. I know there was one upgrade from what I bought. I do have a big desk--about 4.5' x 2.5'. But my screen isn't at the back of the desk--probably about 2/3 of the way back. So I'd say it's comparable to having it at the back of your desk. I still put my fingers on the screen to keep track of something, especially if I'm comparing spread sheets. Thank you. I am looking at my set up and I currently have a 24" screen and still about 10" behind it to edge of desk (desk has a hutch that the screen won't fit under but I will be removing it if I need to). So still won't be what I am reading as 'ideal' distance for a 27" but I think it could work til I find a replacement option for desk space. I'm really thinking 27 may be the way to go refurbished because of the processor and I can save money and upgrade memory later for a lot less. Not sure I can swing the i7 though.
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Post by anneinwa on May 11, 2016 14:48:56 GMT
Ok found where I saw about user access for memory. On the refurbished page, it says this for the 27" retina (have not looked at non retina because I will be buying retina). It says under tech specs:
Memory 8GB (two 4GB) of 1867MHz DDR3 memory; four SO-DIMM slots, user accessible
If true, and I will confirm with Apple, I could start with 8 gig, and probably find what I need refurbished.
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Post by anneinwa on May 11, 2016 14:18:01 GMT
When did you get the 27 and are able to upgrade the memory yourself? That's one thing that might sell me on the 27 if I can find it refurbished (to off set the difference in price of 21.5 new... The processor just jumping to the 27 is better if the research I am doing is correct). Mama Mac is 2 years old now and still running like a champ. The only problem I've ever had is when I was when I had 9 applications open, Mail, Pages, Numbers, and was running iPhoto, Photos, Lightroom and a graphics program. The poor thing was just overwhelmed. Otherwise I've never had a single issue. I have not not upgraded the memory or needed to. And I don't believe you can there isn't anything to open, although I'm sure you can if a tech did need to work on it. And yes, the processor is much better for the 27 inch. That's really why I choose it to begin with, although I find that I really love the bigger screen. I have over 50,000 photos in Photos and it's not a problem other than its just a ton of photos. I really need to pull some albums off, as they are from past football games or plays where I'd take 2,000 photos at a time and most are not of my kid. I just have them on a separate hard drive if I ever need them. Another plus for the big screen is video watching. It's great for movies (I've been scanning all my old photos from the pre-digital days and I'll run a movie while scanning. And I did a slide show for DS's graduation and just played it on the Mac. I just moved the computer into the party area, which is easier to do because the whole computer is contained within the monitor. Be sure to get Apple Care. It's so nice when I have a question not easily answered with a Google. I just have them call me (usually within a minute) and someone can walk me through my question. So easy! Apple care will be bought. A couple more questions for you! How much memory do you have in your 27" and what is the depth of your desk you have it on? I'll probably do an online chat with apple today about the upgradable memory. I am not which model of the iMac was upgradable and need to confirm. Probably years past with my luck.
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Post by anneinwa on May 11, 2016 4:39:30 GMT
I would ditch the second monitor and get the larger screen. I have a 27" and love it for editing photos. It's nice to see what a photo will look like big, vs a 4x6. And it's great for editing teen spots or other small details. I especially like the larger screen for work projects--I can have 2-3 programs running at once and have them all up on the screen to refer back and forth from. So much better than printing something off or flipping between programs. Especially since so much of Mac use is drag and drop. It's nice to see what you are dragging over and where you are dropping it. My motto is go big or go home. Get the best computer that you can afford--you will have it for a long time. Technology only requires more memory and faster processors as time goes on. When did you get the 27 and are able to upgrade the memory yourself? That's one thing that might sell me on the 27 if I can find it refurbished (to off set the difference in price of 21.5 new... The processor just jumping to the 27 is better if the research I am doing is correct).
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Post by anneinwa on May 10, 2016 16:28:12 GMT
I have been and building lots of options lol. Been looking at refurbished too, but need a better idea of what I need and what I want since what they list is what you get. Just an FYI - They update the refurbished list on Monday or Tuesday (dang it, I forgot which) and Friday. Those are the days to stalk the site. I found that what I wanted lasted about 20 minutes once they put it up and it took me a couple weeks to snag it, but I saved 15% which just about paid for the Apple Care. Good luck with your search! That helps knowing what days to stalk! Most are listed with 8 gig. Time to price out anxoup options and have them printed so I can jump. Killing me seeing I could have it tomorrow if I knew what exactly I wanted!
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Post by anneinwa on May 9, 2016 13:59:08 GMT
Have you looked at Apple.com? They give you the choices there. Again, get the most you can afford. You will not regret it! I have been and building lots of options lol. Been looking at refurbished too, but need a better idea of what I need and what I want since what they list is what you get.
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Post by anneinwa on May 9, 2016 13:54:34 GMT
Thank you! Taking notes!
So much to think about. I am doing a lot of reading/research too but like to have first hand responses from those who have bought and used iMacs. I need to read more but I think I read on the 27 inch, you can upgrade the ram at home.
Closest Apple Store is 45 mins away with no traffic and Best Buy is 30 mins no traffic. Not sure where else I can look.
Photo editing now can be working through up to 250-350 photos 1-2x a week and lightly editing 50 of each of those times (softball games - not making anything). Right now I sit working at with a PC where bridge is so slow to load or PS has to sit and spin when I ask it to do something. It is older and not top of line but so tired of it.
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Post by anneinwa on May 9, 2016 2:07:49 GMT
Ok, so I will be buying an iMac in the very near future. I am switching from a PC so I am not sure which upgrades are needed.
At this time I am looking at a 21.5 inch with retina 4k for two reasons, cost and the fact my desk is only 24 inches deep. I do have a second monitor that I bought for editing photos that I can use. If I should be seriously considering the 27 inch, why?
Primary use will be for photography, Photoshop...
Upgrades...
Is the jump from i5 to i7 worth it?
Upgrade to 16 gig memory? Are the current models able to have memory easily upgraded at home?
Which hard drive? the different types are confusing me, but the research I have done says to go for the flash drive.
Thank you for any feedback/advice!
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Post by anneinwa on Feb 15, 2016 17:05:58 GMT
I like this month's challenge. I'm doing a 366 challenge this year, but part of my goal was learning how to use my flash off camera. The more I do it, the more fun I am having. It's not so scary anymore. Great photos! I love the lighting in the musical photo, and the care you took to set up the Smarties (?) one, from the background to the nail polish! Thank you. What amazed me about the violin photo was while it was night time, I still had the light on in the room. My goal was to accomplish the black background. I was amazed how simple it really was to do. Candy is dark chocolate m&ms. Loved the color. Picked out the nail polish to match but forgot about the background cloth until I was getting ready to shoot it.
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Post by anneinwa on Feb 13, 2016 19:53:57 GMT
One of our Kroger brand stores offers it. It is not the most convienent store to use, but I think I am going to try it out for senior discount day next month. I do my MILs shopping (she lives with us) but it's honestly not worth bringing her into the store for the 10% discount. She needs a wheelchair and I don't want to worry about her and pushing the cart, or bugging someone to help me.
My thinking is that since most of what I buy for her anyways is store brand (where the discount comes into play) it might cancel out the $4.99 fee with what she saves via the discount. I can do a larger shopping and not have to step foot in the store one time a month! We get three trial shopping spree for free, so it's worth a try!
My understanding of this service is that I place my order online, an employee shops for me and I give them a one hour pick up window. I can still use coupons. I park and they bring the groceries out to me.
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Post by anneinwa on Feb 12, 2016 3:40:13 GMT
I like this month's challenge. I'm doing a 366 challenge this year, but part of my goal was learning how to use my flash off camera. The more I do it, the more fun I am having. It's not so scary anymore.
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Post by anneinwa on Jan 11, 2016 18:34:11 GMT
1) I have been building since I was little. Then it was primarily with boxes of Legos and I still have a few things I built at my dad's house. I did have a long break between probably high school and when my daughter started getting into LEGO.
2) I buy what interests me. Last few years it's been the larger sets like the Grand Emporium and the theatre (which I am working on now). Saw an awesome deal on the wind turbine so I bought that. I really want to build the fire engine house (forgot what it was called) but it was retired.
3) I build where ever I feel like it. For the larger sets I reuse those plastic containers that were on a wood rack that held my daughter's toys when she was a toddler. Between those and ziplock bags, I don't lose pieces as easy. Usually I am on the floor but occasionally on my bed too.
4) My models end up in my daughter's room along with hers.
5) Working on the movie theatre now (forgot what it is called)
Funny/unbelievable story... When I was working on the Grand Emporium, I started realizing I was missing a lot of pieces and had a lot of extras. Long story short, ended up calling LEGO and they had to send me a parts list and it was a pain to figure out what was missing. Thought I figured it out and they sent the pieces but when I got to the third floor, I had the same issue. Thankfully they stood behind their product (why they believe me, I don't know) and in the end I was only still missing one piece (which I sucked up grabbed from our stash) but I have a gallon size full of extra pieces. Mostly extra small pieces like floor tiles and accent pieces.
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Post by anneinwa on Dec 5, 2015 2:42:15 GMT
Well, read the instructions-- some should be stored in the refrigerator. Like the ones made with cream cheese. Going to have her avoid any that needs refrigeration due to us traveling. When baking, she usually makes just a half batch of things so they don't last long enough to worry about storing, especially when I am talking over a week.
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Post by anneinwa on Dec 5, 2015 0:52:01 GMT
Yes you can make them that far a head of time. Just keep them in a cool dark place. If you roll them in something other than chocolate you can put them in the frig. Thank you! Was hoping to avoid her baking at my parents just prior to Christmas.
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Post by anneinwa on Dec 4, 2015 22:52:44 GMT
So my 12 year old likes to bake and wants to make truffles for her teachers, family and friends this year for Christmas. I am concerned since the first ones will be needed 10 days before Christmas, whereas the last ones will be needed Christmas Day, with others in between. We will also be traveling 2-3 days between the first boxes going out and the last boxes.
With this timeline, and the traveling, is it doable to just make one batch (different varieties)12 days before Christmas and have them all stay fresh? How would we store, especially when traveling?
If not (or even if so) what other suggestions are there to make for small treats that coul be put 4 to a box?
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Post by anneinwa on Nov 13, 2015 20:34:28 GMT
Go ipad mini. My kids all had/have the itouch. The minute the got iphones, the itouch was worthless to them. Two of them have an ipad for school purposes. They both use the ipads in addition to the iphone. So i'd most definitely go ipad for dd assuming at age 12 within a couple years she'll likely have an iphone or inherit one of yours. Even with an iphone the ipad will still get plenty of use. This is exactly what a friend of mine said this morning. The way I was looking at it, is if I could get a cheap enough refurbished to last her those 2-3 years, I would be ok with that.
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Post by anneinwa on Nov 13, 2015 16:51:44 GMT
The fact that Apple is what you and her friends have is a big reason to stick with Apple. My 11yo son won't be getting a phone anytime soon, but he and all his mates use iMessage on their iPads, and he uses it to contact me as well. If it was a choice between an iPod and an iPad, I would definitely choose an iPad. I agree. If Apple is what friends and family have, an Apple device would be easiest for everyone. That said (and since you askd), I have an iPad and a Galaxy Tab S and love the Tab. I have a Note (cell) though, so the two work together very well (all my Google apps sync and such), which isn't possible with the iPad. There are a few models of Tab, if you're interested in looking at the competition, but it sounds like an Apple device is the best choice. I agree with CeeScraps that you should decide what you want and then buy it as soon as you see a refurb become available, as they do disappear quickly, especially this close to the holidays. Thank you for the other option than Apple. My husband still in non-Apple but since she communicates mostly with me, chances are we will stay with an Apple device. However good to look at, in case he decides to try a tablet again. Seeing a couple deals for iPad mini 2 and 4 but only 16 gig, which I am going to pass on. Target does have all versions at full price (I believe) but with a $80 target gift card. Unknown if it will be available online, but if only in the store, I will be nowhere near a Target for BF. Going to continue to watch refurbished. How often does that get updated? Is it only the Apple site to watch or are there places that Apple will warranty that sell refurbished?
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