The New iPad Discussion Thread

The "New iPad" discussion thread is here!

Discuss!

 

It looks so nice, too bad i don't have enough $

 

Would you consider it as a laptop replacement for a student?

 

My mom's going to get one, and she'll give her iPad 1 to my kids (her grandkids). The screen was the single biggest selling point for her.

Nope, because a student can't use it for serious work without a keyboard, and even once you add in a keyboard, it's significantly more expensive and still much less practical than, say, a Thinkpad Edge E420 ($550ish and really quite good).

 

Concur there. It's a chore typing on those screens. Though I've become quite proficient at it, I prefer and do better with an actual keyboard.

I'll get one of these later in the year. Probably late summer. I have too many gadgets and need to pare down my possessions and focus on what I can really use to boost my personal productivity. So far, the things I use most are a Tablet PC(HP 2760P) and iPod Touch/iPhone. iPad gets used in the morning for news or while watching TV at night and looking up actors, facts or schedules.

I really want to integrate a tablet into my everyday routine for more than a media consumption device. But I'm hard pressed to figure out how.

 

If you wanted to, a BT keyboard is like $30 from third party vendors.

Having said that, if your school requires ANY software, odds are, you probably can't do it on an iPad.

 

I was going to get one today but chickened out. I already have 3 tablets and the Kindle Fire gets the most use and that's not saying much. I much prefer using a 13 inch laptop over a tablet.

 

I enjoy using my iPad to consume information.

However, I tried very hard to get used to creating on it using a bluetooth keyboard and I have to say after about two months I couldn't take it anymore. I stopped trying to write on the iPad and moved back to my work laptop for content creation.

To give an idea of the work I did on it: I used Textastic to write code (mostly powershell scripts and small C# apps) which I uploaded to my workstation (using WebDAV shares). Then I would SSH into my workstation (iSSH -> PowerShell SSH Server from PowerShellInside) and compile the C# code while running the powershell scripts.

I also used Pages to create a lot of technical documents. It's nothing comparable to word though - keep in mind I haven't tried the new version that was released today. I can't count how many times I wanted to add something or do something in my document only to find out Pages didn't support the feature (Hello table of contents??).

Now it's reserved for reading - email, internet, technical documents in PDF format, Kindle books. On the rare occasion I don't have my laptop handy, I can still use it to do some minor work.

 

I'm upgrading as screen is the selling point. Will be a lot better for reading magazines on

 

I should add that I do plan on upgrading mine - but it is work owned and work will be buying it. Just not until we need another iPad.

 

think apple is pushing the screen limit on this one. The fact that they have to use double the light source and beef up the battery isn't very elegant by Steve's standard. o well. It is still one of the most aggressive spec i have ever seen from apple in their main stream product line.

 

Maybe an obvious question, but I wonder about the screen resolution.

With 2048 x 1536 pixels, does that mean that websites will look much smaller than the old iPad which is only 1024 x 768 pixels ?

 

have to see it in person, but it should zoom them automatically, or you can change it. I doubt its hard to use.

Everything like that looks the same size wise on the older low res iPhone screens, and the newer high res iPhone screens, so I'd assume they did the same thing for the iPad.

 

I just pre-ordered mine from Apple. Does anyone know another place you can pre-order? BH photo doesn't have it listed yet, and if possible I'd like to save the $40 tax by ordering from another state.

This killed ipad 2 value quick. refurb ipad 2s are now $349 @ apple outlet. I will be giving my iPad 2 to my mother in law (my wife already has one).

I also upgraded to the HD just for the screen. I read a lot of books and this will make it better. Also I just sold my Alienware M17, so I think I will get a bluetooth keyboard and try to use the HD for a little bit of productivity.

 

I was thinking to myself at first WOW 2048x1536 I can view a whole lot without scrolling, but then realize text will be so tiny it'd be unreadable without zooming anyway. I'd read somewhere that the browser will report 1024x768 resolution, so the extra pixels will just give you sharpness and not screen real estate. I'll take it, at least I won't have to zoom in a bit to make text sharper.

I just sold my 32GB wifi for $430. My plan too was to give it to my mother in law if it didn't fetch at least $400 to fund the new one. Oh well Considering the a new 16GB is now 399 (or less) - and I gotta believe anyone looking at used ipads on Craigslist heard about the "new ipad" announcement - I'd say value is holding quite well.

Got my order in. I'll miss having it around until next Friday.

 

I think that Apple severely hurt Android's chances with the new iPad. Prior to this, I was considering an Android tablet, probably the rumored 7" Google tablet due in Q2, but I think Apple did a nice job updating from the iPad2. The retina display is awesome and keeping the battery life consistent is what is why the iPad is superior to other Android tablets. Sure there isn't as much multitasking but I can do that with my computer.

As for purchasing, I'm not currently in the market for an iPad but it does look like a tempting purchase. While the iPad is nice, I would prefer a smaller 7" option. I'm due for a phone upgrade this year so I'm going to get the new iPhone before I get my first tablet/iPad.

 

I am actually a little disappointed with the new iPad (which I will just call the iPad 3 from now on instead of Apple's labeling of "new iPad"). To me, the upgrade from the iPad to the iPad 2 was huge. You gained CPU and graphical power in a much thinner and lighter device while also having front and rear facing camera options while adding smart cover support. All-in-all, the iPad 2 seemed like a huge upgrade over the original as it was a complete re-design.

To me, the iPad 3 is just like the iPad 2 but has a higher resolution display and 5MP camera on the back (of which I would never, ever use). They still have the same A5 SoC in there except they gave it two more graphical cores whereas the original A5 had a dual-core CPU and IGP (hence the A5X naming). I am disappointed Apple didn't step the CPU portion of the SoC up to 4 cores as well. Instead the iPad will still be in dual-core land until the next generation.

I have decided to opt out of the iPad 3. It is a nice tablet but the upgrades aren't really worth it for me since I already have an iPad 2. I think I will take the same upgrade route I did with my iPods in that I mainly upgraded once every 2 years (every other generation). It looks like Apple is going to continue supporting the iPad 2 rather heavily since they are still selling it so that shouldn't be an issue. The iPad 4 (or the "new iPad 2") should bring a much bigger update along the lines of a quad-core CPU, 4-8 core graphics, 128GB of storage, and possible an SDXC card slot (which would be nice to pair with that high resolution display for iPhoto editing without the use of an extra accessory).

All-in-all, I think that $700 should be able to buy me a new iPad with 128GB of storage along with all the extra bells and whistles. Until then, my iPad 2 will be just fine and I will pass on the iPad 3.

 

Not so fast !
Samsung Galaxy Tab 11.6 with a 2560 x 1600 pixel screen coming tomorrow? - GSMArena Blog

 

Excellent points made here. I also agree with your wish list of features for the next iteration which would certainly be worth getting. Adding an SDXC card slot seems to go against Apple's modus operandi. So I wouldn't expect it however welcome it would be. In fact, they would have to change iOS to have an actual file structure such that the SD card could be used in the rest of the world's devices. Though, perhaps just a file structure for access to the SD card.

 

Considering how little multitasking happens on an iPad, I'm not sure why there would be a need for a quad core processor on it anyways. Just my thought on the whole 2 core / 4 core.

I'd much rather have a 4 core processor in my MBA or MBP 13".

 

There are a few reasons I bring up a quad-core CPU:
1. The competition is already there. They may not be able to match the iPad 3 with graphical performance but they can with CPU.

2. Unlike the typical x86-64 structure, a quad-core ARM would be used for aspects other than multi-tasking. Look at the PS Vita as an example. It can somewhat multi-task but only one app/game can be open at a time and it features a quad-core setup. That allows programs to be loaded faster along with being more complex without bogging down performance. Remember the jump to dual-core with the iPad 2 from the original iPad? Multi-tasking didn't really do anything but apps load a whole lot faster on the iPad 2 than on the iPad. A quad-core SoC (for graphics and the CPU) in an iPad would allow apps to load even faster and have more desktop-like features thus bridging the gap between tablets and notebooks.

3. The A5X has been around for a year now in the form of the A5. To me, it just seems cheap that Apple added two more graphical cores to (essentially) the same setup and called it a day. Not much of a change other than the extra graphical cores, camera, and increased resolution.

4. Apple didn't really do anything to make current iPad 2 owners really want to upgrade. The added resolution and better camera are a nice touch but performance over the iPad 2 isn't going to be mind blowing whereas the iPad 2 was a complete re-design compared to the iPad 1 and also ran circles around it. Sure, graphics on the iPad 3 will look better but general performance (i.e. loading apps, surfing the web, etc.) will be about the same.

Apple may or may not do something like that. However, the introduction of iPhoto for iOS made me bring it back up. Before I didn't really care if it had an SD card slot but now Apple has added photo editing to the mix. Yes, there were 3rd party apps that did this as well but now Apple themselves are doing it. I don't really see the point of photo editing without obtaining photos from a source (i.e. a digital camera). Although the iPad's camera has improved, a basic point and shoot is still going to provide better image quality. Hence anyone doing any amount of photo editing with a digital camera will have to purchase Apple's accessory. It just seems like Apple is half-way there already. They have the software but now need the proper hardware to implement things.

 

I am selling my iPad2 64GB and looking foward to evaluating the 3rd Generation with the new uber nice display and 4G LTE. I am not normally an Apple guy, but this is the first Apple device that actually truly impressed me when it was presented last week in SF.

I pre-ordered mine about 30 minutes after the show via the SLOOOOW at the time Apple web site. The package left China within 24 hours and is already in the USA with delivery looking lke it may be on Monday or Tueday!

This is with custom engraving and everything... much faster delivery than in the past. I am not sure why anyone will be sleeping outside their local store this Thursday/Friday when they could have orered it online too (before the first wave sold-out).

Scott

 

Good article with a basic analysis of the new iPad. Sounds like the dual core isn't going to hold it back.

AnandTech - Analysis of the new Apple iPad

 

Minor detail, but why on earth is Apple calling this "the new iPad" instead of "the iPad 3"? Do they really want to confuse people, especially once the iPad 3 has bee non the market for six months?

 

They probably want to go the way of the iPod touch naming scheme and just put (X generation) in parentheses like they do with the iPod's now.

 

They would rather have people refer to them by model year or generation without it being part of the name.

It's a marketing thing. It makes a stronger brand product. Most people will care more about iPad 1 vs iPad 2 than they will iPad 7 vs iPad 8. It's just in our nature. We don't think there is much of a difference between the iPad 7 and 8 by the name, especially compared to the difference between 1 and 2.

Even 2 to 3 is less of a numeric mind jump for us than 1 to 2.

By referring to them by model year, the nature of the language focuses on how out of date whatever model you already bought is whenever you refer to it.

It's definitely where they want to be naming wise. They'll call it the iPad, and we'll call it either by generation name or year.

 

Sort of like the MacBook line? I always wondered why they were labeled with the year.

 

Even the box for the iPad 2 just said "iPad" on it without any clear text indication that there was an iPad 2 inside and not an iPad 1. I think they just want to keep calling each new model "iPad" and have everyone else fill in the gaps. Either way, I am still going to call it the iPad 3.

 

That makes sense. I'm used to thinking in generation names from cars. I tell people (at least people who know cars) that I replaced a MkIV Jetta 1.8T with an 8th gen Civic Si; I don't generally say that I replaced a 2004 Jetta with a 2011 Civic.

 

Sold mine and the gfs iPad 2 64gb on ebay, and picking up our "New iPad 64gb WiFis on Friday. Had my 4s on day one and now the new iPad on day one, I love Apple launch days!