First Hands-On Impressions of 'The New iPad'

[amorya]

If iPad has resulted in the post=PC era, why did I see only laptops in the audience during the keynote? No matter what Apple tries to say, the iPad can't do it all.

I think Apple's concept of the post-PC era is a bit different to that… in their eyes, the post-PC era means moving away from one device that can do it all, and moving towards multiple devices with specific purposes and use cases, all tied together by the cloud so that you can move data between them seamlessly.

I'm not saying they've got there yet, but I'm pretty sure that's where they're heading.

 

[linux2mac]

[1]Apps must be optimized for simultaneous viewing.

Googles "Optimized for Samsung Simultaneous viewing"
finds one mention of this feature on the second page that then states there aren't any apps that use is.

LOL! I noticed that too. That Samsung spec sheet is meaningless. Just like many Windows PC's look good on paper, they are actually garbage when taken out of the box. The iPad is the best tablet out there hands down. Can't believe there are some still trying to dispute that fact.

 

[antonis]

When my 1st generation iPod touch died (bag got water under heavy rain) I was really amazed when faced the retina display on the newer model (4 gen).

I believe the retina display alone make this the greatest upgrade. It makes all the difference.

 

[John.B]

Niiice.

Still doesn't support the AWS 1700-MHz band though. Does Apple not like that band or something?

That T-mobile band is the b*st*rd child of 3G data networks. They shouldn't be surprised to find themselves out on an island.

Wrong. PC equates to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computer

Notebook computers fit this description. And the iPad fits this description with cut the cord. Because you need cut the cord to fit the "no intervening computer operator" ie no need to sync to another Mac to activate.

So in short the iPad IS a PC. It is just not a PC in the traditional sense. It is the new breed of PC. But still very much a PC.

So it's the same, except that it's completely different... Hmmm...

 

[brdeveloper]

First Hands-On Impressions of The Oldest iPad.

 

[iSayuSay]

LOL! I noticed that too. That Samsung spec $h1t is meaningless. Just like many Windows PC's look good on paper, they are actually garbage when taken out of the box. The iPad is the best tablet out there hands down. Can't believe there are some still trying to dispute that fact.

You spelled it wrong .. Fixed that for you

 

[Leonard1818]

why is everyone hating on the iPads capabilities and comparing it to a full-fledged desktop machine?

You need to take a breath and realize that this new generation iPad is just a stepping stone to the "post-pc" era. Some would argue we're there already what with sales of the iPad surpassing laptop sales or whatever the statistic says but in my opinion we're still highly reliant on the personal computer (beefy as it is)

For a LOT of peoples computing needs however the iPad fits the bill well. How many people do you think own laptops that only ever use them for email and basic web browsing? I bet there's a lot. Heck at christmas my wife asked me to help her grandma set up her new laptop. You know what she's going to use it for? Skype and email. THAT'S IT.

I have no doubt that the iPad will be able to achieve 90-100% of all tasks for 80% of all average consumers.

 

[G5isAlive]

Heavier or not, the iPad as a whole is too heavy for a reading device. It's more than that, so it's a compromise to live with, but for reading alone it's too heavy (and because of the size and weight distribution weights down on the holding hand even more).

I wonder if people who say you can't use the iPad for reading have actually tried? I own both a kindle and iPad and its the iPad i use most of the time for reading because it has the larger screen and is lit. I only use the kindle when I am outside. I don't hold them the same. Sure you can wave the kindle around while reading, but so what? You balance the iPad while reading. Works fine.

 

[the8thark]

So it's the same, except that it's completely different... Hmmm...

It's like comparing the Bright Brothers plane or a WW1 Red Barron plane to a modern day stealth bomber with jet engines. Back 50+ years ago no one could imagine something with Jet engines. But the jet engine initially challenged what people traditionally viewed a plane was. But given enough time we all took them for granted. And today all planes have jet engines and we're ok with it.

The same with the iPad. We're all used to bulky desktops being called PCs. But slowly thin desktops (iMacs) and notebooks challenged this view. As they were PCs too. And it took time for people to accept them ad PCs.

Today we have ultrabooks. MBAs and iPads entering the PC market. They all are PCs. And it'll take people time to accept them ad PCs. Because one day when the desktop as we know it is dead the iPad styled PC will be all the have. And that will become the PC people use every day. Well a crap load of people already use iPads. So that future might be slowly starting today.

In short:
It's the same because the iPads do everything a PC has to do to be classified as a PC. And they are different because they are a new and improved PC. A new breed. The next generation.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

It's like comparing the Bright Brothers plane or a WW1 Red Barron plane to a modern day stealth bomber with jet engines. Back 50+ years ago no one could imagine something with Jet engines. But the jet engine initially challenged what people traditionally viewed a plane was. But given enough time we all took them for granted. And today all planes have jet engines and we're ok with it.

The same with the iPad. We're all used to bulky desktops being called PCs. But slowly thin desktops (iMacs) and notebooks challenged this view. As they were PCs too. And it took time for people to accept them ad PCs.

Today we have ultrabooks. MBAs and iPads entering the PC market. They all are PCs. And it'll take people time to accept them ad PCs. Because one day when the desktop as we know it is dead the iPad styled PC will be all the have. And that will become the PC people use every day. Well a crap load of people already use iPads. So that future might be slowly starting today.

In short:
It's the same because the iPads do everything a PC has to do to be classified as a PC. And they are different because they are a new and improved PC. A new breed. The next generation.

And yet I couldn't get a day of work done on one...

Different uses and advantages. The iPad has its drawbacks.

 

[Genetheninja]

"The pixels in the 2048 x 1536 display are, at regular arm’s length, completely indistinguishable: it’s only when you get up close that you can make them out."




That's exactly what I thought. On a screen as small as the iPad can you really tell the difference? I really don't think so. For the same reason 720p and 1080p look pretty much the same on a laptop... And the same reason that on my 65" LCD you CAN tell the difference between 720 and 1080 but on my 32" you really can't...
I just can't justify the purchase when I already have the iPad 2. The upgrades really aren't worth it for me. Which is why the shipping dates took so long to slip.

I'm saving my money for an upgrade from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 5. Which the iPhone 4S wasn't worth the upgrade either for me.
I have a feeling that I'll be upgrading from now on with every other release.

 

[outcast316]

This looks amazing. I'm thinking it's time for an upgrade from the original iPad!

 

[syc23]

"The pixels in the 2048 x 1536 display are, at regular arm’s length, completely indistinguishable: it’s only when you get up close that you can make them out."




That's exactly what I thought. On a screen as small as the iPad can you really tell the difference? I really don't think so. For the same reason 720p and 1080p look pretty much the same on a laptop... And the same reason that on my 65" LCD you CAN tell the difference between 720 and 1080 but on my 32" you really can't...
I just can't justify the purchase when I already have the iPad 2. The upgrades really aren't worth it for me. Which is why the shipping dates took so long to slip.

I'm saving my money for an upgrade from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 5. Which the iPhone 4S wasn't worth the upgrade either for me.
I have a feeling that I'll be upgrading from now on with every other release.

You keep telling yourself that.

There was a significant difference between the iPhone 3GS and 4 due to the Retina display - the same will apply with the iPad2 and 'New' iPad. You should have waited

 

[linux2mac]

You spelled it wrong .. Fixed that for you

Lol! That's more accurate. Thanks.

 

[MisterK]

I really hope that Apple manages to bring the weight down with the next version. Maybe carbon fiber or something. I have an iPad 2 and that is my only complaint. Given the choice, I'd rather have the retina display, but the weight IS a turnoff.

Other than that, it's a pretty solid update. Everything about the iPad was bumped and iCloud is there to address storage. I can't wait to see the display in person.

Apple, despite being so full of bravado, seems to be the only company humble enough to accept that tablets aren't the ideal for every use case and so they are able to make the best and most honest compromise and give the best tablets possible. The others won't make this compromise, so they have bad laptops masquerading as tablets and bad tablets masquerading as laptops.

 

[Oneness]

What's amazing to me is that you can blow through your entire monthly data plan in fifteen minutes. What happened to all those unlimited data plans that were going to allow Apple's iCloud to become a serious storage platform? In an era of ever increasing resolutions and ever shrinking data plans, why are we expected to settle for local storage that is less than a tenth of what the PC era gave us? Each of us has different expectations as to what makes a great tablet, but I don't recall reading post after post and thread after thread about how bad the resolution was or how slow the processor is. So why is Apple so busy fixing what isn't even broken and yet so hesitant to address (or even acknowledge) what people are actually upset about?

This is the elephant in the room that no one addresses. So what if Apple (or Samsung, or HTC, or Sony, or .....) continues to churn out these stunning devices and multi-media powerhouse tablets, if you are tied to WiFi then you cripple the device.
For some people money is not an issue so they can afford any data plan that is out there.
For some people they have access to WiFi all day/every day so internet access is not an issue.
But for the vast majority of us we can't justify another $30-80/month for a separate data plan and we aren't in range of WiFi all the time. I mean really, isn't the whole idea of a 3G/4G device is to allow you to be connected anywhere and all the time? But it is only affordable for the minority.

The new iPad is fabulous and I am going to get it, but the promise and potental of the device that is portrayed by Apple falls far short in the real world.

 

[brdeveloper]

Apple, despite being so full of bravado, seems to be the only company humble enough to accept that tablets aren't the ideal for every use case and so they are able to make the best and most honest compromise and give the best tablets possible. The others won't make this compromise, so they have bad laptops masquerading as tablets and bad tablets masquerading as laptops.

I can't see any utility for an iPad other than reading news and books. Typing to MR Forum is still much more pleasant with a laptop or a real keyboard equipped computer. Reading Facebook news can be done nicely in a smartphone. Seeing pictures in a almost-undistinguishable pixel screen is nice though, but it's not enough justification for upgrading or entering the iPad world.

I was expecting that iPad 3 came with that texture response technology, so Apple could improve iPad a lot in the usability field.

 

[jmgregory1]

I find myself wanting the new iPad, but I'm still not sure why. My new 13" air is so easy to use and travel with. It may not have the battery life of the iPad, but for production of documents, I'll take the old-school keyboard over the on-screen one any day.

And with the air, I get a bigger screen too...but I still want a new iPad.

 

[linux2mac]

I find myself wanting the new iPad, but I'm still not sure why. My new 13" air is so easy to use and travel with. It may not have the battery life of the iPad, but for production of documents, I'll take the old-school keyboard over the on-screen one any day.

And with the air, I get a bigger screen too...but I still want a new iPad.

Perhaps the plan down the road is for "perfected" voice recognition technology that would negate the need to ever type on the iPad.

 

[Spinnetti]

You're certainly in the minority. Wi-Fi is almost everywhere. Most people won't even start to consider getting a 4G model, even if it didn't cost any more.

The only place you likely won't have Wi-Fi access is while driving in your car, and I hope you weren't planning on using your iPad while driving. As a passenger, you can download whatever you need quickly before you leave home, work, school, grocery store, restaurant, etc. Forking over big buck$ for a data plan of any size is crazy for most people.

You live in a different world than most of us. I really liked photostream, but when visiting family it spewed all that data over 3g (I didn't know it) and I had both mine and my wifes phone get hit with big data overages. Wifi is definately NOT ubiqutious. I had to shut all that cloud stuff off.

Back to the pad, I have the original in wifi only, but I can't use it for nav can I? - without cell, no GPS, geo tagging etc.. I ordered the cell version for the new one.

 

[OneLastCast]

I'm wondering whether use of the 4G will suck the battery life out of it...looks like a great product though.

 

[tigress666]

It's like comparing the Bright Brothers plane or a WW1 Red Barron plane to a modern day stealth bomber with jet engines. Back 50+ years ago no one could imagine something with Jet engines. But the jet engine initially challenged what people traditionally viewed a plane was. But given enough time we all took them for granted. And today all planes have jet engines and we're ok with it.

In short:
It's the same because the iPads do everything a PC has to do to be classified as a PC. And they are different because they are a new and improved PC. A new breed. The next generation.

Just cause it's new doesn't mean it's improved or a better way of doing things. I will point out my roommate, an aerospace engineer, says that they have prop engines now that are far more efficient than the "jets" (which aren't technically jets ) they put on "jet" airliners but the airliners don't use them cause people equate props with old technology and therefore not good. Too bad cause they are far more fuel efficient (which would probably make for cheaper airline fees for one and we as a country/world need to reduce our use of oil anyways) and just as good performance wise.

I will take my laptop over a tablet any day. It's not that much bigger, I don't have to set it up to use a physical keyboard (and sorry, if you know how to type properly it is just not possible for an onscreen keyboard to be better than a physical keyboar), I just open it up, and voila, already set up. NO connecting to wifi or having to connect it to a dock. Plus I get a full OS (sorry, unless I need real mobility OSX is better to use than iOS. For one I can see several windows at once . Actually, I hear that's something Android tablets have advantage over iOS too so maybe I'm not being fair to tablets in that regard, maybe that's just an iOS problem).

 

[ThunderSkunk]

I see a lot of whiny people in this thread whose work apparently revolves around the typewriter.

 

[Taz Mangus]

The battery life on the iPad is amazing, but it down right sucks on the iPhone.

You know that there is an iOS 5.1 update released yesterday? Apply the update and see if it solves your issue with battery life. I applied the updated and the battery life, on my iPhone 4S, seems to be greatly improved. Reading comments by others has given me that impression in general.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

According to PCWorld the A5X has a two (dual?) CPU cores but has a quad core graphic processor.

update: this is the description from iPad features page:



Whatever, still want one

That's what I said... The only detail I wasn't sure of was the dual core graphics engine in the standard A5.

----------

Counting cores in graphic processor is not that meaningful. GPUs may have vastly different architectures. For example, Tegra 3 GPU has 12 cores - and it is slower than GPU in iPad. Besides, Apple totally forgot that they specs don't matter these days.

I remember some of the early dual and quad core Intel processors weren't all that speedy either and there appears to be an issue with memory size and multiple core processors where if you don't have enough, or too much, your performance really suffers...