Apple have let core fans of their products down

[sinsin07]

Ipad 4 is a weak upgrade for people with Ipad 2/3.

Ipad 3 was only out 7 months ago.

Had Apple released something ground breaking then people wouldn't mind. I would rather they put something out that was a solid upgrade but instead it's just a minor refresh for people new to the tablet market.

Apple have really let there core fans down with this announcement. Event Ipad mini is the only IOS device now with no retina and a out dated A5.

Long term Apple have a smaller tablet that's all that came out of the announcement..was barely worth doing a big press conference for.

What constitutes a core fan and who voted you in to speak for them.

This is a guess, but it would seem core fans are some of those folks selling their devices on ebay, gazelle etc. to reup on an ipad 4 and non core fans are those posting threads like this.

 

[KPOM]

I have 2 theories:
1. They didn't put a CPU in the Oct model that was twice as fast as the Feb model?
2. They didn't, on the same date of the Oct 2011 announcement, stop selling the Feb 2011 inventory while still selling the 2010 model.

In fact, some Feb 2011 MBP owners probably did complain, you just didn't pay attention.

But how many people really complain about the speed of their iPad? I have a 3rd generation and am completely unfazed by all of this. I think it's a good move. It was a simple spec bump, much like the MacBook Air getting the Sandy Bridge processor in July 2011, about 9 months after getting a major redesign.

I completely understand why they dropped the number from the iPad name. This is more like an iPad 3S than an iPad 4. It keeps the same screen, as well as the same battery and thickness as the previous model. They just decided to replace the processor when they added the expanded LTE support and Lightning port. The next major move will be adding a thinner screen.

 

[shelob8888]

It's called the iPad (4th generation) officially.

It really doesn't matter, but really??? check the site bud.

 

[KPOM]

Even though I don't feel ripped off this sums up how I feel.

"Bringing out an iPad 4 now also seems to us to be setting a dangerous precedent as potential customers may be more wary of rushing out to buy the latest version when it launches, just in case Apple has something to top it a few months later."

I think it's mostly the media and tech writers upset about it. Perhaps Apple wants to shift the iPad to a fall update cycle. Perhaps they wanted to fend off the Nexus 10 and Surface. Or perhaps they decided that as long as they were going to refresh the iPad with expanded LTE support (Sprint plus Asia and Europe) that they might as well use their new in-house CPU rather than have the iPhone 5 use a faster processor for a full 6 months before the next iPad came out.

As for me, my 3rd generation iPad still works, and since the iPad mini uses the A5 processor, I am not worried about developers leaving the A5-equipped devices behind.

 

[Southernboyj]

if you're still calling the ipad 3rd gen "the new ipad", something's seriously wrong with you.

Can you read? I said 3rd generation iPad. Please spot the word "new" in that statement.

----------

I have 2 theories:
1. They didn't put a CPU in the Oct model that was twice as fast as the Feb model?
2. They didn't, on the same date of the Oct 2011 announcement, stop selling the Feb 2011 inventory while still selling the 2010 model.

In fact, some Feb 2011 MBP owners probably did complain, you just didn't pay attention.

I don't understand some people on this forum anyway. When people compare iOS devices to Androids.. everyone screams "Specs don't matter! User experience is all that matters!" Then they complain about processors.

 

[KPOM]

Good for new customers yes.

However they will feel just as unhappy if another model is unveiled next March.

How so? Technology moves fast. Assuming Google announces a 2560x1600 device next week as expected and the Surface sells well, people would have been complaining that Apple fell behind if they hadn't released an updated iPad yesterday.

October 2012 is a unique time with Microsoft entering the tablet market in a big way. Plus, after 2 years Google finally seems to be figuring out how tablets ought to work. For all we know this is the model Apple wanted to release 6 months ago, but supply constraints held them back.

Regardless, they are entering the holiday season with a compelling product on their hands. No one was expecting a significant update to the main iPad yesterday. Complaining about it is sort of like complaining about not getting advance notice that your tax bill was going down this year.

 

[NT1440]

Ipad 4 is a weak upgrade for people with Ipad 2/3.

Ipad 3 was only out 7 months ago.

Had Apple released something ground breaking then people wouldn't mind. I would rather they put something out that was a solid upgrade but instead it's just a minor refresh for people new to the tablet market.

Apple have really let there core fans down with this announcement. Event Ipad mini is the only IOS device now with no retina and a out dated A5.

Long term Apple have a smaller tablet that's all that came out of the announcement..was barely worth doing a big press conference for.

Show me a ground breaking tablet. Go ahead.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I notice on the front page Apple responded to criticism about Ipad mini's high pricing.

Why has nobody put it to them that Ipad 4 is a poor upgrade from 2 or 3?

Why bother? Tell them with your wallets. All this craziness with being so damn upset is stupid.

 

[KPOM]

I don't understand some people on this forum anyway. When people compare iOS devices to Androids.. everyone screams "Specs don't matter! User experience is all that matters!" Then they complain about processors.

Exactly. I think many of the people who are the most "upset" just want to have the latest and greatest for the sake of having it. I've never felt my 3rd gen was too slow.

I'm quite happy with my 3rd generation and feel no need to run out and get the 4th gen. I don't think Apple's target is me, anyway. However, I'm fully supportive of the move since it means that new owners get a better device. As long as the iPad 2 and iPad mini are around with slower processors, there is no risk of the 3rd generation being "obsoleted" anyway.

 

[luketheduke]

I don't think the new iPad update is intended to make people upgrade from their recent iPad 3 purchase. It's simply a slight update to bring their flagship tablet inline with their new connector used on the latest iPhone, iPod and the new iPad mini.

I think people should consider updates to products as more of a positive than a negative thing. Apple could easily have coasted on the iPad 3 (with the old 30-pin connector) for months until their usual update time next year. Then people would have been complaining about the lack of a Lightning connector on the 'best' tablet Apple make.

Also, I think it's important to realise that this iPad update frequency isn't likely to be typical. It's the first time Apple have ever changed the connector in their products since their introduction, and the new Lightning connector is going to be around for some time now...


FYI, the title should read "Apple have let core fans of their products down".

 

[vastoholic]

Apple have let a few fans of one product down

Fixed your title for you.

I don't understand anyone here. Half the forum is upset because they introduced a new iPad that is better than the iPad 3 they just bought, and now here you guys are, and you're upset because the upgrade wasn't significant enough? Am I understanding that correct? FFS, you really can't please anyone can you?


This upgrade is quite simple. They wanted to get all their devices onto the lightning cable, but they wanted to make the update worth it so they could have something to announce at the media event.

Now everyone is in a hissy fit because they think apple is going to start releasing new devices every 6 months instead. IT HAPPENED ONE TIME SO FAR! And so what if they do? They wouldn't be the first company to do it. Apple doesn't have to be on anyone's time schedule except their own. We don't have to buy every frickin device they put out all the time. Many App developers (at least the ones I use) have been pretty good at keeping support for older devices and older iOS versions. Of course Apple is the exception here, but they do it because they want to entice you to upgrade devices so you can use their software.

 

[Lara F]

For those saying the update is no big deal, I submit the difference in features between iOS 6 for the iPhone 4 and the 4S. Enough said.

 

[gadget123]

FYI, the title should read "Apple have let core fans of their products down".

Sorry fixed now

 

[vastoholic]

For those saying the update is no big deal, I submit the difference in features between iOS 6 for the iPhone 4 and the 4S. Enough said.

I don't know what the differences are.

 

[marc11]

For those saying the update is no big deal, I submit the difference in features between iOS 6 for the iPhone 4 and the 4S. Enough said.

This is such a salient point, I hope people get it. This is what Apple does to entice new hardware sales. They bump the specs of a device, ie 4 to 4s or 2010 MBP to 2011 MBP and then the os be it iOS or OSX contains features that are reserved to only the newest devices.

For example, Siri on ipad mini but not ipad 2. There are other examples but you get it. It suttle and sometimes, but not always justified, the OS must move forward and should take advantage of the latest hardware.

But look at what Apple is slowly doing:

1) Increased release cycles of hardware. Not sure if this is a trend we will see.
2) Increased release cycles of the OS. We have seen this.
3) Increased of functions reserved for newest devices for no known technical reasons.
4) Increased NON USER upgradable parts in newer computers.

What Apple is doing is brilliant. They are combining the newest OS features only to run on the newest devices and at the same time, the newest OS, while workable on the older devices, often is not ideal. IE having to upgrade to 8 GB of ram for ML to work well.

So, you buy a MBP, iMac or 4th Gen iPad. Boom in six months, a new hardware refresh and a new OS. But wait, all the feautres on your "old" hardware will not run, too bad. Of and the new OS slows your device down, you really need more memory...too bad, you cannot upgrade. Better buy a new device...

All IMHO really, but it seems the trend to me.

 

[phpmaven]

Ipad 4 is a weak upgrade for people with Ipad 2/3.

Ipad 3 was only out 7 months ago.

Had Apple released something ground breaking then people wouldn't mind. I would rather they put something out that was a solid upgrade but instead it's just a minor refresh for people new to the tablet market.

Apple have really let there core fans down with this announcement. Event Ipad mini is the only IOS device now with no retina and a out dated A5.

Long term Apple have a smaller tablet that's all that came out of the announcement..was barely worth doing a big press conference for.

What a load of utter crap.

 

[kfscoll]

I think it's a solid update. Twice the CPU/GPU performance is nothing to sneeze at. And really, what more could they have added to make this a "real" update? A thinner form factor? I submit that an upgraded CPU is more important than that. We also get an upgraded FaceTime camera and twice the WiFi performance. I plan to give my iPad 3 to my wife, I'll get the iPad 4, and we'll sell her iPad 2 to Amazon for a $400 gift card.

 

[WilliamLondon]

Who's going to be shocked when an iPad Mini Retina drops in March and all those people who rushed out to buy the original Mini this holiday season feel duped?

It won't happen. They simply reset the refresh cycle to be autumn releases for the iPad (now a "family"<smile>), in order to capitalise on the holiday season from now going forward. This is why they upgraded the iPad (and didn't do it silently), so it wouldn't seem so "long in the tooth" all through next year until its next refresh in the Sept/Oct time frame.

 

[Baytriple]

It would not say I'm upset. Just a little peeved.

I didn't buy my iPad 3 to be the latest. I bought it for the retina. I just enjoy it for what it is. When I feel like upgrading I will.

If I lived in the mindset if always having the latest apple product, I would be poor and have to sell so much kit very regularly.

 

[russ99]

I think the issue is also that Apple is not on a standard release timeline anymore.

When they only introduced new products at Macworld and ADC, consumers could be sure that the device they bought wouldn't be replaced until the next timeframe.

Now they have product introductions at odd times, and IMO they introduced too much at once this week.

 

[hkfan24]

What constitutes a core fan and who voted you in to speak for them.

This is a guess, but it would seem core fans are some of those folks selling their devices on ebay, gazelle etc. to reup on an ipad 4 and non core fans are those posting threads like this.

+1,000,000. Have you seen how many iPad 3 and 4 threads the OP has created in the past few days? He's coming off as more as a bitter iPad 3 owner than a core fan. Lets not forget all the posts he's made downgrading the ipad 4 for people that are interested in it. OP isn't a core fan of Apple.

OP, you don't like the ipad 4 an the move Apple made, then tough. You have to live with it as we all do. No need to make a billion threads stating why iPad 4 sux and how you need to obviously justify why you're upset. It's getting old.

I'm a true core fan. I've owned Apple products for 15 years now and I upgrade all the time but you dont see me b*tching and complaing and preaching to other why ipad 4 isnt an upgrade. iPad owners aren't the definition of "core fans." IPad 4 came out. Get over it.

 

[aka777]

Ipad 4 is a weak upgrade for people with Ipad 2/3.

What are you talking about... The iPad 4 is leaps and bounds better than the iPad 2.

Also, the irony of you complaining, considering LTE is now enabled in the 4 for the UK.

 

[hkfan24]

What are you talking about... The iPad 4 is leaps and bounds better than the iPad 2.

Also, the irony of you complaining, considering LTE is now enabled in the 4 for the UK.

OP is getting more and more immature as he posts. He's obviously bitter even though I'm sure he'll counter what I say and claim he's not bitter. I guarantee if Apple knocked on his door and offered a free swap to iPad 4, he'll jump for joy.

After all the bickering, he's still accomplished.......nothing. Apple is, what Apple does.

 

[wolfpackfan]

Sheesh, I don't see how Apple let anyone down. They came out with a better product 6 months earlier than expected and charging the same price. Sounds like good marketing to me, especially just before the Christmas buying season starts.

 

[ixodes]

If we step back & look at the big picture, it's just Apple being Apple.

They are a company very closely attuned to their customers. They take advantage of the ones that will buy anything at any price. They advocate, make excuses & justify Apples every move as though it's their company. They brag when Apple makes money, and they support Apple if they overcharge.

They brag about superior performance when Apples products lead, and they dismiss the importance of performance when they don't. Instead they shift the focus to "the experience" or some other minutia.

With customers like this Apple can do no wrong.

Apples core customers of the past are irrelevant to Apple. They've got iCustomers now. Easily impressed, easily lead, they follow along responding to every move the marketing masters make.

iCustomers buy products that in many cases generate over 70% to 100% gross profit for Apple. With this kind of markup, and the value Apple places on revenue, nothing else matters to them.