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The New iPad

D

Defender2010

Cancelled
Original poster
Jun 6, 2010
3,131
1,097
I've been having some thoughts about the new iPad and whether or not to buy one. There are so many threads of complaints concerning the screen quality, battery life/charging times, warmth/heat, WiFi, weight, to name most of them.
I was having a discussion with a friend who works as a designer, and we were talking about Apple in general and I wanted to share some of it below. It was a balmy London afternoon chat! I am not a troll, so please don't call me one, I just wanted to get thoughts from fellow users! :) I have had every iPhone and iPad (up to iPad 2) and MacBook since the first iPhone came out and really love the brand and products. Too much probably!

We were lazily discussing along the lines of whether the current iPad is just like a prototype in between a transition happening to the iPad. All the issues mentioned above and in these forums seem like side effects of running the new screen. Could this be true? By testing and mass producing the retina display, diagnostics could be used towards assisting in the release of (obviously) future iPads and maybe for other things like retina displayed MacBooks, iMacs (maybe?), and if the rumours are to be believed, TV.

The new screen on the current iPad is really the only worthy upgrade that the end user really uses. Could it have been twice as fast as the iPad 2 in terms of CPU? All the silicon updates are used to drive the screen so the speed and power of the device is really around the same to the user as the iPad 2.

My questions were, if the next gen iPad is the same thickness as the iPad 2 or thinner, the same/lighter weight as iPad 2 because a way was found to do so, and there was no warmth at all would you feel like the current iPad was a prototype towards achieving this and a bit angry that you had to deal with current issues in order for Apple to make the next one happen?

I sold my beloved iPad 2 thinking that the new one would be exactly the same only with a retina display and twice as fast, just as light, and slim, but it isn't, its slightly heavier/thicker and the same speed more or less (in real life during use, not via some benchmarks). The jump from iPad 1 to 2 was significant I feel, but this one is a bit sour...does anyone agree or have thoughts on this? I really feel like buying another iPad 2 as it was really fine, regardless of the screen, but in the next few weeks I will probably get the new iPad out of habit, like most of us do, so this is kinda aimed at them, and there thoughts...
Are you a bit disappointed in the new Ipad? For those who kept iPad 2, how do you feel? I also think the next iPad might operate on more LTE frequencies (in the UK!!) so this one is void for that for us.
Just for the record, I have only briefly seen the new iPad display in an Apple store so far...

sorry, I hope I make some sense of what I'm trying to say!
 
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I upgraded from the iPad2 and don't regret it. Has my experience been perfect? Not by a long shot. I had worse data speeds with AT&T HSPA+ than 3G so I decided to exchange for a Verizon. I had problems getting the service activated because of an old MyFi that was still on my account, but I had returned recently. Ever since I activated the service, I have been totally happy with my purchase. People always talk about their problems with a product and rarely talk about how good something really is.
 
4G data speeds + Retina Display. That alone sold me on the upgrade.

Everything else (improved camera, the A5X, personal hotspot, dictation), were just added bonuses.
 
Dont judge base on discussions on tech forums. There are always these problem topics - for any release, for any tech.

I went from iPad 2 and I am very satisfied. New iPad is great.
 
I still don't see how the jump from iPad 1 to iPad 2 was significant other than for games. I actually wish I held on to my iPad 1 after buying the iPad 2. But I love my new iPad.
 
Went from a ipad 1 to Ipad 3, just for the screen. Skipped the 2 cause the screen was the same as 1. So for me its just the screen. The rest is blah...

I still use my ipad 1 at times.

The ipad 2 and ipad 3 are so similar, you might as well get the 3 for the new screen.
 
I've upgraded and have been very happy with my decision so far. My screen is fine; no dead pixels, no wierd tints. It does get a bit warmer now and then than my iPad 2 did, but not disturbingly so.

If you look back at he history of just about every product launch, you're going to see four common patterns of people posting the following subjects for at least acouple months past the launch:

1. OMG my Apple device gets too hot!
2. OMG my screen is tinted wrong!
3. OMG signal/antenna issues!
4. OMG! Clearly Apple screwed up this product launch/I'm deepy diappointed at the evolutionary nature of this new product! It's totally a sign that things are going downhill and it's all over for them. NO ONE WILL BUY THIS THING.

Sometimes the complaints are valid; many times the issue is way overblown. But the vast majority of people who own these products end up being very happy with them. It's just that when you're satisfied, you're less likely to vocally complain about BEING satisfied.

And every time someone responds to these threads with "I don't think I want to buy one because of all these complaints," I tell them the say thing: the only person who can answer whether or not you'll be happy with the new iDevice is you. You need to go and see the device for yourself, hold it in your hand, use it for a few minutes. If you like what you see, buy one. And if you like it, keep it. If turns out it's not for you, return it within 30 days.

That's the only way you'll know for sure.
 
The new iPad is perfect for me. I gave the iPad 2 to my Mom 6 months ago because I couldn't stand reading that pixelated screen anymore!

Just get it, if you don't like it you have 14 days to bring it back for a full refund.
 
I upgraded from my iPad2 and got an iPad with minor scratches on the back. I returned it and got an iPad without scratches but with some little featured "pink display effects" ;). But I don't regret it.

I like my new iPad, even with some display problems. That's because I had never noticed that issue if I never had read this reports in some threads.

Sorry but I never used my iPad 2 with 100% brightness and a totally black screen in a completely dimmed room. So why should I do that with my new iPad??? I think, I will never notice it in real life. So it's actually no problem.

It's still a great device!
 
I also am a super happy woman because I upgraded from an iPad 2 to the new iPad 3! I have no dead pixels, screen looks fantastic, the iPad does get warm but it's not like I need oven mitts to hold it lol.

The Retina display is a marvel...the Retina wallpapers are so beyond the regular wallpapers, that I sat staring in amazement at my new 2048 x 1536 wallpaper for a good minute or so. Whoever says there is barely a difference between the iPad 2 display and the New quad quare Retina iPad 3 display, perhaps needs glasses lol.
 
I bought the original iPad when the the WiFi+3G version was released at the end of April 2010, and I loved it. I then bought the same version of the iPad 2 when it came out last March, and I really wasn't sure if I should at the time--being that the 1st gen was working great for me. But, in large part because I use my iPad all the time, I quickly decided that it was probably the best decision if only because it was faster and slimmer. So I sold my 1st generation to a friend for a good price, and kept the iPad 2. A good move, in retrospect.

This year, I preordered the new iPad (same version as before-32gig WiFi+cellular) and I'm especially glad I did. The screen alone is worth it. Although I could see the difference between the iPad 2 and the new iPad immediately, it wasn't until I piced up the iPad 2 again after a day of using the retina display that I realized that it was like night and day between the two. The iPad has had a great screen all along, but the retina display exposes all other displays as pixelated to me now--even my iMac from last year!

At any rate, I love dictation, the HPSA+ is basically 2x faster that the 3G service I had before (AT&T has no LTE here yet--but it's still about 8-10 mbps) and I sincerely can't even say that I notice the difference in weight or thickness between the 2nd and 3rd generation iPads in my daily use--it's difficult to notice even holding them in each hand, but that's the only time I do. As for getting hot? Not so much, for me. I can only say that I've felt it get bit warm from time to time, but never even remotely hot. It'd also be unnoticeable if it weren't for the fact that the previous model never even seemed to get warm at all.

At any rate, I nderstand if you decide against buying the new iPad, but just know that it's really an exceptional device--just like its predecessors--with some truly worthwhile and standout additional features, IMO. I'm very happy with my decision and wouldn't want to give up this gorgeous retina display ever again!
 
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Mikekan said:
Upgraded from iPad 2, great screen, no light bleeding, no dead pixels, super happy.
Click to expand...

Maybe you need to take another look at your screen? (corners and screen edges.):eek: no offense.
 
If you don't buy the new one you won't have any new complaints

Sold the iPad 1.

Getting harder to go back to the iPad 2 the more I use the new one.
 
Is the iPad 3 a subpar Apple product, in terms of features and value for your dollar? I don't believe so. Is it worth the extra $100 over the iPad 2? I would definitely say so based on the retina screen alone, not to mention the resale ability down the road.

The screen itself is the selling point. What was the selling point of the iPad 2? I would say its physical form factor. Question is whether you buy what they are marketing to you, whether you find it to be fluff or if there's real substance of value to you.
 
plucky duck said:
Is the iPad 3 a subpar Apple product, in terms of features and value for your dollar? I don't believe so. Is it worth the extra $100 over the iPad 2? I would definitely say so based on the retina screen alone, not to mention the resale ability down the road.

The screen itself is the selling point. What was the selling point of the iPad 2? I would say its physical form factor. Question is whether you buy what they are marketing to you, whether you find it to be fluff or if there's real substance of value to you.
Click to expand...

Screen itself is also the complaining point.
 
The Retina Display alone blows everything else away.
Whenever I go back to my iMac, MBA or the fiancées iPad 2, the first thing I realize is something like a mesh, which is of course the pixel grid of the screen. It never bothered me, until I got the iPad 3. Now it takes a while to re-adapt to the "old" screens. The image is a lot shaper and the colors are far more saturated in the new iPad.

I have no display issues, no heat issues, no light bleeding and no WiFi connection drop-outs.

I can use the iPad 2 and the third generation iPad side by side, the "increased" thickness is a total non-issue. If no one told you, you simply wouldn't know. The increased weight is a non-issue, too. We are talking 50 g here, it's not like you are suddenly holding a brick. The new iPad does get a little bit warmer, but really...it's not boiling off your hands. The battery life is absolutely perfect in mine. Under normal everyday usage (internet, email, reading magazines, listening to music, watching the odd video on youtube, reading scientific papers etc.) it lasts for days. Recharging takes longer, but actually I don't know how long. I plug it in, when I got to bed and it's usually at 100%, when I wake up. And I sleep eight hours at max.

So all in all, I am a happy customer.
 
Is the retina display worth it?

I've heard many people say that the retina display isn't worth the money. It isn't worth the upgrade. I haven't heard that complaint after they use it. The iPad is a device that is all display. The whole interface is all about the display. If you have a better display, you have a better device, and a better experience. I'm sure that apple will come up with more and more advances to make it thinner and lighter, but the most important part is the display. That is why this is the biggest upgrade that is currently possible. The ramifications of a retina iPad are huge. It will change the definition of the table category.
 
I saw the same amount (or more) of bellyaching when the iPhone 4s came out, but in hindsight the thing sold like gangbusters.

I upgraded from the iPad 2 to the "new iPad" and absolutely love it. The reading experience on this new screen is about 500% more enjoyable. That's not an exaggeration. I have not been able to take advantage of the LTE (not running in my area yet on AT&T) but I tried a coworkers Verizon iPad 3 and she got over 40 mbps down. That's like having an invisible fiber optic cable connected to your device at all times. I get 1/4 of that speed at home on high-speed DSL!
 
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