iPad 2S vs. iPad 3

[psonice]

Thinking about this a bit more, I'm not sure the A6 will be quad core. If apple go with a retina screen, they really need to increase the graphics power.

Now considering that they'll move to a new 'chip process', they'll have more space on the A6, meaning they can fit more on without affecting costs or battery life. A quad core CPU would probably take most of that extra room, and not leave enough for a big GPU boost.

Plus, a quad core CPU might not be all that much better. Most apps aren't going to use 4 cores. Most still just use 1 in fact - which leaves 1 spare for getting email etc. in the background on the A5. So moving to quad core wouldn't be all that much better than dual core. Instead, they could beef up the dual cores, perhaps run them a bit faster - that would give a decent speed up in ALL apps, not just a select few. And they'd have space for the big GPU needed for that retina screen.

Double plus: They could go with Arm's new "big + small" architecture. Improved dual core for regular use, plus a wimpy single-core CPU that uses a lot less power. The little core does things like checking email when the iPad is in standby, where you just don't need a big powerful CPU. This can increase battery life quite a lot!

If they went with that, I think we could see better battery life, games that run well on a retina screen, and better performance (even better than a quad core in most apps!)

 

[jsh1120]

I use Swiftkey. I also like Thumb Keyboard too, but Swiftkey predictions are awesome.

I use SwiftKey on my Android phone (as well as Swype.) I can't comment on their applicability to a tablet size device but as much as I like each one on my phone (especially Swiftkey's predictive features), I'm skeptical about their use on a device with a much larger form factor.

Simply put, when I need to enter extended text, I need a physical keyboard. As a long time touch typist I've found no virtual keyboard can deliver the same efficiency and speed.

That's not true for everyone, I'm sure. I've seen thumb typists reach amazing speeds on their phones. And I suspect that many of those who find an onscreen keyboard acceptable are two finger or hunt/peck typists.

As far as aspect ratios are concerned, it comes down to a question of whether a cinematic or a content creation experience is a higher priority. I get along fine working with a 16:9 ratio on my large monitors for documents but as the screen real estate shrinks, I find the iPad's 4:3 ratio easier to deal with. By the same token, movies work better with a widescreen aspect ratio.

 

[4DThinker]

Did you just describe something that would render everybody's existing headphones as incompatible?

Of course. Apple is famous for doing that. Change up the iPhone every two years so everyone has to buy a new case. Rejigger the dock so older dock devices don't work anymore. Some clever 3rd party will make an adapter so your old headphones will work though, so you can stop worrying. It'll be $29 though, thanks to needing to license the rights from Apple.

 

[APlotdevice]

Of course. Apple is famous for doing that. Change up the iPhone every two years so everyone has to buy a new case. Rejigger the dock so older dock devices don't work anymore. Some clever 3rd party will make an adapter so your old headphones will work though, so you can stop worrying. It'll be $29 though, thanks to needing to license the rights from Apple.

But remember that Apple already tried something similar with the Shuffle. The third gen required the headphones to have a built-in remote in order to actually control the music. This did not go over well with consumers, and though third parties did eventually come out with adapters, Apple ultimately backpedaled on the design.

 

[milo]

16:9 and 8.9 inches is pretty sweet too...

16:9 would be great if you were only watching movies, but since I often use it vertically I like the 4:3 - "widescreen" would be too skinny for me when it's flipped.

A lot of great buzz turned into a chorus of "huh?" when the iPhone 5 turned out to be the 4S.

...which turned into the fastest selling phone of all time. The reaction of a few anonymous people on message boards is irrelevant, the question is how does it sell? And we know the answer to that.