That's a lot of questions. We'll address them--and a few others--one by one. Before we dive in too deep, here's a quick spoiler: Which iPad is right for you depends on what you need, and there's no one perfect answer. But we can at least run down the right points to consider before you decide whether to lighten your wallet, and if so, by how much.
I love my iPad. And I'm not alone, either: Apple CEO Tim Cook reported earlier this week that customers keep buying iPads because existing iPad owners love the tablets so much.
That said, I'm not convinced anyone out there truly an iPad. More than a computer, the iPad still feels like a luxury device: You can derive great joy from one, but is a strong bar. The exception: If you have to replace an older Mac, and your computing requirements are simple--email, Web browsing, word processing, games, and the like--you can probably eschew a replacement Mac and rely on a new iPad instead.