So you've decided to take the plunge and get the new iPad and you've chosen both the carrier and the color you want, but you aren't sure which storage capacity size to go with? The difference between 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB isn't just how much stuff you can put on it, but $100-$200 in up front costs, so it's worth thinking about.

Here's the breakdown.

Price for storage

The current US prices for the new iPad are (not counting the $130 surcharge for 3G + 4G models):

• 16GB: $499 or $31.19/GB
• 32GB: $599 or $18.72/GB
• 64GB: $699 or $10.92/GB

It looks like you can pay $200 more (20% more) the price for 4x the storage, which makes the price per GB fall really fast. Still, Apple is getting you to pay $100 for an extra 16GB of storage and $200 for an extra 48GB of storage. That's not a great deal, given what SD cards go for these days. That's probably where Apple helps increase their margins.

So if giving Apple an extra dime irks you, the 16GB baseline model could be the way to go. But there are other things to consider first.

iCloud and other online storage options

iCloud gives us unlimited online storage for iTunes purchased content -- iBooks, music, movies, TV shows, and apps, and 5GB of additional storage for backups, data, etc. If that's not enough, you can pay for more.

• 10GB: $20/year
• 20GB: $40/year
• 50GB: $100/year

This might make it tempting to save some $$$ up front on onboard storage and make up for it with the free 5GB iCloud, with the option to buy more storage as a safety blanket.

It's not a crazy idea but it's important to remember that online storage isn't always as available, fast, and convenient as onboard storage. For example, you can't just play a movie from iCloud, you have to download it at the same time you watch it, which means you have to have enough space available on your iPad to handle the download. If you want to watch a lot of movies, you may have to watch, delete, watch, delete, over and over again.

iCloud also doesn't give you a file system like Dropbox or Box.net, so you can only really store what Apple lets you. If your movies and videos don't come from iTunes, iCloud is no help to you. Also, in our tests iCloud's free 5GB could get filled up pretty quickly by photos and especially videos.

So iCloud means you can get away with storing less content on your device, but you still want to have enough local storage for what you need, when you need it.

5 megapixel photos and 1080p video

Storing a lot of photos or videos on your new iPad means you'll need to have a lot of space available.

The new iPad actually has a good camera on it, and that means it takes good 5 megapixel photos and 1080p video. That also means you need room to store 5 megapixel photos and 1080p video.

For example, I take a ton of photos and videos on my iPhone 4S and with 16GB I'd quickly run out of space. Since it's a pain in the butt to have to go through and figure out what to delete if I'm not near my computer, I opted for more storage.

Unlike an iPhone, however, an iPad probably isn't your go-to camera, and isn't the camera you always have with you. In other words, I don't think most people will take and store as many photos or as much video with their iPads as they would their iPhones (or other smartphones).

That being said, I store a ton of photos and video on my iPad. It's just a great way to show and share those special moments with friends and family. If you want to keep a lot of home movies and photos available, you'll need space for them.

Content

Big games, 1080p movies, tons of TV episodes, and gigantic music collections also need a lot of space.

The other thing that can fill up our iPad quickly is content.

• Games can be big, and with the new iPad's 2048x1536 Retina display and Apple A5X processor, we might see even bigger ones with more textures and richer environments. Some games were already getting close to 1GB, how big will the Retina iPad games be?

• iTunes movies can be 1-3GB in size for SD depending on the length. If you prefer watching HD, they can be 3-5GB. If you want to take advantage of the Retina display to watch 1080p movies... Watch out.

• iTunes TV shows can be a quarter to half the size of movies, but more than make up for it by the number of episodes typically available.

• If you get your movies and TV shows from somewhere other than iTunes, you're still looking at about 400MB an hour for SD and over 1GB (sometimes way over) an hour for HD.

• Music files are generally quite small but can add up as well, especially if you have lots and lots of albums you want to keep with you everywhere.

Who should get 16GB

If you don't use a lot of apps, if you don't want to have a lot of movies and TV shows, or a huge amount of music, if you don't intend to shoot and keep very much 5 megapixel photos or 1080p video on your iPad, you'll probably be okay with 16GB.

Some people like to keep their iPads light and either stream or surf the web for content, and some people manage their photos and videos very well, transferring them to their computers regularly and reliably.

If you keep your iPad lean, you can probably save yourself some cash and get by on 16GB.

Who should get 32GB

If the iPad is your primary device, if you play games on it and watch movies and TV shows on it, if you have a decent sized music collection you want to keep with you, and if you shoot an average amount of photos and videos, 32GB is probably your sweet spot.

Some people like to have one device that, while it doesn't do everything all the time, is capable enough to do most things most of the time. As long as there's some extra space to give extra time to managing apps and content, it's a great compromise.

If you do a fair but not overwhelming amount of stuff on your iPad, your probably better off going for 32GB.

Who should get 64GB

If you're a power user who wants to keep as much as possible for as long as possible, if you have a large amount of apps and games, TV and movies, and a huge music collection you simply have to have with you all the time, or you shoot photos and video almost non stop and don't want to have to bother transferring it all the time... we'll, you've probably already ordered a 64GB iPad and cursed Apple for not giving you a 128GB option!

Some people really do want their iPad to do everything, all of the time, and never (or rarely) have to worry about running out of space. If you really feel like you need it, you probably didn't need me to tell you so, and you've already decided you're getting 64GB. Enjoy!

What if you choose the wrong size?

Remember, in most places you have time to try out your new iPad and return it if you don't like it. Make sure, as soon as possible, you put your new iPad to realistic use. Load up all the apps and games you want with you, load up your movies and TV shows, go out and take some photos and shoot some video. Give it a complete and thorough workout and see.

If it feels like you got too much storage, say 64GB and you haven't even gone past 2GB, or if you got too little, say you're already at 15GB of 16GB, then take your iPad back and exchange it for one that better suits your needs.

If you come to this realization too late, after the exchange period is over, remember you can buy additional iCloud storage, or look at other options like Dropbox which will let you keep your stuff available online and potentially free up some much needed space on your iPad.

Any questions?

If you've already decided which storage capacity is perfect for you, 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB, leave a comment and let me know!

If you're still not sure, if you want advice or more opinions, just ask!

• New iPad forum

No huge surprises here, but it sounds like iPad 3 prices and storage capacities will be identical to iPad 2, which were identical to the original iPad. 9to5Macs Mark Gurman has the details:

We’ve gotten word that iPad pricing is going to be the same across the board as the current iPad 2 models which should be no big surprise given Apple’s history – they rarely raise prices. Even better, some countries with currencies doing better than the US dollar should expect to see marginal drops in prices.

This directly contradicts some of the zanier rumors heard earlier in the week, which included seemingly random price hikes and the bizarre exclusion of the 64GB model.

Unfortunately, if accurate, it also means there won't be a 128GB model, which some users have been hoping for. It's possible 24nm 128GB NAND Flash chips are still prohibitively expensive, even in the quantities Apple typically buys.

Source: 9to5Mac

Yet more rumors are surfacing that Apple will release a lower priced 8GB iPad 2 alongside the iPad 3 this month... but this one also claims there won't be a 64GB iPad 3. Digitimes, which has not been extremely accurate lately, says this is to "defend" against Windows 8 tablets coming later this year.

As Apple has scheduled an event on March 7, sources from its upstream supply chain pointed out that the company is expected to launch two iPad 3 models - a 16GB version and 32GB version. In addition to iPad 3, Apple is also expected to unveil an 8GB iPad 2, allowing the tablet PC series to cover different segments and to defend against Windows 8-based tablet PCs, the sources noted.

Lack of a 64GB iPad 3 model sounds very, very strange, given both the original iPad and iPad 2 offer 64GB models. So does the idea of competing with Windows 8 tablets, which have a completely different cost structure to Apple's. Namely, Microsoft makes money licensing Windows. ODMs (Original Device Manufacturers) like Samsung, HP, Dell, etc. make money on the hardware. In the past they've shown a willingness to operate on razor thin margins, driving prices to the bottom, hoping to make it up on volume. That didn't work out for netbooks and it's tough to see it working out for tablets. In either case, that's not a game Apple plays.

Last year, Apple chose not to keep the original iPad around at a reduced capacity and lower price point, however they have done this with older generation iPhones and iPod touches in the past, most recently with the low-end 8GB iPhone 4 when the iPhone 4S was released.

If Apple ends up doing the same with the iPad 2 this year, it could be simply to lower the cost of entry to attract more customers to the iPad platform.

Digitimes previously speculated that Apple would try to hit a $299 price point with a budget iPad, but given Apple's traditional focus on profit margins, that will depend a lot on how low they can drive production costs. Further, since the iPad isn't a subsidized product, Apple can't shift the discounts to carriers the way they do with the iPhone.

Given the lack of subsidies, Apple's profit margins, and the rumored 8GB storage capacity, it's hard to see how appealing even a slightly discounted iPad 2 would be. iCloud and iTunes Match would slightly reduce local storage demands, but not significantly.

Would you find an 8GB iPad 2 appealing at $399?

Source: Digitimes

Running low on iCloud storage and wondering how to delete old backups to reclaim some space? iCloud offers iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users a fantastic way to secure your personal data in the cloud. It makes everything a breeze if you have to restore a device or set up a new one. Just type in your iCloud details and everything magically appears just how it was before you had the problem. Of course you only get 5GB of free storage, if you need more, you have to pay each month. Whilst this is not a problem for most, if you have multiple devices linked to one iCloud account and no longer use one or more of them, the iCloud backup may be taking up valuable space. Well there is a way to delete individual device backups in iCloud all from your iOS device. Read on and we will show you how.

• Open Settings

• Scroll down to iCloud and tap on it
• Scroll down to the bottom and tap on Storage and Backup

• Here you can see the storage being used and what is available

• Click on Manage Storage

• Here you will see a list of backups being held in iCloud, as you can see I have two iPhones. I had one replaced at the Apple Store last week so no longer need this backup.
• Click on the one you want to remove from iCloud

• Click on Delete Backup

• Click on Turn Off and Delete
• That’s it, that backup has now been removed and the space reclaimed in iCloud

Daily Tips range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com.

Apple has enabled iCloud's Buy More Storage option in the iOS 5 beta beta and here are the prices:

• 5GB: Free (every iOS 5 user will get this by default)
• 10GB: $20/year (including the 5GB free, that's 15GB total)
• 20GB: $40/year (25GB total)
• 50GB: $100/year (55GB total)

So pretty much $10 a year for ever additional 5GB.

By contrast, 50GB on DropBox will run you $9.99/month (just under $120/year), though it provides a different, less abstracted online storage and sync environment than iCloud does. (It also has 100GB and 350GB+ options.)

You can cancel within 15 days of upgrade or 45 days after a yearly payment. Again, this is in the beta so it's possible pricing and tiers could change by final release time this fall.

Meanwhile, let us know what you think of the prices.

Worried that you might be filling up your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and wondering how to check to see how much storage you have left? Take a picture, download an app, and come up with a message that tells you there is not enough space on your device to install or save? Checking your available storage can save you a lot of time and headache, and let you know when you need to free up space before you run into any problems. Hit the jump to find out how.

To check available storage on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad:

1. Launch the Settings app

2. Choose the General tab

3. Finally, choose the About tab and scroll until you see the Available option.

That's it, now you know! If you have any other device management tips, let us know in the comments!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

According to Storage Newsletter, Apple has purchased 12 petabytes (1 petabyte is 1024 terabytes, so over 12,000 terabytes) of storage from EMC's Isilon Systems, reported for use with iTunes to store music, movies, TV, and other media content online.

Obviously this will be hugely expensive -- you don't buy this level of storage from Best Buy, after all -- but storing huge amounts of data with both staging, local, and off-site backup doesn't come cheap. If Apple wants to offer something similar to Amazon's Cloud Locker service in the future, this much storage will certainly come in handy.

It's interesting Apple is choosing to go the Isilon route rather than use massive amounts of commodity drives the way Google does. Any data experts out there have a theory on that?

(And yes, if you're trying to figure out how many movies you could store on 12 PB we figure the answer is -- very nearly all of them.)

(Storage Newsletter via AI)

Cult of Mac is following up on the iPhone nano rumors from Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal saying Apple will make the low price points by getting rid of all onboard storage. No NAND Flash storage, no big price tag. Apple would get around this by streaming everything from an iTunes.com/MobileMe cloud just like Apple TV 2 does today.

However, Apple TV 2 still has 8GB of NAND Flash storage to hold the OS and apps and cache the content. Sure streaming media could make up for lower storage levels but no storage? What about camera roll and apps? Would Apple let me stream Infinity Blade from the cloud? Would I even want to?

It sounds far fetched. However, an 8GB iPhone nano using components from the huge iPhone 3G/iPhone 3GS production runs of the last few years, augmented by cloud storage could be super cheap and super sweet.

What do you think?

[Cult of Mac]

Are you wishing you had iDisk on your iPhone? Bummed you don't? Looking for an alternative? Then look no further! Arstechnica informs us thatBox.net has just released an app for the iPhone! For those of you that don't know, Box.net is a free service that gives you online access to 1GB of storage. Now, you can access this information directly from your iPhone! 

After logging in you have access to your folders and documents; if the iPhone can render it, you can view it! You can even share folders with the handy "Share" button. You can also upload photos as well, but regretfully, only one at a time. 

One neat feature is that if you share a file, you will be notified of an update via the updates section located in the bottom left of the app!

This is a 1.0 release, and we are looking forward to what new features Box.net might bring us! I took some pictures from my iPhone below, enjoy!

Confession: I had to restore my iPhone 3G yesterday. No, I didn't want to jump on the trend-wagon just to get a build number ending in 7. No, the buggy, sluggy transitions didn't finally get to me. What happened? A huge chunk -- fully 1/4 -- of my 16GB storage was eaten up by what iTunes helpfully classified as "Other" files.

I didn't restore immediately, of course. Since "Other" data doesn't include music, video, or photos (which are each classified separately in iTunes), and most "other" data, like contacts, OS, settings, etc. is far too small to explain 4.3GB, I considered 3rd party apps (which Apple should really break out in their own color in iTunes as well). Maybe they weren't being properly uninstalled and removed from the device?

First I removed all 3rd party apps via iTunes 7.7. That got me down to 4.3GB. Then I tried removing them via the home screen's wiggly jiggly delete, just in case. Same result. Round about that time Apple released iTunes 7.7.1, and just in case this was a known -- and hopefully patched -- bug, I installed, rinsed, and repeated. And got not a step further.

That's when I decided the only way to catch this data-hostage taker was to nuke the city. That's right: full, clean re-install.

I was on the original, out-of-the-box firmware build (5A345) and iTunes restored to an incrementally later version (5A347), but it worked. Storage reclaimed. (And, as some other reports have indicated, this build in general when combined with a clean (not from backup) setup has made the more annoying sluggishness issues disappear).

Anyone else experience any mysterious "other" files taking up all their precious space? Any other/different solutions to my scorched earth approach? (Hey, I was a Windows user in a previous life, and re-install is etched into the final line of my trouble-shooting check list!)

Please let me know!