Posted on 03/21/2012 2:39:20 AM PDT by Las Vegas Dave
Apple just reported that it sold three million 'New iPads' between Friday, March 16 and Monday, March 19. Is there any wonder? The pre-launch publicity and media attention for the new tablet was unprecedented. And so were the glowing comments from normally sedate tech analysts who called the new tablet "dazzling" and "revolutionary."
The official launch day itself looked like a scene from 1964 circa Beatlemania as thousands of Apple-ites lined up overnight across the nation so they could be the first to own the new device.
"For the people who stayed out here overnight, the real devotees, they say it's enough of a revolution for them to brave the cold weather to be among tthe first in the world to get the new iPad," a CNN reporter gushed on the air Friday.
But hold on, everyone. There's growing evidence that Apple may have bamboozled us all, or at least the three million plus people who have bought the new iPad.
By most objective standards, the new iPad is supposed to include three major improvements on the old iPad 2. Apple itself promoted these three features most heavily in its ballyhooed press event on March 7 announcing the new tablet.
Why are these people in line?
But several reports done by respected tech web sites in the last few days suggests that the three improvements are slight and/or highly exaggerated by Apple. In addition, one of the "improvements" comes with so much baggage that many new iPad owners may never even use it.
Let's start with "improvement" #1: The new iPad's Retina, high-resolution display.
No one is disputing that the display itself isn't an improvement over the iPad 2. At 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution, the screen exhibits sharper text and more vivid still images. However, the problem apparently comes when you examine one of Apple's most touted reasons for having that high-resolution display: watching movies.
"The gotta-see-it-to-believe-it clarity of the Retina display on the new iPad lets you watch 1080p videos at their full HD resolution. So get ready for more gripping entertainment than you ever thought possible," Apple's web site states.
However, CNET.com yesterday published an article saying that videos from Netflix, YouTube and iTunes don't look much different on the new iPad than they do on the iPad 2.
CNET's David Katzmaier describes how he downloaded a high-def version of Hugo to both the iPad 2 and the new iPad, which purports to offer double the resolution of the older model. The new iPad automatically downloaded a 1080p version of the Martin Scorsese film while the iPad 2 got the lesser 720p edition.
However, Katzmaier says differences in the two "were extremely subtle...Colors looked quite similar on the two."
Then the CNET writer watched Lost via Netflix on both the iPad 2 and new iPad.
"One of the best high-quality shows on Netflix is Lost but as I expected, I couldn't see any differences in detail between the two iPads when I watched the 'Some Like it Hoth' episode," the reviewer states.
CNET apparently doesn't believe that the Retina display delivers "gotta-see-it-to-believe-it clarity" when watching movies, which is again one of the big reasons why Apple says you would want to upgrade to the new iPad.
So while you will experience some benefits for paying more for a high-resolution screen -- text, still images, for example -- CNET says don't expect your movies to look any better.
"Improvement" #2 The new iPad's A5X Processor Techland.com, the tech page for Time Magazine, notes that Apple claimed at its launch event that the new A5X processor would deliver four times the graphics performance of the quad-core chip used in Android tablets.
"Others are using chips like this Nvidia Tegra 3," Apple marketing guru Phil Schiller said at the event in San Francisco. "The Apple A5 was already twice as fast. And the new A5X brings four times the performance. It is a graphics powerhouse."
Did Apple trick us all?
But Techland writes that Apple's claim is "misleading." The site notes that the web sites Gizmodo and Laptop tested the speed on the new iPad and a Tegra 3-powered Asus Transformer Prime and found they are similar.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but there was no clear winner here," Gizmodo wrote. "Results seem to indicate that for blasting through graphics, the GPU (graphics processing unit) in the iPad's A5X is faster. But for your average day-to-day usage, the CPU on Transformer Prime takes it. I'd love to see a good, cross-platform CPU test emerge, but until then, we'll just have to listen to nerds screaming at each other."
While I haven't come across a test yet for how the new iPad's graphics speed fares against the iPad 2, it seems that the tech web sites believe that Apple stretched the truth when it promoted the new processor.
"It's also a reminder not to take product marketing at face value," Techland writes.
"Improvement" #3 The 4G LTE Network The new Apple iPad permits you to use a 4G LTE network from AT&T or Verizon. The plans start at $14.99 a month for AT&T (for 250MB data) and $30 a month for Verizon (2GB).
There's no doubting that 4G is faster than the 3G available in the iPad 2, but at what cost? Several publications have noted that streaming video, music and online games will gobble up your data plan like a Pacman, causing you to upgrade to a more expensive plan or pay heavy overages. The danger here is so great that CNET recommends that you should "think of (4G) LTE as your lifeline when you're out and about, so use it sparingly."
The site adds: "If you expect to stream movies, music, and video 24-7 over 4G, then save yourself the $130 extra for the device (the 4G version costs $130 more than the Wi-Fi version), the monthly data charge, and the potential overage fees and stick to Wi-Fi- -- or drastically adjust your expectations. Even with Verizon's 10GB plan for $80, wanton data use will have you busting through your limit in just a couple of days."
So, to sum up: The Retina, high-resolution display is nice for text and still images, but won't make your movies look much better. The new processor might be faster, but not faster than what you'll find in similar products. And you might lose your shirt if you use 4G.
What's going on here? What is Apple selling us? And why are so many of us running to the store to buy it?
Is this the high-tech, commercial equivalent of a Jonestown?
Caps are designed for one purpose, they protect the Cr@p TV channels they provide. People are already cutting the cord, they want to put a stop to that.
I can get basic Cable with 19 megabit brood band, but it is only about $30.00 less than getting all the Movie channels and unlimited phone. So I get 300 channels that I never watch because it is just easier than the hassle of carving out enough to make it useful.
If I Just want Internet then the price goes up to about $50.00 for 4 megabit. Thee seems to be a plot to keep you tied to all this loser tv channels.
I sense a little hostility here.
If you cant afford a Maybach then a pinto will get you where you want to go. No one cares what you drive, unless of corse you need a chick magnet type of car.
It may surprise you but no one cares what portable device you use, so why does it upset you when people actually want to by Apple products?
Free market works except for those damn Svengali sales people at Apple that dupe those poor dummies into buying their product.
Which explain why apple is doomed,
The iPhone is a great computer that happens to have a crappy phone built in. I don't carry one to make phone calls, but I carry one, and if I am going to be in the car I carry an iPad. You apparently don't have a clue what they are for.
Actually, with tethering, you only need one - on your phone. Just use a WiFi iPad. I bought the iPad 3 WiFi and like it - as a significant upgrade over my iPad 1. If I owned an iPad 2 it would have been a much harder sell.
LTE on the iPad seems to be an unnecessary extravagance at this time. Just wait until the iPhone 5 comes out and use it a a personal hotspot. Most people have their phones with them almost all the time and their iPads with them only part of the time, so keeping the data service on the phone only makes more economic sense.
Strangely enough when I hook my iPhone to the computer it syncs just fine. You have to set it to back up to the cloud, i fact you must have an iCloud account to sync to the cloud, then you have to set that option on your computer. If you don't want to sync to the cloud, just don't select that option, have it sync to the computer, easy peasy.
Yes, however, that only works for files. It doesn’t work with your Outlook, or any other desktop office application I can think of.
I know it’ll take all the tunes you’ve ripped and synch them to the iPod. I do that with the kids all the time. Try synching your schedule, contacts, tasks, notes, email.
Asus Padfone is an innovative product PLUS it solves the multiple phone/pad subscription plan situation.
Latest I read they don’t have a carrier yet, but it will come.
http://event.asus.com/mobile/padfone/
I don't use outlook so I don;t have that problem, I synced all those things before the iCloud, and I still could, but I don't because I like to sync my iPhone from anywhere. I am 73 years old so I could care less about learning a new system, even Apple's changes are annoying. I actually don't even need an iPhone, I use it as an iPod, but it also has apps for most of my talk radio buddies, so I can get Levin anywhere. Navigon comes in handy, but I rarely drive anymore, so it is more a toy that I just hate to throw away. The Phone has an unlimited data plan so If I could get one of the grandkids to change numbers I would pass it on. Then move to the New iPad and use MagicJack to make free phone calls. I was kind of hoping for an intermediate size iPad that would be easy to carry, but hey I would like a nice 20 inch for my bedroom. {:-)
I wonder if apple does this on purpose.
yesterday it was the overheating.
today it is these three items.
What will the fix be, more coupons?
Apple doesn’t do it, the Apple hater do it. FUD is an industry.
Pretty neat, shows they’re trying....not sure it will catch on for various reasons. We’ll see.
TV Predictions, Inc., whose president and CEO is Phillip Swann, author of "TV dot COM:
This is exactly the kind of sentiment from Appletards that irritate the crap out of me. You bought a Pinto painted white with an "i" in front of the name for $50k, while I got a black Mustang for $30k. Then you say, "If you can't afford an iPinto . . ." If you don't want to see beyond the hype and live in a fantasy world, do so. Don't ask me to say I think you're smart for doing it.
Apple has a great product that is easy to use that is especially useful for the elderly, small children and those who are extremely technologically limited.
BTW, don't worry about iPad 3 being left in the dust by the Padfone. iPad 4 will come out with a similar device (with fewer ports and no keyboard) in 18 months and you can cheer about how innovative they are and how smart you are for paying more for less 18 months late.
Been waiting on this since it was announced.
Har, har, I didn't buy either one, I bought what I liked at a price I could afford.
You guys are the ones that complain about Apple ripping everyone off. Just don't buy them if you don't like them, if enough people agree with you, Apple will go broke, problem solved.
By the way why would people that hate Apple Products invade every thread that discusses Apple products just to tell everyone how stupid they are for buying Apple Products?
agree
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