Monthly Archives: July 2012

Which iPad to Buy?

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Nerdr| Leave a comment

Which iPad should I buy? Black or white iPad, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB. In total you have 6 possible combinations to choose from and it is a difficult decision. I have used them all and here is my perspective.

Black or White iPad?

The black iPad is better for viewing movies and makes colors appear more saturated. This means colors look more colorful on the black iPad.

The white iPad looks cleaner and prettier. The white ipad also looks new and fresh in design because the ipad 1 and 2 were black so people instantly know you have the new ipad when they see

Many people say the black iPad is for men and the white iPad is for girls. I don’t agree with this because it is just colors. How can a color prefer a gender?

I personally have the black Ipad 3. Sometimes I regret buying the black ipad and wish I’d chosen the white iPad because it looks nicer but then I stop caring. It’s just a color and whichever you choose you will sometimes feel regret.

I recommend buying the iPad that matches your desk setup or go to the Apple store and see them yourself and choose.

Which iPad 16gb or 32gb?

Buy the iPad with the most memory you can afford.

If you are on a very strict budget then buy the 16GB ipad. But only if you cannot afford the 32GB IPAD. Even though the 32gb ipad has double the hard drive space it feels like three times as much.

I recommend buying the 32Gb if this is your first iPad. Only buy the 16Gb if you never play games or use Garageband for iPad, which is 2 GB to install! IMovie for iPad is 700mb.

16gb is not enough if you play games on your iPad.

So finally, if I was buying an iPad 3 again I would buy the 32Gb black ipad. Remember that whichever option you choose, if you buy from an official Apple store you get the 14 day no-questions return policy if you change your mind and want a different color or size iPad. The Apple return policy will give you a refurbished replacement though so still choose your ipad carefully.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Apple

Tagged , , ,

It’s Time To Quit Your Startup When…

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Nerdr| Leave a comment

“You’ve stopped recommending your product to friends.” – Tiffany Bukowski, spitfire.

“All you’re worried about is getting money back for your investors.” – Doug Ludlow, CEO, Hipster.com.

“You have something better to do.” – Simon Thompson.

“You’re counting the months, weeks, or days until you reach your vesting cliff.” – Anon.

“You don’t feel comfortable recruiting the best people you’ve worked with.” – Anon.

“You think the people around you personally, have gone through enough and deserve better.” – Anon.

“You cant inspire anyone around you anymore and eventually yourself.” – Anon.

“You quit when you can’t find customers, you stick when all signs point up and you pivot when your customers keep asking.” – Matt MacNaughton.

“You run up a lot of debt when you can’t invest more money of your own.” – Anon.

“You start missing the security of a better job or startup opportunity” – Anon.

“At my last startup, I knew it was time to leave when I couldn’t genuinely recruit people to join my team, and I actively avoided recruiting people I previously had worked with.” – Anon.

“To quit, you always have to ask the question whether your timing or offering is wrong.” – Matthew Roche, CEO, BO.LT.

Nerdr.com – <a href=”http://nerdr.com/its-time-to-quit-your-startup-when/”>Quit Your Startup</a>

Sharing is caring.

 

Some Advice Before You Quit

Personal advice: think things through. Prepare a plan that contains an element of finance and personal revenue. Don’t just leave yourself hanging without a branch. You do need money to survive, and live. What’s your personal runway? What’s your backup if things go wrong, in 3 months, 6 months, a year? Your top 3 marketable skills?

Write it all down, you’ll need it during those darker days of uncertainty ahead.  Leave on good terms because it’s a small world, and of course, good luck.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in startups

Tagged , , ,

Should I Buy An Ipad?

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Nerdr| Leave a comment

An ipad is an amazing device to buy. Which iPad should you get and how much to spend? Let’s investigate.

Should I buy iPad 1, also called the original iPad – NO. Now that the new retina iPad is out you should never need to buy the basic original iPad 1. The original iPad 1 is now a toy.

Should I buy iPad 2? The main difference is retina screen on the iPad 3 and future upgrades to iOS software for one more year with iPad 3. Only buy an iPad 2 if:

  • You cannot afford the iPad 3 retina display version.
  • You have seen the ipad 2 and new ipad side-by-side and can’t tell the difference between the screen resolutions. Make sure you do this when watching a HD MOVIE or HD image because safari is not HD even on the new ipad.
  • You find a great iPad 2 deal. iPad 2 refurbished versions on the Apple site or on craigslist can be good deals. Be careful when using craigslist to buy things. Do not travel alone with cash for iPads from Craigslist and stay in public places.
  • you don’t care about it being useless in just 18 months. Apple supports products for about 3 years with OS updates. After 3 years it is very hard to make apps works because app developers stop supporting the old systems.

Should I buy an iPad 3 or should I buy the New iPad. Yes! I”m typing this article on one now and it is a joy to use. The retina display is beautiful and it has replaced 90% of my laptop time. It also improves your health because you’re not stuck at a desk all the time. If you can afford the new iPad 3 the buy it right away.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Apple

Tagged ,

Is Applecare Worth It?

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Nerdr| 3 Comments

Is Applecare worth it, when buying an Apple device?  Applecare is worth it for some products and not a good idea for others.  Let’s look at the FACTS.

What is Applecare?

Applecare is Apples warranty program for the expensive electronic equipment Apple sells.  You must purchase Applecare within 30 days of buying the product new.  Once you have Applecare on your device you get:

  • One stop technical support.
  • Software support for Apple software.
  • Free repair and replacement program.

The main reason to buy Applecare is the expensive cost of repairing Apple device hardware.  The big screens are the most expensive component and the battery can also fail.

If you are in Europe you get a free 2 year warranty for hardware defects as standard with all big Apple products due to an EU Legislation ruling.  So if you are buying Apple from Europe think carefully if it’s worth the cost of Applecare for just 1 extra year of warranty.  The EU warranty does not cover accidental damage.

Note also that Applecare is a Warranty and not an insurance.  If your device is stolen you will not get a free replacement.  You have to give your old/broken Apple device for fixing or replacement.  This replacement is usually a refurbished product.

Types of Applecare

There are two types of Applecare.  Applecare normal and Applecare+.  Applecare plus is for iPhone and iPad type devices and includes accidental damage.  This is huge because you might drop these regularly on hard concrete floors.

Now let’s look at the prices of Applecare and see if Applecare is worth it.

Applecare for iMacs and Big Hardware

Applecare for Macbook air and Applecare for 13 inch Macbook pro – $249.  Think carefully.  It is hard to replace any parts on Macbook air but at the same time accident cover is not included.

Applecare for iMac ($1199) -$169.  Applecare is worth it.

Applecare for Mac Mini ($599) – $149.  Not worth it.  No screen needing replacement and cheap to replace the entire unit.

Applecare for Macbook pro ($1199) – $249.  Remember accidental damage is not covered!  possibly worth it.

Applecare for the 15 inch Macbook pro with Retina display – $349.  Expensive but possibly worth it because the retina screen is very expensive to replace and nearly all parts except the RAM and non user servicable.  Remember this is covered only by Applecare and not Applecare+ and so accidental damage is not covered.  Maybe worth it.

Applecare for iOS devices

Applecare for ipad (~$400) is priced at $99.  Worth it, remember this covers accidental damage too.

Applecare for iPod touch ($100) is $59.  Not worth it.

Applecare for iPod nano ($129) or Shuffle ($49) – Applecare costs $39.  Not worth it.

Applecare for Apple TV ($99)  – $29 .  Not worth it.

Applecare for iPhone ($200) – $99.  Worth it because you it’s used outside and covered for accidental damage too.  One fall on concrete and the screen is finished.  Consider buying Cell insurance too because the iPhone is a premium device and likely to be stolen and quickly sold.

Refurbished Apple product and Applecare

Can I purchase Applecare on a refurbished product?  The answer is yes arefurb can get Applecare!  ”

(3) Can I purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan for my Apple Certified Refurbished Product?All Apple Certified Refurbished Products are covered by Apple’s one year warranty.  For extended coverage, you have the option of purchasing the AppleCare Protection Plan with your Apple Certified Refurbished Product. The AppleCare Protection Plan extends the complimentary coverage on your Apple Certified Refurbished Product to up to three years of world-class support for Mac, and up to two years of world-class support for iPod, iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV.” – Link


That is the end of our “is Applecare worth it” article.  Remember that Applecare will fix or replace and only covers accidental damage for some Apple devices.  Compare the price to the cost of a replacement from Ebay rather than replacing with a brand new Apple item because that is not what you get with Applecare.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Apple

Tagged , , , ,