Incremental Upgrade? Are you insane?

[redscull]

While the new display is I'm sure amazing, I don't consider this a major upgrade for the simple reason that it isn't compelling to upgrade from an iPad 2.

I had an iPad 1. When the iPad 2 came out, it took almost no effort to convince myself that it was worth getting. Cameras for FaceTime that I use multiple times a week. Signifcantly improved performance that even a casual user will immediately notice. SmartCover functionality I could now not imagine living without. Lighter weight.

The iPad 3 has only two features, a sharper screen and LTE. The latter isn't even useful to me since wifi only meets my needs. And while I would love a sharper screen, I don't $500 love it.

 

[boltjames]

And if they snag a few (million) iPad2 users into upgrading, then BONUS!

Amazes me how people don't get Apple's marketing strategy.

Every year they've got to come out with new mobile products, and the average buyer has been trained since 2001 with the iPod and since 1998 with cellphone providers that these are every-other-year replaceable items. "New Every Two", remember?

So a year ago, iPad 1 owners said "there's not enough meat on the bone to upgrade to the iPad 2" and they were right and wrong at the same time.

And today, iPad 2 owners say "there's not enough meat on the bone to upgrade to the The New iPad" and they too are right and wrong at the same time.

How they are right: The The New iPad isn't designed to be tempting to an iPad 2 user. It's for an iPad 1 owner. For them, there's isn't enough meat on the bone to upgrade. So the iPad 2 owner shouldn't want an The New iPad.

How they are wrong: Their failure to realize that the The New iPad isn't designed for an iPad 2 owner makes them criticize Apple and iPad buyers, gets everyone aggravated at the same time.

It's a two year cycle, folks. The valid discussion on the functional merits of the The New iPad comes from iPad 1 owners. iPad 2 owners need to sit this one out until their replacement product comes out next year.

BJ

 

[Kendo]

While the new display is I'm sure amazing, I don't consider this a major upgrade for the simple reason that it isn't compelling to upgrade from an iPad 2.

I had an iPad 1. When the iPad 2 came out, it took almost no effort to convince myself that it was worth getting. Cameras for FaceTime that I use multiple times a week. Signifcantly improved performance that even a casual user will immediately notice. SmartCover functionality I could now not imagine living without. Lighter weight.

The iPad 3 has only two features, a sharper screen and LTE. The latter isn't even useful to me since wifi only meets my needs. And while I would love a sharper screen, I don't $500 love it.

I disagree. The one single improvement of doubling a resolution to a Retina Display single handedly does more for the iPad than cameras, thinner, lighter, and performance combined.

They doubled the resolution! It is like going from standard definition to high definition. What is the one biggest aspect of the iPad? The screen, and they improved it by leaps and bounds. Facetime is a secondary function. Browsing the web, reading books, looking at photos, and watching movies is a primary function, all of which will be improved tenfold due to the Retina Display.

 

[spiderman0616]

If you're like me and read tech news all day long, new product launches that you're excited about can also be very frustrating. And it's usually tenfold for Apple products, because there are several things at play here:

1. Haters. One hour before the keynote on Wednesday, someone on my Facebook feed (an Android enthusiast) blasted Apple "fanboys" for getting excited about nothing more than a new screen, and blasted Apple for using 4G, which is a "waste of time" and a "battery hog". He also mentioned that a quad core processor is behind all other Android tablets that have had that tech for a year. I kindly pointed out to him that you don't get to tout 4G as a great feature for the 10,000 new Android phones and tablets a month that come out, and then blast Apple for including it just because it's Apple. I also pointed out that Apple products with dual cores tend to outrun Android products with quad cores. He didn't have much response. Very frustrating interchange that killed my buzz for a few minutes on Wednesday morning.

2. Click baiting tech blogs. CNET is the biggest offender in my opinion, but others do it too. Put Apple in the title, and you'll get clicks. Use a negative Apple title and you'll get even more clicks. Make some completely outlandish statement about Apple vs. Android and your site will crash. No harm done, because the site you're writing for makes their money and you get your name in the news and hash tagged on Twitter. CNET just the other day did a story about how the competition is "catching up" to iPad. They actually referenced the Blackberry Playbook with the 2.0 OS on it as one of the models that's catching up. That's just an example in recent memory.

3. People who have last gen or older models. Frugal iPad 1 users braved it out through the iPad 2 launch. Might as well bash the iPad 3 as well, right? iPad 2 users maybe bought theirs not long ago or just don't want to upgrade every year. Better bash the new model. We want to feel good about our buyer's remorse, right? You see, bashing other peoples' phones, game consoles, computers, tablets, etc. is just a form of buyer's remorse. Anyone not using what you use is threatening what you use by not using the same thing. He has a 3rd gen iPad--that makes my second gen obsolete. OH NO!!

Think back 6-12 months. What were all three of the above mentioned factions of people talking about regarding the next gen iPad? I'll refresh your memory:

Will we get a 9.7 inch retina display?
Will it have 4G LTE?
Will there be an improvement to the camera?
Will there be an improvement to the CPU/GPU/RAM?

The answer is YES!!! We got improvements to all of those things. What are all 3 of those factions talking about now? How all we got was improved screen, cellular radios, cameras, and internals. I call shenanigans!! INCREMENTAL UPGRADE!!!

It's ridiculous really. And the only people who are in tune to all this nonsense are the people like us who read it a lot, which is a very small percentage of the tech buying public. Allow yourself to be happy about this new model, whether it's because you bought one, or you are just rooting for Apple. Don't listen to fools.

 

[dukeblue91]

While the new display is I'm sure amazing, I don't consider this a major upgrade for the simple reason that it isn't compelling to upgrade from an iPad 2.

I had an iPad 1. When the iPad 2 came out, it took almost no effort to convince myself that it was worth getting. Cameras for FaceTime that I use multiple times a week. Signifcantly improved performance that even a casual user will immediately notice. SmartCover functionality I could now not imagine living without. Lighter weight.

The iPad 3 has only two features, a sharper screen and LTE. The latter isn't even useful to me since wifi only meets my needs. And while I would love a sharper screen, I don't $500 love it.

I disagree with you.
The retina display is a 100% improvement over the iPad 1 and 2 and everyone will see the difference right away.
As far as speed improvements are concerned we still don't know how much of an impact it will have but I'm sure that Apple won't talk much about that as they still want to sell the iPad 2.
However valid the claim from Apple is but they are saying that the new 5x chip is 4x better then the tegra 3, that is a huge boost in graphics either way you slice it.
There is also the question of more ram as we don't really know if they indeed upped it to 1 gig or not.
If yes I know this is a big deal coming from the iPad 1 as that is what really hurt it.

There will come a time when they release apps made only for iPad 3 like they did for the iPad 2 and the more time that passes it will be more apparent and will upset the iPad 2 owners as some of those don't make sense like iMovie being only for the iPad 2 because the one was missing a camera, stupid I know.

These are just a couple of things right of the top of my head but things people keep forgetting.
But on a personal level if I had a iPad 2 I would not upgrade yet but that is because i'm on a 2 generation cycle but you will feel that choice that I know.

So yes this was a major upgrade on the iPad.

 

[palpatine]

it is an incremental upgrade.

thank goodness!

i am not looking to test out a radical new product. i never enjoyed steve's inane hyperbolic musings (sorry steve). this product launch was more tame and i appreciated tim's approach. it was matter of fact and a solid step forward.

i want all of the great things i had with the ipad 2, but only better, with an improved display. when apple overhauls the ipad and releases a sabre triangle (http://www.officetally.com/the-pyramid-tablet), that will be something more than incremental, and i'll take five!

remember, the tech guys are stuck in a paradigm. they are supposed to talk about only the hardware, which really hasn't changed much from the ipad 2. they don't get to wax eloquent about the incredible combination of ios 5.1, apps, and the new ipad. the jump from 1 to 3 might deserve something more than incremental, but 2 to 3? i don't think so.

the new ipad obviously offers the best experience out there, but it may not be worth an extra 100 dollars if you just want to check email and surf the web. something beyond incremental would give me an entirely unique experience, like we got when going from the iphone to the ipad.

 

[MacManTexas56]

I've been absolutely shocked at the host of people calling this an "incremental" upgrade, worthy of the name iPad 2S. And it's not just people on this forum - I've seen countless websites (CNET, Yahoo, etc) say the same thing. I honestly don't understand where they get the nerve to call it an incremental upgrade.

What constitutes a major upgrade nowadays? How can you completely reinvent a product that is already amazing and class leading? I mean I seriously don't know what people expect. Will they only consider it a "major" upgrade if it looks different? How different can you make the iPad look? There's not a whole lot you can do.

So many people have said "aside from the screen, they haven't done much." That like saying with a car, "aside from the completely new engine, they haven't done much." The screen is the single most important feature on a device like this and Apple has blown us all away with the single greatest screen ever seen on a mobile device, an incredible achievement that is impossible to replicate on this scale right now by any other company. To brush this off as no big deal is amazing.

I'd also argue 4G is a pretty big feature. I understand 4G isn't available in all areas, but it's expanding rapidly, and for those who have access, this offers immeasurably faster connection speeds. They also updates the GPU to allow 4 times greater performance.

And despite all these new power-guzzling features, Apple has incredibly been able to maintain that industry-leading 10 hour battery life. This has been completely overlooked and shouldn't be, as mentioned by Angry-Birds (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1336519/). It takes a lot of extra power to run a screen with 4 times as many pixels, and to not suffer in the battery department is a remarkable achievement. I think Apple has very quietly started reinventing their battery technology.

Sorry for the rant but I just find it sickening that so many people are brushing off the iPad 3 as an incremental upgrade. I mean seriously, what would it have taken for you to consider it a major upgrade? A new design? How much better can the design get? And even if it was made better, it's not as important as what Apple has done here. And technically they did redesign it - with the most amazing screen ever!

Stop with the ridiculously high expectations for new Apple products and then calling anything less a "mediocre" or "disappointing" upgrade. This is a major upgrade for the iPad and solidifies it as the tablet to have.

/End of rant

based on your signature alone...it doesn't matter what apple comes out with you're going to buy the latest and greatest and think it's an incremental upgrade everytime. Not everyone needs the latest and greatest. You have a different opinion and I have a different opinion. But to whine and say comments like shocked/sickening/insane....i'd say you're taking this a little too seriously and it bothers you that there are people that don't agree with your opinion.

 

[CapnJackGig]

Sorry for the rant but I just find it sickening that so many people are brushing off the iPad 3 as an incremental upgrade.

/End of rant

Holy drama queen.

 

[redscull]

To the people who disagreed with me, who think that the screen itself qualifies the new iPad as a major upgrade over an iPad 2, I won't say you're wrong. It's an opinion. But how much would you pay for that screen?

If you don't currently own an iPad at all, and want one, the retina display costs only +$100. Even I think that's easily worth it. I don't see how the iPad 2 now priced at $399 even makes sense.

But I already have an iPad 2. My cost to get a retina display is $500 minus a potential sale value of $200-250 for my current model, plus the hassle of selling it. So I'm looking at paying $250-300 to upgrade my screen, but more likely $500 because I hate selling things. That, to me anyway, feels too expensive. For that much money, I'd prefer to get something else out of the deal.

What about you? Do you already have an iPad 2? And is it worth the upgrade cost just for the screen?

I still think the new iPad is fantastic. Best tablet ever. Probably until Apple makes the next new iPad. I'm also not complaining; my iPad 2 is still awesome. I can save my $500 this year for the new model next year.

For people saying it's like SD to HD, I hope you're watching live broadcasts, TiVo Premiere, and Blu-Rays only. Because if you're not, you've proven that you think it's perfectly acceptable to own an HD tv without actually using it, in which case HD isn't really a major upgrade.

 

[oLNutjob]

I've been absolutely shocked at the host of people calling this an "incremental" upgrade, worthy of the name iPad 2S. And it's not just people on this forum - I've seen countless websites (CNET, Yahoo, etc) say the same thing. I honestly don't understand where they get the nerve to call it an incremental upgrade.

What constitutes a major upgrade nowadays? How can you completely reinvent a product that is already amazing and class leading? I mean I seriously don't know what people expect. Will they only consider it a "major" upgrade if it looks different? How different can you make the iPad look? There's not a whole lot you can do.

So many people have said "aside from the screen, they haven't done much." That like saying with a car, "aside from the completely new engine, they haven't done much." The screen is the single most important feature on a device like this and Apple has blown us all away with the single greatest screen ever seen on a mobile device, an incredible achievement that is impossible to replicate on this scale right now by any other company. To brush this off as no big deal is amazing.

I'd also argue 4G is a pretty big feature. I understand 4G isn't available in all areas, but it's expanding rapidly, and for those who have access, this offers immeasurably faster connection speeds. They also updates the GPU to allow 4 times greater performance.

And despite all these new power-guzzling features, Apple has incredibly been able to maintain that industry-leading 10 hour battery life. This has been completely overlooked and shouldn't be, as mentioned by Angry-Birds (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1336519/). It takes a lot of extra power to run a screen with 4 times as many pixels, and to not suffer in the battery department is a remarkable achievement. I think Apple has very quietly started reinventing their battery technology.

Sorry for the rant but I just find it sickening that so many people are brushing off the iPad 3 as an incremental upgrade. I mean seriously, what would it have taken for you to consider it a major upgrade? A new design? How much better can the design get? And even if it was made better, it's not as important as what Apple has done here. And technically they did redesign it - with the most amazing screen ever!

Stop with the ridiculously high expectations for new Apple products and then calling anything less a "mediocre" or "disappointing" upgrade. This is a major upgrade for the iPad and solidifies it as the tablet to have.

/End of rant

Though I've not joined the iPad club, what I am feeling is that these "major" incremental upgrades have the potential to tick a lot of the users of Version 1 & 2 off.


In reality, the iOS user deserves a bit more "I'm happy with what I have" a bit longer than what Apple seems to dish out. Eventual sales figures may possibly prove myself entirely correct or wrong. It may be successful in grabbing more market share, but I don't foresee a 6 month old iPad2 user double dipping, dumping the old, spending a reasonable chunk of cash for a device that is this amount of "New & Improved."

 

[LordJohnWhorfin]

While it's certainly not as revolutionary as the iPad was when it was introduced, the gap between second and third generation is much bigger than it was between the original and the iPad 2. The second installment only brought the two cameras and a zippier processor; this time around, we have a QUADRUPLING of the number of pixels, more pixels than on most desktop monitors, and 4G LTE without the battery drain that has marred all 4G devices until now. I think it's quite a lot more than an incremental upgrade, given that it provides a resolution never seen before on a portable device. Good luck matching that, Android.

 

[tanboom]

I disagree. The one single improvement of doubling a resolution to a Retina Display single handedly does more for the iPad than cameras, thinner, lighter, and performance combined.

They doubled the resolution! It is like going from standard definition to high definition. What is the one biggest aspect of the iPad? The screen, and they improved it by leaps and bounds. Facetime is a secondary function. Browsing the web, reading books, looking at photos, and watching movies is a primary function, all of which will be improved tenfold due to the Retina Display.

I dont agree with you.

You can browse web but cant browse files
You an read books but cant attach multiple files to email
Looking at photo is great but cant read them directly from card without kit
Watching movies great but importing them from your collection...it sucks
S(h)ame for music
Weight is imp - with a portfolio case, ipad is close to ultrabook but performance wise, ipad is far behind.

Your primary needs are secondary to someone else!

Retina is not always imp AND 4G is limited to a group ( who live in 4G WORLD without having WiFi). So for 3G world and wifi-happy people, its incremental upgrade and at the same time incremental degrade considering thickness especially weight.

 

[murdercitydevil]

I gotta agree, and I'm usually very pessimistic about Apple's updates. Retina display, on any device, is a huge upgrade IMO. As far as tablets go, Apple made this iteration of the iPad better in just about every single way. Although, if I was an iPad 2 owner from day one, it might seem a bit more ho-hum (just like I viewed the 4S as a 4 owner).

 

[Kendo]

I dont agree with you.

You can browse web but cant browse files
You an read books but cant attach multiple files to email
Looking at photo is great but cant read them directly from card without kit
Watching movies great but importing them from your collection...it sucks
S(h)ame for music
Weight is imp - with a portfolio case, ipad is close to ultrabook but performance wise, ipad is far behind.

Your primary needs are secondary to someone else!

Retina is not always imp AND 4G is limited to a group ( who live in 4G WORLD without having WiFi). So for 3G world and wifi-happy people, its incremental upgrade and at the same time incremental degrade considering thickness especially weight.

But none of your points have anything to do with the upgrade from iPad 2 to iPad 3. You're saying you can browse the web but can't browse files? That has nothing to do with iPad 2 vs iPad 3, but rather a complaint against tablets as a WHOLE. Same with the inability to import a photo without a kit. You can't do that on an iPad 2 or an iPad 3. Same thing with importing a movie collection. How you came up with these points is beyond me when the argument is whether or not an iPad 2 to an iPad 3 is a worthy upgrade.

Your answers are better served for a topic titled, "Is the iPad a suitable alternative to a laptop?" Talk about answering a question about oranges with apples.

 

[ZBoater]

I gotta agree, and I'm usually very pessimistic about Apple's updates. Retina display, on any device, is a huge upgrade IMO. As far as tablets go, Apple made this iteration of the iPad better in just about every single way. Although, if I was an iPad 2 owner from day one, it might seem a bit more ho-hum (just like I viewed the 4S as a 4 owner).

See, I'd disagree. The jump from iPad 2 to iPad 3 is more akin to the jump from 3GS to 4. The change in the display is a big leap. The change from the 4 to the 4S was a bit more ho hum in my opinion.

Opinions are like belly buttons (and other orifices). Everybody has one. Well, almost. Some weirdos out there....

 

[metanoiac]

People calling this an incremental update are likely iPad 2 owners trying to reassure themselves. It's sad, really.

Well said. I sat out on the iPad 2, not only because I don't want to buy a new iPad every year, but also because it lacked the Retina display we already saw on the iPhone 4.

Now is a good time to make the jump from the original iPad, or to buy your first iPad anyways.

 

[tanboom]

But none of your points have anything to do with the upgrade from iPad 2 to iPad 3. You're saying you can browse the web but can't browse files? That has nothing to do with iPad 2 vs iPad 3, but rather a complaint against tablets as a WHOLE. Same with the inability to import a photo without a kit. You can't do that on an iPad 2 or an iPad 3. Same thing with importing a movie collection. How you came up with these points is beyond me when the argument is whether or not an iPad 2 to an iPad 3 is a worthy upgrade.

Your answers are better served for a topic titled, "Is the iPad a suitable alternative to a laptop?" Talk about answering a question about oranges with apples.

Why to upgrade when new iPad has the same problem as ipad 2 and 1???