5 things the iPad didn't get right

[maflynn]

I saw this article on cnet and to be honest I think its fairly accurate. I believe apple is holding off on some of these to make the iPad 3 more "magical" I can see why apple didn't go the 4G route yet, as well as NFC

Here's the link http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20038561-37.html?tag=topStories2

Here's the synopsis of things cnet believe apple whiffed on.

• Retina display
• SD card/USB
• Thunderbolt
• NFC
• 4G

 

[urbanmacUser]

I saw this article on cnet and to be honest I think its fairly accurate. I believe apple is holding off on some of these to make the iPad 3 more "magical" I can see why apple didn't go the 4G route yet, as well as NFC

Here's the link http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20038561-37.html?tag=topStories2

Here's the synopsis of things cnet believe apple whiffed on.

• Retina display
• SD card/USB
• Thunderbolt
• NFC
• 4G

So if it had all that you would be happy paying $800 for the base model?

 

[Pressure]

Wave goodbye to the low entrance price of $499 if that list comes to fruition.

They were simply expecting too much for this generation.

Others have trouble even hitting that price point and doesn't come with better hardware.

 

[MacDawg]

Retina display - still a little early with battery life and costs to balance

SD card/USB - until a real file system is implemented, this has less meaning

Thunderbolt - will come in time, it has just been released and no compatible devices anyway

NFC - meh

4G - still early for this as well if you consider Apple's timetables and history

 

[urkel]

I agree with the list.

The odd thing to me is that Apple chose to release an update so early in the year yet none of the new features are necessarily that important/magical.

Apple has a HUGE lead against the competition and took a few good verbal swings at them but I wish they wouldve pushed the limits in their own product because they can't hold 90% of the market forever.

 

[ucfgrad93]

The only one I think was surprising is the lack of an SD slot.

 

[hcho3]

I don't really like Cnet.

5 issues with cnet

1. Some editors are really annoying.
2. Their Prize fight video is garbage. Not fair comparison.
3. Their news is so slow. Compare to macrumors, engadget and other sites. They are the slowest.

4. They make some useless articles like this one right now.
5. And they reviewed galaxy Tab as a good iPad alternative.

So, about those claims...

1. NFC= No other tablets do that right now. Apple never adopts anything so fast. I am not going to hold my tablet in the store to scan.

2. 4G= Battery killer and not enough 4G towers out there including AT&T and Verizon. Also, it will drive the cost higher. Would you like apple to do same thing like Motorola? Take your iPad away for weeks to upgrade 4g that no one will be able to use? 4G will be capped just like 3G.

3. Retina Display= This is coming from editors? Another reason cnet is absolutely a garbage. Battery, cost and production level aren't ready yet.

4. SD card slot= Does iPhone do this? No. Apple doesn't offer SD card slot . They can make more money by selling Adaptor. Why should they give it up?

 

[canyonblue737]

I saw this article on cnet and to be honest I think its fairly accurate. I believe apple is holding off on some of these to make the iPad 3 more "magical" I can see why apple didn't go the 4G route yet, as well as NFC

Here's the link http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20038561-37.html?tag=topStories2

Here's the synopsis of things cnet believe apple whiffed on.

• Retina display
• SD card/USB
• Thunderbolt
• NFC
• 4G

Got to leave something for iPad 3. The simple truth is some of that is too expensive to keep prices down and second Apple doesn't need any of that stuff to keep iPad 2 from selling out and being the runaway tablet winner of 2011. As competitors slowly get better (and the first gen RIM Playbook and first gen of Honeycomb Android 3.0 tablets aren't better) in 2012 and beyond Apple will leap frog them with retina displays, NFC, and more.

 

[urkel]

The only one I think was surprising is the lack of an SD slot.

I think the lack of Thunderbolt was surprising also (but not really).

My theory has always been that Apple had the iPad 2 specs locked down for months which is why this release is so lackluster. They just didnt think they needed to be competitive so by the time the competition showed that they're actually in this game then the final specs were already locked down.

Just look at Apple's two newest buzzworthy items, Facetime HD and Thunderbolt. There is a camera but its the weak iPod Touch cameras that have an outdated .69MP face camera/1MP back camera and both lack autofocus (which removes functionality of many great camera apps). Compare that with the RIM, Android, HP offerings where they have cameras that rival the iPhone 4 with 1.3MP Face/3-5MP back cameras.

And also Apple skipped USB3 in favor of Thunderbolt. Introducing new connectivity is a tough road but his IF they put it on ALL their products. That means Macbooks, iMacs and... the iPad 2.

Apple will surely have a big release with iPad 3 but the competition will be closing that gap so its a shame Apple missed so many features that they should consider standard.

 

[Bye Bye Baby]

I think the display was a big miss for apple. It was something to set the iPad as a clear market leader. Now it is in a race for the best product in the market.

I think the whole Apple ecosystem is superior to anything else, but it may not have the best single product.

I really feel an iPad 2 HD not that far off.

 

[maflynn]

I don't really like Cnet.

cnet typically has a anti-apple slant and in some ways exhibits some passive aggressive behavior. you know some back-handed criticisms

Got to leave something for iPad 3.

I think this probably closer to the truth. I'm not entirely sold on cost argument. Sure retina displays will be more expensive but not so much that it would have driven the price of the iPad into the stratosphere.

The decision is a tactile business decision to wait for the next revision rather then an economic one.

 

[vincenz]

I really hope we can see retina display next year on the iPad. I think if it ever comes out, it'll replace my laptop for sure.

 

[henrikrox]

Guys, please stop with these threads. Going to say this one more time.

A Retina display would kill the battery. yes it would. The cpu/gpu would run at a higher base speed. And it would ruin battery life.

I give a f about a screen if my battery lasts 3 hours.

Second, do you know how much it costs to produce a screen TWICE the resolution of the current one? DIdnt think so.

And more importantly, do you really think this wonder screens, which we have never seen anything close to is possible to mass produce?

Hell samsung cant produce their super amoled enough.

Give it a rest guys and use your brain power for a fraction of a second

 

[canyonblue737]

I think the lack of Thunderbolt was surprising also (but not really).

My theory has always been that Apple had the iPad 2 specs locked down for months which is why this release is so lackluster. They just didnt think they needed to be competitive so by the time the competition showed that they're actually in this game then the final specs were already locked down.

Just look at Apple's two newest buzzworthy items, Facetime HD and Thunderbolt. There is a camera but its the weak iPod Touch cameras that have an outdated .69MP face camera/1MP back camera and both lack autofocus (which removes functionality of many great camera apps). Compare that with the RIM, Android, HP offerings where they have cameras that rival the iPhone 4 with 1.3MP Face/3-5MP back cameras.

And also Apple skipped USB3 in favor of Thunderbolt. Introducing new connectivity is a tough road but his IF they put it on ALL their products. That means Macbooks, iMacs and... the iPad 2.

Apple will surely have a big release with iPad 3 but the competition will be closing that gap so its a shame Apple missed so many features that they should consider standard.

Thunderbolt technology is based on a PCI-E bus which no iOS device has, it is a intel PC technology. The secret to Thunderbolt is its adaptability to other transfer systems so in the future you might see an iOS device have higher transfer speed capability of its own which through a interface cord works with Thunderbolt but it won't ever have its own "Thunderbolt port".

 

[rdrr]

Don't forget about the G.I. Joe kung-foo grip!

Come on... Did you really think there was going to be a retina display? How many threads were there out there that said the technology wasn't there, that it would have eaten the battery more, and the price point would have jumped to a point where it would have made it a gimped MacBook Air.

The reason the iPad is so successful are two main reasons.

Battery. I can throw it fully charged in my backpack for a week, and when I take it out it has around 25-30% of a charge.

Price. $499 for the entry model. Why would I consider a $799 or $899 device, if for a couple of Franklin's I can buy a device just as portable with a keyboard and most of what YOUR expectations are.

 

[urkel]

Guys, please stop with these threads. Going to say this one more time.

A Retina display would kill the battery. yes it would. The cpu/gpu would run at a higher base speed. And it would ruin battery life.

I give a f about a screen if my battery lasts 3 hours.

Second, do you know how much it costs to produce a screen TWICE the resolution of the current one? DIdnt think so.

And more importantly, do you really think this wonder screens, which we have never seen anything close to is possible to mass produce?

Hell samsung cant produce their super amoled enough.

Give it a rest guys and use your brain power for a fraction of a second

Yes. Because YOU are so smart that you can predict things AFTER a product is released?

Innovative. Magical. Different. These are all buzzwords that are rightfully attributed to Apple because Apple never ceases to surprise people with what they CAN do. So to strut in here AFTER a product release and slam people for having high expectations of a company that tends to EXCEED expectation is ridiculous.

Sure, retina display wasnt likely but that doesnt mean Apple was incapable of figuring out a way to balance it all out. And Apple wont stay at the top of the heap if people dont believe they will deliver the future, today.

 

[darngooddesign]

NFC strikes me as something way more suited to a phone than a tablet, and they are waiting to roll it out with OS5.

 

[Old Mac Guy]

Curious is anyone else not happy that they did not add more memory?? I thought a 128K and 256k version would have been announced???

 

[Nishi100]

I saw this article on cnet and to be honest I think its fairly accurate. I believe apple is holding off on some of these to make the iPad 3 more "magical" I can see why apple didn't go the 4G route yet, as well as NFC

Here's the link http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20038561-37.html?tag=topStories2

Here's the synopsis of things cnet believe apple whiffed on.

• Retina display
• SD card/USB
• Thunderbolt
• NFC
• 4G
• 5mp camera
• Flash - for the camera
• iOS overhaul, with widgets and better notifications
• 128GB storage capacity
• Thunderbolt - use it, Apple - before another company does.
• SD Card slot
• USB - but I don't mind if they have a thunderbolt --> (micro) USB.

They forgot a few things. But, it's a good upgrade and I'm sure that iOS 5 will be fantastic. The iPad is up-to-spec against the Xoom, apart from a few things; the OS is the thing that Apple needs to concentrate on now - to get it better than Honeycomb.

 

[MagnumOP]

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I don't really like Cnet.

cnet typically has a anti-apple slant and in some ways exhibits some passive aggressive behavior. you know some back-handed criticisms

Got to leave something for iPad 3.

I think this probably closer to the truth. I'm not entirely sold on cost argument. Sure retina displays will be more expensive but not so much that it would have driven the price of the iPad into the stratosphere.

The decision is a tactile business decision to wait for the next revision rather then an economic one.

CNET is like consumer reports, give the iphone4 the highest grade and then don't recommend it! What?! They cite signal issues but I can pick up my friends EVO 4G and kill his signal in two seconds.

Double standards exist.

 

[paulrbeers]

1. Retina Display - Would have been cool, but as stated this would have driven availability and price thru the roof. One article stated that the retina display was going to cost approx $75 dollars more than the current display for the part alone. Add in additional R&D, profit margin, etc and you are probably looking at a price bump of $150-200 to the consumer.

2. SD Card Slot. Would have been cool, but not surprised. Right now we can't get to the file system, so including this would have been for very limited usage (probably just copying photos).

3. Thunderbolt really? Have you seen the size of the thunderbolt chip inside the Macbook pros? Where would apple have put it?!?! This would have increased the thickness and/or the overall size considerably. Besides, the current port size is thicker than the thickness of the new iPAD. We need to 1st have devices that utilize it and then they would need to create a "micro-thunderbolt" connector. Besides, wouldn't being tethered to a wire defeat the portability-on-the-go aspect of the iPad?

4. NFC makes sense on cell phones for three reasons: 1. You always have it with you, 2. It is pocketable (like your wallet) and 3. it has an always on data connection. iPads are none of these (with the exception of the 3g iPad). Frankly, whipping out my 10" tablet to pay for my latte seems stupid. (yes yes I know NFC will be used for other things eventually, but for now that's what is it is planned mainly to be used for).

5. 4g. I could see the value. With that said, last I checked, 4G sucked power like nobody's business, and the coverage is poor (not in my neck of the woods).

I think eventually we will see most of these added, but only when they become reasonable to add and/or deemed to be an industry necessity.

 

[Michael CM1]

I saw this article on cnet and to be honest I think its fairly accurate. I believe apple is holding off on some of these to make the iPad 3 more "magical" I can see why apple didn't go the 4G route yet, as well as NFC

Here's the link http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20038561-37.html?tag=topStories2

Here's the synopsis of things cnet believe apple whiffed on.

• Retina display
• SD card/USB
• Thunderbolt
• NFC
• 4G

• The Retina display sounds about as physically unattainable as it can be on a device this large. None of the competitors have a display much better than the iPad.

• OK maybe an SD card slot or USB port might have been nice, but for what? Apple keeps moving more and more toward wireless solutions, including the better AirPlay and better iTunes home sharing. There's an adapter for using SD cards, and a built-in slot would've been mostly useless without more usage than loading pictures from a camera. As someone else said, unless you change the file system and let people do more with an SD card or flash drive, those are pretty useless.

• Thunderbolt was just released a week ago. How much of a help would this be? Also, would it be possible for Apple to later release a dock adapter to thunderbolt cable without changing the iPad's hardware?

• NFC would be mostly a waste of money on a tablet. Who puts their iPad in their pocket to go buy something at CVS? Nobody. It makes a million times more sense on an iPhone or even an iPod touch. This is akin to whining that the MacBook Pro doesn't have a built-in satellite radio system.

• Half the people out there claiming to have 4G skirted the definition and are really just using faster 3G. It's kinda like claiming you put music on a DVD when you just used an 800MB CD instead of a 650MB disc. There is also very limited 4G LTE coverage through anybody. Verizon has a few areas, AT&T doesn't have any. If you want 4G that bad, get a 4G phone and use it as a hotspot.

It's also worth mentioning, as others have, that it would've been impossible to include all of this and keep the prices starting at $499. I don't think Apple has ever released an update to a product and jacked up the base price, except for the Mac mini. That $499 price point is huge. Another year, another product.

 

[maflynn]

Curious is anyone else not happy that they did not add more memory?? I thought a 128K and 256k version would have been announced???

Are you talking ram or storage, either way 128k is rather small. heck my Mac SE has more then 128k

 

[jsbaugh]

Yes. Because YOU are so smart that you can predict things AFTER a product is released?

Innovative. Magical. Different. These are all buzzwords that are rightfully attributed to Apple because Apple never ceases to surprise people with what they CAN do. So to strut in here AFTER a product release and slam people for having high expectations of a company that tends to EXCEED expectation is ridiculous.

Sure, retina display wasnt likely but that doesnt mean Apple was incapable of figuring out a way to balance it all out. And Apple wont stay at the top of the heap if people dont believe they will deliver the future, today.

I said months ago it would never have a retina display because they are unable to mass produce them and keep the price low enough. Anyone who follows the tech industry could have told you that way before the release of ipad2.

 

[fertilized-egg]

I feel like a broken record but no other competing tablet has a SD slot. They have microSD slot which can be useful but it's not a replacement for the iPad's card reader.

Yet I see time and time again people and media say something about "so that I can copy pictures from my camera..." No, your camera probably uses a full size SD card (I know some uses microSD) The Xoom, the Galaxy Tab, the Archos, the Nook Color, none of them will read your SD card, only the iPad will with the accessory reader.