The basic iPad is my favorite home and travel tech. Here’s why
iPads are not a necessity, but they are still the main screens my family uses at home. When it comes to kids using them, getting a cheaper iPad is practically a must. Apple’s entry-level iPad is more than enough for anyone who uses an iPad for basic movie watching, playing games, video chatting, and even some light work.
The 10th generation iPad doesn’t work with Apple Intelligence, and doesn’t support the more expensive Pencil Pro stylus, but it can work fine for art with a USB-C Pencil and has plenty of keyboard case options that can almost turn it into a laptop. It’s the cheapest and most versatile computer in our house, and when we need to do something quickly, like order groceries online, look at photos together, or do some quick research on a trip we’re planning, it’s usually the first thing we do. Unpleasant.
I can’t justify the iPad as a true laptop replacement. On every trip my family takes, this is the first device after a phone that each of us decides to pack. The iPad has nicer variants that increase processing power, display quality and size, and add more storage space. Still, all iPads feel relatively the same in many ways. That’s the big success of the iPad in the first place, and it’s why cheaper iPads still make great gifts.
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The 10th generation iPad is the perfect size and price
I like the 11-inch iPad size the best. It’s a perfect blend of screen size and portability, and fits great in keyboard cases. It fits easily in a bag and is large enough to multitask with split-screen apps. I love writing quickly and taking notes on iPads with keyboard cases, and the iPad is also my favorite quick and easy way to watch TV shows and movies on my own. I don’t always play games on the iPad (I’m a games console person), but games like Catan, Balatro, and Retro Bowl on the iPad are my personal obsessions.
I play with a lot of gadgets in my house, and the iPad is one of the many tools in my tech collection. It really strikes me how much the iPad is an essential family tool when I see my wife drawn to it, or my kids. It’s reassuring; it is immediate; and most of the iPads in our home are years old, which doesn’t even slightly affect how often we use them. That’s why I suggest that buying cheap is the way to go, despite how nice and fast more expensive iPads can seem.
Read more: Best iPad for 2024
In a world full of rapidly changing technology and gadgets, it is nice that every generation of iPad can be so reliable and stable. Sure, the 10th-gen iPad might get an update next spring, but in the meantime, it’s the best affordable bet for basic uses like watching TV, making art, and playing certain games.
If you’re looking for more affordable gifts, here are 31 of the best tech gifts under $100 and the best early Black Friday deals.
