New iPad thoughts

[Kev]

I thought I'd leave it a little while before I owned up to jumping into the latest iPad ...

My Impressions:

Performance is OK. I did expect more "snappiness" with the quad core processor, but I think it must have it's work cut our for it driving all those extra pixels.

The screen doesn't have the ultimate brightness of the previous iPads (I'm looking at all 3 side by side), but the images are amazingly crisp.

Can't speak on 4G performance as the local carrier is running a hybrid network, so I'm still only getting 3G performance. Network performance over Wifi seems similar to iPad2 (no detailed stats).

Cameras are better than iPad2, but not up to the quality of the latest iPhone's (why not?).

The big change for me is the little microphone button that pops up on the keyboard ... the quality of the speech recognition is absolutely brilliant. Realistically this isn't much to do with the latest iPad hardware at all - but it is an impressive feature.

Should you rush out and buy one?

Ummm - no. If you have an iPad2 or if you're even happy with your original iPad - put your money towards another Festool first.

The babble ...

Apple are making good products still, but they're no longer making great products. Apple have the resources to blow our minds - but instead they've brought out the new models with a couple of extras and revised tail lights. Shame on you Apple.

As effectively the worlds biggest company, we're seeing history repeat itself, again, again, again ... Just do enough to get all the sheep to line up and buy (yep - I'm one of those sheep, but today I'm not that proud of the fact).

I score the new iPad 3 out of 5 chocolate dominoes.

Kev.

 

[PeterK]

Thanks for that Kev.
I have the iPad 2 and like it a lot but the camera is way too grainy for me. Have not seen the New iPad yet so really appreciate your comments. Was thinking the new version would be far better as a portable display and photo capture tool with the improved screen and camera. Being a tool/toy geek, I am tempted easily.    And the new Domino XL is calling to me in my sleep although I have absolutely no need for it!!!

 

[Alan m]

il be getting the new one. dont have either of the other 2.
3 out of 5 compared to the i pad 2 or just in general

 

[fdengel]

I'd rather have a Festool Domino than a chocolate one.

;D

 

[Kev]

Thanks for that Kev.
I have the iPad 2 and like it a lot but the camera is way too grainy for me. Have not seen the New iPad yet so really appreciate your comments. Was thinking the new version would be far better as a portable display and photo capture tool with the improved screen and camera. Being a tool/toy geek, I am tempted easily.    And the new Domino XL is calling to me in my sleep although I have absolutely no need for it!!!

Ahh Peter ... Both of the Domino joiners are sitting in systainers behind me right now ... along with three systainers of domino assortments. I'm the worlds worst when it comes to splurging.

The new iPad is a much better tool for photo and video than the previous. But, to my point, they could have made it insanely good. Like me, you'll probably buy it - then in another twelve months there will be another iPad with more grunt, more speed and better camera ... and we'll buy that too. It just gives me the Toms when it so obvious they could have stuck an even better camera in there ... but maybe that would make the leap in the next 12 months less desirable. How much cost difference is there really between 16, 32, and 64 GB of storage ... stuff all in reality ... but look at the price differences. Get real and just offer one model that's 128GB Wifi and 4G and stop screwing us over!!!

Stop the insane greed Apple - do some good for people instead.

Look a little deeper under the machine (I'm bordering on political here - but just a little latitude please) listed companies have to grow and increase shareholder value - that's only reason why they exist. Success is a double edges sword! Now look at the quality of Festool ... See?

 

[Kev]

il be getting the new one. dont have either of the other 2.
3 out of 5 compared to the i pad 2 or just in general

The new iPad is a significant improvement over the iPad2 - in your case, don't hesitate ...

Kev.

 

[Alan m]

il be getting the new one. dont have either of the other 2.
3 out of 5 compared to the i pad 2 or just in general

The new iPad is a significant improvement over the iPad2 - in your case, don't hesitate ...

Kev.

il wait 2-3 more weeks so that any little issues are resolved

 

[Kev]

il be getting the new one. dont have either of the other 2.
3 out of 5 compared to the i pad 2 or just in general

The new iPad is a significant improvement over the iPad2 - in your case, don't hesitate ...

Kev.

il wait 2-3 more weeks so that any little issues are resolved

"Small issues" take about 3 months to cycle through the Apple machine if they have a hardware aspect (but you very rarely hear of these as they're cloaked by software tweaks that "soften" the issue rather than fix the hardware.

Current issues are (1) getting warm when using intensely (think high res gaming) and (2) a lack of ultimate brightness.

Seriously? Spend a little more and buy it with AppleCare - you'll be fine.

 

[fritter63]

We have three iPad gen 1's in the house. One for the wife and each kid. I've yet to see a compelling reason to upgrade to the newer models, as the originals do everything they were intended for (email, web surfing, eBooks, and homework).

Nobody is complaining about any functionality or speed.

The motivation will probably come in the form iOS 6, which will be incompatible with older models, and force and upgrade just the other apps can be kept up to date. THAT is the Apple eco-system, as it were.

 

[RC]

On a technical note the much advertised 'quad-core processor' is actually exactly the same dual-core processor that is in the iPad 2 and it has a beefier quad-core graphics processor to drive the pixels of the high resolution screen at identical speed to the iPad 2.

So from a raw computing speed the new iPad and iPad 2 are identical - the extra grunt in graphics is largely lost to the massive resolution increase.

 

[fritter63]

The motivation will probably come in the form iOS 6, which will be incompatible with older models, and force and upgrade just the other apps can be kept up to date. THAT is the Apple eco-system, as it were.

Just wanted to add that I am speculating here and should probably just say "iOS (some future version)". I have no specific knowledge about iOS 6

 

[greenMonster]

I think your phrasing is a bit confusing. (not disagreeing with what you said...just trying to be clear)
The much touted "quad core processor" refers to the GPU, not the CPU and is what I believe intentionally misleading.

On a technical note the much advertised 'quad-core processor' is actually exactly the same dual-core processor that is in the iPad 2 and it has a beefier quad-core graphics processor to drive the pixels of the high resolution screen at identical speed to the iPad 2.

So from a raw computing speed the new iPad and iPad 2 are identical - the extra grunt in graphics is largely lost to the massive resolution increase.

 

[AlexThePalex]

How much cost difference is there really between 16, 32, and 64 GB of storage ... stuff all in reality ... but look at the price differences. Get real and just offer one model that's 128GB Wifi and 4G and stop screwing us over!!!

Stop the insane greed Apple - do some good for people instead.

Look a little deeper under the machine (I'm bordering on political here - but just a little latitude please) listed companies have to grow and increase shareholder value - that's only reason why they exist. Success is a double edges sword! Now look at the quality of Festool ... See?

But why are you complaining? You admit you're one of the sheep. How do you think they got 100 billion in the bank? It was put there by guys like you.  [huh]

If you know you're so blatantly ripped off, then the only sensible thing to do is to not buy their products. That's what I do. I never bought me one single Apple product, because I already knew this was their business model long before they put their first iPod on the market. And besides their appalling business model, their simplistic products for an outrageous price never appealed to me either.

[attachthumb=1]

[attachthumb=2]

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Actually, the iPad 3 is their final model.  The replacement will be call the iBall.  This is a picture of the black model 1ZB of memory with an empathic add-on.  I found this in a bar in Providence last weekend.  [wink]

[attachimg=#]

 

[fritter63]

Some things never change. And old joke from the 80's (dated by the OS versions that it tags) [paraphrased]

- VMS is like the soviet railway system: It looks impressive, but on close inspection it's very shoddy

- Mac OS is like the monorail at Disneyland: The kids love it, but it doesn't really go anywhere

- UNIX is like the ferry boat system in a 3rd world country: Every month is capsizes, killing hundreds, and still people line up to get on board.

 

[MavDog]

How much cost difference is there really between 16, 32, and 64 GB of storage ... stuff all in reality ... but look at the price differences. Get real and just offer one model that's 128GB Wifi and 4G and stop screwing us over!!!

Stop the insane greed Apple - do some good for people instead.

Look a little deeper under the machine (I'm bordering on political here - but just a little latitude please) listed companies have to grow and increase shareholder value - that's only reason why they exist. Success is a double edges sword! Now look at the quality of Festool ... See?

But why are you complaining? You admit you're one of the sheep. How do you think they got 100 billion in the bank? It was put there by guys like you.  [huh]

If you know you're so blatantly ripped off, then the only sensible thing to do is to not buy their products. That's what I do. I never bought me one single Apple product, because I already knew this was their business model long before they put their first iPod on the market. And besides their appalling business model, their simplistic products for an outrageous price never appealed to me either.

So you consider the iPhone and iPad a simplistic product?  I would consider them great engineering.  The technology they keep coming out with is cutting edge and the small packaging is always impressive.  I just bought my first iPad last week and I have been extremely impressed with the device and the apps.  While the cost of their products may be more than other brands I feel their products are much better and the price is appropriate .  This is the same feeling I have in regards to Festool products being more expensive than other brands.

 

[RC]

Apple PC products are built usually of the top of the line components at release time and frequently from parts that aren't available to anyone else for 3-6 months after the iMac/MacBook/MacPro launch. Usually Apple's pricing is actually quite competitive on the release date of a new product (barring hideous rip-offs on extras like memory, CPU upgrades & hard drives). Where you get into the discussion of value for money is if you compare the current sunset model to equivalent general PC components since their price actually gradually falls from release to sunset whereas Apple does not change their products price at all during its life cycle i.e. that $3000 MacPro will cost $3000 both at launch and at sunset.

What comes to mobile technology, Apple has always been actually badly behind the technology curve (barring now reasonably early 4G/LTE adoption in the US (does not work in EU since our LTE operates on different frequencies)) but where they offset the technological lag they shine in taking the proven technology and making it honestly usable with clever and basic enough software. Their build quality has been improving, but I read somewhere that for example an iPhone 3G has 21 screws in it to keep the internal together - Nokia N8 has 1 yes, one.

Apples cameras have always been substandard to Nokia ones, but their camera app works simply, is accessible and now with the 4S + iOS 5.1 very quick as well and what most: it super easy to integrate into apps and therefore it is the worlds most used camera today.

Apple has been steadily purchasing interesting technology companies to enable them to build different equipment from all the other manufacturers and this is becoming more and more evident as time passes by - they bought their own ARM chip company hence they have super low power proprietary CPU & GPUs for their mobile devices, they bought exclusive rights of Liquid Metal that is rumoured to be employed in future devices, etc. they do things quite differently from most other companies and that is visible in their products.

It will be interesting times to see how much this will change with Steve Jobs away. 

 

[AlexThePalex]

So you consider the iPhone and iPad a simplistic product? 

Yes I do. I'm not saying this on an absolute level, but a relative level. We're always comparing, comparing, comparing. Compared to what other companies can do with the same technological level, Apple delivers less.

Flash, anyone? Oh wait, Apple couldn't bother to make it work. And then tell you it's Flash's fault. Tsk, tsk.

I would consider them great engineering.  The technology they keep coming out with is cutting edge and the small packaging is always impressive. 

I would also consider them great engineering. But many more products deserve that distinction. Hey, this is 2012 now, and it's not like we're still cutting wooden buckets for 8 hours a day. That so called "High Tech" is what we do today. In that regard, there are many more things they could give you right now. Because the technology exists. Apple's Ipad's are not as cutting edge as you'd think. You'd be surprised if you found out what the engineers have laying around in their labs. Ready to go into production at a moments notice. But they don't give it to you .... yet. Maybe when they get to the iPad 10. After they've suckered you into buying a trivial upgrade every year for $600.  

I just bought my first iPad last week and I have been extremely impressed with the device and the apps. 

I'm glad you like your new toy. And that you're impressed with it. Nothing wrong with that. But I guess that's a difference between you and me, I am not really impressed with consumer technology as a whole. I mean, I appreciate how they make life more comfortable, efficient and entertaining, but I realised a long time ago (2 decades) that it's easily possible to deliver so much more than they do right now. But that the release of such technology is throttled by marketing departments that want to suck you dry for every penny you have.

While the cost of their products may be more than other brands I feel their products are much better and the price is appropriate .

Well, you know what they say about feelings ..... better to trust your rationality. For what Apple delivers, I am of the opinion that their prices are outrageous. If people like a product, for whatever reason, fine by me. But please, stay objective and rational. At least Kev realises he's being ripped off.....

 

[nclemmons]

I purchased the new iPad.  I had the iPad 2 previously.

I get 4G performance on Verizon in the US and typically see 7mb plus downstream and 1-3mb upstream performance.  That said, you can quickly consumer a lot of that bandwidth if you happen to watch much video at all, so I do find the pleasure of the experience could come at a higher cost in usage charges.

Wifi performance seems consistent with the iPad 2. 

Video / graphics is outstanding.  Richness of color and for me, brightness of the imagery is better than on the iPad 2.  Battery life is consistent with the iPad 2 - or about 9-10 hours.  It does charge more slowly, however due to the size of the battery.

While there have been some write-ups on the new iPad running warmer, I have not noticed the higher warmth on my unit.  I do notice the slightly heavier weight due to the increased battery they are using.  It's most apparent when holding the iPad to read - so I tend to prop it up or rest it on my lap rather than try to hold it like a book or magazine.  If your purpose is mostly reading books, the Kindle is probably a better solution.

The new apps and content do take more memory in terms of storage.  I noticed about a 10% 'expansion' of apps and content when I upgraded from my original iPad2 with the new apps - largely due to the larger graphics images to support the higher density display. 

All in all, it's a worthwhile upgrade if you need 4G speeds and have service available to you. 

This is the first tablet or phone that I have heard of that lives up to what 4G can deliver for a full day of use on the battery and overall experience.  Most of the competitive android units that had 4G did not have the batter life, the usability, or the fit and finish of a 'system' that Apple is delivering here.  That makes it as 'worth it' as the fit, finish, and 'system approach' that Festool delivers.

neil

 

[MavDog]

So you consider the iPhone and iPad a simplistic product? 

Yes I do. I'm not saying this on an absolute level, but a relative level. We're always comparing, comparing, comparing. Compared to what other companies can do with the same technological level, Apple delivers less.

Flash, anyone? Oh wait, Apple couldn't bother to make it work. And then tell you it's Flash's fault. Tsk, tsk.

I would consider them great engineering.  The technology they keep coming out with is cutting edge and the small packaging is always impressive. 

I would also consider them great engineering. But many more products deserve that distinction. Hey, this is 2012 now, and it's not like we're still cutting wooden buckets for 8 hours a day. That so called "High Tech" is what we do today. In that regard, there are many more things they could give you right now. Because the technology exists. Apple's Ipad's are not as cutting edge as you'd think. You'd be surprised if you found out what the engineers have laying around in their labs. Ready to go into production at a moments notice. But they don't give it to you .... yet. Maybe when they get to the iPad 10. After they've suckered you into buying a trivial upgrade every year for $600.  

I just bought my first iPad last week and I have been extremely impressed with the device and the apps. 

I'm glad you like your new toy. And that you're impressed with it. Nothing wrong with that. But I guess that's a difference between you and me, I am not really impressed with consumer technology as a whole. I mean, I appreciate how they make life more comfortable, efficient and entertaining, but I realised a long time ago (2 decades) that it's easily possible to deliver so much more than they do right now. But that the release of such technology is throttled by marketing departments that want to suck you dry for every penny you have.

While the cost of their products may be more than other brands I feel their products are much better and the price is appropriate .

Well, you know what they say about feelings ..... better to trust your rationality. For what Apple delivers, I am of the opinion that their prices are outrageous. If people like a product, for whatever reason, fine by me. But please, stay objective and rational. At least Kev realises he's being ripped off.....

So if all these other companies could do so much more with the technology why don't they?  Smartphones were not much of anything before Apple came out with the iPhone and the same for tablets before the iPad.  They created markets for these types of devices.

Maybe you were not aware of this but Adobe has decided to stop supporting flash for mobile devices.  http://mashable.com/2011/11/11/flash-mobile-dead-adobe/

I agree that the engineers are working on the next few generations of the devices but the idea that they have lots of things that they could just release at a moments notice and don't doesn't make sense to me.  Why would you wait around to release something that is finished and risk another company coming out with it before you do.  If these other companies could do so much more with the technology I don't think risking not being first to market is something that Apple would chance, but that is just my opinion.

Just curious what you think the out the door cost is for an iPad?  Based on what the device costs them I don't think the price they charge are out of line.  I work in an electronics company and I don't see the margins that Apple is charging as out of line with what other companies do.  There are other devices out there that are cheaper but that has a lot to do with the components used in the device.