4th Generation iPad Benchmarks Show 1.4GHz Dual Core Processor, 1GB of RAM

[Virtualball]

it's certainly not going to be too long before ARM CPUs are perfectly suited for normal peoples' desktop needs.

x86 processors have a decade or two's worth of applications already built for them. Also, while these ARM processors are fast, they pale in comparison when doing any *actual* multitasking or heavy work. Looking past Photoshop and FCP, you should realize that ARM processors, at this point in time, are only running one or two small mobile applications at a time. Phones and tablets just now started to smoothly fill a 720p frame with an app and scroll through a list (well, Android, at least). Try having 14 tabs open with full desktop sites (one full facebook page brings my SGSII to a crawl), running Netflix in the background, and having a full Office-like experience open to type papers. None of that is beyond "normal peoples' needs," it just sounds like a college student writing a paper, looking for sources, and having background noise. None of that is possible on today's ARM chips.

I'm sure there will be an opening for a Chromebook-like market, but I can't imagine it destroying x86; especially not in 3 years.

 

[RenoG]

I have absolutely no reason to change out my Ipad3 for this, as I have no issues whats so ever with it, as long as it does what I need it to do I wont change out no matter how fast or how cool they design the next one. However my wife wants an ipad for an anniversary gift so I may get the 4 for her.

 

[gatearray]

I hope fall updates become the new "cycle." It's better for consumers because all the iPads bought for the holidays won't become obsolete in three months.

It seems almost certain that this is what happened here, fall updates moving forward.

And you know what that means for my iPhone 5? Another "short-cycle" when the iPhone 5S is released in March or June, probably June. No way it's October again, Apple needs their quarterly revenue numbers, among other considerations.

 

[Bheleu]

I may be wrong, but my guess is that the 4th gen iPad won't be replaced till October of next year. I think this update was to move the iPad release cycle so that the "best iPad" is available before the holiday season.

Which means, more time to develop an iPad OSX Hybrid for Christmas 2013.

 

[wutang61]

Waiting for jailbreak and the 1.4 unlock for the iPhone.

 

[ethana]

Nexus 10 is 1.7 Ghz, and has 2GB Ram, and has higher resolution, thinner/lighter, and is $100 cheaper, and has multiple user accounts... hmm I dont know which one I'm gonna buy...

Let's see...

1.7GHz - Doesn't matter. This is just a technical spec and doesn't actually imply performance.

2GB - Again, just a technical spec which doesn't imply actual performance.

Higher resolution - Doesn't matter AGAIN. Another technical spec. The PPI on both devices is so high that you can't see pixels. Both are HD quality.

Thinner/Lighter - Barely and pretty much unnoticed between the two.

$100 cheaper - You get what you pay for. Cheap hardware and low quality software.

Look, go ahead and go to Android. It will be great actually! Then we won't have to put up with your stupid troll comments anymore here.

E

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Still waiting for iPad Pro without the weaksauce ARM processor and phone OS.

Never. Going. To. Happen.

Get over it and move on.

 

[Cougarcat]

Obsolete is such a hyperbolic word to use in these situations. Obsolete technically means no longer in production, no longer in use, or outmoded by new technology. While 2 of the 3 may apply, it's definitely still in use when it becomes "obsolete" by your standards.

Think about it... Does your TV become obsolete when they come out with a new model? Your car? You laptop? What makes an iPad so different that you immediately feel it is useless when a new, slightly faster model with a few new features is released?

I was afraid someone might say this, but I didn't know what other word to use. Obviously I meant "no longer the latest and greatest," not "outdated and totally useless."

 

[Iconoclysm]

Nexus 10 is 1.7 Ghz, and has 2GB Ram, and has higher resolution, thinner/lighter, and is $100 cheaper, and has multiple user accounts... hmm I dont know which one I'm gonna buy...

And will most likely not perform as well...

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I'd be pissed if I'd just bought the 3rd gen iPad thinking it would be 'new' for 5-6 months only now to have it outdated already and so much slower than the 4th gen iPad.

Why? Being outdated is not the same thing as say, not letting it run the same software (see Lumia 900).

 

[chrisbru]

It seems almost certain that this is what happened here, fall updates moving forward.

And you know what that means for my iPhone 5? Another "short-cycle" when the iPhone 5S is released in March or June, probably June. No way it's October again, Apple needs their quarterly revenue numbers, among other considerations.

Or maybe that's when the Apple TV (box, full tv, whatever) will be released? Or the Mac Pro? Those things are less likely to be a holiday purchase IMO. Keeping iPhone/iPod/iPad on a just-before-Christmas release schedule means that there is the best product available for rampant holiday purchasing.

 

[JHankwitz]

I wonder how much impact the "twice as fast" spec will have on actual usage. I can't think of a single instance when I thought my iPad 3 processor was too slow or needed a faster processor.

I'm sure my music and videos will play at the same speed, my email reading and phone calls will take just as long, and the slowest part of browsing will be restrictions by cellular or WiFi speeds.

 

[chrisbru]

I was afraid someone might say this, but I didn't know what other word to use. Obviously I meant "no longer the latest and greatest," not "outdated and totally useless."

That's a good point... I can't think of an appropriate word either. Maybe outmoded? Superseded?

 

[michael_aos]

iPad 1 still seems lightning fast to me

I have both the 1st and 3rd Generation iPad's. The 1st Generation was starting to feel slow even before I bought the 3rd Generation. Now it's almost unbearable.

Even the difference between my wife's iPhone 4 & my iPhone 4S is noticeable. I played with an iPhone 5 at the Apple Store and it seemed quite a bit faster again.
--

 

[Ubele]

Yeah, why can't Apple do this with their MacPro, iMac, MacBook/Pro line-up?

I can only only imagine: "I spent almost $4,500 on my Mac Pro seven months ago, and now there's new one out, and mine is obsolete! I can only get $2,000 for it on Craigslist, and Apple is forcing me to spend another $4,500 on the new one, so I'm really out $6,500! Thanks a lot, Apple!"

 

[JHankwitz]

Which means, more time to develop an iPad OSX Hybrid for Christmas 2013.

This is likely the driving force for releasing the iPad 4 so soon. They need the processing powere to support the iOS/OSX merge, and want to have as many devices in use as possible so people could instantly adopt it. Good chance the iPad 3 will not perform well with the advanced operating system.

 

[sinsin07]

Apple better release ipad 5 in February to beat the nexus 10 or chromebook

http://www.androidauthority.com/exynos-5-dual-benchmarks-125134/

Why. What Google tablet has ever posed a threat? Yes the Nexus is selling well, but not iPad well.

Chromebook?

Few Buy Chromebooks, but Google Keeps Pushing

Chromebook is a solution looking for a problem.

 

[JHankwitz]

I can only only imagine: "I spent almost $4,500 on my Mac Pro seven months ago, and now there's new one out, and mine is obsolete! I can only get $2,000 for it on Craigslist, and Apple is forcing me to spend another $4,500 on the new one, so I'm really out $6,500! Thanks a lot, Apple!"

So, you will never be happy until Apple stops innovating and upgrading their hardware and software? Your old Mac Pro is certainly not obsolete. Do you get this angry when auto manufacturers come out with their new models?

 

[MacSignal]

More performance and refinements sooner than expected. Nice, but ironically not thinner and lighter, given the changes in the iMac and iPhone.

 

[mac jones]

I think your going to notice the speed bump. True, there's no 'dire' need for it, but nevertheless.

Disclaimer: I'm saying this because I ordered one

 

[kirk26]

I can only only imagine: "I spent almost $4,500 on my Mac Pro seven months ago, and now there's new one out, and mine is obsolete! I can only get $2,000 for it on Craigslist, and Apple is forcing me to spend another $4,500 on the new one, so I'm really out $6,500! Thanks a lot, Apple!"

Forcing you....LOL!!!

 

[Karma*Police]

After seeing the Nexus announcement I cancelled my iPad orders and will try out a Nexus 7 and 10. I am looking for gifts and Apple is frankly being priced out of that market for me. For the price difference the risk is well worth it and that feature set is great.

What feature set. You mean specs? The problem is, N7 is a poor tablet/web browsing experience and the N10 has no apps. $400 is a lot to spend for a mostly web browsing device.

 

[nickn]

Why is it that when an alternative OS device comes around, and everyone touts is good hardware specs, the MR forum always says how specs are irrelevant, but then when a new Apple product comes along, good specs are everything?

What feature set. You mean specs? The problem is, N7 is a poor tablet/web browsing experience and the N10 has no apps. $400 is a lot to spend for a mostly web browsing device.

Everyone on here keeps saying the Nexus 7 is a poor device... Okay, then why? Do you even have an answer, or just because it doesn't have an Apple logo stamped on the back? Have you actually ever used any Android handset for that matter? I purchased a Nexus 7 in July, and for all intents and purposes haven't touched my iPad since.

 

[Iconoclysm]

I can only only imagine: "I spent almost $4,500 on my Mac Pro seven months ago, and now there's new one out, and mine is obsolete! I can only get $2,000 for it on Craigslist, and Apple is forcing me to spend another $4,500 on the new one, so I'm really out $6,500! Thanks a lot, Apple!"

The bad math fits with the quote too.

 

[Karma*Police]

Ahh someone falls for the myth of the GHZ. Good luck with that.

And higher resolution, as if that's the only factor in a good display. I'd also wager that Sammy is using a pentile display like the GS3 so the actual resolution is not only lower, but most likely comes with similar drawbacks.

I'm sure in actual use, it'll be fine, but it just irks me that people think something is better simply because it has a higher number associated with it.

 

[Russell L]

I have absolutely no reason to change out my Ipad3 for this, as I have no issues whats so ever with it, as long as it does what I need it to do I wont change out no matter how fast or how cool they design the next one. However my wife wants an ipad for an anniversary gift so I may get the 4 for her.

Agreed. Although the extra speed is nice, my iPad3 is more than adequate enough for me for what I use it for. I just upgraded to an iPhone5 from an iPhone4 (not 4S) and while I love my new phone, I have to say that it really doesn't seem THAT much faster than my old one...

 

[Karma*Police]

Why is it that when an alternative OS device comes around, and everyone touts is good hardware specs, the MR forum always says how specs are irrelevant, but then when a new Apple product comes along, good specs are everything?


Everyone on here keeps saying the Nexus 7 is a poor device... Okay, then why? Do you even have an answer, or just because it doesn't have an Apple logo stamped on the back? Have you actually ever used any Android handset for that matter? I purchased a Nexus 7 in July, and for all intents and purposes haven't touched my iPad since.

I have one and if you're getting it for your kid to play Angry birds on, it's fine. It's also a great ebook reader due to the form factor and weight. But if you already have a smartphone, imagine that experience but with a bigger screen but far less portability.

I have an older nook color as well, but decided to give the N7 a shot because it was well-reviewed and I thought maybe it was the forked Android and under-powered hardware that made my nook a sub-par experience. But now I realize it's the 7" form factor. It's not big enough to do anything I can't already do on my phone, and it's too big to carry around everywhere like a phone so it lacks the convenience factor.