What is your opinion on Apple's obsession with thinness?

[Mad Mac Maniac]

Apple products and women are better thin.

mmmm!! Is this how you like 'em??

There is a point where it's too much..

If these things get any thinner, they'll snap in half when you bend over to pick up a dime. I think the iPad2 and iPhone 4 are thin enough. If the iPhone get's any thinner, it's going to be hard to hold onto.

Exactly. It's not only a matter of less features, but there is a point where it gets to be more breakable, or just not beneficial. Who cares if apple makes it 7mm instead of 8mm. Especially when most people will use a case to protect it anyway.

Thin is good to a point, and honestly I think the iPad 2 is thin enough for (basically) all purposes. At this point I think the more important thing is weight decrease. If Apple needs to make it slightly thinner to accomplish that, fine. But I think the thin requirement has been reached. In my book the weight requirement is < 1 pound. From there on just add more specs and better battery life! Nothing beyond that is worth it!!

 

[urkel]

I really hope the iPhone 5 doesnt follow this trend because there's a point where you can go to far with "Thin" and Apple's crossed that several times. The more important dimension to me is the footprint because thats the part that actually takes space on your desk/pants and that you actually SEE with your eyes. But I guess thats Apples big magic trick. To make people think they want something they don't actually need. Ta-Da.

Things we've lossed in Apples obsession with "Thin":

MacBook Air:
- It can only fit a VGA Camera for that Facetime "HD" app you had to buy
- Battery Life
- Glass Screen
- Better Speakers
- HDD options (SSD is awesome but capacity/cost isnt great)
- Backlit Keyboard

Mac Mini:
- Difficult to upgrade due to thin unibody design.

Apple TV:
- Lack of video output other than HDMI
- Lack of internal storage (I know its small but if it were twice the size w/small HDD then I could install it in the MiniVan as a portable player for the kids)

iPod Touch:
- Only .69MP Front/1MP Back camera. (People here HATE the idea of the iPad as a camera. But the Touch cam could be a good option... if it didnt suck)
- No Autofocus (for document scanning, QR codes, check deposit apps)
- Better Speakers
- Battery Life

iPad 2:
- Same footprint as original (They couldve saved weight by trimming bezel rather than "thickness")
- iPod Touch Camera System (People defend this, but cmon. No matter how stupid it may look, 1MP in an $800 tablet?)
- No Autofocus (iPad is a real productivity tool that is hurt by lack of AF scanning)
- Better Speakers
- Battery life (I know 10hrs is amazing but 14hrs is supermazing)
- SD, Thunderbolt, dual 3G antenna for multiple carriers

iPhone 4
- Better face camera for Facetime HD
- Nothing else. I just wanted to say that the iPhone 4 is the most beautiful product Apple has ever made. Industrial design with loads of class. I really really hope they don't do these ugly tapered edges on the iPhone 5.

My opinion has always been that the "Thin" obsession is pure gimmick. And I'm always surprised by how many people eat that gimmick up as if their pants would rip if their phone were 2mm thicker.

 

[Calidude]

I don't like it. I want more battery and components, not less for the sake of thinness.

 

[al1cre]

If apple released a product which wasn't thiner, faster, lighter people would buy other products. It's their innovation (well that's debatable) but there consist changing and updating that keeps people buying. No one buys other tablets not because they have better specs but because they are bulky, heavy and ugly. Apple work on the most important aspect of tablet computers - the aesthetics.

So you're saying that starting Friday, my current iPad is bulky, heavy, and ugly?

 

[Piggie]

I really hope the iPhone 5 doesnt follow this trend because there's a point where you can go to far with "Thin" and Apple's crossed that several times. The more important dimension to me is the footprint because thats the part that actually takes space on your desk/pants and that you actually SEE with your eyes. But I guess thats Apples big magic trick. To make people think they want something they don't actually need. Ta-Da.

Things we've lossed in Apples obsession with "Thin":

MacBook Air:
- It can only fit a VGA Camera for that Facetime "HD" app you had to buy
- Battery Life
- Glass Screen
- Better Speakers
- HDD options (SSD is awesome but capacity/cost isnt great)
- Backlit Keyboard

Mac Mini:
- Difficult to upgrade due to thin unibody design.

Apple TV:
- Lack of video output other than HDMI
- Lack of internal storage (I know its small but if it were twice the size w/small HDD then I could install it in the MiniVan as a portable player for the kids)

iPod Touch:
- Only .69MP Front/1MP Back camera. (People here HATE the idea of the iPad as a camera. But the Touch cam could be a good option... if it didnt suck)
- No Autofocus (for document scanning, QR codes, check deposit apps)
- Better Speakers
- Battery Life

iPad 2:
- Same footprint as original (They couldve saved weight by trimming bezel rather than "thickness")
- iPod Touch Camera System (People defend this, but cmon. No matter how stupid it may look, 1MP in an $800 tablet?)
- No Autofocus (iPad is a real productivity tool that is hurt by lack of AF scanning)
- Better Speakers
- Battery life (I know 10hrs is amazing but 14hrs is supermazing)
- SD, Thunderbolt, dual 3G antenna for multiple carriers

iPhone 4
- Better face camera for Facetime HD
- Nothing else. I just wanted to say that the iPhone 4 is the most beautiful product Apple has ever made. Industrial design with loads of class. I really really hope they don't do these ugly tapered edges on the iPhone 5.

My opinion has always been that the "Thin" obsession is pure gimmick. And I'm always surprised by how many people eat that gimmick up as if their pants would rip if their phone were 2mm thicker.

You forgot a very important one.

iMac - Cannot fit a decent graphics card in as there is no space for decent cooling, and the Yellow screen issue which must have something to do with the screen, heat and tightness of construction.

These things stop me buying any iMac.

 

[hi res]

iPad 2 doesn't have the same footprint as iPad 1, device is smaller--screen is same size--this equals a smaller bezel.

 

[Piggie]

iPad 2 doesn't have the same footprint as iPad 1, device is smaller--screen is same size--this equals a smaller bezel.

See here is the thing.

Whilst others may disagree, I'd rather the iPad2 had better quality sound, twice the battery life and the same thickness as iPad1

For me, THERE ARE more important things than shaving a few mm off a device.

 

[iPad 2nd Gen]

I'd rather have functionality than thinness.

 

[DS3]

As long as the space is being used to its fullest the tradeoffs are probably about euqal. Since they didn't cut out anything to make it thinner for the iPad 2, its very nice to get. If I could theoretically have gotten a better camera, usb and sd ports in exchange for keeping it the same thickness? That'd be fine to.

So uh.. whatever, just want it =)

Being thin/light does matter a lot more for a tablet than some other things though, need to be able to securely hold it in one hand obviously.

 

[AppleScruff1]

So you're saying that starting Friday, my current iPad is bulky, heavy, and ugly?

Unfortunately, yes.

 

[wingnut8]

I really hope the iPhone 5 doesnt follow this trend because there's a point where you can go to far with "Thin" and Apple's crossed that several times. The more important dimension to me is the footprint because thats the part that actually takes space on your desk/pants and that you actually SEE with your eyes. But I guess thats Apples big magic trick. To make people think they want something they don't actually need. Ta-Da.

Things we've lossed in Apples obsession with "Thin":

MacBook Air:
- It can only fit a VGA Camera for that Facetime "HD" app you had to buy
- Battery Life
- Glass Screen
- Better Speakers
- HDD options (SSD is awesome but capacity/cost isnt great)
- Backlit Keyboard

Mac Mini:
- Difficult to upgrade due to thin unibody design.

Apple TV:
- Lack of video output other than HDMI
- Lack of internal storage (I know its small but if it were twice the size w/small HDD then I could install it in the MiniVan as a portable player for the kids)

iPod Touch:
- Only .69MP Front/1MP Back camera. (People here HATE the idea of the iPad as a camera. But the Touch cam could be a good option... if it didnt suck)
- No Autofocus (for document scanning, QR codes, check deposit apps)
- Better Speakers
- Battery Life

iPad 2:
- Same footprint as original (They couldve saved weight by trimming bezel rather than "thickness")
- iPod Touch Camera System (People defend this, but cmon. No matter how stupid it may look, 1MP in an $800 tablet?)
- No Autofocus (iPad is a real productivity tool that is hurt by lack of AF scanning)
- Better Speakers
- Battery life (I know 10hrs is amazing but 14hrs is supermazing)
- SD, Thunderbolt, dual 3G antenna for multiple carriers

iPhone 4
- Better face camera for Facetime HD
- Nothing else. I just wanted to say that the iPhone 4 is the most beautiful product Apple has ever made. Industrial design with loads of class. I really really hope they don't do these ugly tapered edges on the iPhone 5.

My opinion has always been that the "Thin" obsession is pure gimmick. And I'm always surprised by how many people eat that gimmick up as if their pants would rip if their phone were 2mm thicker.

If the MBA wasn't SSD it wouldn't be the same device. The whole point is an ultra-portable laptop.

 

[camelsnot]

I dont think it is just Apple's obsession...i think its more of a consumer obsession.

We want portable products without the bulk but still the functionality. (at least thats what I am looking for with most my mobile gadgets).

nah, it's apple's obsession. The masses just want something that works, with a good experience. The current crop of phones and tablets all have the right "thickness". Apple feels the need to separate themselves from the competition. They can't do it with hardware specs, as they usually blow, compared to competition. They do it by changing the form of their products to have the apple look.

 

[Tobster3]

mmmm!! Is this how you like 'em??

There is a point where it's too much..

I didn't agree until now

 

[ApplesAOranges]

Design over function.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

Exactly. It's not only a matter of less features, but there is a point where it gets to be more breakable, or just not beneficial. Who cares if apple makes it 7mm instead of 8mm. Especially when most people will use a case to protect it anyway.

Thin is good to a point, and honestly I think the iPad 2 is thin enough for (basically) all purposes. At this point I think the more important thing is weight decrease. If Apple needs to make it slightly thinner to accomplish that, fine. But I think the thin requirement has been reached. In my book the weight requirement is < 1 pound. From there on just add more specs and better battery life! Nothing beyond that is worth it!!

After a weekend of playing with my iPad 2 I still completely agree with this statement I made. The iPad 2 is the perfect size. The bigger priority now should be weight (not that it's super heavy or anything). I think they can do that through lighter parts, and by removing the home button and reducing the top and bottom bezel to the same size as the size bezels. Get it to 0.9 pounds and we have perfection!

Reducing the thickness just isn't worth it at this point. There is give and take for everything. Simple cost benefit analysis. And every mm of thickness yields very little benefit with an enormous amount of cost to expensive parts, battery life, processing power, cameras, thunderbolt ports or anything else.

Then there is also the breakablity factor. You need to have a strong enough material that can be sturdy enough if you reduce to say 5mm thick.

Of course technology is always moving forward, so I'm not suggesting that the iPad should/will never get thinner in 20 years... but that Apple should focus on other more important factors right now for iPads 3, 4, and 5. Maybe for iPad 6 Apple can try to make it more thin.

 

[steadysignal]

I dont think it is just Apple's obsession...i think its more of a consumer obsession.

We want portable products without the bulk but still the functionality. (at least thats what I am looking for with most my mobile gadgets).

thinner (and less weight) helps aid usefulness. and the functionality here is measured (albeit partly) in battery life.

 

[fertilized-egg]

thinner (and less weight) helps aid usefulness. and the functionality here is measured (albeit partly) in battery life.

Exactly. How many have been complaining that the iPad isn't as one-hand-holdable as the Kindle or a book? The structural integrity, battery life, and camera quality are obviously big concerns, but otherwise the thinner the better for a tablet since the reduced weight and thinness helps its usability.

 

[dacreativeguy]

It's pretty disgusting. Caught my wife's iPad 1 in the bathroom purging after dinner last night. The iPad 2 does not promote a healthy image to other electronic devices!

 

[TallManNY]

My iPad 1 fits easily in my briefcase. Saving another 4 mm isn't going to make any difference. Now getting it lighter is probably going to be nice (I haven't held one yet). As long as they can keep the battery life at 10+ hours, I don't think we are sacrificing too much to this thin obsession. But if you look at the breakdown, if they had that 4 mm to work with and filled a bunch of it with battery, we would be looking at even longer battery life. That would be great now and also great two years from now when the batteries have degraded a bunch.

 

[cambookpro]

I know it would be very un-Apple, but I could see them branching off the iPad into two different lines:

• iPad
• iPad Pro

The iPad would be 8mm thin, have a 1mpx front camera and a 2mpx back camera with a retina display and an A5 processor with 512MB of RAM, and it would have no home button.

The iPad Pro would be 100-120mm thin, have a HD front camera and a 5mpx+ back camera with a super-retina display, an A7 processor with 1.5GB of RAM and keeps the home button.

The iPad would be Wifi only at 8, 16 and 32GB varieties in black, white and some funky new colours with the iPad Pro having Wifi and Wifi and 3G models with 32, 64 and 128GB varieties in black and white.

Of course, rather than doing that the ultra-thin, cheap low power iPad would be branded the iPad play or iPad casual, with the Pro keeping the iPad name.

/idea

 

[miamialley]

See here is the thing.

Whilst others may disagree, I'd rather the iPad2 had better quality sound, twice the battery life and the same thickness as iPad1

For me, THERE ARE more important things than shaving a few mm off a device.

I definitely understand this logic. For me though, I appreciate the thinness so long as in can get by for a day or two without charging.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

The iPad would be 8mm thin, have a 1mpx front camera and a 2mpx back camera with a retina display and an A5 processor with 512MB of RAM, and it would have no home button.

The iPad Pro would be 100-120mm thin, have a HD front camera and a 5mpx+ back camera with a super-retina display, an A7 processor with 1.5GB of RAM and keeps the home button.

I REALLY hope you mean 10mm-12mm.... 120mm is nearly 5 inches!!!

 

[cambookpro]

I REALLY hope you mean 10mm-12mm.... 120mm is nearly 5 inches!!!

Yeah. Sorry.

 

[Piggie]

Are Apple now stuck?

Could they now make a future iPad thicker than the current model?

 

[Caliber26]

Are Apple now stuck?

Could they now make a future iPad thicker than the current model?

Sure they can. It's just a matter of time before iPad is given features that allow it to be a fully independent machine. Right now, the iPad is still part iOS family but I'm thinking that in the future the iPad will be more of a scaled-down OS X device while still maintaining the essence and simplicity of iOS. How feasible or probable this is, I don't know. I'm definitely no computer whiz, but I do want to see them morph both systems exclusively for the iPad. As much as I love my iPad, I want it to be more than just a big iPod Touch. I think at that point adding thickness to its design will be warranted and widely accepted by the public. It'll be worth it to most.