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I am in market for smaller iPad

Too many people are drinking the Apple kool aid. Apple tells you you don't need a 7" tablet and you blindly follow. This despite many people, saying that 7-8" is a good size for holding with one hand, reading books and mags, and playing games. If the Ipad and iphone share the same apps and games, how come there needs to be such a drastic difference in screen size? From 3.5" to 10". Clearly a 7-8 incher is missing from that lineup. But Apple can't be wrong.:rolleyes:
 
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Bob Maxey said:
I would suggest that he is no different than the many others that want a tablet and in finding this forum, they start posting questions and asking for various iterations of the iPad or how come no smaller iPad.
Click to expand...
...he presents himself as a visionary, which he is not.

Bob Maxey said:
Not sure what his sig really means or what it says. I doubt you are truly the King of Kustard.
Click to expand...
...my moniker makes no assertions about the quality of anything, his signature implies great knowledge and understanding.

Bob Maxey said:
Not sure what the multimedia era is, or what you mean my it. Today is the multimedia era, I suppose. The iPad is designed for multimedia, is it not? iTunes is all about MM as well. Care to explain?
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...sure, I'll explain, because I'm not talking out of my zonk like most people. Note my capitalization: "Multimedia," not, "multimedia." Do you know the difference between Modern and modern? Capital M-odern was an art movement that is no longer m-odern. It was an era. In the case of M-ultimedia, that was the CD-ROM days of the 1990s. That is also the time when the difference between Firewire 400 and USB 2.0 made a difference. That is, 15 years ago! Perhaps you are under 30.

Bob Maxey said:
Not sure if it is sheer fantasy to ask for a 7-inch iPad. Just a wish expressed. Seems fair to me. Like the insufferable posts about "why no Flash" drive me nuts, but it is a legitimate query. We know why Apple did not grant the planet Flash, but many do not. They only hear the iPad is crippled because there is no Flash so it is somehow inferior.
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...he clearly states that he wants Apple to read this and act. It is not a query, it is a bet for a see-I-told-you-so next year. That's why I don't like threads like this - they are self-serving for the OP, and shouldn't exist at all. Naval gazing is the term.
 
Bob Maxey said:
You do not really need to debate it. Apple will do what they want to do. Chances are, there is a prototype somewhere in Apple's labs. I agree, they will likely not produce one because it is not a good move. The current version meets the needs of the devs and Apple.
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And what makes you think it is not a good move?
Are you sure ALL the devs are happy with a 10" iPad?

Chances are Apple went 10" (9.7" actually) becuase they considered it the best size for a NEW product category, a safe bet. With millions on the street, it is safe to bet Apple may introduce a smaller one (like they have done with MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac).

RIP Steve Jobs
 
PracticalMac said:
And what makes you think it is not a good move?
Are you sure ALL the devs are happy with a 10" iPad?

Chances are Apple went 10" (9.7" actually) becuase they considered it the best size for a NEW product category, a safe bet. With millions on the street, it is safe to bet Apple may introduce a smaller one (like they have done with MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac).

RIP Steve Jobs
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Nope.

http://9to5mac.com/2010/10/18/steve-jobs-crushes-hopes-of-7-inch-ipad/
 
PracticalMac said:
it is safe to bet Apple may introduce a smaller one
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Why don't you change your statement to 'It's safe to bet Apple will introduce a smaller one' and tell everyone just how much money you'd actually wager? The position 'Apple might do X' isn't saying much.
 
eastercat said:
Not going to debate the feasibility of a 7" ipad, but I will say this. If you're serious about Apple bringing one out, then you should e-mail them or post this in their forums. Posting it here is a fan wank, because Apple doesn't read this forum. If all you want to do is pump up your post count or practice your debate skills, that's all this thread is good for.
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My third post has link to feedback page.

This posting is like any posting is finding other people who also consider a smaller iPad desirable to write Apple.


It would be better to ask "Who else wants a smaller iPad?"

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Carouser said:
Why don't you change your statement to 'It's safe to bet Apple will introduce a smaller one' and tell everyone just how much money you'd actually wager? The position 'Apple might do X' isn't saying much.
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Because I am hedging my bets! ;)
 
kustardking said:
...my moniker makes no assertions about the quality of anything, his signature implies great knowledge and understanding.


...sure, I'll explain, because I'm not talking out of my zonk like most people. Note my capitalization: "Multimedia," not, "multimedia." Do you know the difference between Modern and modern? Capital M-odern was an art movement that is no longer m-odern. It was an era. In the case of M-ultimedia, that was the CD-ROM days of the 1990s. That is also the time when the difference between Firewire 400 and USB 2.0 made a difference. That is, 15 years ago! Perhaps you are under 30.


Naval gazing is the term.
Click to expand...

My sig came as a response to ignorance about FW vs USB.
The common belief is USB is faster then FW 400, but the truth is otherwise.


BTW, is it "navel gazing", not capital N-avel.
Former is a body part, latter is a branch of military.

People have opinions, but criticizing the mannerism of a post is unique.
but then, I note a strong sense of aloofness in yours.
 
PracticalMac said:
My sig came as a response to ignorance about FW vs USB.
The common belief is USB is faster then FW 400, but the truth is otherwise.


BTW, is it "navel gazing", not capital N-avel.
Former is a body part, latter is a branch of military.

People have opinions, but criticizing the mannerism of a post is unique.
but then, I note a strong sense of aloofness in yours.
Click to expand...

Har har - yes, I know it's navel, I must have had something else on my mind, and it was capitalized because it was at the beginning of a sentence.

Mannerism is a shadow of impetus, and understanding the impetus frames the message. I provided a critique of the mannerism to identify the impetus.
 
I played around with a HTC Flyer, all time time i was thinking it would be sweet if we has a ipad this size.
 
Apple rumored to counter Amazon Kindle Fire with 'iPad mini' in 2012
http://www.appleinsider.com/article...mazon_kindle_fire_with_ipad_mini_in_2012.html
Spurred by the recently announced Amazon Kindle Fire and its $199 price, Apple is rumored to be exploring a new low-cost iPad for release in the first few months of 2012.
[...]
"We believe this lower priced iPad could be priced in the mid-to-high-$200 range," White wrote in a note to investors. "We expect this will be followed by a much more powerful, feature rich standard-priced iPad 3 in (the second quarter of 2012)."
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If Apple does introduce a smaller 7" tablet it will be in the context of retiring the iPod Touch where sales have plummeted over the last year. (Down nearly 30% compared to last year in the latest earnings report.) I suspect that strategy would enable Apple to avoid questions about departing from Jobs' strategy laid out when the iPad was introduced. i.e. "It's not a mini iPad; it's the next generation iPod Touch."
 
The Touch became irrelivant when smart phones including the iPhone went mainstream. There are also several android PMPs around now for more and for less cash that are reasonable alternatives for the kids. Creative, Latte, Cowon, Samsung, Archos, etc., all have android players out now.

The Flyer, now that it sells for $299, is a more portable buy equally useful tablet as the iPad. Same screen res except for 600 on the short side. Far better cameras. HTC's Scribe overlay adds a useful feature for anyone that needs to mark up or annotate a document/webpage/photo/screen capture/etc., and needs to quickly send them back or post them on the web. Many cases for it from the same case makers for the iPad. Apple could send all these really good 7" tablets lower or off the map with a $299 6" or 7" 4:3 iPad JR. Same screen res as the original. All apps working the same.
 
PracticalMac said:
It is really hilarious how venomous some people are on the prospect of a smaller iPad.
What are those people worried about if Apple does makes a smaller iPad?
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"Venomous"?? You clearly have a low threshhold. I just fail to see why you think Apple has to make a 7" model. They evaluate options and come up with the strategy that they feel is most effective for their market. They probably considered every possible size before settling on the present one, so it's not like no one at Apple was aware that 7" tablets were possible; it's just that for whatever reasons, whether it was what they mentioned publicly or otherwise, they decided it wasn't right for the product.

It may well be that they figure out a way to minimize their perceived shortcomings of the 7" format, so I'll never say "never" but it's really, really unlikely for the near future.
 
poloponies said:
"Venomous"?? You clearly have a low threshhold. I just fail to see why you think Apple has to make a 7" model.
Click to expand...

Some of the posts gave me a strong impression of not going to happen (as if suggesting a different design of Apple something is blasphemy)

I do not recall saying Apple "has" to make smaller iPad (unlike other posting), but I am in market for one.
 
A lot of weird comments for me as to why Apple won't make a smaller iPad. Why would they cannibalize iPod Touch sales with a 7-inch iPad? They don't compete, they're 2 different products with 2 totally different uses. Especially compared to the iPhone.

The problem I see with a smaller iPad is actually the fact that it's smaller. Apple's big plus compared to the competition is that apps developed for the iPad is developed for that exact size. How would all the iPad apps work with the smaller screen? I don't know, buttons seem quite big enough atm for a small size reduction, but I don't know about 7 inches. They would definitely have to do a lot of internal testing(I'm guessing they already do). If they find out it will work good I think they will release one, if not they would have to make a decision whether it is worth it or not to make developers redesign their apps for the new and smaller iPad.
 
I'm waiting for them to make a folding tablet. They just have to add that t on the end. And they are there.
 
Given how important the 10 hour battery claims are for the iPad, I suspect the iPad's size/screen is more the size it is to allow ten hours worth of battery beneath it than any other reason. When we see another leap in battery efficiency we'll see a smaller iPad. The best any 7" tablet I have gets is 5 to 6 hours of constant-on use. A 6" 4:3 iPad from Apple might do a little better than that, but won't get 10 hours. Improve the battery science and you'll get a smaller iPad that will last 10 hours.
 
4DThinker said:
Given how important the 10 hour battery claims are for the iPad, I suspect the iPad's size/screen is more the size it is to allow ten hours worth of battery beneath it than any other reason. When we see another leap in battery efficiency we'll see a smaller iPad. The best any 7" tablet I have gets is 5 to 6 hours of constant-on use. A 6" 4:3 iPad from Apple might do a little better than that, but won't get 10 hours. Improve the battery science and you'll get a smaller iPad that will last 10 hours.
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Good point, but

Try holding an iPad in one arm for any length of time, you will feel that 1.33 lb.
At about 10.?" diagonal body size, it does show itself if you are in a tight place (crowded restaurant, subway, eco class on airplane)

Smaller, lighter, more portable is worth it for the sacrifice of a 6 hour battery life.
 
PracticalMac said:
Good point, but

Try holding an iPad in one arm for any length of time, you will feel that 1.33 lb.
At about 10.?" diagonal body size, it does show itself if you are in a tight place (crowded restaurant, subway, eco class on airplane)

Smaller, lighter, more portable is worth it for the sacrifice of a 6 hour battery life.
Click to expand...

Those are fairly limited scenarios. And frankly, the airplane thing makes little sense; there were countless posts here when the iPad was first introduced questioning the utility of an iPad over a MacBook when "you can just as easily use a notebook on a plane."

I would never argue that economy-class seating is notebook-friendly, but suggesting that a 10" iPad is cumbersome in that situation is clearly a stretch. I fly frequently and even a 13" tablet would be fine in economy - just not when it's attached to a 13" keyboard. And I do ride the subway with a 10" iPad and it is occasionally too crowded - so crowded that my Kindle would also be unusable.

In the majority of other uses, 7" devices are pretty ****** small. When i find myself sitting next to someone on a train using a 7" device I do a lot of staring - and I can't envision relying on a 7" device instead of my 10". So maybe Apple can sell a combo-pack with a 7" for the 5% of time the 10" is too big and the 10" for the other 95% of the time.
 
poloponies said:
...
I would never argue that economy-class seating is notebook-friendly, but suggesting that a 10" iPad is cumbersome in that situation is clearly a stretch. I fly frequently and even a 13" tablet would be fine in economy - just not when it's attached to a 13" keyboard. ...
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This has been one of the benefits I've found with the iPad as I'm sometimes crammed into the dreaded middle seat in coach. I use a 15" laptop for "serious" work but it's virtually un-openable in that environment. So for the last couple of years, I've been using a small 11" HP netbook/notebook in that situation. Not being a fan of laptop keyboards, I also used a Microsoft 6000 bluetooth travel keyboard and a small travel mouse. Usable but still cramped (especially if I had a drink on the tray.)

Since getting the iPad, I've largely abandoned the 11" HP. The iPad + Origami Workstation and Apple Wireless Keyboard fit even better on the tray table and leave room for a scotch.

Doesn't quite match the functionality of the HP (which runs Windows 7 and MS Office, has a usb port, etc.) but the convenience outweighs that.

So for me, at least, an even smaller device isn't a crying need. But frankly, for about 50% of the population (most of the female half and many of the males crammed into environments even more uncomfortable than a coach seat, I can understand the desire for a smaller, lighter device even if that means giving up some screen real estate.
 
Judas1 said:
Too many people are drinking the Apple kool aid. Apple tells you you don't need a 7" tablet and you blindly follow. This despite many people, saying that 7-8" is a good size for holding with one hand, reading books and mags, and playing games. If the Ipad and iphone share the same apps and games, how come there needs to be such a drastic difference in screen size? From 3.5" to 10". Clearly a 7-8 incher is missing from that lineup. But Apple can't be wrong.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

My wife uses the 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab and I prefer it over the iPad as an ereader. I have gotten used to using my iPad in portrait mode with the Kindle app but it's not nearly as comfortable as a 7" tablet for that purpose. I may buy the Kindle Fire for that reason alone.

A 7" 16:9 tablet gives up very little size difference when watching widescreen video versus the iPad's 4:3 screen. In some ways Netflix looks better on the 7" tablet, except when watching older 4:3 TV shows.

My iPad feels just a bit too big to take everywhere with me. I would probably use a 7" version the same way I do my phone though (my wife carries hers a lot).

After using both sizes I too would love a 7" iPad.
 
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