Rumors swirl of smaller iPad, which Jobs detested

Yahoo Finance ^ | April 19,2012 | PETER SVENSSON

[Hojczyk]

Apple generates more gossip than the Kardashians.

There's a constantly spinning mill of rumors about Apple products, most of which turn out to be untrue. What's unusual this week is that talk has revived of a smaller iPad model, an idea company founder Steve Jobs derided publicly a year before he died.

—WHY IT'S A GOOD IDEA: A smaller tablet would help Apple further its lead in the tablet market.

"From a competitive standpoint, we believe an iPad mini with a lower price point would be the competition's worst nightmare, says Shaw Wu, an analyst at Sterne Agee. "Most (competitors) already have a tough enough time competing against the iPad 2, as well as the new iPad."

—WHY IT'S A BAD IDEA: A smaller iPad would be a headache for software developers.

"Going to a different screen size ends up being a ton of work," says Nate Weiner, the creator of Pocket, an application that stores Web pages and other material for later reading.

"If you take, for an example, an interface built for the iPad and try to cram it into the Kindle Fire, it just doesn't fit," he says. However, developers who have already adapted their programs to the Kindle Fire or other 7-inch tablets wouldn't face a big hurdle in adapting to a third Apple screen size, Weiner says.

—WHAT JOBS THOUGHT:

"The reason we wouldn't make a 7-inch tablet isn't because we don't want to hit a price point, it's because we don't think you can make a great tablet with a 7-inch screen," Jobs said. "The 7-inch tablets are tweeners, too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad."

[End Times Sentinel]

I’m with Jobs on this one.

I wish they’d make a bigger iPhone.

[GonzoGOP]

"The reason we wouldn't make a 7-inch tablet isn't because we don't want to hit a price point, it's because we don't think you can make a great tablet with a 7-inch screen," Jobs said. "The 7-inch tablets are tweeners, too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad."

I love my kindle fire. And yes price had a lot to do with why I bought it. The other was the ability to fit in the outside pocket of my briefcase. At $200 I can afford something that will be used only for web browsing, music and eBooks. For $700 I could get a full function notebook PC that has a real keyboard and can do a lot more than the iPad can.

Lets face it i just don't put a lot of stock in being cool. My tools need to serve a defined function. The least expensive tool that fills the function is the one I buy. Of course it is that same philosophy that cause me to be a conservative.

[Cyman]

I think it is a great idea. They could call it the Rotten Apple.

[TexasFreeper2009]

I agree with Jobs, a smaller Ipad would bite, what they need is a LARGER Ipad!

[molson209]

I wish they’d stop with i i i i i AHHHHHHHHH

[Hildy]

I’d sooner give away my laptop than my iPad, which I am writing from now.

[Erik Latranyi]

I doubt Apple would sell a 7-inch tablet for $199. I expect $299 at minimum, but I bet they discontinue the iPad2 and price it at $399.

[richmwill]

I though Apple already produced a smaller version of the iPad, they call it the iPod Touch.

[catbertz]

Easy. IPod touch XL.

[SamAdams76]

I can’t get enough of these threads. I wish Free Republic would create a separate topic just for Apple.

[circlecity]

"I’d sooner give away my laptop than my iPad, which I am writing from now."

Right on, Hildy. IPad is my first Apple product and I think it is absolutely, positively, posilutely perfect. I wouldn't change a thing - it's awesome.

[DoughtyOne]

I love my iPhone and my iPad. I’d hate to lose either one, but the iPhone takes the edge for me.

I have the iPhone4 and it’s stunning what that thing can do. On one of the cable channels, perhaps the History Channel, it was judged to be the most productive invention of all time.

There are many inventions, products, and functions that combined in the iPhone, to make it a phenomenal device.

[RedMDer]

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[citizen]

Rush was talking about this a few months ago. The smaller iPad would be called a Mini-Pad and the full size would be the Maxi-Pad. har

[citizen]

For the record, I am interfacing on a Droid 4g Razr plugged into a lap dock which gives me a notebook sized keyboard and screen. It’s not a...what’s the term? Not a peripheral device connected to the phone that costs an extra monthly fee so I’m quite happy with the 4g Razr/lap dock hook up.

With 5 bars of 4g signal, I get 25-27mb data receive on speedtest.net so it’s fine for web surfing, emailing, texting, facebooking (on the real FB site, not via the app), doing Word docs, etc.

[sten]

ask the women...

which is better? 7” or 10” ?

[Hildy]

The virtual keypad still gives me trouble, but other than that, perfection.

[ctdonath2]

Still waiting for the iDesk and iWall. Seriously.