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iPad 2 vs "the others" -What I don't get

O

oström

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 23, 2011
29
0
Hi, I've seen many people comparing the iPad 2's hardware to the other coming tablets this year and they say that the iPad 2 is lacking this and that. I know hardware matter, but is it not the user experience that matter the most?

I mean, I've had a Htc desire, and the specs are similar to iPhone 4 (which is my main phone today), everything from apps to games runs much smoother on the iPhone, especially games.

So the question I'm asking, why do people care if the iPad has a little less ram or cpu power when everything probably is going to be smoother and looking better graphically on the iPad 2? It feels like iOS is using the hardware better than the android os. In addition iOs is the platform that have "all" the apps.
 
Thats the reason why many here don't care about the hardware. But the 256MB RAM runs out sometimes when browsing certain websites which is annoying.
 
From what i've read, apple owns a processor making company which makes chips specificly for their needs. The clock speed may be a little slower but because it's built for one thing, it's a lot more efficient in working with the software.

Appleinsider had a report yesterday saying they believe the RAM is 512mb.
 
its better because its the most practical to the general consumer. first the UI is amazing and it has things that everyone likes, can understand and operate. second it just looks amazing. third its practical a 10hr battery life, a month of standby. plus the base model is not as expensive. this is why apple will be the clear winner.
 
oström said:
So the question I'm asking, why do people care if the iPad has a little less ram or cpu power when everything probably is going to be smoother and looking better graphically on the iPad 2? It feels like iOS is using the hardware better than the android os. In addition iOs is the platform that have "all" the apps.
Click to expand...

They care b/c they are Android supporters and specs is all they have. Android is not polished like iOS, it's not secure enough for business, it doesn't have as many quality apps, it's not the first platform most developers or companies design for. So all they can do is point to the SD slot or more RAM, etc.

But consumers are not huge on specs, but user experience, so they don't care, and that frustrates Android supporters. Knowledgeable tech geeks know that the spec sheet doesn't really say much about how a product performs -- it only tells you what's inside. It's like the monster 200w discount brand stereo that sounds muddy vs the crystal clear high-end 100w receiver. Sure the cheap-o unit has more power but so what if you can't bear listen to it.
 
The best way to look at this, is to pretend posting a products specs were illegal. In other words, we'd have no idea what was on the inside of each device. The only way to choose was by the experience once we picked up the device in our hands. This is why Apple refuses to release specs. They're not stupid, they know all the techno-blogs will bash them for only releasing a 900 MHz chip as opposed to a 7.8 Quad Core i90 chip.

So, they keep the specs quite and ask the consumer to pick up the device and see for themselves if specs really matter. Steve alluded to this during the keynote speech on Wednesday. He said the Apple stores are vital to their sales, because people can come in and play with the devices and see how fluid and natural they are. To the rest of the world that doesn't visit this site on a daily basis, this is whats important.
 
The answer to your question is that people DON'T care! That' why apple is so successful. That's why so many iPads have been sold and why apple will continue to dominate this category for at least the foreseeable future. They are all about the user experience and that is what people really care about.

People online talking about tech specs do not represent the general public. They are an extremely small proportion of the population. You should only look at sales numbers to determine how the general public actually feels about a product.

Apple has made a clear statement with the iPad especially that tech specs don't matter and that your personal experience using the product is the top priority. This engadget article perfectly captures apple's intentions: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/03/editorial-its-apples-post-pc-world-were-all-just-living/
 
Android has no choice but to "hang its hat" on specs as that is probably the only chance it has to compete with the iPad. So they tout CPU and RAM all while ignoring the total lack of apps and the horrible battery life.

Oh and those spec lovin Android folks just eat it up!
 
Sodner said:
So they tout CPU and RAM ...
Click to expand...

RAM, sure, but the iPad 2's processor is FASTER than the current Android processor. Despite having a better graphics processor than the iPhone4's, my Android phone has no game to boast its power compared to Rage3D or Infinity Blade. Now imagine what the creators will do with the new iPad 2 GPU which is many times faster than the old one.
 
oström said:
Hi, I've seen many people comparing the iPad 2's hardware to the other coming tablets this year and they say that the iPad 2 is lacking this and that. I know hardware matter, but is it not the user experience that matter the most?

I mean, I've had a Htc desire, and the specs are similar to iPhone 4 (which is my main phone today), everything from apps to games runs much smoother on the iPhone, especially games.

So the question I'm asking, why do people care if the iPad has a little less ram or cpu power when everything probably is going to be smoother and looking better graphically on the iPad 2? It feels like iOS is using the hardware better than the android os. In addition iOs is the platform that have "all" the apps.
Click to expand...

I would agree that sometimes people pay too much attention to specs without considering the bigger picture. However the iPad 1 does have some hardware limitations which actually negatively affect users, so it makes perfect sense to wish and hope that Apple would match other devices' specs in certain ways. For instance the relatively low RAM in the iPad makes web browsing annoying compared to what it could be, because the browser has to frequently reload pages when going back, or when switching tabs. Even if I agree that overall the iPad is still superior to the competition, that doesn't change the fact that in some regards its limitations are frustrating.
 
Some very good, thoughtful responses in this thread. And agreed - as I have posted seemingly countless times recently...

Specs >< user experience.

User experience >>>> specs. Every single time.


There's an interesting post over at engadget about this,, talking about the post-PC world Apple is now fostering. 'Specs' as a concept loom large in the philosophical distinction between the PC world, and the post PC world as described by the post's author.
 
The vast majority of Apples customers don`t buy on Specs.
In any case, for most people the internal specs are becoming more and more irrelevant.
You physically can`t buy a new computer, for example, that won`t handle all the basics easily.
 
MOST people (mom, dad, grandma, friend) who buy the ipad doesn't care about technical specs. they only sees it as a magical device.

its the tech savvy people (a small percentage) who only cares about the specs. And they complain about it through their blogs, threads, mouth etc. making it seem like everyone not liking the ipad2 specs.
 
For Apple, it is not about the specs of a particular product but the end user experience that is most important.
 
The reason is two-fold.

First, people are paying money for a device which will become obsolete in 3 months. If they buy something that has more 'oomph' behind it, then they won't get left behind as quickly

Second,

256 MB ram on the small side for this day and age. A bump to 512 would have probably cost another $10-$20 per unit (if that). It is disappointing to people because Apple has chosen NOT to deliver a better spec (even though they could without much effort)
 
I have to say this is one of the most civil and well articulated discussions on specs vs experience I've ever read.

And to the OP, you're right - user experience sells devices more than specs. The specs just have to be "good enough" to make the best user experience. I think Apple more than does that with the iPad 2, addressing concerns and limitations of the first.

I also think the Xoom has a great user interface and offers a totally different experience, but the full ecosystem of apps, devs, and features isn't there yet.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
They care b/c they are Android supporters and specs is all they have. Android is not polished like iOS, it's not secure enough for business, it doesn't have as many quality apps, it's not the first platform most developers or companies design for. So all they can do is point to the SD slot or more RAM, etc.

But consumers are not huge on specs, but user experience, so they don't care, and that frustrates Android supporters. Knowledgeable tech geeks know that the spec sheet doesn't really say much about how a product performs -- it only tells you what's inside. It's like the monster 200w discount brand stereo that sounds muddy vs the crystal clear high-end 100w receiver. Sure the cheap-o unit has more power but so what if you can't bear listen to it.
Click to expand...

+1, FTW, all my internets to you fine sir, etc.

People are starting to get it - but since this is a techie-heavy site, we'll always have threads like "I won't buy it if the XYZ isn't ABC" and so on.

Again, these people do not represent the buying public. 99%+ of the people that want computers, phones and tablets don't know about specs and don't care about specs.
 
Let's put it this way: spec is what makes user experience possible when combined with software optimization. 3D games on my iPod Touch looks far better than the games on my Android phone despite the phone having a much faster chip because the games are simply better made.

In Windows PC, the specs are very relevant because everyone uses the same OS so the only differentiator is the hardware. In Android phones it matters because everyone uses... wait even in Android the software matters a lot because the level of optimization and the built-in skin is different in each phone, but specs do matter more in Android still. When you're comparing iPad 2 vs Android, it's a different game because they aren't using the same OS.

One thing I rarely see anyone mention here is how big of a leap Apple made in 3D graphics specs. That's something that should genuinely make people exciting since we'll see amazing games that go beyond what we see in iOS game visual currently yet I don't see much on that.
 
The majority of consumers just want to be able to touch an icon on the screen and see something happen. They don't know nor care about RAM or CPU or anything technical. The user interface is king not specs.
 
Tarzanman said:
First, people are paying money for a device which will become obsolete in 3 months.
Click to expand...

You mean like those poor benighted fools who bought the Galaxy Tab in December? Or maybe those chumps who rushed out and bought a Xoom last week?

Or do you mean the 15 million people who bought an iPad v1 - and have enjoyed a year of fantastic user experience, and more importantly - can look forward to another couple of years (at least) before they make the choice to upgrade?

Of the 65,000 Apps available for the iPad, how many won't run on iPad v1? Answer: Very, very few. And I doubt that this is going to change significantly in the next couple of years.
 
Sodner said:
Android has no choice but to "hang its hat" on specs as that is probably the only chance it has to compete with the iPad. So they tout CPU and RAM all while ignoring the total lack of apps and the horrible battery life.

Oh and those spec lovin Android folks just eat it up!
Click to expand...

100 native apps are enough for a lot of people, IIRC the iPad launched with fewer native iPad apps. The Xoom actually has better battery life than the iPad 1**, and since the iPad 2 has the same battery life the Xoom beats it.

**Anandtech.com review
 
vrDrew said:
You mean like those poor benighted fools who bought the Galaxy Tab in December? Or maybe those chumps who rushed out and bought a Xoom last week?

Or do you mean the 15 million people who bought an iPad v1 - and have enjoyed a year of fantastic user experience, and more importantly - can look forward to another couple of years (at least) before they make the choice to upgrade?

Of the 65,000 Apps available for the iPad, how many won't run on iPad v1? Answer: Very, very few. And I doubt that this is going to change significantly in the next couple of years.
Click to expand...

+1 This is the very reason that I do not feel the need to upgrade my iPad this year.
 
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