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Seems like keeping the price down drove most of the design decisions here. I'm guessing the laminated display was too pricy.
This is all about price, and it's not surprising. We all know Cook is an international marketing expert not a tech visionary. Jobs would never retrograde a product line purely to compete on price. He'd always attempt to out-innovate the competition. It's what we all loved about his Apple Computer.

But this is Cook's Apple, Inc.
 
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Ahh, so a MacBook on Craigslist can be anything of 78 models/configs
I get your point,but that's been a long standing apple policy its not new for them to reuse model names. The alternative is confusing alphanumerics like other laptop manufacturers? Also, same applies to other long running model names, VW golf etc.
 
Just to alleviate product line confusion, they should have named it iPad SE like the iPhone SE: an older, chunkier design with mostly up to date innards and some omissions for a new lower price.

This iPad Air 2 resurrected in a mostly Air 1-like case is good enough, the iPad Mini is super odd right now because it's more expensive despite its slower processor (banking only on that 128 GB of storage to win the sales argument), and the 12-inch iPad Pro should have been updated to have the same higher-quality display as the 9.7-inch model.

Apple needs to up its game, product specs are all over the place and confusing as hell, the price alone doesn't mean squat anymore.
 
Just to alleviate product line confusion, they should have named it iPad SE like the iPhone SE: an older, chunkier design with mostly up to date innards and some omissions for a new lower price.

This iPad Air 2 resurrected in a mostly Air 1-like case is good enough, the iPad Mini is super odd right now because it's more expensive despite its slower processor (banking only on that 128 GB of storage to win the sales argument), and the 12-inch iPad Pro should have been updated to have the same higher-quality display as the 9.7-inch model.

Apple needs to up its game, product specs are all over the place and confusing as hell, the price alone doesn't mean squat anymore.

The discontinuation of the Mini 2 and the dropping of the 'Air' moniker is actually phase 1 in making the line up simpler, and the 2nd phase will happen when they update the Pro and Mini lines later this year.

By end 2017, the iPad lineup will be a lot less messy than at the beginning of the year.
 
The discontinuation of the Mini 2 and the dropping of the 'Air' moniker is actually phase 1 in making the line up simpler, and the 2nd phase will happen when they update the Pro and Mini lines later this year.

By end 2017, the iPad lineup will be a lot less messy than at the beginning of the year.
Let's hope so, we have Pro, Air and Mini in Macs, iPhones are non-plus and Plus, iPads used to be Air for the non-pro/non-mini version and is now back to pre-Air branding of having no other branding than iPad, etc.

I must be mentally stiff, but can't we just go with Mini (cheapest, full-features except for the smaller display), Normal/no moniker (the great compromise, priced right in the middle) and Pro (more features, higher price) could go a long way. You know, like Macs do it for the most part.
 
Let's hope so, we have Pro, Air and Mini in Macs, iPhones are non-plus and Plus, iPads used to be Air for the non-pro/non-mini version and is now back to pre-Air branding of having no other branding than iPad, etc.

I must be mentally stiff, but can't we just go with Mini (cheapest, full-features except for the smaller display), Normal/no moniker (the great compromise, priced right in the middle) and Pro (more features, higher price) could go a long way. You know, like Macs do it for the most part.

That's what we already have, isn't it?

iPad Mini
iPad
iPad Pro (9.7 and 12.9)
 
Didn't McDonalds just introduce 3 different sizes of Big Macs, in addition to quarter pounder, double quarterpounder, cheeseburger, hamburger, and double Cheeseburger? That's more confusing to me than the iPad lineup.

So confusing you managed to list all them specifically off the top of your head? lol.
 
I'm already lost.. now who is on 1st?

Seriously Apple you blew it by having all these confusing products.
It's really confusing to read the articles. It's better just to go to their site and look at their charts first and then read all the articles.
 
Let's hope so, we have Pro, Air and Mini in Macs, iPhones are non-plus and Plus, iPads used to be Air for the non-pro/non-mini version and is now back to pre-Air branding of having no other branding than iPad, etc.

I must be mentally stiff, but can't we just go with Mini (cheapest, full-features except for the smaller display), Normal/no moniker (the great compromise, priced right in the middle) and Pro (more features, higher price) could go a long way. You know, like Macs do it for the most part.

I'd like to inform you that I will be using mentally stiff in the very near future, and without proper attribution :D

Anyway ...

I wouldn't be surprised if Apple did exactly what you've outlined, and to make the product lines even more clear, drop the 9.7 Pro and replace it with the rumored 10.5 as the smaller pro option.

So then it's Mini 7.9", iPad 9.7", both with the current bezel ratio/design, then a Pro 10.5" with a greatly reduced/"bezel-less" design, and the Pro 12.9". I think having two Pro models with roughly the same display area creates an extra level of overlap/confusion (and it's less significant at the ~10" form factor vs. something like a phone).
 
In 2013 the iPad Air was so thin and light compared to anything else at the time it really did earn the 'Air' moniker. In 2017 however it's normal to have tablets this size (and smaller) so 'Air' is really no longer appropriate for something of that size.

Same goes for Macbook. Even the regular Macbook is now thinner and lighter than the Macbook Air.
The reason they called it a MacBook Air is it was thinner than Apple's other laptops, the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Apple didn't sell a thicker iPad at the time.
 
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I just can't keep track of their iPad offering. If my mom or whoever asked what iPad they should buy I honestly couldn't say.

The mac and iPhone lineups are much easier to understand.
 
I just can't keep track of their iPad offering. If my mom or whoever asked what iPad they should buy I honestly couldn't say.

The mac and iPhone lineups are much easier to understand.

I don't understand why people have difficulty with this.

Choose screen size
Choose storage
Choose colour
Choose Wi-Fi/WiFi + 4G

Done.

Ordering a Subway is more complicated.
 
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looking to upgrade from my my mini 2 what would be the best option out of the air 2 or this newish iPad.

Best bet is to wait until tomorrow when the reviews will start hitting rather than letting people who have never even used one tell you what to do.

A number of the reviews will inevitably answer this question for you as it's the question many are asking.
 
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Best bet is to wait until tomorrow when the reviews will start hitting rather than letting people who have never even used one tell you what to do.

A number of the reviews will inevitably answer this question for you as it's the question many are asking.

Yea, was thinking along the same lines thanks for replying though.
 
That's what we already have, isn't it?

iPad Mini
iPad
iPad Pro (9.7 and 12.9)
Yes, well in theory - but the 9.7-inch Pro has a better display than the more expensive 12.9-inch model, the iPad mini 4 is more expensive than the new iPad despite it's older/slower chip (the 128 GB storage is supposed to make up for that), and the 2 year-old Air 2 is actually a better device than the new iPad.

It's all in the details, which is not for the average consumer to understand.
 
Yes, well in theory - but the 9.7-inch Pro has a better display than the more expensive 12.9-inch model, the iPad mini 4 is more expensive than the new iPad despite it's older/slower chip (the 128 GB storage is supposed to make up for that), and the 2 year-old Air 2 is actually a better device than the new iPad.

It's all in the details, which is not for the average consumer to understand.

Aah I see what you mean. Either way, I believe the 'phase 2' that I mentioned earlier will clear up these issues.
 
OSX UI can be designed for touch screen. Your assumption is if Apple introduced iPad OSX, they wont change OSX UI. My assumption is iPad OSX with Touch UI, or no iPad OSX at all. I wish the former.
There is more to designing a touch-optimized OS than modifying the UI of a desktop OS by magnifying the size of UI elements like buttons and sliders. Microsoft learned that the hard way.
 
Seeing how you can pick up the Air 2 32GB wifi model for $299 at Best Buy right now, you'd be stupid to get the new iPad over the Air 2 right now, frankly. The new model is thicker, heavier, and five bucks says only slightly faster thanks to it's standard A9 processor.
There is quite literally no reason to get the new iPad over the Air 2. None.
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The Air 2 is 30 bucks less right now. No brains, indeed.
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No one expected the new iPad to be this underpowered, and no one expected something so underpowered to be priced at $529, sorry.
I just checked, and the $299 version of the Air 2 is unavailable to buy from Best Buy online, you have to pick it up in stores (which makes sense...selling out their existing inventory). There happen to be none of the $299 version available within 250 miles of me, so Best Buy is out. Target is still selling the Air 2 online, but at $399 for 32GB (they must mean 64). They have the 16GB on sale for $299. Apple has no refurb Air 2's on their site. My favorite third-party new/used dealer only has the high-spec models available. A (admittedly quick) glance at eBay shows me nothing at a price as low (well, I see one at around the new iPad price...but it's got a lot of bids and I'm sure it will go up considerably near the end). I do see a handful on Craigslist in my area at about the same price as the new one, so there is that. I guess it's hit-and-miss, and over the next few days it'll become far less "hit" and way more "miss."
 
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