Is the iPad Overpriced and Underspecced? What should it have...

[lovetheduns]

The only reason we bitch and moan is that what Steve Jobs showed off did not match up to his claims or the hype preceding it. If he had left out "better than a netbook" and "built on the shoulders of the Kindle" then no one would be comparing it to either. Both are knowns, and both are very capable. IMHO he should have avoided such comparisons and simply claimed his stake on the tablet market. The only place I'd seen tablets in use was my doctor's office. He could have said "iPad is NOT your doctor's tablet PC", and the best we might have had here would've been doctors defending their $2500 electronic medical record tablets. Instead, he's trying to steal from the success of both, while providing at best a subset of the unique features of each.

I'm not saying he doesn't have a winner in the iPad. This is just a response to the thread topic. Another "crux of the problem" theory.

I can understand what you are saying.

I think the issue is that when he said it is better than a netbook or a Kindle-- then that is entirely subjective.

For me, I NEVER considered buying a netbook. I played around with some (3 friends have one and I tinkered with them at Best Buy when I am there) and always thought them vastly underpowered, horrible graphics and screens, tiny cramped keyboards, and overall a plan mess to use.

A kindle-- does not appeal to me either-- I don't want to spend that much money for what I view as a black and white reader with some limited internet abilities. Eh, just would never appeal to me. The potentials with what could be accomplished with the iPad in terms of very rich media, video, web browsing, limited doc creation and edits-- is what really appeals to me.

So if you were to ask me if I thought what Jobs did is by far superior than the netbooks and the Kindle-- I would agree times 1,000.

Granted you and others may not. So as I was insinuating-- it is all subjective and since it is so very subjective-- they developed it for the 80% factor that will love the device and what the device will become-- the other 20% are left high and dry and with other options (Macbook Air, Macbook Pro, netbooks, etc)

 

[bobob]

iFAIL

What a waste, i'm just going to wait for the next version, all you people buying it now are just wasting your money. I already canceled both of my 64GB wifi pads, and had 2 friends cancel theres. That's 4 iPads apple won't be selling. It's just not something that is needed, unless they put on the device in the second version that would actually make some sense with this device.

What convinced you to order two "iFAILS" in the first place? What changed?

 

[tdream]

What convinced you to order two "iFAILS" in the first place? What changed?

Bet he never actually ordered any. Flaimbait...

 

[2cold]

Bet he never actually ordered any. Flaimbait...

Excuse me? I bet your a dousche bag too... Why in the hell would i come on here and waste my time? Yes i bought two of them, and the reason why i canceled mine is i just kept reading, and reading things about it that turned me off, then i realized this happens with every apple device, they release something, wait a while, people complain, then they release a second version, it's inevidable.

 

[coorspate]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (webOS/1.4.0; U; en-US) AppleWebKit/532.2 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/1.0 Safari/532.2 Pre/1.0)

I'm dissapointed that it won't give me a massage, make my living for me, do my taxes without my input, oh and match the specs and features of every other device out there now. It also should auto download every movie coming out this summer free. Clearly it should have done all this for under $300 too.

 

[2cold]

Why did you reserve iPads to begin with? What did you learn since that you didn't know then? I dunno, I just kind of figure that most people know whether or not they want an item BEFORE they reserve it.



I couldn't make sense of this. What are you talking about?

I'm talking about they could of actually put a USB/SD slot on it, or add flash player on it *will never happen*, or what about a camera. These are essential things that is a must if your building a mobile device that will replace something like a netbook. Otherwise i might as well just buy a dam netbook for that price, hell a new laptop. Maybe i'll just wait for the slate to come out. Maybe i'll just wait and see what apple does next...

 

[coorspate]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (webOS/1.4.0; U; en-US) AppleWebKit/532.2 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/1.0 Safari/532.2 Pre/1.0)

seriously, I have no comaints for the price. I do wish it had flash and a camera though.

 

[2cold]

Who in there right mind is going to buy a $70 wireless keyboard for there ipad, i meen come on... not to mention all the rest of the accessories are overpriced.

 

[Masquerade]

No camera for video chat + no stylus to take notes (draw pictures in class) and no flash for hulu. If it had these 3 things, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

right, a stylus would be great. however, i've too agree with a today's video report at strategy room, with a camera (even a rotative one/with a jog dial),
you would be conferencing with your nose, becose there's no pleasant holding orientation that you can record your face.

 

[wikoogle]

The way Apple skimped on ram on this device is inexcusable.

 

[bobob]

The way Apple skimped on ram on this device is inexcusable.

Completely changing the title of this thread after 2 months and 15 pages is at best disingenuous. It puts a whole different spin on the 362 posts that other MacRumors members have contributed.

 

[wikoogle]

The original thread title was... "Why was the iPad such a disappointment"

Today's news was that it has only 256 mb of Ram, which is a big reason to be disappointed, and the most current news.

So it only makes sense to talk about that issue here and now.

That's hardly a big departure from the original topic and posts.

After that becomes old news, I'll change it back.

Speaking of which, why is the iPad technologically two generations behind a freaking smartphone?

A gig of ram is like $5.

If HTC could squeeze 4G, a 1 Ghz Snapdragon Processor, twice the ram, 720p video recording, 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, a 4.3 inch OLED multitouch screen (about an inch bigger than the iPhone), a second camera for video chat and a HDMI port into their new Andriod smartphone The Sprint Evo 4G, then there is no excuse for Apple not having been able to match that in their iPad.

HTC EVO 4G includes a blazing-fast 1GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor, the award-winning HTC SenseTM user experience, an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with dual LED flash with HD-capable 720p video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera. The large vibrant 4.3 inch OLED display, built-in kickstand, 3.5 mm headset jack and HDMI output on a network with download speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G speeds.1 With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO 4G also allows up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptop, camera, music player, video player and any other Wi-Fi-enabled device, to enjoy the benefits of 4G speeds on the go.

PRODUCTIVITY

* 3G/4G capability
* Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ QSD8650 (1GHz) processor
* 4.3” capacitive OLED display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedback
* World-class HTML browser – bandwidth and quality that rival that of netbooks
* Android 2.1, with access to more than 30,000 apps on Android Market
* GoogleTM mobile services including Google SearchTM, Google MapsTM, Google TalkTM, GmailTM, YouTubeTM , and syncs with Google CalendarTM
* Access to Google Goggles™ to search with pictures instead of words
* Sprint Navigation, with turn-by-turn driving directions and 3D maps
* Updated HTC Sense, award-winning user experience, which includes Friend Stream to integrate Facebook, Twitter and more into a single flow of updates
* Visual voicemail
* Messaging – personal and business email, IM and text messaging
* 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability – connects up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices
* 4G data speeds (WiMAX) – peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1 Mbps; average download speeds of 3-6 Mbps.
* 3G data speeds (EVDO Rev A.) – peak download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds of 600 kbps-1.4 Mbps.

ENTERTAINMENT

* 8MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash and 1.3MP front-facing camera
* High-quality video streaming and downloads at 3G and 4G data speeds
* Capture and share HD-quality video (720p) from your phone
* Output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (720p) via HDMI cable (sold separately)
* Live video sharing with Qik
* Built-in kickstand for hands-free viewing
* Media player with 3.5mm stereo headset jack
* FM radio and Amazon MP3 store
* Sprint applications including Sprint TV® and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile(SM)
* Bluetooth® 2.1 with A2DP Stereo and EDR
* Built-in WiFi®: 802.11 b/g
* Digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS
* Expandable memory: 8GB microSD card included; supports up to 32GB

SPECIFICATIONS:

* Dimensions: 4.8″ x 2.6″ x .5″ (LxWxT)
* Weight: 6 ounces
* Main display: 4.3” WVGA (800×480) 65K colors
* Standard removable 1500mAh Lithium (Li-on) battery
* Memory: 1GB ROM, 512MB RAM

1 “Up to 10x faster” based on download speed comparison of 3G’s 600 kbps vs. 4G’s 6 Mbps. Industry published 3G avg. speeds (600 kbps-1.7 Mbps); 4G avg. speeds (3-6 Mbps). Actual speeds may vary. Sprint 4G currently available in over 25 markets and counting, and on select devices.

What happens if HTC releases an Andriod based Tablet with those same specs? What can iPhoneOS do that Andriod can't. The iPad will be defunct before it even released worldwide.

 

[diabolic]

Oddly, the RAM doesn't seem to have much effect on it's speed or the way I have been using it. Sounds like just another "bullet point feature list spec" complaint that doesn't actually take into account any real experience.

 

[wikoogle]

Then you've been using it like a light weight.

My iPhone 3GS regularly crashes when I have more than a couple of tabs open in the safari browser, and it has 256 mbs of ram.

Considering that the bigger display uses more ram, the problem will be worse on the iPad. There are already reports of the iPad crashing with as few as 4 tabs open.

And we can kiss multitasking goodbye.

 

[henrikrox]

Then you've been using it like a light weight.

My iPhone 3GS regularly crashes when I have more than a couple of tabs open in the safari browser, and it has 256 mbs of ram.

Considering that the bigger display uses more ram, the problem will be worse on the iPad. There are already reports of the iPad crashing with 4 tabs open.

We get it. U hate iPad.

But u obviously dont know how apple product lines work.

 

[Dorkington]

The original thread title was... "Why was the iPad such a disappointment"

Today's news was that it has only 256 mb of Ram, which is a big reason to be disappointed, and the most current news.

So it only makes sense to talk about that issue here and now.

That's hardly a big departure from the original topic and posts.

After that becomes old news, I'll change it back.

Speaking of which, why is the iPad technologically two generations behind a freaking smartphone?

A gig of ram is like $5.

If HTC could squeeze 4G, a 1 Ghz Snapdragon Processor, twice the ram, 720p video recording, 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, a 4.3 inch OLED multitouch screen (about an inch bigger than the iPhone), a second camera for video chat and a HDMI port into their new Andriod smartphone The Sprint Evo 4G, then there is no excuse for Apple not having been able to match that in their iPad.



What happens if HTC releases an Andriod based Tablet with those same specs? What can iPhoneOS do that Andriod can't. The iPad will be defunct before it even released worldwide.

The beauty of competition.

Right now there isn't really another consumer/popular tablet out there (sure there are a couple, but they aren't really competitors sales wise).

When a large company produces a tablet that they can sell to people (MS, Dell, HP, etc), you'll see Apple improve their device if they notice sales are effected.

I, for one, love the competition in the touch screen market.

 

[JediZenMaster]

I Don't really understand the need for a camera on the ipad. And it suprises me people think that if they hold off for the 2nd version of the ipad. Because apple never even mentioned the idea of a camera. The ipad is not designed as smartphone and will not be no matter how much people want it to. Thats what the iphone 3GS is for DUH!

This reminds me of the whole ipod touch with a camera debacle and we saw how that turned out. Aparently there will be a small segment of users who will never ever be satisfied with anything.

If the ipad doesnt fit your needs find something that does

 

[cmvsm]

Then you've been using it like a light weight.

My iPhone 3GS regularly crashes when I have more than a couple of tabs open in the safari browser, and it has 256 mbs of ram.

Considering that the bigger display uses more ram, the problem will be worse on the iPad. There are already reports of the iPad crashing with as few as 4 tabs open.

And we can kiss multitasking goodbye.

My iPod touch hasn't crashed with multiple windows open. As far as I know on this forum, there has been one thread that discussed someone opening 4 tabs and the iPad crashed, but then someone else followed up with 6 tabs open, with no problems.

Sounds like you are embellishing the facts a bit much to fuel your rant for whatever reason. The iPad is what it is until the next revision. If you don't like...then don't buy. Get yourself a Dell 10v and give the hackintosh method a try for $299.

 

[diabolic]

Then you've been using it like a light weight.

If you were expecting to use it like a MacBook Pro, then you made a mistake. How many web pages do you need to keep open at once? I had 5 sites open in Safari last night and was jumping between them with no problems or reloading of the pages. I haven't had an app crash yet either.

Apple never told you this was a "serious computer" that you could use for resource heavy applications. In case you don't realize it, most people do use their computers like a lightweight.

The iPad is not for you. Buy the competitor that you find most appealling. It's really nothing to be upset about.

 

[JediZenMaster]

The original thread title was... "Why was the iPad such a disappointment"

Today's news was that it has only 256 mb of Ram, which is a big reason to be disappointed, and the most current news.

So it only makes sense to talk about that issue here and now.

That's hardly a big departure from the original topic and posts.

After that becomes old news, I'll change it back.

Speaking of which, why is the iPad technologically two generations behind a freaking smartphone?

A gig of ram is like $5.

If HTC could squeeze 4G, a 1 Ghz Snapdragon Processor, twice the ram, 720p video recording, 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, a 4.3 inch OLED multitouch screen (about an inch bigger than the iPhone), a second camera for video chat and a HDMI port into their new Andriod smartphone The Sprint Evo 4G, then there is no excuse for Apple not having been able to match that in their iPad.



What happens if HTC releases an Andriod based Tablet with those same specs? What can iPhoneOS do that Andriod can't. The iPad will be defunct before it even released worldwide.

If HTC did release a tablet to those specs it would most likey cost 700 dollars or more. The sweet spot of the ipad is its pricepoint. You really have it twisted because your comparing a smartphone to a tablet. Apples and oranges

HTC EVO = Phone Ipad = not phone but tablet

 

[wikoogle]

u obviously dont know how apple product lines work.

I know perfectly well how they work. Release a product that uses two year old tech, charge an arm and a leg for it. Then next year, rerelease it adding a couple of features the device should have had in the first place, and force everyone to buy it again. And the year after that, finally bring the product to where it should've been two years ago, so you can milk even more money out of your customers, while still leaving your product two years behind the current competition thus leaving you more room to upgrade and milk fans.

There was no reason why the original iPhone couldn't have included 3G. Even free phones two years before the iPhone came out had 3G chips in them. There was no reason why the iPhone 3G got zero upgrades other than the 3G chip. There was absolutely no reason why it couldn't have offered 256 mbs of ram, 3.2 megapixel camera and video recording back then.

It's precisely because I know how apple product lines work and have been burnt too many times by the company that I'm sick of all the milking they do.

 

[JediZenMaster]

I know perfectly well how they work. Release a product that uses two year old tech, charge an arm and a leg for it. Then next year, rerelease it adding a couple of features the device should have had in the first place, and force everyone to buy it again. And the year after that, finally bring the product to where it should've been two years ago, so you can milk even more money out of your customers, while still leaving your product two years behind the current competition thus leaving you more room to upgrade and milk fans.

It's precisely because I know how apple product lines work and have been burnt too many times by the company that I'm sick of them.

I don't think you do. Your not looking at it from the point of the average consumer. The average consumer doesn't want all the bells and whistles. That would be the mac rumors consumer that wants all that. Your saying 2 year old technology? Based on what? The HTC evo? Which is a phone Or what other tablet?

I would really like to know other than lacking flash or a camera which would really have to practical purpose on that device that you think the ipad should have

 

[Carouser]

force everyone to buy it again

Apple forces people to buy their substandard products?

If Apple's products were so bad, nobody would buy them and other companies would be able to easily overtake Apple by offering what Apple doesn't.

 

[wikoogle]

I know perfectly well how they work. Release a product that uses two year old tech, charge an arm and a leg for it. Then next year, rerelease it adding a couple of features the device should have had in the first place, and force everyone to buy it again. And the year after that, finally bring the product to where it should've been two years ago, so you can milk even more money out of your customers, while still leaving your product two years behind the current competition thus leaving you more room to upgrade and milk fans.

There was no reason why the original iPhone couldn't have included 3G. Even free phones two years before the iPhone came out had 3G chips in them. There was no reason why the iPhone 3G got zero upgrades other than the 3G chip. There was absolutely no reason why it couldn't have offered 256 mbs of ram, 3.2 megapixel camera and video recording back then.

It's precisely because I know how apple product lines work and have been burnt too many times by the company that I'm sick of all the milking they do.

I don't think you do. Your not looking at it from the point of the average consumer. The average consumer doesn't want all the bells and whistles.

There's a difference between not knowing and not caring. The average consumer is ignorant of just how important things like processor and ram are in rendering graphics, playing video, allowing for fast speed and performance, and enabling increible looking apps and games.

The average consumer does care that the video their friend emailed them won't play on their iPad because it needs flash. The average consumer does prefer apps and games that look better.

If the iPad had more ram and a better processor, it would be able to render flash video, it would be able to multitask, Microsoft would've been able to develop and release Office for it and it would have games that look atleast as good as Super Mario Galaxy.

And yes, even the average consumer would notice and appreciate the difference between how Super Mario Galaxy looks and how a platformer on the iPad looks.

Because Apple crippled the device, developers will set this device as the baseline. So even if the iPad 2 years from now can render games that look like Super Mario Galaxy on the device, they won't bother developing such a game since it would leave out all the 1st gen iPad owners.

Current smartphones are using a 1 Ghz Snapdragon Processors and 512 mbs of ram (and in some cases dual core 1.5 Ghz processors and 1 gb of ram). All that power just to render a 4.3 inch screen.

There's no reason why the iPad couldn't have offered a decent processor and 512 mbs of ram.

And don't tell it would've cost too much. Current netbooks (smaller and lighter than the iPad) offer 1.2 Ghz processors and 2gbs or ram for a price under $300.

 

[JediZenMaster]

I don't think you realize just how important things like processor and ram are in rendering graphics, playing video, allowing for fast speed and performance, and enabling increible looking apps and games.

If the iPad had more ram and a better processor, it would be able to render flash video, it would be able to multitask, Microsoft would've been able to develop and release Office for it and it would have games that look atleast as good as Super Mario Galaxy.

Because Apple crippled the device, developers will set this device as the baseline. So even if the iPad 2 years from now can render games that look like Super Mario Galaxy on the device, they won't bother developing such a game since it would leave out all the 1st gen iPad owners.

Current smartphones are using a 1 Ghz Snapdragon Processors and 512 mbs of ram (and in some cases dual core 1.5 Ghz processors and 1 gb of ram). All that power just to render a 4.3 inch screen.

There's no reason why the iPad couldn't have offered a decent processor and 512 mbs of ram.

And don't tell it would've cost too much. Current netbooks (smaller and lighter than the iPad) offer 1.2 Ghz processors and 2gbs or ram for a price under $300.

And once again it is not a smartphone or a netbook. The ipad is a Tablet which is going to be a completly different marketsegment. And i highly doubt that Microsoft would have released office on it anyway. It's a direct competitor. I'm happy with it. IMO the specs are null because if i want a smartphone i will use my iphone.

Flash is a battery hog. And while macrumors users would love it. The average consumer would be upset with the battery life while using flash. You need to realize that the average consumer doesnt care about specs. Only gadget lovers do.