You can have this and awful battery life, I am happy to have an option that doesn't let tasks run constantly in the background and wipe the battery in a matter of hours while its just sitting there.
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Apple Reportedly Planning to Release Most Affordable 9.7-inch iPad Ever in Late 2018
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You can have this and awful battery life, I am happy to have an option that doesn't let tasks run constantly in the background and wipe the battery in a matter of hours while its just sitting there.
If someone gifted me a Amazon Fire HD I'd ask for the receipt and promptly return it for a down payment on an iPad (or sell it on eBay).
But that just me.
In regard to your iPads, if they are collecting dust because they don't meet your needs it would appear that you didn't do enough research; especially since you appear to own more than one.
Nice to see if this does become true. Not just for consumers, but in education, non-profit programs, small business owners, anywhere where the use of the iPad is specific to certain tasks. I know iPads are becoming more common in elementary level teaching, but only in certain areas and certain schools. This lowered price point could help to further expand availability of those teaching programs.
If you keep apologizing like that Apple will eventually remove background multitasking on Macbooks and make the battery smaller and more profitable. I'll settle for background multitasking, larger battery and lower cost of the 2017 Amazon Fire HD 10.
Most important part of the post:
That's exactly what you got with Amazon Fire HD.
Sure..... plus the other factor here are all of the iPads in use by businesses as "dedicated purpose" devices.
My workplace uses the "Zoom" videoconferencing system throughout its offices, and we set up each of the conference rooms with an iPad as the controller. (You can use an Android tablet too now, but back when we bought the system, the iPad was the only supported controller solution.)
It's a slick setup because the iPad displays the upcoming meetings as people book use of a conference room in Outlook, as well as functioning as a control pad to zoom or pan the camera during a call, adjust the speaker volume, invite other people to join, mute / unmute people who have joined the call and change other settings. (You can even go "all out" and use 2 iPads with each system. Then, one can be mounted on the wall as people come in and serves a dedicated function as the scheduling tablet to both reserve the room or to view the whole schedule of meetings. The other just works as the controller, and can be handed around the room to whichever participant wants to have the controls.)
When you look at how many businesses use iPads as digital cash register kiosks too? You start to see a whole market that's opened up to buy low cost versions of iPads for these dedicated tasks.
My workplace uses the "Zoom" videoconferencing system throughout its offices, and we set up each of the conference rooms with an iPad as the controller. (You can use an Android tablet too now, but back when we bought the system, the iPad was the only supported controller solution.)
It's a slick setup because the iPad displays the upcoming meetings as people book use of a conference room in Outlook, as well as functioning as a control pad to zoom or pan the camera during a call, adjust the speaker volume, invite other people to join, mute / unmute people who have joined the call and change other settings. (You can even go "all out" and use 2 iPads with each system. Then, one can be mounted on the wall as people come in and serves a dedicated function as the scheduling tablet to both reserve the room or to view the whole schedule of meetings. The other just works as the controller, and can be handed around the room to whichever participant wants to have the controls.)
When you look at how many businesses use iPads as digital cash register kiosks too? You start to see a whole market that's opened up to buy low cost versions of iPads for these dedicated tasks.
The cheapest 'MacBook' is the MacBook Air for $1000. Still well above the $400 for PC laptops, but significantly closer to it than $1300 (price of the 12" MacBook and the 13" MBP w/ 2 TB ports).
"For some, Android wont ever be an option..." That would be me. For work I have both a iPad Air 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 3. I only ever use the Samsung when it is required. Android is a hot mess to me and my trust in Google is slim to none.
If someone gifted me a Amazon Fire HD I'd ask for the receipt and promptly return it for a down payment on an iPad (or sell it on eBay).
But that just me.
In regard to your iPads, if they are collecting dust because they don't meet your needs it would appear that you didn't do enough research; especially since you appear to own more than one.
Since they are gifts asking for the receipt can be considered rude unless it was already provided. Few things I keep because surprisingly they're useful. Other things I'm forced to keep due to receiving from close family while the rest I give away if I never see myself using it.
Keep and use: 2017 Amazon Fire HD which is a first and I actually got two a 32GB and a 64GB which I haven't opened yet
Keep for guests to play with when it's not collecting dust: iPads
Donate to others: lower spec'd Amazon tablets, Apple TV
Except for the background multitasking, didn't the 2016 MBPs do this?
Gotta say, I picked a Fire 7 on Cyber Monday because it was $25, so nice toy. After setting it up I realized that's exactly what it is. I don't know if it's just a smaller Fire 10 but it's truly not worth more than I paid for it it's so fracking slow and frustrating.
OTOH I also bought a 16GB Galaxy 10.1 on CM for $152 + $20 Target GC to use as a dedicated kiosk. It's pretty decent for the money. But if a $199 iPad 9.7 was also available I'd have grabbed that instead. It's not Apple apologizing. The iPad 9.7 is the best tablet for $300. Knock it down to $200 and it's just the best budget tablet period. The Fire is more like smolders.
This is really all I care about. Give us Mini fans an updated model, Apple!
iPads are still the better bedroom 'computers' and for most leisure travel also beat laptops.
While I never mind having lower prices, it's not worth it if there is any reduction in quality or performance. If they can pull off a lower price with equal or better quality to the current 9" iPad, then ok, but otherwise, no.
I'd rather see Apple focus on improved usability and features. Sorry, but as good as the iPad is, it still can't replace a laptop or desktop. Connectivity is also still an issue. Apple, let me know when I can get up from the couch with my iPad, walk over to the desk (where there is a 27" monitor, keyboard, mouse, scanner, and printer) and plug in my iPad with a single Thunderbolt cable and instantly have the iPad become the "PC" of that setup.
I'd rather see Apple focus on improved usability and features. Sorry, but as good as the iPad is, it still can't replace a laptop or desktop. Connectivity is also still an issue. Apple, let me know when I can get up from the couch with my iPad, walk over to the desk (where there is a 27" monitor, keyboard, mouse, scanner, and printer) and plug in my iPad with a single Thunderbolt cable and instantly have the iPad become the "PC" of that setup.
The 2017 iPad with iOS 11 is a competent computing device. Add an inexpensive third party BT keyboard, and you can do a lot of stuff with this setup. So, this is not just a tablet for kids and grandparents. There are many folks with Mac desktops at home or office that can use this entry level iPad as their on-the-go computing device for productivity and entertainment.
Frankly, Apple could make 2018 the “S” year for their entry level iPad.......keep the same form factor, screen and case, but update the processor and adjust the price. A processor update from A9 to A10 might not add much to the production cost. Apple might have a larger supply of the A10, or it just might be cheaper to make larger production runs of a more current chip, especially if the iPhone SE gets a bump to A10.
I would be interested to see if Apple adds the smart connector to the entry level iPad. Of course, this would definitely add to production cost, but it would be a great marketing vehicle for accessory sales of the Smart Keyboard, which could be a very profitable.
Frankly, Apple could make 2018 the “S” year for their entry level iPad.......keep the same form factor, screen and case, but update the processor and adjust the price. A processor update from A9 to A10 might not add much to the production cost. Apple might have a larger supply of the A10, or it just might be cheaper to make larger production runs of a more current chip, especially if the iPhone SE gets a bump to A10.
I would be interested to see if Apple adds the smart connector to the entry level iPad. Of course, this would definitely add to production cost, but it would be a great marketing vehicle for accessory sales of the Smart Keyboard, which could be a very profitable.
Android requires 4000mAh+ batteries to go a day and a half, again, no thanks.
It sounds like you want to stick to an Amazon Fire HD in that case.
we can expect beautiful 16GB device .. they have to save $ somewhere to get their common profit portion