iPad 2 to Match iPhone 4's 512 MB of RAM?

[mikes70mustang]

I really like Apple stuff and the iPad. After having an android phone for a few months and an ipod 4g, I would say for me its Xoom FTW. And if the rumor of the playbook being able to utilize android apps is true... i dont see myself drifting to a locked down ipad with low memory, inferior specs, and no LTE love.

 

[mdelvecchio]

SHAMEFUL it is not 1GB

Is Apple wanting Android Tablets to roll over them? In 1 year, 1GB and 2GB will be STANDARD.

then whine about it in a year from now.

 

[notabadname]

This is about as much discussion as has ever been generated over RAM I think.

 

[Bootstrap Bill]

So far, there are two big items we know nothing about: RAM and the rear camera (mega pixels).

Why didn't anyone in the press bother to ask these questions when they had the chance? The press had a couple hours to actually play with iPad 2's, yet nobody even bothered to take a picture with the rear facing camera.

Doesn't this seem a little strange?

 

[Count Blah]

So far, there are two big items we know nothing about RAM and the rear camera (mega pixels).

Why didn't anyone in the press bother to ask these questions when they had the chance? The press had a couple hours to actually play with iPad 2's, yet nobody even bothered to take a picture with the rear facing camera.

Doesn't this seem a little strange?

They didn't want to be banned from any further events?

 

[Count Blah]

This is about as much discussion as has ever been generated over RAM I think.

Not so shocking, as it plays a huge part in usability and longevity of the product as iOS continues to advance. Some here seem to think it's not important, where as others think it very important. The intriguing part in this are the people who seem to be taking great offense to asking the question, or pointing out the shortcoming in the decision Apple has apparently made in this area.

Competition and constructive criticism are what brings about improvements. Seems like no one here remembers Firewire being taken out of, then the returning to, the "consumer" like of Macbooks. That didn't happen through the altruism of Steve and the gang, it was because of constructive criticism. It really seems that some can not handle any criticism of Apple, constructive or otherwise.

 

[erzhik]

The 2005 Lotus Elise has a 1.8L, 190 HP engine.

The 2005 Boxter S has a 3.2L, 280 HP engine.


The Elise smokes the Boxter in the 1/4 mile (13.5sec for the Elise vs 13.7sec for the Boster).


If you shop for specs on paper, you're going to buy the Boxter S. You're a PC. And you just lost the race in front of your girl and everyone else on the street. Who's the idiot now?


Sources:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/112_0408_2005_lotus_elise/index.html

http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2427.shtml

Oh God I hate it when people who know nothing about cars, try to use car analogies in technology world.

Elise is a track purpose car, it weights less than Boxter, has less technology inside and is just a go kart. It's great for a track, but try driving it for more than 2 hours.

Then a Boxter S, which has far more luxury and technology inside of it than Lotus can dream of.

The only reason why Elise is faster on the track is because its LIGHTER. Boxter is a lot heavier. But when you get an Elise, chances are you already have a Porsche.

And nobody gives two ***** about 1/4 miles anymore.

 

[JAT]

Do you work for Apple? You seriously think I (or others) am going to plunk down $500+ a year for the latest and greatest iPad? What a joke. Maybe every few revisions but certainly I expect an iPad to last more than 1 year and still work well with apps in the App Store.

Maybe I'm dense, but why are you complaining about the iPad2, then? Since it isn't on your radar? That would be like me complaining about Vista.

Yes, this should be known before buying. Sad that Apple support does not even know the device has RAM. 100% FUD.

This is the 2nd time recently I've seen you use FUD incorrectly. Why don't you at least learn what terms mean? For instance, FUD is what YOU are saying, not what Apple is saying. It stands for Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt...which is the false, complaining, anti-marketing that people do against a product.

Can you do one of Steve Jobs being buried by 300k Android phones please?

Compared to the iPad2's probable 10000k by June? Mmmkay.

The iphone could be jail broken by visiting certain websites. You would visit the site and your idevice would have its OS change to a Jail Broken one.

Look, if you don't even know what jailbreaking/rooting is, don't talk about it. Good god.

 

[BC2009]

I guess the problem with your argument is that they often do, in fact, publish specs when those specs are comparable or better than the competition. Otherwise they wouldn't be publishing the fact that the iPad2 runs on a dual-core 1GHz CPU.

They publish some specs, but they have never discussed RAM on their iOS devices. But you are right -- they do publish some specs -- I don't know how they decide which to discuss. Even when iPhone-4 got 512MB (which was an awesome improvement) they did not talk about it.

 

[JAT]

Oh God I hate it when people who know nothing about cars, try to use car analogies in technology world.

Elise is a track purpose car, it weights less than Boxter, has less technology inside and is just a go kart. It's great for a track, but try driving it for more than 2 hours.

Then a Boxter S, which has far more luxury and technology inside of it than Lotus can dream of.

The only reason why Elise is faster on the track is because its LIGHTER. Boxter is a lot heavier. But when you get an Elise, chances are you already have a Porsche.

And nobody gives two ***** about 1/4 miles anymore.

You do realize that is the point of the analogy. The iPad and Xoom are not made to the exact same specs, not made for the exact same reason. Just because one spec is higher on one device does not mean that device is better overall. Y'all commenting on his analogy are PROVing the point for him. Congrats.

That said, car analogies here are stupid. An analogy is supposed to simplify understanding by relating to something everyone understands better than the topic at hand. You should not use analogies on an internet forum, really, because you do not know the other people's knowledge of any other topic. Frankly, on this forum, iDevices should be used as an analogy to any car discussion, not the other way around.

 

[macbroom]

I just joined this forum and I have read most of this thread. I am not a mac user as I think that they are overpriced. I have built all of my pc's myself and can choose what I want in them is far as hardware goes. I have dual booted apple os on several of them but gave up due to the lack of software, games, apps.

I tuned into the cnet coverage of the release and after it was over I checked the specs on the apple site. First thing I said was how much RAM? I was definitely underwhelmed.

Fanboys on here that say it's all about the experience and not specs have their heads in the sand. I almost bought a Viewsonic gTab last week but I waited for the release. I have a 3Gen iTouch already so I bought an Ipad 1 at reduced price instead as I thought that the new one was just a 3 dressed up as a nine (Trooper song...lol) . I will buy a REAL Ipad 2 when it comes out and I will put the Ipad 1 in my custom campervan in a year or so and I will not upgrade to apple crippleware in the meantime.

The only secrets are secrets that keep themselves J.B. Shaw

 

[ten-oak-druid]

I've discovered that the specs such as RAM are of greater importance to people who use windows for a good reason. This likely carry's over to non-iOs devices.

When you read the comments of Windows users who are apparently upset that others do not do things their way, they first compare the price of some $300 machine to an Apple computer. You point out that companies like Dell have bad customer support ratings because the support for the irate customers who buy these cheap products is lacking and you then get the line that "you get what you pay for". The argument then turns to how paying more for a "good" Dell machine gets you something with technical specs that are greater in speed and capacity than the corresponding Apple product.

The conclusion that I've come to is that to get Windows to work properly, requires much greater machine specifications than it does to make OS X work. Because computer makers sell a large number of these cheaper machines that are not really of high quality, the bulk sales drive down the prices and subsidize the sales of fewer, better quality machines and so we get this comparison of a macbook to a faster laptop running Windows of similar price.

This hasn't carried over to tablets yet. Sure there are cheap tablets but they have been rejected outright and the bulk sales are not there. The higher quality tablets of Apple's competitors are therefor not subsidized by these bulk sales of inferior products and so cost more than the ipad.

The ipad competitors are going to have a hard time trying to establish the same system they have in place for computers. They need to either convince a large number of people that some $99 tablet really is good or that $900 for some speed bump gives you an experience so much better than an ipad.

And this is why sales of Apple computers are starting to grow. Apple has gotten people to try ipads, ipods and iphones and the idea of comparing technicals specs per dollar first is fading away. So when owners of these iOS devices go for their next laptop they give Macs a try.

 

[Count Blah]

I've discovered that the specs such as RAM are of greater importance to people who use windows for a good reason. This likely carry's over to non-iOs devices.

Great importance to the iPod Touch 2 and iPhone 3G users who can't take advantage of all that iOS 4.2 gives you SOLELY because of the lack of RAM.

Saying RAM isn't important does not magically make it so.

 

[PlipPlop]

Maybe I'm dense, but why are you complaining about the iPad2, then? Since it isn't on your radar? That would be like me complaining about Vista.

This is the 2nd time recently I've seen you use FUD incorrectly. Why don't you at least learn what terms mean? For instance, FUD is what YOU are saying, not what Apple is saying. It stands for Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt...which is the false, complaining, anti-marketing that people do against a product.

Compared to the iPad2's probable 10000k by June? Mmmkay.

Look, if you don't even know what jailbreaking/rooting is, don't talk about it. Good god.

Visit site, get OS change completely lol. Was in ios 3 so took Apple ages to fix this very large security problem. Good God.

Please now bow to Android man skateboarding.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

Great importance to the iPod Touch 2 and iPhone 3G users who can't take advantage of all that iOS 4.2 gives you SOLELY because of the lack of RAM.

Saying RAM isn't important does not magically make it so.

Never said RAM isn't important. Said you need more to make other OS' work. Windows for instance requires better hardware just to make it work as good as OS X or any Unix based OS.

And its funny that you say that because I own an iphone 4 and I'm never finding myself thinking it would be better if only I had more RAM.

You are simply trying to make a warn out, old argument stick.

 

[Count Blah]

Never said RAM isn't important. Said you need more to make other OS' work. Windows for instance requires better hardware just to make it work as good as OS X or any Unix based OS.

And its funny that you say that because I own an iphone 4 and I'm never finding myself thinking it would be better if only I had more RAM.

You are simply trying to make a warn out, old argument stick.

Again, the argument isn't worn out for the iPod Touch 2 and iPhone 3G folks who can't enjoy all of iOS 4.2 and won't continue onto 4.3

The only thing tired is those who plug their ears and rock back and forth whenever anyone says anything that is not super glowing about Apple.

 

[sineplex]

SHAMEFUL it is not 1GB

Is Apple wanting Android Tablets to roll over them? In 1 year, 1GB and 2GB will be STANDARD.

I'm sure Steve is so worried since no one can sell their tablets for the price Apple does. Maybe they could bring the price down to a competitive level.

 

[Kevenly]

Skimping on RAM is one of the primary ways they force upgrades to new models. To use the latest system software and latest apps on any iDevice really comes down to RAM. The iPod Touch 2nd Gen and iPhone 3G died earlier deaths than they should have due to lack of RAM. 256MB in the iPad was ridiculous.

 

[sasasule]

LOL@ Started reading and thought Running MAYA on an iPad... are you NUTS? How?

But then I read on. What a dork! LOL!

hehe i almost got busted hehe

 

[sasasule]

256 MB is not enough for my web browsing experience.
Everything about the iPad is user experience.
- iPad 1 was never designed for multitasking.
- Safari refreshes are driving me nutz. I do a lot of research online. If I open more than 2 or 3 tabs and switch between them ... wham...i have to wait for the page to refresh.
- if I download a file that is too "large" - wham goes the application.
- if I open a PDF file that is too "large" - wham goes the application.
- if I open a 12 mega pixil image to edit - wham goes the application.

For more advance applications, 256 megs does not cut it.
Plain in simple.
Apple would be foolish not to double the memory. If cost is the issue, then increase the price point...or else Android and Blackberrys will eat the iPad2 alive.

People buy because they love it, not because they care much about tech spec of their products. This is one of points why Apple keep prices so high because they know that ppl will buy it anyway. To sum up i don't think care much about Android and Blackberrys.

 

[1969cj5]

SHAMEFUL it is not 1GB

Is Apple wanting Android Tablets to roll over them? In 1 year, 1GB and 2GB will be STANDARD.

In a year it will be standard, not now though. In a year there will be another refresh

 

[lPHONE]

the (Xoom) sold out in many best buys on its first day actually. jus' sayin'

No doubt, all 12 of them.

 

[Artmuzz]

LOL, by the end of this year we will not even be talking about Flash anymore. Apple is selling too many iOS devices. Any site worth a gain of salt will have an HTML5 site...

I was talking about now NOT the end of this year

Apple's decision not to support Flash on iOS is rather pitiful. The iPhone OS has been on the go for a few years now and during that time Flash has been used alot on websites especially college course websites. Its rather sad that I have to rely on a £200 Dell Mini 10v netbook for flash when I need portability at college when a £600 iPad cannot and won't support it. On a good note though my iPad and iPod Touch are brilliant for when I need to do music making on the move.

 

[gorgeousninja]

I've discovered that the specs such as RAM are of greater importance to people who use windows for a good reason. This likely carry's over to non-iOs devices.

When you read the comments of Windows users who are apparently upset that others do not do things their way, they first compare the price of some $300 machine to an Apple computer. You point out that companies like Dell have bad customer support ratings because the support for the irate customers who buy these cheap products is lacking and you then get the line that "you get what you pay for". The argument then turns to how paying more for a "good" Dell machine gets you something with technical specs that are greater in speed and capacity than the corresponding Apple product.

The conclusion that I've come to is that to get Windows to work properly, requires much greater machine specifications than it does to make OS X work. Because computer makers sell a large number of these cheaper machines that are not really of high quality, the bulk sales drive down the prices and subsidize the sales of fewer, better quality machines and so we get this comparison of a macbook to a faster laptop running Windows of similar price.

This hasn't carried over to tablets yet. Sure there are cheap tablets but they have been rejected outright and the bulk sales are not there. The higher quality tablets of Apple's competitors are therefor not subsidized by these bulk sales of inferior products and so cost more than the ipad.

The ipad competitors are going to have a hard time trying to establish the same system they have in place for computers. They need to either convince a large number of people that some $99 tablet really is good or that $900 for some speed bump gives you an experience so much better than an ipad.

And this is why sales of Apple computers are starting to grow. Apple has gotten people to try ipads, ipods and iphones and the idea of comparing technicals specs per dollar first is fading away. So when owners of these iOS devices go for their next laptop they give Macs a try.

yep its the post-pc paradigm shift....The ones on here moaning so loudly about the iPad2 specs are just the bitter remnants of the hordes from last year claiming how the iPad would fail.

 

[gorgeousninja]

I really just do not understand the anger people are showing towards those questioning the memory on the iPad2. When it comes to iOS and it's advances to date, the limiting factor for "old" hardware is the amount of memory. The iPod Touch 2nd gen and iPhone 3 are capable of handling what iOS 4.2 and below can offer, EXCEPT for the memory requirements.

No is asking for a something that will last 5 years, and be able to handle every new feature coming out. But it is reasonable to ask for hardware that can run the new iOS for the two years after purchase, without feeling like you are watching a spinning beach ball constantly.

Yes iOS appears to be a lot more efficient with the RAM it is provided. But as others have already pointed out, the present version of iOS takes up at around 150M in memory just to boot up and sit there doing nothing. That number isn't going to decrease over time. So expect the iPad 1 to have worse and woerse performance over time, just performing the same basic tasks(when you update iOS).

Sometime in the not too distant future, iPad2 will be left behind by an iOS update. With 1Gig in RAM instead of 512/256, it would have been able to make that jump. And the performance of the iPad2 will have already greatly decreased, due to increasing memory demands, prior to that.

Apple users have always enjoyed something PC fans could not - having their hardware last a long time and continue to be productive all that time. With the presumably underspec'd RAM, that is no longer the case with the iPad line. You got two years of tip quality use, some didn't evn make it a year with iPad1 apparently, and then you are on the treadmill the PC side has always been on.

I presume then you are still using the exact same phone from 5 years ago?
Plus I don't really get what your point is. Should Apple never upgrade their technology then?
If you watch the iPad2 demo it looks amazing.. really, what else do you want them to do...throw in a speedboat?!?
Apple are already on the second generation of a device which no other manufacturer has found a way to answer, and people here still find reason to moan. Why moan here? Why don't they moan at Motorola or Samsung or whichever company they would rather have, than the company that consistently leads the field?
The fact that you seem to have no problem with people whining and bitc*in at Apple without them even having used the product does not make you look wiser.