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What? A thinner, lighter, smaller device? That's not copying -- that's the natural progression of technology.
A 1 lb tablet with 64 bit chip, 10 inch screen and metal case.

The only leg up that Samsung ever had on the iPhone was to increase the screen size. Now that they're at 5 inches, what will they do next?
 
I once criticized Josh back in his Engadget days when he was defending Apple left and right. At the time I was bashing Apple (I still do when it makes sense, i.e. iPad 2 for $400) and he responded back to me and he took my comment personal. But let’s be honest here. Apple has not released anything groundbreaking and people are starting to take note. There is nothing special about a slimmer faster iPad. Tim Cook has released nothing but reiterations of Steve J. dreams.
Can anyone here tell me from an innovation standpoint why they need to upgrade from an iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4 to an iPad Air? There are no 64bit only apps in the app store and not one requires the A7 processor speed.
If Samsung had a clear upgrade path for their devices or if Google released the Nexus 5 on Verizon I would not have purchased an iPhone 5s. This time around I wanted a simpler phone that would receive timely updates. The only thing saving Apple right now is its ecosystem and the ability to upgrade software across different devices. Even Windows Phone is building up to be a threat to Apple.
apps my not require 64 bit but can take advantage of it eg. Infinity Blade 3.

You cant expect any of these companies to reinvent the wheel every year. Incremental improvements are all your going to get.
 
I once criticized Josh back in his Engadget days when he was defending Apple left and right. At the time I was bashing Apple (I still do when it makes sense, i.e. iPad 2 for $400) and he responded back to me and he took my comment personal. But let’s be honest here. Apple has not released anything groundbreaking and people are starting to take note. There is nothing special about a slimmer faster iPad. Tim Cook has released nothing but reiterations of Steve J. dreams.
Can anyone here tell me from an innovation standpoint why they need to upgrade from an iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4 to an iPad Air? There are no 64bit only apps in the app store and not one requires the A7 processor speed.
If Samsung had a clear upgrade path for their devices or if Google released the Nexus 5 on Verizon I would not have purchased an iPhone 5s. This time around I wanted a simpler phone that would receive timely updates. The only thing saving Apple right now is its ecosystem and the ability to upgrade software across different devices. Even Windows Phone is building up to be a threat to Apple.

As defined by Merriam-Webster:

in·no·va·tion
noun \ˌi-nə-ˈvā-shən\

: a new idea, device, or method
: the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods

I'm not understanding how making (through brilliant engineering) an existing device way, way faster, smaller, and much lighter, with more battery life and a better screen than (at least) the 1st (and 2nd) generation, not innovation.

The iPad is a mature product. As with the iPhone, they kinda nailed it the first time (redefining the entire category). As another poster observed earlier, it is like laptops; older ones behave and do the same as newer ones. The innovation lies in how they achieve speed, weight, dimensions, etc.

The iPad is what it is, and will forever be that, until the Matrix is built. :p

Perhaps you're looking for Apple to redefine the tablet category again, which in my view is unlikely at this point (since they already did with the, you know, iPad).

That's not to say that Google and Windows (phone) are not innovative (they are). Their approach is merely different. One is not better than the other at everything, for everyone. There are always tradeoffs.

As such, this is a good thing; we, as customers, can pick the better fit for our personal tastes, workflow, lifestyle, etc.

But we'll never get the perfect device from any company; that is too much of a moving target.
 
I read Anandtech's review. I don't remember their words but basically the reviewer said it was the best and fastest tablet on the planet. Now that's a good review.

Now if we can get some reviews on the elusive iPad Mini Retina.

Happy Hallow:apple::apple:n!

Pretenders / Haters & Bashers,

Hello! Just get over it, iPad (whatever anyone wants to call it) is the best tablet in the planet.
 
I wonder if the iPad mini with retina will be noticeably faster at opening apps than the iPad air. The iPad air having to power a larger retina display will slow it down ever so slightly, but the iPad mini's higher pixel density (326 vs. 264) might counteract that some. I know the iPad 2 opened apps slightly faster than the iPad with retina display, dispite the faster chip in the iPad with retina.

I think you need to stop and think about what you just said.
 
iPad Air is bigger and heavier. This may cause way more accidental touches. There is no way of knowing how it'll feel until we try it.

Ok let me reword it: If the handling and the detection are anywhere close to that of the iPad Mini then the small bezel is a non-issue.

(I know that some companies keep saying that a small bezel is an issue in general, but the iPad Mini showed that it's not the case if done correctly)
 
I'm in the UK,and iPad Air is definitely discounted on apple educational store:
(only iPad Air though and neither older iPads were eligible for educational discount) US store might do the same?

Normal Apple Store Price:
Image

Educational Store Price:
Image

Sadly, our education vs. normal page is identical on iPad Air pricing... it reiterates "order Nov 1, starting at $499" =/
 
Glad to read the positive reviews for the iPad Air. I don't know why people are looking for a company like Apple to fail when Apple is the only company forcing other's to follow (copy) forward.

I've waited an entire year (not too long) for the iPad to gain it's retina display. With last weeks rumors of Apple released iPad Mini 2's without Retina displays really had me on the edge.

I didn't expect the price to go up but at the same time, it's an increase/premium that many will fork out.

Now, the hard part. Waiting for a release date.
 
That's like saying there will never be another iPhone S model. Hasn't there always been an "X" chip?

The "X" chip was designed to solve a particular problem at a particular time -- namely, that the existing chip couldn't adequately drive the retina display. That's no longer an issue. Indeed, the current A7 is capable of running at a much higher speed on the iPad Air than on the iPhone 5s, so there isn't even a performance hit for the larger display. There may be future "X" chips to address particular mid-cycle needs that arise, but those pining for a mythical A7X here don't understand what the A7 was designed to accomplish.
 
The "X" chip was designed to solve a particular problem at a particular time -- namely, that the existing chip couldn't adequately drive the retina display. That's no longer an issue. Indeed, the current A7 is capable of running at a much higher speed on the iPad Air than on the iPhone 5s, so there isn't even a performance hit for the larger display. There may be future "X" chips to address particular mid-cycle needs that arise, but those pining for a mythical A7X here don't understand what the A7 was designed to accomplish.

Indeed. There have only been two "X" chips. The A5X was created for the iPad3 because it needed the extra graphical grunt to drive the retina display. Even so, it could barely cope as it only had twice the GPU power yet was driving four times as many pixels as the A5 in the iPad2.

The A6X was introduced a scant seven months later in the iPad4, primarily to solve this problem. The A6 chip used in the iPhone 5 had roughly equivalent GPU power to the A5X so they needed an A6X derivative to once again double the GPU power for the iPad.

The A7 has been designed from the ground up to have enough horsepower to drive all the various screen resolutions across all iOS devices, so Apple can consolidate all devices onto a single chip design. I don't foresee any further "X" derivatives from here on.
 
The only leg up that Samsung ever had on the iPhone was to increase the screen size. Now that they're at 5 inches, what will they do next?

I just don’t think you can underestimate Samsung/Android OEM’s so recklessly. They can add S-pen support to the Galaxy S5 or do something crazy with their flexible displays. I can’t remember if it was LG or Samsung but during their flexible display demo a guy whips out a standard looking Android phone, pushes a button and the screen rolled out to about a 7” tablet.
Samsung is pretty aggressive with their ideas and I don’t see them slowing down. I was a huge Android phone person before I got the 5S but I did not like how Samsung pushed the Note 3 before updating the software in the Note 2 or S4. Their releasing too many devices and I feel that they get lost in the shuffle. But each day that goes by I regret not getting the Note 3 because it’s a better phone “if” you can handle the size. It’s a shame that the Note 3 is rocking 3gig of ram while the iPad Air has only 1gig. WTF.
 
I just don’t think you can underestimate Samsung/Android OEM’s so recklessly. They can add S-pen support to the Galaxy S5 or do something crazy with their flexible displays. I can’t remember if it was LG or Samsung but during their flexible display demo a guy whips out a standard looking Android phone, pushes a button and the screen rolled out to about a 7” tablet.
Samsung is pretty aggressive with their ideas and I don’t see them slowing down. I was a huge Android phone person before I got the 5S but I did not like how Samsung pushed the Note 3 before updating the software in the Note 2 or S4. Their releasing too many devices and I feel that they get lost in the shuffle. But each day that goes by I regret not getting the Note 3 because it’s a better phone “if” you can handle the size. It’s a shame that the Note 3 is rocking 3gig of ram while the iPad Air has only 1gig. WTF.

Funny thing is, the note 3 actually needs the 3 Gigs to run smoothly while the iPads (haven't tried the Air) runs just as fast with 1 Gig.
 
I would be buying the iPad Air immediately if it had Touch ID. I guess I will just have to wait til next year.

Do any of you guys who are holding out for a Touch ID actually have an iPhone 5s? The Touch ID isn't that great. It saves me maybe a half second on average every time I open my phone. That's because sometimes my finger isn't on it just right, or I'm using the wrong finger, or for whatever reason it just doesn't take. I like the feature, but I certainly wouldn't hold out for it.

You know, next year there's probably going to be some other killer feature that the iPad lacks. "If only the iPad had the new death ray that's on the iPhone 6..."
 
I once criticized Josh back in his Engadget days when he was defending Apple left and right. At the time I was bashing Apple (I still do when it makes sense, i.e. iPad 2 for $400) and he responded back to me and he took my comment personal. But let’s be honest here. Apple has not released anything groundbreaking and people are starting to take note. There is nothing special about a slimmer faster iPad. Tim Cook has released nothing but reiterations of Steve J. dreams.
Can anyone here tell me from an innovation standpoint why they need to upgrade from an iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4 to an iPad Air? There are no 64bit only apps in the app store and not one requires the A7 processor speed.
If Samsung had a clear upgrade path for their devices or if Google released the Nexus 5 on Verizon I would not have purchased an iPhone 5s. This time around I wanted a simpler phone that would receive timely updates. The only thing saving Apple right now is its ecosystem and the ability to upgrade software across different devices. Even Windows Phone is building up to be a threat to Apple.

So...
iPhone - nice touch screen with good browser, but 2G running WEB APPS : not innovative. prada phone was already touch screen
iPhone 3G - Finally gets 3G and local apps - should have been in the original iPhone, no innovation. Windows CE had more apps!
3GS - faster, WTF? Where is the innovation?
4 - wow, a better resolution screen? Still less pixels then 13" monitors
4S - faster again? Siri....
5 - wow, taller screen
5s - faster and finger print, innovation!!!

iPad - just a bigger iPhone...

Funny thing that iPhone and iPad weren't called innovative when they were released. It was after the fact that people started buying and using them and build apps that they changed markets, trends, user behaviour etc.

And what about Intel? All they have been doing for the past 25 years is just make chips faster and consume less energy...where is the quantum CPU?

If you don't think that shrinking a top of the line tablet by 30% in weight while increasing it's CPU/GPU power, keeping the same battery life takes innovation, I don't know what to tell you.

Like Ive said, they have been working on the iPad Air for years. I wouldn't be surprise if the iPad Air dimension and weight is what Jobs envisioned the first iPad to be. It just takes a lot of time to make it technically feasible for mass market.

It is one thing to envision a product, it is total different to actually build it and manufacture it at a reasonable cost. Hell, tablets were envisioned years before the iPad(Star Trek, Newton, etc).
 
I agree. His non-Apple product reviews are much more balanced than on most other sites. What I notice (I think) is that he is very careful when criticizing Apple products (access to review samples?) and there is also a little bit of bias that comes from the fact that he is Apple product owner/user (well, we are all biased towards our possessions :p)

Most of us are somewhat biased toward our possessions and choices. I liked that he typed the Surface Pro 2 review on the Surface Pro 2 using the type cover. I think he gave very constructive criticism and feedback on the Surface products. It seems to me that he goes into each Apple review open minded and not with the usual everything Apple is great and ignoring the shortcomings.
 
I'm honestly not that excited about this one.

What would make you excited?

Twice as fast, and better cameras. I'd say that, plus being significantly lighter and smaller, is pretty compelling.

The question is... New iPad Air to replace my gen 1 mini, or a retina mini?! I knew this moment would come. It was obvious that when the original mini was released, the next major redesign of the iPad would follow suit. I've loved my mini, but it's going to be a tough choice!

Rule of thumb: if you will be carrying a laptop with you as well, get the mini. If you will just be carrying the iPad, get the Air.

Just can't wait for the NSA to have your fingerprint, eh?

If the NSA wants your fingerprint, there are other ways of getting it. Your comment only shows your complete and utter ignorance of how TouchID works. But if you think I'm wrong, please tell us how the NSA gets your fingerprint from TouchID, considering the OS itself can't even get it. Also, please point me to articles showing how hackers have captured network traffic of your fingerprint data being transferred off your device. Because if Apple or the NSA was getting your fingerprint data from TouchID, it would have easily been discovered by now.
 
Funny thing is, the note 3 actually needs the 3 Gigs to run smoothly while the iPads (haven't tried the Air) runs just as fast with 1 Gig.

The Note 3 can run 2 apps on screen at the same time with other apps still running in the background. Can’t deny that a feature like that would be very useful on an iPad Air. That’s one reason why the Note 3 has 3gig of ram. Just calling it like I see it.
 
So instead of wanting it for it's screen, light weight, and thin profile in order to view the web and consume content...you want it so you can keep scanning your finger? Why punish yourself for an entire year just to get Touch ID?

Because I want something impressive in my next tablet. I can wait a year quite easily. :D
 
The Note 3 can run 2 apps on screen at the same time with other apps still running in the background. Can’t deny that a feature like that would be very useful on an iPad Air. That’s one reason why the Note 3 has 3gig of ram. Just calling it like I see it.

Agreed. Having 2 apps on the screen would be nice. But it is also true that the Note 2 still had issues with lag (more so then the iPhone5) with 2GB of RAM.
 
People are dumb

When the first iPad came out, people marveled at how Apple could pack so much into something so thin and light, and yet the iPod Touch at the time had the exact same technology guts and was significantly smaller and thinner then the iPad, which continued right up to the current generation of the iPod Touch. All the iPad had was a lot of extra room for more battery.

Today, iPhone 5s must be a distant memory because it has the same technology AND includes the touch ID, and even the new iPad Mini has the exact same technology as the Air, its the same thickness and is much lighter.

I.e. the iPad Air was trivial to engineer because its just a larger case to hold the iPhone 5s guts.

I'm amazed at how people gush over something new and shiny from Apple without realizing that there is nothing really impressive about it.
 
When the first iPad came out, people marveled at how Apple could pack so much into something so thin and light, and yet the iPod Touch at the time had the exact same technology guts and was significantly smaller and thinner then the iPad, which continued right up to the current generation of the iPod Touch. All the iPad had was a lot of extra room for more battery.

Today, iPhone 5s must be a distant memory because it has the same technology AND includes the touch ID, and even the new iPad Mini has the exact same technology as the Air, its the same thickness and is much lighter.

I.e. the iPad Air was trivial to engineer because its just a larger case to hold the iPhone 5s guts.

I'm amazed at how people gush over something new and shiny from Apple without realizing that there is nothing really impressive about it.

lol
 
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