3rd Generation iPad Reviews: Retina Display "Stunning", LTE Speeds Impressive

[nozebleed]

Seems as if David Pogue is the only one who isn't that blown away. He said it should have been named the iPad 2s. To each his own.

NYT did a hit piece on them almost immediately after Jobs passed, as a result got left out of 10.8 preview. Of course they are going to be like "meh". You don't think so? Give it a few weeks and there will be another trumped up story about something ridiculous, like Siri being advertised more that what its capable of....o wait

what a rag

edit: i broke my own rule of not reading the entire thread before responding with the same point, glad some others see the same thing i did

 

[*LTD*]

Don't forget to thank Samsung. No Samsung, no retina, no new ipad. Actually no Apple PERIOD. Yes of course there are other suppliers, but guess what, if they were any good, Apple would be using them already instead of Samsung. If you think Apple has QUALITY products, thank the supplier who has the biggest and most important role in Apple's success, SAMSUNG!

Complete baloney.

It's all done according to Apple's design and specs. If it doesn't come from Samsung it'll come from someone else. Samsung is a major supplier, that's it.

Why is there no "retina" Samsung tablet??

No, I'll thank Apple for being Apple. That's the one and only reason I've got an iPad in my hands today and not a slab of crap that we saw pre-iPad.

 

[crazy4apple]

Seems as if David Pogue is the only one who isn't that blown away. He said it should have been named the iPad 2s. To each his own.

I think Sour Grapes come to mind, i think he is a bit peed off for not getting that invite a few weeks back after that whole foxconn fiasco

 

[DeathChill]

Some german sites have also tested the "new iPad" and found
some negative things:

- some Apps can't handle the new resolution. For example Real Racing 2 HD is playing back at 1FPS and is unplayable. National Geographic crashes regularly.

- the battery now takes 7,1 Hours for a full charge (4,7 hours on ipad2)

- some websites are more sluggish in performance and load slower than on the ipad2

- some apps are slower when they have to deliver the high resolution graphics for example PDF readers are operating noticeably slower.

- the battery life in their test (movie watching without 4G and Wifi) was down to 8,3 hours from 11,2 hours on the ipad2

- it takes a bit longer to wake up from standby

- it takes 15 seconds longer to boot

I have to say that the last 2 statement made me a bit skeptic. Because longer boot times and wakeup speed have only been a problem for my iOs devices if they have been really cluttered. I got the feeling that they might have restored their new iPad with their old ipad2 backup which might have some stuff that is messed up or slowing down the performance. I'll set up my new iPad completely without iTunes - I think thats the best option to get the maximum performance. Get everything from the cloud and set it up as a new device.

Still the review sites praised it as the best tablet on the market and the screen is fantastic. I am still looking forward to tomorrow but with a bit more realistic view at the facts. It is still the A5 performance and not all the tasks of handling that big resolution can be calculated by the new X 4 core GPU ... so the new iPad might in some situations be slower. ... then again they also noticed that the doubled memory really helps with keeping webpages in the cache and overall app performance.

Is it that Tweakers or whatever site? If so, I'd take it with a grain of salt as they keep saying stuff like this, yet no other site mentions it AT ALL.

 

[macchrissli]

Is it that Tweakers or whatever site? If so, I'd take it with a grain of salt as they keep saying stuff like this, yet no other site mentions it AT ALL.

It was on heise.de a very big and legit tech site from germany.

http://www.heise.de/mac-and-i/artikel/Angetestet-Das-neue-iPad-1471736.html

 

[jouster]

Don't forget to thank Samsung. No Samsung, no retina, no new ipad. Actually no Apple PERIOD. Yes of course there are other suppliers, but guess what, if they were any good, Apple would be using them already instead of Samsung. If you think Apple has QUALITY products, thank the supplier who has the biggest and most important role in Apple's success, SAMSUNG!

Right. Because component availability is what drives great product design.

 

[Nicken]

NY times is probably still pissed Apple ignored them with the whole Mountain Lion preview. . of course USA Today has to do th obligatory comparison to the Kindle Fire, as if the two are even close to being the same class of product.

NYT did a hit piece on them almost immediately after Jobs passed, as a result got left out of 10.8 preview. Of course they are going to be like "meh". You don't think so? Give it a few weeks and there will be another trumped up story about something ridiculous, like Siri being advertised more that what its capable of....o wait

what a rag

edit: i broke my own rule of not reading the entire thread before responding with the same point, glad some others see the same thing i did

NY Times did not get left out of the Mountain Lion preview.
http://daringfireball.net/linked/2012/02/18/jumping-to-conclusions

 

[chevy57]

Well it's not an "A6" processor (A5X is not an upgrade to the actual CPU, just the video card), lacks Siri (arguably one of the biggest selling points of the incremental iPhone 4S), and has the exact same casing/shell as the iPad 2.

It's not quite certain if it actually has "more speed" in a practical sense, because of the minor CPU upgrade. Would've been nice if they built a new casing for it, or at least offered it in a gunmetal color, to help distinguish it from the iPad 2.

Granted, I'm sure Apple will slowly roll out Siri to the new iPads in a future iOS update, once they see iPad excitement from the general public slowing down a little bit.

Not complaining too much (I pre-ordered mine), just saying... If it at least had the true A6 and a redesigned casing, I guarantee no one would be calling it the "iPad 2S."

I agree with you. Lack of FaceTime HD, require quad-core processor (A6) and double battery life. I won't buy new iPad (2s) till next year or so.

 

[Himpressive]

Not complaining too much (I pre-ordered mine), just saying... If it at least had the true A6 and a redesigned casing, I guarantee no one would be calling it the "iPad 2S."

Well, I suppose that's how Apple was able to deliver the upgrades they did include and still manage to keep the old prices.
A change in casing would no doubt have meant changes in the fabrication process and infrastructure, which will lead to increased production cost and lower profit margins or higher sale prices!
I think it was a reasonable trade off for this iteration of the device.
Besides, there is recent history to suggest that was the way it would go...
Enjoy what the new device can do... In any case (no pun intended ), once it's in your hands, I can wager that 99.999% of the time, your eyes will be riveted to the screen when you are using it...especially the luscious retina one

 

[Dr McKay]

I won't argue that the retina display will be better than bacon, but my "Sliced HAM" comment was a reference to the Commodore Amiga graphics mode from the 1980s known as "Sliced Hold-and-Modify", where each line of the image could have its own 16 color palette (out of a full 4096-color palette), plus the ability to modify the R, G, or B component of any pixel while holding the other two RGB components the same as the pixel to its left.

This was when microprocessors had speeds in MHz and computers had RAM in kilobytes.

I thought of Sliced HAM, because the river rocks image in the picture at the top of this article reminded me of the NewTek image of rocks that was used to demo their method of dynamic HAM.

Ahhh a bit before my time I was born in 1991.

 

[gnasher729]

Some of the reviewers complaining about it being a 2S - Shut the **** up!

No, you have to learn what words actually mean. For example the term "iPad killer" means "laughable attempt to copy an iPad, and only idiots would buy it". Adding the letter S, as demonstrated by the iPhone 4S, means "a product that is highly underestimated by the press, and by competitors, and ends up being a success beyond what anyone felt possible because it actually delivers what customers want". In that sense, it is an iPad 2S

 

[chevy57]

New iPad s battery life drains quickly in 4G in using video streaming than 3G? I will wait to listen about preview for battery life tomorrow or so.

 

[wiswis]

I just checked UPS, my iPad is still in Louisville, KY. Can't wait

 

[gnasher729]

Don't forget to thank Samsung. No Samsung, no retina, no new ipad. Actually no Apple PERIOD. Yes of course there are other suppliers, but guess what, if they were any good, Apple would be using them already instead of Samsung. If you think Apple has QUALITY products, thank the supplier who has the biggest and most important role in Apple's success, SAMSUNG!

Do you have a picture of Samsung's CEO hanging over your bed? It is often claimed that Apple is a cult. Looks like Samsung is a cult of one

 

[D.T.]

I won't argue that the retina display will be better than bacon, but my "Sliced HAM" comment was a reference to the Commodore Amiga graphics mode from the 1980s known as "Sliced Hold-and-Modify", where each line of the image could have its own 16 color palette (out of a full 4096-color palette), plus the ability to modify the R, G, or B component of any pixel while holding the other two RGB components the same as the pixel to its left.

This was when microprocessors had speeds in MHz and computers had RAM in kilobytes.

I thought of Sliced HAM, because the river rocks image in the picture at the top of this article reminded me of the NewTek image of rocks that was used to demo their method of dynamic HAM.

Just wanted to post because of the Amiga reference I had an A1000 and later an A2000 (that was all Frankenstein’ed up with an ‘020 upgrade, etc.)

Good stuff. I worked in a PC store at the time and while most of the sales were for “IBM compatibles” (I think our go to brand was Leading Edge and AST, later just _clonze_), we did sell Amiga and Atari ST machines. I used to chuckle setting up an Amiga next to a CGA or even EGA graphics PC, especially if you showed a HAM image, or something animated/rendered like the classic clacker balls or even showing the pull down screen running at independent resolutions.

At some point I had an Atari 1040 with a Magic Sac and was doing some decent Mac emulation (Yeah, had a ROM burner too)

*ol’ school high five*

 

[Abazigal]

While comments like this seem a bit crazy for an upgrade of this magnitude, I can't help but wonder if we'll be seeing a lot of them when next year's iPad gets here. I mean, how could they top this? Hardware wise, I think it will be mostly spec bumps from here on out- Unless they do that "no home button" thing. I just don't see the iPad making this big a splash for quite some time...

My guess is that next year, we will be seeing mostly straight hardware upgrades. So likely A5x --> A6, maybe that memory upgrade some members here have been clamouring for, perhaps even longer batt life while making the ipad that bit thinner/lighter, full siri support, some other minor tweaks here and there like a better front camera, but for most part, it will still be the retina pad we know and love.

Odd-numbered ipad releases will be when they introduce new features. So Apple has 2 years to plan on the next big, game-changing feature.

 

[spiderman0616]

Seems as if David Pogue is the only one who isn't that blown away. He said it should have been named the iPad 2s. To each his own.

The NY Times has something up their butt about Apple lately. I didn't expect a good review from Pogue.

 

[GenesisST]

Seems as if David Pogue is the only one who isn't that blown away. He said it should have been named the iPad 2s. To each his own.

Well, I don't think he's far from the truth. If not for the screen, he would have been right. (That's not hating folks, just my opinion and I still want one eventually).

They should have called it the ipad 2Sx4 (4 times the pixels!)
(Not serious on this...)

 

[adamfilip]

Did you order it from Apple? It should be coming from FedEx not UPS.

In any case, assuming you ordered it right after the announcement and was told you would get it this Friday, there probably isn't much to see yet on tracking. Currently mine (like probably every one else) shows that their package has been "Picked Up" and "Shipment information sent to FedEx". That is what mine said on the 11th and still does. It looks like they aren't "in transit" yet. Mine is being sent "Standard Overnight - Indirect" so we will probably see them "in transit" later today. Mine is coming from Middletown, PA to here in Columbus, OH which is around a 7 hour drive (not sure if they are sent via truck or plane).

Estimated delivery for mine says Mar 16, 2012 by 3:00 PM ET.

I was hoping I would get the new Apple TV at around the same time, but that hasn't shipped yet and it says 1 to 2 weeks. Might be faster to go to my local Apple store and get one Friday. I can't imagine they will be in demand nearly as much as the new iPad.

Yes from the Apple store..

----------

Just wanted to post because of the Amiga reference I had an A1000 and later an A2000 (that was all Frankenstein’ed up with an ‘020 upgrade, etc.)

Good stuff. I worked in a PC store at the time and while most of the sales were for “IBM compatibles” (I think our go to brand was Leading Edge and AST, later just _clonze_), we did sell Amiga and Atari ST machines. I used to chuckle setting up an Amiga next to a CGA or even EGA graphics PC, especially if you showed a HAM image, or something animated/rendered like the classic clacker balls or even showing the pull down screen running at independent resolutions.

At some point I had an Atari 1040 with a Magic Sac and was doing some decent Mac emulation (Yeah, had a ROM burner too)

*ol’ school high five*

I had an Amiga 500!! it was cool. i think

 

[MythicFrost]

Well, I don't think he's far from the truth. If not for the screen, he would have been right. (That's not hating folks, just my opinion and I still want one eventually).

They should have called it the ipad 2Sx4 (4 times the pixels!)
(Not serious on this...)

The screen is the whole point of this release though, it's quite a significant improvement to one of the most important components of a slate.

 

[Detlev_73]

Seems as if David Pogue is the only one who isn't that blown away. He said it should have been named the iPad 2s. To each his own.

Probably the reason Apple decided to simply rename this iteration of the product "the new iPad". People are sticklers for labels. Remember how before the iPhone was released a lot of folks said that Apple had no "true" video iPod? This will help eliminate the confusion coming from spec hounds.

 

[mytdave]

what's in a name?

Cool. I want one. Will get one in due time (after the crowds die down).

Stupid name. 'The new iPad'? Really? Sounds like it was a 'death by committee' chosen name.

It should have been simply named iPad 3 or at least iPad 2s.

 

[apple.of.my.eye]

The display alone, ALONE, makes this worth it. Never mind everything else.

Retina is a phenomenal enhancement of the User Experience. It isn't just a spec.

Absolutely the sole reason for my upgrade and I can't wait to see the difference!

 

[igazza]

Don't forget to thank Samsung. No Samsung, no retina, no new ipad. Actually no Apple PERIOD. Yes of course there are other suppliers, but guess what, if they were any good, Apple would be using them already instead of Samsung. If you think Apple has QUALITY products, thank the supplier who has the biggest and most important role in Apple's success, SAMSUNG!

kinda true, Apple use Samsung because they can produce things in volume, maybe the real success of iPad comes from third party developers.

 

[JHankwitz]

i said it earlier, let me say it again, they should have improved the front facing camera not the back facing camera.

You're so egotistical. You're willing to sacrifice performance just to make yourself look better? Good grief!