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That may be. But remember there is a downside... lots of DRAM sucks up lots of power which shortens battery life. It doesn't help to have lots of unused DRAM lying around. There is a design balance to be achieved here.

That said, I'll be very disappointed if the iPad 2 has less than 512 MB. I think this much DRAM is necessary for a properly functioning iOS and some Apps.

I'm not sure whether iOS or some Apps really NEED more than 512 MB at present... although there might be some cool/desirable advanced features that do need more DRAM... but I think improvements in HW technology will enable future iPads to incorporate 1 GB or more while still achieving a desirable overall system design balance.
iMovie NEEDS 512MB RAM to perform well at all. That's why it's not going to be out for the iPad 1 and why the iPhone 4 has it. Based on this, I can safely say that the iPad 2 will have at least 512MB RAM.
 
Considering most competitors have 1GB of RAM in their tablets, even 512MB is low. :(

1GB already is pretty much standard. See the engadget article comparing the iPad2 vs the competition:


I know RAM isn't everything, but I SERIOUSLY doubt adding an extra 512MB will make things more expensive or hurt either Apple or the consumer in any way.

Really? 2 out of 3 of these devices aren't even on the market yet. You might as well throw an iPad 3 in that chart and see how it stacks up against the iPad 2.
 
But that's the point -- lower memory has proven to be a worse user experience.

For example the reason that iPhone 3G is such a dog on iOS4 is *because* it is very starved on memory. The iPhone 3GS experience is slightly better on iOS4, but even in that case mine was using pretty much all the RAM right after a fresh reboot, so any form of multi-tasking would necessarily have to dip into swap and page out/in.

So, yeah, RAM *does* matter and it *does* have a correlated effect on the user experience -- especially for multi-tasking purposes.

You're comparing the RAM in 3G vs 4? That's 2 years difference in models.

So you're saying we should always upgrade as technology advances.
 
iMovie NEEDS 512MB RAM to perform well at all. That's why it's not going to be out for the iPad 1 and why the iPhone 4 has it. Based on this, I can safely say that the iPad 2 will have at least 512MB RAM.

It supports the iPod Touch, which has 256 MB, and almost as many pixels as an iPad.
 
Con Game

It's a Con Game working in Apple's favor.

The fan boys cry for more DRAM. The competition is fooled and actually makes devices with way bigger RAM specs. Lazy developers then will sell a lot more bloatware on these devices, which results in an even more laggy average user experience. And the extra RAM eats standby battery life, and lowers the competition's profit margin. All the spec-drooling fan-boys have just helped Apple destroy the competitions profitability and consumer satisfaction ratings. (Just look at those numbers instead.)

There, I've gone and given away one of the secrets to Apple's success...
 
512MB is not enough for my iPhone 4. I open a very popular game, Infinity Sword, and if I have anything else open it will stutter at the most inopportune times. I recently jailbroke it and now I keep watch on my memory and free up mysteriously occupied memory if I need to; Apple deems neither function useful in their software design, yet the problem persists. The iPad version of Infinity Sword has lower resolution textures due to the limitation of RAM. That is all the emperical evidence I need to realize that RAM is indeed an essential part of smooth operations in iOS.

Game developers are pushing past the limits of Apple’s hardware; when an app comes out to address the issue of this mysterious memory hole Apple takes it off the market. Apple does not address the issue; instead, they repress efforts to solve it. They deny that such an issue exists, though clearly I see it happening all the time now, thanks to the independent development the jailbreak community.

Apple has a history of denial. There exists a need for a physical game controller, yet Apple continues to profess touch as the only method of game control needed on their devices…and yet they allow BT keyboards. The same can be said of BT GPS receivers, which only strengthen the possibility of one using it for navigation. Apple has in their arrogance, created the jailbreak community. Why not ask them what value RAM has? It is amazing the gall Apple fans have; thinking that just because someone gets more creative than Apple cares to indulge it is sacrilege. You are so quick to praise the innovative steps Apple takes, yet when someone points the regression or complete absence of a common feature you are up in arms—a mindset that is utterly hypocritical.

As for hardware, a platform is only as good as its specs allow. Software will do it's best to take advantage but will eventually be a draw on resources, as the 3G is proof of today. I think the major point is where the apps are heading now. It is not a matter of whether they are able to saturate 512MB (minus OS reserved); it is a matter of when. The iPad is a popular tablet, and developer competition is fierce. One can only expect such competition to accelerate the demise of RAM efficiency. Software will never be as efficient as the hardware in this scenario. Even 1GB would eventually become saturated. It is only a matter of when, and Apple knows this well.

If the iPad 2 does have 256MB/512MB/1GB then that has a direct correlation as to how long Apple expects it to remain the flagship of their tablet line. That is my concern. In this economy it is longevity versus value that I am looking for. Apple is just looking for $399-829 of my hard-earned cash.

My 2 cents...
 
Will iPad 3 be thinner though?

I'll just wait for the iPad 3 if you think it will be thinner than iPad 2.
 
But don't confuse screen size with pixel count of course. Size is irrelevant (there is a joke in there somewhere). The iPhone has 614,400 pixels, and the iPad 786,432. So not a very significant difference as far as RAM goes. (if the iPad were Retina, than it would be pushing over 3.1 million pixels (a 30 inch monitor has 4.1 million pixels)

As a side note, that of course is why Retina is an issue for a handheld. Think of the graphics card we upgrade to, for pushing all those pixels while gaming in 3D on a desktop. Imagine the battery and size challenges for doing that on an iPad with 75% of the pixels of a 30 inch monitor. And everyone want's that on a $499 iPad.

yeah well if the IPad had 1GB of ram as well as a dual core (let alone quad core) A9 CPU it would handle retina fine, but that's not the point. What is concerning is the lack of ANY upgrade to the screen. Whether it be adding more pixels, anti reflective qualities, better viewing angles and you get the picture. NOTHING was improved.

And don't bring up manufacturing difficulties And costs because that's far from reality. With the economy of scales apple has achieved with the iPad and it's other products costing is non issue when adding a meager aspect like anti reflectic qualities. NO excuses.
 
yeah well if the IPad had 1GB of ram as well as a dual core (let alone quad core) A9 CPU it would handle retina fine, but that's not the point. What is concerning is the lack of ANY upgrade to the screen. Whether it be adding more pixels, anti reflective qualities, better viewing angles and you get the picture. NOTHING was improved.

And don't bring up manufacturing difficulties And costs because that's far from reality. With the economy of scales apple has achieved with the iPad and it's other products costing is non issue when adding a meager aspect like anti reflectic qualities. NO excuses.
There has to be something to make you want the iPad 3. ;)
 
Plus, their is one metric (which I certainly don't know details of) that affects the RAM. Ultimately, it is how much RAM is available once the OS is up and running. If the Xoom is effectively running "bloatware" compared to the iOS, then the 1/2 GB difference in RAM could quickly be consumed. Again, I don't know the answer, but would love to know the OS differences in the two platforms. Available RAM to run the Apps AFTER the OS is running is really what it comes down to, and something none of us probably know the fine points of yet between the two platforms. But Apple certainly has a rep for more "efficient" and streamlined software. Any developers have a clue about how iOS 4.3 will be about RAM use?
 
yeah well if the IPad had 1GB of ram as well as a dual core (let alone quad core) A9 CPU it would handle retina fine, but that's not the point. What is concerning is the lack of ANY upgrade to the screen. Whether it be adding more pixels, anti reflective qualities, better viewing angles and you get the picture. NOTHING was improved.

And don't bring up manufacturing difficulties And costs because that's far from reality. With the economy of scales apple has achieved with the iPad and it's other products costing is non issue when adding a meager aspect like anti reflectic qualities. NO excuses.

Which is my beef as well. They shoe horned the Dual A5 in and called it a day.
 
512MB is not enough for my iPhone 4. I open a very popular game, Infinity Sword, and if I have anything else open it will stutter at the most inopportune times. I recently jailbroke it and now I keep watch on my memory and free up mysteriously occupied memory if I need to; Apple deems neither function useful in their software design, yet the problem persists. The iPad version of Infinity Sword has lower resolution textures due to the limitation of RAM. That is all the emperical evidence I need to realize that RAM is indeed an essential part of smooth operations in iOS.

Game developers are pushing past the limits of Apple’s hardware; when an app comes out to address the issue of this mysterious memory hole Apple takes it off the market. Apple does not address the issue; instead, they repress efforts to solve it. They deny that such an issue exists, though clearly I see it happening all the time now, thanks to the independent development the jailbreak community.

Apple has a history of denial. There exists a need for a physical game controller, yet Apple continues to profess touch as the only method of game control needed on their devices…and yet they allow BT keyboards. The same can be said of BT GPS receivers, which only strengthen the possibility of one using it for navigation. Apple has in their arrogance, created the jailbreak community. Why not ask them what value RAM has? It is amazing the gall Apple fans have; thinking that just because someone gets more creative than Apple cares to indulge it is sacrilege. You are so quick to praise the innovative steps Apple takes, yet when someone points the regression or complete absence of a common feature you are up in arms—a mindset that is utterly hypocritical.

As for hardware, a platform is only as good as its specs allow. Software will do it's best to take advantage but will eventually be a draw on resources, as the 3G is proof of today. I think the major point is where the apps are heading now. It is not a matter of whether they are able to saturate 512MB (minus OS reserved); it is a matter of when. The iPad is a popular tablet, and developer competition is fierce. One can only expect such competition to accelerate the demise of RAM efficiency. Software will never be as efficient as the hardware in this scenario. Even 1GB would eventually become saturated. It is only a matter of when, and Apple knows this well.

If the iPad 2 does have 256MB/512MB/1GB then that has a direct correlation as to how long Apple expects it to remain the flagship of their tablet line. That is my concern. In this economy it is longevity versus value that I am looking for. Apple is just looking for $399-829 of my hard-earned cash.

My 2 cents...
Game devs are always the worst examples because they're always going to be pushing the envelope. It doesn't matter how much RAM the iPad has, some dev will fill it and cause the system to "stutter" after you've run it. Now if that happened when running most games I could see your point. As it is, Infinity Blade is the only one that I've had trouble with.
 
but certainly if ipod touch is 256mb the new imovie and garageband will not work on it.

Erm, what? iMovie is available for the 4th gen iPod touch.

Anyways, Arstechnica is reporting that iMovie and Garageband will indeed work on the iPad 1:

"Apple representatives also confirmed that iOS 4.3 will be available for the original iPad, and that the new apps (iMovie and GarageBand) will work on the original iPad as well. "Obviously you won't be able to import video to iMovie in real time on the original iPad," one rep told us, "but you'll be able to do that through the USB camera kit. Probably."
 
The iOS VM system doesn't swap to backing storage for the active app (it kills it instead), and the typical user doesn't flip between apps that often. So no.

Then you have to then reload everything when the user wants to use that app again. Where as if you had more memory you wouldnt have had to take it out of ram to begin with.
 
Game devs are always the worst examples because they're always going to be pushing the envelope. It doesn't matter how much RAM the iPad has, some dev will fill it and cause the system to "stutter" after you've run it.

I agree to a certain extent. You're right game devs are always pushing the envelope! The issue with the iPad is crossing that line is always pretty close. I think personally that Apple could have waited, added a higher resolution screen with better viewing angles, and bumped the processor up and I would have been sold in a second. Instead Apple made a modest upgrade and spent the rest of the keynote selling me on iMove and Garageband.
 
Not for running apps. Instead, App store apps are often killed in low-memory conditions. Ask any developer.

Any VM backing store is used only by and for the OS, and not much when running an app.

Not just app store apps, iOS will kill the Apple apps as well (presumably as it gets more desperate for RAM to run the frontmost app).
 
I agree to a certain extent. You're right game devs are always pushing the envelope! The issue with the iPad is crossing that line is always pretty close. I think personally that Apple could have waited, added a higher resolution screen with better viewing angles, and bumped the processor up and I would have been sold in a second. Instead Apple made a modest upgrade and spent the rest of the keynote selling me on iMove and Garageband.
I think the processor upgrade wasn't just a bump. It's now dual core which is a huge improvement and whatever graphics chip they're using is a massive improvement (there is speculation that it's the same as what's in the Sony NGP). I won't buy an iPad till the res is bumped though. My iPhone 4 has seriously spoiled me in that area.
 
I think the processor upgrade wasn't just a bump. It's now dual core which is a huge improvement and whatever graphics chip they're using is a massive improvement (there is speculation that it's the same as what's in the Sony NGP). I won't buy an iPad till the res is bumped though. My iPhone 4 has seriously spoiled me in that area.

The screen resolution and viewing angle is the killer. No matter what Ill have to get an iPad 2 for my job and I am excited. However, its not quite ready for me to personally shell out the cash for one.
 
How much memory my iPad has with 1 Safari tab, and email running in the background.

I really do hope for 512MB

nC3qITl
 
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