Apple to Launch 128 GB iPad on February 5 for $799/$929

[Tech198]

Originally Posted by iphone5att64

256 GB is $27 per 16 GB x 15.
512 GB is $16.13 per 16 GB x 31.

if Apple ever priced an ipad over $1000, just because of more storage, then I don't care what anyone says... It's like BUYING a Mac.

You'll soon need a second job just to get it....

Either that, or no-one would buy it.

[Woyzeck]

128GB is for girls. Real men cram all their data into 16GB.

[Tech198]

Originally Posted by ifij775

Yes, it has. It's called eBay

ebay is not a mod shop..

Not yet anyway. We need more fakes.

[4mat]

Originally Posted by srxtr

Storage gets cheaper and cheaper, and yet Apple keeps their prices the same year after year

If you don't like Apple's prices go and buy a Samsung or Asus. Either that or sit in the corner with your iPad and shut up.

[MacMilligan]

Originally Posted by Woyzeck

128GB is for girls. Real men cram all their data into 16GB.

Agree. It's funny that my desktop has as much ram as my iPad has storage.

[Tech198]

... And the crowd goes wild..

[echo44]

Originally Posted by Woyzeck

128GB is for girls. Real men cram all their data into 16GB.

Exactly the mars curiosity space probe with all its function has
only 2GB of flash memory and on;y 256mb ram shows you how bloated
consumer softawre is!!
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2408127,00.asp

[macs4nw]

Originally Posted by Stega87

From 16GB to 32GB = 16GB --> 100$
From 32GB to 64GB = 32GB --> 100$
From 64GB to 128GB = 64GB --> 100$

Now i am thinking 100$ for 16GB more is a little bit overpriced

Balsy move indeed; hopefully market conditions will convince them to adjust these prices to a more reasonable level.
Either way these puppies will sell. Not

[nickftw8686]

Drop the 16gb model and reduce the price of the rest by 100! 16gb is a waste, It really is not enough space when you cannot add your own storage to it.

[wizard]

How is that possible. At best iPad 1 was a proof of concept. Moving to iPad 3 convinced me that the promise of iPad could be realized.

Originally Posted by CarlosQG

And I'm still happy and productive with my 16 Gb iPad 1.

[samcraig]

Originally Posted by HobeSoundDarryl

Me too Sam. And I took a beating for taking the "iPad <1> should have an iSight camera" side too. I was called stupid (for wanting it). "99% would never use it". And on and on (the usual stuff whenever Apple leaves out something that is desirable to some).

I wonder if I can find a few posters who argue both sides within the context of selling others on whichever iPad is the point of topic at that moment? I bet there's at least a few who talk out of both sides of their mouth within such context.

Go nuts...

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=855006
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=874446
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=868530
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=10063858
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9554536
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9412879

[Jetson]

Originally Posted by LeoFio

Not really, as the Surface Pro is a full blown touch screen computer with an Intel processor and as such can do a whole lot more than an iPad can. One could even argue that the Surface RT can do more than an iPad can.

So the Surface is really just a flimsy laptop?

[Technarchy]

Originally Posted by alent1234

with the cost of gas, why not just fly?

I'd rather not have my wife and kids get raped by some mental midget TSA agent. And they'll probably steal the iPad and give it to baby momma

[wizard]

Originally Posted by Thunderhawks

Also have to look at an MBA now.

iPad has too many drawback to work with it. It's just for consuming content and too heavy. Falls on my nose when I fall asleep:-)

That wouldn't happen if you free up the other hand.

[melendezest]

Originally Posted by HobeSoundDarryl

Spoken like a true Apple fan.

When the specs are favorable to Apple, tout 'em. When the specs are unfavorable, discount or dismiss them.

It reminds me of the old days of G4/G5 vs. Intel CPUs. "Mhz doesn't matter", etc. Intel was only "inferior" until Apple announced the switch. Then, Intel was superior almost overnight. Did the G5 change? Did Intel suddenly change? No... Apple decided to flip flop on the long-standing argument that the G-series was superior to Intel.

Or when TV was capped at 720p. "I can't see the <1080p> difference", "until national bandwidth is expanded...", the chart, "crash the whole internet", etc until Apple rolled out 1080p and then all that evaporated overnight.

Or when iPad 1 launched without a front-facing camera. "Why would anyone want that?", "how could I possibly hold it stable enough for Skype?", "who wants to be looking up my nose when I talk to them?", "it would be stupid to want an isight camera in an iPad", etc. Then, Apple rolls out iPad 2 with "facetime" and we gush, "shut up and take my money", "I'm already in line", "credit card is ready", etc.

Patent law is stupid when it works against Apple. Patent law is excellent- "Die Samsung Die" when it "protects Apple IP... as it should" and similar.

We're such a fair weather group here. If it's good for Apple, we're all for it. If it's bad for Apple, we dismiss it, discount it, pretend it doesn't matter, make fun of it, even try to change the argument to something else, etc. Do we all have careers in PR and Marketing?

Hardware specs are as important to an overall system as software specs. Better is better. Ferociously exceptional software running on crappy hardware is yielding a lessor experience than running that same software on better hardware. We whine with every Mac release that it didn't have the latest graphics card or the latest CPU, etc but then we'll spin how specs shouldn't matter when Apple is on the wrong end of that comparison with another Apple product. Pick a side and stick with it on both the sunny and rainy days.

You're right. Most of what you say is true. But I think it is also based on a narrow point of view (albeit a valid one).

It's true that Apple flipped-flopped like crazy; I don't blame them (they're selling something after all-they're no different than every other company out there). You are also spot on about many, if not all, Apple fans.

I think that the issue is that different user-types have different value propositions. To me, Apple users (fans?) place higher value ratings on a different set of features than the rest of users (such as aesthetics).

As such, there is no such black-and-white categorizations as "better is better". This is an illusion. With regards of a particular set, "better is better" for you, the individual.

The Apple fan is concerned mainly with the experience. Separating specs, while a good and valid indicator of quality for many, is not the be-all-end-all. This does not mean that Apple users are unreasonable. It simply means that they value something different (no pun intended).

I am an Apple fan, but I still wanted 1080p, Android features such as separate user accounts, larger screens on phones, better graphics cards, blu-ray playback, etc.

However, the drawbacks that I see on other platforms are deal-breakers for me (ugly, fat hardware, jerky operation, unreliability, lack of security, style). I see Apple advantages that I cannot do without (OSX, smooth as hell trackpads, thin, sexy hardware design, security, reliability, stability). My prioritization of these things is highly subjective and a matter of taste.

Therefore, I'm forced to wait until Apple "catches up" on a feature here or there, because there are simply no alternatives for everything else, when looking at the big picture of an Apple device.

So don't give up on us Apple fans; there's still a few reasonable ones left..

[4kk2kk]

Originally Posted by mac&cheesey

Fantastic!

I figured someone will find humour in that, glad it was you friend.

Peace

[daneoni]

Originally Posted by samcraig

I would argue the opposite

Makes no sense for an iDevice to have more storage than a full fledged laptop whilst being priced at similar price points. The Air needs to be upgraded to 128GB asap.

[melendezest]

Originally Posted by echo44

Their margins were slightly lower as Tim Cook explained related
to the expenses of ramping up so many new products simulataneously!
Going forward margins will improve as they have historically after every new product relase. As production yields improve margin increase. All that being said margin decline was minimal last quater and year over year profit increasewere significant. I would guess the reason they relased a 128GB model is because there is demand in the consumer space. Although I have been happy with 64GB I can understand if someone did not have acccess to the cloud and needed to store movies and music the extra space would be welcome.

I was referring to the reason why the mini may not have retina next time around..

But I agree with what you said with regards to storage on the iPad.

[rMBP15]

Originally Posted by george-brooks

I'm perfectly happy with my 32GB iPad because I don't keep any music on it, but what I REALLY need is a 128GB iPhone!!

I completely agree with you there bro... 128GB iPhone 5S with 5-inch screen would be a killer smartphone of the year!!!

[4kk2kk]

Originally Posted by Dorje Sylas

Hardly desperation. You don't throw down another device into your chain with a extra 100 dollar price bump if your desperate. You do this when your flush and have the cushion to see if the real market will bite, not some focus groups or internal think tank.

Desperate would have been a price cut on all current models and the 128 GB 4th-gen being $699.

Still it's been far too long for Apple to keep the prices of Flash-Memory as high in there devices as its been. Especially as they are now soldiering them on the boards and making it non-upgradeable.

It is what i call a desperate move, but instead of being modest and move forward with some fairness to their loyal buyers, they take a "sucker shot", they desperately and very greedy like offer this 128gb hoping and knowing the suckers will jump, and make a big profit, then they will lower it to norm. Maybe not though if too many suckers jump on board.

They could very easily make a lot and be fair to the people that make them so large.

And here is the problem, US-- we keep buying and contribute to this prob. We should get together and strike, not only apple but any company sucking the blood life out of us. Trust me the prices will drop-- it can only drop or go out of buzz. We are at fault for what is happening.

Peace and thanks for the heads up, you message or quote does make sense though and I do see why they are not desperate in your example. I was just trying to show a different side, perhaps i did not explain well enough.

[mcdj]

Originally Posted by CausticPuppy

I think the February launch date of the 128GB model pretty much rules out an iPad refresh in March...

If a line refresh does happen in March, it will be official that Apple no longer cares about alienating existing customers.

[peglegjack]

Oh please.

Just let me get a MacBook off Craigslist for $200 and I'll call it a day.

[pjfla]

Sorry if this has been discussed previously, but should we assume the 5 (supposedly new design) will also be avail with 128gb?

Im with others on wanting it in my iPhone too.

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Originally Posted by samcraig

Go nuts...

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=855006
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=874446
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=868530
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=10063858
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9554536
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9412879

Oh mercy. Thanks for reminding me of just how passionate people were about iPad not having front-facing cameras. Before that trip down memory lane, I remembered it as a kind of aggravating/painful experience of being blasted over and over for making the "it needs an iSight camera" case. Now, it's just funny seeing familiar names making the hard con argument against that camera.

Now again, if only we had a hypocrite advanced search where we could match names of those who were so passionately against it to those same people writing how excited they were about facetime just one year later. That would be hilarious.... and, I fear, a very long list. Same with "720p is good enough" TV, patent law is great/stupid, iPhone 5 with a taller but not wider screen "never"/"fragmentation" vs. actual iPhone 5 launch, and on and on.

Hate it until Apple rolls with it and then "I" love it. Love it until Apple rejects it and then "I" hate it.

[Hellhammer]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

Have I not seen that used on package for gaming consoles? I understand that would fall in under high capacity cache but you are already on the package there. My concern is the bus that connects the SoC to the NAND flash storage. On my phone, both the internal NAND and the MicroSD benchmark at ~18 MB/s.

Edit: No, that would have been eDRAM but the latter part still stands.

eMMC is both the package and the interface. It's a bit confusing, I know.



Here's block diagram of TI's OMAP4430, as you can see MMCSD is separate from USB:



There are two reasons why eMMC is rather slow. We are usually dealing with only a few NAND dies (e.g. 16GB is two 8GB dies at 2Xnm) so there isn't much room for parallelism (the reason why SSDs are fast is because you're dealing with multiple NAND dies/packages. Bigger capacities are often faster because of this). Especially write performance is heavily dependent on the amount of NAND because writing to NAND is a much more complex process compared to reading (takes around 20 times longer to program a page than read it).

Another reason is that eMMC controllers are often pure crap. Even a single NAND die can be read in the magnitude of hundreds of MB/s (e.g. assuming Tr = 7*10^-5 sec, 16KB page size and no controller overhead or other bottlenecks, the raw throughput would be 228MB/s). I know Anand has been pushing vendors a lot to use better eMMC solutions but so far most have stuck with the slower ones. I guess it's because "this is fast enough".