IPad 2 33% Thinner, 2x Faster, iOS 4.3

Not bad by recoiledsnake · 2011-03-02 07:15 · Score: 2

Looks like mostly a hardware bump and some minor functionality improvements. But will lot of apps emerge that will take advantage of the big increase in speed(at the cost of alienating the 15 million existing iPad 1 owners)?

--
This space for rent.

So thin you could break it in half... by skids · 2011-03-02 07:15 · Score: 2, Insightful

...seriously, who cares how thin it is? Most people I know would just prefer a nice long lasting battery that is user-replaceable.

I mean, unless you need to use it to shimmy a door handle because you don't want to ruin your credit card...

--
Someone had to do it.

Re:So thin you could break it in half... by BLToday · 2011-03-02 07:19 · Score: 1

I really didn't needed it to be thinner, I needed it to be lighter. 1.3 lbs is still too heavy to carry single handed like a writing pad.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by recoiledsnake · 2011-03-02 07:19 · Score: 1

How about one with a extra 10% thickness/weight and having around 15 hours battery life?

--
This space for rent.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 07:22 · Score: 1

...seriously, who cares how thin it is? Most people I know would just prefer a nice long lasting battery that is user-replaceable.
Don't count me among them. I haven't wanted to switch the battery, probably because the non-removable battery is bigger than the alternative you suggest. I do, however, appreciate how rigid the body feels and would prefer that to not be weakened.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by smallfries · 2011-03-02 07:22 · Score: 1, Funny

Why stop there? May as well make it only 1% thicker and 150 hours battery life.

--
Slashdot: where don knuth is an idiot because he cant grasp the awesome power of php
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by repetty · 2011-03-02 07:23 · Score: 1

How about one with a extra 10% thickness/weight and having around 15 hours battery life?
I'm sure that they considered it and determined that most people did NOT want that bargain. After all, they want to sell as many of these things and make as much money as possible.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by skids · 2011-03-02 07:31 · Score: 2

No. Hardly. Needs at least twice that. And again, a user serviceable battery.
Actually, who am I kidding -- I hate tablets and will probably never own one. I guess I'm not the target market.

--
Someone had to do it.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by trollertron3000 · 2011-03-02 07:32 · Score: 1

Yes it is. Does it come with fairy dust that makes you believe that bullshit though? Because I can't have one without the other.

--
Tiger Blooded Bi-Winning Machine
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by _UnderTow_ · 2011-03-02 07:33 · Score: 1

Seriously? Obviously you should take the money you were planning to use for a tablet to get yourself a gym membership. I regularly browse the internets on my ipad while holding it one hand. What I do with the other hand I leave as an exercise for the reader's imagination.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by elrous0 · 2011-03-02 07:34 · Score: 1

It's sort of like the videocamera trend of making them smaller and smaller, instead of making them with better picture quality. All you get is a camera with the same mediocre video quality as the last model, but that's even harder to hold steady. I already have a videocamera I can fit in my pocket, after all. It's called a smartphone. So how about making a dedicated videocamera that I can shoot with without all my videos looking like outtakes from Cloverfield?

--
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Haedrian · 2011-03-02 07:34 · Score: 1

Because normal books are ultra thin aren't they.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by pushing-robot · 2011-03-02 07:35 · Score: 1

I've got a typical 100 sheet writing pad. With pen, it weighs just over 1.1 lb. Maybe what you really need is this.

--
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by DaveGod · 2011-03-02 07:35 · Score: 1, Insightful

Everybody I know who wants Apple products wants it because it's thin and pretty.
Everybody I know who has Apple products say they want things like longer lasting batteries, but they're already locked into the UI and cult of Jobs or whatever you want to call it so they're not going anywhere and ohh look! The new one's so pretty!
That's a lot less of a dig than it probably appears. Apple does what it does very well.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by beelsebob · 2011-03-02 07:40 · Score: 2

I don't know a single person who would rather the user replacable battery, so I guess your anecdote is countered by my equally invalid one. The hard stats will say whether people prefer this over the iPad 1.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by beelsebob · 2011-03-02 07:41 · Score: 1

Yeh, because eBook readers aren't meant to be an improvement on books at all.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by psithurism · 2011-03-02 07:41 · Score: 1

I really didn't needed it to be thinner, I needed it to be lighter. 1.3 lbs is still too heavy to carry single handed like a writing pad.
My mom wields clipboards that are heavier than that. I know, as nerds, we are expected to be out of shape, but really, if you can't hold 1.3lbs, maybe its time you hit the gym.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Entropius · 2011-03-02 07:43 · Score: 1

OT, but look at the Panasonic GH1. You can get a used one for a couple of hundred bucks, and then you'll need to pay for whatever lens you want to use with it.
It's got a nice big sensor, lots of video features, can use basically every lens ever made for anything ever (in particular, all the Four Thirds lenses made by Olympus), and doubles as a nice stills camera.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by damnfuct · 2011-03-02 07:47 · Score: 3, Funny

What I do with the other hand I leave as an exercise for the reader's imagination.
Drink the Kool-aid?
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Kaz+Kylheku · 2011-03-02 07:50 · Score: 1

Who cares how thin/light it is? Anyone interested in using it as a book reader
I doubt that much of the target market has enough of an attention span to read anything longer than 200 words.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by cgenman · 2011-03-02 07:50 · Score: 4, Interesting

That's an interesting perspective, considering some of the amazing consumer video cameras that have come out over the past few years. 1080p30 is now standard. But more than that, the color saturation and reproduction has gotten much better, movement tear is less common, and compression artifacting on your source feed is basically gone. Camcorders are moving into using 3-color chips. Good optical anti-shake still requires about a $500 price point camera (since that technology is pretty mature at this point), but digital anti-shake has gone from godawfully blurry to just a bit blurry.
Heck, 6 years ago most consumer grade cameras were interlaced. INTERLACED!
And on the high-end, the Reds have come out and taken professional production by storm. A video camera with high enough quality to take out single frames and use them as stills for full-size / full color fashion magazine covers? Add in the low-light cameras that will happily shoot at dusk or night with professional grade output, and we are truly living in the future.

--
The ______ Agenda
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 07:51 · Score: 1

Because normal books are ultra thin aren't they.
They were into authors got obsessed with making endless series of door-stoppers.
I would blame Robert Jordan, but I kinda think he was inspired by others first.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by mr100percent · 2011-03-02 07:52 · Score: 1

It's really about how light and non-bulky it is. If it's much heavier and wider than a paperback, a lot of people won't find it as convenient to read while doing things like lying down.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Cinder6 · 2011-03-02 07:55 · Score: 1

YMMV, but I've watched 10 hours of video on a single charge on an iPad. Apple's actually pretty good about battery life estimations.

--
If you can't convince them, convict them.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Kaz+Kylheku · 2011-03-02 07:56 · Score: 1

Personally, I will stick with my desktop...to me this thing is just a really expensive toy.
And don't forget the laptop. The laptop is the faithful portable computer that has been with us since the 1980's!
No portable device has managed to topple the laptop.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by node+3 · 2011-03-02 08:04 · Score: 4, Informative

Apple's batteries are among the longest-lasting on the market. 10 hour iPad, 7 hour laptops. Even their smallest, thinest laptop gets 5 hours. Apple's battery numbers are also far more accurate than those listed by other manufacturers.

That's a lot less of a dig than it probably appears. Apple does what it does very well.
Sure, you just called Apple users locked-in, superficial cultists. Not a dig at all...
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 08:12 · Score: 1

Agree that thinness has diminishing returns, but I don't really know many people who care if the battery is user-replaceable.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by joeyblades · 2011-03-02 08:13 · Score: 1

Really? You (like most people) would rather have to carry around a bunch of batteries and swap them in and out? Since the iPad battery has the capacity of about 6 to 7 average smartphone batteries and it would eat them incredibly fast, your pockets are gonna be full. But hey, if that's what you'd rather, who am I to say you're wrong?
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by bertoelcon · 2011-03-02 08:16 · Score: 1

I really just want one thick enough that I couldn't break it over my knee.

--
Anything can be found funny, from a certain point of view.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 08:16 · Score: 1

An e-reader is a lot cheaper, until you realize you can't do 99% of the things a tablet can do.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by swb · 2011-03-02 08:18 · Score: 1

I used to think that way about iPhones before I got my 3G (then 3GS, now 4), having replaced batteries on previous cell phones a couple of times every couple of years.
I have yet to do that on an iPhone. It doesn't last as long as I'd like, but I also use it a lot and no phone I've owned has really lasted more than a couple of days with any use.
For travel, a Mophie JuicePack Air provides nearly double the internal battery at marginal cost of heft.
My wifi iPad, though seems to last forever on a charge. "Normal" use of a couple of hours a night and I might not charge it for 4-5 DAYS.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by EdIII · 2011-03-02 08:19 · Score: 1

I do, however, appreciate how rigid the body feels and would prefer that to not be weakened.
I want it as thin as a piece of paper, but as resilient as cloth. Something I can just bunch up in my pocket and put it on a table and have fall apart completely smooth again. Bonus if I could press a button and have it become rigid like a piece of plastic.
The reason why things have been thicker in the past is that we did not know how to miniaturize the parts within them and strength and durability was directly related to thickness.
Designs in the future can be more flexible and with much much smaller components. My greatest concern would be durability, not form factor.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 08:20 · Score: 1

Everybody I know who wants Apple products goes out and buys them because they like them. Not ONLY because they are pretty (whatever), but because they work well and are easy to use.
I don't need a longer battery. It would be nice, but not worth any substantial cost. My iPhone already runs all day (if I charge it at night and in my car while I drive around). Making it last longer would mean I could be lazy from time to time and not connect the white cable.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by PNutts · 2011-03-02 08:23 · Score: 1

Seriously? Obviously you should take the money you were planning to use for a tablet to get yourself a gym membership. I regularly browse the internets on my ipad while holding it one hand. What I do with the other hand I leave as an exercise for the reader's imagination.
One hand holding the iPad, one hand browsing, and another hand doing something else... Zaphod, is that you?
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by elrous0 · 2011-03-02 08:25 · Score: 1

Not looking to make a movie, I'm looking for a consumer quality camera I can hold steady without a tripod. You used to be able to buy those in the $500 range. Now everything in the consumer range is "Hey, look at how small this is now! Isn't that great?!?!"

--
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by INeededALogin · 2011-03-02 08:29 · Score: 1

An e-reader is a lot cheaper, until you realize you can't do 99% of the things a tablet can do.
a tablet is a lot cheaper, until you realize you can't do 99% of the things a laptop can do.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Mordok-DestroyerOfWo · 2011-03-02 08:38 · Score: 2

If you need a device to do those 99% of things, then buy an iPad. If you want a dedicated reader, you're much better off with a reader. Battery life measured in weeks instead of hours and eInk versus an LCD screen makes one worth having. I have a netbook and a Kindle, and both are essential to me when I travel.

--
"Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by anyGould · 2011-03-02 08:38 · Score: 1

I really didn't needed it to be thinner, I needed it to be lighter. 1.3 lbs is still too heavy to carry single handed like a writing pad.
I've never had a problem with the weight - feels like a smallish hardcover book. I'd rather keep the weight and up the size to a proper page display.
*shrug* Everyone has their trade-offs, I suppose.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Jeremi · 2011-03-02 08:42 · Score: 2

Not looking to make a movie, I'm looking for a consumer quality camera I can hold steady without a tripod. You used to be able to buy those in the $500 range. Now everything in the consumer range is "Hey, look at how small this is now! Isn't that great?!?!"
Teensy little consumer camera? Check. 10 pound block of wood? Check. Duct tape? Check. Okay, I think I have solution for your problem ;)

--

I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Onuma · 2011-03-02 08:43 · Score: 1

My Kindle edition of The Gathering Storm is pretty lightweight :D

But yeah...Towers of Midnight is practically half a cinder block.

--
What else can happen when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object?
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 08:51 · Score: 1

Come back when the laws of physics have been changed, or we have more efficient electronics. There are only so much energy density you can shove into a small space for that price right now.
So you want 20 hours of active use on a 10" LCD screen. Are there any Netbooks that can even do that with substantially bigger batteries?
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by narcc · 2011-03-02 08:51 · Score: 1

An e-reader is a lot cheaper, until you realize you can't do 99% of the things a tablet can do.
Except it's much, much, better for reading -- which is why they're selling like hotcakes.
Really, outside of reading books, what good is a tablet?

--
Required reading for internet skeptics
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by The+End+Of+Days · 2011-03-02 08:57 · Score: 1

Considering the sales numbers, I'd say "most people skids knows" is a fairly useless marketing metric.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by dwightk · 2011-03-02 08:58 · Score: 1

I'm not the target market.
*ding*ding*ding*ding*ding*

--
Like anyone can even know that
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Coren22 · 2011-03-02 09:19 · Score: 1

Except the iPad that is more expensive then most laptops...

--
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by narcc · 2011-03-02 09:24 · Score: 1

Most people I know would just prefer a nice long lasting battery that is user-replaceable.
15 million people disagree with you. And going up quickly.
Wow, that makes absolutely no sense at all. Are you trying to say that no one who bought an iPad would prefer a user-replaceable battery? That's completely absurd!

--
Required reading for internet skeptics
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 09:29 · Score: 1

If you need a device to do those 99% of things, then buy an iPad.

Well, yes, that's my point exactly.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by The+Bean · 2011-03-02 09:33 · Score: 1

If 50% more battery life only adds 10% to the overall weight, the current battery must be less than 20% of the iPad 2's overall weight. I kinda doubt that, though I could be wrong.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by pushing-robot · 2011-03-02 09:49 · Score: 1

You might want to check the settings on your time machine; you're back in 2011 right now.

--
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by kylemonger · 2011-03-02 10:34 · Score: 1

Have you tried using a laptop on a plane in coach within the last ten years? When I first started flying in the early 1990's you could still use them, but now getting the keyboard back far enough to type at the same time the screen is tilted back far enough to read requires a non-human physiology.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Draek · 2011-03-02 10:38 · Score: 1

But it does the 1% thing that it *can* do better than anyone else, and for everything else you may as well get a laptop or netbook.

--
No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by narcc · 2011-03-02 10:42 · Score: 1

I think you replied to the wrong comment.
But, yes, I have used a laptop on a plane recently and didn't have any trouble. Still, this really doesn't have anything to do with my comment.

--
Required reading for internet skeptics
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Altus · 2011-03-02 10:43 · Score: 1

I know its usually a joke, but in this case, I think you might actually be using it wrong.

--
"In America, first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women..." -H. Simpson
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 10:44 · Score: 1

Sure, for some people that is the best option. My wife goes to college (hold the, "your mom goes to college" jokes, please) and she'd love to replace her Macbook with an iPad, if not just for the toting it around campus all day.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by SimonTheSoundMan · 2011-03-02 11:03 · Score: 1

Didn't you hear? The iPad is powered almost entirely by the user's sense of self-importance.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by NatasRevol · 2011-03-02 11:03 · Score: 1

Yes. Otherwise, they'd wait for one of these magical coming-any-day-now tablets that has a user-replacable battery.

--
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by cvtan · 2011-03-02 11:05 · Score: 1

Isn't it so big that you can't carry it around? Maybe Flavor Flav can wear it around his neck like his famous clock http://www.shitznit365.com/?attachment_id=1418. I hate it when the latest whiz-bang gadget is of no use to me. Means I'm OLD.

--
Sorry, but gray text on gray background is making my eyes bleed.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by bonch · 2011-03-02 11:40 · Score: 1

Mentioning that 1.3 lbs is not heavy is drinking Kool-aid?
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Nocuous · 2011-03-02 11:50 · Score: 1

Sure, you just called Apple users locked-in, superficial cultists. Not a dig at all...
I have to agree... that's pretty mild, considering. He might have said that Apple users are also selfish and shortsighted, slavishly giving marketshare to a company that's going to retard openness, choice, and diversity in the long run.

But he didn't.

--
Don't take it personally, but I'm not going to read your pithy response to my post.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by narcc · 2011-03-02 12:34 · Score: 1

Okay, it seems that you need an example.
I have a Kindle 3. I would prefer that it had a user-replaceable battery and a micro-sd card slot. The lack of those features, however, did not prevent me from buying it or interest me in competing products which included those features.
Of course, in the world of Apple, not having features is consider good. So I can understand why you'd think that all 15 million users are just ecstatic about the fact that they can't replace the battery themselves.

--
Required reading for internet skeptics
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · 2011-03-02 12:47 · Score: 1

..seriously, who cares how thin it is? Most people I know would just prefer a nice long lasting battery that is user-replaceable.
I don't even need user replaceable batteries in my laptops anymore, let alone lesser processing mobile devices. As for thin, tablets are about the only device I do care about how thick and light the device is. Double the weight of my laptop, meh, whatever. Double the weight of my phone, meh, it weights very little anyway. But a tablet, well that I might be holding in front of me for an extended period of time, like for reading or watching movies while standing on a subway car. Normally, I'm the first to ask for Apple to stop obsessing over thin, but this time I see the value. As for battery, well that's what Apple is fixated on more than anything these days, and not just the hardware. Until Google figures out how to keep lousy app developers in line or properly distance users from those crappy battery eating apps, Apple is going to rule the roost on that front.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by node+3 · 2011-03-02 13:19 · Score: 1

Clearly he didn't want to hog all the crazy for himself and left some unclaimed in case someone else wanted to join in.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by timeOday · 2011-03-02 14:23 · Score: 1

Apple's batteries are among the longest-lasting on the market. 10 hour iPad, 7 hour laptops.
Which market? If you're just into reading, a Kindle easily beats that.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by hawk · 2011-03-02 15:15 · Score: 1

Err, is snapping electronics over your knee something you do regularly???
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by H0p313ss · 2011-03-02 16:18 · Score: 1

When you can run 3D games, a word processor an external monitor and bluetooth keyboard off your cute little kindle get back to me.

--
XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by BasilBrush · 2011-03-02 16:18 · Score: 1

Not only that, he could have said that they are all mass murderers, have 3 heads and smell of strawberries. People say all sorts of shit.
Trying to generalise what people are like from their choice of a particular gadget is as dumb as it gets.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by node+3 · 2011-03-02 17:37 · Score: 1

Apple doesn't sell an e-reader, the Kindle isn't a tablet. Their markets overlap, but they aren't the same market.
The iPad's battery lasts quite long enough to serve as an e-reader. But yes, if you want to read for more than 10 hours in a sitting*, you might be better off with a Kindle.
* However, since you can turn down the brightness significantly in iBooks (and I think the other ebook apps), if you are reading at night you will likely get much more than 10 hours of reading time, if you want.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Mike+Mentalist · 2011-03-02 21:07 · Score: 1

When you can run 3D games, a word processor an external monitor and bluetooth keyboard off your cute little kindle get back to me.

Why would you need any of that if you are just into reading?

--
I put my books on Amazon, Smashwords, Demonoid, ISOHunt and Pirate Bay. Search for 'Michael Cargill'
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Xamataca · 2011-03-03 00:03 · Score: 1

YMMV, but I've watched 10 hours of video on a single charge on an iPad. Apple's actually pretty good about battery life estimations.
Lies!

but a 10 hours vid proving that in youtube would help!!

I promise I'll watch it...

If I don't fall asleep...

--
***Game Over***Insert Coin***
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by NatasRevol · 2011-03-03 05:49 · Score: 1

If you would *prefer* it, you wouldn't buy it.
If you would *like* it, you would buy it.
There's a difference.

--
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by Anonymous+Freak · 2011-03-03 06:23 · Score: 1

When I turn Bluetooth and WiFi off, and turn the brightness all the way down (only the main iOS brightness matters - iBooks brightness below that is just turning the contrast down, not actually saving any power with magical lower backlight-brightness settings,) I get 12-14 hours of reading time. (Yes, I got 12 hours in a single sitting.)

--
Another non-functioning site was "uncertainty.microsoft.com."
The purpose of that site was not known.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by skids · 2011-03-04 04:56 · Score: 1

Key words: "into a small space "
Personally, It would not even phase me if my laptop battery were twice as big/heavy as it is now. I do mind that I cannot go a day on it without plugging in.

--
Someone had to do it.
Re:So thin you could break it in half... by jo_ham · 2011-03-04 06:26 · Score: 1

Tell that to everyone here saying that the new, even thinner, even lighter iPad 2 is *still* too heavy to hold comfortably in one hand, at 1.3 pounds.
I think it possibly more indicative that many slashdot geeks need to hit the gym...

Only 3G? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 07:16 · Score: 1, Insightful

So, yet again not bleeding edge...

Re:Only 3G? by cgenman · 2011-03-02 07:56 · Score: 1

You'll notice that US 4G equipment is also not bleeding edge. Or even defined as 4G.

--
The ______ Agenda
Re:Only 3G? by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 09:02 · Score: 1

Yeah, and no HD Radio either!!! WTF? (HD Radio also a fake spec that sounds good).
Re:Only 3G? by aethogamous · 2011-03-02 10:08 · Score: 1

You forgot to add 'lame'.

No Verizon 4.3? by 0100010001010011 · 2011-03-02 07:16 · Score: 1, Interesting

At the bottom of the page of the iOS webpage, http://www.apple.com/ios/ It shows that it's available for the iPhone 4 GSM Model, but no mention of the CDMA versions.

Re:No Verizon 4.3? by Caste11an · 2011-03-02 07:56 · Score: 1

iOS 4.3 is already available on the Verizon iPhone 4. It's just not available yet on the devices listed on the link you provided.
Re:No Verizon 4.3? by neosake · 2011-03-02 08:13 · Score: 1

At the bottom of the page of the iOS webpage, http://www.apple.com/ios/ It shows that it's available for the iPhone 4 GSM Model, but no mention of the CDMA versions.
Also more interestingly, no support for iPhone 3G?! (it isn't in the list at the bottom)

--
"When a ball dreams, it dreams it's a frisbee"
Re:No Verizon 4.3? by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 09:45 · Score: 1

3G support stopped at 4.2 (not a bad place to be in since there's really not much new going on in 4.3 except AirPlay support, which would be too much for the aging device).

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Not bad by recoiledsnake · 2011-03-02 07:16 · Score: 1

Didn't Jobs say that 1024x768 ought to be enough for everyone! /joke

--
This space for rent.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by MrCoke · 2011-03-02 07:17 · Score: 1

iTunes.

Sooo... by Stenchwarrior · 2011-03-02 07:18 · Score: 1, Informative

It's a thinner, faster, more expensive iPhone - sans the phone?

--
Loading...

Re:Sooo... by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 07:24 · Score: 1

It's a thinner, faster, more expensive iPhone - sans the phone?
When you go car shopping, do you have trouble discerning the difference between a pickup and a sedan?

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Sooo... by Stenchwarrior · 2011-03-02 07:28 · Score: 2

I guess that's why I drive an El Camino...

--
Loading...
Re:Sooo... by lowlymarine · 2011-03-02 07:40 · Score: 1

I would if the pick-up didn't have a bed.
Re:Sooo... by Stregano · 2011-03-02 08:25 · Score: 1

Your example is not all that great dude. Here is a better example:
The 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer.
It basically has 4 models: ES, OZ Rally, RalliArt, Evolution (yes, the Evos are technically Lancers).

Now, the ES is basically the base model. The OZ Rally is a rally edition with OZ Rally wheels. The RalliArt is another rally edition. The Evolution is their high end edition.

A sedan and a pickup are not similar at all (well, slightly)> I see what you are going for, trying to say they are very different from each other. Well, this is like the 2006 Lancer, where there are incredibly significant differences, but looking at an ES, RalliArt or OZ Rally from the outside, it is very difficult to tell. If I get Altezza tail lights, a RalliArt spoiler and OZ Rally wheels, it will appear to be a messed up hybrid and confuse it even further.

What makes the vehicle example much different than the iOS example is just that, iOS. If I get an iPad 2, and I am just a normal user, not a geek, besides the outer looks (slimmer, liighter) how will I personally be able to tell the different between an iPad 1 and iPad 2? The other thing is that they are all running the same OS. This is the same OS that is also run in the iPod Touch and the iPhones. Sure, you can use the Linux argument, but look at how many different distros are out there. Google is only doing what they see as being successful from what Apple does.

To sit there and deny that the GUI is not the same is silly. Now if you got inside of that same pickup or sedan and the interior appeared to be identical, then yes, argument works. Unless you actually have a real use for an iPad 2 outside of it being slimmer and lighter, you have no purpose getting one. There are, what, 15 million iPads floating around, so those will not be obsolete or thrown to the curb when Jobs & Co. can still get money from them. That means that apps will still be released on it and it will still be useful.

I just have a feeling that Jobs is trying to treat the Apple products like the phone market. See, many people, like myself, have year contracts with phone companies, so once that is up, they can renew the contract and get a discount on a new phone, so why not get a phone with better phone functionalities (like an iPhone 4 or whatever). People have a reason to get a new phone/upgrade a new phone, and many times, it is a "contract is up, get the updated version" and not a "here is a new tablet a year after one we just released and the new one will run everything the old one did and the old one will not be obsolete, but buy it anyway".

See, with computers and computer parts, one part that was brand new a year ago that was selling for $300 I can get today for $100. iPad: same price as it was 1 year ago. You can sell newer computer products if you phase out the old ones, and judging the Apple mindset, that will not happen anytime soon.

In my eyes, this is Apple just getting cocky doing something like this. They will release a newer version of the same exact product that is not a phone, which means you pay full price, a year after their older version, keep the old version the same price without dropping it, and then get rumors started for the iPad 3 (and the iPad 2 is not even out yet). They are trying the cell phone model of business with tablets/pc's.

People are paying full price for this stuff. See, I do not know a single iPhone user that paid full price for their phone (and I know lots of iPhone users). That is a big separating factor between the iPad and the iPhone lines. Not even the Macbooks try something so bold.

When people call these the iPad XL, it is very close to the truth since they both run the iOS and have close to the same functionality (except the part where one natively makes phone calls). Going back to my car example, that would be like calling the ES the Lancer light, calling the OZ Rally and RalliArt the standard models, and calling the Evo the XL. Yeah, that is really not far

--
The world is how you make it
Re:Sooo... by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 08:41 · Score: 2

A sedan and a pickup are not similar at all (well, slightly)...
They both get from point A to point B. You can go the same places with either of them. The key difference is they have distinct advantages in different contexts. The same is true when comparing the iPad to the iPhone.

When people call these the iPad XL, it is very close to the truth since they both run the iOS and have close to the same functionality...
... if you ignore the flatbe... er I mean the huge touch screen.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Sooo... by bennomatic · 2011-03-02 08:44 · Score: 1

Or when the GP goes to the gym to swim laps, does she end up in the hot tub? Or when looking for a pet cat, does he bring home a man eating lion?

--
The CB App. What's your 20?
Re:Sooo... by mario_grgic · 2011-03-02 08:50 · Score: 1

I have Skype unlimited world plan. It costs me $120 a year, and I can talk to my family over in Europe any time I feel like for hours. The percentage of time I use iPhone's built in phone app are 1% vs Skype 99% of the time.

Skype also works through 3G network (for both voice or video calling) and I have 6GB data plan. So really, phone application on a smart phone with good data plan is irrelevant. The call quality over 3G connection is actually better than the cellular call from same location all the time.

By the way, for $20 a year you can get unlimited North America Skype plan (USA, Mexico and Canada) and you can talk all you want on your smart phone, desktop or yes even iPad :D.

--
As the island of our knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.
Re:Sooo... by maxume · 2011-03-02 08:59 · Score: 1

Dude, dude up above compared iPad 2 to an iPhone, dude.

--
Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
Re:Sooo... by rvw · 2011-03-02 09:53 · Score: 1

It's a thinner, faster, more expensive iPhone - sans the phone?
Plus a TV.
Re:Sooo... by Americano · 2011-03-02 09:55 · Score: 1

You're absolutely right. I'd like to relate this similar story:
My friend says to me the other day, "Hey, I think we're going to put a pool in behind the house this summer!"
I say, "But dude, why would you bother?"
"Because we want something to take a swim in now and then! It's going to be great!"
"Wait. I've been in your kitchen before. You have a bunch of cups."
"Yeah... so?"
"So a pool is just a big cup. Why would you waste your money on one when you already have the smaller version?"
"Uh... because they're not the same thing at all? I can't climb into a cup and enjoy a nice swim on a hot afternoon."
"What the fuck, man, you already have a BATHTUB, and you can CERTAINLY soak in that! What's the point of a pool? I bet you can't even tell the difference between a pool and a bathtub!"
"You know what? Just don't bother coming over."
Re:Sooo... by Stenchwarrior · 2011-03-02 10:00 · Score: 1

You saved me a trip to Google Translate...thank you. :-)

--
Loading...
Re:Sooo... by TooMuchToDo · 2011-03-02 10:38 · Score: 1

I was unaware of that North American plan. Do you get your own DID? Does it show as your number whenever you call? I've been thinking about using a Xoom tablet to replace my Nexus One (with bluetooth headset) and having a backup prepaid phone plan.
Re:Sooo... by bonch · 2011-03-02 11:49 · Score: 1

What is this, 2010? Apple-haters already tried this argument, and after millions of iPad sales, clearly failed.
Re:Sooo... by narcc · 2011-03-02 11:58 · Score: 1

The problem with your analogy is that, in the case of the pool, there is some additional functionality that the pool offers that can not be handled in any way by the cup or the bathtub.

--
Required reading for internet skeptics
Re:Sooo... by Stregano · 2011-03-02 12:35 · Score: 1

I have no clue what a flatbe is, and I goofed on that and meant to put in iPhone XL, not iPad XL. My bad on that confusion. Also, ignore the huge touch screen? That is a huge part of it. When items use the same exact OS, consumers will not see a difference. It is like running an older machine with XP and a brand new machine with XP. Unless you know stuff about computers, if these run at the same speed, the user will not know the difference. Let's say that since this newer computer running XP had a bigger monitor (why shouldn't it? It is newer), then we have another awesome comparison. The average user will see it as the same thing, but with a bigger screen. So my point of this is that to normal people who are not trying to get the latest piece of Apple hardware will see it as the same thing, hence the OP's post. You analogy was not very good, so I went in depth with this.

The thing that throws me off is that I bring out stuff about Apple, and I am either marked a troll or flamebait or something (hasn't happened this time yet, which is surprising), but people bash Microsoft all the time.

I am just pointing out that Jobs and Co. are trying to use a cell phone model of pushing products out for computers (yes, I consider a tablet pc a computer even though it is 100% running a phone's operating system). If you look at Asus, ATI, AMD, Intel, the big runners in the PC market, they seem to be doing well, and they don't run like this. Wait for the newest ATI hardware and see if the new stuff from a year ago is still the same exact price. I think the only exception to this rule is the i7 Extreme. That thing has been $999 for awhile, but that is really high end and a rare exception to the rule.

If the iPad 2 comes out and the iPad 1 starts selling for $200 or even $250, then I will stand corrected, but that will not happen. The iPad 2 will come out for a higher price than the iPad 1, and the iPad 1 will continue to sport the $500 price tag.

--
The world is how you make it
Re:Sooo... by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 12:53 · Score: 1

The average user will see it as the same thing, but with a bigger screen.
This has not played out at all. Plenty of people with iPhones and iPods also have iPads. It's not a 'bigger screen' in the sense of a bigger monitor, it's a bigger touch screen and the most basic differences are obvious even only in photo form. The difference, from a component point of view, isn't that significant. Hold one in your hands and.. oh.. yeah, an iPad is not an iPhone. Maybe if these things were driven by a KB and mouse, you'd have a point, but that's not the case, and no your comparison is not 'better' because of it.

The iPad 2 will come out for a higher price than the iPad 1, and the iPad 1 will continue to sport the $500 price tag.
Wrong on both counts. Go look it up.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Sooo... by Americano · 2011-03-02 13:04 · Score: 1

Huh. So you mean the bigger version does something more, or different, than the smaller version?
Why, that sounds just like the difference between an iPhone and an iPad!
Re:Sooo... by vakuona · 2011-03-02 13:14 · Score: 1

Are you suggesting Apple should not make progress because some people might feel the stuff they have already bought is going to be made to look old. It's not like the iPads that people have will disappear in a puff of smoke and they will be compelled to buy new ones. They can choose to buy a new one if they wish, at which point they can sell on or give away their old ones, and whichever way, more people will have new iPads to use.
Re:Sooo... by narcc · 2011-03-02 14:46 · Score: 1

That's the point, unlike the swimming pool in the example, the iPad /doesn't/ offer any additional functionality -- it actually offers less!
That's why I wrote "the problem with your analogy" ... It's like you didn't even read my post.

--
Required reading for internet skeptics
Re:Sooo... by Americano · 2011-03-02 18:31 · Score: 1

It's like YOU didn't even read MY post - like specifically, where I wrote, "So you mean the bigger version does something more, or different, than the smaller version?"
The larger size of a swimming pool enables you to immerse yourself in water and splash around in a refreshing way on a hot summer afternoon. But that larger size also means that a swimming pool would make a terrible coffee cup. Conversely, a coffee cup is perfect for enjoying a bracing swallow of freshly brewed Colombian coffee, but it makes an absolutely TERRIBLE swimming pool, unless you generally swim a few cells at a time. They both are vessels for holding liquid, but their size differential means that each of them is best suited to a particular need.
Perhaps my analogy is fine, and your reading comprehension is flawed? If you really can't see that there's a significant difference in what you can do with a 10" touchscreen as opposed to a 3.5" touchscreen, then you've got way too much of a hard-on for Apple-bashing for anybody to take you seriously.
Re:Sooo... by narcc · 2011-03-02 19:30 · Score: 1

If you really can't see that there's a significant difference in what you can do with a 10" touchscreen as opposed to a 3.5" touchscreen, then you've got way too much of a hard-on for Apple-bashing for anybody to take you seriously.
Well, what CAN you do on an iPad that you can't do on an iPhone? I already know what you CAN'T do -- but I'm apparently completely in the dark about what you CAN do.
Enlighten me. That is, if you can think of anything.

--
Required reading for internet skeptics
Re:Sooo... by mario_grgic · 2011-03-03 01:16 · Score: 1

Yes, you can set any number you like (well, you will get a text message to your phone to confirm you own the number, and you have to reply from your phone). From then on when you call, others see that you are calling them from that number and not from skype (otherwise your skype name shows).

You can also purchase online skype number in any state/city in the USA (doesn't have to be local) or even abroad if you have relatives/business there, so people call call a local number with local calling rates to talk to you.

Of course, skype to skype calls are always free (including video). Really, skype on my iPhone 4 is a killer app, and I probably would not own iPhone if it wasn't available on it, but were available on some other phone.

--
As the island of our knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.
Re:Sooo... by Americano · 2011-03-03 03:07 · Score: 1

Work longer - bigger, longer lasting battery; Store more - more internal flash storage available; Display more - 10" screen, rather than 3.5" screen. Take advantage of a larger interface control area (see screen size difference. You know it's a touchscreen, right? You know that simply miniaturizing an iPad-sized interface onto an iPhone screen would produce controls that are too small to be reliably manipulated by touch, right?
Again, if you think that those differences in capability don't make a difference in what you can do with the device, then you're being deliberately obtuse. It's also likely, as somebody further up the thread suggested, that you have a lot of difficulty distinguishing between a sedan and a station wagon, or a jet and a kite. Or is it just that the Apple logo causes your brain to seize up so completely that the red haze it causes prevents you from perceiving reality?
Re:Sooo... by Stregano · 2011-03-03 08:25 · Score: 1

Wow, it is like talking to a brick wall. If you have a bigger monitor, what are the chances that 32 inch monitor will only support the resolutions of the 15 inch monitor it was upgraded from? Touchscreen vs KB and mouse does not matter. Based on what you just said, you are talking about it like since the screen is bigger, there is more space to touch stuff. Ok, with a bigger monitor, there is more space to move your mouse around. Multi-touch touch screen is the only big difference I can see between a monitor that relies on KB/mouse and touchscreen. Have you ever used anything touch screen? ever? You do realize that your finger essentially acts in a way similar to a mouse click, right?

As for the price drop, smack me in the f'ing face. This hardware is supposed to be obsolete, but it costs more than a Neo Geo. You must have skipped the entire portion I talked about when I talked about a price drop. From 500 to 400 is nothing. Well technically it is $100, but you won't see that.$400 is still a crap load of money. You will think that it is the best price drop since, uh, since the iPhone went from 400 to 300. They dropped the price by 20% and that is it. When you look at any other computer price for obsolete hardware (except for very, very few exceptions), 20% is a laughable price drop. This is not a phone. This is not a game console. This is a computer whether you like it or not. It is a computer that runs a cell phone's OS whether you like it or not (even if it is an upgraded version, it is what it is).

This still leads my point about cell phone marketting valid. Apple is marketting this like companies do cell phones. They are pricing these things slightly more than cell phones, and when newer ones come out, they adjust prices like a cell phone. Like I have said before, this is going to be an issue since with cell phones, your year long contract is up, and you get a discount from at&t to get an iPhone 4 for $99 (retail is alot more, like 300 or 400 or something), so people are ok with going from a 3Gs to a 4. The iPads are getting pushed out in the same fashion, but there is no at&t discount, we pay full retail.

So what does Apple do to make you think it is worth it, charge the same amount for an iPad 2 that they charged for an iPad 1, and drop the iPad 1 down 20%. Can anybody justify upgrading from iPad 1 to iPad 2 within a single year? These are not cell phones.

If Apple is willing to drop the price of the iPad based on just the announcement of the iPad 2, then why the hell was this device not $400 to begin with? They would have gotten the same amount of sales from it. Oh, that's right, because if people are willing to pay that extra $100, why not charge them for it? Come on dude, think about it. The funny thing is that I am not an Apple hater. I use an iPhone and enjoy it. It is simple and it works.

I am sorry, but you are defending an uphill battle here. The changes in the iPad 2 do not signify a good reason to drop another $500. The comparing this to an iPhone is 100% valid because the OS is an upgraded version of the same exact OS that the iPhone uses (and after awhile, they will be using the same OS with just very slight differences). Calling this an iPhone XL is also justified because they use the same OS as previous items. As for people owning an iPhone, an iPod touch and an iPad, please provide names (even if it is a fake name or an online name), because I have a sneaky feeling that your list will only have 1 name in it, and that is MobileTatsu-NJG

Also, again, your truck/sedan argument does not work. If you say "both get you from point A to point B", then I am going to go ahead and include every single motor vehicle that moves on the ground. Every single one. All are valid. You are purposefully vague to help your argument, and I called you on it. The Lancer one works perfect in comparing, because from the outside, they will look exactly the same to many people, but within amount 2 minutes or less of finding out about them, you find out how drastically different they are in the inside.

--
The world is how you make it
Re:Sooo... by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-03 08:43 · Score: 1

Touchscreen vs KB and mouse does not matter.
Heh. Yes, it does. So much so, in fact, that it seriously changes the design of apps designed to run on both the iPad and the iPhone. Both devices have nearly the same resolution, but their UIs are very differently implemented.

You do realize that your finger essentially acts in a way similar to a mouse click, right?
Wrong. "Essentially" you cannot get anywhere near the precision of a click with a finger that you can with a mouse.

Have you ever used anything touch screen? ever?

Thank you for clarifying that you have not.

This hardware is supposed to be obsolete, but it costs more than a Neo Geo.

Not true, whether you adjust for inflation or do not.

This is a computer whether you like it or not. It is a computer that runs a cell phone's OS whether you like it or not (even if it is an upgraded version, it is what it is).
So? You use it differently.

...then why the hell was this device not $400 to begin with?
Supply and demand.

I am sorry, but you are defending an uphill battle here.
I see.... If only I had the advantage of being wrong.

The changes in the iPad 2 do not signify a good reason to drop another $500.
Heh. You should see the first post I made in this article.

the comparing this to an iPhone is 100% valid because the OS is an upgraded version of the same exact OS that the iPhone uses...
No, it's 0% valid because it's the apps, not the OS, that drive the use of the device.

...because I have a sneaky feeling that your list will only have 1 name in it, and that is MobileTatsu-NJG
Boy did you ignore a lot of news in the last year.

Also, again, your truck/sedan argument does not work.
It works pretty well for people who have a basic understanding of how the products work.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 07:19 · Score: 1

Didn't Jobs say that 1024x768 ought to be enough for everyone! /joke

Uh, yeah, tee hee. That joke realy only gets better with age.

Still though, I hope the next time somebody claims the 'leaks' are coming from Apple's marketing dept remember the not-retina-display of the iPad 2.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Leaving the Wisconsin state house now to buy this! by elrous0 · 2011-03-02 07:19 · Score: 3, Funny

Will the $829 model be 65% hipper than the $499 model? I *really* want to impress the other guys in the drum circle.

--
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.

Resolution? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 07:19 · Score: 2, Insightful

As an iPad owner the main upgrade incentive would be a higher resolution screen. I see there's no mention of this spec?

So can we take it the iPad 2 will be the same as the original iPad?

Re:Resolution? by soupd · 2011-03-02 07:32 · Score: 2

The tech specs on Apple's own website shows 1024x768 resolution, and no mention of the rumoured improved display (that is the rumours that were circulating when most credible reports debunked the retina display rumours). But for me, as a non-iPad owner, the incentive to buy is being able to render all my existing video - including the 1080p stuff the original iPad hasn't got the CPU/GPU muscle to render.
Sold.
Re:Resolution? by FunnyStrange · 2011-03-02 07:37 · Score: 5, Interesting

On a desktop, adding more resolution to your monitor allows you to fit more stuff on the screen. On iOS devices, where each app takes over the entire screen when it's running, the only way to scale up the resolution without making everything look like crap (anti-aliasing, anyone) would be to *double* the resolution in each direction. That's what the upgrade to the iPhone 4 Retina Display did. Is that even technically feasible for something the size of an iPad at the current price point? Thousands of app developers are thrilled that they don't have to redesign their applications for a new resolution.
Re:Resolution? by chemicaldave · 2011-03-02 08:13 · Score: 1

Steve Jobs has determined that 1024x768 is the optimal resolution for a screen that size. You should be thankful that Dear Leader has decided to impart his wisdom to us.
Re:Resolution? by drdaz · 2011-03-02 08:34 · Score: 1

The doubling of the resolution (like from iPhone 3G(S) to iPhone 4) doesn't necessitate a redesign... it just requires that you re-render your graphics in the higher resolution.
I just submitted the Retina upgrade to my iPhone app (yeah... I'm a bit late with it) and all I needed to do was include the higher quality images.
Re:Resolution? by LordKronos · 2011-03-02 08:44 · Score: 1

I've transcoded a bunch of bluray movies using handbrake. I convert to 1080p mkv files and use the core audio track (which is usually 5.1 in either AC3 or DTS format) Most movies shrink to the 2-4GB range (some as small as 1.5GB, some as large as 8GB) and are close enough in quality that most people would have to try pretty hard to notice the difference.
Re:Resolution? by rolfwind · 2011-03-02 09:04 · Score: 1

Wish they would go for some type of fractal/vector/postscript type system:( In this day and age, we should stop relying on specific resolutions.
Re:Resolution? by FunnyStrange · 2011-03-02 09:08 · Score: 2

Indeed, my point exactly. Doubling the resolution doesn't *require* a redesign. Nearly any other scaling would. If you want the added depth of images designed specifically for the Retina Display, you replace the images. In the meantime, images for the old resolution look basically the same as before. That wouldn't be the case if the resolution went to, say, 1440x900.
Re:Resolution? by drdaz · 2011-03-02 09:19 · Score: 1

Oh! I misunderstood a little it seems :-)
But the rumored upgrade (now rumored for a summer release) *was* a doubling of the res in both axes. I've not heard of a mobile gfx part that can drive that kind of resolution, with the kind of gfx we're expecting, and not require a lot of juice...
That said I haven't been listening. If it can be done with today's tech, I'd be impressed.
Re:Resolution? by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 09:36 · Score: 1

Of course, but if you don't have an iPad the incentive to get a new one now is that it now has a dual core processor and better graphics. I would skip every other generation on any Apple products at the very most frequent purchasing schedule.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:Resolution? by jedidiah · 2011-03-02 09:39 · Score: 1

If your monitor is puny, adding more detail doesn't really buy you so much.
Although it does make all of the graphics subsystems work harder.

--
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Re:Resolution? by jimicus · 2011-03-02 09:49 · Score: 1

Maybe I've misunderstood you, but anti-aliasing doesn't make everything look crap. Not if you do it properly.
Unfortunately very few operating systems do it properly and if you don't, everything looks like a blurred mess. Historically, Windows didn't. Not sure if that's still the case.
RISC OS did a reasonable job, as does OS X.
Re:Resolution? by Sockatume · 2011-03-02 09:59 · Score: 1

Rumour has it that they intend to introduce a model like that as a premium device in September, as part of a transition to doing iPad launches closer to the holiday season.

--
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Re:Resolution? by DurendalMac · 2011-03-02 10:11 · Score: 1

1080p is only for mirroring the display. The iPad can only play up to 720p. What's even niftier is that HDMI adapter will work with ALL current iOS devices (albeit only for video playback up to 720p, mirroring is for iPad 2 only), which is something I've been waiting for. I'd love to toss some 720p video on my iPhone and plug it into a TV with one cable at full quality. None of the other cable kits come close. It also has a dock passthrough, which is very nice.
Re:Resolution? by Falconhell · 2011-03-02 10:47 · Score: 1

The hi-res screen will appear in the iPad 3 probably (if you follow Apples practice of witholding basic features so there is something *NEW* for the next model, so the rabid fanboys need to upgrade.)
FTFY
Re:Resolution? by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-02 13:03 · Score: 1

On iOS devices, where each app takes over the entire screen when it's running, the only way to scale up the resolution without making everything look like crap (anti-aliasing, anyone) would be to *double* the resolution in each direction ... Thousands of app developers are thrilled that they don't have to redesign their applications for a new resolution.
That's only because of crappy design of their UI framework, where most apps seem to use pixels for placement of UI elements. Hence why you need that "double resolution" trick to upscale them without loss.
On Android, using flexible layouts is essentially the default, and most apps designed for phones upscale just fine on tablets. The resulting UI is not always perfect in terms of button placement and such, obviously, but that is a different problem. And between tablets - which already have differing resolutions with no convenient conversion factor - it's not a problem at all.
As an aside, a similar problem exists on OS X. For an OS which has that fabled PostScript based vector rendering, I find it very strange that there's no way to change DPI settings so as to "make everything bigger", as you could do on Windows for ages.
Re:Resolution? by vakuona · 2011-03-02 13:18 · Score: 1

We are talking about the display here, not about how the images are created and rendered. The screen has a specific number of dots one way and then the other. I do not know of any display that can render stuff the way you seem to think it should. Actually, I do, the old crt technology was probably able to, but we are not going to see a crt tablet any time soon.
Re:Resolution? by ekhben · 2011-03-02 13:46 · Score: 1

Would be good.
Quartz drawing primitives are vector based, and Cocoa [Touch] interface layouts use resize masks to provide resolution and orientation independence, but all graphics contexts and supported image formats on IOS are bitmap only. The resource loading system will let you support all current resolutions by creating three versions of your image - image.png, image@2x.png, image-ipad.png - but that doesn't future-proof you.
You could use the Fiasco fractal library to compress your ultra high rez original copy, then decompress it into a bitmap appropriate to whatever resolution you detect at run-time; couple that with the other technologies that already make resolution independence easy and you're pretty future-proof. Not sure where you can get the original Fiasco, but it's part of the netpbm source distribution, and under a GPL license.
But the App Store is not compatible with the GPL. :-)
Re:Resolution? by FunnyStrange · 2011-03-02 14:06 · Score: 1

That's only because of crappy design of their UI framework, where most apps seem to use pixels for placement of UI elements. Hence why you need that "double resolution" trick to upscale them without loss.
On Android, using flexible layouts is essentially the default, and most apps designed for phones upscale just fine on tablets. The resulting UI is not always perfect in terms of button placement and such, obviously, but that is a different problem. And between tablets - which already have differing resolutions with no convenient conversion factor - it's not a problem at all.
I wouldn't say it's a "crappy" UI framework, exactly. Apple's just made different tradeoffs. I've written a few Java UIs, and none of the layout managers I've used gives terrific results for complex apps. Acceptable, sure, but not great. Apple is selling (typical, not necessarily tech savvy) user experience, and if the design sucks, that affects user experience. If one doesn't mind oddly placed widgets as long as they work, fine. It's a choice. And the issue still stands for image intensive things like games, where arbitrary resizing doesn't always work. Even games on desktops usually only support a few well-known screen resolutions.

As an aside, a similar problem exists on OS X. For an OS which has that fabled PostScript based vector rendering, I find it very strange that there's no way to change DPI settings so as to "make everything bigger", as you could do on Windows for ages.
I've lost you here. Are you talking about resetting System Font sizes on Windows? You're right that I can't do that out of the box on my Mac. On the other hand, I've always been able to continuously resize my cursor (using a slider), which helps me immensely, since I am visually impaired. There's also built-in zooming available, and, most importantly, the ability to use the screen in inverse-video mode (light on dark text is infinitely easier with my particular sort of visual impairment). Linux just recently got this ability, but Windows still doesn't do it. In terms of graphical bells and whistles, I think Windows 7 is pretty comparable to Mac OS X, but they each have things the other doesn't.
Re:Resolution? by jrumney · 2011-03-02 14:28 · Score: 1

only way to scale up the resolution without making everything look like crap (anti-aliasing, anyone) would be to *double* the resolution in each direction.
My laptop from ten years ago could do non-integer antialiased upscaling that looked much better than the pixel doubling you see on the iPad.
Re:Resolution? by pipedwho · 2011-03-02 14:30 · Score: 1

Wish they would go for some type of fractal/vector/postscript type system:( In this day and age, we should stop relying on specific resolutions.
iOS does support vector scaled drawings, widgets, images and obviously fonts.
However, it's up to the developer whether or not to use them. In many cases, it's far easier to pre-render an image/icon/feature in a raster image editor like Photoshop until you're happy with how it looks on-screen than to have it professionally re-drawn in a vector drawing package. Layering raster images, icons, and features with alpha blending is very simple to do and for small areas is far more efficient than trying to design an image that will still look good when scaled to higher resolutions.
Once screens are all 'retina' style displays where the pixels are effectively no longer distinguishable, then rescaling screens to arbitrary non-integer values becomes far less aesthetically problematic. But, it also means that developers/graphics artists will need to spend more time and effort on detail where it could have otherwise been 'hidden' beneath the inherent pixellation of a lower resolution display.
Re:Resolution? by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-02 14:51 · Score: 1

I've written a few Java UIs, and none of the layout managers I've used gives terrific results for complex apps.

Java has a separate problem - it has a few stock layouts which are oversimplified and hard to get good results out of (but easy to use), and then it has other layouts which let you make really good reflowable UI - not any worse than manual pixel placement - but which are really hard to use correctly (GridBagLayout etc). There are some third-party layout managers that help there.
In any case, yes, reflowable dynamic UI places a higher burden on developer. But it's either that, or limiting hardware because of software issues, which is just silly. Note how all other modern UI frameworks promote layouts these days - Gtk, Qt, Android, WPF/Silverlight all do that. The case of WPF in particular is interesting, as, historically, Windows did the same thing iOS does, and all APIs required absolute positioning - if you wanted dynamic layout you coded your own; WPF changed that. So Apple is quite literally lagging behind here.

And the issue still stands for image intensive things like games, where arbitrary resizing doesn't always work. Even games on desktops usually only support a few well-known screen resolutions.
Actually, it's been a while since I saw hardcoded resolution lists in games, and quite often it's a simple UI deficiency (i.e. menu doesn't list the resolution, but game actually runs fine if you manually specify it in config file - as with Quake 2). Making a resolution-independent 3D game in particular is trivial, as the only thing you need to account for is screen width to height ratio. With 2D it's a bit harder, and the best decision is usually just "zoom out" (i.e. don't upscale the sprites), but still - Age of Wonders is a strictly 2D Windows game released in 1999 that runs just fine on my 1920x1200 display today - they get list of supported resolutions from OS, and they scale up their UI accordingly (and leave actual sprites unscaled).

I've lost you here. Are you talking about resetting System Font sizes on Windows?

I'm talking about changing the sizes of all UI elements. This affects not just text size, but the entire UI (in XP it did only for apps which correctly implemented it; in Vista/7, the OS will do bitmap scaling if the app doesn't properly scale itself). In Windows 7, this is called "Make text and other items larger or smaller" in the control panel. What this actually does is change the assumed DPI setting, such that all sizes calculated in points (or other device-independent units) become larger or smaller in pixel count.
Note that this is quite different from zooming - the latter only shows you a bigger image of what's under the cursor. With DPI change, the effect is as if you'd change to a lower resolution - everything is "just bigger" - but you don't get bigger pixels (except for apps for which OS does bitmap scaling). You can easily get that at 200% on a bigger monitor with everything working fine, and forget about zoom completely - that's how I've set it up for my mom.
The reason why a person with no vision impairment might want it is for when the screen is further away than usual - a classic example is TV. In my case, I have Mac Mini hooked up to a 42" TV panel, and OS X UI on that is quite hard to read from the couch because the text is so small. On the other hand, with Win7 running in Boot Camp on the same Mac Mini, I've simply jacked up DPI settings to 150%, and enjoy large readable text.
Curiously enough, there is actually a hidden global DPI/scale setting in OS X. But it's not officially supported, and it shows - if you change the setting to something other than the default, there will be UI bugs even in stock apps (as I recall I've seen some problems in the top menu even), so in practice it's not usable.
Re:Resolution? by FunnyStrange · 2011-03-02 15:08 · Score: 1

Reasonable points. Thanks.
Re:Resolution? by goosesensor · 2011-03-02 16:33 · Score: 1

Thousands of us are thrilled, huh? Where did you get that figure? It's really not a big deal. For any bitmap images, include a second version with "@2x" appended before the file extension. The Cocoa Touch API will automatically use that version when appropriate. Done. Most developers will have vector, or at least high-resolution sources available for their image resources. There is nothing hard, expensive, or time-consuming about it. I, for one, would welcome [don't say it] a double-resolution iPad display. The iPhone 4's screen is damn nice.
Re:Resolution? by shadowrat · 2011-03-02 18:12 · Score: 1

I had heard a lot of speculation about a retina display on the new ipad. It just didn't seem possible. Gaming seems to have become a major point of the ipad, 4096x3072 is not a resolution to take lightly. desktop hardware doesn't do realtime 3d rendering at those resolutions without serious cooling.
Re:Resolution? by Cimexus · 2011-03-02 18:18 · Score: 1

No it's not feasible. As you say the only way to 'upgrade' the iPad's screen is to do pixel-doubling ala the iPhone 4 display. However, on a screen the size of the iPad's, you'd require pretty hefty graphics hardware to drive such a display. So most people with a brain realised a long time ago that the iPad 2 wasn't going to have a higher rez display. The only improvement in the iPad 2's display is that the backlight is now LED.
A 'retina' style display for iPad might happen with iPad 3 though. Seems to me that iPad 1 -> is an incremental upgrade only, like the iPhone 3G - 3GS. The big leap will be next year on the iPad 3 (or whatever they will call it), like the jump from 3GS -> 4 in the phones.
Re:Resolution? by dadelbunts · 2011-03-02 18:22 · Score: 1

Ipad2 is best Ipad.
Re:Resolution? by Karellen · 2011-03-03 00:36 · Score: 1

On iOS devices, where each app takes over the entire screen when it's running, the only way to scale up the resolution without making everything look like crap (anti-aliasing, anyone) would be to *double* the resolution in each direction.
Uh, please explain the logic underlying that conclusion. Otherwise your argument is that, on a desktop where users always run all their apps maximised (taking up the entire screen when running), the only way to give them a higher resolution monitor without making everything look like crap would be to give them a new monitor with *double* the resolution of the old one in each direction.
Which is, obviously, complete crap.
Unless developers are writing apps which assume a fixed number of pixels and use pixel-based layouts everywhere. Surely iOS must have a dynamic layout engine in this day and age? I didn't think new pixel-based layout systems had been created by anyone sane in years, plus weren't Apple one of the earlier commercial companies to develop dynamic non-pixel-based layout engines with Quartz (or whatever it was)?
Yes, crappy developers can still create shitty apps which make stupid assumptions, but you're probably better off staying away from their software anyway, aren't you?
(Disclaimer, I have never used any MacOS X/iOS based device, let alone done any development work for one)

--
Why doesn't the gene pool have a life guard?

Re:Units by LucidBeast · 2011-03-02 07:19 · Score: 2

It's a tour that covers 64 cities. You know rock&roll Nerd!!! (just kidding)

No SDHC reader! by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 07:20 · Score: 2, Insightful

Do we hv to wait for iPad 3 then? Or never ever?

Re:No SDHC reader! by mr100percent · 2011-03-02 07:27 · Score: 3, Informative

Just use Apple's Camera Connection Kit, it plugs in to the dock connector.
Re:No SDHC reader! by Carewolf · 2011-03-02 07:38 · Score: 5, Insightful

Forever. It is a strategy tax. Adding SDHC would make the lower end models compete with high-end models, and Apple prices the low-end models competively, but they make the profit on the high-end models that are much more expensive than expanding the low-end models would cost. 32Gbyte SDHC($50) plus a 3G modem($20) cost a lot less than the $330 price difference.
If they added SDHC-readers they would either have to raise prices on the low-end, or reduce the profit margins on the high-end.
Not that that makes it okay, I still resent them for it, but it makes perfect business sense, and this is no point in dreaming unless they are put under more customer pressure.
Re:No SDHC reader! by Entropius · 2011-03-02 07:46 · Score: 1

Why pay $30 for a dongle that does something that most every netbook ever made has built in?
Re:No SDHC reader! by tyger_purr · 2011-03-02 07:54 · Score: 2

So buy a netbook.
Re:No SDHC reader! by Carewolf · 2011-03-02 08:05 · Score: 1

I think it only allows picture transfers. So useful for getting images from the camera, not useful for storing or transfering anything else.
Re:No SDHC reader! by node+3 · 2011-03-02 08:16 · Score: 1

That's not why. First, Apple ships an SDHC reader. Second, Home Sharing (and eventual cloud syncing) also helps mitigate the difference between 16GB and 64GB. Adding another internal slot will affect size and mar the design. The internal flash is much faster than most (all?) SD cards. And lastly, using a removable storage device to augment internal storage like you are suggesting does not fit with the ease of use of iOS.
Re:No SDHC reader! by node+3 · 2011-03-02 08:19 · Score: 4, Insightful

Why pay $30 for a dongle that does something that most every netbook ever made has built in?
Because the iPad doesn't. Your question is nonsensical. You might as well ask, "why pay $40 dollars for an external optical drive for a netbook when every other computer has them built in?"
Re:No SDHC reader! by MarkGriz · 2011-03-02 08:43 · Score: 5, Insightful

Why pay $30 for a dongle that does something that most every netbook ever made has built in?
Please, how do you expect Apple to charge $100 for 16 gigs of memory if they start throwing in SD slots all willy-nilly.

--
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.
Re:No SDHC reader! by lexman098 · 2011-03-02 08:48 · Score: 1

Exactly.
Re:No SDHC reader! by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 09:14 · Score: 1

Why pay $30 for a dongle that does something that most every netbook ever made has built in?
So you don't have to tote a dorky netbook around?
Re:No SDHC reader! by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 09:41 · Score: 1

So you don't have to tote a dorky netbook around?
Only a Apple fanboy would use an Apple product as a fashion accessory.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:No SDHC reader! by jedidiah · 2011-03-02 09:43 · Score: 1

> Because the iPad doesn't.
Then it is clearly flawed.
It's a machine that's designed to be limited and to ignore many of the obvious ways to interact with a computing device.

--
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Re:No SDHC reader! by jedidiah · 2011-03-02 09:45 · Score: 1

...except the dorky netbook can actually make full use of what USB ports it has built in.
That's the whole problem with a device that intentionally leaves them off.
It's basically abandoning all of that hardware/software integration that fanboys like to drone on so much about because the device simply wasn't designed with USB in mind.

--
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Re:No SDHC reader! by jedidiah · 2011-03-02 09:48 · Score: 1

...yes. We would rather base our design on pie in the stuff crap that isn't at all suitable yet rather than "marring the design".
Although that's silly. It doesn't "mar" the design of any other apple product that has one. It's really not that conspicuous.
The problem with "home sharing" is that the iPad isn't really designed with that in mind either.
"home sharing" is another one of those categories where a netbook stomps all over an iPad.

--
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Re:No SDHC reader! by jimicus · 2011-03-02 09:56 · Score: 1

I think it makes more sense not to think of the iPad as a computer, but rather as special purpose device intended for browsing the web and running a limited selection of applications.
It may be that you want something more flexible. That would be a netbook.
Re:No SDHC reader! by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 10:40 · Score: 1

No disagreement here. But for some people, not having a USB port is a fair trade off for not having to carry bunch of dorky gear around. An iPad fits within the leather binder I already carry for business, so the device is very inconspicuous, which is important in many fields. Not that I have an iPad or would even want one...just providing logical reasons why people would buy a $500+ that leaves off things like USB.
Re:No SDHC reader! by node+3 · 2011-03-02 10:55 · Score: 1

> Because the iPad doesn't.
Then it is clearly flawed.
Yeah, it's so flawed that Apple sold around 20 million over the past 11 months. Clearly, your definition of "flawed" is far from universal.

It's a machine that's designed to be limited and to ignore many of the obvious ways to interact with a computing device.
Do you not realize that the existence of the camera connection kit undermines the validity of your jaundiced view?
Re:No SDHC reader! by Draek · 2011-03-02 10:55 · Score: 1

Heh, iPhone 3G is not supported. Guess that's what happens when you refuse to use an actual standard and do your own propietary crap, isn't it? "we can import photos from any device you may own, except ours".

--
No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.
Re:No SDHC reader! by aristotle-dude · 2011-03-02 10:59 · Score: 1

Do we hv to wait for iPad 3 then? Or never ever?
You are obviously not in the target market. Tell me, which card standard should they support? What if a new card standard comes out? Isn't it better to be able to buy a new reader that having an obsolete slot down the road?
Also, not having a card slot makes it much more attractive to business and government users. Think loss of data, think no encryption. Think wikileaks.
I would not be surprised if governments continue to buy the iPad 1 since it does not have a camera on it.

--
Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
Re:No SDHC reader! by node+3 · 2011-03-02 10:59 · Score: 1

I think it makes more sense not to think of the iPad as a computer, but rather as special purpose device intended for browsing the web and running a limited selection of applications.
That's not terribly accurate. Kindle is special purpose. iPad is general purpose with a wide array of apps, including both content consumption and content creation, among many other types.

It may be that you want something more flexible. That would be a netbook.
That's definitely true in jedidiah's case, but his problem isn't that he doesn't view the iPad in proper context, it's that he can't seem to understand how anyone can have a different opinion than him about it. Lack of a built-in SD slot is to him a damning issue. To most everyone else? Not so much.
Re:No SDHC reader! by bennomatic · 2011-03-02 11:03 · Score: 1

I love that everyone is now bandying about this term, "strategy tax." It's not a tax, it's a business decision. When you call it a "strategy tax", you're implying that your desire for a feature actually represents a better product decision than they've made. I'm not saying that Apple is infallible, nor even that you're wrong to want this feature, but to just label it as a strategy tax because saying you disagree with their decision is, well, silly.

In case you haven't noticed, Apple's been working towards getting rid of removable media for a long time. Killing the floppy back in the late 90s; pushing downloads via iTMS versus CDs and DVDs; never even putting a BluRay player in any device, and designing a line of MacBooks without RM (the Air). This just follows the same line.

Want extra storage? Get a bigger device or use a cloud-based synching system like DropBox, EverNote or the rumored upcoming version of MobileMe. Want to get pictures from your camera? If it doesn't exist soon, I'd be surprised if the folks at EyeFi will build an app to allow you to do it wirelessly. Want it for some other reason? Great; buy a different device. However, you might not have a lot of luck with other tablets either; SD card support is often limited, and it's varied. Some devices will only let you use it for a single purpose like transferring files. Other devices will only let you use it for core memory expansion, so you can't remove it without causing you to lose files or functionality.

But you're free to dislike the fact that they haven't chosen to add the feature; just don't mistake your simple disdain for a more insightful stance. I've seen the term 'strategy tax' bandied about with regards to Apple products several times in the last week, and each time, it's just a highfallutin' way of saying, "I disagree." Strategy tax, schmategy tax.

--
The CB App. What's your 20?
Re:No SDHC reader! by scot4875 · 2011-03-02 11:33 · Score: 2

Because including a 10 cent part that hooks up to what everyone already has would prevent Apple from charging $40 for something they make, and that most people won't look elsewhere to find cheaper.
--Jeremy

--
Jesus was a liberal
Re:No SDHC reader! by node+3 · 2011-03-02 11:42 · Score: 1

Because including a 10 cent part that hooks up to what everyone already has would prevent Apple from charging $40 for something they make, and that most people won't look elsewhere to find cheaper.
--Jeremy
$29, and it's unlikely Apple makes much money on them. If the slot was all that important, it would be built-in in order to sell more iPads. Also, that's not how design works. It's not like legos where you just snap something on, you have to make space for it, wire it in, modify the case for it, etc. Apple's design is often about the things they omit as much as it is about the things they include. That's why the iPad is so thin.
Re:No SDHC reader! by Relayman · 2011-03-02 11:45 · Score: 1

Just use Bluetooth to transmit your pictures.

--
If I used a sig over again, would anyone notice?
Re:No SDHC reader! by Relayman · 2011-03-02 11:47 · Score: 1

You don't like the iPad? Then no iPad for you! - The Soup Nazi

--
If I used a sig over again, would anyone notice?
Re:No SDHC reader! by bonch · 2011-03-02 11:52 · Score: 1

Because the iPad doesn't do that. Next silly question.
Re:No SDHC reader! by mr100percent · 2011-03-02 11:55 · Score: 1

Not officially supported, but MacWorld reports it working
Re:No SDHC reader! by Carewolf · 2011-03-02 11:56 · Score: 2

No, I think you misunderstood the term "Strategy Tax", it is not a tax on the user, it is a tax on the company. Through business decisions they are preventing themselves from producing the best possible product. As long as their product is attractive enough, that is not an actual problem, but it does leave room for competitors to provide something they don't. Apple hasn't taken a hit from strategy tax yet, but strategy tax has come back to bite microsoft several times, and it is mainly a term used internally in microsoft for the hidden costs of strategic business decisions.

In case you haven't noticed, Apple's been working towards getting rid of removable media for a long time.
No, I hadn't noticed. Is that the new spin? Well, it's nice. Now enable USB and bluetooth filetransfer and I would believe it, otherwise I am going to stick with my strategy tax idea, because strategy tax explains disabled filetransfer (to support iTunes).
Re:No SDHC reader! by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 11:57 · Score: 1

and this is no point in dreaming unless they are put under more customer pressure.
Which won't happen because too many douche-bag yuppies and hipsters would buy Apple products even if they tacked on another 30 percent. They would just continue to argue that they get what the pay for in spite of continuous evidence to the contrary.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:No SDHC reader! by ekhben · 2011-03-02 13:48 · Score: 1

What, steganography isn't good enough for you?
Re:No SDHC reader! by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 15:35 · Score: 1

That's why it has sold 15 million units in the 9 months since its release.
Clearly so flawed that it just isn't useful to anyone, right?
Sure it could use a USB port, and I was hoping they'd put one on the iPad 2, but it doesn't seem to be affecting the utility of the product in any way. You think after 9 months someone might have noticed it has no USB port and requires an adapter.
Re:No SDHC reader! by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 15:41 · Score: 1

It works, it's just not ideal. The iPhone 3G is a little RAM shy and a little slow, so it's somewhat limited. It has the same problem when I connect it to the stereo in my car - sometimes you have to plug it in a couple of times to prod it into replying. I sorted that by using an old iPod Touch with a smashed screen, which has no problems hooking up to the stereo. I think the 3G suffers a lot under iOS 4
Speaking of "own proprietary crap" it uses the standard USB mass storage, and PTP. So very "proprietary" it makes my had spin.
Re:No SDHC reader! by itsme1234 · 2011-03-02 16:44 · Score: 1

$29, and it's unlikely Apple makes much money on them.
You can buy now SDHC readers for $.99 and that is retail price including shipping around the world. As GP said we're talking cents for parts and it's a long way to $29...
I bet there are ipods that are sold with less margin than that $28+
Re:No SDHC reader! by node+3 · 2011-03-02 17:27 · Score: 1

Apple doesn't make shit adaptors and doesn't put them in shit packaging and doesn't solely ship them to you from a factory in China like your $0.99 SDHC reader example. Also, the kit is both an SD reader and a USB adaptor. It is not a USB adaptor, but a dock connector. You are comparing Apple's to lowest common denominator.
Of course there is a mark up. I'm certain Apple makes a profit on the sale of each kit, but I'm saying they don't make a significant amount of profit overall from the sale of the kits. Not enough to warrant causing a negative impact in sales of iPads, which is what Entropius implied (that people would be better off buying a netbook).
Re:No SDHC reader! by Xenna · 2011-03-03 01:19 · Score: 1

Not really. There are clear technical reasons (size, power use) why netbooks don't have optical drives. There are no technical reasons why the huge iPad couldn't include a tiny cheap SDHC slot. The only reason it's not there is because it's incompatible. Incompatible with Apple's policy of squeezing out their customers.
Not to worry though, I have an iPad and the camera connection kit and the iPad still sucks at doing anything with photo's...
Re:No SDHC reader! by Xenna · 2011-03-03 01:23 · Score: 1

That's ridiculous. An SD slot is tiny and you could easily fit 10 of them in an ipad. And then you claim that optional external storage makes the thing too hard to use. What the hell are you doing on Slashdot?
It's iTunes and the lack of decent external storage that make my ipad hard to use. A great app like Goodreader needs to have its own ftp client built in to be able to retrieve PDF's from a server. It's not alone in that. Lots of apps are jumping through hoops to transfer files to or from the device. They all scream: broken by design.
Re:No SDHC reader! by makomk · 2011-03-03 03:18 · Score: 1

Not only that, but apparently it only supports getting images off using the very limited built-in application for doing so. Someone in another thread linked an interesting post about this by the developers of some image management and editing software. It would seem that third-party apps have no access to the SD card or USB interface whatsoever.
Re:No SDHC reader! by bennomatic · 2011-03-03 09:01 · Score: 1

No, I understand completely what it means. But you're using the term in two different ways yourself. Their strategies are preventing them from producing the best possible product? What's the best possible product? For whom? Apple has an smash-hit product which they are clearly working on improving, and which has already outsold all of the tablet PCs that ever came before it. Many of those had USB ports, SD card ports, accessible file systems and so on. If they had done all that (and added a stylus on top), they would have had a me-too product copying a whole line of failed products.

I'm not saying that the iPad is perfect, nor that it will ever be all things to all people. But Apple these days seems like a fairly dynamic company which invests a lot in user experience. As with copy/paste, they didn't add it in until they were sure it could be done right, and they successfully shipped the first iPhones and iPod touches without it. People complained, and people maligned them for any number of reasons. But it wasn't a conspiracy or a strategy; it was simply an issue of releasing a good-enough product and then hitting some of the features that didn't make the version one list.

SD cards may indeed be on somebody's list somewhere, but it's just been deemed to not be a priority.

I'm with you on wireless iTunes synching. That would be awesome. The only way I've justified that being left out for the time being is that (a) if you're on the same wifi network with your iTunes-hosting computer, you're probably close enough to physically connect them anyway and (b) you probably want to be charging while you're doing an operation that has a high volume of data transfer as well as lots of read/write/erase operations on the device's long-term storage.

Oh, and one other thing. I've got an old Apple TV, and I'll tell you, when I fire up iTunes and it starts synching over the air, it's kind of a chore. I almost always cancel unless there's a good reason to synch at that time. Maybe they're not happy with their overall synching strategies, and they're going to introduce iPad/Phone/Pod synching over the air at some other time. We'll see.

But honestly, I see the Microsoft examples--don't let product A do this or it'll kill product B!--but I just don't think that's what's happening here with the iPad. I think it's a new product category that doesn't have all the features you want. Some it'll get, some it won't. Competitors may have a product that better fits your needs, and you'll buy it. Chances are Apple will see that coming and decide if there are enough of "you" to implement your desired features before the competition does. If they don't see that coming, then it'll be 1995 all over again.

--
The CB App. What's your 20?
Re:No SDHC reader! by node+3 · 2011-03-03 20:24 · Score: 1

That's ridiculous. An SD slot is tiny and you could easily fit 10 of them in an ipad.
You have to connect them to the case, you have to wire them up, which brings in the need for extra chips. And there's the internal volume of the connector and the space left empty for the card to be inserted. This all can add up to multiple cubic centimeters, each of which are important in such a small enclosure.

And then you claim that optional external storage makes the thing too hard to use. What the hell are you doing on Slashdot?
Are you dense? It makes it too hard for the target audience, which is "everyone" and not just the technologically adept.

It's iTunes and the lack of decent external storage that make my ipad hard to use. A great app like Goodreader needs to have its own ftp client built in to be able to retrieve PDF's from a server. It's not alone in that. Lots of apps are jumping through hoops to transfer files to or from the device. They all scream: broken by design.
It's not that it's broken, but that it's incomplete. Apple really needs to add a universal WebDAV and SMB API for apps to use, as well as a common storage pool. But if they get this wrong, it's worse than not having it at all for most users. For the more technologically adept, jumping through hoops and rough edges aren't that much of a problem.
Your post reflects very well why a certain breed of geeks tend to thumb their nose at iOS devices, and why they seem so thoroughly incapable of understanding why iOS is better for most everyone who isn't them.
Re:No SDHC reader! by node+3 · 2011-03-03 20:34 · Score: 1

Not really. There are clear technical reasons (size, power use) why netbooks don't have optical drives. There are no technical reasons why the huge iPad couldn't include a tiny cheap SDHC slot.
That's completely different. It's *why* it's not included. The fact is that netbooks don't have optical drives. The question Entropius asked is equally apt in that case.

The only reason it's not there is because it's incompatible. Incompatible with Apple's policy of squeezing out their customers.
That makes no sense. The correct answer is not enough people want it to warrant its inclusion, but enough do want it to warrant the add-on. I can't understand why this is so difficult to grasp.
If you look at the ports and button on the iPad (and iPhone and iPod) you will notice that there are as few as possible. This simplicity is part of the appeal of Apple products. People who clamor for USB ports and SD slots completely ignore this. Apple offers both USB and SD for those that want it, without burdening those that don't.

Not to worry though, I have an iPad and the camera connection kit and the iPad still sucks at doing anything with photo's...
As do I, and I have no trouble with photos on the iPad. It seems the problem lies with the operator.
Re:No SDHC reader! by Xenna · 2011-03-03 21:29 · Score: 1

Yeah, the operator above is obviously blinded by Apple love. Try this. Take a few hundred shots on your camera (set the file format to raw+jpeg for real fun) and transfer them to your iPad. You'll notice that the iPad will transfer both the ~5MB jpegs and the ~25MB RAW files even though it doesn't do anything with the latter. The transfer will last 6 times as long and the pix will take up 6 times as much space. No way to change this behavior (no settings anywhere). Now after looking at your hundreds of pix you want to remove them from your iPad. You have to tap on each and every pic and then press delete, great for your RSI. How braindead is that? Very...
Now, on an Android device this would not be a problem. A programmer would just write an app to fix this. On the iPad, third party apps are not allowed to delete images from the storage. Of course, this is all 'to make it easier for the user'.
This is 'news for nerds', no self-respecting nerd would defend such 'design'. You do. So, my conclusion is that you don't belong here. Try some Apple fanboy forum ;)
Re:No SDHC reader! by node+3 · 2011-03-04 15:57 · Score: 1

I shoot in RAW, and have transferred over 600 shots in a single go onto my iPad. Never had a single problem. And you don't have to delete them one at a time.

The transfer will last 6 times as long and the pix will take up 6 times as much space.
Yes, that's what happens when you shoot in JPG+RAW. This is fundamental, and I'm surprised you are having trouble with this.
If you're wondering why it imports both the RAW and JPG (I don't know what it defaults to in what it shows you, but it definitely works with RAW files just fine), it's so people can import into their iPad, then import from there into their computer. Imagine the disappointment a user will face if they got back to their computer and their RAWs were all gone.

Now, on an Android device this would not be a problem. A programmer would just write an app to fix this.
For what purpose? Better to keep it simple. All it is is transferring photos to the device, not something you need much complexity on. But if you *do* want to do things the hard way, yes, you should probably be using Android.

On the iPad, third party apps are not allowed to delete images from the storage. Of course, this is all 'to make it easier for the user'.
Safer for the user. "Oops, our app deleted all your photos. Sorry."

This is 'news for nerds', no self-respecting nerd would defend such 'design'. You do. So, my conclusion is that you don't belong here. Try some Apple fanboy forum ;)
It's not "news for stuck-up elitist geeks", so what are you doing here? You're not the arbiter of what qualifies as a geek or nerd topic. The very notion that nerds/geeks should all have the same preferences is absurd.
Apple puts out some serious tech, and they show you where everyone else will be following a year or two later. If you don't think that's news for nerds, maybe you should just ignore the Apple stories or find a new site yourself? Also, if you find it difficult to use an iPad... well, just saying maybe you shouldn't be so quick to revoke someone's geek card, just saying.
Re:No SDHC reader! by Xenna · 2011-03-07 01:41 · Score: 1

I see you don't even attempt to describe a solution to my silly little viewer problems. That's not surprising, because there is none. That makes the iPad/iPhone about the only 'advanced' computerplatform that makes it impossible to find solutions for simple problems. If you think that's a good thing you never deserved that geek card in the first place.

Re:Let the howling of thousands begin... by recoiledsnake · 2011-03-02 07:21 · Score: 1

No need to crib, there's no retina display in the new one. And most Apps will try to be compatible with the speeds of the 15 million iPads. Doubt you will see exclusives soon. So what are you missing out on?

--
This space for rent.

Re:Not bad by oji-sama · 2011-03-02 07:23 · Score: 1

I don't know anyone who believed that iPad 2 was going to have retina-display.

--
It is what it is.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by mr100percent · 2011-03-02 07:23 · Score: 1

I believe it already has several of the features already (it's running 4.2.5), such as HotSpot.

Re:Leaving the Wisconsin state house now to buy th by Gohtar · 2011-03-02 07:24 · Score: 1

Drum circle? More like iSheep jerking circle.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by adamstew · 2011-03-02 07:24 · Score: 2

iOS 4.3 is compatible with any device that is able to run iOS 4... so this includes various iPhones, iPod touches and all iPads.

Re:Not bad by pushing-robot · 2011-03-02 07:25 · Score: 4, Funny

To be fair, the fact that they bought first-generation products proves that they secretly enjoy suffering and inevitable alienation.

--
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 07:25 · Score: 3, Informative

Kept you from buying anything else, didn't it?

No. The copycat nature and ho-hum'ness of 'anything else' is what kept me from buying it.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Not bad by iluvcapra · 2011-03-02 07:26 · Score: 1

Why outrun the bear when you just need to outrun the other lawyers?

--
Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.

9x 'faster' Graphics by OverlordQ · 2011-03-02 07:26 · Score: 1

The claims are 9x, but I wonder what the actual performance increase will be.

--
Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.

Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by mblase · 2011-03-02 07:33 · Score: 2

What I wonder is: how well would Flash web video play with these faster graphics, and exactly how much would it impact the battery life?
(I'm not sure which is more of an issue with Flash: the battery impact, or Apple's fear of web Flash apps duplicating in-store apps. Probably both in equal measure.)
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 07:34 · Score: 1

9X, obviously...

As long as you only care about alpha channel blending on drop shadows. For everything else its a 5% improvement.

(The entire industry cheats like this, but Apple is, by far, the worst offender at singling out an outlying gain)
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by lowlymarine · 2011-03-02 07:43 · Score: 5, Insightful

0%, because all programs still have to run on the original iPad. You can have a "fragmentation free ecosystem" or you can have real advancement each generation It's kind of hard to have both. This is why PC games and some Android games have adjustable graphics settings for different hardware, but Apple deems that to be "fragmentation."
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by beelsebob · 2011-03-02 07:46 · Score: 1

My guess is that the fragment processing is 9 times faster – that's where the SGX535 that used to be in it was sorely limited, and what would be required for a future retina display.
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by Entropius · 2011-03-02 07:47 · Score: 1

You're forgetting that your average Apple user cares very much about alpha blending on drop shadows.
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by ultramk · 2011-03-02 08:17 · Score: 3, Informative

I would disagree. The iOS APIs specifically allow for graceful degradation of framerate in 3d rendering. To give a concrete example, when I switched from the iPhone 3GS to the 4, framerates for 3d games and augmented reality apps shot through the roof.
As far as adding adjustable graphics settings, it's completely unnecessary. With only a handful of devices to support, standard practice to to pre-select optimized settings for each device, which are transparently loaded without user involvement. Very elegant and very very easy for developers to implement.

--
You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by dingen · 2011-03-02 08:20 · Score: 3, Informative

Most games for iOS include high-resolution textures which are loaded when you run it on an iPhone4 or an iPad and lower-resolution textures when the game runs on an iPhone 3G(S) or iPod Touch. New games will surely make use of the power of the new iPad2 and will simply scale down to run on the iPad1 or any other iOS device.

--
Pretty good is actually pretty bad.
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by BufferArea · 2011-03-02 08:24 · Score: 1

If the developer can create graphics for different settings, it should be trivial for him to adjust the graphics automatically for different underlying Apple hardware. With a much smaller amount of hardware to target and test against (on iOS) this is something the developer should do and not force the user to experiment with to get acceptable performance. To a lesser degree this should be possible on the Android platform also.
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by BZ · 2011-03-02 09:16 · Score: 1

The browser doesn't have to run on the original iPad.
If you're treating your iPad as mostly a netbook, then the performance improvement is quite real.
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 09:17 · Score: 1

Flash can run on iOS via the Adobe Flash packager. Granted, developers need to develop Flash stuff using the packager for it to work, but to think the iOS cannot physically handle the Flash format is untrue. Equally granted, no guaranty on good performance and/or battery life, as I haven't personally tested it yet.
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/packagerforiphone/
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by jjb3rd · 2011-03-02 09:18 · Score: 1

This isn't true. You don't have settings for a high performance game you have an HD version which you buy if you have the faster device...you are clearly a troll as any respectable iOS owner has a copy of Rage HD which is also available as SD (standard definition). As for fragmentation, developers specify what platforms an app is available for, but developers also want to make money so they make apps for the lowest common denominator so that they can get more sales...this isn't the fault of Apple holding back things in the name of fragmentation, it's the allure of cold hard cash. There are plenty of apps available for one iOS device or another but not all...much like Android has minimum device requirements, Apple let's developers specify which devices it runs on.
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 09:48 · Score: 1

So the identical apps on my friend's iPhone 4 run at the same speed as my iPhone 3G?
Good to know.
Of course, it's nonsense, but never mind.
The version of Carcassonne, Motion GPS, Slightly Annoyed Avians etc are the same on our two phones, but they run better on the iPhone 4 (especially the AI in Carcassonne planning its moves in the late game - it is way faster on the iPhone 4). The app drawing and responsiveness are better for Motion GPS which is taxing the older 3G to its limit (and it has no magnetic compass either, so the compass screen uses a GPS-derived heading which is extra work for the version with the weaker cpu!)
There are also apps that do only work on the newer phones - all the barcode reader apps need a 3GS or above and will not work on the 3G and lower since the camera does not have autofocus on the older phones. ie, fragmentation.
There is no reason why there won't be a performance upgrade just because the older model still exists.
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by Phleg · 2011-03-02 09:50 · Score: 1

Apps can have hardware generations listed as a requirement — hence how games requiring far more horsepower than the 3G could provide started coming out immediately after the 3GS was released.
Some of us try not to comment on issues we're utterly clueless about. I suspect we're a dying breed.

--
No comment.
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by bonch · 2011-03-02 11:54 · Score: 1

This is why PC games and some Android games have adjustable graphics settings for different hardware, but Apple deems that to be "fragmentation."
By "adjustable graphics settings," what you really mean is that developers are forced to support and test multiple GPUs, drivers, and operating systems, which is one of the reasons developers have embraced the static hardware configurations of game consoles.
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by sootman · 2011-03-02 12:55 · Score: 1

> some Android games have adjustable graphics
> settings for different hardware, but Apple deems
> that to be "fragmentation."
They deem it fragmentation because there are some big popular Android games that don't run on many popular Android handsets. So if by "adjustable" you mean "will not run at all" then yes, adjustable graphics are the answer. (And as anyone who has played it knows, Angry Birds is not even close to the pinnacle of hardware-intensive games.)

--
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by ekhben · 2011-03-02 13:50 · Score: 1

My experience is most games sell both a regular and an HD version.
:-)
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by goosesensor · 2011-03-02 16:43 · Score: 1

The idea of fragmentation is definitely important, whichever side of the debate you may be on. But, I don't think your particular argument holds much weight. Now, I can't cite any examples off the top of my head, but it seems quite reasonable to assume that a given iOS game could determine which device it's running on, and adjust its rendering settings appropriately. This, in more ways than one, could be seen as an advantage over user-adjustable settings. For example, there are a relatively small set of iOS devices available, and you know exactly what each's capabilities are -- your game can be made run exactly as intended on each, and the (potentially retarded) user doesn't have to know the first thing about 3D rendering, or change any settings.
Re:9x 'faster' Graphics by N+Monkey · 2011-03-02 23:44 · Score: 1

What I wonder is: how well would Flash web video play with these faster graphics, and exactly how much would it impact the battery life?
(I'm not sure which is more of an issue with Flash: the battery impact, or Apple's fear of web Flash apps duplicating in-store apps. Probably both in equal measure.)
I get the feeling the 9x is specifically referring to 3D/2D rendering performance. The processing for video files, AFAICS, is done in its own dedicated hardware but, of course, that too may have been upgraded relative to the A4 chip.

Re:Not bad by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 07:26 · Score: 1

You know what steve jobs thinks is neat? The fact that you bought the first one, and are seriously contemplating already buying the second one.

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by repetty · 2011-03-02 07:26 · Score: 2, Insightful

The iPad is still assembled by cheap Chinese labor who sometimes get suicidal and jump off the Foxconn factory roof so they installed nets. But hey, it's 33% thinner!!!!!

BTW, I did the numbers a while back...

Foxconn's employee suicide rates are 1/3 the suicide rate of the general U.S. population. We should send people over there to figure out why their employees are so happy and healthy.

tick - TOCK by xMrFishx · 2011-03-02 07:26 · Score: 4, Insightful

I'm not entirely convinced this is aimed at upgraders, apart from bleeding edge users but seems to be more for drawing in the second round of buyers. Those that wanted the camera feature, those that have seen what competitors have produced and are now making their purchase decision. There seems to be a minor price reduction on the existing IP1 too, £329 for the 16Gig is showing at time of writing on the UK store, though the IP2 is not listed there yet. No doubt there's so much stock of the IP1 that a price drop will cause more fence sitters to buy in at the older model if they decide they don't want the newest.

It's a nice tactic and these guys really are the pro marketeers. They could sell water to fish.

This follows (loosely) Intel's tick - tock model and doesn't overwhelm the consumer too much allowing production methods to be refined to lower cost for the next tick product whilst still staying in a good market position with the tock item.

Re:tick - TOCK by Cimexus · 2011-03-02 18:25 · Score: 1

Agreed. The iPad 2 is an incremental upgrade, and as you say I think is designed to suck in more first-time buyers, rather than get existing iPad owners to upgrade.
The reason I think that is because I'm one of those buyers. I saw the original iPad come out last year, liked it, but wait ... no camera. That right there killed it for me. One of the primary things I want to do with it is video-Skype to family and friends overseas. I do this now on a laptop (and also on the iPhone 4 now that it has a front-facing camera too). But the iPad is a nicer way to do it (especially if I can give one to my tech-incompetent parents and say, "just press this button and you can see me and talk to me", rather than "turn the laptop on, wait a few mins, type your password, double click this icon down here ... no not that one, the other one, the blue one with the S ... oh what's this bloody webcam/microphone setup wizard?? oh and no I don't know what that random popup is for either, just ignore it ...)
So now it has a camera, I can do this. The CPU boost and thinner form factor is a bonus. iPad 2 is what I was expecting from the first iPad, so I'll finally buy one. But if I already had one, this would not be worth upgrading to. It's not a huge upgrade.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by schnikies79 · 2011-03-02 07:26 · Score: 3, Informative

Nope. The 2nd gen ipod touch and 3g iphone can run iOS4 but won't get this upgrade.

--
Gone!

Re:Not bad by pushing-robot · 2011-03-02 07:28 · Score: 4, Insightful

Yeah, it's not like you can make a chip faster without increasing its clock speed.

--
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?

meeting the wish list by mblase · 2011-03-02 07:28 · Score: 4, Insightful

Things normal people wanted and didn't get: USB port, wireless syncing, lower price, 7-inch version

Things normal people wanted and did get: faster, more powerful, same battery life, white body, two cameras, FaceTime

Things geeks wanted and didn't get: oh, hell, I'll be here all day. The geeks can go buy a Xoom to hack instead.

Re:meeting the wish list by coinreturn · 2011-03-02 07:43 · Score: 4, Insightful

Yeah, if the haters ordered a shit sandwich, they'd complain it had too much mustard on it.
Re:meeting the wish list by Quiet_Desperation · 2011-03-02 07:47 · Score: 1

Am I normal? Dunno. Used to be a geek until all that shit got old. This device is not for geek usage. People need to just get over that already.
I was hoping for a *bigger* iPad, maybe 12", but, well, OK. Probably won't happen any time soon. If I wear my +2 reading glasses instead of +1, the iPad *looks* like it's 12". ;-)
I have a G4 Powerbook that's on its last legs that I just use for web browsing and video streaming away from the desktop machines. This iPad might just fit the bill. I was waiting for mainly for cameras and HD output. The iMovie was was cool. I did have a hankering to get into making little short films. Being able to do it all in once small device might be fun to explore. Definitely have to get to the new Apple store near my house to kick the tires on this thing.
Re:meeting the wish list by Entropius · 2011-03-02 07:49 · Score: 1

Okay, I've not followed the ipad specs carefully, because it's not something I'd ever think about buying.
But -- the damn thing doesn't have a USB port? It's about the most universally useful thing I can imagine adding. USB memory keys, USB hard drives, keyboards, mice, cameras, teledildonics equipment, and all sorts of things that nobody's even thought of yet...
Re:meeting the wish list by FatLittleMonkey · 2011-03-02 07:54 · Score: 2

Things normal people wanted and did get: ... two cameras,
In all seriousness, why was that a "normal" request? I understand (and use it) in cellphones, since they are commonly used as a mini-cam or a party self-cam. But why on a tablet? It feels more like ticking a feature box than anything anyone has seriously been clamouring for. A user-facing webcam for video-chat, okay, but what's the other for?

--
Science is all about firing a drunk pig out of a cannon just to see what happens.
Re:meeting the wish list by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 08:04 · Score: 1

With iMovie, you can record and then edit the video you just recorded, then upload it to youtube. All of this from one machine in any location. Yeah, as a camera it's pretty bulky, but as a video camera with a built-in video editing suite (not really built-in, you have to buy the siftware, but... eh) it crosses the line into awesome.
Re:meeting the wish list by node+3 · 2011-03-02 08:23 · Score: 1

Okay, I've not followed the ipad specs carefully, because it's not something I'd ever think about buying.
But -- the damn thing doesn't have a USB port? It's about the most universally useful thing I can imagine adding. USB memory keys, USB hard drives, keyboards, mice, cameras, teledildonics equipment, and all sorts of things that nobody's even thought of yet...
It does, it's an add-on for the dock connector.
Re:meeting the wish list by ultramk · 2011-03-02 08:32 · Score: 2

the first thing that comes to mind is augmented reality, with a chip that's fast enough to actually be useful.
I'm using AR apps on my iPhone 4 fairly often, and have more than once wished my iPad could do the same.

--
You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
Re:meeting the wish list by Revotron · 2011-03-02 08:32 · Score: 1

You make a great point, but you missed something. Take "Wireless Syncing" and put it under what normal people DID get. The iOS 4.3 release will support Home Sharing, which allows for wireless transfer of music and movies from your computer. Granted, it's not a full-fledged sync but it does what most people consider to be "syncing".
Re:meeting the wish list by Jeremi · 2011-03-02 08:33 · Score: 1

A user-facing webcam for video-chat, okay, but what's the other for?
If you go by Apple's video spiel, its for showing your remote video-chat partner what you are looking at. (e.g. the kids blowing out the candles on their birthday cake while you hold the iPad to document the occasion)

--

I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
Re:meeting the wish list by 93+Escort+Wagon · 2011-03-02 08:44 · Score: 1

Things normal people wanted and didn't get: USB port, wireless syncing, lower price, 7-inch version
I don't think anyone who knows me would use the word "normal" - but if there were a 7-inch iPad, I'd be first in line. For me, the current size is simply too big.
For those who want to argue over this... please note the qualifier. I don't care if you think the size is perfect - I wasn't planning to buy one for you anyway.

--
#DeleteChrome
Re:meeting the wish list by swb · 2011-03-02 08:58 · Score: 1

I think you and I are the only ones that wanted a larger screen.
I wanted it to be the same overall size as Vanity Fair magazine, with the resolution at least proportionally greater, if not slightly higher PPI.
At that size, I think it would be a pixel-pixel replacement for magazines and more usable for newspapers. Current magazine apps, with the possible exception of Zinio's format, break the magazine too much. I like the New Yorker but that app, as good as it is, makes it frustrating to read.
Re:meeting the wish list by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 09:19 · Score: 1

This device is not for geek usage. People need to just get over that already.
Best post this week.
Re:meeting the wish list by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 09:51 · Score: 1

You just use the dock connector on the bottom - it has USB built in. I am unsure why the device doesn't have an extra physical USB port next to the dock connector rather than using the adapter cable - possibly aesthetics, perhaps royalty fees on USB ports? Maybe the phases of the moon.
Either way, it has USB function - I use it all the time on my various iOS devices.
Re:meeting the wish list by crmarvin42 · 2011-03-02 10:13 · Score: 1

1. Shooting HD video (front facing camera is probably not HD or convenient for shooting video of anyone other than yourself)

2. Video chatting with a toddler on the other end that keeps walking away from the camera. You can see her while the other camera shows her a cat chasing a string (which she is fascinated by) instead of her grand father (which she is not). [we had to do this with my daughter and father a couple of weeks ago when he got his new iPhone 4 for Verizon]

3. Augmented reality apps like the one for naming all of the constellations in the night sky.

4. Barcode scanning (easier if you can see what the scanner is seeing) 5. do i really need to go on???

YMMV, but I didn't get a first gen iPad BecauseI was waiting for one with 2 cameras. I have an iPhone 3GS and could afford to wait for the iPad that fit my needs. If this one is not a good deal for what you want, and at your price then don't buy it. Hopefully an Android will come along that does suit you better.

--
Bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.-Oscar Wilde
Re:meeting the wish list by rsborg · 2011-03-02 10:16 · Score: 1

Things normal people wanted and didn't get: USB port, wireless syncing, lower price, 7-inch version
You do realize that the camera adapter features a USB port, right? It has since last year, and works with a good number of USB devices.
The reason that Apple doesn't include it by default is that USB is used for everything... which would mean they would then have to either whitelist or blacklist use cases and create drivers for... all this extra work, and they'd likely see meagre to no additional profit from it? From a business standpoint, funneling everything through the 30-pin adapter makes a whole lot more sense.
With HDMI and Camera (USB) adapters, iPad will meet the 80/20 pareto rule of extensibility already.

--
Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
Re:meeting the wish list by sootman · 2011-03-02 11:07 · Score: 1

"If you try to please everyone, you'll end up pleasing no one."
So far, 15 million "normal" people have gotten by fine without those things. Apple can barely make them fast enough. I wouldn't be surprised if they sell 30 million more this year.

--
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
Re:meeting the wish list by straponego · 2011-03-02 11:42 · Score: 1

But it's so easy to get that right! You can always put more on, but it's hard to take it off. Inexcusable. Anyway, a modular condiment architecture is so much more flexible than this one-size-fits all shit sandwich.

[chews angrily]
Re:meeting the wish list by bonch · 2011-03-02 11:55 · Score: 1

If the customer was always right, everything would be free.
Re:meeting the wish list by bonch · 2011-03-02 11:58 · Score: 1

It's supposed to be an appliance device that doesn't require drivers and other maintenance upkeep. It's not going to support your USB memory keys, USB hard drives (you don't even deal with the filesystem in iOS), wired keyboards, mice, teledildonics, and other crap. You can use a wireless keyboard, you can plug-in a camera with a camera connector, and you can use peripherals that utilize Apple's connector port, but that's it.
Re:meeting the wish list by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 12:01 · Score: 1

A user-facing webcam for video-chat, okay, but what's the other for?
Steve Job's one goal left in life was to create a freakishly big smart phone.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:meeting the wish list by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 12:02 · Score: 1

Why not just get a large smart phone instead? Some of the android ones look damn near 7 inches, christ.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:meeting the wish list by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 12:05 · Score: 1

HP TouchPad is rumored to be at 699 for 32 gb. It has more ram, better cpu, comparable gpu, same size/resolution screen, a real compass in it, wireless induction charging, syncs to WebOS phones via bluetooth, and has touch-to-share. Frankly, the added features are worth the extra 100 but the iPad has more apps, so that's probably the better choice right now. In 6 months maybe not.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:meeting the wish list by ejasons · 2011-03-02 12:12 · Score: 1

I have an iPad, which I quite like, but I also would prefer the smaller size.
I recently bought a Nook Color, and hacked it (easily) to run Android. I really like it! The screen is of the same quality as the one in the iPad (IPS) with almost the same resolution as the iPad (1024x600).
And, currently, unless they're sold out, the Barnes & Noble eBay store is selling them for $199.
Re:meeting the wish list by f1vlad · 2011-03-02 12:15 · Score: 1

You can still hack _this_, but yeah Xoom will be a good candidate.

--
o_O
Re:meeting the wish list by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-02 13:06 · Score: 1

Things normal people wanted and did get: ... two cameras
Did you see the spec for that, though?
I mean, VGA front cam, in 2011 - seriously? Did AT&T ask them for that so that users don't crash their wireless intertubes, or what?
And for back camera they just say "720p", which - if this is the actual matrix size - is also very sucky.
Re:meeting the wish list by Pulzar · 2011-03-02 13:11 · Score: 1

Learn to read
I think you need to learn to read. All they've added is wireless streaming... To actually "sync", as in, transfer to iPad so you can take it with you, you still need to be plugged in.

--
Never underestimate the bandwidth of a 747 filled with CD-ROMs.
Re:meeting the wish list by Karlt1 · 2011-03-02 14:45 · Score: 1

HP TouchPad is rumored to be at 699 for 32 gb. It has more ram, better cpu, comparable gpu, same size/resolution screen, a real compass in it,
HP? Isn't that the same company that showed off the HP Slate at CES in 2010?
How did that work out?
Re:meeting the wish list by Cimexus · 2011-03-02 18:33 · Score: 1

Genuine question: who'd want a 7 inch tablet? That sounds like a device that can't quite make its mind up whether it's trying to be an oversized phone, or a tablet. Slightly to small for easy browsing of web pages at a comfortable distance and resolution. But too large to really be called 'portable' in the same way as a phone. Not to mention that if you keep the same internal components, but reduce the size down to 7 inches, the battery life is going to have to be reduced.
Not denying that people want this or trying to justify Apple's decisions, but I'm just curious what the use cases for a 7 inch device are. To me, you either want something to be portable (phone-sized), or to give you a full-resolution experience close to what a computer could do (web, e-books, VNC, etc). This seems ... too inbetween.
As for the other stuff:
USB port: Yeah I'll agree with that. I personally have no use for one but I can easily see why many do want this, and would love to see it. However, knowing Apple, I wouldn't hold your breath.
Wireless sync: Again, I can see how this would be nice but honestly I don't find connecting a cable that onerous. Definitely wouldn't complain if they added it though!
Lower price: Actually the iPad 2 wlll retail for less than the iPad 1 in my country. This is mostly because the US dollar is MUCH weaker now than a year ago, and hence the local currency is stronger. Apple, like most multinationals, does its bookkeeping and revenue recognition in USD, so this means they can offer it at a cheaper local price this year.
Re:meeting the wish list by Cimexus · 2011-03-02 18:36 · Score: 1

For the same reason as the front camera: video-chat.
"Hi Bob, how's it going? Oh man, I gotta show you this sweet new I bought, here check it out"
This is much better than flipping the whole iPad around:
- It's quicker and doesnt involve 5 seconds of random wobbly video for the other end; and
- You can still see the other guy while showing him something that's in front of you, rather than getting up close and personal with the serial number on the back of the device instead ;)
Re:meeting the wish list by Entropius · 2011-03-02 18:56 · Score: 1

So, in other words, it's not supposed to be a device that is useful; it's supposed to be a device that's trendy.
Right, it's Apple.
Re:meeting the wish list by FatLittleMonkey · 2011-03-02 20:03 · Score: 1

If this one is not a good deal for what you want, and at your price then don't buy it. Hopefully an Android will come along that does suit you better.
I wasn't being narky, I was genuinely curious. (Also, I didn't realise the iPad v1's single cam was on the back. I assumed it was user-facing. It's the front-facing one I don't understand.)
As I said, I understand why there are two cams on any decent cellphone, it's a good size for taking pics/videos. And I understand why iPad users wanted a user-facing cam (well, the non-socially-retarded ones, I don't even have a webcam on my PC.) But I couldn't see why people wanted to use a 1.6lb flat plate as a camcorder. Wrong size, wrong weight, wrong form-factor. <Shrug> I stand corrected.

--
Science is all about firing a drunk pig out of a cannon just to see what happens.
Re:meeting the wish list by Kyusaku+Natsume · 2011-03-02 20:18 · Score: 1

Wireless syncing is almost completely pointless since you will need an access point at least 802.11n with very few devices connected to sync more than 12 Gb and you could obviate it with Air Play anyway. The lack of a standard USB A port is understandable since it will be used mostly to connect USB keys to it that will eat into the battery life and Apple's profits. Also, it will lead to confusion and in-satisfaction for many consumers since they will expect that their USB device, whatever it is, will work if it can get connected to their new device. Personally, I consider the inclusion of cameras feature creep since it forces you to think that one side of the device is "up" and be aware of the cameras when with the current iPad "up" is whatever side is up at the moment you hold it in your hands.

--
Mexico: 100% conservative's America now!
Re:meeting the wish list by Vectormatic · 2011-03-03 04:52 · Score: 1

which doesnt allow you to plug in a USB stick or anything
Either way, the way iOS hides any concept of a filesystem would make it rather difficult to integrate internal storage into the user interface. The ipad isnt a computer, and the OS doesnt do computer things, so it isnt the device for me anyway...

--
People, what a bunch of bastards
Re:meeting the wish list by node+3 · 2011-03-03 20:42 · Score: 1

which doesnt allow you to plug in a USB stick or anything
Yes, it does. You just need a DCIM folder. It only uses storage for photos and videos. It also supports keyboards and audio devices.

Either way, the way iOS hides any concept of a filesystem would make it rather difficult to integrate internal storage into the user interface.
This is by design. iOS is a "post PC" OS, and doing away with visible filesystems is part of this paradigm.

The ipad isnt a computer, and the OS doesnt do computer things, so it isnt the device for me anyway...
It's understandable that it's not the device for you, but you are absolutely incorrect in saying that the iPad isn't a computer and that the OS doesn't do computer things. Laughably incorrect, in fact. Not only is the iPad a computer, but it's the future of where computing is going. Don't worry, though, more traditional style computers will never go away, so you will always be able to wallow in complexity to your heart's content, but most people aren't interested in that, and Apple is going to serve them very well in the years to come.
For a hint at how powerful a thing this is, consider the original iPod, which completely hides the filesystem, unlike most other mp3 players of the time (and amazingly, some even to this very day). Plenty of geeks blew a gasket over this, and still do, preferring to manage their music as files and folders directly. Most everyone else doesn't. That's because they don't care about the *files*, they care about the *documents* (in this case, the music). The iPod isn't a computer, but the same ease of use is applicable to real computers, like the iPad.
But, like I said, your ability to buy computers which expose this will never go away, just don't expect everyone to remain stuck in the old paradigm, just like the CLI has not (and will never) go away, even though relatively few people ever use them.
Re:meeting the wish list by AmiMoJo · 2011-03-04 22:53 · Score: 1

Aren't AR apps mostly used when out and about though, rather than at home or the office? What I mean is the iPad doesn't really fit in your pocket for travel like a mobile phone does.
Phone cameras are about convenience. Even the best ones suck compared to a cheap compact camera because they are too thin to have decent optics, but since people carry their phones anyway they are handy to have for snapshots.

--
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC

Haters gonna' hate. by BeProf · 2011-03-02 07:28 · Score: 5, Insightful

No flash. Less features than a XOOM. Lame.

--
You are attempting to read sigs. Cancel or Allow?

Re:Haters gonna' hate. by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 08:19 · Score: 1

Cheaper than a Xoom though, and actually shipping in March :p
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by bonch · 2011-03-02 12:01 · Score: 1

Remember when Slashdotters smugly predicted that the iPod mini would be a flop? Heh.
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by commodoresloat · 2011-03-02 12:19 · Score: 1

What's a XOOM?
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-02 13:07 · Score: 1

Xoom has already shipped.
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by Karlt1 · 2011-03-02 14:49 · Score: 1

Xoom has already shipped.
The Xoom that Motorola announced at CES promised:
1. Flash
2. Expandable storage via MicroSD
3. 4G
1 & 2 are still not available until a software update and 3 requires you to send the device back end when it's available in 90 days.
Saying the Xoom "shipped" is pushing it. It sort of half way shipped.
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by MidnightBrewer · 2011-03-02 14:53 · Score: 1

XOOM: doesn't actually have flash yet. Malware isn't a feature. Costs more.

--
"Give a man fire, and he'll be warm for a day; set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-02 14:54 · Score: 1

Well then, it's doubly ironic that even in the present "half way shipped" state, it still gives iPad a good run for its money.
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 14:55 · Score: 1

Goes to pre-order only when I try to buy one right now, at least in the UK.
It seems Best Buy has them, for in store pickup only for $799 - which is more expensive than 5 of the 6 iPad 2 models. Only the 64GB 3G model is more (at $829).
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by Karlt1 · 2011-03-02 15:07 · Score: 1

Well then, it's doubly ironic that even in the present "half way shipped" state, it still gives iPad a good run for its money.
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2011/03/02/motorola-detwiler-sees-xoom-struggling/
"
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-02 15:58 · Score: 1

It's equivalent to a 32Gb 3G model on basic specs, so that's what you should be comparing it against (and it's still more expensive, by $70).
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-02 16:00 · Score: 1

Let me put it that way. When I came to the local Best Buy on release day in the morning (literally 5 minutes after they opened doors) in hopes of picking one up, they sent me away because they didn't have it in stock - it sold out on preorders. Nearby Verizon store (Verizon didn't do preorders on Xoom). had one remaining.
I don't doubt that it's less popular in the market compared to iPad, but it certainly doesn't look like a flop. And if you look at the actual device, rather than sales figures, it's worth its money, at least insofar as iPad is.
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 16:09 · Score: 1

This is true, but there's only one Xoom. Isn't this what everyone rags on the iPhone 4, for? That the choice is limited compared to the many Android handsets out there? Choice is good!
If you don't need the 3G or the extra space you can save even more, but yes, a close-as-possible spec puts them at a $70 difference. People often say "Apple don't cater to the low end", but in this case I think they have.
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-02 16:18 · Score: 1

That's true. Motorola has said they will roll out WiFi-only Xoom "sometime later", but this was poorly thought out - the $800 price sticker is going to stick in people's minds now.
In truth, though, it really is a device for enthusiast, not for your casual user - first release with new software, stock Android, freely unlockable bootloader... it's like Nexus One of tablets. I don't think it'll be widely successful out of that niche, just as Nexus wasn't. But for me, personally, it's just what I want - good stock experience and freedom to mod should I have that urge.
Re:Haters gonna' hate. by glebd · 2011-03-02 22:02 · Score: 1

Mind you, there is no Flash on XOOM at the moment, so it cannot even display its own home page which is Flash-based.

But it's new! by Wrexs0ul · 2011-03-02 07:28 · Score: 1

And shiny! And it'll change the world, again... again.

The sad part is I bought the iPad 1.0 fully knowing they'd change the world with 2.0 by adding a camera. On the plus side it's totally replaced my EEE for any emergency IT functions thanks to LogMeIn and a very nice SSH app.

-Matt

--
--- Need web hosting?

Re:But it's new! by Stenchwarrior · 2011-03-02 07:31 · Score: 1

Maybe it's the marketing, but the video on their site makes me want to go buy one. Like, I'm not going to feel complete unless I do.

--
Loading...

Re:Not bad by magsol · 2011-03-02 07:29 · Score: 1

It was made fairly clear early on (CNET, Engadget, Macrumors, etc) that the retina display was not going to make it onto the iPad 2, but would likely show up on the rumored iPad 3 that will possibly debut in September.

Aside from all this, I have to also fall back on the definition of "rumors" and their very nature.

--
"I'd just like to emphasise that taking a million years isn't a metaphor here..." -Rich Bradshaw

When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by utahjazz · 2011-03-02 07:30 · Score: 5, Insightful

I really dig my iPad, and have no reason to get this new one.

Except..Apple is going to make me download the new OS, making my iPad 1 slow to a crawl. Just like they did to my iPhone 3G.

Yes I know I could never update. But, that doesn't seem like a reasonable thing to ask your customers to do.

Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by mr100percent · 2011-03-02 07:34 · Score: 1

Apple's products actually survive several OS upgrade cycles before they start to get slow. Original iPhone was good all the way up until iOS 4.
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by dingen · 2011-03-02 07:42 · Score: 1

I don't think iOS4.3 will slow the iPad 1 down that much. iOS6 will do that for sure, iOS5 maybe, but 4.3? Nah.

--
Pretty good is actually pretty bad.
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by beelsebob · 2011-03-02 07:47 · Score: 1

You mean iOS 4.2, which runs faster on iPhone 3G than iOS 3.1.3 did?
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by cgenman · 2011-03-02 08:02 · Score: 2

The original iPhone is limited to iOS 3.1.3. iPhone 3G goes to 4.2 (and definitely suffers for it). Oddly enough, the two systems have identical processors, space, and mostly identical internal chipsets (with the exception of the 3G communications chipset, a GPS chipset, and one of the random controllers), and generally behave the same under load. Cutting off original iPhones from the 4 line was really just a marketing decision to push new phones. Similarly, the iPhone 3G being EOL'ed at 4.2 doesn't seem to have any technical basis, judging by the 4.3 beta release.

--
The ______ Agenda
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by BarryJacobsen · 2011-03-02 08:36 · Score: 2

Cutting off original iPhones from the 4 line was really just a marketing decision to push new phones.
The original iPhone used considerably more battery power during normal use than the 3g. 4.0 could have easily overwhelmed it and made it essentially unusable unless you could charge multiple times a day.

--
Track your TV Shows with your iPhone - FREE
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by TimHunter · 2011-03-02 08:41 · Score: 1

What do you propose they do instead? Never produce a new version of the O/S? Always ensure that new versions run at the same speed on older hardware? Give you a new iPad every time they release a new version?
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by cowscows · 2011-03-02 08:45 · Score: 2

They should've released the original iPad with a processor stolen from 15 years in the future, and just massively underclocked it. Then each software upgrade could underclock it a little bit less, and that way it could always match the speed of the current devices.

--
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 09:01 · Score: 1

Maybe not release new versions of iPads every fricking year and learn to optimize software for the hardware they already have. Im aware Apple does this a lot already, but just saying. It sucks to have new hardware released every year that inefficient software takes advantage of rather than trying for optimization on older hardware. This happened with GPU's in the past frequently, but not so much anymore since the gaming industry is targeting a wider audience. Im an actual adult (not in college) now and have less time for games, but in the past Id have to buy a new moderately priced graphics card every year or so to keep up with the latest games or spend A LOT of money on the top of the line one and have it last for up to three years. I realize its an unnecessary expense but it sucks when you can't take full advantage of features in your software because you are bottle-necked by the reasonably priced hardware you bought a year ago.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by sootman · 2011-03-02 09:05 · Score: 1, Insightful

Oh really? You've already put this not-yet-available OS onto your iPad? And Apple has learned nothing from what happened last year? And updates are now mandatory? Fascinating. I'm really surprised.
Jeez, I can't believe what gets a +5 around here these days. For fuck's sake, it's not a whole new version (it's just a point release) and doesn't have any major new CPU-intensive features like multitasking.

--
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by itsdapead · 2011-03-02 09:49 · Score: 1

I really dig my iPad, and have no reason to get this new one.
Of course not - your old iPad is barely a year old: you'd be pretty pissed of if it was obsolete. This update just keeps it ahead of the competition, particularly the XOOM, that will be arriving real soon now (honestly, any time... nearly there...) The big upgrade push will come with the iPad 3.
Personally, I had no problems with the last iOS update, and Snow Leopard was actually smaller/faster.

--
In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by repetty · 2011-03-02 10:25 · Score: 1

Apple is going to make me download the new OS, making my iPad 1 slow to a crawl. Just like they did to my iPhone 3G.
Not sure about the "forcing" part of your claim but when I had to restore my corrupt iPhone 3G I certainly was forced to iOS 4x.
My phone hasn't been worth a damn since.
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by fredmosby · 2011-03-02 11:07 · Score: 2

I had a 3G with the same performance issues when I upgraded the OS. I looked online for solutions and they suggested turning off the phone search feature. After doing that it was as fast as it had been before the upgrade.
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by MidnightBrewer · 2011-03-02 14:55 · Score: 1

The new OS is version 4.3, only a point release different than the current version. All it does is give Safari a new, faster JavaScript engine and add some new wireless sharing features. The reason why the 3G struggled so hard under iOS 4 was because of the addition of multitasking, among other things. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

--
"Give a man fire, and he'll be warm for a day; set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by ryan_fung · 2011-03-02 15:05 · Score: 1

I thought the same way until I looked at the Android scene. For some devices, upgrading to the latest OS is just not possible even though the device is less than 1 year old.
Re:When are they going to cripple my iPad 1? by Xenna · 2011-03-03 01:26 · Score: 1

Mm, I noticed some slowdowns when I installed iOS4.2 on my ipad.
Mostly, decreased responsiveness of the on screen keyboard.

Obligatory by gblues · 2011-03-02 07:30 · Score: 2, Funny

No 4G. Less capacity than my thumb drive. Lame.

Re:Obligatory by schmidt349 · 2011-03-02 08:36 · Score: 2

I don't want to start a holy war here, but what is the deal with you iPad fanatics? I've been sitting here at my freelance gig in front of an iPad (a 1GHz A4 w/32 Gigs of flash) for about 20 minutes now while it attempts to copy a 17 Meg file from one folder on .Mac to another folder. 20 minutes. At home, on my Motorola Xoom running Android, which by all standards should be a lot slower than this iPad, the same operation would take about 2 minutes. If that.
In addition, during this file transfer, Angry Birds will not work. And everything else has ground to a halt. Even Safari is straining to keep up as I type this.
I won't bore you with the laundry list of other problems that I've encountered while working on various iOS devices, but suffice it to say there have been many, not the least of which is I've never seen an iOS device that has run faster than its Windows Phone counterpart, despite iOS' faster chip architecture. My brown Zune runs faster than this iPad at times. From a productivity standpoint, I don't get how people can claim that the iPad is a superior machine.
Apple addicts, flame me if you'd like, but I'd rather hear some intelligent reasons why anyone would choose to use an iPad over other faster, cheaper, more stable tablets.
Re:Obligatory by gblues · 2011-03-02 16:18 · Score: 1

Pardon my old-timer self, but I was simply making a snarky comment about Slashdot's ability to predict the future of technology by referencing an old and infamous one-line review of the original iPod. I'll even link it for you.
Re:Obligatory by martinX · 2011-03-03 02:23 · Score: 1

Haven't seen that one in ages!

--
When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."

Needs to be razor thin... by MrEricSir · 2011-03-02 07:30 · Score: 1

...because I want to use it to shave.

--
There's no -1 for "I don't get it."

Re:Needs to be razor thin... by MrEricSir · 2011-03-02 08:23 · Score: 2

You joke about that, but my girlfriend does her makeup with either her iPhone or PhotoBooth for OS X.
A great use of technology, to be certain.

--
There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
Re:Needs to be razor thin... by MrEricSir · 2011-03-03 10:57 · Score: 1

Is that really the best you can do? Sad.

--
There's no -1 for "I don't get it."

Fixes a major complaint by WiiVault · 2011-03-02 07:30 · Score: 1

A big complaint about the first iPad was that it was uncomfortable to use as an eBook reader for long periods of time, the weight reduction and thinning while removing sharp edges out should help against that problem.

Re:Fixes a major complaint by RazorSharp · 2011-03-02 16:32 · Score: 1

A big complaint about the first iPad was that it was uncomfortable to use as an eBook reader for long periods of time, the weight reduction and thinning while removing sharp edges out should help against that problem.
I don't think spending more engineering dollars is the solution to dollars spent for kindle astroturfers. I'd rather have it cheaper or longer battery life than thinner.
You can! Since the new iPad is being released at the same price as the old one, the price of a used iPad 1 must plummet. Check out eBay when it's released. There will be plenty available from people who are upgrading. There's also the clearance section on Apple's online store, but I bet eBay/Craig's List will have the real deals.

--
"From the depths of my skeptical and rationalist soul, I ask the Lord to protect me from California touchie-feeliedom."
Re:Fixes a major complaint by SimonTheSoundMan · 2011-03-02 23:32 · Score: 1

10 hours claimed by Apple for the iPad is watch HD video, or surfing the web. Put the device in to air plane mode, turn the screen brightness down to a comfortable level, and use it as a e-book reader, you get more along 25-30 hours of use from one charge, if not more.

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 07:33 · Score: 1

The fact that you bought the first one...

That is not a fact, that is an assumption.

... and are seriously contemplating already buying the second one.

Uh huh, right. Nobody on Slashdot would understand the concept of finding something useful and contemplating whether it's worthwhile to upgrade. Mr. Jobs really is waving his voodoo around here, wooOOoo wooOOooo. Anyway, see you in the next Android Tablet thread.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by DirePickle · 2011-03-02 07:34 · Score: 1

But IIRC, these Foxconn employees are doing it at work. What percentage of the US population suicides at work?

Re:Not bad by purpledinoz · 2011-03-02 07:34 · Score: 2

I love the iFire and iShotgun app as demonstrated in this review.

Re:Leaving the Wisconsin state house now to buy th by webmistressrachel · 2011-03-02 07:35 · Score: 1

I think the parent poster was being sarcastic, cos, you know, rich arty types who buy Apple stuff like to live in tents and howl at moon, and participate in, errr, drumming circles, which sound terrible because they only gather to practice at weekends...

--
This tagline was transcoded to result in at least one smirk. If you experience failure to smirk, please consult your Gen

Apple's standby numbers by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 07:35 · Score: 1

And they are based on turning off the screen only.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Apple's standby numbers by Vancorps · 2011-03-02 08:04 · Score: 1

Then Apple should market the dramatic improvement in battery life as well since that blows the original iPad out of the water.

User replaceable? why? by dazedNconfuzed · 2011-03-02 07:37 · Score: 4, Insightful

The device is under 9mm thick. Making the battery replacable means you have to add two more layers of thickness around the battery module itself, another layer inside the battery bay, a little space for fit tolerance, all adding up to non-trivial increase in overall thickness just so a small percentage of users can actually replace the battery (most who say "I want a removable battery" won't actually do it). Never mind the extra space/weight needed for the connector, interface circuitry, and other stuff. In addition, the replacement battery would have to be almost as wide as the iPad, only ~3mm thick, and somehow strong enough to not bend & break. Solving all that just isn't worth the problem being solved.

The 10+ hour run time is real. Are you REALLY not going to have a chance to recharge, using a 2 cu in charger, during that time?

In a year of heavy use, I've drained my iPad battery at most a half-dozen times, maybe twice when having a charger nearby wasn't a viable solution.

--
Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?

Re:User replaceable? why? by Charliemopps · 2011-03-02 07:55 · Score: 4, Insightful

He's talking about when the batter DIES not when it runs out of juice. Rechargeable batteries degrade significantly with age. After a year or 2 your Ipad2 is going to have a battery life of an hour or two and you're not going to be able to replace the battery. Throw-away society I guess.
Re:User replaceable? why? by sribe · 2011-03-02 08:03 · Score: 3, Insightful

He's talking about when the batter DIES not when it runs out of juice. Rechargeable batteries degrade significantly with age. After a year or 2 your Ipad2 is going to have a battery life of an hour or two and you're not going to be able to replace the battery.
Yes, except no ;-)
You just described lithium-ion batteries. Apple is using lithium-polymer, which degrade much more slowly, and are quite likely to outlast the device itself. There is really no need for a replaceable battery in the iPad.
Re:User replaceable? why? by vlm · 2011-03-02 08:07 · Score: 3, Informative

After a year or 2 your Ipad2 is going to have a battery life of an hour or two and you're not going to be able to replace the battery. Throw-away society I guess.
21 steps to battery replacement. Actually not bad. My 1st gen Mac Mini hard drive upgrade was something like 43 steps. And unlike the ipods, the ipad doesn't require soldering.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-iPad-Wi-Fi-Battery-Replacement/2198/1
If you refuse to do it, thats OK, give me your "throw away" device with a dead battery, I'll replace the battery and either use it myself or sell it / give it away.
Apple hardware is generally superior to other consumer devices. The batteries do tend to last quite awhile. A year or two, only if you drain and charge the battery daily.

--
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
Re:User replaceable? why? by chemicaldave · 2011-03-02 08:07 · Score: 1

Remember when iPhone users found out that the phone they got back after sending their old one in for a "battery repair" was just a totally different phone? I'm willing to bet that if Apple stated this policy to consumers, a non-trivial amount of users would decide not to buy one.
Re:User replaceable? why? by kalel666 · 2011-03-02 08:13 · Score: 1

Assuming you have applecare, any battery that dies in under two years is replaced under warranty. Which is to say, the entire ipad is replaced. Not bad for $99.

--
I HAVE CUBIC WISDOM THAT TRANSCENDS AND CONTRADICTS ONE DAY GODS
Re:User replaceable? why? by cowscows · 2011-03-02 08:20 · Score: 1

An hour or two? Why stop there? If you're going to all this trouble to complete exaggerate the rate at which the batteries age, why stop at a couple hours? Why not go with 15 minutes? 10 minutes? How about when you plug it into the wall, it'll cut off power to the rest of your house?
Now that sounds terrible.

--
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
Re:User replaceable? why? by crmarvin42 · 2011-03-02 08:22 · Score: 1

After a year or 2 your Ipad2 is going to have a battery life of an hour or two and you're not going to be able to replace the battery
That remains to be seen. My old Motorola RAZR's battery never aged noticeably, even after 3 years. My 18 month old iPhone, which is on 24/7, has not lost battery capacity to any noticeable extent. I can still get through my whole day, and sometimes go as long as 24 hours between charges. Unlike a laptop OS like Snow Leopard or WIndows 7, iOS was designed from the ground up for a mobile, battery dependent device. I won't argue that the batter will NEVER go bad, but the time frame remains to be seen. Could be that the combination of battery tech, and OS thriftiness will get you 4 or 5 years before the battery needs to be replaced. At that point the cost of Apple's service is not really that bad, Especially if you consider the design costs in weight and materials required for a user replaceable battery.

--
Bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.-Oscar Wilde
Re:User replaceable? why? by doghouse41 · 2011-03-02 08:22 · Score: 1

Really?
I've had a 1st Gen IPod Touch in daily use for three years now. There is not noticable degradation of battery life.
Not saying there isn't any (I'm sure there must be), but nothing that you would notice.
And if the battery does die, it's easy enough to get it replaced.
Re:User replaceable? why? by nblender · 2011-03-02 08:24 · Score: 1

a year or two?

My original iphone2g was recently replaced by an iphone4. The old 2g is still working fine, it has had, I dunno a couple thousand charge cycles and now my son uses it as a handheld gaming device / ipod... He seems to recharge it every day as well... It doesn't get used as a phone anymore but the games and wifi are probably a bigger power drain anyway.

I can't remember when I got it but it must be getting close to 4 years ago now...
Re:User replaceable? why? by radl33t · 2011-03-02 08:26 · Score: 1

Apple hardware is generally superior to other consumer devices.

Except when its not, as in the case of laptop reliability.
Re:User replaceable? why? by izomiac · 2011-03-02 08:52 · Score: 1

Worst (practical) case scenario for lithium ion batteries is 40% loss in three months. There's a 35% yearly loss at 40 C and 100% charge level, which I'd imagine many iPads live at. After the three years the GP postulated, there'd be 27% of the original battery life remaining. Throw in a few cell reversals following prolonged deep discharges and you'd have a battery life of little more than an hour or two.

If you think this is unrealistic, ask laypeople about the battery life they get from old electronics. Manufacturers have little incentive to limit charge levels to 60-80% to prolong the battery's useful life past ~3 years. Apple would certainly prefer if the current iPad users upgrade to the iPad 2 when their batteries no longer hold a reasonable charge. And in 3-4 years they'll probably be an iPad 3 for them to upgrade to. Moore's law has enabled manufacturers to ignore the longevity of their products.
Re:User replaceable? why? by cowscows · 2011-03-02 08:53 · Score: 1

Meh, when someone basis their argument on things that aren't true, you might as well say something to them about it. Especially when you're sitting at home waiting for the plumber who said he'd be there to fix your water heater two hours ago.

--
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
Re:User replaceable? why? by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 08:59 · Score: 1

If you still have your iPad and haven't upgraded to something new by the time the battery dies, Apple sends you a replacement iPad (not a replacement battery, but an whole new iPad) for $99.
Sure a battery probably isn't $99, but you get a new iPad with a new battery. Sounds like a deal to me.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/13/dead-ipad-battery-never-mind-replacing-it-apple-just-sends-ano/
I love how Apple is always one step ahead of the nay-sayers.
Re:User replaceable? why? by electrosoccertux · 2011-03-02 09:13 · Score: 1

its quite easy to break the battery by using it outside on a hot day.
I appear to have done that with the battery in my Droid. Because I used it excessively in the southern heat on my dashboard in the sun navigating somewhere with the screen on, the battery exceeded 40C for a significant period of time. My battery now lasts half as long as my friend's. I'm thankful for a user replaceable battery.
Now that I know just how easy it is for this to happen, I'll be more careful with my next battery.
But that doesn't mean I don't want it user replaceable.
Re:User replaceable? why? by GooberToo · 2011-03-02 09:16 · Score: 1

Considering the battery is extremely unlikely to require replacement before the two year window, most people consider it a useless up charge. Statistically speaking, they are absolutely right.
While this was before the ipad came out, I do recall reading Apples makes a mint on battery replacements for their various electronics. So its safe to say, contrary to the counter arguments here, the single largest reason for Apple not to allow for replaceable batteries is because it would undercut one of their profit centers.
Apple makes money on their sale up front. Frequently, its based on premium pricing.
Apple then makes money on warranties which almost never require payouts. Also known as free money.
Apple then makes money on the tiny minority who require battery replacement but did not get the replacement warranty.
Apple then makes lots and lots of money on all the electronics still in service which require battery replacement over the next several years, after the initial two years or so.
For Apple, there isn't a down side. People are standing in line to hand them money for absolutely nothing. Apple has absolutely no incentive to change their current scheme and millions of reasons to maintain the status quo.
Re:User replaceable? why? by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 09:21 · Score: 1

My iPhone 3G is still going strong to this day, long after I first got it. The battery has shown no signs of diminished capacity and I am a long time out of contract (when the mobile operator would have loved me to have re-upped for a 3GS or an iPhone 4) but I am now on a rolling month-to-month tariff with an iPhone with a supposedly "hopeless" battery that will have "significantly" degraded with age.
My single anecdote is clearly not data, but I certainly have had no cause to worry about the fact that my battery is not replaceable. It still works just as well as when I bought it, not long after the 3G was released in the UK (11th July 2008). So far, 2.5 years after I bought it, it is showing *no* signs of degraded performance, certainly not "an hour or two" as you claim after "a year or two". You are, respectfully, talking out of your ass with totally made up numbers.
I don't charge it everyday, but I do use it every day - it is my phone, my PDA/Calendar, my mobile email client, my mobile web and my my mobile games machine (I just love Carcassonne, I just wish they'd release more tilesets - I'm used to playing with about 3 sets mixed together).
Oh, and of course, Slightly More Than Irritated Avians.
Re:User replaceable? why? by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 09:25 · Score: 1

You can opt for your original one back if you like I believe - it just takes longer than then crossing in the mail by sending you a refurbished phone since they have to wait to receive your old one and replace the battery.
Most people probably don't mind the refurb (as long as it is a good one) for the much faster turnaround - you just have to restore your phone from backup when you get it. Takes about 15 minutes.
Re:User replaceable? why? by natehoy · 2011-03-02 09:27 · Score: 1

Why? No, seriously, I'm not an Apple fanboi by any stretch, but why?
I have an old iPod, and use it as a minitablet-toy. I have my complaints about it, but "worrying about replacement" is not one of them. I plug it in once a week and hit SYNC, and I use Google Sync for my calendar, contacts, and email.
Recently I had a firmware upgrade go bad, and it came up in recovery mode. (note: running iTunes in a Windows XP VirtualBox machine is not the ideal way to do a firmware upgrade, since the USB device has to be reconnected each time the iPod changes device types, which it does about 5 times during a firmware upgrade. Silly me, I missed #5 and it timed out).
Anyway, when I finished the upgrade, it was "factory fresh", no nothing. I simply plugged it back in, iTunes recognized it as a "new or recovery device" and asked if I wanted to load my profile to it or treat it as a new device. I chose "load" and a little while later my iPod was right back where I had started, all data and settings intact. About the only thing it screwed up was the organization of my icons, and I had to reload my music and MP3s to it.
I don't see a lot of difference between that and sending it back for a battery swap and getting a refurb phone. As long as you've backed stuff up before you sent it out, you'll hardly know the difference (as long as the new phone isn't broken or nasty-looking).

--
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
Re:User replaceable? why? by AK+Marc · 2011-03-02 09:32 · Score: 1

I haven't seen statistics indicating that the Apple laptop reliability was below average. Could you point me to such statistics? When I look, I only see things like http://www.pcworld.com/article/156450/apple_laptops_extend_their_lead_in_reliability.html which indicate the exact opposite of what you claim.

--
Learn to love Alaska
Re:User replaceable? why? by pherthyl · 2011-03-02 09:36 · Score: 1

>> Apple makes money on their sale up front. Frequently, its based on premium pricing.
Please explain how having the best price in the tablet market is premium pricing.
>> Apple then makes money on warranties which almost never require payouts. Also known as free money
You mean like every single company that offers warranties.
>> Apple then makes lots and lots of money on all the electronics still in service which require battery replacement over the next several years, after the initial two years or so.
Possibly.. I think that number will be pretty small first off.. When the battery is so degraded the device will be quite out of date anyway and most people will just recycle it.
>> People are standing in line to hand them money for absolutely nothing
People are handing them money for an excellent product. People have made the decision that having a thin, sleek device is worth more than a device with a replaceable battery that is twice as thick and has panels and screws like a laptop.
Anyway, there are any number of external battery cases available that make this issue pretty much moot. Want a bulkier device with a replacable battery? Just get a case for it, problem solved.
Re:User replaceable? why? by sribe · 2011-03-02 09:37 · Score: 1

Yeah, I'm wondering how much longer my iPhone 4 is going to hold up to the beatings I give it, and the temperature swings, and the condensation that gets it dripping wet...
Re:User replaceable? why? by vlm · 2011-03-02 09:45 · Score: 1

A year or two, only if you drain and charge the battery daily.
You mean, use the device daily?
In excess of 10 hours per charge or, by your specs 10 hours per day? Really? That seems a wee bit ... excessive.
You really can watch multiple one hour TV shows on one charge, I've done it. And I'm talking about real hour long shows, like 55 minutes from the BBC, not "35 minutes after commercials are removed" American hour long shows.

--
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
Re:User replaceable? why? by markass530 · 2011-03-02 09:45 · Score: 1

Under 9mm thick, Why??? Apples thin at all costs mantra is lame
Re:User replaceable? why? by bemymonkey · 2011-03-02 09:48 · Score: 1

10 hours of actual runtime is fantastic, but you know what would be even better? 20 hours. Why not just keep the size and fill the extra space with additional LiPo cells? The old design was MUCH prettier anyway...
I'm not in the market for a tablet anyway (smartphone + subnotebook for me, thank you), but this is actually a little bit disappointing... why thinner and lighter? For those that want something lighter, just release a 7" model...
Re:User replaceable? why? by HLJ76 · 2011-03-02 09:53 · Score: 1

If you are geek enough to read Slashdot, and persistent enough to not upgrade your hardware in the time it will take for that (those actually) battery to start dying out, then you are also geeky and persistent enough to get a screwdriver, open the thing up, and replace the battery the geek way.
If you are not geeky enough, it's very likely you can find some one geeky enough to do it either for free or for a fee. Most non-geeks would take the thing to repair anyways if they feel the battery is not charging, even if there was a back door with a huge neon sign reading [> BATTERY REPLACEMENTS GO HERE You can still weight it as a valid concern, and that's fine. It's your opinion and it's worth a lot to you and anyone that wants your money. But it does not seem to be an issue for most consumers, and likely wont affect sales at all. It didn't hurt the first iPad's sales at all.
I may upgrade my iPad just because of the graphics performance, though. If the rumors are true, this thing will have enough graphic horsepower to rival the NGP and run Xbox360/PS3 quality games.
Re:User replaceable? why? by sjames · 2011-03-02 09:54 · Score: 1

I might do that and you might, but that's not exactly a standard end user procedure.
Re:User replaceable? why? by fonos · 2011-03-02 09:58 · Score: 1

I may be an anomaly, but every single AppleCare warranty I take out, it pays for itself and onwards.
1. Powerbook G4 - Two motherboard replacements, $600
2. Macbook Pro (2005?) - Two motherboard replacements, new Macbook Pro to replace(They let me get AppleCare on this one too, 3 years starts over) - $1000 plus cost of new Macbook Pro
3. Macbook Pro (Early 2008) (Free)- Now has a red line going down the screen...guess I'm getting a new laptop.
Re:User replaceable? why? by Charliemopps · 2011-03-02 10:00 · Score: 1

yes yes, apples magic koolaid batteries that never die. I've got 2 dead iPods sitting in a desk drawer that would like to argue your point if they could stay on for more than 5min.

Nearly every manufacturer is using lithium polymer batteries, Apple has no invented some kind of new battery thats better than everyone elses.
Re:User replaceable? why? by Boycott+BMG · 2011-03-02 10:06 · Score: 4, Informative

I dunno where you get your information, but Li Ion degrades slower than LiPo. The reason LiPo is used is not because of capacity or extended life, but because the polymer can be made into small thin shapes for use in handheld consumer electronics. Basically anything smaller than a laptop is probably using LiPo.
Re:User replaceable? why? by chemicaldave · 2011-03-02 10:14 · Score: 1

Most people probably don't mind the refurb (as long as it is a good one) for the much faster turnaround - you just have to restore your phone from backup when you get it. Takes about 15 minutes.
Most people would probably prefer to just replace the battery themselves like almost all other manufacturers allow. It's still a hassle to have to mail in your phone or find an Apple store and do it there (assuming they can just swap it in store).
Their replacement policy truly is ridiculous. See here for your self.
You have to pay $80 to replace it out of warranty. This means you're paying Apple $80 for a different used phone, while they take your phone to farm for replacement parts. It's obvious they do this when you consider that damaged in any way that makes it unusable or in this case, unsellable. The fact that they won't even replace the battery for a non-functioning phone or one with "unauthorized modifications" is ludicrous. Have fun in the iron grip of Apple. I'm sure the extra 3mm of space is worth it.
Re:User replaceable? why? by froggymana · 2011-03-02 10:16 · Score: 1

iOS was not designed from the ground up. There is a significant amount of code shared between OS X and iOS. Pretty much the only code not shared is interface code. Sure they probably made tweaks to iOS to help give better battery life, but most of the battery saving is in the fact that it uses an ARM SoC, vs an x86 CPU.

--
"To prevent this day from getting any worse, I'll just read ERROR as GOOD THING" 1GJU8xLuDKDxEs4KLf8fAGyptoDsqvEsBT
Re:User replaceable? why? by froggymana · 2011-03-02 10:17 · Score: 1

Nothing like throwing away perfectly good hardware.

--
"To prevent this day from getting any worse, I'll just read ERROR as GOOD THING" 1GJU8xLuDKDxEs4KLf8fAGyptoDsqvEsBT
Re:User replaceable? why? by mykos · 2011-03-02 10:27 · Score: 1

I would stop buying apple products if the ones I bought from them had the track record of yours.
Re:User replaceable? why? by geekoid · 2011-03-02 10:28 · Score: 1

"(most who say "I want a removable battery" won't actually do it). "
They would if they could.
And all this means is it would be as thin as the previous one. I don't remember anyone complaining that it was too thick.
Seriously, people change batteries in stuff all the time, I have no idea why you would think otherwise.

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re:User replaceable? why? by Falconhell · 2011-03-02 10:32 · Score: 1

Oh how interesting, all those dead Lipo batteries I have at home in my shed must be a product of my imagination.
I have replaced many Lipo batteries after 1-2 years of use.
Re:User replaceable? why? by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 10:33 · Score: 1

That neglects the tradeoffs for a replaceable battery - bigger phone and/or smaller capacity and lifespan.
For the vast majority of cases, the inbuilt battery is far superior since the majority of people *don't* replace their batteries before the device itself is replaced. Especially with the lithium polymer cells. I am heading towards year 3 of owning an iPhone 3G and the battery is still as good as the day I got it.
The "extra 3mm" of space, the longer lasting charge and the fact that it is still working at the same level it was 2.5 years ago is *well worth it*.
If you can't handle a phone with an inbuilt battery then don't buy one. Apple is not unique in this regard.
Re:User replaceable? why? by sribe · 2011-03-02 10:41 · Score: 1

I have replaced many Lipo batteries after 1-2 years of use.
Hmm yes, apparently I was thinking of the latest greatest generation of them, without realizing that early variants had been shipping for much longer, and did not hold up nearly as well.
Re:User replaceable? why? by Compuser · 2011-03-02 10:41 · Score: 1

Imagine a salesperson who starts their day at 8 am and goes to sell a product at a big company. He has meetings all day and
gets back to his hotel at 11 pm. Or imagine a scientist at a conference or interviewing for a job - similar schedule. Imagine a doctor in a busy hospital - same requirements (10 hours might do the trick but barely so the battery better not degrade at all over time).
During all of this you do not have time to recharge your battery (you might have a minute to swap batteries but not an hour needed for a recharge). The bag you buy for your slate will already be the right shape so sliding an extra battery in is no problem. However sliding in a bulky external battery is a problem - such bags and sleeves are usually designed for flat objects.
Apple made the right choice for some markets but there are tons of people for whom swappable battery is a must. I am personally waiting for Fujitsu Q550 and Lenovo Ideapad Slate since both of those should have a removable battery (we will see if this means swappable or replaceable with a screwdriver - the latter being as useless as non-removable as far as I am concerned).
Re:User replaceable? why? by sribe · 2011-03-02 10:42 · Score: 2

I dunno where you get your information, but Li Ion degrades slower than LiPo.
Older LiPo degraded faster than Li-Ion. The newer ones have much longer lifespans.
Re:User replaceable? why? by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 10:42 · Score: 1

You aren't throwing it away, you are returning it to Apple for a replacement. And if the battery doesn't work anymore, it isn't exactly perfectly good hardware anymore either.
Re:User replaceable? why? by sribe · 2011-03-02 10:58 · Score: 1

yes yes, apples magic koolaid batteries that never die. I've got 2 dead iPods sitting in a desk drawer that would like to argue your point if they could stay on for more than 5min.
How old? The iPod goes back to 2001, but batteries have improved every couple of years.

Nearly every manufacturer is using lithium polymer batteries, Apple has no invented some kind of new battery thats better than everyone elses.
No, but there are huge differences in lifespan between different lithium polymer battery designs and Apple is (or at least claims to be) using the latest generation with much longer lifespans. (And, actually, at the introduction of the unibody 17" MacBook Pro, they claimed to have done battery design in-house. Huh? What? How much? Well, they didn't give out details, but their claims cover both the charging and the chemistry...)
Re:User replaceable? why? by sootman · 2011-03-02 11:02 · Score: 1

I have a 15" MacBook Pro that is over 4 years old. It got about 4 hours of battery life when new and it now lasts about 45-60 minutes. So no, an iPad battery that is made with newer technology and has a 10 hour rated life (and LONGER life in most people's experience) will NOT be degraded down to 1-2 hours in 1-2 years, unless you're a retard and leave it plugged in all the time.

--
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
Re:User replaceable? why? by RMingin · 2011-03-02 11:08 · Score: 1

As someone who actually owns the device in question, I can tell you that my iPad's battery has degraded noticeably since last year. Not enough that I'm alarmed, but enough that it's easily noted. For actual numbers, I took my iPad out and about on 3G for over 8 hours, nearly nine when I first got it. Today it dropped from 100% to 50% between 10AM and 1PM. I'm going to do the deep-cycle recalibration tonight, it's been more than a month since I did it last, but it seems to mitigate the issue, not correct it. In 3-4 years, this iPad will be effectively AC-only, and those batteries are a chore to replace.

--
The preceding comment is my own, and in no way construes an opinon of the Emperor of Mankind.
Re:User replaceable? why? by sribe · 2011-03-02 11:30 · Score: 1

Geez. Actual experience. On /. How unexpected ;-)
So you think you're down to 6-7 hours per charge now? How long have you had it? Are you a heavy or light user?
How will you feel if, for example, 3 years after purchase you need to pay $99 and wait a few days for a replacement (refurbished) unit?
Re:User replaceable? why? by ekhben · 2011-03-02 12:19 · Score: 1

For what it's worth my 30 month old 3G is showing degradation, but my wife is using it now for light duties, and still typically goes several days between charges.
Anything over 18 months and I'm pretty comfortable that a phone has depreciated enough to replace, not repair.
Re:User replaceable? why? by ekhben · 2011-03-02 12:21 · Score: 1

Or pay $99 for AppleCare up front and the replacement is free if it happens within two years. I'm pretty sure that means Apple expects the MTBF on batteries is over two years.
Re:User replaceable? why? by vijayiyer · 2011-03-02 13:05 · Score: 1

There's probably a lot of overlap between the set of people who ever replace their battery and the set of people willing to take a device apart to do it.
Re:User replaceable? why? by RMingin · 2011-03-02 13:08 · Score: 1

Oh, I'm a heavy user, for certain, and I don't feel the battery degradation is anything but normal. Paying and shipping, and getting back a non-identical unit does sound like a non-fun experience. Not unmerited, not unreasonable, but not looking forward to it, either. Had mine a few days after launch. The current hardware was replacement #2, after a charger malfunction incident. Late summer, I'd say. about 6-8 months in, now.

--
The preceding comment is my own, and in no way construes an opinon of the Emperor of Mankind.
Re:User replaceable? why? by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 13:29 · Score: 1

Assuming you have applecare, any battery that dies in under two years is replaced under warranty. Which is to say, the entire ipad is replaced. Not bad for $99.
So the price of the iPad is actually higher than it appears? Because with a replaceable battery you wouldn't need to pay that protection money.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
Re:User replaceable? why? by sjames · 2011-03-02 13:31 · Score: 1

That's probably because it costs WAY too much to have someone else replace the battery. I imagine if it was actually an end user procedure, especially if you could just go to a radio shack and say I need a battery for this, a lot more people would replace batteries.
Re:User replaceable? why? by ceoyoyo · 2011-03-02 14:36 · Score: 1

After a year of regular use my iPad still has a battery life that's pretty much what it started at. Maybe in two years it'll be down a bit. If it gets to be a problem in a few years Apple will replace it for $99. Or, if it's anything like an iPhone and you know how to use a screwdriver (this IS Slashdot, right?) you'll be able to buy a new one for $20 from a third party and do it yourself.
Re:User replaceable? why? by tompaulco · 2011-03-02 14:59 · Score: 1

Yeah, you need to read the operating specs for your phone. You will probably discover that you are not allowed to use it during at least half of the year in most climates.

--
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
Re:User replaceable? why? by konohitowa · 2011-03-02 15:04 · Score: 1

I've still got my 1st Gen iPhone, so that makes it over 3 years old. The battery is at the point that it lasts on standby for 36 hours and with heavy continuous use, lasts 6-7 hours. Certainly not at the point that it's in dire need of replacement, but the writing is on the wall. I'm planning to replace it with this Summer's refresh (assuming there will be one). In the event that the battery life degrades rapidly, I bought a portable USB charger. I've used it once so far (forgot to do the overnight charge routine), but it worked well and gave me enough charge to do what I needed to do.
Anyway, the upshot is that I personally haven't found the embedded battery in the iPhone to be an issue.
Re:User replaceable? why? by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 15:29 · Score: 1

So use the external boosters.
There are several third party external batteries for the iPad and iPhone that power it in the event that 10 hours of charge is not enough for you. Some are separate items, the size and shape of batteries that you can plug into while your iPad is on a desk or in a bag or something, others are designed like iPad cases so you can continue holding it relatively unburdened (you just add the weight of the case+battery in this instance). These options take up no more space in your bag than a set of spare batteries for something with a replaceable set.
For the vast majority of cases, 10 hours is enough. For the smaller number of cases, there are ways around it. They chose to design it around the larger use cases though, hence, thin and light with non-removable odd-shape-fill-as-much-room battery.
Re:User replaceable? why? by phantomfive · 2011-03-02 15:40 · Score: 1

Typical numbers I've seen (and experienced) are that a lithium Ion battery will last for 300 charge cycles.

Apple, with their recent batteries, claims they will last ~1000 cycles. Now, I don't know if this happens because they switched to Lithium polymer, or because they distributed the current more evenly around the battery, or some other thing I haven't imagined; but that is their claim, and GP seems to be providing evidence that it's true.

--
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
Re:User replaceable? why? by Compuser · 2011-03-02 15:44 · Score: 1

No. If you are holding a device in one hand while pointing something out to the customer and you do it for 20-30 minutes straight then you want that device to be as lightweight as possible. Using an external battery while using the device is out the window. It can be a bit heavier when it hangs on your shoulder in a bag but it cannot be more than 1.5 lb or so in actual use. And really, 8-10 oz would be best but we are not there yet.
Re:User replaceable? why? by sribe · 2011-03-02 15:48 · Score: 1

The current hardware was replacement #2, after a charger malfunction incident. Late summer, I'd say. about 6-8 months in, now.
Well, that does seem a bit crappy. I hope it's not the norm.
Re:User replaceable? why? by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 16:05 · Score: 1

Right, so right now at 1.5lb it's already lighter than most other tablets - it's 0.1 lb lighter than the Xoom, for example (and the new iPad 2 is 1.3 lb), so you have between 1.6 and 5 oz before you're even at the Xoom's weight.
You're just looking for ways to put it down. If you really can't handle having the extra weight in this outside use case of 10 hours battery not being enough, so you're into the 11th hour of a presentation, then just connect it to the external battery earlier in the day, or in your lunch break, or while it's in your bag if you really, really can't handle it being a smidge over 1.3 to 1.5 pounds (still less than any other tablets of its size).
Re:User replaceable? why? by Boycott+BMG · 2011-03-02 16:10 · Score: 1

I'm sure there have been improvements in LiPo and Li-Ion lifetime, but I find the claim of 1000 cycles for LiPo dubious. Got a link for that? Anyways, according to this link http://www.thermoanalytics.com/support/publications/batterytypesdoc.html Li-Ion can have from 400-1200 cycles and LiPo 400-600 cycles. This link http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/is_lithium_ion_the_ideal_battery also states that Li-Ion can do more charge cycles than LiPO. Perhaps your experience with poor lifetime was on a hot running laptop? Heat is usually the main culprit when we are talking about ridiculously short life for Li-Ion or LiPo.
Re:User replaceable? why? by nprz · 2011-03-02 17:34 · Score: 1

An hour or two? Why stop there? If you're going to all this trouble to complete exaggerate the rate at which the batteries age, why stop at a couple hours? Why not go with 15 minutes? 10 minutes?
Hey, you described my MBP that I'm using. In slightly over a year (past warranty), the battery life quickly degraded down to 30 minutes, then 15 minutes. Now if I unplug it, I have about 5 seconds until it shuts itself off (scary with the magsafe connector).
My 5 year old Dell laptop can still go 2 hours (starting from 3 hours) in a charge.
But my iPad (at 9-months) is still holding a good charge. The only time I use it for a long period would be on weekends and I don't imagine it dropping down to 2 hours any time soon.
Re:User replaceable? why? by Compuser · 2011-03-02 21:57 · Score: 1

No I am not just looking for ways to put it down. It is not for me but I already said that it is a great device for a huge market.
Re:User replaceable? why? by Haeleth · 2011-03-02 22:41 · Score: 1

Apple hardware is generally superior to other consumer devices.
I, too, find that Kool-Aid tastes really good inside the reality distortion field.
Re:User replaceable? why? by phantomfive · 2011-03-02 23:25 · Score: 1

Here's where Apple claims to be using Lithium Ion Polymer batteries, and here is where it claims to have 1000 charge cycles.I know marketing documents aren't the best citations, but presumably they claim it for a reason.

Under Apple Care they used to replace your battery for free, unless your battery had already made it to 300 cycles (or three years passed). Presumably they chose this number because a lot of batteries started failing after 300 cycles....certainly my brother's failed right after that. I don't think he ever went for AppleCare after that.

--
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
Re:User replaceable? why? by Alioth · 2011-03-03 01:05 · Score: 1

The batteries don't die *that* quickly. My laptop, which I still take with me everywhere, is a 12in PowerBook G4. Remember those? When I bought it no one even had an inkling (well, apart from Jobs) that Intel was on the horizon for a Mac. It'll be 7 years old this year.
It had about 4 hours battery life when brand new, and still manages an hour today at nearly 7 years old. A 7 year old 1st gen iPad will likely therefore get over two hours on battery still if the degradation happens at this rate, which is still a useful amount of time. (At 2 years old the PowerBook was still getting 3 to 3.5 hours out of a charge).

--
Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
Re:User replaceable? why? by crmarvin42 · 2011-03-03 01:49 · Score: 1

"Designed from the ground up" != "Entirely new code"

There is the (in)famous sentiment that the hard part of design is not figuring out what to add, but what to remove/leave out. They did a lot of engineering work to remove unnecessary code so that the battery performance was optimal. I remember when people first started discovering the underlying OS (back when it was called the iPhone OS). There was a lot of talk about entire segments of Mac OS X having been removed or in some cases replaced with new, mobile specific libraries and APIs. You may be correct, that the majority of the iOS code is also in Mac OS X, but I doubt that the reverse could also be said to be true. There is much in Mac OS X that is completely missing, or replaced in iOS. The differences are probably shrinking again, Lion is supposed to have a lot of technology originally developed for iOS, but that is iOS tech filtering back to the Mac.

--
Bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.-Oscar Wilde
Re:User replaceable? why? by GooberToo · 2011-03-03 03:29 · Score: 1

Frequently...

Please explain how having the best price in the tablet market is premium pricing.
Please explain why you're trolling. If the word "frequently" isn't understood, perhaps you should figure that out before commenting. I absolutely did not speak in absolute terms.
Ignoring that, as others have pointed out, Apple was not first to the tablet market. Other, cheaper tablets do exist. And as recent Xoom stories verify, you absolutely are paying a premium price for the iPad - you just don't realize it.

Apple then makes money on warranties which almost never require payouts. Also known as free money
You mean like every single company that offers warranties.
And? I guess you are just trolling. Why is pointing out they make money a bad thing? As you point out, other companies make money. Why is it a point of contention. My statement is completely accurate and not the least bit controversial. And yet, you seem to have taken issue with a factually accurate, non-controversial statement. The troll seems to be strong with you.

Possibly.. I think that number will be pretty small first off.. When the battery is so degraded the device will be quite out of date anyway and most people will just recycle it.
Well, that's you're problem. You, "thought." I'm using information which I've previously read. Apples makes a lot of money from battery replacement. Unless you have something which indicates otherwise, this is just more trolling on your behalf.

People are handing them money for an excellent product.
So that's it. You're an apple fan-boy and apologist. My statement was not aimed at people purchasing products - which frankly is pretty obvious though not explicitly stated. My statement makes clear Apples makes tons of money because people literally hand them tons of money for absolutely stupid reasons. Part of those stupid reasons includes paying for an extended warranty on what is generally pretty descent hardware. Part of that money comes from people replacing batteries because that extra fee is designed into the product; which kind of goes back to the original premium comment which went completely over your head.
Re:User replaceable? why? by radl33t · 2011-03-03 04:04 · Score: 1

Upon further reflection you retreat to a lesser claim. That is sufficient for me. I'll trade your reader survey for research by a 3rd warranty firm with results that affect their bottom line.

http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/

If I had to quantify your initial claim I would not fall upon 4th place out of 9. Even your retreat tis barely acceptable.
Re:User replaceable? why? by AK+Marc · 2011-03-03 07:27 · Score: 1

You are an idiot. I made no retreat. And, since your reading comprehension is so poor, none of your other claims can be considered. But thanks for proving yourself an idiot so clearly and thoroughly so that I don't have to give your drivel a second thought.

--
Learn to love Alaska
Re:User replaceable? why? by radl33t · 2011-03-03 07:57 · Score: 1

That was not a very classy concession speech, but I'll take it.
Re:User replaceable? why? by AK+Marc · 2011-03-03 08:35 · Score: 1

Concession for what? You accused me of "retreating to a lesser claim." Since I had made no previous claim at all, it would be impossible for me to "retreat." Your inability to properly use or understand the English language is amusing, but no machinations can result in you having used the word "retreat" correctly. I made a separate and independent claim regarding your statement against Apple.

And from what I've seen, my statement is correct and yours is incorrect anyway.

--
Learn to love Alaska
Re:User replaceable? why? by radl33t · 2011-03-03 09:11 · Score: 1

Thank you for the encore. Standing ovation.
Re:User replaceable? why? by AK+Marc · 2011-03-03 11:20 · Score: 1

For pointing out our error? You know, repeating an error once it's known to be false makes you a liar. Are you trying to convince others that you are a liar?

--
Learn to love Alaska
Re:User replaceable? why? by cowscows · 2011-03-03 16:00 · Score: 1

Have you tried taking the computer/battery into an Apple Store and asking them about it. That sounds like unusually bad performance for a battery, and even though you're outside of the warranty, they're often pretty generous about fixing stuff.

--
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
Re:User replaceable? why? by hazydave · 2011-03-04 02:53 · Score: 1

The life of NiMh and Li-ion/Li-ion-poly is determined by a number of things. In all cases, the batteries last longer if you short-cycle them... never run it all the way to "full", never run it all the way to empty (a Li-ion cell can't actually be emptied, anyway, without causing destruction). Some chemistries lose capacity when keep full for long periods of time, others don't. All have a rated cell life, which is based on full charge/discharge cycles: about 1000 cycles for a common NiMh cell, 400-6000 for Li-ion, depending on chemistry, and about 1,000 for the more recent Li-poly cells. There's been lots of work, recently, on different anode and cathode materials to extend battery life. For example, Toshiba's Super Charge Ion Battey, which uses some sort of nano-engineered Lithium-Titanate on the anode, instead of carbon (one of the sources of heating during charge/discharge). These are claimed at over 6,000 rapid charge/discharge cycles.
Cell balancing in multi-cell batteries (anything over 3.6V) is also a life-prolonging technique. This ensures that each cell gets fully charged without overcharging, on every recharge cycle.
The charge cycle is also important for maintaining life. NiMh are relatively easy to charge, but they'll die sooner if allowed to heat too much. Hybrid cars using NiMh typically have a means of cooling the cells, and will also cut off their use when the temperatures rise too much. Li-ion cells have a more complex charging cycle, where the charger needs to switch off between constant current and constant voltage charging... avoiding heat is also key.
Apple gets the same cells everyone else can use -- they're not a battery company. But they have spent more time than most manufacturers tweaking their power savings and charging cycle -- that's their only claim to "special sauce" in the battery department, other than moving to Li-ion polymer for all products, despite these being slightly more expensive than run-of-the-mill li-ion. Another reason they get good battery life: LED backlights on all devices, and larger cells than in many competitive devices. They also stick to low or medium performance graphics devices.. fastest available today is the AMD Radeon HD 6750M.
And the final reason: larger batteries. The MacBook Pro these days includes a 77.5Wh battery on the 15" model and 95Whr on the 17" model.Most 15" laptops include a 40-50Wh cell. iPads sport 25Whr cells.... the top tablets are so similar in hardware these days, don't expect anything with a lower battery capacity to rival the iPad. And it's likely HP, RIM, and Android still have some power savings software to tweak.

--
-Dave Haynie
Re:User replaceable? why? by toxickitty · 2011-03-04 21:16 · Score: 1

Wow they put the battery at the bottom, that is a real lengthy procedure to replace a battery...
Re:User replaceable? why? by Thundersnatch · 2011-03-06 03:23 · Score: 1

Apple hardware is generally superior to other consumer devices.
Quality on Apple hardware is basically shit - it looks pretty, and is designed fairly well (iPhone 4 antenna aside). But the parts and assembly are the same "cheapest China can produce" quality as almost all other consumer electronics. I say this having gone through multiple iPhone 3Gs and 3GSs due to various hardware issues (mostly screens and speakers). I also manage an IT department whose help desk guys are constantly fussing with the hardware on the very few Macs we have. We have had more hardware tickets on the Macs than our HPs in the last two years, despite the fact that we have 15x more HP laptops. Nedless to say, our Mac experiment is over, and this batch is getting replaced with HP/Windows machines during the next upgrade cycle.

Games can use dual core ... by perpenso · 2011-03-02 07:37 · Score: 1

Original iPad is 1 GHz A4 processor, new iPad is 1 GHz A5 processor. I wouldn't worry about that, it's not like the original is that slow or that many apps strain it.

Isn't the new iPad also dual core? Games can make use of that.

Re:Games can use dual core ... by Bogtha · 2011-03-02 08:15 · Score: 1

Not just games, lots of apps can make use of that. It's pretty easy to write multithreaded apps with iOS using NSOperationQueue. I'm developing an app at the moment that uses it to asynchronously generate thumbnails for a fair number of documents at once. That'll go twice as quickly on the iPad 2 without me having to change a single line of code or recompile.

--
Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
Re:Games can use dual core ... by symbolset · 2011-03-02 08:26 · Score: 1

Only 1.5x faster. And the same price. Hm. How is that not better?

--
Help stamp out iliturcy.
Re:Games can use dual core ... by perpenso · 2011-03-02 08:45 · Score: 1

But never a 2x speed bump; going simply by core increase and not architecture improvements it's more likely to be 1.5x faster.
That's why press releases are always carefully crafted, for example "up to 2x faster".

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by Xtravar · 2011-03-02 07:38 · Score: 1

It's because our lives are so empty and all the pretty gadgets in the world won't fix that.

--
Buckle your ROFL belt, we're in for some LOLs.

Why? by dazedNconfuzed · 2011-03-02 07:38 · Score: 1

Don't you sleep?

--
Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?

Re:Leaving the Wisconsin state house now to buy th by doggo · 2011-03-02 07:39 · Score: 1

Pffft! Jackhole! Scornful of union supporters and anti-Apple. Wow. Are you always angry too? Really. Really. Angry.

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by rednip · 2011-03-02 07:39 · Score: 2

I did the numbers on people who make random claims of statistical analysis and found that too often they're either wrong because of sample issues or just blatant liars.

I doubt if you have the kind of access to Chinese medical and criminal investigation data that one would need create such a study.

--
The force that blew the Big Bang continues to accelerate.

Why would you not prefer external power pack? by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 07:40 · Score: 3, Informative

In all of the iOS devices I have ever had, I have not once had to replace a battery. And even if you need to Apple can do that for you, which is something like once every three years at worst, probably longer (since as I said I have not had to replace a battery in a device yet).

In any device if I wanted longer use time (for instance on an international flight) I always found an external power pack preferable, as they can be smaller than a second battery for a real device - I mean think of how an iPad extra battery would have to be shaped, all by itself it would be pretty bulky and large, where an external battery can opt to be much thicker but also far less higher and wider to provide more battery life in a more compact package.

Apple has made the right choice by making the devices as small as possible, and moving the occasional need to longer use into an external form that can be customized into many shapes and sizes and capacities instead of just one monolithic replacement battery.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Why would you not prefer external power pack? by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 09:01 · Score: 1

I have had one Apple device since 2003 that has needed a new battery (white Intel Macbook). I still have: 2nd generation iPod, 3rd gen iPod, 3 more newer iPods of various makes/models, a Macbook from 2007, and they are all using their original battery.
Re:Why would you not prefer external power pack? by geekoid · 2011-03-02 10:31 · Score: 1

If you can't open it, you don't own it.

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re:Why would you not prefer external power pack? by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 10:42 · Score: 1

You can open it. There are many kits to do so.
I just prefer not to generally unless there's a need or it's something I want to tinker with. But mostly I prefer tinkering with software so again, I have no need to open the case.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Re:Why would you not prefer external power pack? by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 13:36 · Score: 1

In all of the iOS devices I have ever had, I have not once had to replace a battery.
You must be very special then because an entire industry has grown up around replacing out of warranty batteries in Apple products. I do not suppose that industry survives on thin air.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
Re:Why would you not prefer external power pack? by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 13:37 · Score: 1

You can open it. There are many kits to do so.
Just asking, do you actually work for Apple?

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
Re:Why would you not prefer external power pack? by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 14:24 · Score: 1

No, but I do write iOS applications which is why I have a deeper understanding of what is possible than some people on Slashdot.
I just hate people that can't get facts straight (or in fact purposefully mislead people).

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Re:Why would you not prefer external power pack? by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 14:28 · Score: 1

An entire industry has grown up around replacing out of warranty batteries in Apple products
That is true but that's people who are using products well past two or three years the batteries last (remember for just $70 or so you can get a three-year warranty on any APple device which will replace a battery for free), or are just really cheap.
That was also a bigger deal back with the iPods (as there's not really that much of a reason to replace one that is working until you accidentally crush it), the battery replacement industry is not as big as it used to be.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Re:Why would you not prefer external power pack? by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 17:49 · Score: 1

That is true but that's people who are using products well past two or three years the batteries last
Well I always use my gadgets for more than 3 years, so that is enough reason by itself to reject this obsolescent thing. Sorry, Apple can keep its toy and I will get a real computer from Motorola this time round.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
Re:Why would you not prefer external power pack? by Haeleth · 2011-03-02 22:45 · Score: 1

In all of the iOS devices I have ever had, I have not once had to replace a battery.
If you have had a sufficent number of iOS devices for this to be a statistically meaningful sample, then you can never have never used any single one of them for long enough to draw any conclusions about battery longevity.

Re:Not bad by cgenman · 2011-03-02 07:40 · Score: 2

The same has been true of iPhones. Programmers and designers generally over-estimate what you can get out of a piece of hardware, and it runs slower than it should. New rev of the hardware comes out, and the slow-feeling apps now feel crisp. Everyone starts developing for the new platform, and repeat.

Sure, it will "run" on an iPad 1. But given a few years, and the iPad 1 owners will be a small minority, and everyone will expect apps that push the hardware.

--
The ______ Agenda

Not very relevant by blind+biker · 2011-03-02 07:41 · Score: 2

As a person casually interested in tablet computers, I never looked with too much interest at CPU speed. Screen size, application availability, OS and user interface usability and connection ports (USB is a must) are my most relevant factors in the choice. And price. I imagine, however, that even if I were an Apple enthusiast, CPU speed for a tablet would be less important than screen size and user interface. The iPad 2 is definitely an improved model, but no Apple enthusiast will be swept off his/her feet, though some will feel the urge to upgrade, no doubt. The rest of us won't really care about the iPad 2. In fact, at this point a much cheaper Android-based tablet computer may start to look more interesting than before ("Hey, even Apple didn't add much to their own iPad, why not get this $SEMI_ANONYMOUS_BRAND tablet instead?").

--
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.

Re:Not very relevant by node+3 · 2011-03-02 08:26 · Score: 1

The rest of us won't really care about the iPad 2. In fact, at this point a much cheaper Android-based tablet computer may start to look more interesting than before ("Hey, even Apple didn't add much to their own iPad, why not get this $SEMI_ANONYMOUS_BRAND tablet instead?").
That's not a likely scenario. People want *iPads*, not "tablets".
Re:Not very relevant by Marcika · 2011-03-02 08:29 · Score: 1

The Nook Color costs $229. (And has a thriving modder community,)
Re:Not very relevant by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 08:32 · Score: 1

connection ports (USB is a must)
Serious question: what precisely do all you Android fanboys plan to plug INTO this USB port? I've never seen a serious use for it (and powering your vibrating fleshlight doesn't count).
Re:Not very relevant by jjb3rd · 2011-03-02 09:25 · Score: 2

at this point a much cheaper Android-based tablet computer may start to look more interesting than before
This may be true of there were cheaper alternatives...in case you haven't been reading the news, Apple pre-paid for nearly every LCD screen and every bit of Flash memory known to man for like the next 5 years. That's why Xoom costs $300 more. Just drink the Kool-Aid already...the iPad is worlds ahead of the alternatives.
Re:Not very relevant by painandgreed · 2011-03-02 09:51 · Score: 1

In fact, at this point a much cheaper Android-based tablet computer may start to look more interesting than before ("Hey, even Apple didn't add much to their own iPad, why not get this $SEMI_ANONYMOUS_BRAND tablet instead?").
Because the reviews for those cheaper Android based tablets pretty much said they were born too soon and not as good as the original iPad. Now that the iPad2 has had better hardware and more apps, plenty in fact, added to it, there isn't any reason for the average consumer to even look at cheaper Android tablets, at least until some begin to gain some reputation for actually being good.
Re:Not very relevant by jedidiah · 2011-03-02 09:57 · Score: 1

...what does anyone plug into USB ports?
Plenty of things. It's all up to the individual user. Everyone can have their pet USB
device and associated applications. THAT is what separates PCs from appliances that
are overhyped as some sort of PC replacement.
The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
Although you need an imagination first.

--
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Re:Not very relevant by HLJ76 · 2011-03-02 11:36 · Score: 1

The iPad 2 is definitely an improved model, but no Apple enthusiast will be swept off his/her feet, though some will feel the urge to upgrade, no doubt.
As an Apple enthusiast I disagree. Only reason I was not "swept off my feet" is I already expected most of it. Any iOS enthusiast that is also into games will be more than swept away by the graphics upgrade alone. The front camera finally turns the device into the ultimate communication console, and can't wait to feel how it feels, weight wise. The current iPad is just a tad heavier than I'd like, perhaps the weight reduction may bring it down the notch it needed.
Don't care much for the back camera, though. Although it may be useful for augmented reality applications.
I cant see how anyone would consider any cheaper Android based tablet would look interesting at all. The only decent looking tablet (and it's not that impressive) out now is the Xoom and its $800, vs 630 for the cheapest 3G iPad (I still don't have storage issues with my 16GB iPad.)
I don't care about USB, Bluetooth should be the way to connect any peripheral to any mobile device, not USB. Last thing I want are more cables to hook up on a portable device.
My disappointments are not hearing anything on the MobileMe improvements (proper integration can make local storage nearly irrelevant, at least on the 3G models) or iOS 5.
Re:Not very relevant by commodoresloat · 2011-03-02 12:26 · Score: 1

no Apple enthusiast will be swept off his/her feet
true but some of us who managed to hold off on purchasing the iPad 1 might finally take the plunge
Re:Not very relevant by pipedwho · 2011-03-02 14:57 · Score: 1

Dude, what are you talking about? Now while I'm taking a massive dump on the porcelain throne, I'll not only be able to browse the web, but also get some Facetime with friends and family.
Re:Not very relevant by BlackCreek · 2011-03-02 21:37 · Score: 1

connection ports (USB is a must)
Serious question: what precisely do all you Android fanboys plan to plug INTO this USB port? I've never seen a serious use for it (and powering your vibrating fleshlight doesn't count).
To view / show the pictures in my digital camera without using a computer?
Seriously, there is a lot of the traditional desktop to be done away with a tablet. But Apple (AFAIK) still requires you to have iTunes on a desktop to manage your iPad/Phone. Why can't these things just upgrade OTA through WiFi like Android phones do?

Even my Nook comes with a replaceable HD card slot by penguin_dance · 2011-03-02 07:41 · Score: 3, Insightful

Unless I missed something, it still only comes with an embedded hard drive, forcing you to shell out $$ for a larger hard drive. Even my NookColor has an SD slot (and is also rootable on Android). I feel pretty much about this as I did the first one--looks cool, but considering it costs approx. the same as a laptop (except without Flash), it's an expensive toy.

--
If you've never been modded as "flamebait" or "troll," you've never tried to argue a minority viewpoint here!

Better than the alternatives then by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 07:43 · Score: 5, Insightful

The iPad is still assembled by cheap Chinese labor who sometimes get suicidal and jump off the Foxconn factory roof so they installed nets.

Well if that bothers you I imagine you aren't buying electronics from any other hardware maker that hides the numbers Apple publishes and produces gear at factories that treat the workers even worse. How do you think a $300 Android tablet gets to be that cheap anyway...

Back to your cave now.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Better than the alternatives then by geekoid · 2011-03-02 10:36 · Score: 1

Wow, nice knee jerk reaction
He didn't say any other tablet was better, but sine this si a story about iPad 2, he mentioned the 33% thinner.
If he had said, iPad uses Chinese manufactures, so buy an android tablet,, then you would have had a point.

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re:Better than the alternatives then by sootman · 2011-03-02 11:14 · Score: 2
From Wikipedia: "Foxconn makes consumer electronics for a number of famous-name companies. The following is an incomplete list:
- Apple Inc. (United States) [19][7][20]
- Acer (Taiwan)
- Amazon.com (United States)
- Asus (Taiwan)
- Intel (United States)
- Cisco (United States)
- Hewlett-Packard (United States) [21][20]
- Dell (United States)
- Nintendo (Japan)
- Nokia (Finland) [19]
- Microsoft (United States)
- Sony (Japan)
- Sony Ericsson (Japan/Sweden) [20]
- Samsung (Korea)
- Vizio (United States)
If the GP owns any less than 5 Foxconn-manufactured devices I'd be surprised.
--
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.

5.1 audio and 1080p via output- about time! by WiiVault · 2011-03-02 07:43 · Score: 4, Insightful

The new audio output which supports 5.1 dolby and 1080p is huge. The HD output is especially nice for teachers since it supports any app, not just specific Apple sanctioned ones like the first iPad (at 480p).

Re:5.1 audio and 1080p via output- about time! by RightSaidFred99 · 2011-03-02 08:34 · Score: 1

Wow, you mean the iPad caught up with my cell phone's mini-hdmi output?! Revolutionary!
Re:5.1 audio and 1080p via output- about time! by keytoe · 2011-03-02 10:56 · Score: 1

not just specific Apple sanctioned ones like the first iPad (at 480p).
For the record, video out wasn't locked down to Apple-only at all. You did, however, have to write code specifically to target an external screen if one was present.

--
Culture is more than commerce
Re:5.1 audio and 1080p via output- about time! by WiiVault · 2011-03-02 18:02 · Score: 1

Ahh good to know. Sorry for the error in my initial post.

Re:Leaving the Wisconsin state house now to buy th by elrous0 · 2011-03-02 07:43 · Score: 1

Yeah, I'm probably all like...a greedy capitalist type too...unlike Steve Jobs.

--
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by Skuld-Chan · 2011-03-02 07:44 · Score: 1

You mean they will be fragmented?

(sorry couldn't resist)

Totally agree by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 07:46 · Score: 1

If you have an iPad today, this is not really a must-have, but if you are just thinking about a tablet purchase now the iPad looks really compelling next to any other device out now or soon to be arriving.

The September one should be the one that would inspire an upgrade, with an improved display to add atop this refresh and possible something else (though in such a short time frame it's hard to imagine what else would be added).

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Totally agree by RightSaidFred99 · 2011-03-02 08:31 · Score: 1

Yeah...except for the Xoom, which looks better in almost every dimension.
September? Is that when Apple is releasing the 3rd version? I would say they are laughably cynical if they think people will stand for that, but they're probably right and I'm sure some non-single-digit percentage of iPad owners will have bought the 1st and 2nd gen, and will fork out for the 3rd gen 6 months later.
Re:Totally agree by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 11:59 · Score: 1

The HP WebOS tablet has better hardware at a similar price point, just has no apps. Really, the main reason it doesn't look competitive is because of the apps.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:Totally agree by Karlt1 · 2011-03-02 14:37 · Score: 1

The HP WebOS tablet has better hardware at a similar price point, just has no apps. Really, the main reason it doesn't look competitive is because of the apps.
And don't forget about the tiny little fact that you can't actually buy one....
Re:Totally agree by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 14:47 · Score: 1

Typical fanboy response, and forgive me if you aren't one but all the same, who cares? It will take a month or two. Do you actually have to buy something when it first comes out? Maybe you should be a rational consumer and and actually look at the competition before you decide to make a purchase, or wait a month or two and see how the new technology pans out to avoid things like antenna problems. Only Apple could get away with a silly engineering mistake like the antenna problem, because they have too many teet suckling, apologist fanboys at their disposal.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:Totally agree by Karlt1 · 2011-03-02 15:02 · Score: 1

Typical fanboy response, and forgive me if you aren't one but all the same, who cares?
Like someone else said, manufacturers need to actually stfu until they can actually ship something.
Remember last years HP Slate that was announced in January 2010 and barely shipped in late 2010?
The Blackberry Playbook that was announced in September 2010 and may ship in April? I got an email from Sprint "announcing" the Playbook would ship in the summer -- no pricing details.
Apple announced the iPad today and will ship within 2-3 weeks.

Clipboard + pad of paper heavier than iPad by perpenso · 2011-03-02 07:47 · Score: 1

I've got a typical 100 sheet writing pad. With pen, it weighs just over 1.1 lb.

Add a clipboard and you are at 1.6 lbs, heavier than the original iPad.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by devxo · 2011-03-02 07:48 · Score: 2, Interesting

And it looks like Apples own playground is starting to build up. Like FaceTime works only between iDevices and macs.

I haven't owned an Apple product before, but after following Engadget's live food I have to say iPad 2 looks fantastic. Really, the Android tablets are so far from it that it would be almost stupid to choose something else. I guess I'm losing it against Apple, but I think I'm going to buy it as soon as it comes out in Europe.

Not really an impact by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 07:49 · Score: 1

Actually 4.3 is not at all a drag on an iPad. They did eventually kind of fix the 3G performance issues with iOS 4.1, though it still was a little slower... but the older iPad handles the iOS4 stuff just fine, and 4.3 is not that much of a change for it.

If you have one now you could probably wait for the next version to upgrade and still be very happy, as app designers will have to be supporting the old one for quite a while yet. The only exception might be for gaming, if game designers start to really take advantage of the greater graphics performance. Even that may take long enough though you could still wait for the next version.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Same here. No retina == no buy. by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 07:49 · Score: 3, Informative

Same here. Funny how they say they got 9x faster graphics and 2x faster CPU, but didn't bother implementing retina display, which, at it's worst-case point, would take a 4x higher toll on the device (assuming quadrupling total pixel count).

I think the manufacturing of the higher-res displays was the problem. Either they ended up being too expensive or there were too many defects.

I need a tablet to read stuff. I want to do it in a way that would match the visual experience of reading a book.

I work in the art departments of various movies. Lots of reference images and paintings floating around. I would reaaaaally like to go paperless. I'm not the only one, the iPad is popping up all over Hollywood. It may even finally convince the big-wigs that wireless internet should be part of every facility. I also know a couple of photographers that would love to have a high-res iPad for reviewing photos.

Mas pixels por favor.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by Duradin · 2011-03-02 07:50 · Score: 1

The workers assembling the Xoom don't even get nets just a mote filled with rusty spikes and raw sewage. But hey, it's Android!!!!!

Re:Units by damnfuct · 2011-03-02 07:51 · Score: 1

64 gigaradians, I guess

33% thinner by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 07:53 · Score: 5, Funny

Looks like Jobs is 33% thinner, too. Poor guy.

Re:33% thinner by grub · 2011-03-02 09:02 · Score: 1

I laughed so fucking hard when I read this! Shame on you... and me.

--
Trolling is a art,
Re:33% thinner by glebd · 2011-03-02 22:23 · Score: 1

I come to Slashdot for classy jokes like that.

Re:Same here. No retina == no buy. by Cinder6 · 2011-03-02 07:53 · Score: 1

Sure, the iPad 2 is poerful enough to display "retina", but at what cost? Battery life would be worse, and the price of the device would likely be significantly higher. Not to mention issues with dead pixels would be compounded.

I want the hi-res display, too, but I can understand why it's not in the cards (yet). I'll probably skip this iPad and wait for the hi-res one that will inevitably come out, or maybe even get a Honeycomb tablet (if a good one comes out at a competitive price, that is).

--
If you can't convince them, convict them.

Open Spec by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 07:53 · Score: 3, Informative

Actually Facetime is an open spec, anyone can implement a device that supports it...

Now how you find them from an iOS to non-IOS device, that part I'm not sure how easy it is to implement.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Open Spec by joh · 2011-03-02 08:03 · Score: 4, Insightful

Actually Facetime is an open spec, anyone can implement a device that supports it...
Now how you find them from an iOS to non-IOS device, that part I'm not sure how easy it is to implement.
Well, you can still use Skype for video calls to everyone.
Re:Open Spec by d3vi1 · 2011-03-02 08:25 · Score: 2

Actually Facetime is an open spec, anyone can implement a device that supports it...
Now how you find them from an iOS to non-IOS device, that part I'm not sure how easy it is to implement.
Care to give me a link to the spec? I know it uses industry standard protocols, but the spec?
I like FaceTime for being the first simple, grandma' proof, button free SIP client, but it's not available on other platforms that Apple's own. An open spec SIP based platform would be usable with other video enabled SIP clients. Facetime AFAIK is not.

--
UNIX was not designed to stop you from doing stupid things, because that would also stop you from doing clever ones.
Re:Open Spec by Bert64 · 2011-03-02 08:33 · Score: 2

You mean anyone who runs the skype client...
Skype is not an open spec, so you are at their mercy to provide a client for your platform of choice, and for skype to provide you with service. I prefer Apple's facetime, and i doubt it will be too long before there are third party implementations.

--
http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
Re:Open Spec by secretcurse · 2011-03-02 08:33 · Score: 1

The spec is outlined in RFC iProtocol which is actually just a list of Apple stores...

--
I'm using all of my mod points to mod ancient memes down. Please join me.
Re:Open Spec by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 09:18 · Score: 2

Although Apple has not published the spec exactly, they have said they will (hence that's why it is open) but it's all built atop existing standards glued together, there's plenty enough material there to build an initial implementation atop of.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Re:Open Spec by Zebedeu · 2011-03-02 11:04 · Score: 5, Insightful

Saying you'll publish a spec doesn't make it open. Actually publishing it does.
And Apple has had plenty time to do it too.
Re:Open Spec by jrumney · 2011-03-02 13:13 · Score: 1

Actually Facetime is an open spec
As I understand it, it is partially built on open specs, and if you know an iOS user's IP address you can connect with them provided they are not behind any firewalls. But only other Facetime users can use it without delving into technical details like IP addresses, as Apple maintain their own private SIP registrar with non-standard authentication.
Re:Open Spec by gumbi+west · 2011-03-02 17:17 · Score: 1

I had thought Skype would be better than the Apple products because Apple usually doesn't do the technical back end stuff super well (run top on an Apple product and see what the % CPU for top itself is, wow!). But the Skype video chats I have had were terrible quality relative to iChat on the same computer, same connection, to the same place .

GPS? by Moby+Cock · 2011-03-02 07:54 · Score: 1

It's nice, I may have considered buying one -- except, as far as I can see there is no GPS. What is that about?

Re:GPS? by jbeaupre · 2011-03-02 08:21 · Score: 1

It's nice, I may have considered buying one -- except, as far as I can see it is an Apple product. What is that about?

--
The world is made by those who show up for the job.
Re:GPS? by kalel666 · 2011-03-02 08:23 · Score: 2

It's on all the 3G models.

--
I HAVE CUBIC WISDOM THAT TRANSCENDS AND CONTRADICTS ONE DAY GODS
Re:GPS? by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 09:54 · Score: 3, Informative

The GPS chip is part of the 3G board, which is missing from all the WiFi only models.
Re:GPS? by geekoid · 2011-03-02 10:45 · Score: 1

A board wichs cost a buck and a half more.
The low end of apples devices are a joke.
1200 dollars for in 13? 500 dollars and no 3g?
Plus when you go to Apple to buy something, as soon as you are interested, they go on about haw much better the 'step' up is. In one case I was told 'not to bother' with the low end. I agreed and just left the store.
It's as close to a bait and switch as you can legally get.

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re:GPS? by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 11:31 · Score: 1

Show me the equivalent tablet that is cheaper...
Also, it would be nice to see your source for $1.50 being the price of the GPS + 3G radio hardware (don't forget to include the royalty fees for devices that use those cellular radio patents).

1200 dollars for in 13?
I'm not sure what this means - I assume you're talking about the 13" Macbook Pro, which is about $200 more than the equivalent HP Envy.
Re:GPS? by geekoid · 2011-03-02 12:03 · Score: 1

"Show me the equivalent tablet that is cheaper..."
Not the point.
My point is that Apple sell a machine that is woefully underpowered for the price, then uses that to leverage a few hundred more out of you to get a decent machine that should be there entry level machine.
It is a slimy sales tactic.
I would love to link you the price break out of those chips; which would be even cheaper if they where on all the boards, btw. But alas I can not. If you dig around you can find them. Remember, Apple isn't actually magic. they use the same chips that anyone can use, there prices are known in the industry, but tightly controlled.
Yeah, you got me with the royalties fees, they aren't on my break out sheet. There "Additional party fees" aren't listed.
Cost wise, we are at a point where it's cheaper to put everything on the boards instead of making seperate boards. The only reason to separate them is to create a sort of "Class distinction" among the people who buy the products, and I guess that just wrankles me. Kind of like the ultimate end game from Max Webers critique of "historical materialism".
Also, I wrote some different stuff about the i3(1200 for an i3?), but then removed it. Apparently I missed some. 13 is actually a typo. My bad.

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re:GPS? by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 12:14 · Score: 1

Of course they're not magic. They use the term in their marketing, but if you know what's inside you know what they use to actually build these things.
Of *course* it's the point that you can't show me an equivalent tablet for less - how can the iPad be simultaneously overpriced and yet have no equivalent cheaper competitors, and yet also be selling so fast they can't make them fast enough (they have shipped 15 million of them since it launched 9 months ago)?
It's not for lack of trying - there are a number of competitors trying, yet so far no one has managed it. The slashdot apple haters all sat back thinking it would be easy and that an Android tablet would come along that was cheaper and better, hardware wise, than the iPad, and so far that has yet to happen - and now Apple has released an updated version with better specs at the same price point as the old one.
Might it just be that the iPad is about as cheap as it could be right now, for the tech that is inside it? If no one else can make a cheaper one with "all these same parts that everyone else uses" then perhaps so! You said it yourself - Apple uses the same parts, so where are the cheaper, better tablets?
Re:GPS? by Overzeetop · 2011-03-02 15:00 · Score: 1

Dell charges $125 for a cell modem and GPS on their laptops which have the guts for it. Apple wants $130. Sure it sucks. I was hoping GPS would be on the wifi models, too, as I don't really need it. Still, there isn't an alternative out there, and even the Xoom - which costs more, but has some minor additional features, only comes in Verizon, and my phone plan is with AT&T.

--
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Re:GPS? by doubtless · 2011-03-02 18:40 · Score: 1

Strangely GPS "seems" to work on the Wifi model, judging from the iPad wifi that we have at home. However, it does you no real good since google map won't be able to load the new locations when you're on the road, unlike the 3g model

--
geek page at KY speaks
Re:GPS? by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 20:25 · Score: 1

I believe it uses "assistance" from Wifi to try and track where it is - probably via google knowing where your wifi hotspot is after driving past it with a van, plus geographical info from your public ip address.
And not all apps require the 3G data service for maps - the Tom Tom app, or numerous satnav apps all keep data on the device itself. The Motion GPS app lets you cache large amounts of map data for a specific area (limited only by your memory space) from its terrain and road maps for use when you've got no 3G/WiFi signal etc.

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by mr100percent · 2011-03-02 07:55 · Score: 1

Foxconn employees live on the premises in worker dorms. The suicides prompted the company to outsource the dorms.

Lots of apps can make use of it today by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 07:58 · Score: 1

Lots of apps existing today will make use of the dual cores, because any app that has a lot of network access (like say sports apps pulling down many data feeds) are already using background threads to do data fetching and parsing.

With dual cores some of that work (and it turns out it's not insignificant) can truly go in a background core while the UI is kept even more responsive.

Even for apps that aren't doing that if you look at the trace of any application there are several background threads, any of which can make use of the dual cores in the same way - or just even background apps that are processing audio or system apps like Mail that may be processing mail in the background.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Lots of apps can make use of it today by vlm · 2011-03-02 08:22 · Score: 1

OK they'll use it, and now my "zoom" screen refresh, instead of taking 10 ms, will take 5 ms. I was looking at more of a user interface perspective, will anyone notice?
I don't have much use for sports apps, so I have no experience with them. Do they stutter or freeze alot? You'd have to verify its not the network, I suppose.

--
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger

Hah. by dragonhunter21 · 2011-03-02 07:59 · Score: 1

Figures this happens not three days after the administration at my school were issued brand new iPads.

--
Sent from my CR-48

And Yet... by Lumpy · 2011-03-02 07:59 · Score: 2

All the "used" ipads on ebay and craigs list are still within 20% of MSRP...

Your Used ipad 1 should go for at LEAST $200.00 less than what you bought it for.

APPLE even discounted new ipad 1's by $100.00 as well.. I can buy a NEW Ipad 1 for $399.00 so your used one is worth $299...

--
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.

Re:And Yet... by Marcika · 2011-03-02 08:32 · Score: 1

There's one born every minute... (It's especially stupid given that a refurbished v1.0 goes for $349 at the apple store, with warranty and everything.)
Re:And Yet... by Adam+Appel · 2011-03-02 10:37 · Score: 1

It's one of be things I live most about EVERYTHING on Craigslist. I used it so it's worth almost as much as a used one.

--
They come in the dark, only in the darkest.
Re:And Yet... by yurtinus · 2011-03-02 11:57 · Score: 1

If somebody buys my used iPad for $400, that's between them and me.

Hell, we should be so lucky to have such light depreciation in a consumer electronics device! Complaining that the used market isn't cheap enough really just makes you... kinda cheap.

*disclaimer* - I don't own or sell iPads, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

--
+1 Disagree
Re:And Yet... by geekoid · 2011-03-02 12:04 · Score: 1

Yeah, I was looking at getting a used iMac, but they where 100 dollars less then a new one. WTF? Does anyone every buy a 2 year old devices for an 8% price cut?

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

Re:Units by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 08:01 · Score: 1

He's definitely being intentionally dense. Non-technical isn't an option; he's being hyper-technical to make his point.

Lack of flash and usb by bl8n8r · 2011-03-02 08:01 · Score: 1

The extra camera is nice and the added processing power is welcome, but still no flash or usb. I'll pass on it.

--
boycott slashdot February 10th - 17th check out: altSlashdot.org

Re:Lack of flash and usb by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 08:06 · Score: 1

The extra camera is nice and the added processing power is welcome, but still no flash or usb. I'll pass on it.
Have you read the reviews of Flash on Android? FFS, Adobe is still promising that it will be available for Android 3.0 "real soon now", and every review points out how it turns the entire experience to shit. But, I suppose haters gonna hate...
Re:Lack of flash and usb by Fitch · 2011-03-02 08:16 · Score: 1

Little Stevie has to hold something back so there's something to entice you to buy an iPad 3 for xmas.
Re:Lack of flash and usb by LoganDzwon · 2011-03-02 08:20 · Score: 1

lol, for most people, that's a selling point.
Re:Lack of flash and usb by vlm · 2011-03-02 08:28 · Score: 4, Funny

Have you read the reviews of Flash on Android?... every review points out how it turns the entire experience to shit.
Speaking of that, installing flash is kind of like turning my basement into a septic tank for the entire municipal sewage system. Nobody really wants that, but we all have to listen to "that guy" going on and on about how real end users like my mom love the experience of finding diamond rings that accidentally get flushed, and the smell isn't really so bad once you get used to it, and its the most modern way of civil engineering so it must be the best way to do it.

--
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
Re:Lack of flash and usb by narcc · 2011-03-02 09:56 · Score: 3, Insightful

Yeah, I was totally going to buy that android tablet, but it had a USB port so I was like "no way".
It's why I love Apple so much -- Not having useful features is *awesome*

--
Required reading for internet skeptics
Re:Lack of flash and usb by Zebedeu · 2011-03-02 11:11 · Score: 1

Flash on Android is completely optional.
That is, you can choose not to install it, or even if it's installed, you can choose not to have it start automatically -- you get a placeholder which you can click in order to start it.
I also hate flash, in the Desktop (Linux) and more so on my Android device.
I usually keep it installed on Android because occasionally I run into a flash video which I want to see without having to start up my pc.
It's a bit shit, but it works okay for videos, and it's pretty convenient.
Re:Lack of flash and usb by F34nor · 2011-03-02 13:06 · Score: 1

Sony mastered the concept. WM1 had rewind, fast forward, two headphone jacks, mic, speaker, and, well everything. Soon after they had play, fast forward, and stop. So hopefully Apple will be suing itself soon too. I want a double iPod al la the WM-W800

Solar cover by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 08:02 · Score: 1

They could have made the cover with solar panels in it and it would have unlimited standby time with just room lighting.

The problem with solar covers is that they need to plug into the main connector somehow. It really needs Apple to make this possible... just putting two little contacts on the case someplace and including a tiny bit of electronics to charge efficiently from solar would make the ipad complete.

Re:Solar cover by papasui · 2011-03-02 09:04 · Score: 1

Actually they already have the Magsafe connector (incidentally one of my favorite features of mac laptops) so I could actually see this being realistic in a future ipad verison. And that would be completely awesome.
Re:Solar cover by jjohnson · 2011-03-02 11:32 · Score: 1

That actually sounds like an awesome third party product. It would just have to plug in to the main connector, and could be integrated into a hard case.

--
Anyone who loves or hates any language, platform, or manufacturer, doesn't know what they're talking about.

Re:See Stenchwarrior RUN by Stenchwarrior · 2011-03-02 08:04 · Score: 1

Wow Pete, I've really bothered you haven't I? Your replying to my every post over the past three days proves that I've beaten you.

--
Loading...

Re:Not bad by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 08:10 · Score: 1

To be fair, my first generation iPhone still works very well.

Re:Units by NatasRevol · 2011-03-02 08:10 · Score: 1

Why can't he be both??

--
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure

Not Much Use in Engineering by tarsi210 · 2011-03-02 08:11 · Score: 1

Despite all this, I *still* can't use it to realign the starboard plasma couplings. Dammit!

--
Blog,Twitter

Re:Not Much Use in Engineering by Locke2005 · 2011-03-02 11:03 · Score: 1

Have you tried remodulating the deflector array? That usually works!

--
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.

Oh? by Namarrgon · 2011-03-02 08:13 · Score: 1

Try building a house using a teddybear sometime.

--
Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?

Re:Oh? by geekoid · 2011-03-02 10:42 · Score: 1

A house, that nothing. These build built a corporate empire:
http://www.buildabear.com/

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

Re:Same here. No retina == no buy. by PatHMV · 2011-03-02 08:15 · Score: 2

In addition to the lack of retina display, there are some underlying technical issues which prevent professional photographers from using the iPad. Many photographers would like to use an app related to Adobe's Lightroom for immediate importing, tagging, and initial review and screening of photos from a photoshoot. But because of Apple's restrictions on direct writing of files and a few other technical issues, this is not apparently possible at this time, according to Adobe. If Apple and Adobe were to find a way to resolve these issues, the iPad would be a perfect device for a photographer to use in conjunction with his existing work-flow. As it stands now, though, the iPad is only really useful for displaying work that's been reviewed and edited on other machines, or for doing the very simple manipulations and organization allowed by Apple's own apps.

Think I'll get a laptop instead. by cstanley8899 · 2011-03-02 08:17 · Score: 1

Or a 40 inch LCD. Or go on a vacation. Or get some new clothes. Or.... save. Yeah... so many better things to do with that money.

Re:Units by Kozar_The_Malignant · 2011-03-02 08:18 · Score: 1

Only once.

--
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.

Re:Even my Nook comes with a replaceable HD card s by RotateLeftByte · 2011-03-02 08:22 · Score: 1

Please explain how an SD card slot is anything more that useless to me.
My DSLR (Nikon D3x) uses CF Cards

Personally, I don't give a toss about the slots. IMHO they are just more places to gather dust.
The iPad camera connection kit works fine enough as does the Camera Control App.
I use it all the time in the studio.

I'll wait for the Ipad3 though.

--
I'd rather be riding my '63 Triumph T120.

Re:Not bad by GooberToo · 2011-03-02 08:22 · Score: 2

And IIRC, Android tablets like the Xoom reportedly even have higher end components than the ipad. The simple fact is, Android in placing tremendous pressure on Apple to compete. To date, there isn't a satisfied Apple iphone 3gs and later, or ipad user, who doesn't owe a great big thank you to Google too.

This is the way the market is supposed to work. Multiple companies all competing to grab customers with the best widget. Therefore, forcing all competing in that widget space to compete based on the goodness of their widget. Thanks to Google, we now have that market place.

Apple promises 1000 cycles by MikeMo · 2011-03-02 08:23 · Score: 1

You must be thinking of cheap PC batteries.

Apple is stating on their web site:

"A properly maintained iPad battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 1000 full charge and discharge cycles. You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs." Here's the link: http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipad.html.

I dunno, but 80% after at least 3 years seems pretty damn good to me.

Re:Apple promises 1000 cycles by Colonel+Korn · 2011-03-02 09:34 · Score: 1

You must be thinking of cheap PC batteries.
Apple is stating on their web site:
"A properly maintained iPad battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 1000 full charge and discharge cycles. You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs." Here's the link: http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipad.html.
I dunno, but 80% after at least 3 years seems pretty damn good to me.
"Up to 80%" means 0-80% under ideal conditions. From my experience with the lithium polymer batteries used by Apple, I'd expect about 50% after 2 years.

--
"I zero-index my hamsters" - Willtor (147206)
Re:Apple promises 1000 cycles by MikeMo · 2011-03-02 13:06 · Score: 1

Funny, I'm on a 4-year-old MacBook (the old plastic ones), and the battery is just now getting down to an hour. BUT, this is not a lithium-polymer battery. It's one of the old changeable ones. SO, I call BS. You probably don't own a Mac.
Re:Apple promises 1000 cycles by hazydave · 2011-03-04 02:58 · Score: 1

1000 cycles is pretty typical for full cycling of Li-ion polymer cells. And if you don't full cycle them, they're bound to last longer. Early Li-ion cells lost long-term capacity when stored at full charge and at room temperature, but that's not true of many modern cells.
There are actually much longer lasting cells available today, but not in the Li-poly technology that enables these really thin Apple devices. Some of those, like those with lithium iron phosphate cathodes, trade some energy density for a much longer life.

--
-Dave Haynie

Re:Not bad by lennier1 · 2011-03-02 08:23 · Score: 1

^^ It doesn't help that you have companies who produce decent hardware (e.g., Archos produces PMP/mini-tablets with a triple-digit GB harddisk) and then royally screw up the software part of their Android products.

Re:Not bad by Krojack · 2011-03-02 08:25 · Score: 2

Something tells me they won't be releasing an iPad 3 the same year they release v2. Just sayin...

However a year from now I could believe...

Re:33% thinner, 2x faster, 500% does anyone care? by foolsdragon · 2011-03-02 08:25 · Score: 2

Care to link to a similarly featured and cheaper alternative?

Re:Not bad by anyGould · 2011-03-02 08:25 · Score: 1

You know what steve jobs thinks is neat? The fact that you bought the first one, and are seriously contemplating already buying the second one.

I bought the first one, and my wife is seriously thinking about buying me the second one.

Because then she can keep my first one (instead of me, her, and our daughter fighting over who's turn it is). (And people who can't think of a use for a hidef camera that can do it's own editing aren't trying...)

Re:Not bad by BlueWaterBaboonFarm · 2011-03-02 08:27 · Score: 1

I thought it was 2000 for a second there.

Re:Not bad by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 08:27 · Score: 1

The A5 has two cores, so it can run applications multi-thread. Someone will use this capability in their app but I doubt they would be stupid enough to make any app require the A5. They will probably release apps that have extra features if you have the iPad 2, i.e. graphical enhancements, faster, etc. that are disabled if you run it on a iPad 1.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".

Re:Let the howling of thousands begin... by cowscows · 2011-03-02 08:27 · Score: 1

I guess you haven't been paying much attention to the past couple of decades.

A year is a significant chunk of time in the technology world. 15 months as "state of the art" is more than you should expect.

--

One time I threw a brick at a duck.

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by RoccamOccam · 2011-03-02 08:29 · Score: 1

Just a mote? Must have been easy to fill!

Re:StenchWarrior runs like a coward? LOL! by Stenchwarrior · 2011-03-02 08:31 · Score: 1

Meh, whatever. He's clearly lonely and needs the attention, or is off his Depakote and it isn't really "him".

--
Loading...

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by Reapman · 2011-03-02 08:31 · Score: 4, Interesting

Honest question, I'm wondering what you feel the upcoming gingerbread tablets are lacking that makes the iPad that much better? I'm still not convinced i need.. or even want.. either, but right now if i did it would be android simply so i'm not locked into iTunes again. Hated that with my iPhone, don't want to go back.

Re:Not bad by Krojack · 2011-03-02 08:32 · Score: 1

Same here.. Even if it had retina display I'm not sure I would upgrade.

What I want is an update for the iOS (maybe v5?) that will allow you to customize the desktop screens more. Allow you to place App icons where you want and not be stuck with then starting in the upper left to lower right ordering.. Also allowing widgets would be a HUGE plus.

Re:33% thinner, 2x faster, 500% does anyone care? by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 08:33 · Score: 1

HP's WebOS tablet actually has better hardware and will have quite a few features for syncing and sharing a connection with their smart phones. In this case, HP is setting a trend as so far the iPad has no native syncing support quite like the HP tablet (based on palm tech).

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".

Re:Not bad by rolfwind · 2011-03-02 08:36 · Score: 1

But will lot of apps emerge that will take advantage of the big increase in speed(at the cost of alienating the 15 million existing iPad 1 owners)?

You mean, the same thing that's been facing consumers since computers have been around?

Tell you what, if some app emerges (on whatever platform) that takes advantage of the feature Y, whether or not iPad B was around, iPad A still wouldn't be able run it. What's the alienation?

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by ragethehotey · 2011-03-02 08:36 · Score: 2

Honest question, I'm wondering what you feel the upcoming gingerbread tablets are lacking that makes the iPad that much better? I'm still not convinced i need.. or even want.. either, but right now if i did it would be android simply so i'm not locked into iTunes again. Hated that with my iPhone, don't want to go back.

The android market has a very small fraction of the high end apps and games that the itunes store offers. I believe this will change in the future, but as of today its not even close. Honestly, it wouldnt matter if not for the fact that almost all of the most popular applications are ios only.

Re:Not bad by n2art2 · 2011-03-02 08:36 · Score: 1

To be fair, it still doesn't do what the iPhone 4 does, exactly. And the GGPs post is acting like developers won't develop apps with the new hardware enhancments in mind because it might alienate the ipad 1 owners. This happened with the phones, it will happen with the iPad. Heck it happens with computers when the OS or hardware changes. The GGP post is stupid.

--
Self proclaimed wannabe geek. You know how it is. Most of us who read this stuff probably fit in that category.

Re:Not bad by HermMunster · 2011-03-02 08:37 · Score: 1

I don't know, but is it just me, am I the only one that wasn't impressed? Each of these features were a "given" before the release. I actually expected Apple to reduce the cost by 50%. Now that would have been motivation to purchase one. The software bundle isn't a factor for me as I would use it for a short time or never at all.

As far as the apps comparison goes, I think that was pure bunk. It's all relative. At one point Apple was 100,000+ apps ahead of a newly introduced Android. And were they really comparing 65,000 apps for a tablet PC when Android 3.x hasn't even been released yet? Where we stand now whether you have 200,000 or 100,000 apps really doesn't mean much. I can't sift through that many, I wouldn't need that many, and I certainly wouldn't use even a fraction, a tiny fraction of what's available. Those apps are too tiny to really have an impact on what I do day to day. Sure, social networking apps are cool, and a few good utilities, and a couple creative games and I'm at my peak. I want to listen to music, browse the web, save content, look at pictures, etc.

Did Apple say they were adding a standard USB port? Or a flash card port? If it did I might consider it just to use with my photography. It's nice to be able remove the card and go through the photos zapping the ones I don't want while I'm out there. It's tedious to do that on the camera's LCD.

--
You can lead a man with reason but you can't make him think.

I have read that by Shivetya · 2011-03-02 08:38 · Score: 1

the suicide rate of the surrounding area was significantly higher.

But why do you feel the need to preface Chinese labor with cheap? Their standard of living and cost of living is far different than ours. Now if someone were trying to put these together here for similar rates I can see cheap applied quite well, using min wage workers would make the term more appropriate.

Compensation at their plant is supposedly higher than other jobs available in the same urban area, as much as 50% in many cases. So what defines cheap? The term obviously does not apply locally. It applies from our stand point because $15 to $20 a day is madness for those of us who can buy these devices. Yet, when applied locally how do they fare?

I am all for saying their low cost labor but cheap is an unfair term to apply.

--
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.

Hater's credo by swb · 2011-03-02 08:39 · Score: 2

"The food was terrible and the portions were too small."

Re:Not bad by similar_name · 2011-03-02 08:44 · Score: 1

The fact that you bought the first one...

That is not a fact, that is an assumption.

To be fair, not all assumptions are wrong and you already said you had one. I suppose you may be taking issue with whether or not you 'bought' it.

... and are seriously contemplating already buying the second one.

Uh huh, right. Nobody on Slashdot would understand the concept of finding something useful and contemplating whether it's worthwhile to upgrade. Mr. Jobs really is waving his voodoo around here, wooOOoo wooOOooo. Anyway, see you in the next Android Tablet thread.

While I believe the post you are replying to was being somewhat trollish I don't think it was without some grain of truth. Your post seems a little defensive (and unfortunately stereotypical of well a fan) considering most company leaders would love for you to buy every iteration of their product. Really, I thought since you already said they didn't sell you on buying the iPad2 that that was where the AC's post broke down insinuating you were contemplating it.

I'm posting because I'm at lunch and I'm bored and I want to say something.

Re:Same here. No retina == no buy. by ArhcAngel · 2011-03-02 08:44 · Score: 1

I'd buy the first tab that lets me read book-quality text, Apple, Android, or whatever.

Have you looked at the Barnes and Noble Nook Color? Sure it has to be rooted to become the full tablet it was destined to be but the display is simply fantastic IMO. And at $199 on eBay right now it's definitely the lowest priced good quality tablet around. You don't get a camera or cellular data and you have to depend on XDA devs for blue-tooth and upgrades but I haven't regretted getting one.

--
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K

What? No commentary about the built in cover? by Jeremi · 2011-03-02 08:45 · Score: 2

246 posts and nobody has discussed the magnetic covering? That seems to be the biggest design change. I'm can't decide if it's really cool, or really silly....

--

I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.

Re:Not bad by The+End+Of+Days · 2011-03-02 08:45 · Score: 1, Insightful

Is it a huge leap to assume that Apple's marketing department feeds the rumor mill with truths, half-truths, and outright lies?

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 08:46 · Score: 1

Did Apple say they were adding a standard USB port? Or a flash card port? If it did I might consider it just to use with my photography. It's nice to be able remove the card and go through the photos zapping the ones I don't want while I'm out there. It's tedious to do that on the camera's LCD.

No, but you can buy a $30 doodad for the iPad that'll let you attach the memory card to your iPad and dump the pictures into it. I think it's great but I will forever curse Apple for a.) Not letting this work with my iPhone with its high-res display and it's unlimited data plan b.) for ONLY allowing the attachment of the card for photo purposes. So if that interests you at all, just remember that you are purchasing it for a specific purpose and not for the generalities you'd expect with hooking it up to a laptop.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Not bad by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 08:46 · Score: 1

I want a cheaper iPad too, but *why* would they reduce the cost? From a purely business perspective they are selling them almost as fast as they can make them at the current prices and crucially, there is no current competitor that can match the price of the old one! The closest so far is the Xoom and it is looking to be at least as expensive as iPad 1 and maybe even more.

If someone comes along with a serious competitor that undercuts them, I am sure the price will go down, but from a purely capitalist/shareholder perspective the price point they have is already selling them fast enough to barely have to dust the boxes in the stockroom.

It already has a card reader that works with iPad 1 - it connects to the dock connector. I was hoping for a built in card reader too, since they have been putting them on the iMac and MBP I was expecting it to show up here too, but no - you still need to use the adapter.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by twistedsymphony · 2011-03-02 08:46 · Score: 1

So how exactly does that benefit the iPad 2 more-so than iDevices in general?

--
Collector's Edition

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by Nikker · 2011-03-02 08:48 · Score: 1

For me personally it's all about the hardware, Android/iOS doesn't matter since each will get rooted/jailbroken anyway. I'm planning on waiting for the quad core ARM proc, HDMI out and at least 2GB RAM. If I'm going to put down some money I want a netbook replacement that I can hook up to an external monitor. Likely most of these monsters will be ready for the back to school rush in September. By then iOS and Android will have gone through a major and a handful of minor upgrades. At least with Android there is a chance I can install Linux apps to use on my external monitor rather than kludge type Android apps. Will see how it goes.

--
A loop, by its nature, continues. If that didn't make sense, start reading this sentence again.

Apple brings out the crazy in people by am_fek · 2011-03-02 08:48 · Score: 4, Insightful

Love the Slashdot reaction, especially the comments about what 'normal people' think. The iPad has a fucking awesome, objectively great battery life. How does Slashdot react? "It's not user replaceable!". Whatever. I've had mine for nearly a year now and it still gets over 10 hours. Maybe in another 2-3 years it'll degrade but, honestly, like I give a care.

The iPad is incredibly cheap. This thing was widely expected to start at $1000+ last year and it started at half that. The iPad 2 is coming in at the same price points and is way cheaper than the competition. The Xoom 32GB goes for £499 in the UK. The iPad 2 32GB? £399. A fucking c-note of difference, and a sterling c-note at that. So what's the Slashdot reaction? "Too expensive!" and "lower the price!".

iOS devices have a track record of holding up well against new cycles of iOS for at least a couple of years. As someone said above, the original 2007 iPhone 4 held up well until iOS 4 in 2010, and is still faster on its pared-back iOS 4 than some other non-Apple smartphones I've seen. Compare that with Android phones released months ago that already have no prospect of ever even seeing any OS updates, let alone being able to handle them with grace. What's the Slashdot reaction, though? "So I suppose they're going to brick my iPad now to force me to upgrade!". Bull. Shit. It's amazing how, on Slashdot, completely make-believe, possibly-maybe-in-the-future downsides for iOS seem to outrank actual, major-fuck-up downsides happening right now for Android.

The iPad has a solid, very nice capacitive resistant IPS display. Let's not forget that some tablets are still coming out with horrible, piece-of-shit resistive screens that can only actually be viewed from one angle beneath a layer of plastic. No, the iPad 2 does not have a retina display (whatever that would mean in the iPad world), but then again the only people who ever speculated that it would have absolutely no fucking clue what is going on inside Apple, just like the rest of us. So, what's the Slashdot reaction? Do they satisfy themselves with what is already a display that is better than most and as good as any out there, but which fails to live up to a standard that only existed in the realm of fantasy? Fuck no they don't! "No retina display! Rip-off!"

"No 4G!". Okay, seriously, get out more. Yes, in a few years, greater cellular data speeds will obviously be needed for services we can't even fully imagine right now. But right now, 6-7mpbs on an iPad 3G should be enough for everyone (ho ho). What is anyone doing today on their iPad in mobile situations anyway? Browsing Flickr? Streaming Netflix? Can't these things be done perfectly well at 3.5G speeds? What about data caps? Besides, are there tablets out there that actually have 4G? Whatever '4G' even means. Do you mean LTE or WiMax? American LTE or Chinese LTE? The one available in some places in the US or in some places in Europe, and none of which is available in any true scale? Man, I can't imagine why Apple hasn't leaped head-first into this technology, which is so obviously ready for primetime!

"No 7-inch screen!". Fuck off. This from the same crowd that roared that the iPad was just a big iPhone. 7-inch screens are a cop-out by bullshit manufacturers who cannot price-match the iPad at 10 inches.

"No Flash!". Yeah okay. You get that one. I'm really missing those wicked banner ads spamming my eyes from all corners. What about iAd, you might cleverly retort? I have 200 apps and maybe 15 that I use daily or very often, and I have never - as in not once, ever - seen an iAd. Anyway it's true that, once in a blue moon, I come across a video that isn't playable via HTML5 video. Somehow I get by. If you're genuinely bothered by the lack of Flash, then I respect that. IMO this is as close to a genuine trade-off as the iPad comes. I have a sneaky feeling, though, that a lot of the uproar surrounding Flash and iOS is actually coming from people who are scrambling for something (anything!) that they can fire at Apple

Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by Colonel+Korn · 2011-03-02 09:41 · Score: 1

You win a cookie for bringing the most crazy to this story. Cheers!

--
"I zero-index my hamsters" - Willtor (147206)
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by alcmaeon · 2011-03-02 10:11 · Score: 1

So, basically, you don't like the fact that the Slashdot Consensus pans any well designed, customer oriented, easy to use device and invents nonsense conspiracy theories with no basis in fact to support its hatred of anything non-Google or non-Linux.
Are you new here? This...is...Slashdot!
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by Duradin · 2011-03-02 10:34 · Score: 1

I like the fact that the /. Consensus pans any well designed, customer oriented, easy to use device.
I based a law around it: the more /. hates something the better it is. It's been very useful. As well as the corollary: the more /. likes something the worse it is.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by bennomatic · 2011-03-02 10:49 · Score: 1

You forgot: "Walled Garden", "Cult Members" and "Only for Status". Can you please respond to these anti-Apple talking points as well? Oh, and don't forget, "Thirty Fucking Percent!"

--
The CB App. What's your 20?
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by migla · 2011-03-02 10:54 · Score: 1

Well written and factual, but it doesn't matter. You forgot about the most important thing: Freedom. Apple wants to destroy freedom. That's a bad thing.
If Mubarak or Kadafi we're to be described as being the shiniest and fastest and making the trains run on thyme and all sorts of positive things, that wouldn't matter, because they'd still be destroyers of freedom.
(Freedom is of course also effectively non-existent with several tivoized Android phones.)

--
Some of my favourite people are from th US; Vonnegut, Chomsky, Bill Hicks.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by geekoid · 2011-03-02 10:58 · Score: 4, Interesting

Spoken like a middle income spoiled brat. Your whole post boils down to "I'll by another when this one is obsolete"
iPad is not Cheap. Just because something could have been more expensive doesn't mean 'cheap'.
And stop referring to /. as if it's some kind of group think, it's not. Different fanbois and hater comes out for different things. Trolls always just come out.
and this is 4g:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4g
"LTE or WiMax?"
Neither are 4G.
Don't get pissey at people because you have no clue about 4g.
"On the other hand, when it comes to poxy Motorola or Samsung shitboxes that actually ARE left out of OS upgrades and ARE more expensive and DO have crappy battery life... well, we seem to have endless patience for those."
No, completely different haters come out for those.
And to be fair, the iPAd was compared to the Touch; which it is. A big touch. Which is neither good nor bad.
Me? I would gt an iPAd 2, it has what I wanted in the iPAd 1, Camera for video calls. Unfortunately the times in bad right now, financially.

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by yurtinus · 2011-03-02 12:04 · Score: 1

I sense much anger within you...

--
+1 Disagree
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 12:07 · Score: 1

HP TouchPad is rumored to be at 699 for 32 gb. It has more ram, better cpu, comparable gpu, same size/resolution screen, a real compass in it, wireless induction charging, syncs to WebOS phones via bluetooth, and has touch-to-share. The added features are worth the extra 100. Everyone acts like Apple has a monopoly on good ideas.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 12:09 · Score: 1

699 USD BTW

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by funkylovemonkey · 2011-03-02 12:14 · Score: 1

They're charging a 100 pound difference in the UK between the Xoom and the iPad2? Wow. In the States it's much less, the difference between the comparable models is $60, or 36 pounds. The 32 gb Xoom costs $799, while the 32 gb iPad2 costs $729 over here. And not to be that guy, but your argument against 4G formats could be used against 3G formats too... 3G formats are just as fragmented as 4G, and I would be stunned if the next iPhone doesn't go to 4g.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by F34nor · 2011-03-02 13:11 · Score: 1

Hunh. The most crazy cookie award has lost it chewy goodness then. Every post I've read except the PP is batshitcrazier than this one.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-02 13:17 · Score: 5, Informative

The iPad 2 is coming in at the same price points and is way cheaper than the competition. The Xoom 32GB goes for £499 in the UK.
I dunno how it is in UK, but in US, no-contract Xoom is $799, while iPad with comparable specs (3G 32Gb) is $729. So the actual difference is $70, and Xoom is exactly 10% more expensive than iPad. "Way cheaper"? Not really.
But Xoom has a slightly larger screen (10.1" vs 9.7") and higher resolution (1280x800 160ppi vs 1024x768 130ppi), and smaller physical dimensions. Then there's the SD slot. Compared to iPad 2 specifically, a much better camera. For geeks, there's also openness, even if you don't unlock/root - you have proper filesystem shared between apps, full support for background processes (I run an FTP server on mine so that I don't have to muck around with cables to sync it with PC), and much more. Is that all worth the extra $70? It certainly did for me, but it is, of course, subjective.
Oh, and it doesn't need iTunes to sync. That alone is priceless.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by giorgist · 2011-03-02 13:26 · Score: 1

Chilax ... your gonna pop an artery

You just went through a whole collection of slashdot posts and picked the negative ones on the iPad, and pretended they are the slashdot position.
You like iPads, good for you, they are a beautiful piece of work.

I lilke Android ... I have arguments, to me an iPad is simply a large iPod touch teethered to a computer.
I like an SD card, 4G and widgets and an open system that I can program easyly and a choice amongst many options . This is not a Slashdot oposition, just mine. So read through and get some quality time reading Slashdot. It is as if sombody insulted your sick mother or somthing.

That's me ...
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 14:33 · Score: 1

Props for an excellent post. I've resisted the iPad for a while, hoping for a good Android replacement at a good price point, but like you, I have come to realize that no such thing is going to happen in the near term...definitely not in 2011. Amazing that people bitch about the iPad price when it is the best bang-for-the-buck you will get at the moment. People also seem to ignore the fact that Apple is the only tablet manufacturer that can afford to sell their hardware at a loss or close to cost price as they have a means to reap lots of profits via the appstore. All the other android tablet manufacturers are trying to make money off the sale of the hardware, which is why they are fundamentally screwed when competing against apple.
Sure, maybe the Slashdot crowd will actively pursue an android tablet, but the fact remains that when Joe Shmo compares prices and finds that the iPad2 is more reasonably priced than the android tablets, he isn't going to think twice before going for the iPad. The XOOM is rough around the edges and still costs way more. I finally went ahead and ordered a refurb iPad(1) for $350 today and I'm sure I will be happy with it after jailbreaking, even if it may not be perfect for me (I do like android despite it's lack of cohesive user experience). Hopefully there will be a good non Apple alternative tablet when I'm looking to upgrade from the iPad, but it sure as hell isn't going to happen anytime soon.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 14:46 · Score: 1

The Xoom's screen may be larger - but it is a TN screen, not IPS. The difference is very noticeable. iPad LCD panels are much higher quality than the Xoom's.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-02 14:53 · Score: 1

A serious question - why do you need those insane viewing angles that IPS gives you (and what else does it give?) on a tablet? Are you going to do professional graphics on it, or what?
On the other hand, higher pixel density means crisper text, which affects all users in a very immediate and obvious way (as iPhone users found out with "retina display" after years of enjoying 320x480 while everyone else had double that).
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by gblues · 2011-03-02 16:25 · Score: 1
YHBT. YHL. HAND.
See if you can see the pattern:
- "No flash. Less features than a XOOM. Lame."
- "No 4G. Less capacity than my thumb drive. Lame."
- No wireless. Less capacity than a Nomad. Lame.
That wooshing sound? That's the sound of the joke going right over your head.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by n2art2 · 2011-03-02 16:46 · Score: 1

Dude. . . Web OS sucks.

--
Self proclaimed wannabe geek. You know how it is. Most of us who read this stuff probably fit in that category.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 17:00 · Score: 1

Dude, You're getting a Dell !!

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by Suhas · 2011-03-02 18:37 · Score: 1

the original 2007 iPhone 4 held up well until iOS 4 in 2010, and is still faster on its pared-back iOS 4 than some other non-Apple smartphones I've seen.
iPhone 4 came out in 2007? Can I rent your time machine please?
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by Paradise+Pete · 2011-03-03 01:06 · Score: 1

asically counteracts any argument of "openness" that Android had going for it in the first place.
Android is not open for you, it's open for the manufacturers. You get whatever they give you. If they don't want to update it then hey, screw you. The fact you can *manage* to circumvent their fucking you over doesn't make it open.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by iainl · 2011-03-03 02:15 · Score: 1

No, the GP makes it rather clear that what they are is someone from the UK. Where we don't have a 4G network yet, so iPad not supporting it isn't something most people can care less about. Over here, the Xoom is _insanely_ expensive, too, and so the "it's too expensive" doesn't go far because nobody has demonstrated they can make a comparable piece of kit for substantially less without an apple on the back. It may not be worth you buying one. It may not be worth me buying one. But until I can get something as good as it for less money, I won't agree that it's overpriced.

--
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by n2art2 · 2011-03-03 04:19 · Score: 1

Trust me after having to have 2-XT2's need motherboard replacements in the last year (One of which took Dell 6 months and 4 trips to the depot before they got it right. . . and I told them what needed replaced from day one) and an XT one needing some other hardware replacements, and working with Dell's steller Repair Depot. . . . I'm so not getting a Dell.

--
Self proclaimed wannabe geek. You know how it is. Most of us who read this stuff probably fit in that category.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by Vectormatic · 2011-03-03 05:11 · Score: 1

The iPad is incredibly cheap. This thing was widely expected to start at $1000+ last year and it started at half that. The iPad 2 is coming in at the same price points and is way cheaper than the competition. The Xoom 32GB goes for £499 in the UK. The iPad 2 32GB? £399.

your post was a bit long, so i stopped after the first section, but i just want to reply to this, ipad was expected to start at $999 AND DO MUCH MORE. the initial reaction after the anouncement was two-fold: 1) woah, only 500 dollars! and 2) it's just a ipod touch XL, lame.
Also, it doesnt matter what original expectations were, or how expensive the competition is, 500 bucks for the given functionality is still expensive, the fact that the xoom is more expensive doesnt suddenly make apple cheap or good value for money, it just makes the xoom worse value for money (assuming equal functionality, while the xoom presumably does much more), then the competing apple product

--
People, what a bunch of bastards
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-03 05:40 · Score: 1

So, 1 inch longer but 2 inches wider. Less thick than iPad 2 (same as iPad 1). Thickness... I think it is arguable how much that is important in a tablet. I can kinda see the point in phones, which end up in pockets a lot - my iPhone does, and I rather appreciate how thin it is so that it does not protrude. But for tablets I care more about how convenient it is to grip, especially with one hand, and there width in portrait orientation is the defining factor (the wider it is, the more of the tablet is "hanging" without support, straining the hand). Making it thinner, though, doesn't really make it any more portable - you still need a bag or such.
Weight reduction for iPad 2 is quite impressive, though 600g is for WiFi-only version - but still 3G one is only 610g (the first 3G one was the same 730g as Xoom).
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-03 05:55 · Score: 2

Er, a Xoom is actually quite a bit bigger than an iPad :)
That's kind of what 'larger screen' means.
Thing is, the bezel around the screen in iPad is very large, and it's much smaller on Xoom. The guy in another reply have posted the precise numbers. I was still somewhat wrong - it's smaller on one dimension but bigger on another. Here it is:
Xoom - 9.8 in (250 mm) (h); 6.6 in (170 mm) (w); 0.5 in (13 mm) (d)
iPad - 9.56 in (243 mm) (h); 7.47 in (190 mm) (w); 0.5 in (13 mm) (d)
iPad 2 - 9.50 in (241 mm) (h); 7.31 in (186 mm) (w); 0.34 in (8.6 mm) (d)
So, compared to iPad, Xoom is 0.25 inches longer but 0.87 inches narrower, and same thickness; compared to iPad 2, it's 0.3 inches longer, 0.71 inches narrower, and 0.16 inches thicker. But thickness is not a decisive factor for portability of a tablet - width/height and weight are. I can tell you from personal experience using both iPad (for about a month) and now Xoom that the latter is definitely easier to hold with one hand in portrait.
I concede that thickness of iPad 2 is noticeably smaller. I don't think it's as important, though. Thickness affects how you hold it, but at the level where it is for Xoom and the original iPad, it already doesn't get in your way.
iPad 2 definitely wins on weight, though - 130 grams of reduction is quite impressive. It's interesting to see how this will affect "holdability". I'll definitely visit the local Apple Store (after the initial mad purchase rush subsides) and play with iPad 2 to check that.

Also, use Dropbox. Running an FTP server on your tablet may give you a larger e-peen, but people with jobs prefer to use Dropbox.
So, can you copy music to your iPad over WiFi using Dropbox (or whatever) such that music player on it picks it up automatically? And same for photos, videos, books etc (basically everything that you normally sync using iTunes)?
The point is to have transparent wireless sync - change your music collection on PC, and, as soon as your tablet is in range, it's silently synced to reflect that, without ever plugging it in.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-03 07:18 · Score: 1

I'm not a FOSS fanatic. I don't actually care much for open source. What I care is about openness of the platform (run code that I want on it), and openness of the data (freely transfer my data to and from the device, and be able to interpret it by outside means). Android offers both, though one must be careful selecting the specific device that is not locked down by its manufacturer.
Re:Apple brings out the crazy in people by epyT-R · 2011-03-03 10:16 · Score: 1

Whatever. I've had mine for nearly a year now and it still gets over 10 hours. Maybe in another 2-3 years it'll degrade but, honestly, like I give a care.
you might if it goes dead and you can't carry an extra. also, your needs != everyone elses.

The iPad is incredibly cheap.
no, it's not. none of the tablet devices are.. they all need a $300 price drop minimum to become interesting.

iOS devices have a track record of holding up well against new cycles of iOS for at least a couple of years.
uh no.. each successive upgrade seems to get slower and slower. whether that's intentional or not, who knows.. this is true on all apple systems, not just the ios devices. android isn't exempt from this either.. in fact desktop pcs suffer too.

It's amazing how, on Slashdot, completely make-believe, possibly-maybe-in-the-future downsides for iOS seem to outrank actual, major-fuck-up downsides happening right now for Android.
it's also amazing how apple fanboys blatantly ignore faults in their products, and even turn them into features solely to justify their emotionally driven purchasing habits. android has its problems too, for sure, but apple is not this holy grail. get over it already.

"No 4G!". Okay, seriously, get out more.
seriously? this is your answer? it could be used against your entire rant here. get out more!! it's just a damned computer.. oh wait, this is slashdot where people care about stuff like this. the 'go out and get laid' fallacy doesn't apply here nor does it address the complaint of no 4G support. it sounds like you're using emotionally justified fallacies to shield yourself from the flaws others perceive in the product you bought so that your ego wont take a hit. otherwise you wouldn't have posted this at all.

"No 7-inch screen!". Fuck off. This from the same crowd that roared that the iPad was just a big iPhone. 7-inch screens are a cop-out by bullshit manufacturers who cannot price-match the iPad at 10 inches.
well, the ipad IS a big iphone.. the android slates are big android phones. for some people the larger device is a setback. they'd rather have a laptop at that point. you know what? they're right! at that size, a small laptop is a better value in terms of functionality per unit of real estate..and probably price as well.

"No Flash!". Yeah okay. You get that one. I'm really missing those wicked banner ads spamming my eyes from all corners. What about iAd, you might cleverly retort? I have 200 apps and maybe 15 that I use daily or very often, and I have never - as in not once, ever - seen an iAd.
that doesn't mean you won't in the future.. remember, with these devices, you don't own shit and the 'apps' you 'buy' can be pulled/updated at any time. enjoy your apple colored rectal shaft. at least with android, you can opt for alternatives or write your own software so long as you buy from a vendor that doesn't have delusions of apple-'grandeur' (motorola).

It's clear that, at Slashdot, nothing less than absolute perfection (perfection being measured in some cases against yardsticks that exist only in people's dreams) will make an Apple product even remotely acceptable. On the other hand, when it comes to poxy Motorola or Samsung shitboxes that actually ARE left out of OS upgrades and ARE more expensive and DO have crappy battery life... well, we seem to have endless patience for those.
perhaps this double standard is the result of apple users having the reputation for overly emotional, highly insecure obsessions concerning their apple products. they preen and pimp themselves as some kind of holier-than-thou saviors of computing when all they really did was buy generic hardware inside a shiny plastic box like everyone else...except that they paid a premium for it in just about all cases. this r

Re:StenchWarrior runs like a coward? LOL! by Stenchwarrior · 2011-03-02 08:49 · Score: 1

Experience with APK? I'm sorry to hear that. He's a sad, sick little man. For those of you who don't know what we're dealing with here, Google "Alexander Peter Kowalski" and read the first hit. It's hilarious and gets you a great idea as to who this guy is.

Although, anyone who's been on Slashdot for any number of weeks already knows what a douche bag he is.

--
Loading...

Re:Not bad by sapgau · 2011-03-02 08:49 · Score: 1

Not bad indeed, having both cameras and faster graphics is what I like.

Tell me when it has a SD card slot by Fallen+Kell · 2011-03-02 08:49 · Score: 1

... or similar removable media slot. Otherwise, I do not want it.

--
We were all warned a long time ago that MS products sucked, remember the Magic 8 Ball said, "Outlook not so good"

Re:Tell me when it has a SD card slot by Fallen+Kell · 2011-03-02 08:52 · Score: 1

I doubt it will ever happen. This seems to be their entire reason for the higher prices units. Why would anyone spend an extra $200 for 32GB more internal storage if Apple installed a $15 SD card reader and people could use a 32GB SD card which cost them $30. Or swap out multiple cards depending on what they were doing?

--
We were all warned a long time ago that MS products sucked, remember the Magic 8 Ball said, "Outlook not so good"
Re:Tell me when it has a SD card slot by Xenna · 2011-03-03 01:36 · Score: 1

There's an easy way around that. The SD card could be restricted to copying files on or off. Or even restricted to copying only images from camera's (the ipad is a great image viewer).
Re:Tell me when it has a SD card slot by conchubhair · 2011-03-03 02:13 · Score: 1

Maybe not exactly what you're talking about, but: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A USB and SD card dongle.

Re:33% thinner, 2x faster, 500% does anyone care? by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 08:50 · Score: 1

There are no comparable options because the Apple tablet has the lower end specs of the newer tablets coming out. Even the HP WebOS tablet has a dual snapdragon at 1.2 ghz and has other things like an actual built in compass, inductive charging, syncing to WebOS phones natively, and the touch-to-share.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".

Already got one by MemoryDragon · 2011-03-02 08:53 · Score: 1

wanted to get a second one and retire my current one to my wife. But I will wait another half a year to see if the rumours are true that the ipad3 will come before christmas and will have a retina display. I figured a retina display would be bigger than getting front cams now, because I do a lot of reading on the ipad, and getting a bigger resolution can help out in that area a lot.

Re:Already got one by geekoid · 2011-03-02 11:02 · Score: 1

What kind of reading do you do?
I have used the iPad and Kindle, and for reading books Kindle wind hands down.
SO if you are reading books, get yourself a kindle to pass the months until Christmas.
Yes, I am a Kindle fanboy. After evaluating many device, I got a kindle about out week ago. Man, I can not believe how awesome it is.
The only problem I have run into is that there is no way to remap the left and next/prev buttons. However I will fix that is I am acepted as a beta developers.

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re:Already got one by ceoyoyo · 2011-03-02 14:48 · Score: 1

Those rumours are from idiots. They were around last year too. Apple isn't going to release a device and then turn around and replace it in less than six months. They never do that, and there's no reason they would this time.

Re:Even my Nook comes with a replaceable HD card s by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 08:54 · Score: 1

I suppose people want to get away with buying a 16gb iPad and then put additional storage into it later via SD card for pictures/music/etc. so they can save money in the short term (maybe long term too, don't remember the last time I bought a SD card so I am not sure of their price and I don't feel like looking it up).

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".

Interesting stat by sootman · 2011-03-02 08:54 · Score: 1

Apple has sold more iPads in one year (15 million) than all modern tablet PCs (i.e., "Windows XP Tablet PC Edition" and newer) since 2001 combined.

--
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.

Re:Interesting stat by jedidiah · 2011-03-02 09:58 · Score: 1

> Apple has sold more iPads in one year (15 million) than all modern tablet PCs
They also sell a lot more of their smaller iPods too.

--
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Re:Interesting stat by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 12:08 · Score: 1

Thats because hipsters and yuppies drool over Apple products.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:Interesting stat by Vectormatic · 2011-03-03 05:14 · Score: 1

[citation needed]
you are probably right, but just pulling statements out of your ass without providing number from a reputable source is not interesting at all, never mind a "stat"

--
People, what a bunch of bastards

Re:Not bad by Xyverz · 2011-03-02 08:57 · Score: 1

Yeah, I'd like to see a retina display on one of those as well.

Normal people? by hellfire · 2011-03-02 08:58 · Score: 1

USB port:
There is a USB port, it's the 30 pin connector. Yes it's not a standard connector but otherwise works just like a USB port. Actually it works like a USB port on steroids because it also allows you to pump audio and video thru various cables. A standard USB port would actually be a step down.

Wireless syncing:
What nongeeky average joe is absolutely screaming for wireless sync? Can you give me a list of names please? At the same time, you are getting over the air file sharing, it's in iOS 4.3. Now someone is going to be complaining about over the air updating, but considering that carriers can block updates on Android, and considering the recent window 7 phone debacle which bricked phones on Microsoft's very first attempt to release an over the air update, I'm glad I have control over updates via my Mac and that the phones require a very reliable and stable cable.

Lower price:
Considering that the low end Xoom is more expensive than 5 of the 6 models of iPad, I would challenge you find a way to make it cheaper. It might have been nice to see the iPad 1 continue to sell for perhaps $299 as a low end alternative, like the 3G and 3GS did when they were supplanted, but you aren't getting a cheaper iPad 2 until the other makers start offering real price competition. Seems to be flying off the shelves at $500. If you don't like the price, don't buy it. Sorry it's not for everyone.

7 Inch version:
Really? Because the 7 inch competitors tablets are flying off the shelf right? Right?

You frequent Slashdot, do you even know any normal people? :) I kid, but seriously I don't know any "normal people" who are screaming for those features.

--

"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"

Re:Normal people? by pauljlucas · 2011-03-02 09:19 · Score: 1

Now someone is going to be complaining about over the air updating ... I'm glad I have control over updates via my Mac and that the phones require a very reliable and stable cable.

My parents don't own a computer and don't "get" computers, either. However, they'd occasionally like to do things that requires a computer (Netflix, eBay, etc.). In many ways, an iPad is the perfect device for older parents who don't "get" computers. However, since they don't own a desktop computer, there's nothing either to sync with or update from -- no place to plug a cable into. I'd like the iPad to be able to be a completely stand-alone device. As an side: if there's any company that could get over-the-air updating to "just work," it would be Apple.

--
If you reply, do so only to what I explicitly wrote. If I didn't write it, don't assume or infer it.
Re:Normal people? by itsdapead · 2011-03-02 09:37 · Score: 1

USB port: There is a USB port, it's the 30 pin connector. Yes it's not a standard connector but otherwise works just like a USB port. Actually it works like a USB port on steroids because it also allows you to pump audio and video thru various cables. A standard USB port would actually be a step down.
...and the camera connection kit includes two dongles: a SD card adapter and a "standard" USB port: the only officially supported use of these is to load pictures from cameras, but I tried a USB keyboard and it worked - there was some talk that a USB soundcard might work but I have never seen that confirmed. Of course, memory sticks/cards would be useless because iOS has no user access to the file system, nor are mice any use on a touch-only system.

Wireless syncing: What nongeeky average joe is absolutely screaming for wireless sync? Can you give me a list of names please?
Actually, one of the real weaknesses of the iPad (as opposed to the imaginary ones touted by haters) is that the "official" method for syncing files, with Pages, Keynote etc. is horribly counter-intuitive and is tucked away in an obscure corner of the desktop iTunes app. Third party reader apps (Goodreader etc.) end up providing their own http or WEBDAV clients. Dropbox works well for syncing files, provided you don't mind putting your files "in the cloud" but not so well with Apple's iWorks - you can open files from dropbox in iWorks but can't save them back (other office apps are available, which do).

At the same time, you are getting over the air file sharing, it's in iOS 4.3.
I didn't see that announced (yes, there's video/music sharing with iTunes, but nothing about files). One of the rumors that didn't materialize was a new MobileMe service.

--
In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.

Re:What? No commentary about the built in cover? by SoupIsGoodFood_42 · 2011-03-02 08:58 · Score: 1

I'm just surprised it comes in leather.

Re:Not bad by k_187 · 2011-03-02 08:58 · Score: 2

Not what the rumor mill is saying: http://www.bgr.com/2011/03/01/ipad-3-is-the-tablet-worth-getting-excited-about-not-the-ipad-2-apple-staffer-claims/ Neither would surprise me, as they released the iphone 4 on verizon only to presumably release the iphone 5 in a couple more months.

--
11 was a racehorse
12 was 12
1111 Race
12112

Re:Not bad by fermion · 2011-03-02 08:58 · Score: 2, Interesting

PC manufacturers really lost consumer confidence by putting "high end" components in a machine that real was not designed to take full advantage of them. Anyone can put a arbitrarily high speed processor, for which the marginal cost will be small, or a huge number of USB ports, again with small additional marginal costs. The problem is that if one does not put a high speed FSB, what have you done?

For android the question is can it run Flash. Do the batteries last a long time. These is where iOS is venerable.

The only pressure that Google has placed on Apple is to prematurely an updated iPad. If not for the Android devices, we would have likely gotten a full update late summer with retina screen, 128 GB. The only notable upgrade here is the two cameras. The processor speed bump is for people who want to use the iPad more like a desktop. I am not sure if the iPad iWork apps, for example, are equal to Mac applications, but as far as I have seen they are not.

Not to say that competition is bad, simply that Google is growing the market for these devices, not competing with Apple products.

--
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black

Re:Not bad by WaywardGeek · 2011-03-02 08:59 · Score: 1

I know a couple of people who will be disappointed by the lack of GPS. No turn-by-turn navigation like the Xoom, no geo-caching apps. Seems kind of goofy, but the only person I've met who returned his iPad said he returned because he wanted GPS nav.

--
Celebrate failure, and then learn from it - Nolan Bushnell

Re:Not bad by sootman · 2011-03-02 09:00 · Score: 1

Apple has sold 100 million iPhones, which are also revised annually, so "alienating" users is not hurting them. 4 years into the game it should be obvious to any potential buyer that this what will happen with iDevices.

--
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.

Re:Not bad by Coren22 · 2011-03-02 09:00 · Score: 1

It looks neat, but they didn't quite sell me on upgrading from my iPad 1.

The fact that you bought the first one...

That is not a fact, that is an assumption.

Huh? You said it yourself, unless that was a generic me

--
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 09:01 · Score: 1

To be fair, not all assumptions are wrong ...

Sure, but in this case it was, and it made his entire point crumble.

Your post seems a little defensive (and unfortunately stereotypical of well a fan)...

Most people here cannot distinguish between 'satisfied customer' and 'fan'. Further, most here cannot ask questions, they just make statements. So, of course, I sound 'defensive'. I cannot really sound like anything else.

Really, I thought since you already said they didn't sell you on buying the iPad2 that that was where the AC's post broke down insinuating you were contemplating it.

True. I personally think it broke down just because we're all here because we're geeks, we love gadgets, and upgrades are always wanted. It's common, especially for people sick of a particular line of products, to confuse "do I want to upgrade?" with "do I want to spend the money they're asking for to upgrade?" Blur that line just a little, and you can make a group of people sound like brainless zombies. It only works if people agree with you, though.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

What is with the super-thin trend? by Sloppy · 2011-03-02 09:01 · Score: 1

All else being equal, it's kind of neat that stuff can be made so small. But not all else remains equal.

Is everyone really complaining about their portable electronics having too long of a battery life (both in terms of times between charges, and lifetime of the product)? I'm used to a phone going 2 weeks between charges, but I don't know if my next phone is going to be as good as my 5-year-old one. And my work-issued iPod can't even hold a charge for a whole day, even if I don't use it (though to be fair, it is ancient -- a whole year old!).

More meat on the gadgets, please. It may be prejudice, but thin has become a nearly synonym for shoddiness.

--
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.

Re:What is with the super-thin trend? by vijayiyer · 2011-03-02 09:32 · Score: 1

Larger batteries are not just thicker, but heavier. For most people, 10 hours represents a decent tradeoff.
Re:What is with the super-thin trend? by anarkhos · 2011-03-02 11:58 · Score: 1

Tradeoff?
Care to tell me which tablet is beating this spec?

--
>80 column hard wrapped e-mail is not a sign of intelligent
>life
Re:What is with the super-thin trend? by vijayiyer · 2011-03-02 12:54 · Score: 1

Nobody. I was commenting about the parent poster's hypothetical >10 hour tablet. All else being equal, Apple could have made a bigger, heavier 15 hour tablet. Fortunately, they seem to the have common sense not to do that.
Re:What is with the super-thin trend? by vakuona · 2011-03-02 13:23 · Score: 1

Now that's just not true. One thing iPods do well is battery time. An iPhone can do 3 days with minimal use (including a fair amount of music playing, which doesn't drain the battery much) and you really expect me to believe an iPod can't do a whole day on a single charge. There is something major wrong with your iPod.

Front & Rear cameras, HDMI out. Jobs announced by PinchDuck · 2011-03-02 09:01 · Score: 1

The HTC Evo!

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by Altus · 2011-03-02 09:03 · Score: 1

well, of all the iDevice... um.. devices, it is the fastest and has the largest screen, so it should provide the best user experience for running all those really nice applications.

Plus the cameras make it more useful than the last gen iPad, which is really its only competitor if you are talking tablet sized devices (and not phone/iPod sized devices).

--

"In America, first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women..." -H. Simpson

Same resolution as the original iPad by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 09:04 · Score: 1

No mention of this spec, even on the specs page? http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

Oh wow, the specs are on the specs page. It's the same resolution as the original iPad: 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 09:05 · Score: 1

Is it a huge leap to assume that Apple's marketing department feeds the rumor mill with truths, half-truths, and outright lies?

Are you asking if it's a huge leap from a logical point of view or from your typical Slashbot point of view? I'll put it another way: Is it a huge leap to assume that the seat cushion on Bill Gates's chair is made up from ground orphans? Do you know how many people here would say 'no'?

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:What? No commentary about the built in cover? by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 09:06 · Score: 1

I don't really care for it. I suspect there will be a lot of cases designed to replace it by attaching in its place.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".

Re:The BIG downside of the iPad2... by wsxyz · 2011-03-02 09:06 · Score: 1

The focus should of been to just get to 1080 like the XOOM.

Xoom has a 1280x800 display. So how does it "get to 1080"?

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 09:07 · Score: 1

Huh? You said it yourself...

No, I didn't. If this were a logic problem it really wouldn't be a difficult one. Heh.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:What? No commentary about the built in cover? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 09:08 · Score: 1

Add a clip to the magnetic cover and you get an old Blackberry holster....

Re:Not bad by vijayiyer · 2011-03-02 09:09 · Score: 2

The 3G equipped iPads have and have always had GPS.

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 09:11 · Score: 3, Informative

How hard would it be to find the number of suicides in the US, the number of people in the US, the number of people in China and then (the only hard one) number of suicides by Foxconn employees?

Turns out not hard at all. Foxconn = 400,000 employees, with 12 suicide attempts. US suicide rate is 11 per 100,000.

Google is hard.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/business/global/07suicide.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/21/science/sci-suicide21

Re:I doubt by narcc · 2011-03-02 09:12 · Score: 1

the products that Apple makes are a genuine improvement over the rest of the industry

I'm going to call bullshit on this unless you have a really good example. Ah, here it is:

Yes, there are a lot of mp3 players, but the iPod made it simple and easy.

Yes and no. Apple did make mp3 players "legitimate" in the public eye, but they sure as hell didn't make them easier to use. Between the horror that is iTunes and their less-than-intuitive interfaces, Apple has had (and still has) some of the worst mp3 players on the market. (The iPod touch is a special exception, but it's not really a dedicated music player, now is it?)

Give me a no-name sub-$50 player any day. I'll enjoy the long battery life, upgradeable storage, and the ability to just drag-and-drop my music onto the thing -- with no extra software required. The ability to double it as a flash drive in a pinch is just an added bonus.

Have any other examples? Ah, thanks:

Similar, there are other tablets. They are irrelevant as they are crap

Yeah, there were quite a few crap tablets early on. Some of the new ones, however, destroy the iPad -- even the shiny-new iPad2. Take a look at RIM's Blackberry Playbook -- it makes the iPad2 look like ... a $150 no-name Android 1.6 tablet. In terms of UI and features, Apple is about to find itself way behind the competition. It's no wonder that rumors of an iPad3 launch in September started before the iPad2 was unveiled -- Apple has a lot of catching up to do.

--
Required reading for internet skeptics

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 09:14 · Score: 3, Informative

God, you made me laugh so hard. Copycat nature of everything else? You mean the ones who did these things way before Apple did?

I stand corrected. The massive success of all these other tablets proves just how run-of-the-mill the iPad is. You win.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Not bad by RatBastard · 2011-03-02 09:21 · Score: 1

You know what's neat? I can sell my old one for a pretty good price. Every Apple product I've upgraded I've done by selling my previous unit.

--
Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.

Re:Not bad by nomadic · 2011-03-02 09:21 · Score: 2

I need some advice about a good exercise regimen; is moving goalposts effective for you?

Re:Not bad by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 09:22 · Score: 1

An additional model with a higher res display and LightPeak (sorry, Thunderbolt) support for faster sync... that I can easily see in September.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

iPad 2 33% Thinner... by larppaxyz · 2011-03-02 09:22 · Score: 1

*drumroll* ... and so is Steve Jobs!

Re:Even my Nook comes with a replaceable HD card s by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 09:22 · Score: 1

And even if it is a toy, are toys somehow universally accepted as being worse than tools? My toys cost much more than my tools, in general.

Re:Apple Hate by Fitch · 2011-03-02 09:23 · Score: 1

If by fear you mean the sight of him is frightening, then yes, quite. But let's not get carried away, more than Gates?

While I hold an appreciable amount of disdain for the man, I also have ample respect for anyone with his marketing genius. He really knows how to keep the rats coming back to press the feeder bar. Consumer lending institutions appreciate this as well. It's what feeds our economy (to the Chinese).

MKV streaming? Emulators? Flash browsing? SD? by mykos · 2011-03-02 09:23 · Score: 1

If not, I'll choose a more capable device instead.

Re:MKV streaming? Emulators? Flash browsing? SD? by Overzeetop · 2011-03-02 15:15 · Score: 2

Why would you want to stream MKVs? Why not just rip your BR discs to MP4 containers with x264? Or are you not getting those MKVs from your own masters, and you're too fucking lazy to put them in a different container?
Emulator? Flash Browsing (by choice? are you a masochist?)? SD? Okay, I guess I can give you that last one...I suppose...though with 64GB SD cards hitting the $150-200 mark, I don't think I'll be carrying many of them around with me to use in a $500 device. Might as well drop the extra $330 and get that 64GB embedded and have a $130 cell/gps card in the thing. Please don't even think about complaining about price, and then tell me you're going to go drop $10000 on SD cards so you can take your ripped MKV bluray collection with you (mine is about 3TB, so whether I use SD cards or transcode, I'm going to have to cull what I take with me).
Sad fact is that, unless you goal is to tinker, you won't really find anything better for less money; and if you really need something with power, you're going to step up to a real laptop or tablet.
I was waiting for this announcement to decide between a Xoom (or other honeycomb) tablet and the iPad2. Funny thing is, I'm having a hard time finding the apps I plan on using for the tablet version of android. I use lots of Google stuff so Android would be a perfect fit, but I also own an iPhone because when I bought it the android phones were very, very immature. Now it looks like all the devices can do what I need, and its going to come down to the market. That's not good for Android this year. Lucklily, if the market catches up in a year, an iDevice will still sell to fanbois on eBay for nearly what I pay for it today.

--
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Re:MKV streaming? Emulators? Flash browsing? SD? by mykos · 2011-03-02 16:41 · Score: 1

I've settled on a $360 16GB Viewsonic G Tablet that suits my needs. It has 512MB of RAM, a 1GHZ tegra 2, and has been rooted.

It will arrive on Monday. I couldn't bring myself to spend 38% more on a similarly-spec'd ipad.
Re:MKV streaming? Emulators? Flash browsing? SD? by Vectormatic · 2011-03-03 05:19 · Score: 1

Why would you want to stream MKVs? Why not just rip your BR discs to MP4 containers with x264? Or are you not getting those MKVs from your own masters, and you're too fucking lazy to put them in a different container?
why should the user be forced to format/container shift unless there is a sound technical reason too? Apple not allowing MKV streaming would be a completely arbitrary and artificial limitation on the device.
Sure, i love saying "yeah, i really need that octo-core machine to format shift all my media for my i-gizmo" just as much as the next high end hardware fetishist, but calling someone lazy because they rather not have artificial limitations that require real effort to work around... really?

--
People, what a bunch of bastards
Re:MKV streaming? Emulators? Flash browsing? SD? by ultramk · 2011-03-04 10:38 · Score: 1

I use Air Video to stream any kind of video file from my PC to my iOS devices. There's maybe a 2-5 second delay depending on format after hitting play, but the quality is flawless and the interface is really clean.
http://www.inmethod.com/air-video/index.html;jsessionid=074BC9C49C5102ED2C668AFF92496C55

--
You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 09:24 · Score: 1

I need some advice about a good exercise regimen; is moving goalposts effective for you?

Sure, in exchange could you show me how to be able to jump to conclusions more quickly by ignoring pertinent details?

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Your source is in error, I checked by Stenchwarrior · 2011-03-02 09:24 · Score: 1

HAHAHAHA Funny, Pete. Like we can't all tell this is you without your initials and "P.S.=>" at the bottom of the post. You do, however, make sure to use the "ad hominem" words.

Jesus Christ, you really are delusional. I was having fun for a while but now I feel like I've just found out the fat kid I've been making fun of this whole time has bone cancer and has a month to live; you really do have something wrong with you.

--
Loading...

Re:Leaving the Wisconsin state house now to buy th by WiiVault · 2011-03-02 09:25 · Score: 1

Well between greedy capitalist and total asshole I think you just might be Mr. Jobs.

Not at all right by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 09:26 · Score: 2

Many photographers would like to use an app related to Adobe's Lightroom for immediate importing, tagging, and initial review and screening of photos from a photoshoot. But because of Apple's restrictions on direct writing of files and a few other technical issues, this is not apparently possible at this time, according to Adobe.

Do you have a link for that? Because all of that is possible currently. There is no restriction on "direct writing of files".

You do currently have to use the iPad photo app to read images from the Apple SD reader. But there's a third party SD reader which works, that someone like Adobe could leverage into a full-blown photo management/review application.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Not at all right by Estanislao+Mart�nez · 2011-03-02 11:26 · Score: 1

Many photographers would like to use an app related to Adobe's Lightroom for immediate importing, tagging, and initial review and screening of photos from a photoshoot. But because of Apple's restrictions on direct writing of files and a few other technical issues, this is not apparently possible at this time, according to Adobe.
Do you have a link for that? Because all of that is possible currently. There is no restriction on "direct writing of files".
You do currently have to use the iPad photo app to read images from the Apple SD reader. But there's a third party SD reader which works, that someone like Adobe could leverage into a full-blown photo management/review application.
I was curious, so I Googled this up, and got this open letter from Camera Bits, a maker of photographic workflow software. I can't vouch whether the information there is still accurate, but the claim is that iPad applications don't have direct access to the camera's memory card's filesystem, so photos must first be imported through Apple's Photo Library application; and then, the only way for a third-party app to access those photos is to use an Apple-provided API and UI widget that is not adequate for advanced users.

--
Are you adequate?
Re:Not at all right by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 12:58 · Score: 1

I was curious, so I Googled this up, and got this open letter from Camera Bits, a maker of photographic workflow software. I can't vouch whether the information there is still accurate, but the claim is that iPad applications don't have direct access to the camera's memory card's filesystem, so photos must first be imported through Apple's Photo Library application; and then, the only way for a third-party app to access those photos is to use an Apple-provided API and UI widget that is not adequate for advanced users.
Good example of why the world hates a walled garden with its feet.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
Re:Not at all right by Kisai · 2011-03-02 14:28 · Score: 1

The sandbox issue is what makes it a pain in the behind, but trying to do professional photo work on a iPad is a joke, since the device itself is little more than a underpowered stripped down PC with a ARM processor.
That said, proper tool for the right job, the MacBook Pro is the correct tool. The sandbox method on the iPad is designed for consumer cameras, as the consumer is unlikely to do anything fancy with the photo except crop it before sending it off to others.
What the professional photographer and videographer want to do with an iPad, requires a 1920x1080 or better display first, and direct access to the device in question, or the device's storage second (eg via Thunderbolt.) You can't simply install drivers on the iPad, which is part of it's simplicity.
I could see plugging an iPad into a Canon Rebel T3i, or something and expanding the camera's user interface out onto the iPad for it to be remotely controlled, previewed, cropped and adjusted at the photo stage instead of doing extra post-processing work. Or same, but with video. But I think we're overestimating Apple here.
Apple, has NEVER been bleeding edge, just like Nintendo. They always pick the parts and technology that they can make a profit on. You can see this with the upgrade cycle Apple and Nintendo uses.
What might be interesting is for the iPad3 to be an iPad3D and introduce a retina display that can do 3D depth in landscape mode and take stereographic photos. (Everyone remember their Viewmaster's? )
Re:Not at all right by Estanislao+Mart�nez · 2011-03-03 03:55 · Score: 1

The sandbox issue is what makes it a pain in the behind, but trying to do professional photo work on a iPad is a joke, since the device itself is little more than a underpowered stripped down PC with a ARM processor.
Have you ever used Lightroom? There's this part of Lightroom called the Library module, which has functions like rating (1-5 stars), tagging, metadata management (e.g., annotate photos with titles, locations, descriptions, etc.), and a few simple global image adjustments like preset white balance (no option to set a custom one) and brighter/darker exposure adjustment. Lightroom being a non-destructive photographic workflow tool, these changes don't get done to the original files; they get stored to Lightroom's internal database.
That stuff could easily run on an iPad, so you could review, rate, tag and annotate your images on the tablet, then import your work on the field. You need the powerful machine to produce the final output, but the no less important process of figuring out which of the thousand images you shot today are "keepers," and tagging your collection so that you can later find photos when you need them, that can be done on the tablet.

Apple, has NEVER been bleeding edge, just like Nintendo. They always pick the parts and technology that they can make a profit on. You can see this with the upgrade cycle Apple and Nintendo uses.
If you define the "bleeding edge" as having the best parts, without consideration about who has the best whole, which, well, misses the forest for the trees. The best computer is not necessarily the fastest one.

--
Are you adequate?

Re:Not bad by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 09:28 · Score: 1

Well I have three different versions of the iPhone (1st, 3G, and 3GS) and frankly, there's not much difference between them. Maybe iPhone 4 is revolutionary in comparison. I'll find out in August when I qualify for a cheap upgrade.

If you want a universal device... by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 09:28 · Score: 2

You can buy a third party adaptor That lets you read SD cards on an iPad or iPhone.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:If you want a universal device... by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 10:18 · Score: 1

Thank you!

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Re:If you want a universal device... by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 10:53 · Score: 1

Just to let you know, it technically works with RAW files in that it will let you copy them, but read speed is slow enough it's really only practical for use with JPG files.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Re:If you want a universal device... by HermMunster · 2011-03-02 11:02 · Score: 1

I don't think i would want that. It sticks out and has a great potential to break the data/power connector on the bottom. I was hoping for a solution that would be internal to the iPad.
Yeah, just looking at that made me cringe. I would not want that.

--
You can lead a man with reason but you can't make him think.

Re:Not bad by GooberToo · 2011-03-02 09:28 · Score: 1

The only pressure that Google has placed on Apple is to prematurely an updated iPad

You're focusing on the iPad. Look wider, which includes iPad, iPhones, and various other i devices. Google's pressure on the iPad is just starting because Android is just barely entering the segment, but most assuredly its there. As for the other segments, most specifically the iPhone, Apple has been in reactionary mode for two years now thanks to Google. Despite Apple offering cheaper prices than what's available for Android devices, Android is still steadily growing. And keep in mind, those cheap prices by Apple specifically exist to combat Android's continue growth. And that's completely ignoring the technological aspects where Apple absolutely has been forced to react. In fact, Apple recently even tried to claim NF communication as their near new feature despite the fact that its been Google's golden boy for many, many years and Google already beat them to market.

Of course, the inverse is also true. As Apple continues to create new features, without a doubt, Android is forced to follow.

Again, this is good for consumers and a sign of a healthy emerging market.

Re:Not bad by Coren22 · 2011-03-02 09:28 · Score: 1

Like you did? I claimed that Apple is the true copycat, as anyone, even a fanboi should be able to admit. Every product Apple came out with in at least the past 10 years was a copy of someone else's idea, but you call everyone else the copycat, I call you out on it, and you come back with me calling the iPad run-of-the-mill. Please learn to read, it will help you considerably in the future.

--
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?

Re:Leaving the Wisconsin state house now to buy th by Blue+Stone · 2011-03-02 09:30 · Score: 1

Actually Modded Flamebait.

Properly Modded Funny.

There's no one quite as sensitive to sand in their vagina than an Apple Fanboi.

--
Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose Bierce

All iPad 2 models have GPS by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 09:31 · Score: 1

I know a couple of people who will be disappointed by the lack of GPS.

For the iPad 2? Both models include a digital compass. Look over the tech specs.

That's a flaw they thankfully rectified over the first iPad, where only the 3G iPad had a compass.

Now there's no reason not to use WiFi tethering from your device of choice and buy a cheaper iPad.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:All iPad 2 models have GPS by BasilBrush · 2011-03-02 15:19 · Score: 1

You're confusing a gyroscope with GPS. All iPad 2 variants have a gyroscope. Only 3G models have GPS.

Re:Not bad by sessamoid · 2011-03-02 09:31 · Score: 1

I've used my 3G iPad (original) for turn by turn GPS both in the US and New Zealand. Not sure what your friend's problem was.

--
"No, no, no. Don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached to."

Re:Not bad by Coren22 · 2011-03-02 09:31 · Score: 1

When did me become a someone else word? Last I checked, in English, and Spanish, Me is only talking about you. Unless this is your second personality talking. They didn't convince you to replace your iPad 1 with the iPad 2 would indicate you have your own iPad 1.

--
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by demonlapin · 2011-03-02 09:33 · Score: 1

cameras make it more useful than the last gen iPad

How so? I understand that in theory it's a great Facetime device, but in practice I'm pretty skeptical - the iPad is too heavy to hold up to head level, and not stable enough to set on edge.

Now how long, but how smooth by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 09:33 · Score: 1

now my "zoom" screen refresh, instead of taking 10 ms, will take 5 ms.

It's not that.

It's that dragging items will stutter less, will not potentially lose track of your finger positio, and app launches will be quicker too.

There are lots of little things that are improved that will be noticeable and make people who had an older iPad think of the new one as "snappy".

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Not bad by amiga3D · 2011-03-02 09:34 · Score: 1

You sir, are a master of sarcasm.

All the same by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 09:36 · Score: 1

Original iPad had exactly the same battery specs (including standby time).

There is value in being able to leave something sitting for a week without charging and have it still be mostly charged and instantly ready to use. Having a long standby time means never thinking about turning it off because it's not necessary to have it ready when you need to use it.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:All the same by Vancorps · 2011-03-02 11:20 · Score: 1

There is tremendous value, anonymous originally stated a month of standby time which was horrendously inaccurate. My Archos tablet can easily do two weeks on standby periodically getting my email provided it is within my wifi network range. The only problem with the Archos side is not Android but the lack of apps which is fast changing but still hadn't caught. Apple provides a software stack with their products that is pretty impressive out of the box. My Archos takes some hacking around to get video conferencing to work which isn't realistic for the majority of people out there.
I wish I could find a tablet with battery life that good that I could attach a usb to serial adapter to since I do a lot of mobile programming of network gear, temporary sites suck as equipment isn't always in nice places. The 7" Archos had the right combination of battery life and form factor but lacked the full size usb port meaning I have to carry around adapters to use my adapters in much the same way as you would with an iPad. Of course even with the right ports there is no guarantee there would be drivers for the adapters anyway so it's just a pipe dream for now as I currently use a netbook to accomplish this task and it does it fairly well with 10-15 hours of battery life easy. Of course I bought a larger battery to accomplish that.
Re:All the same by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 11:32 · Score: 1

There is tremendous value, anonymous originally stated a month of standby time which was horrendously inaccurate.
How is that not accurate? That is perfectly accurate. In standby mode it lasts around a month (actually a bit over). Just by locking the screen the device can sit for nearly a month and not be out of power, perfect for more occasional use.
For what you are doing an iPad would probably last 12 hours; the 10 hour figure is for video playback while other tasks regularly give a much greater lifespan.
You may want to check in on this serial port adaptor...

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by peragrin · 2011-03-02 09:37 · Score: 2

My iphone 3G is 2.5 years old. HTC, samsung and motorola so far aren't supporting hardware older than 18 months and then only if it was really popular in the beginning. The very fact that there are Android phones selling right now with 2.1 on them is ludicrous. the fact those phone will never get a software update is just scary.

When apple ships 4.3 all devices that they are currently selling will ship with it standard. Minus the ones currently in the supply chain. In 6-8 weeks you will have a hard time finding a device running the old version in the retail chain.

MSFT does something similar for most of windows. When a new version comes out the OEM's start installing it fairly quickly.

Android they are content on selling a three year old OS.

--
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.

Re:Not bad by amiga3D · 2011-03-02 09:37 · Score: 1

Really I'd like an archos tablet with just plain debian on it with a good touchscreen UI. What's so damn hard about that? Why do they have to fix it 'till it's broken?

It can be a standalone device by hellfire · 2011-03-02 09:37 · Score: 1

You can get iPads, iPods and iPhones updated at the Apple store.

At the same time, Apple does envision most of these devices as part of a home device network with a Mac or PC (to them, a Mac preferably) at the center. The people who want to use these devices as standalone devices is in the minority. But I'm sure Apple will one day get over the air updates into iOS. There are very real concerns (power, rollbacks, data recovery) and these are all alleviated by simply requiring updates to be tethered. Asking people to come to a store to do the update is actually pretty clever, it works around the problem of what would happen if you lost all your data during an update. Having a backup solves all data loss problems during an update.

--

"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"

Believe then by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 09:40 · Score: 1

I'll believe that when I see it...

They have used the same batteries in the phones for a while now, I used one iPhone model for well over two years daily without ever replacing the battery.

The battery life is real, and it's spectacular.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Believe then by MDMurphy · 2011-03-02 10:43 · Score: 1

The battery life is real, and it's spectacular.
I see what you did there.
Re:Believe then by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 11:13 · Score: 1

I was hoping someone would, I thought perhaps it was too far removed from source. :-)

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Barking up wrong tree by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 09:42 · Score: 1

Worst (practical) case scenario for lithium ion batteries is 40% loss in three months.

Well good thing Apple uses lithium polymer then, isn't it?

70% capacity at two years out.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 09:44 · Score: 1

When did me become a someone else word? Last I checked, in English, and Spanish, Me is only talking about you. Unless this is your second personality talking. They didn't convince you to replace your iPad 1 with the iPad 2 would indicate you have your own iPad 1.

Okay, I laughed out loud a little.

Please learn to read, it will help you considerably in the future.

^ Sound familiar? Re-read the first two posts.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Not bad by peragrin · 2011-03-02 09:45 · Score: 1

personally I would rather have an upgrade for itunes, that broke it into three parts.

Store, sync, and shocker of shocks media player.

I like to say Itunes is the new IE 6. it does everything (badly) and it is it's own security nightmare, but you have no choice in using it.

--
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.

Re:Maybe it's your trolling cowardice? apk by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 09:49 · Score: 1

P.S.=> You sure can "dish it out", but you cannot take it

Pretty rich coming from an AC. I wouldn't have given you squat either and let you stew in your ignorance. It's not like you couldn't find what he was saying by simple googling.

And that is all I will give you, figure out the rest for yourself loser AC troll.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

September Gurls by Gary+W.+Longsine · 2011-03-02 09:56 · Score: 1

There is no "September" iPad. That whole line of rumor was created by accident, by Mr. Gruber speculating idly that Apple might want to sync up iPad's annual release cycle with the iPod, in the fall, coupled with his apparently inside information that this spring wouldn't bring a "Retina Display" to the iPad. (This is reasonable speculation based on the notion that, given current iOS, they would need to make a Retina Display on an even multiple of the current pixel density or force developers to support yet another screen type, implying a minium 2x density, and the available mobile GPU designs couldn't handle that. Lion based iOS might alter that assumption, allowing, say, a 1.5x higher pixel density by this fall.) In any case, they're clearly working to beef up the GPU in the iPad, but it will be a while yet before they can power a Retina Display and GPU in the same energy budget. Don't expect that until next spring, at the earliest.

--
If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

Re:September Gurls by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 10:11 · Score: 1

Don't expect that until next spring, at the earliest.
I think you are wrong for the same reasons Gruber said it would probably be September - it would explain the large investment they made in undisclosed technology, and Apple wants to push ahead of other tablet makers.
I'm think possibly they just make a retina iPad the same thickness as the old one and thus maintain the same battery life, although it seems more likely they would just have a new model.
And I also totally agree that moving iPad releases to September makes way more sense for all sorts of marketing reasons.
It's not even like Gruber is the only one speculating on this, lots of other rumor sites are converging on essentially the same thing. At this point the Apple Rumor market is, in aggregate, pretty accurate about large things (like: there will be a release around X date). September is soon enough that rumors around that date are believable.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:33% thinner, 2x faster, 500% does anyone care? by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 09:56 · Score: 1

So, show me all the lesser-priced but equivalent competitors...

I can wait.

Galaxy Tab 10.1 + iOS by kangsterizer · 2011-03-02 09:57 · Score: 1

I'm guessing inside the iPad its once again, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 hardware. Specs looks extremely similar.

Save 25% with Archos by tepples · 2011-03-02 09:59 · Score: 1

Please explain how having the best price in the tablet market is premium pricing.

iPad: $500. Archos 101: $370, and it dual-boots Android and "regular" Linux. How exactly does iPad "hav[e] the best price in the tablet market" again?

Re:Save 25% with Archos by narcc · 2011-03-02 11:38 · Score: 1

How exactly does iPad "hav[e] the best price in the tablet market" again?
Well, see, the XOOM is more expensive than the lower-priced iPad's so that means that all other tablets are also more expensive and things will be that way forever.

--
Required reading for internet skeptics

Re:Running away isn't winning, troll... apk by Stenchwarrior · 2011-03-02 09:59 · Score: 1

No, he only has links to his list of accolades from 1997 and posts where he supposedly defeats "ad hominem" attackers "2EZ". He wouldn't dare keep up with a link to something that makes his crapware from 1996 obsolete...his ego would never let it happen.

--
Loading...

Re:What? No commentary about the built in cover? by aardwolf64 · 2011-03-02 10:00 · Score: 1

that's because most people who come here to read these posts are more interested in the innards of the best then its shiny scales. But hey if a pretty cover is going to make the sale for ya... all the power

And those people are the same ones that buy a high powered Android tablet that runs like crap, then come on here just to bash the tablet that makes up 90% of the tablet market sales.

Re:Not bad by bonch · 2011-03-02 10:06 · Score: 1

Why are so many anti-Apple posters on Slashdot anonymous?

Re:Same here. No retina == no buy. by bonch · 2011-03-02 10:08 · Score: 1

Same here. Funny how they say they got 9x faster graphics and 2x faster CPU, but didn't bother implementing retina display

You seriously think they can ship a 2048x1536 tablet with 10 hours of battery life? I don't even think Apple's high-end cinema displays have resolutions that high.

Re:Not bad by bonch · 2011-03-02 10:09 · Score: 1

You seriously believe that? It couldn't be that they just wanted an iPad last year?

Re:33% thinner, 2x faster, 500% does anyone care? by DeionXxX · 2011-03-02 10:15 · Score: 1

And sadly will never be released... iPad 2 comes out in 9 days. That's really one of the biggest issues other manufacturers have... they announce something, everyone is excited, then people wait 6+ months to buy it... but by that time... 3 more competitors have announced new things, and they're shipping it in 3-4 months afterwards... so everyone sits there and waits... eventually no one buys anything.

As opposed to Apple announcements that usually go something like this: hype -> announcement -> excitement -> pre-order or purchase -> deliver within a week to a month.

Re:33% thinner, 2x faster, 500% does anyone care? by Fitch · 2011-03-02 10:15 · Score: 1

Just off the cuff, the Barnes & Noble NOOKcolor is made in the same FoxConn sweat shop, runs android, and costs roughly half. It's not equivalent if you're comparing it to a full-on tablet with a hard drive and a full blown OS. But when held to such standards neither is the iPad I/II. It's an overgrown phone that's not a phone.

As to your other inquiry, I used the term "trend-setting" in a derogatory sense.

Color me a bigot, but every morning when I see a 3 minute segment on the national news shows covering the newest iFad, I get enraged and change the channel only to find the same thing on all the other networks. Why is this news? Who's wheels does Jobs have to grease to get so much free exposure? Luckily I can count on later that day coming here to /. and finding a fanboi thread wherein I can vent my frustrations. :-)

Ahh, that's better.

Not really better at all by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 10:18 · Score: 2

The XOOM is thicker, heavier, larger in all dimensions, and has a slightly better resolution and has the same processor (roughly).

But the real thing that kills the XOOM is the base cost. It's rumored to be $800 (or higher), far more than the $499 base iPad which is very practical. Lots of people do not need a huge amount of storage or 3G support.

I agree the XOOM looks like a good tablet, but it really shows that Apple is competing quite well on price in the tablet space.

As for September, as I said this release is for new tablet buyers - If you are are comparing the iPad and XOOM I honestly can't see many people choosing the XOOM, especially when you factor in software (which is the reason why you buy a computer of any kind). But a higher res version in September will make sense for current users to upgrade and at the same time produce a FUD cloud over buying other tablets (though unlike other FUD we are used to this thing will ship).

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Not really better at all by R3d+M3rcury · 2011-03-02 13:16 · Score: 2, Interesting

It's rumored to be $800 (or higher), far more than the $499 base iPad which is very practical. Lots of people do not need a huge amount of storage or 3G support.
I remember back when those nasty PC guys used to compare Mac and PC prices. They'd point out the you could get a Dell for $249 and the cheapest Mac was $599. Of course, they'd leave out the fact that the Mac in question had much better specs than $249 Dell.
So, are you really comparing a $499 iPad with 8GB of storage, 1024x768 screen, and no 3G, with a Xoom that has 32GB of storage, 1280x800 screen, and 3G support?
Comparing the more closely equipped iPad with 32GB of storage and 3G comes to $729--$70 lower.
C'mon, Fanbois! Keep your stories consistant!

If you are are comparing the iPad and XOOM I honestly can't see many people choosing the XOOM, especially when you factor in software (which is the reason why you buy a computer of any kind).
Have you really looked at the bundled software on an iPad? I mean, maybe Apple has improved this on the iPad 2, but my iPad doesn't even have a clock! If you see a Xoom sitting there doing video editing and discover that you have to pay another $19 to do that on your iPad 2, you may find that once you load up your iPad with everything that comes bundled on the Xoom, your $70 price advantage has disappeared.

9x Faster Graphics Processor for Games by billstewart · 2011-03-02 10:19 · Score: 1

According to the Apple site, the big performance win for games isn't the faster CPU, it's the 9x faster graphics processing.

--

Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks

I've got to get one. by youngone · 2011-03-02 10:20 · Score: 1

Like this guy: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple

Another slashad for apple? by cpotoso · 2011-03-02 10:22 · Score: 1

Reads like an advertisement for apple. Come on, even with all the fanboys there should be some decency here... This is getting tiresome.

Re:Not bad by Draek · 2011-03-02 10:26 · Score: 1

Because pricing your product lower than the competition is the height of innovation.

--
No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.

Re:Same here. No retina == no buy. by Thalagyrt · 2011-03-02 10:27 · Score: 1

Two words: color calibration

Even if I had the other whizbangs for editing, cataloging, tagging, etc, I wouldn't use an iPad because I don't know that the image I see will match print. There's no way to calibrate it. Even software calibration would be a slight improvement, but without hardware calibration it's a bust for me and should be a bust for any photographer who takes his or her work seriously.

--
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo!

Re:Not bad by Draek · 2011-03-02 10:29 · Score: 1

He only said he had one, not that he bought it. He may have received one as a gift (which doesn't alleviate the stupidity of replacing a perfectly working product with a shinier one) or outright stolen it (which would, but also bring issues of ethics and legality into matter).

--
No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by CohibaVancouver · 2011-03-02 10:31 · Score: 2

I'm wondering what you feel the upcoming gingerbread tablets are lacking that makes the iPad that much better?

What they're lacking is the $500 "sweet" price point that the iPad is repeatedly able to hit. Would I pay more for a more feature-rich tablet? Maybe. Would Joe Sixpack? Probably not - The current iPad price is in his sweet spot.

Re:Not bad by Draek · 2011-03-02 10:35 · Score: 1

If the OSX software market is any indication, yes they will and in less than a year you'll be seeing "please upgrade to iPad 2 to run this application".

--
No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.

Re:StenchWarrior runs like a coward? LOL! by Falconhell · 2011-03-02 10:40 · Score: 1

For goodness sake dont bother replying to APK troll. He is a malware author, and a complete loser asshole.

He will just spout a lot of irrelevant garbage, and try to get you to respond. It is much better to just ignore him, and eventually he goes away. He been doing this for a long time.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by Reapman · 2011-03-02 10:41 · Score: 1

Agreed. They should have made a "low end" Xoom and undercut Apple. I'm hoping they still will. Personally I feel even $500 is too much for a Tablet device, although judging by the sales I'm in the minority on that one.

Re:See Stenchwarrior RUN by Falconhell · 2011-03-02 10:42 · Score: 1

Oh yeh, he will follow you around trolling. Most people know this and just ignore him.

HoHum, just another day at Slashdot.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by EEPROMS · 2011-03-02 10:42 · Score: 2

HTC may not support old phones but that doesn't mean you can't update the phone (unlike iOS based handsets). I have a 2-3 old HTC G1 that I use as a hacking phone and I recently updated it to Android 2.3 thanks to XDA developers. If you have an old Android handset and want the latest firmware just search the XDA developers forums.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by Locke2005 · 2011-03-02 10:46 · Score: 1

I haven't owned an Apple product before, but after following Engadget's live food I have to say iPad 2 looks fantastic.

Honestly, the "o" key isn't anywhere near the "e" key. This looks more like a Freudian slip than a finger slip...

--
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.

Do you own your air conditioner? by Brannon · 2011-03-02 10:47 · Score: 1

How often do you open it? How about your television set? Microwave?

Re:Do you own your air conditioner? by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 11:18 · Score: 1

He doesn't own those either. Thank God for Rent-A-Center!

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

"Slave labor" huh? by jamrock · 2011-03-02 10:49 · Score: 1

You realize that was their marketing department messing with your expectations right? So when it dropped at £399 you considered it "low". £400 is not inexpensive by any standard for a non-essential device.

Context please. £400 is not expensive for a tablet computer that offers the features of the iPad. If it is, then where are all the less expensive competitors hmm? Oh that's right, there aren't any, because other manufacturers are finding it too fucking difficult to make one for that price.

Not to mention they're practically using slave labor to manufacture these.

Okay, I'll bite. Where are your electronics manufactured? It never ceases to amaze me when all the Apple haters start bleating about Apple's contract manufacturers use of cheap labor in China (This just in! Labor cheap in China! Film at 11!), while conveniently neglecting to mention that the bulk of ALL consumer electronic devices are manufactured in the PRC.

So are using a Dell PC? An HP? Acer? A Samsung Galaxy S? A Samsung Galaxy Tab? Do you own a Playstation? Or an Xbox? Well guess what Mr. Anonymous Hypocrite: if the answer to any of these questions is " yes", more than likely they were assembled at the self-same Foxconn slave labor camp where iPhones and iPads are manufactured, or one of the other 11 just like it in mainland China. Dell, HP, and Acer are far larger clients of Foxconn than is Apple. But I guess it's easier to make inflammatory statements about a company's morality because you don't use their products, than it is to take a good hard look at yourself and your own choices.

I'd tell you to get off your high horse, but you're obviously riding a giraffe.

Re:Not bad by jo42 · 2011-03-02 10:49 · Score: 1

It was made fairly clear early on (CNET, Engadget, Macrumors, etc) that the retina display was not going to make it onto the iPad 2, but would likely show up on the rumored iPad 3 that will possibly debut in September.

You really believe that rumor mongering reader/eye-ball attracting total bullshit on CNET, Engadget, Macrumors, etc ???

You really think that a mobile hand held battery powered device can push data around fast enough to update a 2048x1536 (higher resolution than most HDTVs and flat panel monitors) display at a reasonable frame rate?

Don't be stupid - use your brain to think once in awhile.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by CohibaVancouver · 2011-03-02 10:51 · Score: 2

They should have made a "low end" Xoom and undercut Apple

This is harder than it sounds - Because Apple is so vertically integrated, from processor to other hardware to software they're able to build at a cost that others find hard to match. Additionally, the App Store exclusivity means the device can be sold at a low margin and they can make it up on apps. A low-end Xoom would probably still cost the same as an iPad with fewer features.

As opposed to all the flawless competitors... by Brannon · 2011-03-02 10:51 · Score: 1

We can only purchase devices without flaws, right?

Re:What? No commentary about the built in cover? by Locke2005 · 2011-03-02 10:53 · Score: 1

I once had a girlfriend like that...

--
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.

You lost me at "brown Zune". by Brannon · 2011-03-02 10:58 · Score: 1

I think the answer is that there are no other faster/cheaper/more stable tablets by the definition that 90% of the buying public uses. You use a different definition.

Re:Not bad by cvtan · 2011-03-02 10:59 · Score: 1

You mean like touch screens? http://www.hpmuseum.net/display_item.php?hw=43 When I first started working at Kodak people had these touch screen terminals/PCs. They complained that the screens got full of fingerprints and looked ugly after a while. Not well liked, but at least they had a real keyboard.

--
Sorry, but gray text on gray background is making my eyes bleed.

Re:33% thinner, 2x faster, 500% does anyone care? by Locke2005 · 2011-03-02 10:59 · Score: 1

I've got a Nook Color for my daughter, and I like it. It's apples and oranges to compare it to the iPad, though... WiFi only, no camera or microphone, no GPS, need to jailbreak it to run real Android apps. On the plus side, it can be expanded with a 32GB miniSD card, which for some reason the iPad cannot. Sure, it's half the price of an iPad, but you get what you pay for.

--
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.

Re:Not bad by catmistake · 2011-03-02 11:02 · Score: 1

Apps are oversold, their greatness exaggerated. At it's heart iPad is a great reader, web surfer platform and li'l mail client, and the new hw won't really make any difference regarding that. Had there been a retina display I would be drooling, but otherwise I can live without new app feature creep. YMMV

--
The Admin and the Engineer

Re:Not bad by tyrione · 2011-03-02 11:05 · Score: 1

You're right. the ARM A8 Cortex is identical to the ARM A9 Cortex Mult-Core.

Re:Not bad by HermMunster · 2011-03-02 11:07 · Score: 1

Why did they reduce the price of the original iPhone? It was what, $599? They reduced it to $399 shortly after release. They reduce it to encourage people to purchase. It's a valid economic principle to reduce the cost to gain more sales. Many apps from Apples app store were $3.99, $2.99, etc but when the vendor went to .99 they saw their profits increase a thousand fold.

--
You can lead a man with reason but you can't make him think.

Better than just jerk by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 11:11 · Score: 1

He didn't say any other tablet was better

You need to learn how to read.

Because what he IMPLIED is that Apple is responsible for the suicides. And if you are going to IMPLY that then you better be letting us know why you are using any consumer electronics at all, since clearly he was posting from a computer.

Also in my response I just gave an Android tablet as one possible example, out of the whole entire field of consumer electronics. So who is really being the knee-jerk here? I, who pointed out in the vast space of consumer electronics is produced in China, or you who assumed I was talking only about Android tablets?

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Better than just jerk by geekoid · 2011-03-02 11:44 · Score: 1

Where in his post does be bring up a different product?
"Because what he IMPLIED is that Apple is responsible for the suicides. "
true, but I didn't bring that up.
" And if you are going to IMPLY that then you better be letting us know why you are using any consumer electronics at all, since clearly he was posting from a computer."
My computer wasn't made in china. How do you know his is?
Plus, he never said it was a bad thing~
Also, while that would make him a hypocrite, it doesn't invalidate his point.
"So who is really being the knee-jerk here? I, who pointed out in the vast space of consumer electronics is produced in China, or you who assumed I was talking only about Android tablets?"
haha. your logic is flawed.
The options are you, me, both neither. I mean,only the most simple minded oaf would thing that there are only two..oh, I see.

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

Re:Not bad by The+End+Of+Days · 2011-03-02 11:14 · Score: 1

You didn't actually make a point. Is that normal for you, or is your anti-Apple rage blinding you a little bit?

Re:Same here. No retina == no buy. by Estanislao+Mart�nez · 2011-03-02 11:17 · Score: 1

Two words: color calibration

Even if I had the other whizbangs for editing, cataloging, tagging, etc, I wouldn't use an iPad because I don't know that the image I see will match print. There's no way to calibrate it. Even software calibration would be a slight improvement, but without hardware calibration it's a bust for me and should be a bust for any photographer who takes his or her work seriously.

What exactly are you trying to do that requires the iPad color to be accurate on-site? I can see two types of use:

Doing non-color critical work on the field (e.g., review tag, rate, rotate, crop). It would be great to have the ability to do this sort of thing on the iPad before you get to your real computer, and then import your work from iPad to Lightroom.
Showing photos to clients. In this case you can't guarantee color accuracy anyway because you may not be able to control ambient lighting, so the bar there is much lower: the color has to be "pretty," not 100% accurate.

--

Are you adequate?

Re:33% thinner, 2x faster, 500% does anyone care? by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 11:22 · Score: 1

Not going to argue the superiority of Apples supply chain. If theres one thing other manufacturers need to know is that they need to STFU until its time to release it. HP TouchPad with WebOS will be released, just a month or two late. They supposedly pushed the mid-summer release date back to April probably because of the iPad 2. They also are competing reasonably with the price, supposedly at 699 for a 32 gb model with more RAM, better CPU, touchstone induction charging, bluetooth WebOS phone syncing, and touch-to-share. I think its worth it for the extra 100. I doubt they will get the battery life, and it weighs .2 pounds more. HP already had working demo models out on the floor at an announcement that were working fine. I suspect they are manufacturing them as we speak to get it out ASAP to compete with the iPad 2. That being said, Im still probably getting the new iPad mainly because of the number of good apps it already has, WebOS is severely lacking there.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by thesandtiger · 2011-03-02 11:25 · Score: 1

Compare the suicide rate of Foxconn workers to the suicide rate of other Chinese. Or to college students in the US.

Then get back to me and talk about it.

--
Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.

Re:Not bad by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 11:33 · Score: 1

Yes, my point was they don't need to reduce the price to increase sales - they are already selling them nearly as fast as they can make them. They can't really sell them much faster.

I'm sure the price will have been carefully decided based on market research to ensure the maximum total profit (either by fewer expensive sales or many more cheaper sales etc).

Re:Not bad by UnknowingFool · 2011-03-02 11:34 · Score: 1

I actually expected Apple to reduce the cost by 50%.

And why in the world would you expect this? Did the price of raw global materials suddenly drop? Labor costs suddenly drop? You might have had a reasonable expectation of a price reduction if Apple change absolutely nothing in the iPad 2. As far as I know Apple, upgraded the CPU, GPU, and added two cameras.

Where we stand now whether you have 200,000 or 100,000 apps really doesn't mean much. I can't sift through that many, I wouldn't need that many, and I certainly wouldn't use even a fraction, a tiny fraction of what's available. Those apps are too tiny to really have an impact on what I do day to day. Sure, social networking apps are cool, and a few good utilities, and a couple creative games and I'm at my peak. I want to listen to music, browse the web, save content, look at pictures, etc.

I think one problem is that you are following the slashdot delusion that you represent the whole world. The larger number of apps generally means a more diverse collection. Sure some of those apps are duplicates and of low quality, but that doesn't mean they are all useless. They may be of little use to you. For example, I have very little use for apps that track my blood glucose levels. Not being diabetic, it's of little use to me. I do have relatives that are diabetic and such an app would likely help them.

--
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by jon3k · 2011-03-02 11:42 · Score: 1

the apple case is designed so it can be used a few different ways, including sitting on your desk like this (top right). you can also sit it in your lap and hold it like you would a book, looking down at an angle.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by afaik_ianal · 2011-03-02 11:42 · Score: 1

It's probably a dvorak user. 'o' and 'e' are right next to each other on my keyboard.

Re:Not bad by Nocuous · 2011-03-02 11:43 · Score: 1

Original iPad is 1 GHz A4 processor, new iPad is 1 GHz A5 processor. I wouldn't worry about that, it's not like the original is that slow or that many apps strain it.

Exactly, the new one's not much of an improvement over the old one. It's just Jobs keeping the attention machine running, to (squeeze more blood out of the stone) / (shake a few more coconuts out of the tree) / (fool a few more idiot consumers that *this* is what they need to feel less empty inside).
Pick your own metaphor.

--
Don't take it personally, but I'm not going to read your pithy response to my post.

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by UnknowingFool · 2011-03-02 11:46 · Score: 1

Actually dorms were a selling point for factory workers. Originally when these plants were built, there was nothing around them. So in order to attract workers from all over China, Foxconn had to build dorms, cafeterias, etc.

--
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by bonch · 2011-03-02 11:47 · Score: 1

The suicide rate at Foxconn is lower than all 50 U.S. states and lower than China's national average. Don't let facts get in the way of your goofy emotionalism, though.

Re:Not bad by mosb1000 · 2011-03-02 11:49 · Score: 1

Other people built mp3 players before, but none were functional like the iPod. Others had built phones before, but again, nothing like the iPhone. And people have built tablets before, but they were overpriced and completely useless. Henry ford didn't build the first car, would you call him a copy cat? What you're claiming here is inane and pointless. Copycats are people who see ideas and duplicate them with out adding any significant improvement on the original (like the android phones and tablets, and the zune MP3 player). Apple makes ideas work. That is the difference.

Re:Not bad by jon3k · 2011-03-02 11:50 · Score: 1

like a desktop? are you kidding me? i've got an ipad sitting right in front of me I've been using for the last 3 months. first of all, it's great, I love it, but if you would describe the original ipad as "fast" i'd hate to know what device you were using before it. the browser is nothing short of painfully slow when you're running anything that has even moderate javascript in it. scrolling is great but page loading and rendering (over 802.11n wifi) is slow on anything even moderately complex.

Re:Leaving the Wisconsin state house now to buy th by bonch · 2011-03-02 11:50 · Score: 1

A Slashdot poster calling other people sheep is pretty ironic.

Re:Not bad by mosb1000 · 2011-03-02 11:50 · Score: 1

Ever heard of the Model T?

Re:Not bad by jon3k · 2011-03-02 11:51 · Score: 1

because the iphone4 had a retina display and they convinced us anything without a retina display is garbage?

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by UnknowingFool · 2011-03-02 11:55 · Score: 1

Technically speaking Foxconn owns two plants. One has 400,000 and the other about 350,000. Either way, the rate is well below the US rate. Also I believe the suicide rate is also per year. So 11 suicides over 3 or so years for 750,000 employees is quite low.

--
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 12:03 · Score: 1

Honest question, I'm wondering what you feel the upcoming gingerbread tablets are lacking that makes the iPad that much better? I'm still not convinced i need.. or even want.. either, but right now if i did it would be android simply so i'm not locked into iTunes again. Hated that with my iPhone, don't want to go back.

In my opinion, iPad 2 is not a better piece of hardware than Motorola Xoom, quite the contrary. On board USB is a big deal for me. Proprietary dock is a deal breaker. Higher screen resolution, better camera, removable flash and battery are are all additional sweeteners for Xoom, and lack of the latter are again deal breakers for iPad. Knowing Xoom is readily rooted my decision is easy: as soon as the wifi-only Xoom comes out I order it. I know exactly what I'm going to do with it and it's going to be a lot of fun (hint: has to do with my shiny new Kurz PC3). I suppose the iPad could perform the task I have in mind but it would be a force fit. Why should I put up with nonsense like no removable flash and extra cables and gizmos dangling off it that get in the way and have no reason to exist? Come to think of it, without on board USB, iPad is a complete non-starter for my application, that's all there is to it.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 12:06 · Score: 1

The android market has a very small fraction of the high end apps and games that the itunes store offers. I believe this will change in the future, but as of today its not even close.

Hmm, could that have had to do with no credible Android tablets released until the Xoom? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to foresee a repeat of the smart phone market takeover.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:Even my Nook comes with a replaceable HD card s by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-02 12:23 · Score: 1

Adding an extra hole to an iOS device.. Blashphemy! And iPad is to be beloved and to hold. Not some skank you want to stick your junk in.

mod parent up by commodoresloat · 2011-03-02 12:23 · Score: 1

+1, best resurrection of an annoying 10-year old troll... What's the health status of *BSD these days?

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by stewbacca · 2011-03-02 12:24 · Score: 1

Yeah, I saw the other plant and the three year span as well. I was merely demonstrating that it's not that hard to validate what the first guy said and perhaps he wasn't just pulling numbers out of his ass.

That's a big problem on slashdot. You have a thesis and have looked into it? Oh yeah? Well I disagree, so prove it! Lame. This is a forum for geeks, not an online college requiring citations.

7 hour battery? Big deal by Slutticus · 2011-03-02 12:27 · Score: 1

With my pre-unibody Macbook Pro, I get 12 hours of battery life. How, you ask? I carry a couple of spare batteries in my laptop bag. Now my flights overseas don't require me to say "oh well, i might as well get wasted" halfway through the flight
Jobs' obsession with form in this case seriously compromises function. He seems to also be quite obsessed with thinness. I really like the new MBPs, but I just can't get over the battery thing.

Re:Not bad by Dr+Max · 2011-03-02 12:30 · Score: 1

android tablets have been in development for longer than the ipad. Its apple that rushes its product to market without a cameras a good gpu and cpu just so that they can look like they are at the head of the pack and make millions of the "early adopters".

--
Rocket Surgeon.

Re:Not bad by Dr+Max · 2011-03-02 12:39 · Score: 1

that said this ipad is pretty rocking.

--
Rocket Surgeon.

Re:What? No commentary about the built in cover? by commodoresloat · 2011-03-02 12:39 · Score: 1

it depends how you hold it?

Wish I had mod points. by Slutticus · 2011-03-02 12:46 · Score: 1

I'd waste a "Funny" on you.

Re:Not bad by Okonomiyaki · 2011-03-02 12:46 · Score: 2

Sure, but you know who I really feel sorry for? All those poor suckers that bought iPhone 4 and who will miss out on all the great features iPhone 5 will probably have whenever it is released. That's why I never buy any version until the final, ultimate one which will never be improved upon and which has all possible features.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 12:51 · Score: 1

When was the last time Motorola made a decent piece of hardware it didn't abandon 6 months later?

Droid, mr Troll.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by harlows_monkeys · 2011-03-02 12:54 · Score: 1

The iPad is still assembled by cheap Chinese labor who sometimes get suicidal and jump off the Foxconn factory roof so they installed nets. But hey, it's 33% thinner!!!!!

Pretty much every major electronics company uses Foxconn or other Chinese companies.

The difference is that Apple has taken serious steps to improve the situation, while most of the others ignore it. You've also overlooked that the Foxconn suicide rate is actually lower than what you'd expect based on the overall Chinese suicide rate.

Re:Not bad by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 12:55 · Score: 1

Why are so many anti-Apple posters on Slashdot anonymous?

I am not buying anything from Apple.

Not as long as the Apple Police are breaking down the doors of journalists.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by MightyYar · 2011-03-02 12:56 · Score: 1

yueh, I Olwiys gut my vewuls muxud ip.

Amazing how that still is readable... no wonder ancient Hebrew didn't have vowels.

--
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by shutdown+-p+now · 2011-03-02 12:59 · Score: 1

As opposed to any other piece of consumer electronics on the market today?

Re:Not bad by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 13:06 · Score: 1

Did Apple say they were adding a standard USB port? Or a flash card port? If it did I might consider it just to use with my photography. It's nice to be able remove the card and go through the photos zapping the ones I don't want while I'm out there. It's tedious to do that on the camera's LCD.

No, but you can buy a $30 doodad for the iPad...

I don't want a doodad to get in the way, get bent or get lost, I want it to be part of the device as it should have been and as it is on the Xoom. I guess 99.99% of photographers will think exactly the same thing. Hard to image how Apple could have been so dumb about that.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by gilescampion · 2011-03-02 13:09 · Score: 1

They are right next to each other on the Dvorak keymap.

--
Mere surmise, sir.

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 13:19 · Score: 1

Hard to image how Apple could have been so dumb about that.

The 32 gig Xoom is $800. The 32gig+ 3g iPad 2 is $729. Yeah, they're real dumb.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Not bad by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 13:21 · Score: 1

Programmers and designers generally over-estimate what you can get out of a piece of hardware, and it runs slower than it should.

They underestimate the efficiency with which a few layers of highly abstract bloatware interacting in powerful ways can bring a processor no matter how powerful to its knees.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:7 hour battery? Big deal by node+3 · 2011-03-02 13:25 · Score: 1

With my pre-unibody Macbook Pro, I get 12 hours of battery life. How, you ask? I carry a couple of spare batteries in my laptop bag. Now my flights overseas don't require me to say "oh well, i might as well get wasted" halfway through the flight

You can get external batteries for the unibody MacBook Pros too. Somehow, however, I doubt intercontinental flights is all that pressing of a matter for most people.

Jobs' obsession with form in this case seriously compromises function. He seems to also be quite obsessed with thinness. I really like the new MBPs, but I just can't get over the battery thing.

An interchangeable battery is not a positive function. It's a negative one. No one wants to change their battery, but they sometimes need to. Apple solved this by making a battery powerful enough to run the computer for longer than most people wish, thereby completely removing the need for an interchangeable battery. This is an improvement.

But, like I said, for those few who do need extra power, there are solutions that serve you well without having to diminish the quality of the computer for the rest of us.

Re:Not bad by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 13:43 · Score: 1

Hard to image how Apple could have been so dumb about that.

The 32 gig Xoom is $800. The 32gig+ 3g iPad 2 is $729. Yeah, they're real dumb.

Now I want to swap that 32 gig flash card for a fresh one so I can view a different set of photos. Oh, I can't. (Cue iPad gets thrown under the wheels of a bus.)

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:Same here. No retina == no buy. by fyngyrz · 2011-03-02 13:45 · Score: 2

You seriously think they can ship a 2048x1536 tablet with 10 hours of battery life?

I'd be perfectly happy with a 2048x1536 iPad with a 2 and a half hour battery life, frankly, but I don't think you really understand how these things work.

Most of the energy for this is spent literally in the backlight. Given that the display size doesn't change (resolution doubles, pixel count quadruples, yet display size stays the same), then neither does the backlight. Energy driving the electronics isn't all that much of an issue when the update rate is as slow as an LCD is. It's not about power. It's about fabrication and how many panels are lost at those resolutions, that's all. And they'll fix that.

As for processing power, 4x the pixels requires 4x the compute power; and they just upped the GPU speed by 9x. Nine. So that's not a problem either. As for capacity, 2048x1536 of RGB is barely ten megabytes of ram for a display buffer; breaking it into four zones keeps the memory bandwidth the same. This isn't even difficult.

--
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 13:47 · Score: 1

Umm.. why can't you just plug in the other card and start viewing? Elaborate?

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Not bad by fyngyrz · 2011-03-02 14:00 · Score: 1

Find me an app that strains it. I am not able to think of one at this time... I played PvZ until it got boring.

Then you didn't play it far enough. In endless wave mode, at about level 40, the game lags quite seriously on the original iPad.

The web browser strains it too; it's *very* slow, even if it is the fastest one out there on a tablet. Until web pages "snap" up, more horsepower will always be welcome in my hands.

That said, they really did drop the ball on this one. Perhaps we'll see some of the more obvious upgrades next time around. An IR emitter. Environmental sensors (temperature, barometer.) Radio and television tuners (or better yet, built-in SDR.) Actual HD resolution. Memory card slots. USB. Wireless charging. Wireless (and automatic!) syncing. File management. Widgets and Gizmos for the home screen(s.) Hey, maybe they'll even fix the app store so it won't forget where I was in the catalog and send me back to page one every time I go to look at an app. You know, as if I were looking for something to purchase. Idiots.

--
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.

Re:Not bad by Karlt1 · 2011-03-02 14:19 · Score: 1

Why did they reduce the price of the original iPhone? It was what, $599?

According to last quarters financial statements, the average selling price of the iPhone is still $650. The carrier just pays the difference.

Re:Same here. No retina == no buy. by jrumney · 2011-03-02 14:19 · Score: 1

Not to mention that it would fragment the iOS market more, making existing iPad apps use pixel-doubling, with iPhone apps requiring pixel quadrupling for an extra blocky display.

Not at all the case by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 14:22 · Score: 2

Of course, they'd leave out the fact that the Mac in question had much better specs than $249 Dell.

Sure, but that's not what is happening here.

So, are you really comparing a $499 iPad with 8GB of storage, 1024x768 screen, and no 3G, with a Xoom that has 32GB of storage, 1280x800 screen, and 3G support?

The smallest iPad has 16 GB. In practice, that has been plenty of storage, even for long trips with video.

But lets say we want to go about equal. Ok, that's $599, still $200 less. Or lets say you want 3G with that (though why you'd spring for that with a smartphone that can provide connectivity is beyond me). That's as you noted $70 less.

That's still a lower price, and you have a tablet with the same specs in terms of processing power, slightly less screen resolution (if you look again the XOOM simply has a slightly longer screen). That's still $70 less, with a far larger application selection. Only you ALSO have the option of paying $300 less if you already have wireless connectivity, and can make do with 16GB of stuff at any one time (remember that most people use tablets in addition to PC's - I have well over 100 GB of content but I just sync what I need for the week).

Have you really looked at the bundled software on an iPad? I mean, maybe Apple has improved this on the iPad 2, but my iPad doesn't even have a clock!

Well, there is a clock in the status bar and on the lock screen... but who cares about bundled software? I care what I can do with it after I get it, not what can be done with it before I get it. For clocks alone - there are in fact many Apps For That. The only exception would be stuff that you can't change, which includes Safari (you can buy other browser apps but they have to use Safari as a rendering engine). Those parts are more than good enough and the equivalent on other platforms are marginally better. I'm seeing nothing in Honeycomb that is compelling over what you can do with iOS, especially with expanded wireless video options built right into the OS.

And also lets remember these are just projected XOOM prices, I have seen projections that were substantially higher. You aren't getting more, you are getting less by almost any metric EXCEPT screen resolution. It's not like the Mac/PC comparison at all.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Not at all the case by R3d+M3rcury · 2011-03-02 19:26 · Score: 1

Well, there is a clock in the status bar and on the lock screen... but who cares about bundled software? I care what I can do with it after I get it, not what can be done with it before I get it.
Ah. So who cares that the Mac comes bundled with iLife, right? Wait--wasn't that one of those things that was so great about the Mac? The bundled software?
This actually surprised me. My iPhone has this bundled app that has a countdown timer, stores times for different time-zones, etc. The iPad doesn't even have that.
The Xoom, from the reviews I've read, comes with a video editor. Does the iPad? I mean, if you have to pay an extra $19 for iMovie, shouldn't that also count towards the cost? Perhaps by the time you include your bundled software, etc., that $70 difference is going to disappear.
Re:Not at all the case by makomk · 2011-03-03 03:23 · Score: 1

Sure, but that's not what is happening here.
On the contrary, that's exactly what's happening here. For example:

The smallest iPad has 16 GB. In practice, that has been plenty of storage, even for long trips with video.
The cheap Dell laptops that people compare unfavourably with Apple's pricing are plenty good enough for most people - and those people would've had to pay a lot more if they went with Apple hardware. Yet when Apple are more expensive, suddenly the fanboys cry out that it's unfair to compare because the specs aren't the same.
Re:Not at all the case by AmiMoJo · 2011-03-04 22:28 · Score: 1

Are specs really that important for a tablet though? They are not designed for "serious" computing and even a very low end PC is fine for web browsing, email, document editing, ebook reading, HD video, casual games. You probably won't be doing any serious photoshopping on the thing and for all the above the current model is fine.
The extra speed and snappyness is nice but IMHO not worth what Apple, or for that matter Samsung and many other tablet makers, are asking. If I decide to get one it will be a Â£150 model from a Chinese manufacturer running an unlocked vanilla Android OS. Similar size/resolution screen, fast enough CPU and GPU (I don't play action games), easily hackable and with all the usual features (wifi, bluetooth, SD cards etc.). Having handled a few the quality does vary a bit but some feel as solid as any I have seen and use the same LCDs and chipsets as everyone else anyway, it is just that tablets are massively overpriced thanks to Apple launching at such a high figure. To be fair they probably had to at the time, not least to recoup development costs. Thanks to Android, maturing of the technology and companies that are willing to make much less profit there is no need to pay that much any more unless you specifically want an iPad.

--
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC

Re:Not bad by BasilBrush · 2011-03-02 14:34 · Score: 1

Android tablets like the Xoom reportedly even have higher end components than the ipad.

A quick scan looks like that's true. By tech spec the Xoom looks marginally higher specced. But then it also costs $100 more than the iPad 2. And people aren't going to decide on iPad vs Android Tablet on marginal tech specs. It's all about the software - built in and app-store.

This is the way the market is supposed to work. Multiple companies all competing to grab customers with the best widget. Therefore, forcing all competing in that widget space to compete based on the goodness of their widget. Thanks to Google, we now have that market place.

Apple do annual updates to their products regardless of competition. No other company ever came close to the iPod; there was never credible competition, and yet Apple continually reinvented it.

And even if you do believe that it's only to do with competition, there was plenty of competition in the smartphone market before Android.

Re:Not bad by BasilBrush · 2011-03-02 14:50 · Score: 1

android tablets have been in development for longer than the ipad.

That's wrong. Apple started developing the iPad before the iPhone. And Android was a reaction to the iPhone.

Thus the order of starting date of development was:
iPad, iPhone, Android phone, Android tablet.

The original iPad had the spec it did because Apple wanted to hit an attractive price point whilst not compromising on margins. Remember the pundits predicted a price of $999 for the iPad. It was launched at half that price.

Apple know they can improve their product each year whilst maintaining or reducing that price point.

Some Android manufacturers on the other hand, have thrown everything they can into their first tablet, because given the same spec/price, most people would choose a real iPad rather than a copy.

Re:Not bad by BasilBrush · 2011-03-02 14:52 · Score: 1

The "rumour mill" was saying a month ago that THIS iPad would have a retina display. So why believe them with their next prediction?

Re:Not bad by BasilBrush · 2011-03-02 14:58 · Score: 1

Coren22, how can someone own something without having bought it? It's not that difficult a puzzle.

Possibly, but hardware is not really better by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 15:05 · Score: 1

I'm actually pretty excited about the WebOS tablet and may well get one to develop for (it's the only non-IOS device I am even considering), but I'm not sure it has better hardware.

It's heavier, has a slightly smaller display, and has the same resolution (thankfully they got the aspect ratio correct for a tablet device to be useful).

The processor is a tiny bit faster in clock speed but I'm not sure it's dual core. I'm sure it will be plenty fast for the device.

The battery they say is 10 hours, but we shall see... in my experience not many other companies are as accurate with battery estimations as Apple has been.

The apps thing is a pretty big hurdle for all other tablets though, that does matter. But it's also why I;m thinking of developing some things for the HP tablet, because I really want to see WebOS stick around. Android and iOS will stay regardless of my involvement but a developer can really make a difference in the longevity of WebOS.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Re:Possibly, but hardware is not really better by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-02 16:59 · Score: 1

It has a 1.2 ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm. Its also 0.3 or so pounds heavier, which basically means you may have to use 1 percent more calories to sustain the effort to lift it near your face per hour. Its a good tablet, very promising. Its just late. I am waiting to see it myself before committing to purchasing a tablet.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Re:Possibly, but hardware is not really better by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 17:42 · Score: 1

Its also 0.3 or so pounds heavier, which basically means you may have to use 1 percent more calories to sustain the effort to lift it near your face per hour.
Right, but the statement in question was that it was "better". Heavier is not better, and overall I don't think a slightly faster single core chip is better than a slightly slower dual-core chip, especially when many IOS applications are threaded already and will be able to make use of the cores.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Re:Possibly, but hardware is not really better by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-03 00:54 · Score: 1

It is dual core, i.e. it has two 1.2 ghz processors. Its a Snapdragon, just like in some newer Android phones but clocked a bit faster than most. Heavier schmaevier, 0.3 pounds weighs about the same as a small sandwich. Its probably due to the wireless induction charging and battery design.

--
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".

Re:Not bad by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 15:06 · Score: 1

By "Apple Police" you mean "The actual police, investigating an actual crime".

Apple does not have a police force, nor does it tell the actual real police force what to do. The actual police force will arrest people it suspects of a crime - sort of easy to do (and positive for the "crimes solved" figures for the department) when the 'journalists' in question post evidence of their criminal activity on their website. All Apple did was report the phone stolen, which is was - someone left it in a bar (or had it lifted from him) and it was not returned. Even ignoring Apple entirely and the supposed attempts to return it, the law in CA says you cannot sell it on without registering it as lost property with the local sheriff's office and then waiting 30 days. They broke the law, made it obvious they had the thing (trying to ransom it, posted photos of it) and then they complain when the police show up? Please.

It's this sort of hyperbole and ludicrous Apple bashing that is making people laugh at slashdot.

The iPad 2 keynote today contained a few barely-contained tongue-in-cheek jabs at the Apple hating folks, and at the supposed "imminent" arrival of something to beat the iPad, and a few well placed jabs about the price of the nearest competitor (hint, it's more expensive than 5 of the 6 model options of iPad 2).

If you want people to take you seriously, you need to actually articulate your arguments with a little more finesse. This sort of trolling only makes you look foolish.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by demonlapin · 2011-03-02 15:08 · Score: 1

I've got that case. It's not always that stable. And if you hold it in your lap, looking down... well, try taking a few of those photos before you consider doing that for chat. There's a reason that a view from slightly above is strongly preferred when pictures are taken - it's more flattering.

Re:Not bad by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 15:14 · Score: 1

So swap it for the other card, just like you would in the Xoom. What's the problem here?

Or do you think it's like windows where every new memory stick is a new piece of hardware it needs to "install" before use?

It's clear you're just looking for ways to hate the iPad, but you don't have to invent nonsensical reasons.

Say that you think the new covers are too expensive, and should really be free with the device (which I think they should), or that the HDMI adapter is expensive at $39.

Anything but "you can't put two SD cards into one slot, zomg fail".

Re:Not bad by keysdisease · 2011-03-02 15:23 · Score: 1

Ok to be a 1st-gen adopter. I've had my fun & my mother in law will be tickled to get it when I upgrade.

Re:Not bad by Dr+Max · 2011-03-02 15:38 · Score: 1

Your saying they were working on that piece of crap for 5 years and they still hadn't figured out how to put a camera on it. I am impressed with the ipad2 but i disagree most people would chose an ipad over a competitor. A large growing group of people prefer the freedom and control you can get on a Linux or windows machines compared to the large selection of tightly controlled apps.

--
Rocket Surgeon.

Re:Not bad by BasilBrush · 2011-03-02 15:38 · Score: 1

Huh? OSX Apps tend to rely on OS version, not specific hardware. The only exception is when they changed CPU architecture 68000->PPC->X86. iPad has not changed CPU architecture.

Re:Not bad by Ken+V.B.+Liar · 2011-03-02 16:02 · Score: 1

I agree ++

--
"If sorry were enough, we wouldn't need seppuku"

Re:I doubt by BasilBrush · 2011-03-02 16:09 · Score: 1

Apple did make mp3 players "legitimate" in the public eye, but they sure as hell didn't make them easier to use.

That's a ridiculous statement. iPod made MP3 players far easier to use. Right from the very first iPod, the experience was delightful.

Give me a no-name sub-$50 player any day.

Oh my god. It's hard to believe you're serious.

the ability to just drag-and-drop my music onto the thing -- with no extra software required.

You mean you want the work of manually maintaining your music files, rather than having software to do it for you. How do you know quickly which music files you have on your computer that you don't have on your MP3 player?

Every single song I rip from CD or download ends up on my iPod without me doing anything more than connect my iPod to my computer. It doesn't get an easier than that.

Re:Why does StenchWarrior run like a coward then? by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 16:11 · Score: 1

Loser.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:StenchWarrior trolls and runs like a coward? by Stenchwarrior · 2011-03-02 16:18 · Score: 1

Next time you pretend to be someone else try to at least use different phrases than what's in your usual arsenal (ad hominem, Ping of death, the two guys from Nirsoft and MS) . Your limited mind is capable of only so little, I know, but I'm sure you can do a little better. Also, if (and that's a HUGE "if") the ac that posted was not you, they clearly did a lot of work to debunk what I was saying. In fact, all of the research that was done and typed out to prove me wrong took right at 30 minutes. Someone who just "happened" by the conversation would have had to do a lot of reading and searching to make sure they were making accurate statements, no? So the fact that it only took 30 minutes tells me it was clearly you trying to make it look like someone might possibly be on your side, which you know as well as I do (and everyone else on Slashdot) wouldn't happen. I, on the other hand, have had several people back me up in this thread, and I have no idea who they are and made no calls to friends or the like. You're completely alone in this conversation and probably alone in the world; there's no fucking way anyone could stand to be around such a pompous ass in real life.

So Pete, it looks as if once again, I win. Of course, you'll never admit it which is why everyone stops talking to you. Your ego sees it as a win because if you were to ever admit to yourself you are, in fact, even 1/4 the twat that I and everyone else knows you to be, you would kill yourself. So go ahead and keep trolling me and posting on every comment I make because you're a child with no life. I do appreciate the flattery of obsession, but I'm really not worth it (and you sure as fuck aren't)....move along.

--
Loading...

Re:Not bad by rockout · 2011-03-02 16:26 · Score: 1

It would be a funnier comment if it were true, but in fact, the iPad has pretty much performed as promised and hasn't been plagued by the "early-adopter" nightmares that sometimes come with buying the first-gen Apple products.

--
I've learned that they're worthless, so I don't read AC comments anymore.

33% Thinner? by Asdanf · 2011-03-02 16:30 · Score: 1

Does anyone else find "33% Thinner" a bit hard to parse? "Thinness" is not something I measure, "Thickness" is. "66% as thick" would be the clearer way to state that figure.

I don't know whether Apple opted for the more ambiguous phrasing just in order to use the word "thin" and not the word "thick", or because they're hoping to confuse people into thinking the iPad 2 is 33% the thickness of the iPad 1.

Re:StenchWarrior can't backup his troll bullshit? by Stenchwarrior · 2011-03-02 16:32 · Score: 1

You really do live in your own little world, don't you? Oh well, hope you enjoy your miserable, lonely life.

L

O

L

--
Loading...

Forced text message sound? by crossmr · 2011-03-02 16:39 · Score: 1

Is apple going to finally turn that off in iOS 4.3? There is no logic behind why it was added in 4.2, but when I set "text message tone - none" I expect there to be no tone. I don't expect there to still be a sound when I send and receive messages.

Re:Not bad by Daengbo · 2011-03-02 17:22 · Score: 1

Which is probably the case, though we'll never know, and makes him both pedantic and trollish for arguing minutiae instead of the OP's point..

--
Put identity in the browser.

Re:Not bad by Daengbo · 2011-03-02 17:23 · Score: 1

Once the iPad2 is out, your price is going to be a lot lower.

--
Put identity in the browser.

Re:Not bad by Daengbo · 2011-03-02 17:28 · Score: 1

I'll articulate that it's extremely rare for the police to break down doors over a lost phone, unless lawyers report it as stolen.

Wagstaffe [the San Mateo County DA] said that an outside counsel for Apple, along with Apple engineer Powell, called the District Attorney’s office on Wednesday or Thursday of last week to report a theft had occurred and they wanted it investigated. The District Attorney’s office then referred them to the Rapid Enforcement and Allied Computer Team, or REACT, a multi-jurisdictional, high-tech crime task force that operates under the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office.

--
Put identity in the browser.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by gumbi+west · 2011-03-02 17:30 · Score: 1

So... having to connect a cable to a USB device is a deal breaker for you?

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 17:34 · Score: 1

So... having to connect a cable to a USB device is a deal breaker for you?

Yes, for the reasons I clearly stated. And I will add one more for emphasis: proprietary docking connector. Just say no to proprietary connectors.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:Not bad by gumbi+west · 2011-03-02 17:36 · Score: 1

"Every product Apple came out with in at least the past 10 years was a copy of someone else's idea"

Just thinking to the last week, thunderbolt?

Re:Not bad by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 17:39 · Score: 1

Umm.. why can't you just plug in the other card and start viewing? Elaborate?

Because the iPad doesn't have a microsd slot, did you really not know that?

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Aha, misread "digital compass" as GPS by SuperKendall · 2011-03-02 17:40 · Score: 1

You're confusing a gyroscope with GPS

No, actually I had misread "digital compass" as including GPS support. I see what you mean. Very annoying.

The base models can kind of do location, but not well.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Big deal. by Journe · 2011-03-02 17:42 · Score: 1

It may be 33% thinner, but it's still fatter than Steve Jobs.

Re:Not bad by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 17:46 · Score: 1

So swap it for the other card, just like you would in the Xoom. What's the problem here?

Maybe the problem is that you can't because the iPad doesn't have a microsd slot or anything like that?

It's clear you're just looking for ways to hate the iPad

Not really, the iPad provides plenty of reasons to hate it without me having to look very deeply at all. Even though you are a full blooded iCultist, try to understand this: iPad is grossly deficient for me, you know why? Because it is locked down top to bottom with significant functionality that I absolutely require missing or provided in a form that is clumsy beyond belief. But don't just listen to me (and please don't reply unless you really want a much deeper examination of iPad deficiencies) check out the buzz. Looks like Apple did something deeply stupid by omitting basic functionality that people expect. That worked OK when there was no meaningful competition, this time it's just one big stupid cock up that is going to be very expensive for Apple shareholders.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 17:49 · Score: 1

Uh... we were just talking about that.... forget already?

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Not bad by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 17:53 · Score: 1

Why is it that talking to an iGroupie feels so much like talking to an autoanswering system?

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 17:59 · Score: 1

You're surprised that somebody would repeat themselves after you bring a conversation full circle? Blimey you're thick.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Not bad by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-02 18:25 · Score: 1

So let's get this straight, I tell you iPad doesn't work for me because it doesn't have a flash memory slot. And you tell me... wait, I'm not sure, what exactly? You tell me something not actually related to what I said. Well, tell me as often as you want, it won't make the iPad magically have that missing slot that is so important to me. And no, I do will not accept a dongle hanging off a proprietary connector. Does not work for me. Apple engineers ought to hang their collective heads in shame.

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-02 18:42 · Score: 1

So let's get this straight, I tell you iPad doesn't work for me because it doesn't have a flash memory slot. And you tell me... wait, I'm not sure, what exactly? You tell me something not actually related to what I said.

So why'd you use the word 'swap' then?

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Not bad by jo_ham · 2011-03-02 20:16 · Score: 1

The iPad 1 has had an adapter almost since it came out with a CF/SD slot and a standard USB port on it if you want to move pictures on and off.

Re:7 hour battery? Big deal by vought · 2011-03-02 20:17 · Score: 1

Really?

What overseas airline are you flying that's so janky there are no power outlets at the seats?

Even cheapo American Airlines installed seat power on it's 20+ year old domestic service MD-80s years ago.

Re:Not bad by tkdack · 2011-03-02 20:57 · Score: 1

So you still don't own a mobile phone or a laptop? How's that abacus going?

Re:I doubt by SimonTheSoundMan · 2011-03-02 23:27 · Score: 1

Okay. Prove your case. What made the iPod easier to use than the existing players at the time it was initially released?

Did you try to use any of the iRiver or Rio players at the time? They were clunky to use, had a one line LCD screen which made navigation hard, 32MB or 64MB of memory, and used a parallel port which took hours to fill that 64MB of memory with your 20 or so MP3s.

Apple came along in 2001, the first iPod's had 5GB and 10GB capacities, with a large LCD screen and Firewire that synced your songs quickly.

Competition never caught up with the hardware until the late 2000's when Sony made decent devices. Everyone else was trying to push MiniDisc.

Re:7 hour battery? Big deal by Ginger+Unicorn · 2011-03-02 23:48 · Score: 1

janky

you don't happen to play "magic the gathering" do you?

--
(1.21 gigawatts) / (88 miles per hour) = 30 757 874 newtons

Re:I doubt by narcc · 2011-03-03 00:02 · Score: 1

Apple wasn't the first with a hard disk nor the first with a multi-line display or with a USB interface. They were, quite frankly, late to the game on that front -- the earliest examples (which include all three features) appearing as early as 1998.

So I ask again, what made the iPod EASIER to use use than competing players?

We know it wasn't iTunes -- it didn't exist until two years after the iPod was released.

(Hint: You'll find that the answer is 'nothing' -- it was just really stellar marketing on Apples part. They owe a lot of their current success to that campaign.)

--
Required reading for internet skeptics

XOOM is more like iPad 3G by tepples · 2011-03-03 00:32 · Score: 1

The XOOM compares to the higher-end iPad models with 3G. In fact, it won't even let you switch on Wi-Fi until you've paid for a month of 3G.

Perhaps by ThatsNotPudding · 2011-03-03 00:37 · Score: 1

he should have been nicer - even to his lowly employees.
/Karma

Re:Even my Nook comes with a replaceable HD card s by Xenna · 2011-03-03 01:32 · Score: 1

It may come as a surprise to you, but most of us are amateur photographers. We have amateur cameras and not 6000 EUR monsters like yours. The overwhelming majority of these cameras have SD slots.

If have the camera connection kit and I think it sucks.
Manipulating larger sets of images is a disaster on the ipad, you have to click on each one individually to delete them for crying out loud!

And thanks to Apple's policies, no-one is allowed to write an app to make it easier. Only the built in app may delete images!

Comment removed by account_deleted · 2011-03-03 01:50 · Score: 1

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Not bad by z_gringo · 2011-03-03 01:56 · Score: 1

I agree. With everything that has been published in the day about this, I haven't heard anyone talking about the RAM. It sounds like the iPad2 will have the same 256k, which just isn't enough.

I haven't seen a single article that even mentions the RAM in the iPad2.

--
-- -- Warning. Do not stare directly at the sun.

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by MrLizard · 2011-03-03 02:19 · Score: 1

It's because our lives are so empty and all the pretty gadgets in the world won't fix that.

Bah. There's an app for that.

Re:Not bad by Daniel+Phillips · 2011-03-03 02:22 · Score: 1

So why'd you use the word 'swap' then?

What is so special about that word?

--
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?

Re:Not bad by BasilBrush · 2011-03-03 02:49 · Score: 1

Your saying they were working on that piece of crap for 5 years and they still hadn't figured out how to put a camera on it.

No, I'm saying exactly what I said, nothig more, nothing less. i.e. "The original iPad had the spec it did because Apple wanted to hit an attractive price point whilst not compromising on margins. Remember the pundits predicted a price of $999 for the iPad. It was launched at half that price."

The history is that Apple started working on a tablet with the Cocoa Touch UI first, decided they would do better with a phone first, and put the tablet on the back burner.

A large growing group of people prefer the freedom and control you can get on a Linux or windows machines compared to the large selection of tightly controlled apps.

On the desktop, Linux is by far the most open and free of the contenders, yet it has the smallest market share, and is growing only slowly. Most people buy Windows, not because it's open, but because it has the most apps available and is most compatible with what most other people have.

The recent Mac App Store has many restrictions beyond previous ways of getting apps on the Mac. DRM, limitations on what Developers are allowed to do, etc. And yet it's looking like it's being phenomenally successful. Why? Because it's it's easier and cheaper.

Outside of Slashdot, few people care about openness and freedom. Other concerns such as cost, ease of use and compatibility are their concerns.

The reason Android has done so well with phones is because there are so many cheap models. Not because they are more open.

Re:Leaving the Wisconsin state house now to buy th by elrous0 · 2011-03-03 02:50 · Score: 1

A Slashdot poster criticizing other Slashdot posters for criticizing Slashdot posters is...oh, fuck it, nevermind.

--
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.

HUH? by DarthVain · 2011-03-03 02:59 · Score: 1

Are you really going to plug in 5 speakers and a sub to your 10" tablet? You going to carry around 5.1 speakers? Is anyone going to actually use this feature?

Yes I know you could dock it into a stereo setup at home for entertaining, but really....

HD Video is nice, though a bit limited. As you could fit like two movies on your 32GB model. Which means you have to stream it all....

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by Raenex · 2011-03-03 03:06 · Score: 1

Turns out not hard at all. Foxconn = 400,000 employees, with 12 suicide attempts. US suicide rate is 11 per 100,000.

You should be more careful. The New York Times article you quoted was published in June. It remarked on the first suicide in January, and said since then there had been 12 other suicides or suicide attempts. So that's 13 total for half the year.

I'd also be really curious as to how many were deaths vs attempts. The US rate of 11 is for deaths, so more information is needed to compare the two rates.

Re:What? No commentary about the built in cover? by martinX · 2011-03-03 03:09 · Score: 1

When the boss is away...

--
When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."

Re:Leaving the Wisconsin state house now to buy th by elrous0 · 2011-03-03 03:18 · Score: 1

This is Wisconsin. We just got grunge last year.

--
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.

Re:I doubt by BasilBrush · 2011-03-03 03:25 · Score: 1

What made the iPod easier to use than the existing players at the time it was initially released?

The touch wheel, the easy to use and understand UI, and the beauty of syncing with iTunes. Read any comparative reviews of the time, virtually all rank iPod head and shoulders above everything else. And that never changed.

Have you used iTunes? It has a terrible reputation even among the Apple faithful.

Nonsense. I know many Mac users. And all of them use iTunes, and never once have I heard any of them complain. In fact I can't remember the last time I house party or a dinner party where the music wasn't played by iTunes on a Mac. You've been misled by slashdot posters complaining about iTunes on the PC. And most of those complaining are just anti-apple-everthing. Whilst there are bound to be some people who genuinely don't like iTunes, and will shout the loudest, lets not confuse them with the majority, and certainly not with "The Apple Faithful". iTunes is an essential part of the iPod experience, and the iPod is the worlds most loved MP3 player.

Manually maintaining my music is incredibly easy. Dare I say ... WAY easier than using the bloated crap that is iTunes?

You dare say it, but it isn't true. My question and your answer proved the point...

How do you know quickly which music files you have on your computer that you don't have on your MP3 player?

Why would I ever want to know this?

In other words, using the method you recommend, you can't do it. It's very obvious why you'd want to do it. You have empty space on the MP3 player, so you'd like to fill it with more music from your PC. But at a glance you can't tell which music from your PC choices is already on your MP3 player, and which isn't.

Your only answer is to get some other iTunes replacement app. And thus you kill your own argument of manual management via drag and drop being easier than auto-sync.

As if it wasn't already obvious that no work (auto-sync on iTunes) is easier than work (dragging and dropping files).

What's really cool about many inexpensive players is that there are many that have an SD or micro-SD card slot. (The last one I bought set me back all of $25) This is really cool -- my wife as a couple cards that she swaps in and out depending on what she wants to do -- she has a 'general' card, a 'work-out' card, a 'working around the house' card. Sure, she could use playlists -- but she prefers swapping cards.

When DOS first supported sub-directories, some people preferred just storing different categories of files on different floppy disks instead. The world has moved on - it seems you and your wife didn't.
Playlists is exactly for the thing you suggest. Swapping (and possibly losing) different media isn't a rational choice, it's an illiterate choice.

Re:I doubt by BasilBrush · 2011-03-03 03:41 · Score: 1

Apple wasn't the first with a hard disk nor the first with a multi-line display or with a USB interface. They were, quite frankly, late to the game on that front -- the earliest examples (which include all three features) appearing as early as 1998.

Did you get that from Wikipedia? It goes on to say it was released in late 1999. And looked like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HanGo_PJB100_Personal_Jukebox.jpg
And then there was this, that was actually more well known in 2000.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_NOMAD
On both, notice the clunky UI and buttons. You can't simply compare products by feature lists. Ease of use matters.

We know it wasn't iTunes -- it didn't exist until two years after the iPod was released.

Wrong. iTunes (the app you've been talking about) was released before the iPod. It was the iTunes Music Store that opened some time after the iPod.

You'll find that the answer is 'nothing' -- it was just really stellar marketing on Apples part.

I won't find any such thing. I bought a gen 2 iPod after having borrowed a friends gen 1 iPod for 2 days. I was blown away by it's utility and ease of use. It had nothing to do with marketing. In fact at that stage I hadn't seen any marketing. The TV ads and billboards came later.

Re:Not bad by Coren22 · 2011-03-03 04:16 · Score: 1

He said that the iPad 2 did not seem to be good enough to look at replacing his iPad 1, how is he indicating that he doesn't own an iPad 1? Later on he claims that, but the first post in this string clearly states that he owns an iPad1, so which post is false?

--
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?

Re:Not bad by n2art2 · 2011-03-03 04:21 · Score: 1

Some people have a hard time understanding Sarcasm. . . or they just like to add to it with their own. :)

--
Self proclaimed wannabe geek. You know how it is. Most of us who read this stuff probably fit in that category.

Re:Even my Nook comes with a replaceable HD card s by penguin_dance · 2011-03-03 04:30 · Score: 1

I thought CF cards were on the way out. I've got an older Kodak that uses the CF, but most everything else I see uses SDs.

I wasn't so much thinking of photo storage or transferring photos as much as I would rather have a removable/exchangable disk vs. having to upgrade to a larger internal drive and port over everything via USB.

--
If you've never been modded as "flamebait" or "troll," you've never tried to argue a minority viewpoint here!

Re:Not bad by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2011-03-03 04:35 · Score: 1

Heh. I think I've cracked the mystery of why iGroupies are so automated around you.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by gumbi+west · 2011-03-03 05:23 · Score: 1

I'm really confused. How, exactly, do you plan to plug USB devices into your XOOM, if you don't like cords?

There are ends and there are means... when apple can shim down sizes and weights, but has to change the means, all I care about is the end.

nice hardware by t2t10 · 2011-03-03 06:57 · Score: 1

The iPad 2 hardware is nice. Too bad it doesn't run Android or WebOS.

Re:The only thing that hasn't changed by stewbacca · 2011-03-03 07:38 · Score: 1

Even if they continued that trend, it would be 26 of 400,000, which is still lower than 11 per 100,000. Regardless, my point is the guy wasn't just making shit up when he said he ran the numbers, and it is easy to confirm that the numbers are indeed available.

Xoom, Xoom by SeakingFUKyea · 2011-03-03 08:41 · Score: 1

Motorola Xoom

Re:Not bad by BasilBrush · 2011-03-03 08:57 · Score: 1

He owns an iPad 1 but didn't buy an iPad 1. The answer to the puzzle is, someone else bought it for him. Maybe an employer, maybe a spouse or other family member. It's not that hard.

(The alternative solution in pure puzzling terms is that he stole it. But lets assume that's not the reality!)

Re:I doubt by narcc · 2011-03-03 09:46 · Score: 1

On both, notice the clunky UI and buttons. You can't simply compare products by feature lists. Ease of use matters.

How can you possibly evaluate the ease of use of a device by looking at a 10 year old jpeg? Oh, that's right -- you can't. What a load of nonsense.

There is nothing in the iPod that other players hadn't already done -- Apple did absolutely nothing to make it easier to use than the alternatives.

Even the much-loved click-wheel wasn't an Apple innovation. Several other products also had very similar controls-in-a-circle long before the iPod.

Easier to use? That's your claim -- prove it. Oh, that's right, you CAN'T because it's a load of nonsense.

Wrong. iTunes (the app you've been talking about) was released before the iPod. It was the iTunes Music Store that opened some time after the iPod.

Yes, obviously I mean the store.

I bought a gen 2 iPod after having borrowed a friends gen 1 iPod for 2 days. I was blown away by it's utility and ease of use.

It's a real shame you didn't see any of the much better alternatives that existed at the time -- you may not have survived being been blown away by their utility and ease of use.

--
Required reading for internet skeptics

Re:I doubt by BasilBrush · 2011-03-03 10:17 · Score: 1

If I want all of my music on the player, that list is useless to me when I can just: crtl-a, ctrl-c, alt-tab, ctrl-v "no to all"

Thank you so much for supplying the evidence to destroy you case. This is the number one use case for a large capacity MP3 player: I want all of the music on my PC on my MP3 player. The full list of steps to do that via your method on a PC is:

1) Plug in the MP3 player.
2) Open a Windows Explorer window.
3) Navigate to where the music files are kept. (Maybe multiple clicks to get to directory)
4) Open the MP3 player disk in Windows Explorer.
5) Ctrl-A
6) Ctrl-C
7) Alt-Tab
8) Ctrl-V
9) Click on "No to all".
Note that this sequence of steps still fails to do what you want if you've modified a music file, e.g. by changing the ID3 tags.

With iTunes and an iPod, the step is this:
1) Plug in the iPod.
Everything else just happens. Including doing the right thing with songs with modified ID3 tags.

This is absolute proof that your method is far more complex than iTunes. You provided your recommended method. I told you what is required with iTunes. QED.

The only one being stupid here is you.

Oh, and I don't need a music manager to get that useless list either -- Winmerge or one of many linux tools will also tell you instantly -- as will any good file manager like TotalCommander

Using a generic app is not an improvement over using a purpose made app. Again it will require more steps, and may not do exactly what you want.

You're living in a bubble.

It looks like Linux is the bubble, and you're the one living in it. Again, the iPod/iPhone/iTunes combo is the most popular system in the world. Copytrans? What the fuck? Are you serious?

See, for me -- and millions like me

There's not millions like you. There's a few thousand (at most) on Slashdot. There's far more than have bought cheap MP3 players because they are cheap. But they wouldn't actually try to argue it's better than an iPod.

And ... well, you've failed miserably in your efforts to prove that point.

You've only given your opinion. Nothing else. I've proved it. Despite your on-going efforts to save face.

Re:I doubt by BasilBrush · 2011-03-03 10:23 · Score: 1

OK, enough of the tit-for-tat. It's getting tiresome. Lets cut to the chase with your obvious lie:

Yes, obviously I mean the store.

No. This entire thread you've been talking about the iPod and the iTunes app. There has been nothing relating to buying songs at all. You got caught out, beyond question, in a claim that was wrong, and rather than admit to the gap in your knowledge you lie. Which is pathetic and childish. Grow a pair of balls.

Re:Not bad by Coren22 · 2011-03-03 10:44 · Score: 1

Maybe I am simply dense in this case, but does that really have any relevance to what the 2nd poster was saying as to who bought the first iPad...oh well.

I guess the 2nd poster could have put this instead:

You know what Steve Jobs thinks is neat? The fact that you own the first one, and are seriously contemplating already buying the second one.

But frankly, that has no material difference from his original post, does it truly matter who bought the original iPad? it is still money in Steve's pocket, and I am sure Steve wouldn't care either way in this case, but would think it was awesome that people who have the original are seriously considering buying the second one.

Anyways, MobileTatsu-NJG (946591), I apologize, I thought that you were trying to say that you did not own the original, and that had me very confused, definitely reading comprehension failure, and thank you BasilBrush (643681) for enlightening me on what it was he was trying to say.

--
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?

Re:Not bad by metamatic · 2011-03-03 10:45 · Score: 1

Still though, I hope the next time somebody claims the 'leaks' are coming from Apple's marketing dept remember the not-retina-display of the iPad 2.

Let's face it, the rumor-believers didn't learn from about two years of monthly "iPhone on Verizon" rumors...

--
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak

Re:Not bad by metamatic · 2011-03-03 10:48 · Score: 1

... makes him both pedantic and trollish for arguing minutiae instead of the OP's point..

Welcome to Slashdot!

--
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak

Re:Not bad by Daengbo · 2011-03-03 11:22 · Score: 1

Thirteen years ... and I'm still tilting at the same windmills. ;)

--
Put identity in the browser.

Re:I doubt by narcc · 2011-03-03 11:25 · Score: 1

You've only given your opinion. Nothing else. I've proved it. Despite your on-going efforts to save face.

Now THAT'S funny. I could *at my option* use any one of many music managers that are both smaller, faster, and more feature rich than iTunes. (Clearly, not an advantage to owning an iPod)

Complain all you want about how I choose to use my mp3 player -- but that doesn't make the iPod any better or iTunes suck any less.

Note that this sequence of steps still fails to do what you want if you've modified a music file, e.g. by changing the ID3 tags.

This shows how uninformed you are. If I modify the ID3 tags on a file, I just copy it over -- or hit "yes to all" Now, that's just for using something like Explorer -- a good file manager will handle that for me automatically.

Oh, your list of steps is ridiculous, I could do it with a single command in windows, linux, or macos -- I could even make a shortcut so that the whole thing happens in a single click -- AND handle the modified ID3 "problem" you listed earlier -- no need to open iTunes and wait for the giant bloated application to load.

I generally only copy new things to my player, so this has NEVER been an issue anyhow.

There's not millions like you. There's a few thousand (at most) on Slashdot.

Keep imagining that if it makes you feel better.

There's far more than have bought cheap MP3 players because they are cheap. But they wouldn't actually try to argue it's better than an iPod.

My experience tells a much different story. The iPod offers not advantage in terms of ease of use, function, or even style (in many cases). So ... what makes the iPod better than the competition? Nothing. Are there reasons to pass it over in favor of other players? Yes!

Why pretend that Apples player special in some way? Honestly, iTunes alone is a major reason to avoid the iPod. You can get everything it offers *and more* from other players.

It looks like Linux is the bubble, and you're the one living in it. Again, the iPod/iPhone/iTunes combo is the most popular system in the world.

I've mentioned several Windows applications -- and your ridiculous list of steps were for windows -- were you not paying attention to either me or you?

That said popularity is not an indication of quality. Internet Explorer is the most popular web browser in the world -- and it's far from the best. Would you argue that it's popular because it's "the best"? I'll bet you would.

Copytrans? What the fuck? Are you serious?

Well, it is better than iTunes. That's why people use it for managing their iPod.

So ... what is this magical advantage that the iPod has over other players? Seems like absolutely nothing to me. You know, as you can't seem to name even a single advantage.

--
Required reading for internet skeptics

Re:I doubt by BasilBrush · 2011-03-03 12:13 · Score: 1

Okay, if you insist it's a lie, it's a lie. Of course, in context it should obviously meant the store -- you know, that thing to supposedly made the iPod easy for non-technical users to get music that came out long after the iPod. But it's a lie because you say so. Whatever.

It's a while since I came across someone quite so full of bullshit as you. It's not a lie because I said so. It's a lie because you lied. There was never anything about the store, nor buying songs. Just the iPod and iTunes. It was not "in context" it was completely out of context and we both know it. You said "iTunes" as opposed to "The iTunes Music Store" or "iTMS" and you certainly meant iTunes. And we both know you were wrong.

It's not such a big deal that you got a detail wrong. But it is that you can't admit when you are wrong. And it means that *any* discussion with you is pointless. You're dishonest. You should be ashamed.

So... I'm still waiting for the supposed advantage that the iPod had over competing players at the time it was released. Why is this such a difficult question for you to answer?

And that's a lie on a lesser scale. Again we both know I have answered that one with several points. It's there in black and white for all to see. Again your losing tactic is just to refuse to admit you're beaten.

Re:Not bad by UnknowingFool · 2011-03-03 12:47 · Score: 1

I believe the price went down because AT&T subsequently subsidized the phone. Originally they did not. If you are not aware, many phones on carriers are subsidized. The primary reason is that the carrier can lock you into a contract and they make their money off of the contract. Or did you really think all those carriers gave away free phones out of altruism?

--
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.

Re:So how do I get iOS 4.3? by peragrin · 2011-03-03 12:48 · Score: 1

you have to rely on a third party that may or may not choose to support your phone for you.

what happens when no one at XDA wants to support your phone for you?

--
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.

Re:Not bad by mattack2 · 2011-03-03 14:48 · Score: 1

Where we stand now whether you have 200,000 or 100,000 apps really doesn't mean much.

That's funny, because one of the frequent rants of Windows users vs. other OSes is that they have more software.

I just ate two Pczkis for Jesus by hovelander · 2011-03-03 15:35 · Score: 1

Gah. Why have I spent so much time threading myself through a bunch of nerdy girls text fighting about toys? Just disappointing myself about myself to make it near halfway through this inanity.

By the way, add me to the list that wants more ram and better rez. I'll get a tablet when they are better in a couple of years past this gen. Definitely been waiting for tablets and touch to take hold, but I don't believe we are quite there yet. No matter what spin on it there is, I don't like having someone choose "No Flash for YOU". (Yes, I know of all the concerns and Adobe's dimwitted programming, but I'd rather choose for myself thank you.) I do credit Apple for jump starting a languishing segment that I have such faith in, but walled gardens, no matter how lush at any given time, still make my pee burn. (I look forward to those comments...)

I am quite a fan of Jonathan Ive's design team, though I can't afford more than sub 500$ laptops at the moment, (which is the real sweet spot deal right now no matter how shiny Ipads are).

Re:I doubt by BasilBrush · 2011-03-03 18:02 · Score: 1

Ummm... I didn't lie. It's true that I should have put "'s store" in that sentence -- it would have been much clearer -- but I didn't realize I was dealing with someone of your ... mental capacity.

You're a pathetic liar.

The closest you came was with your first answer:
"They were clunky to use, had a one line LCD screen which made navigation hard, 32MB or 64MB of memory, and used a parallel port which took hours to fill that 64MB of memory with your 20 or so MP3s."
Which, of course, was 100% wrong. Which you refused to admit.

That quote is not from me. I didn't write it. If I was wrong in something I actually wrote, I'd admit it. I'm not a pathetic liar like you.

marketing babble by t2t10 · 2011-03-03 22:04 · Score: 1

iOS was designed from the ground up for a mobile, battery dependent device.

iOS wasn't "designed from the ground up" for anything; iOS is a derivative of OS X, which is a derivative of NeXT, which is a derivative Mach, Stepstone, and GNU tools, and incorporates some ideas and designs from Smalltalk-80 libraries. iOS is a slight variant of a old workstation operating system.

Could be that the combination of battery tech, and OS thriftiness will get you 4 or 5 years before the battery needs to be replaced. At that point the cost of Apple's service is not really that bad

Except that a 4-5 year old Apple device will have serious limitations and incompatibilities compared to current versions of iOS. Realistically, Apple users need to upgrade every 1-2 years, just like everybody else, and then the higher price very much matters.

Re:marketing babble by crmarvin42 · 2011-03-04 06:44 · Score: 1

iOS wasn't "designed from the ground up" for anything; iOS is a derivative of OS X, which is a derivative of NeXT, which is a derivative Mach, Stepstone, and GNU tools, and incorporates some ideas and designs from Smalltalk-80 libraries. iOS is a slight variant of a old workstation operating system.
By that reasoning, no device is ever designed for it's specific task if any significant portion of code is reused. You are free to that opinion, but it is not one I share. Doing what Microsoft does, which is try and shoehorn desktop windows into a tablet with a minimum of new UI additions is very different from what Apple did. I've used both, I'm not basing this on "conventional wisdom" of the ignorant masses. It is my opinion that a close perusal of the underlying code with an eye for what can be removed, what should be removed, what should be rewritten, and what should be added is part and parcel of good design. Writing new code is fine, but eliminating the need for code is just as important.

Except that a 4-5 year old Apple device will have serious limitations and incompatibilities compared to current versions of iOS. Realistically, Apple users need to upgrade every 1-2 years, just like everybody else, and then the higher price very much matters.
You could very well be correct, but that very much remains to be seen. From their laptop line I have an old Powerbook G4 that was my wife's primary computer until the video card started acting up. That machine had been purchased 9 years earlier off of the then equivalent of their refurbished page (making it's initial release closer to 10 or 11 years earlier). Now my wife and I share my 1st gen Macbook Pro. I won't be running Lion based on the current reports, but I have no real need of the features in Lion for my home computer (desire for is a different issue). I don't expect to get a decade out of my 3GS, but who's to say how long a life span it will have.

Just because you and I have a deep seated desire to have the latest and greatest software/hardware doesn't mean the rest of the population does. There are about a dozen apple computers in active use by my immediate family, and the majority of them are more than 5 years old. My wife's cell phone is a 6 year old Motorola that works just fine for her. All hardware eventually becomes unsupported by the manufacturer. Apple's got a decent track record when you compare it with most of the Android licensees. Most Android phones are not officially supported (ie get software updates) by the manufacturer ever, never mind support for 2-3 years. That's not a fault of the OS, but inseparable from the cost/benefit analysis of the entire device.

Besides, discussion of the price of the phone are silly when you consider the TCO, a la 2 years of service charges. The price of the device ends up looking like a rounding error in many cases.

--
Bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.-Oscar Wilde
Re:marketing babble by t2t10 · 2011-03-15 10:33 · Score: 1

By that reasoning, no device is ever designed for it's specific task if any significant portion of code is reused.
Nonsense. We're not talking about code reuse, we're talking about "design". iOS wasn't "designed from the ground up" for mobile devices, it was retrofitted from a desktop OS. There are tons of other systems that have been "designed from the ground up" for mobile and embedded systems. That doesn't necessarily make them better, but it means that claiming that "iOS was designed from the ground up for a mobile, battery dependent device" is a marketing lie. Furthermore, iOS isn't any better in terms of battery life than other operating systems if you make the comparison. If some iOS devices have good battery life, it's for other reasons.

You could very well be correct, but that very much remains to be seen.
No, it's already happening: the old iPod Touch devices don't support many of the new features (and not even because of the hardware, but just because Apple doesn't want them to).

Most Android phones are not officially supported (ie get software updates) by the manufacturer ever, never mind support for 2-3 years. That's not a fault of the OS, but inseparable from the cost/benefit analysis of the entire device.
Yes, and the cost/benefit analysis is: for about 1/3 the price of an equivalent iOS device you get an Android device with fewer restrictions, and you have the option of either upgrading its software or buying a new device and still coming out ahead.

Besides, discussion of the price of the phone are silly when you consider the TCO, a la 2 years of service charges. The price of the device ends up looking like a rounding error in many cases.
That's because the service plans you get with iPhone are overpriced in order to subsidize the hardware, and because service in the US is generally ridiculously overpriced to begin with. Elsewhere in the world you get decent phone service and Internet access for $5-10/month and then the difference between Android and iPhone matters a great deal.

Re:Not bad by Dr+Max · 2011-03-04 04:07 · Score: 1

Oh yeah those little digital cameras are so expensive it would of blown the price out by hundreds of dollars.

If you think that the only reason android is going well is because of cheap phones then how do you explain the big sales of galaxy s, htc desire, and the inevitable success of the Motorola atrix and samsung galaxy s2.

If you want to keep your head in the sand saying apple does everything better fine, but don't tell the rest of us we are wrong when we tell you we like the control (being able to change your background, widgets, settings, proper multitasking) or freedom (being able to make and alter roms, install Linux, hack wifi, run some old computer game without buying it off itunes, ect). Sure a lot of people buy android cause its cheap just like a lot of apple users buy apple cause they are technically incompetent.

--
Rocket Surgeon.

Re:What? No commentary about the built in cover? by SoupIsGoodFood_42 · 2011-03-04 10:06 · Score: 1

Yeah, sure seems that way.

Re:Not bad by magsol · 2011-03-04 11:59 · Score: 1

No, that is exactly what I meant before when I said that the rumor mill changed its tune at least a month ago that this iPad wouldn't have the retina display; that rumor was weeded out very early on.

--
"I'd just like to emphasise that taking a million years isn't a metaphor here..." -Rich Bradshaw

Re:Same here. No retina == no buy. by Thalagyrt · 2011-03-04 17:22 · Score: 1

Knowing how blue the display on the iPad is, I'd prefer not to show photos on it even if it just had to be "pretty." Personal preference mostly though. A lot of my recent work has been straight up photojournalist, so color calibration doesn't matter as much there as it just ends up in a newspaper or website on someone's uncalibrated display anyway, but I wouldn't imagine I'd use an iPad for that type of work anyway as you can't tag, caption, and transmit photos nearly as quickly on a little tablet like that as you can in say Photo Mechanic.

--
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo!

Re:Not bad by AmiMoJo · 2011-03-04 22:14 · Score: 1

Or you could just wait until they iron the bugs out and the prices drop. Now might be a good time to get an iPad 1 as they will get a bit cheaper and so will accessories. Maybe you care about speed but for web browsing, email, ebooks, current gen games, video, audio, navigation etc. the current model is fine.

The iPhone 4 is a bit different because it has major design flaws, the primary one being the antenna. Well, actually the curved back of the iPad 1 is a major flaw too because you can't lay it flat on a desk and operate the touch screen without it rocking back and forth.

Er, anyway, about the iPhone 5, the really interesting thing will be the antenna again. Apple claim that there is no antenna problem with the iPhone 4, but I bet they fix it anyway.

--
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC

Slashdot Mirror

IPad 2 33% Thinner, 2x Faster, iOS 4.3

818 of 1,118 comments (clear)