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What's Not To Like About New iPad?

Hugh Pickens writes "With 3 million sold over the last week what's not to like about the new iPad? Michelle Maltais at the LA Times does a good job of putting together a compendium of gripes about the new device, justified or otherwise. Most people thought that Siri on the new iPad was a gimme; instead it has a scaled back version — dictation. 'If you want Siri, buy an iPhone. Plain and simple.' The new iPad is a little heavier than the iPad 2, thanks to the better graphics processor and more powerful battery. At one-tenth of a pound heavier that really doesn't sound like much, but it can start to matter if you hold your iPad in one hand for long periods or have any kind of repetitive stress injury. Apps designed for Retina display can be up to five times bigger and it's not just a problem for owners of the new iPad. Legacy owners of the original and iPad 2 who have these apps get to feel the pain too, since updates aren't device specific." The list continues, below. "The hot-selling device can reach up to 116 degrees during intensive use, according to a test by the Consumer Reports. PCWorld tested 43 tablets and found that the third-gen iPad takes the longest — almost six hours — to fully recharge its battery. You'll love the blistering speed of the 4G iPad, you won't love blowing through your monthly data allotment in just 24 hours if you use streaming video. A number of customers have been complaining on the Apple Support page about a weaker Wi-Fi connection that in some cases will hold a connection for only a few minutes. And last, whatever you do, don't drop the new iPad. From waist height, the damage to the third-gen iPad is fairly extensive. 'Only a small portion of the screen survived.'"

12 of 617 comments (clear)

  1. News... by jhoegl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We make drama where there is none.
    Everything is amazing

    1. Re:News... by Hadlock · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I have to agree with this.
       
      They may have paid too much for their "how to bring more traffic to your blog by creating more drama when there is none" seminar paid by Cory "World's Most Annoying Self-Promotionist" Doctorow
       
      The number of crap, negative and leading headlines, along with "the answer is no" question headlines has really spiked since Malda left slashdot. Some PHB decided that they can further monetize Slashdot as a mainstream blog by destroying what little culture Slashdot has and alienating their core long time userbase. Good luck with that, assholes. I've already started looking for a replacement to Slashdot.

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
  2. Coming Soon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Of course, the next yet-to-be announced version of Android, running on the next yet-to-be announced tablet, will solve all of these problems.

    Isn't that how it works?

    1. Re:Coming Soon by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A bigger screen? It's only 1280x800, so what's the point?

  3. "1/10 of a pound" by DogDude · · Score: 5, Interesting

    At one-tenth of a pound heavier that really doesn't sound like much, but it can start to matter if you hold your iPad in one hand for long periods or have any kind of repetitive stress injury.

    I'm shocked at how physically inept modern people are becoming. The gnashing of teeth over ounces when it comes to gadgets is truly shocking to me. How does one become so incapacitated that an ounce or two is really worth mentioning?

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:"1/10 of a pound" by tmosley · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't worry, they made it get hotter and hotter so you CAN'T hold it long enough to get a stress injury.

      This also stops you from using up the battery and all your bandwidth!

      Every bug is a feature!

  4. Best Part is.. by rykin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The best part about the new iPad is that the previous versions have gotten cheaper. So if you really want a iPad 2, you can pickup a refurb from Apple for as low as $350 (or $400 new) which makes it more competitive with some of the Android tablets out there.

    Note: I am not a tablet user.

  5. Re:Fragmentation by zAPPzAPP · · Score: 5, Funny

    I know there is a windows tool to get rid of it.

  6. of any of these, only the battery thing means much by YesIAmAScript · · Score: 5, Informative

    I have one, the charge times are quite slow. To be honest, too slow. Don't get me wrong, you can live with it, but it does also matter in some situations. And on top of that if you decide to just use your buddies' iPhone charger instead of the included one, you could charge it all through the work day and only pick up 25% charge or something. With the iPad 2, the iPhone charger was an acceptable back-up plan to the stock charger in a pinch. Unless your battery was almost completely dead the iPad 2 would charge completely off an iPhone charger overnight.

    The weight isn't really any different, the reason it's so uncomfortable to hold for long periods is the same as any other iPad, there's simply no good way to hold it without blocking or touching the screen.

    The drop situation is the same for all iPads, even if you drop tested an older one and got different results, you just got lucky on the old one. The screen is a huge expanse of glass on any iPad, you have to be careful.

    WiFi has been the same on the iPad 3 as the 2. I even used mine side by side with a 2 for a bit and the results were the same.

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    http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
  7. As if Apple products alone have "problems" by Cheech+Wizard · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It is so rare that I buy any device (or even furniture, for that matter) which is perfect that I'm surprised when I buy something, anything, which I have absolutely no "Had they...", or "They should have..." comments. I read the article before it was posted here. It's just another bit of "journalism" to fill some space. As I look around my home, there are few things I can not come up with some complaint about, no matter how small. I bought an iPad 2 but read about the "next" iPad a day later and the prediction of a better display. So - I called Apple and cancelled the order. It was too late. BUT - They paid for return shipping and refunded my money. When this iPad came out I pre-ordered. So many of my friends with an iPad liked them so much I was pretty convinced I'd like it and I do. The stuff in the article is what it is. You can't please everyone all of the time. Me? No problems. WiFi - Works fine. Charges up fine. It does everything I *expect* it to do, and does it well. It may not be *perfect*, but there are few things in my life which I have bought that were *perfect*, and being in my 60's that's saying something.

  8. Re:Fragmentation by Ommadawn · · Score: 5, Informative

    For me the fragmentation comes down to whether it has a camera or not. As an owner of a original iPad, I was more and more disappointed at apps that didn't include me: many photography apps, and some games just wouldn't work. GTA3 wouldn't work without crashing before I even finished the first mission.

    This will only get worse as people who are developing apps aim their performance goals at the newer devices. It's similar to when you try to put a new windows on your old machine - sure, it "works" but it is slower because you're still running on old hardware.

    --
    Restrictions are prohibited. Be well, get better.
  9. Re:Fragmentation by bluescrn · · Score: 5, Informative

    Doesn't deserve the downvotes.

    Android is a nightmare for (game) developers. So many wildly varying specs, some missing major features (no FPU, no multi-touch!)

    iOS has been a lot nicer, with only 3 screen resolutions to support, and all devices with FPUs, multi-touch, and PowerVR GPUs. But the new iPad is a big change, with it's huge resolution, making universal apps less practical.