No SD Card Slot in Next-Generation iPad?

[jealousguy86]

i'm hoping apple doesn't **** up on the ipad 2 and offer the people what they want.

i can almost see the headlines now..."Apple's iPad 2 falls flat with consumers who want more out of a tablet" "Consumers voices heard as they pick the Xoom, Honeycomb tablets over iPad 2" "Apple will have to regain market share with iPad 3, step up its game"

haha. i hope that stuff isn't the case. i hope apple is aggressive as hell with ipad 2 and makes this thing unbeatable like ipad 1 in its time ( last year)

 

[ARF900]

I wish they would just release the thing... I want to buy the old one.

 

[CaryMacGuy]

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I think that the case having a seperate spot for the SIM card is not likely. My iPhone 4 case (and previous 3G cases) didn't have that. The SIM card doesn't have to be removed that often in most cases.

 

[cmaier]

Euro standards do not require a miniusb slot. They explicitly permit adapter cables. You can bet that's what apple has in mind. And there will never be an SSD of ANY size in an iPad.

Gee folks, we're just reliving iPhone 3 to iPhone 3Gs again. If you weren't an iPhone owner (or had held on to the original iPhone) 3Gs was attractive. If you were stuck at iPhone 3, why not wait for a real revision, like the fragile glass iPhone 4.

All of the existing and "on the horizon" tablets are having trouble keeping up with iPad 1. Only four have the chops to compete, but the pricing points and/ore required carrier contracts will eventually kill them (Xoom, Playbook, Galaxy Tab, and Touchpad). So why over-do the feature set on iPad 2. If they make it thinner, lighter, add Facetime camera(s), bump system ram to 512k, and offer 128gb SSD as a high price option, they'l cement the tablet market for 2012.

iPad 3 will be your real option - double resolution screen; mini-USB (to comply with Euro standards); mini-HDMI; and WIRELESS syncing - no more demand for SD or other external storage.

 

[jaw04005]

Want a mini USB port...almost unlimited functionality.

Meh. Just because it has a USB port (and it would have to be a full-size type-A downstream USB port to be useful since the iPad would be the host controller) doesn't mean it'll have unlimited functionality.

It's still going to require drivers within iOS to work, and that type of support is likely to be limited for years on out. I highly doubt Apple will be shipping a mass storage driver in iOS anytime soon.

I think people see "USB port" and automatically assume it'll support whatever USB device you decide to connect. That's not the case.

 

[tzeshan]

SD card slot but also that backside camera are pretty unnecessary imo.

It seems there are many people from the Android camp trying to talk Apple out of putting a back camera into iPad2.

A back camera will be very useful to me in a reunion joined by people remotely. Use your imagination to see how successful and revolutionary such reunion can be.

 

[MacBOS]

i knew the SD slot was a bad rumor from the start

 

[bocomo]

SD card ≠ SIM card

 

[2IS]

Good. I hate built in readers. The card specs change frequently so the chance that your iPad works with your particular camera shrinks every year.*

Not to mention the fact that the pros who are MOST likely to want this feature are still using compactflash cards.

So Pros can't use it and consumers are likely to be left behind as next year's cameras may not even support it. I can't believe they even put those things on Macs which should have even longer shelf-lives than iPads.

* Yes, I know the form factor won't change, but I've had pererphrials become useless once they don't support the faster speeds of newer chips. I'm not gonna buy a new faster camera and then use old chips in it. Bye bye peripheral. I'll get a new one. Oh, it IS your Mac? Tough luck.

Who cares if it may not support the faster speeds of future cards? It'll still be able to read them which is the whole point. It amazes me how Apple fans allow themselves to be brainwashed to the point where they actually believe missing features is a good thing.

 

[Nomadski]

Time for Blackberry?

Ive yet to read a single thing about the iPad 2 that would back up Steve jobs claim of the Blackberry tablet being "dead on arrival".

In fact the more I read on iPad 2 makes me consider the Playbook even more.

 

[TallManNY]

Ive yet to read a single thing about the iPad 2 that would back up Steve jobs claim of the Blackberry tablet being "dead on arrival".

In fact the more I read on iPad 2 makes me consider the Playbook even more.

You're assuming Playbook will be responsive, not crash, and have battery power that lasts a full day. You are looking at features and assuming that the stuff that iPad does well, the Playbook will be able to do. I wouldn't be so sure until we actually have real hands on reviews (where the reviewer gets a few days with the device). Maybe RIM can do it. They did okay with the Torch recently. But most of their stuff has been pretty bad for years. Really, the only thing they have done well, is the same thing they were doing ten years ago, getting enterprise emails to a handheld. They are still the best at that as far as I can tell (and I have a BBerry Bold and an iPhone 4, Bold pulls up emails faster).

 

[manojonline1238]

Illogical reasoning

Why would there be a cut-out for sim card? Who takes out sim everyday? If we go by this logic, every iphone case should have a cut-out for sim slot. But have you come across any iphone case with sim opning? I haven't.

 

[Mr. Gates]

(and I have a BBerry Bold and an iPhone 4, Bold pulls up emails faster).

Get the App " PushMail" and your iPhone will be just as fast with mail if not faster than your BB Bold.

 

[Nomadski]

You're assuming Playbook will be responsive, not crash, and have battery power that lasts a full day. You are looking at features and assuming that the stuff that iPad does well, the Playbook will be able to do. I wouldn't be so sure until we actually have real hands on reviews (where the reviewer gets a few days with the device). Maybe RIM can do it. They did okay with the Torch recently. But most of their stuff has been pretty bad for years. Really, the only thing they have done well, is the same thing they were doing ten years ago, getting enterprise emails to a handheld. They are still the best at that as far as I can tell (and I have a BBerry Bold and an iPhone 4, Bold pulls up emails faster).

I agree we have to wait on the actual hands on test before making a final assumption. HOWEVER, check out the official blackberry tablet page (yes hardly unbiased I know) and in particular look at the BB v iPad comparison video, and look at 3rd party previews based on their strong CES 2011 showing (google it, not talking about the CES video on the BB site).

http://us.blackberry.com/playbook-tablet/

Apple will have to up its game beyond what we currently know of iPad 2 significantly to deter interest in the playbook, let alone make the playbook "DOA".

Faster CPU
More RAM
Flash Support
Micro HDMI and Mini USB Connections
Faster Wifi Performance (v iPad 1 - See video)
4G network access
Full Bluetooth capability vs Apples limp Bluetooth Audio Only
Pixel perfect rendering (Acid3 test, again v iPad 1)
Better HTML5 and Javascript canvas abilities (v iPad 1)
Dual HD cameras - 5mp Rear camera, 3mp Front vs 1mp rear camera (iPad 2)
Far less dated UI (iOS was nice but its a dying dog imo)
Full 1080p HD video support with H.264, MPEG4, WMV HDMI video output
Thinner and lighter than iPad 1
Obviously Blackberries integrated mobile support which carries some weight in the business world
And Blackberries popular IM service which is Kool with the Kidz

If Apple don't have something major to reveal about the iPad 2 they may well lose some of their hard earned footspace in the corporate business world, and based on reviews may even lose out in their focussed consumer market too.

Just MHO, and I agree we have to wait for hands on to make a final judgement, but Apple don't seem to think BB are a challenger, I think they are underestimating them massively. Hubris is never a good thing.

 

[ThisIsNotMe]

I agree we have to wait on the actual hands on test before making a final assumption. HOWEVER, check out the official blackberry tablet page (yes hardly unbiased I know) and in particular look at the BB v iPad comparison video, and look at 3rd party previews based on their strong CES 2011 showing (google it, not talking about the CES video on the BB site).

http://us.blackberry.com/playbook-tablet/

Apple will have to up its game beyond what we currently know of iPad 2 significantly to deter interest in the playbook, let alone make the playbook "DOA".

Faster CPU
More RAM
Flash Support
Micro HDMI and Mini USB Connections
Faster Wifi Performance (v iPad 1 - See video)
4G network access
Full Bluetooth capability vs Apples limp Bluetooth Audio Only
Pixel perfect rendering (Acid3 test, again v iPad 1)
Better HTML5 and Javascript canvas abilities (v iPad 1)
Dual HD cameras - 5mp Rear camera, 3mp Front vs 1mp rear camera (iPad 2)
Far less dated UI (iOS was nice but its a dying dog imo)
Full 1080p HD video support with H.264, MPEG4, WMV HDMI video output
Thinner and lighter than iPad 1
Obviously Blackberries integrated mobile support which carries some weight in the business world
And Blackberries popular IM service which is Kool with the Kidz

If Apple don't have something major to reveal about the iPad 2 they may well lose some of their hard earned footspace in the corporate business world, and based on reviews may even lose out in their focussed consumer market too.

Just MHO, and I agree we have to wait for hands on to make a final judgement, but Apple don't seem to think BB are a challenger, I think they are underestimating them massively. Hubris is never a good thing.

If you haven't noticed, hardware specs are meaningless.
(Oh, and BTW, you see companies ditching BB for iOS/Android left and right.)

 

[2IS]

If you haven't noticed, hardware specs are meaningless.
(Oh, and BTW, you see companies ditching BB for iOS/Android left and right.)

Funny how something with better specs is now "meaningless" just becuase it's not Apple that has it. If the iPad had better hardware specs, I highly doubt you would call it meaningless.

 

[cmaier]

Funny how something with better specs is now "meaningless" just becuase it's not Apple that has it. If the iPad had better hardware specs, I highly doubt you would call it meaningless.

No. Higher specs are only meaningful if they enable you to do something you couldn't do, or do it in a better, more productive or more enjoyable way.

That's why piling on ports, connectors, slots, buttons, CPU cores, etc. doesn't usually make a better product.

 

[Laird Knox]

And there will never be an SSD of ANY size in an iPad.

Huh? What do you think they use, punch cards?

 

[2IS]

No. Higher specs are only meaningful if they enable you to do something you couldn't do, or do it in a better, more productive or more enjoyable way.

That's why piling on ports, connectors, slots, buttons, CPU cores, etc. doesn't usually make a better product.

It usually does actually. Adding an SD slot that doesn't work would be meaningless. Dual cores with one core disabled would be meaningless. Sorry we weren't specific about wanting features that work so that they would be meaningful. I still don't see your or the previous posters point. How would a higher mega pixel camera be meaningless? Higher resolution screen? How is that meaningless? A faster more responsive unit thanks to multi-cores and more memory? That's meaningless as well? Give me a break. Do you seriously need help figuring out how these features would make for a better, more functional and enjoyable product?

 

[Nomadski]

If you haven't noticed, hardware specs are meaningless.
(Oh, and BTW, you see companies ditching BB for iOS/Android left and right.)

Hardware specs are meaningless? Since when? So you would choose iPhone over iPhone 4? Good luck playing some of the software out there - you'll be limited because of the hardware specs.

Where? Most businesses still use Blackberries as their chosen corporate phone, and the foothold generated by iPad 1 with no competitors in the corporate world will vanish if iPad 2 doesn't do something substantial to challenge the playbook.

For the general consumer, they see 3 megapixel, and then they see 1 megapixel, and I can assure you, on such a basic element, it DOES make a difference.

 

[cmaier]

Huh? What do you think they use, punch cards?

No, they use flash memory. SSD's also use flash memory. But iPads and iPhones do not use SSD's.

Just like pizza uses cheese, and macaroni and cheese uses cheese, but pizza doesn't use macaroni and cheese.

 

[2IS]

No, they use flash memory. SSD's also use flash memory. But iPads and iPhones do not use SSD's.

Just like pizza uses cheese, and macaroni and cheese uses cheese, but pizza doesn't use macaroni and cheese.

SSD means Solid State Drive. Solid State means there are no moving parts. Flash memory is Solid State. See what I did there?

 

[cmaier]

SSD means Solid State Drive. Solid State means there are no moving parts. Flash memory is Solid State. See what I did there?

Huh? I already said that SSD uses flash. (Not to mention that your chain of logic is faulty. What you said is equivalent to saying "Joe is a human. Humans have ears. Dogs have ears.")

What I said was that iPads use flash, but they don't use SSD's. Not every use of flash is a SSD. Hundreds of millions of devices use flash memory but do not use SSDs.

 

[2IS]

Huh? I already said that SSD uses flash. (Not to mention that your chain of logic is faulty. What you said is equivalent to saying "Joe is a human. Humans have ears. Dogs have ears.")

What I said was that iPads use flash, but they don't use SSD's. Not every use of flash is a SSD. Hundreds of millions of devices use flash memory but do not use SSDs.

What I'm saying is not equivalent to anything of the sort.

I'll make it simple... I'm saying Flash is always Solid State. Unless you can show me a flash device with moving internals?

 

[cmaier]

What I'm saying is not equivalent to anything of the sort.

I'll make it simple... I'm saying Flash is always Solid State. Unless you can show me a flash device with moving internals?

I agree. Flash is solid state. So what? Not everything that is "solid state" is a "solid state drive." Microprocessors, optical navigation sensors, resistors, capacitors, bipolar transistors, etc. are all "solid state." They aren't "solid state drives" (SSDs).

A SSD is a device that combines solid state memory (flash, DRAM, SRAM, etc.) with a controller that makes the device appear to the host system as if it is just a hard disk. The iPad does not have an SSD in it. It has flash RAM in it.