Wall Street Journal Confirms Early 2012 iPad 3 with Retina Display

[flux73]

An iPad with Retina Display would be pretty cool, but to be honest, I can't think of how it would significantly change or improve how I use it. The increased resolution is kind of offset by the size of your finger and the size of the tablet. It can't improve the accuracy of your touch without enlarging the screen. So the screen is prettier, but I'm dubious if it's more functional in any meaningful way.

What I would really love is for Apple to come up with either a pressure sensitive screen or a stylus that transmits pressure information via bluetooth. Would be VERY useful for those of us who are aspiring digital artists/hobbyists.

Beyond that, I'm wondering how Apple will improve upon the iPad after they successfully incorporate a retina display. There's really not much that I can think of that isn't fairly minor. Change the aluminum case to a carbon fiber one? Create a lens mount for the camera? I'd imagine that most future improvement would involve 3rd party tech - like 3G-->LTE-->5G(?), the next Wi-Fi/Bluetooth standard, etc - or just upgrades to iOS.

 

[VitaminD]

An iPad with Retina Display would be pretty cool, but to be honest, I can't think of how it would really alter how I use it. What I would really love is for Apple to come up with either a pressure sensitive screen or a stylus that transmits pressure information via bluetooth. Would be VERY useful for those of us who are aspiring digital artists/hobbyists.

That would be pretty cool. But I recall reading something about Mr, Jobs being against a stylus. Something about it harking back to the PDA days of the late 90's mid 2000's.

I like a stylus. Looking at getting the Wacom stylus with Bamboo paper app. That would clear up my desk of all the little notes all over the place. And it would be a good note taker for students.

Beyond that, I'm wondering how Apple will improve upon the iPad after they successfully incorporate a retina display. There's really not much that I can think of that isn't fairly minor. Change the aluminum case to a carbon fiber one? Create a lens mount for the camera?

Other than what you posted in the previous paragraph, I can't think of anything either that should be added. The iPad as it is, is pretty versatile. All other improvements will probably be incremental in terms of specifications.

 

[flux73]

I like a stylus. Looking at getting the Wacom stylus with Bamboo paper app. That would clear up my desk of all the little notes all over the place. And it would be a good note taker for students.

If you like drawing/sketching/painting, you should also take a look at the iFaraday Artist stylus (with firm tip). I just got one and I like it a lot. More accuracy and lighter touch than the rubber tips ones I've tried. Glides smoothly unlike the Pogo Sketch which I think has too much friction. The iFaraday isn't mentioned a lot in press reviews and comparison because I think it's just a one person company. I think the only downside I can think of for it is that I wish it were a bit heavier for note-taking. Though, I like the lighter pencil-like weight for sketching. Maybe I'll find some way to add some weight to it - it seems like the aluminum barrel is hollow.

IMHO, Jobs is only against a stylus with regards to it being integral or necessary for an optimal OS experience. e.g. He probably would never implement handwriting recognition into iOS. I doubt he'd be against its usefulness as a tool for apps on the iPad. And since there are so many people using the iPad for note-taking and or artwork, it'd be foolish to ignore that group of people.

 

[VitaminD]

If you like drawing/sketching/painting, you should also take a look at the iFaraday Artist stylus (with firm tip). I just got one and I like it a lot. More accuracy and lighter touch than the rubber tips ones I've tried. Glides smoothly unlike the Pogo Sketch which I think has too much friction. The iFaraday isn't mentioned a lot in press reviews and comparison because I think it's just a one person company. I think the only downside I can think of for it is that I wish it were a bit heavier for note-taking. Though, I like the lighter pencil-like weight for sketching. Maybe I'll find some way to add some weight to it - it seems like the aluminum barrel is hollow.

IMHO, Jobs is only against a stylus with regards to it being integral or necessary for an optimal OS experience. e.g. He probably would never implement handwriting recognition into iOS. I doubt he'd be against its usefulness as a tool for apps on the iPad. And since there are so many people using the iPad for note-taking and or artwork, it'd be foolish to ignore that group of people.

Thanks for the tip [pun intended ]. I'll definitely look into the iFaraday stylus.

And I agree with your assessment about Mr. Jobs his take on the stylus. The stylus being necessary for the PDAs OS is what likely lead to its ultimate failure. That the iPad uses touch as the primary OS interface makes a world of difference.

Though with a more powerful A6, a third party app may implement handwriting recognition. But it would probably be in-app only. Which isn't a bad thing considering the resultant converted to text file could be imported into other word processing apps or attached to emails.

 

[gjimeno]

Crappy news

What a waste of news. I could confirm that too without WSJ doing it. iPads have come out in the first quarter of the last 2 years. What a piece of crap news from WSJ. Write about the economy or something else.

 

[Tsunami911]

Frankly...

At this point I don't know why anyone would expect there to not be a retina display.

I don't understand the need for a retina display. A Retina display will cause a significant increase in battery draw and the current one is gorgeous. I only want it to be faster and have more SSD space. 128GB and more or bust. Apple are you listening?

 

[Sander]

I don't know if I agree with you here. I did dislike widescreen monitors at first, but as I've become used to them I'm convinced that 16:10 is pretty much the best ratio for a laptop screen. While your points are valid with regards to certain web pages and word processing, etc. I find that the extra horizontal resolution really improves multitasking, and general user interface. Common actions like browsing multiple folders side by side, having multiple applications on screen (two documents perhaps, or a web browser and IM client, or any variation) are much easier to perform with more horizontal play I reckon.

Well, I don't like widescreen at all. Fact is, most content on computers has stuff on top like menu bars, toolbars, window titles, etc. which take up vertical space. On a 16:10 laptop, I feel like there's only room for all the toolbars

 

[Mad-B-One]

Common actions like browsing multiple folders side by side, having multiple applications on screen (two documents perhaps, or a web browser and IM client, or any variation) are much easier to perform with more horizontal play I reckon.

Additionally, since I mainly use a Laptop the fact that the screen ratio dictates the form factor of the notebook is extremely important. 16:10 is much better than 4:3 for me as it allows horizontal space needed for elements like a proper keyboard as well as speakers on the side, etc. while not making the laptop ridiculously deep. It also makes it more comfortable to use IMO, and more importantly easier to store in backpack (the MBP I'm typing on has a 15" screen yet is barely deeper (hinge to trackpad) than a typical folder I'd put in my bag), case, etc.

I would agree on a scale of an iMac for example where the size really doesn't matter anymore because it has enough vertical space despite being widescreen. Netbooks though are a different story. They usually run 1280x786 resolution on around or under 10". There is not much multitasking going on next to one another. With Windows, you can just align the task bar to the side but with a lot of applications that causes other trouble because they expect the space horizontally and their window is shifted to the right - you get the picture... I can see the advantage on high resolution desktops or bigger than 19" monitors. But for most laptops, I disagree. I had a Tavelmate 8001 from ACER for quite a while with a 3:4 screen. Speakers are in the front, Keyboard big enough. I don't really know where you get the speaker space from having wide screen instead of 3:4 except if you have such a big screen that the keyboard and speakers fit next to one another but that is a desktop replacement book and not a real mobile device. Underneath the keyboard, 3:4 ratio gets you actually more space for speakers hence it is more towards a rectangular layout.

 

[liavman]

That's the most intelligent thing I have ever heard... NOT!

Hey Mr. Gates, I do not want to pick a fight with you here on questioning the intelligence behind what I wrote, but my lament is about WSJ becoming macrumors. Of late, they seem to be indulging in this more and more. The last one I recall is the story about the Apple board searching for a replacement for Steve Jobs outside Apple and they released that story a few hours before the announcement of the quarterly financials! And no follow up on that report after that. WSJ, which I used to respect, has become too bloggy for my tastes.

 

[SirHaakon]

An iPad with Retina Display would be pretty cool, but to be honest, I can't think of how it would significantly change or improve how I use it.

It wouldn't change anything other than you'd actually be able to look at the screen without your eyes bleeding.

 

[Ryth]

Originally Posted by liavman View Post
As an Apple shareholder, I very much resent Wall Street Journal's relentless rumor mongering about iPad 3. Why such an obsession with iPad 3 from a leading newspaper like WSJ? At the narrowcast level that we here are, we read about and talk about all sorts of rumors but people in the wider world pay attention to what WSJ says without knowing the context. I do not like it because it can have an adverse affect on iPad 2 sales during the holiday quarter which will not be good for its financials and the stock price. There is a good reason why Apple is tight-lipped about its product plans.

It didn't have an adverse effect on iPad 1 sales last Xmas did it? People KNEW that the iPad 2 was coming in March this past year and they still sold like hotcakes last holiday season.

People know if iPad 2 Pro or iPad 3 isn't coming in Oct/Nov, then it's coming in Feb/March...so it's no secret...people know this now anyway

So I think your fears are not justified...and Im a stock holder also.

It wouldn't change anything other than you'd actually be able to look at the screen without your eyes bleeding.

No eye bleeding is a good thing

Actually it will be a lot better for applications usage and especially game graphics.

Other than what you posted in the previous paragraph, I can't think of anything either that should be added. The iPad as it is, is pretty versatile. All other improvements will probably be incremental in terms of specifications.

Well, we aren't Apple, but they seem to find ways to wow us with each iPhone...so almost the same applies to the iPad. Better camera, better processor, better screen, better Apple aps, and new things we havent even thought of.

 

[ohbrilliance]

I don't really care about other confirmations than from the providers themselves.

Then you should be visiting apple.com, not macrumors.com

 

[Thunderbird]

I still don't think this iPad thing is going to catch on.

 

[twoodcc]

i knew it wouldn't come out this year. sounds promising to me. looking forward to it

 

[jsoto]

I held off on the first gen. I almost got the second gen but got tired of trying to get one till production caught up to demand. Since I waited this far. I'll definitely get iPad 3. To think I was considering a Touch Pad too! HP just killed that idea for me as of yesterday. I am still shocked they are killing webos hardware support. That is the one thing they had going. Software & hardware managed by the same company. Well iPad 3 my credit card is wating

The only thing that worries me is that without competition picking up soon. I hope the iPad doesn't lose it's innovative edge because of only iPad market vs a tablet market?

 

[gooddog]

Why Does No One Mention ...

a better rear facing camera instead of the sub-mega-pixel toy there now?

I use that camera to take pics of student work on their desktops.

And, when I happen to have my iPad in hand and a good photo-op comes up, I don't want to pull out my iPhone, snap the pic, not be able to label it, go home, sync the iPhone, etc to get the pic in my iPad.

We need a real camera on the back of the iPad3.

Right ?

 

[gooddog]

An iPad with Retina Display would be pretty cool, but to be honest, I can't think of how it would significantly change or improve how I use it. The increased resolution is kind of offset by the size of your finger and the size of the tablet. It can't improve the accuracy of your touch without enlarging the screen. So the screen is prettier, but I'm dubious if it's more functional in any meaningful way.

What I would really love is for Apple to come up with either a pressure sensitive screen or a stylus that transmits pressure information via bluetooth. Would be VERY useful for those of us who are aspiring digital artists/hobbyists.

Beyond that, I'm wondering how Apple will improve upon the iPad after they successfully incorporate a retina display. There's really not much that I can think of that isn't fairly minor. Change the aluminum case to a carbon fiber one? Create a lens mount for the camera? I'd imagine that most future improvement would involve 3rd party tech - like 3G-->LTE-->5G(?), the next Wi-Fi/Bluetooth standard, etc - or just upgrades to iOS.

*******************************

At the very least, developers could off-set the drawing cursor out from under our fingers so we could see what we are doing without always having to zoom in and out. Make it a little pencil when we choose -- like Appleworks Paint had; or a crosshair; or a dot; etc. Remember CHOICE?

Also--- a better camera on the back of the iPad3. A group shot of my graduating class, in the well-lit classroom, when zoomed, could not resolve the faces of individuals! That is embarrassing.

Also--- mount the speaker so that it fires forward and I won't have to cup my hand around the back-side grill to redirect the sound at myself when I watch video and a car happens to go by the front of my house at the worst time.

 

[MacNewsFix]

It looks like, based on rumors, Apple was hoping to get the iPad 3 out before Christmas. However, most connected to the production side of the tech industry were saying that it would be impossible from the standpoint of a combination of price and technology until at least Spring of 2012. I'd rather they took their time then rush something out with a possible major flaw. Besides, it will give them additional time to try to add new features or improve existing ones (like battery life or the addition of 4G).

I don't think Apple fans worried about competitors utilizing the time the next six months to capture significant marketshare should be too worried. So far, competitors have been dropping like flies. Those still trying to dethrone the iPad are reducing prices or having to result to promotions (ex. Best Buy Galaxy Tab giveaways with HDTV purchases) to clear inventories. Meanwhile, Apple will still be generating plenty of buzz this fall with new iPhones and iPods (especially the new Touch), and the iPad 2 is still selling briskly.

 

[physicsfanatic]

.........

I just bought an iPad 2 this week............

Apple: 1
Me: 0

 

[santaliqueur]

I just bought an iPad 2 this week............

Apple: 1
Me: 0

Too bad you don't get to enjoy it before the iPad 3 comes out. Also, it sucks you'll have to deposit your iPad 2 directly into the trash after the release of the iPad 3. Sucks, man.

 

[MrCrowbar]

a better rear facing camera instead of the sub-mega-pixel toy there now?

I use that camera to take pics of student work on their desktops.

And, when I happen to have my iPad in hand and a good photo-op comes up, I don't want to pull out my iPhone, snap the pic, not be able to label it, go home, sync the iPhone, etc to get the pic in my iPad.

We need a real camera on the back of the iPad3.

Right ?

Err... with iCloud, you can take the picture with the iPhone and it almost instantly appears on your iPad as well. I see your point though. Little hint: don't label the photos, try to include all necessary info in the picture itself. Try to get the clock in the picture, maybe the back of the student's head, hold up some fingers to give it a rating (5 fingers = 5 stars), etc.

I take pictures to document stuff all the time. I even snap pictures of my Moleskine notebooks to have a digital backup and to have all my archived notes right in iPhoto. I use that about once every 2 months, I know I've written the info down and I'm usually able to find it in my iPhoto album. Also, taking pictures of a book is super fast, compared to scanning it.

 

[jaimeastin]

Third revision and I still don't have a use for it.

We're (gf and I) diehard Apple people (five iPods, a Blackbook, a unibody MacBook, a 11" MacBookAir, a 2g ATV, and an iMac) and I still don't know what to do with an iPad. I can't really use it as a portable workstation because the input is too clumsy for documents, it doesn't read well compared to eInk and it's too big to be really portable without having to carry it (i.e. can't slide into my pocket like my iPod touch).

I guess that I'll have to file it under the same category of the iPhone. Somewhat overpriced and under-technologied without a distinct use.

Believe, me I'd love to buy one, but I just can't justify it if it's only for entertainment, as I'd rather spend money on something that would be more entertaining.

I have one, but I agree with you completely. I have one personally that I use at home and try to use in the office. I also have other end users who we have purchased ipad for... They fell for the hype to work with it... Then they too gave up... Netbooks get more real work done than these do.

The big issue is that people have poor expectations for the ipad. It is not a computer in the sense of what we view computers as... It cannot replace a computer (pc/Laptop) unless all you did was READ emails (not write much) or BROWSE the web, And of course, play silly games that mimic real hardware controllers that fail to get the job done or really innovative games that can be played NO WHERE ELSE but a tablet like the ipad.

The ipad is a device (to me) designed more for output than input. It gives you information quickly and easily. Within seconds of pulling it out from where ever it was, you are immediately presented with the many avenues to get your information in a matter of seconds. The ipad will always fail when we try to make it a computer. But a tablet device, it is top notch... Fun, easy, and fast at retriving information.

I have found a place for me along side a computer. I do take it on occasion where I do not have a computer with it but I usually regret it... More because of my life and business. But It beats a computer on the couch and in bed or where ever else... Shoot, I take it on bike rides. I am not worried about a hdd crapping out. I can stop for a break and read or at least set up some tasks/work for when I get back to my computers.

 

[gatortpk]

264.

For reference, the first three iPhones were 160ppi and the first two iPads are 130. iPhone 4 is 326.

Actually, that's 163 ppi for the first three iPhones, the two iPads are 132 ppi, and the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S is 326 PPI (as correctly stated, double 163 ppi).

Quadruple the iPad 2 resolution and you get 264 ppi, (linearly double, quad pixels total, just like the simple iPhone 3GS to iPhone 4 transition.)

 

[lilo777]

An iPad with Retina Display would be pretty cool, but to be honest, I can't think of how it would significantly change or improve how I use it. The increased resolution is kind of offset by the size of your finger and the size of the tablet. It can't improve the accuracy of your touch without enlarging the screen. So the screen is prettier, but I'm dubious if it's more functional in any meaningful way.

What I would really love is for Apple to come up with either a pressure sensitive screen or a stylus that transmits pressure information via bluetooth. Would be VERY useful for those of us who are aspiring digital artists/hobbyists.

Beyond that, I'm wondering how Apple will improve upon the iPad after they successfully incorporate a retina display. There's really not much that I can think of that isn't fairly minor. Change the aluminum case to a carbon fiber one? Create a lens mount for the camera? I'd imagine that most future improvement would involve 3rd party tech - like 3G-->LTE-->5G(?), the next Wi-Fi/Bluetooth standard, etc - or just upgrades to iOS.

Not just that. In reality, as soon as the screen resolution goes above HD TV, there is simply no content available to get any picture quality improvement on a screen as small as iPad. That is why we get those news about Apple desperately trying to find any applications to demonstrate the advantages of "retina" displays at iPad 3 introduction. The truth is, with 10", current resolution of Android tablets is more than enough.

 

[gatortpk]

Not just that. In reality, as soon as the screen resolution goes above HD TV, there is simply no content available to get any picture quality improvement on a screen as small as iPad. That is why we get those news about Apple desperately trying to find any applications to demonstrate the advantages of "retina" displays at iPad 3 introduction. The truth is, with 10", current resolution of Android tablets is more than enough.

Full HD Video would be nice, a first on the iPad 3, but also, maps, aviation maps, X-Rays, other science and medical uses have plenty of uses for a 3.1 MP display! Soon, 27, 30, 42 inch displays could use 16 times Full HD resolutions for fine detail, and not for video. Though that'll happen too around 2016-2020. (Super Hi-Vision).

1080p is just getting to be too low resolution for much more detailed stuff on a screen at 12 inches away (when looking close for detail, I find myself looking 6 inches away at detailed maps on my iPhone 4S, I wish I could see closer, (but hitting 40 years killed that). Plus, 16 inches viewing distance is the ideal distance for the 30 degree viewing (SMPTE Certification Standards) for 1080p or 2K video that's only 8 inches wide.