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Kendo

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Apr 4, 2011
2,275
760
I played with the 4th gen iPad today and although it felt a bit smoother (might be a placebo effect), it really is heavy. The 3rd gen's weight you could live with when it first came out because you convinced yourself that it was an acceptable trade off due to the brilliant Retina display. I went back to using the iPad 2 and that is the maximum weight for enjoyability (less is better).

The 4th gen seems more like a "S" upgrade since it still has the same design and weight and doesn't look like the current design of the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. Though admittedly I feel a little burned as a 3rd gen owner, I feel like this is the cycle to be on (just like how the iPhone 3G, 4, and 5 is the best cycle to be on).

Next year we will most likely see an iPad mini-like design which will also be much thinner and lighter.
 

onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
I have to admit I felt a lot better knowing the 4th gen iPad was a spec bump. As you said, an "S" of the iPad. I'm mainly waiting for the iPad to get thinner and lighter before I upgrade.
 

felch

macrumors member
Sep 18, 2010
66
0
I won't feel burned as I have no intention of getting the next iPad. I'll replace my 4 with a 6.
 

JCstudios

macrumors member
Sep 1, 2012
47
0
Meh, some people are rich and dont really feel burn. Im not one of them, so yes i feel a bit upset but nothing too much to make me want to upgrade.

I do want an ipad mini tho.
 

hyteckit

Guest
Jul 29, 2007
889
1
I felt burned when I bought the iPhone 1 at $599 on the first day of release and it dropped to $399 after 3 months.
 

Ladybug

macrumors 68000
Apr 13, 2006
1,874
1,013
No reason to feel burned if the device still works and does what you need it to do. Tech specs will always be improving. Ask any PC user about the upgrade bandwagon. That's one of the main reason I switched to Macs. While the specs are never up to the same levels as PC's, I do know that I have a solid product that will serve my needs for a few years or so. Enjoy your iPads and quit worrying about whats on the horizon.
 

Zetaprime

macrumors 65816
Dec 4, 2011
1,481
262
Ohio, US
I have to admit I felt a lot better knowing the 4th gen iPad was a spec bump. As you said, an "S" of the iPad. I'm mainly waiting for the iPad to get thinner and lighter before I upgrade.

I don't think they changed the iPad in such a way as to warrant referring to it as another 'generation'. It's just a refresh of an existing model. It's certainly not something that an iPad 3 owner should be considering and I don't think Apple intended it for anyone who already owns an iPad3, but rather for those with earlier iPads or none at all.
 

tim100

macrumors 65816
May 25, 2009
1,368
0
I wonder how thin they can make a retina ipad? I would like to see the mini iPhone 5 form factor for the larger ipad
 

Spungoflex

macrumors 6502
Oct 30, 2012
388
488
You are all going to be BADLY burned... scorched even... in 2017 when the iPad 11th gen is released. Oh, you will all be soooooo angry!!! Trust me on this one.
 

rowspaxe

macrumors 68020
Jan 29, 2010
2,214
1,009
Next ipad version will likely take style cues from the mini--some alternate bezel treatment is a near certainty. Functionally, I don't see a lot changing. I couldn't understand the angst over the recent speed bumb as most apps--gaming aside--are so light as to still run well on the orignal ipad.
 

mcdj

macrumors G3
Jul 10, 2007
8,964
4,214
NYC
I have to admit that I hate the unnecessary/inappropriate use of "I have to admit".
 

steve31

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2007
940
72
Edmonton Canada
I had a great offer for my iPad 3 LTE 64gb so I sold it and got a 64gb wifi iPad 4 at no extra cost. I have the mini LTE on order. So I dont regert the upgrade but the difference when using it compared to the 3 is small. So I wouldnt rush out and pay full price to upgrade from a 3. Most app developers are making there apps so it can run on the the iPad 2/mini with the slower A5 so I doubt that we will see any apps that will tap into the power of the new A6x for a long while. I also think that we wont be seeing a iPad refresh before Sept/Oct 2013.
 

h00ligan

macrumors 68040
Apr 10, 2003
3,027
136
London
I disagree. The 4 is considerably faster than the 3 in every way, even web browsing. The 2-3 was a spec bump. Retina basically. The speed was nearly identical. The four is way faster. It can actually replace a desktop browser for the first time.

I guess it depends what you do but ime multiple tabs and app switching I see a tangible improvement. Much bigger speed boost from 3-4 than 2-3.

The mini feels a bit faster than the 2. Not sure why.
 

Booji

macrumors 6502a
Nov 17, 2011
790
516
Tokyo
Its an impressive spec bump, but makes little impact in day-to-day use:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMijuc5qX7M

However, if you are a heavy gamer, the 4 might be the way to go but I think that is not most users.

I agree with the OP - those who upgraded from 3 to 4 will really be upset when the 5 comes out. It will be lighter, thinner and have better battery life.

I have a 3, and I'm actually happy for the spec bump. It keeps the iPad competitive with the Androids until the next big transformation next year.
 
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unagimiyagi

macrumors 6502a
Jun 9, 2009
905
229
The ipad won't change appreciably anymore. This is what Apple thinks that a tablet computer should be. They think that they have nailed it until something like holographic screens or flexible screens come out.
The iPod interface is basically done. They think that this is it.

So you might get some cosmetic changes and new innards, but I would not expect anything fundamentally different until they create another new product category.

The iphone is not that different than it was in 2007. It is way way way faster, but the number of buttons, and the look and polish are good, but the concept is identical. They never released any of the prototypes with a capacitive home button, other any of those other explorations. I agree with those that think that Apple believes that they have nailed the phone. They nail it and then keep refinining. I'd argue that everything they've done has been a refinement.
Very meaningful refinements--refinements that no other company cares to make b/c of the minutiae and mudane attention to detail that it takes.

I believe, however, that Apple doesn't innovate more than once in a product category. You will not see 10 diff smartphones like Samsung puts out. Apple's smartphone is the iPhone. that's it. The next thing that they are going to innovate is the tv. The ipad is done. They're just going to milk it.

Would they make an ipad with a keyboard? Maybe. But they will likely call it an entirely new product.The surface is a new product category to me, and Microsoft tried and did a good job I think. But it likely won't sell well. The software isn't finished and it's way more of a debacle than Anything apple has released recently. The main diff b/w Apple and other companies is that it has a delete button. They are secretive, and use the idea that the kid who opens their mouth the least is automatically perceived to be a bit smarter, b/c everytime they talk, something good comes out of their mouths. They never let any of their rough drafts see the light of day by anyone in the media, as if it's an embarrassment. The philosophy is really due to Steve Jobs' force of personality.
 

Rodster

macrumors 68040
May 15, 2007
3,177
6
The main diff b/w Apple and other companies is that it has a delete button. They are secretive, and use the idea that the kid who opens their mouth the least is automatically perceived to be a bit smarter, b/c everytime they talk, something good comes out of their mouths. They never let any of their rough drafts see the light of day by anyone in the media, as if it's an embarrassment. The philosophy is really due to Steve Jobs' force of personality.

Too bad Apple didn't use the delete button on their Maps program. :p
 

NeonGreenHermit

macrumors regular
Jun 25, 2010
116
12
UK
The ipad won't change appreciably anymore. This is what Apple thinks that a tablet computer should be. They think that they have nailed it until something like holographic screens or flexible screens come out.
The iPod interface is basically done. They think that this is it.

So you might get some cosmetic changes and new innards, but I would not expect anything fundamentally different until they create another new product category.

The iphone is not that different than it was in 2007. It is way way way faster, but the number of buttons, and the look and polish are good, but the concept is identical. They never released any of the prototypes with a capacitive home button, other any of those other explorations. I agree with those that think that Apple believes that they have nailed the phone. They nail it and then keep refinining. I'd argue that everything they've done has been a refinement.
Very meaningful refinements--refinements that no other company cares to make b/c of the minutiae and mudane attention to detail that it takes.

I believe, however, that Apple doesn't innovate more than once in a product category. You will not see 10 diff smartphones like Samsung puts out. Apple's smartphone is the iPhone. that's it. The next thing that they are going to innovate is the tv. The ipad is done. They're just going to milk it.

Would they make an ipad with a keyboard? Maybe. But they will likely call it an entirely new product.The surface is a new product category to me, and Microsoft tried and did a good job I think. But it likely won't sell well. The software isn't finished and it's way more of a debacle than Anything apple has released recently. The main diff b/w Apple and other companies is that it has a delete button. They are secretive, and use the idea that the kid who opens their mouth the least is automatically perceived to be a bit smarter, b/c everytime they talk, something good comes out of their mouths. They never let any of their rough drafts see the light of day by anyone in the media, as if it's an embarrassment. The philosophy is really due to Steve Jobs' force of personality.

^^ agreed.


Also, only really small-minded people see iDevices as 'investments'. Stocks are investments, not technology items. In fact, technology items are the worst possible investments on the entire planet, next to perhaps asbestos. Ultimately, if you need an iPad, buy one. If you want an iPad, and that want is tied to some sort of ego boost, wait until 2022. Mystic Meg told me that this generation will come with Osmosis Unibody that drip-feeds the user self-satisfactory endorphins through touch. Seriously, this whole 'generation 'x' buyer is gonna get BURNNNED when generation 'y' comes out and makes them feel insecure about the size of their iWeenie' is absolutely insane. Maybe it's a sign of the times. Crazy.
 

palpatine

macrumors 68040
May 3, 2011
3,130
45
unagimiyagi is right. It's all iPods as far as rhe eye can see, and Apple may fool around with cosmetic changes, but there is no more innovation here. There is just fleecing me and the other isheep every product cycle.

It's too bad. All of my iproducts are beautiful, wonderful, and enjoyable devices. I'll enjoy them a bit longer, sell them, and move over to Android or Windows, where I see regular innovation occurring. My Nexus 3 and 7 are impressive and affordable. The Nexus 10 looks to me like the (possibly) best tablet ever made. So, I think 3rd, 4th, and 5th generation iPad owners are going to feel burned.

By the way, Apple has the resources (human and material) to put out far superior products. They just decide not to do it, and they'd rather stick with a bizarrely limited experience (in some ways inferior to the 90s PDAs) than pioneer new ground. The big iPod retina with the fancy new connector and the mini iPod with the screen from 2007 are like a slap in the face in my opinion.
 

rowspaxe

macrumors 68020
Jan 29, 2010
2,214
1,009
The ipad won't change appreciably anymore. This is what Apple thinks that a tablet computer should be

True, and also true that the Surface may flop, but I think the apple osx/ios paradigm will lose out to the MS win8 integrated approach. Apple will respond with ios osx integration. What will android do?
 

Thegolem

macrumors regular
Aug 26, 2012
112
0
England
The ipad won't change appreciably anymore.

That's just bizarre! Tim Cook said at ATD that 'the juice's are flowing' vis-a-vis innovation. They're just gagging at the bit to change it appreciably. For all we know there's going to be developments in the iOS style of multitasking...windows...user accounts...richer app organisation functionality etc.etc. etc.

If Apple are limiting iPad functionality for fear of cannibalising Mac sales they might find the consumer takes that decision out of their hands and then they'd have to enrich the iOS experience.
 
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