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Okay I call BS on this entire story. 8GB on an iPad does not make sense due to the operating system already taking almost two gigs. Lastly Apple makes the most margin on the iPads with the largest capacity so for there not to be a 64GB option is NOT an option.

I am going to venture to guess we will see a 32GB, 64GB and 128GB iPad 3 at $499, $599 and $699 respectively. No 16GB iPad 3.

I pad 2 will stay at 16 GB and 32 GB only and be priced at $379 and $459 respectively.

Just my two cents.

I too am leaning to your speculation, expect only a 16GB iPad 2, prices for which Apple probably will not decide on until March 6th.
 
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8GB for an iPad is virtually useless.
The market says you're wrong...

From Amazon's Fire page and what they offer...

8GB internal (approximately 6GB available for user content). That's enough for 80 apps, plus 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books.​

It might not be much for you (nor me), but Amazon is apparently selling a lot of tablets with "just" 8GB.

I have bought two of these things (iPad 1 and 2) and I always buy 64GB (and will graduate to the biggest as we go along here as I have mad amounts of content), but -- for a kid or an older person who just doesn't have a lot of personal content, they will buy these in a heartbeat.

About the 64GB -- that truly is not going anywhere.
 
I don't believe the rumours

Never trust Digitimes.

I believe the iPad2 kept around will be 16GB.

The iPad3 will start at 32GB and also come in 64GB and 128GB. This is completely a guess, but it is what I think (hope :) Apple should do.

iCloud does almost NOTHING to reduce the need for disk space. **IF** it offered streaming audio, it would help by not needing to store music on your device (if you didn't mind chewing up the cellular bandwidth). But right now you can't even stream audio.

It does nothing to help with Apps, Movies, Textbooks, etc. which more than fill my 64GB iPad.

With a (rumoured) retina display and 1080p movies, the need for storage on the iPad 3 is only going up (by a lot).

8GB is also way too small for an iPad. There are Apps and Textbooks that are on the order of 2GB each. I could fill up an 8GB iPad with about 2 Apps and a Textbook.
 
Why do you need so much memory if you're connected to iCloud?
There are apps, games, textbooks that are treading around 2GB apiece.

Plus, cloud storage doesn't work too well when there's no Internet connection (e.g., a lot of airplanes, ships).

My 64GB iPad is at half capacity most of the time, except when I go out of town, then I fill up the rest of the space with movies, TV shows, etc.
 
I don't buy the 64GB drop. After all, they just ADDED a 64GB iPhone!

exactly. dont believe this nonsense. 64gb will be there for sure. i do not know about the 128gb though. i fear it is not in there. and i think thats a pretty well educated guess.
 
If you buy an iPad 3 you better get the 64GB of if they introduce 128GB. With greater resolution comes larger file sizes.
 
I dare ya

Yeah Apple do just do it I dare ya. Make my iPad2 even more attractive for potential buyers. At this rate I'll be able to sell it for the price I bought it ;)

Lower GB's and higher prices c'mon
 
8Gb? This rumor sounds like a dud.

Flash storage has gotten cheap, and the iPad is a multi-media device and needs plenty of storage.

Only explanation that would make sense: Apple has an iPad2 overstock and will try to get rid of it rather cheaply. In order not to disgruntle anyone and to not mess with its high price policy, a ridiculous 8Gb would be in those sell-offs.
 
I miss MacRumors' old format, where there was Page 2 for all the outlandish claims from disreputable sources.

I keep asking this question, and not getting an answer. Can anybody name one non-obvious claim by Digitimes that came true? Just one that wasn't already expected or being reported by other people. Have they ever "broken a story" as it were that turned out correct? Is there any evidence that they have sources that are actually in the know?

I get that MacRumors has to pay their bills, and controversial stories get more ad hits, but I should think that eventually, MacRumors starts looking just as silly as Digitimes. It can't be good for business in the long run if everyone thinks you're a joke. Please, MacRumors, don't become a joke, and stop parroting these ridiculous claims.
 
It's all about iCloud.

The sometimes-reliable DigiTimes reports that Apple is planning to launch a new 8 GB iPad 2 model next week alongside the iPad 3, presumably seeking to reduce costs to make the device as affordable as possible while also differentiating the offering from the iPad 3.

My instinct says there won't be an 8GB iPad 2 unless it's more than $100 less than the current 16GB iPad 2. Just pulling numbers out of the air (like we all are here) I'd guess $350 for iPad 2 if it's 8GB.

And if Apple really wants to keep a low-end cheapskate iPad model around, they could continue selling iPad 1, with 16GB, for $299. This is the biggest argument against a 7.85" iPad mini, by the way. A 2" smaller screen won't really be that much cheaper, and all the design and production line expenses will be amortized over another year, bringing unit costs down.

But I'd expect Apple to keep the low-end iPad 2 at 16GB and sell it for $399. A cool $100 off. The 3-digit price drop would look good in ads.

Today's report also claims, however, that Apple will be introducing 16 GB and 32 GB models of the iPad 3, making no mention of a 64 GB version or even a potential 128 GB version that some users have been hoping for.

I would be surprised if Apple didn't ship a 64GB iPad 3, just because iPad 2 also came in 16/32/64GB configurations. But more than 64GB is doubtful IMHO. Apple doesn't want iPads to be repositories for everyone's documents, music, and videos. That's what iCloud is for.

One of the major goals for iCloud, I think, is to enable its clients to become smaller, cheaper, lighter, and to enable them to have longer battery life. By offloading storage and processing to server farms. That means storing all your "stuff" in iCloud instead of in your individual iOS / OS X devices.

That's what "cloud computing" is all about. Client - server interoperability with internet connectivity. With benefits.
 
8Gb? This rumor sounds like a dud.

Flash storage has gotten cheap, and the iPad is a multi-media device and needs plenty of storage.

Only explanation that would make sense: Apple has an iPad2 overstock and will try to get rid of it rather cheaply. In order not to disgruntle anyone and to not mess with its high price policy, a ridiculous 8Gb would be in those sell-offs.

There is one other explanation that would make sense. Apple likes to have a lower priced solution around since that is the number that often gets tossed around in price comparisons, but at the same time they want it somewhat crippled to encourage people to get the newer one. Kind of like the iPhone 4 which was reduced to 8GB when the iPhone 4s came out.

However, as you say, flash memory is cheap and I really hope Apple doesn't do this. 8GB on an iPad will be frustrating for many users, and 8GB of flash memory is not that expensive (you can get 8GB SD cards on Amazon for less than $10, which means it would probably only amount to less than $5 on the BOM.

Besides, I expect Apple to start selling 1080p movies, and one or two of these would fill up an 8GB iPad.

----------

One of the major goals for iCloud, I think, is to enable its clients to become smaller, cheaper, lighter, and to enable them to have longer battery life. By offloading storage and processing to server farms. That means storing all your "stuff" in iCloud instead of in your individual iOS / OS X devices.

That's what "cloud computing" is all about. Client - server interoperability with internet connectivity. With benefits.

I think that this is a common misperception of what iCloud is all about. In my opinion, iCloud is all about making multiple devices (iPhone, wife's iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.) all work seamlessly together.

iCloud's current implementation does very little to help with reducing storage needs. To use something, it needs to be on your device. Sure I can pull Apps or songs from the cloud, but if you delete an App, you lose all data associated with it, and when mobile, you can't download Apps bigger than 20MB. Even if you could, it would be too slow to be useful.

My 64GB iPad has about 30GB of Apps on it, 6GB of books, 4GB of photos, 10GB of video, 6GB of books, and 2GB of music. The music was more before I started using iTunes match, and if streaming was enabled, I could reduce this to zero. But iCloud won't help with books, photos, video, apps in the near future.
 
8 GB doesn't work on the iPad, and Apple wouldn't make such a dumb move. If we are moving to a four-tiered option system, it'll be a larger model, with price drops in the current 16 and 32 GB.

The best price model would be this:

16 GB - $299
32 GB - $399
64 GB - $499
124 GB - $599

Unlikely, given Apple. But one can dream :p
 
8 GB doesn't work on the iPad, and Apple wouldn't make such a dumb move. If we are moving to a four-tiered option system, it'll be a larger model, with price drops in the current 16 and 32 GB.

The best price model would be this:

16 GB - $299
32 GB - $399
64 GB - $499
124 GB - $599

Unlikely, given Apple. But one can dream :p
124 GB? what chips will apple use for this? :p
 
Jobs'

Any one else notice that the iPad shows Steve's silver Mercedes? I don't think it has plates either.
 
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Apple has become so damn miserly it's rediculous. How about a 16GB iPad 2 at 399.99, and the iPad 3 at 32GB at 549.00.
 
why haven't we seen..

...higher numbers of storage? 8 16 32? good god lets see 32 64 128! The only way to bring the prices down is for them to order the stuff. Which brings me to another gripe.... the 25billion download contest prize. HOW can you use 10000 dollars worth of apps on one f'n iPad?
 
The problem is nobody would upgrade there 64GB to a downgraded smaller size. Think of the hassle of deleting everything off it.

It's possible they have done this due to it being to the retina display prices. As for 8GB I reckon that will be for the rumoured 7" version. The smaller, 8GB model is good for people who just browse and don't use apps.
 
Looks like Apple is seeding some false rumours to try to sniff out the leaks again... ;)

In any case, I can't seen any scenario in which the top model has less storage than the previous generation. And I doubt that any model will be available with less than 16 GB, unless Apple wants something to go head-to-head with the Kindle Fire at $299 or less.
 
An 8GB model would be targeted as an educational offering if they did it. Makes little sense to put out an 8GB model for general users. Probably will be sold in bulk to schools for $299. It's a perfect size to store a few apps and some books.
Smallest consumer model iPad2 could be a 16GB for $449.
That would set up the iPad3 at $549 in 16GB like the rumors say.

In classic Apple fashion, they will push up the price on their new introduction but soften the blow by offering the lower price option. Then the critics will have nothing to complain about when it comes to comparing them to the competition.
Apple is getting criticism over the fact that they don't have a lower price offering to compete with the likes of the Kindle Fire. Although it's a poor argument since the devices aren't even in the same class.
The iPad is no longer only a content consumption device. Although an 8GB model would be. More and more it's as much a creation tool as it is for consumption. The Kindle and the Nook will always be for consumption.
 
Its 2012. How much money are they gonna save using an 8 GB drive versus a 16 GB drive? Eliminate 8 GB. from now on, 16 GB and up. Apple, if you want a lower pricepoint, just lower the price, and take a little less profit margin. It's not going to bankrupt you.
 
Wait, no 64GB? Wow, if that is true! Well, if its only 16 and 32, the prices better not go up! That would be BS!

No 64 makes no sense and I am willing to bet large amounts of money that there will be a 64GB iPad 3.

The usual DigiTimes BS. They are sometimes correct but only because they just shovel so much stuff out the door they're bound to get lucky sometimes.

An 8GB version iPad 2 at a lower price would make perfect sense so I can believe it. But not because of Digitimes... generally continuing to sell the iPad 2 I think would make sense, to alleviate the inevitable product shortages for the 3.
 
"Interoperability"

I think that this is a common misperception of what iCloud is all about. In my opinion, iCloud is all about making multiple devices (iPhone, wife's iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.) all work seamlessly together. [...]

"Making multiple devices [...] all work seamlessly together" is the living, breathing definition of "interoperability." That's the word I used.

iCloud's current implementation does very little to help with reducing storage needs. To use something, it needs to be on your device. [...]

But you don't need to keep all of your content on each of your devices any more. The lack high speed internet access to iCloud from anywhere, 24/7, is the only thing preventing us from streaming everything from iCloud. LTE will help slightly, but it's only an interim technology. The "real 4G," when it is pervasively available, will help significantly. The ITU guidelines require 4G to be roughly 3x faster than LTE. With very low latency, so real-time stop/start/rewind will be as fast as it would be with local content.

iCloud is in its infancy. Its "current implementation" is just one of its first baby steps. None of us knows what it will be like in 10 years. None of us knew how important iTunes would be to Apple when it was rolled out in 2001.
 
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