Today breaks the cycle?

That's a good question...

Apple updated nearly their entire lineup of hardware for both desktop and mobile. But they aren't going to sit on their asses for a full year giving the competition time to compensate and at the same time making everyone wonder what they hell they are doing. But maybe that's their strategy... to create drama in 2013 so that the Fall announces are the new slice of cheese that everyone wants again.

Something has to get updated in the Spring. My guess is the hardware won't get any updates. Instead it will be all about the next versions of OS X and iOS. there must be a reason Apple didn't mention much about the future of their operating systems at todays event.

Then again; maybe you are right and we will see an upgraded iPhone 5S and updated iPod's? As someone who's been waiting for nearly a month for an iPhone 5, I'd be a little upset to see a new version released in Spring; just as I am a little upset that my 3rd gen iPad is already an old hat.

Speculation aside, I am very interested to see what Apple does next year. It seems like today was the closing of a story. Like the end of a trilogy. I hope to see a new trilogy begin in 2013, but I can't imagine what BIG moves Apple could make. Add to all this the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 launches that will have a huge impact on Apple's business over the coming months. Exciting and uncertain times ahead...

 

I think they are re-defining it.

Moving everything to the end of year makes for a massive holiday season.

I think they chose to update the iPad (slightly) now rather than wait a year is due to people seeing the iPhone 5 with A6 and iPad 3 with A5X and going whaaat?

 

Maybe they trying to throw everyone off. Heck, we just may see the iPhone 5S next Spring/early Summer.

 

That would be great! It would be awesome to have a 5S after the first of the year! Maybe they will make it wider so the larger screen is useful!

 

I think this makes the most sense. They looked at their prior timing for the iPad and realized that they may be missing out on sales during the holiday season with some people wanting to hold out for a new iPad just a few months later in March. "Backloading" everything in the last few months of the year ensures huge sales for the holiday season. I'd hate to be the one managing the supply chain for that though! Imagine the crunch at Foxconn at this time next year with the iPhone 6 and now with an iPad and iPad Mini.

 

But with the iPad and iPhone being their most popular (and newsworthy) products then it does create a gigantic gap between holiday and next September. Maybe this is a sign of an entirely new product for the Spring.

 

I am facing this as well. I don't have an iPad but I want to jump in and immediately pre-order a fourth-generation iPad when it's available, because I was gonna wait until the Spring, but I've really wanted an iPad to help me with my studies.

Now I'm wondering if my fourth-generation iPad will be outdated in 5 months.

Not that I'd care much as the fourth-generation is plenty powerful enough for the rest of my undergraduate studies (which finish in summer 2016), by which time I'd be earning enough to buy another, newer iPad if I'd need it.

 

Apple TV in the spring. The one lowley product that got no update this month.

Maybe they will bring out the full fledged iTV and are going to use the whole event for that?

 

tv

 

I want the old schedule back:

Spring: iPads + OSX
Summer: iPhones + iOS
Fall: iPods + iTunes + iLife + Other Apple Software

And Mac updates sprinkled every 8-12 months, where appropriate.

 

So this means no ipad in march?

This is the update? anybody think they will update again this year?

 

Well... this seemed to me like 30 sec update like something between 4 and 4S.

 

That's exactly what it means. The 4th generation iPad is a spec bump from the 3rd generation. Think of it as the S model.

5th generation in a year from now (Late 2013).

 

I hate this question wich was also raised in my head. I love the double graphics - we need that.
But to only buy a device for 4 months and then get a new one......meh.

No one can know if they release the ipad 5 in march.

 

They won't update again in 2012. Who knows what Apple will do, they might release an iPad 5 in March but I think they have moved it to the fall.

 

I mean it's like half S model.

 

I think there will be an update before october of next year. this was merely a push to lightning update and while were at it we will add the A6 so save on power consumption. Probably won't be march tho maybe summer? They can't have the iPhone and iPad updates both in fall every year.

 

or 6 months from now