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With 128GB, iPad Hits Surface Pro, Ultrabook Territory

Posted by timothy on from the paradox-of-choice dept.

noh8rz10 writes "Holy moly! iPad gets a heavyweight sibling, clicking in at 128GB. This places it in range of storage for Surface Pro and ultrabooks. It's clearly targeted at the professional market, as the press release cites X-rays and CAD files as reasons. Should Microsoft be afraid? Methinks so. Best part, pricing is growing by log 2. Just as the 32GB version is $100 more than the 16, and the 64 is $100 more than the 32, this new version is $100 more than the 64!" Update: 01/29 16:00 GMT by T : Here's Apple's announcement itself.

15 of 501 comments (clear)

  1. Uh yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because the amount of storage is the only things that's different between an ipad and an ultrabook...

    1. Re:Uh yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I own a ultrabook. It is my main workstation. I have nginx, php, ruby, java, sqlite, mysql, some IDEs and all the unix toolkit at my disposition.

      Do that with you iPad. Oh wait, you can't.

      So get over yourself.

    2. Re:Uh yeah by sl4shd0rk · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Because the amount of storage is the only things that's different between an ipad and an ultrabook...

      Oh, actually there are quite a few differences:

      1) You don't need a special repository to install software on your Ultrabook.

      2) Most Ultrabooks will let you install another OS

      3) You have a better chance of upgrading/replacing the components in your Ultrabook.

      4) Ultrabooks have standard connectors for peripherals

      5) I've yet to hear sneering from an Ultrabook owner directed at someone who doesn't have one

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    3. Re:Uh yeah by dinfinity · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Woosh.

    4. Re:Uh yeah by NatasRevol · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Oh no, Apple will sell (10M-1).

      In other words, your edge case isn't relevant.

      So get over yourself.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    5. Re:Uh yeah by BlackSnake112 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      How many people are taking an extra screen with them for when they use their laptop? How many people break out that bluetooth keyboard when they need to type on their tablet?

      Those things do exist but I would say that over 95% (I know percentages *sigh*) of people who use tablets do not have a separate keyboard. My own observation from where I work: 67 Ipads, 123 iphones, 35 android based phones, and 1 bluetooth keyboard. The bluetooth keyboard is used with an android phone.

  2. But I can do stuff with an Ultrabook by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Besides content consumption, that is...

    1. Re:But I can do stuff with an Ultrabook by Old97 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I don't know why some idiot scored you as "informative". There is more to content creation than programming. Development may not be possible on a tablet, but you certainly can create a lot of other content. Diagrams, documents, artwork, video, music, etc. Want a physical keyboard? Well just like a Surface Pro you can select from a variety of keyboards. Mine is part of the cover, real keys, lasts 40 hours of use and recharges with microUSB. Personally, I'd prefer an ultrabook because I do development and I'm a geek, but for most people tablets like the iPad fit their needs very well.

      --
      Very often, people confuse simple with simplistic. The nuance is lost on most. - Clement Mok
  3. redundant by Nossie · · Score: 3, Insightful

    why the hell is this on slashdot? Seriously - I love apple products but this is ridiculous.

    A:) It was inevitable that Apple would bring out a 128GB product
    B:) I fully believe Ipads are eating into ultrabooks, surfaces and general notebook sales - but capacity is not why! Convenience is why.

    Ultrabooks and notebooks still have their uses and are NOT comparable to Ipads. The only thing people have been questioning is if their usage really requires the limitations (size) of ultrabooks.

    The surface and Surface Pro will likely fail on their own merits, just like the XP tablets from before.

    Redundant article is redundant.

  4. ridiculous! by slashmydots · · Score: 3, Insightful

    With 128GB, iPad Hits Surface Pro, Ultrabook Territory

    You get 100% of the software from the Apple App store, it doesn't take MicroSD, and doesn't have a USB port. Keep fucking dreaming but that's not an ultrabook.

  5. The pricing is still a bit ridiculous by Bagels · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Logarithmic pricing or not, if you're paying a $300 premium for this version of the iPad (vs. the 16GB version), that's a seriously lousy price on flash storage; typical SSD prices these days are on the order of $180 for a 250GB SSD (and I've seen sale prices as low as $140-150). Apple's doing this with a lot of other products these days, too: the RAM on their laptops isn't user-serviceable any more, so you have to buy it built-in at hugely inflated prices.

    --
    --- Bwah?
    1. Re:The pricing is still a bit ridiculous by timeOday · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Yes - the 128GB version is $100 more than the 64 GB version - a difference of 64 GB - but a 64 GB SD card is less than $50.

      The lack of a MicroSD slot on the Apple products is a complete racket.

  6. Only stupid people think so by TheSkepticalOptimist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The whole point of Surface Pro is to actually develop apps on it, its a hybrid device that is a little tablet and a little laptop. Only stupid people think that iPad with 128gb of storage is intended to compete with Surface Pro, or Ultrabooks for that matter.

    Until Apple allows the iPad to support content creation (true content creation, not the limited "hold your hands" approach to content creation that it currently has), then I don't think anybody should confuse iPad in the same market as Ultrabooks, or the jack of all trades Surface Pro.

    --
    I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
  7. Meh! Apple Bapple. by DarthVain · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So a 1000$ iPad with 128GB storage. So overpriced with limited storage for a Ultrabook...

    A more apt comparison might be that I just bought a Samsung Galaxy S 3 for 50$ (plus 3yr contract of course), and spent 60$ to put an additional 64GB microSD card in it. I got the cheap 16GB version so I *only* have 80GB of storage. However this has been available for about 7 months now, not currently not released.

    I would guess this trend will only continue to get bigger/better. I broke the chains to Apple a week ago, and that is one of the reasons why.

    Another reason why? Well an ultrabook usually runs a real processor, not a mobile one (well a mobile version of a real processor). By that I mean something made by Intel or AMD, not Motorola, VIA, designed by ARM, or called A#, or Snapdragon, etc...

    It is a stupid comparion. Its just a mobile device with more "apple" memory than they have allowed in the past. Considering two 64GB microSD chips cost a grand total of 120$ retail, one can see how Apple makes its money with such high margins.

  8. Oh? by EnsilZah · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So the iPad can run x86 code now?
    No?
    Does it have a pressure sensitive stylus now?
    No?
    So all this story is about is extending capacity that I can achieve with a $40 USB dongle on the aforementioned devices?