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Next iPad to Add Five New Features including USB Port?

USB, why?

Why would anyone ever want USB on an iPad?

The stupid EU ruling for microUSB does not apply to the iPad and is really stupid thing in the first place.

People need to leave legacy technology (yes, I'm lumping USB in with other legacy technology such as RJ-45 connector, physical media, PS2 jacks and serial ports) in the past in move into the future.

Why would anyone want to teether an iPad with USB devices?
 
Maybe the USB will be used as a way to connect the device to the computer. I don't think it would be for add USB devices (Flash, removable hard drive).

The camera is a nice addition. I would look for more memory and a better display.
 
USB would be the first step towards making the iPad an independent device that doesn't require a computer to function. After all, Steve said that he sees the future of most computers being like the iPad. In that sense, you would not have to need a computer AND an iPad. An iPad should work on its own.
 
USB port?
What for?


Retina Display?
Wooo-Hooo! Get In there!
On a second thought....no...probably won't happen.

Front-facing camera? Yes,please.
Back-facing camera-makes absolutely no sense to me.

Thinner?
I don't care.

Lighter?
Yes,please!

Smaller?
Please God,NO!!!


Mine: a bit faster processor and double (at least) the RAM.
256 is simply not enough for iOS 4.2...
 
Popeye206 said:
Okay... why do so many people say "No USB"??? It makes sense that there would be one for a variety of reasons.

If it's spec'd the way it described here, it will sell like crazy... oh wait... it already is selling like crazy. :)
Click to expand...

A lot of people understand how Apple operates. They won't add a USB port when the dock connector already supports USB. They want to reduce the number of ports, not increase it.

They'll only add one if they absolutely have to and I don't think the EU legislation requires them to.
 
stridemat said:
I was mildly surprised when the current iPhone 4 didn't come with a USB port. The next most likely will. Perhaps Apple are moving away from the dock connector?
Click to expand...

Apple will _NEVER_ include a USB port.

Locked down & proprietary is how Steve likes it... there's zero possibility of it ever happening.

It's all about his ego, money, power and control. The "little people" will never see USB.
 
Warbrain said:
EU law says that mobile phones need to be compatible with a Micro-USB charger. This doesn't not mean it needs to have such a port on the device. Dongles are allowed. Apple will simply package dongles with the phones sold in Europe.
Click to expand...

Dongles are so 1990's though.

The past is littered with old tech that used to have other bits plugged into it, till tech moved on and they made it build into the device.

No-one wants to have to remember to take extra plug ins around with them.
 
These are just a bunch of typical rumors and some are more like fanboy wishful thinking. Retina display... Sure.... Any portable class graphics would choke on it pushing all those pixels around, not to mention that it is too soon to upgrade resolution and create yet another unsupported resolution requiring apps to be blurry-zoomed.

This rumor is 90% nonsense and 10% obvious (cameras for facetime).
 
Any resolution increase at all will require better graphics hardware...what they've got now is already underpowered for 1024x768.

--Eric
 
I'm still waiting for the first tablet that is a real computer capable of running real applications from Adobe and Canon. I would prefer OS X because then I could also run Aperture but a Windows 7 tablet would be just fine.

With sufficient processing power and USB/HDMI connectivity an iPad sized tablet would be useful though it still might be a while before tablets are powerful enough to act more like real computers than deluxe iPods.
 
scottsjack said:
I would prefer OS X because then I could also run Aperture...
Click to expand...

I would prefer Linux, and I'm beginning to think that Bibble Pro is an acceptable replacement for Aperture - and Bibble runs on Linux, Windows and OS X and it is MUCH faster than any competitor.
 
paradox00 said:
A lot of people understand how Apple operates. They won't add a USB port when the dock connector already supports USB. They want to reduce the number of ports, not increase it.

They'll only add one if they absolutely have to and I don't think the EU legislation requires them to.
Click to expand...


Oh.. I realize how Apple operates and often what seems to hurt in the beginning ends up being the standard a year or two down the road. Like when apple dropped floppies, or when the MBA came out without a CD drive. Now, who cares?

However, it seems like a USB would be really useful for quick transfer of media to the iPad to off to media too. It's nice to know we have Airplay and computers to dock to, but it sure would be nice to slap a USB drive in and download pics from a camera or transfer pics to a USB drive so you can easily get prints made. Just a couple of examples.

I don't think a USB is the end of the world if it's not there, but it would make it nicer. That's my thought.
 
Cubert said:
NO BACKSIDE CAMERA!!! This makes NO sense at all.
Click to expand...

Yeah, my buddy and I were talking about that the other night - how great it would be for construction sites for augmented reality, real time display of virtual blueprints. So site managers can avoid problems before they happen by visualizing where pipes, ducting, cables and other components might intersect or interfere.
 
iRockMan1 said:
That kind of decision shouldn't be made at all. The government shouldn't have any say in what type of port a device uses. That's silly.
Click to expand...

Imagine a country that has fifty different types of electrical outlets. Imagine the same connector is sometimes used at 50 Volts, but another supplier puts 500 Volts on it. Sometimes 50Hz, sometimes 60 Hz, sometimes 200 Hz or even direct current.

Or imagine a world where every car maker has a different type of fuel and operates its own network of (incompatible) fuel stations.

In some cases it is not silly to force companies to make things compatible.

Christian
 
If those 5 features are the biggest additions to the next iPad, then I won't feel the need to ditch my current iPad for a new one. Why?

1) I can already use FaceTime with my iPhone, yet I never have and don't plan to. I've never thought to myself, "I wish my iPad had a camera."

2) My eyesight is too poor to tell the difference between a Retina display and the lower-quality display (I'm an old dude with bad eyes).

3) I think the current iPad is already plenty portable. Having an even thinner and lighter one would be nice, but not essential.

4) I think the gyroscope will someday be essential to app technology, but I don't think that day has yet arrived.

5) The availability of a USB port is enticing, but I also image it will be crippled in much the way the camera connection kit is crippled. If it was a USB port that would accept anything that was plugged into it (external hard drives, for instance), then I'd be interested.

Those are just my personal feelings. I can certainly understand why the retina display, FaceTime and the other features might be killer features for other customers, though.
 
USB not out of the question

Doesn't anyone except japanime know there is already a USB connector in the photo adapter? They just dumb it down so it only works with certain functions. I heard if the iPad is jail broken it may offer more functionality. To download photos from external media it has to have a file system browsing capability.

The photo adapter saved my bacon on a trip to Europe when I took too many pictures and filled up my CF cards half way through the trip. Saved the pics on my iPad and erased my cards then was able to use them again for new pics. There's tons of other ways the iPad could use a USB port.

Makes sense that the new iPad would have a USB port in lieu of EU regulations and the fact that people already have a need to transfer data to their iPads from other devices. Being able to attach an external HDD would be awesome. Virtually unlimited storage for pics and videos.
 
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Imagine optical drive (idk what u would use that for but imagine) and sd card slot. Lol but let's hope this is the beginning of a new awesomer iPad.
 
Once again everyone needs to stop using "Retina Display"....IT'S A ****ING MARKETING TERM WITH NO MEANING.

Second, I doubt any of this is happening except for the front-facing camera and gyroscope.

USB and a higher resolution screen?? HA!




*not "Retina Display"
 
whatever said:
Why would anyone ever want USB on an iPad?

The stupid EU ruling for microUSB does not apply to the iPad and is really stupid thing in the first place.

People need to leave legacy technology (yes, I'm lumping USB in with other legacy technology such as RJ-45 connector, physical media, PS2 jacks and serial ports) in the past in move into the future.

Why would anyone want to teether an iPad with USB devices?
Click to expand...

It's a voluntary agreement between the EU and the majority of handset manufacturers based on a directive. The EU has just said "come up with a way of charging all phones with the same charger to reduce e-waste and make life more comfortable for consumers". There are no legal repercussions for manufacturers not following the directive - that is left up to the individual member states. But there is no necessity that any state create a law (with attached punishment for failing to adhere) as pretty much every manufacturer has understood the benefits of this - mainly reduced manufacturing costs which translate to cheaper phones (or bigger margins) but also the "look at me, I'm green!" image boost.

But the iPad isn't a phone, so it must not comply to the agreement.
 
Popeye206 said:
Oh.. I realize how Apple operates and often what seems to hurt in the beginning ends up being the standard a year or two down the road. Like when apple dropped floppies, or when the MBA came out without a CD drive. Now, who cares?

However, it seems like a USB would be really useful for quick transfer of media to the iPad to off to media too. It's nice to know we have Airplay and computers to dock to, but it sure would be nice to slap a USB drive in and download pics from a camera or transfer pics to a USB drive so you can easily get prints made. Just a couple of examples.

I don't think a USB is the end of the world if it's not there, but it would make it nicer. That's my thought.
Click to expand...

The dock connector is fully capable of handling USB connections. Apple even offers a camera connection kit with an SD card reader and USB adapter. Any limitations on those dongles are the result of Apple limiting their functionality in iOS, nothing to do with the USB capabilities of the dock connector.

I don't see them adding a USB port when the dock connector port can handle everything that a USB port could.
 
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