Ipad 10.2" for a PhD: 32 or 128 GB?

Solution 1:

As @benwiggy pointed out correctly, storage always tends to run short.

Of course, such a topic is a matter of personal opinion. Trying to keep objective, please consider the following:

• The 32 GB option is the "entry-level" option—in fact, no other iPad even offers such a low option anymore! (iPad Air and iPad mini start at 64 GB; iPad Pro at 128 GB.) It is safe to assume that it's on the market solely as a cheap entry model to the Apple universe.
• Getting the model with more storage will, even if you have no use for it now, increase the device's value down the line. I, for one, tend to sell my old Apple devices (usually after upgrading to a newer model): the resale value of a 32 GB devices will be considerably less than the same device with 128 GB.

Solution 2:

The answer to the question "do I need more storage" is always 'yes'. Parkinson's Law dictates that data expands to fill the space available.

However, my "PhD" folder on my Mac is 1GB. This contains my thesis documents, with 230 vector illustrations; research notes; over 100 downloaded JSTOR papers and PDFs of other theses.

I could add to that 12 GB of reference material as scanned images.

But of course, you'll need to factor in what form your data will be in, and all the apps you plan to add, and any other data that you might want to hold, such as the new pop music that the students like.

Solution 3:

As others have mentioned, this all depends on your use and needs. But to put this into perspective, this is a selection of my older iPad pro (I have used 103GB of 256GB):

• The operating system, iPadOS, will use about 10GB of storage.
• A downloaded movie will use as much as 5GB
• 2500 notes in Evernote takes up 250MB (I suspect it's not storing them all on iPad)
• 6 Books in Audible need 1GB
• Spotify, with downloads, is 1GB
• 254 PDF and ePUB books uses 2.8GB
• My music library is 14GB

So that's 12GB remaining if you don't have a music library, and if you do, then you can not store it on the iPad as you are out of space. Forget downloading a season of a Netflix show for the lonely hotel room.

So, even light use will consume 50% of your storage quickly. The nice thing about an iPad is how useful it is for watching movies, youtube/lectures and the like, especially when traveling.

The biggest challenge with 32GB is that it limits your use of the device, and the longevity of the device, should you wish to repurpose it, or if you find an app that will greatly aid in your research. As you can see, if you use the iPad exclusively for note and pdf/books, perhaps 32GB will suffice. But I would never recommend it.

In fact, if your intended use is note taking and books only, AND the difference in price is a burden, I would even recommend you consider a refurbished older model from the Apple Store with 128GB or higher, rather than a new one with 32GB.

Good luck with your studies!