Apple Tablet

[blessingx]

I agree. My old Thinkpad held up far better than the previous HP or Toshiba, post Dell, or overlapping 1G MacBook, but hardware is just there for the software IMO, and that's where Apple is ahead for my needs. And, as others have said, the iPad is nearly pure software. As Androids mature over the next 6 months (though I really thought they be far further ahead in development by now - losing a holiday season seems a big loss), it will be interesting to see if they catch up (though in marketshare they surely will). Always thought the cloud would minimize OS preferences, but not so sure anymore. Maybe the Apple-app v. Android-browser (though they obvious have both) leanings a sign? Know Google has finally hired Android designers, so we'll see. Anyway, have less faith in Motos contributions. So far 'pure-Android' has been better than non-pure, but maybe tablets will be different?

[manaox2]

Non-pure android could be awesome with a power boost. The blur skin Motorola used on the Droid X is not smooth by default, but turn on some overclocking and keep the cache reasonable and its butter. Some of the features of Blur I would prefer to stock, I would just prefer it to be an option instead of a requirement. If somehow this thing ends up with an unlocked bootloader and Tegra 2 dual core processor, even I might be interested now that I don't have my laptop OTG. Those that said my Droid X couldn't replace a laptop on the computer for a weekend trip were wrong IMO, it was almost too enticing to play on it during any down time.

I think the Moto tablet will be awesome. The iPad is pretty sweet and priced competitively, but this could undercut it in price and be more attractive in features for those that aren't totally apple devoted. Ok, time to stop crapping the apple tablet thread, need to go back to the android thread now.

[Torpedo]

Do you think it's true that next generation iPads will be all 7" and the current 10" one will disappear? IMHO one of the iPad attractives is its display size.

[grawk]

no, I don't think it's true.

[Torpedo]

I hope so, now that I'm starting to consider getting one... I'd wait for the next generation though, I'd love it had USB or the retina display. I've heard they can't make 10" retina displays yet, which would explain the 10" models extinction.

[Dusty Chalk]

It has to, if they incorporate the retina display, there's no way they can do a retina display that big.

EDIT: You beat me to it. I was responding to your prior post, and grawk's response.

EDIT #2: That said, a 7" screen with more real estate (should still be moar pixels) is very appealing to me.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Dusty Chalk

[tyrion]

I don't believe there is any chance of there being a change to a 7" iPad without there also being the 10" available. I don't believe that there will be a 7" iPad available.

[crappyjones123]

i hope they dont do away with the 10" 2nd gen. dont really want a 7" tablet. feel like it would be too small.

[tyrion]

No chance of it happening CJ.

[jvlgato]

Although the smaller 7" one might have a better chance of surviving when you keep dropping it down your staircase over and over and over!

[grawk]

I can't imagine the 7" higher density display being anywhere near as usable as the current 10". Anything smaller and I'd want a stylus, or a "mobile" browsing environment.

[Grahame]

Lets see what Steve Jobs had to say on the matter.

Steve Jobs: No 7-inch iPad - Pocket-lint

Steve Jobs Sets The Record Straight: There Will Be No 7 inch iPad :: App Advice

Steve Jobs- No 7 inch iPad, all competitor tablets are DOA - Philadelphia ipad | Examiner.com

No 7-inch iPad 2 in the Works Hints Apple

[Grahame]

Jobs: 7″ tablets should come with sandpaper, so users can file down their fingers

Steve Jobs Says Your Fingers are Too Fat for a 7-Inch Tablet | Maximum PC

Edited December 21, 2010 by Grahame

[Torpedo]

Yep, but that was more than two months ago, and eventually he could be pissed that other companies came out with the very same thing they were working on. I think 7" is a nice over sizing from the iPhone, but still very portable, though not as practicable as the current 10" iPad.

Yesterday a friend said -though I ignore his sources- that Apple had stopped current iPad production and they're selling all the stock over the Christmas campaign. They are only producing 7" units right now, which will start selling by late January or February. Not being myself an Apple fanboy, I'm not sure what to think, nor where to confirm or deny those statements.

[Dusty Chalk]

I don't believe there is any chance of there being a change to a 7" iPad without there also being the 10" available.

(Emphasis mine -- Ed.) I agree with this. Even though I, myself, would prefer a 7" higher resolution iPad, I do realize that the large majority of the target market will prefer the larger screen, but I don't believe it will have the same pixel density as the current iPhone 4 aka the retina screen.

Lets see what Steve Jobs had to say on the matter.

Steve Jobs: No 7-inch iPad - Pocket-lint

Steve Jobs Sets The Record Straight: There Will Be No 7 inch iPad :: App Advice

Steve Jobs- No 7 inch iPad, all competitor tablets are DOA - Philadelphia ipad | Examiner.com

No 7-inch iPad 2 in the Works Hints Apple

Jobs: 7″ tablets should come with sandpaper, so users can file down their fingers

Steve Jobs Says Your Fingers are Too Fat for a 7-Inch Tablet | Maximum PC

He also said there would never ever be Flash on the iOS. I, for one, would not hold him to his word on that one (two...three...whatever...n+1...). You're welcome to try, but historically, his ability to anticipate what the market will bear borders on prescience, and he will change with the nimbleness of a cleat-footed ninja in a log-rolling contest, if it will generate revenue.

EDIT: I'll even go one further -- the largest "risk" in my "prediction" is that he can't make a 10" retina display. If he can, then there won't be two, there will only be the one big ten inch. So, to reiterate, my prediction is that there will be two -- a "sport" (7", retina display, possibly iPhone 4 high res, maybe a little less), and an LX (10" display, incrementally higher res than first generation iPad, but not as high a jump as was the iPhone 3 to the iPhone 4).

And this is only for the second gen. Beyond that, all bets are off.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Dusty Chalk

[tyrion]

Yep, but that was more than two months ago, and eventually he could be pissed that other companies came out with the very same thing they were working on. I think 7" is a nice over sizing from the iPhone, but still very portable, though not as practicable as the current 10" iPad.

Yesterday a friend said -though I ignore his sources- that Apple had stopped current iPad production and they're selling all the stock over the Christmas campaign. They are only producing 7" units right now, which will start selling by late January or February. Not being myself an Apple fanboy, I'm not sure what to think, nor where to confirm or deny those statements.

Not a chance.

[grawk]

a 7" retina display would cost more than a 10" non-retina display, so to me, it seems unlikely that they'd make both at the same price point. Also, given the current dominance at the 10" size, I just don't see them going to 7"

[Torpedo]

That's my point, what logic dictates. Having a 7" high resolution display model, a bit pricier perhaps, then a 10", but my friend was so sure the 10" was going to disappear soon...

[tyrion]

One last time, not a chance.

[grawk]

the last generation powerbooks were built better in every way than that generation of thinkpad, and since then, apple's returned to a similar if not better level, and lenovo let the thinkpad brand slide considerably to maintain margins in a price conscious world.

[Dusty Chalk]

it wouldn't need it, because one typically holds a tablet a bit further away from one's eyes than one does a phone.

Why would you bring up "need"? This has nothing to do with "need", this has to do with "want". Did they "need" higher resolution for the iPhone? No-one was complaining, and yet they still went higher. And not just a little bit higher, a lot bit higher. Did they "need" to do that? No, they did not.

It's all about the bottom line, and there was no risk involved in that one. They found a way to cram higher res at similar cost, so it was more appealing to people like me ("greedy"), and not less appealing who would get thrown by the increased price.

[blessingx]

He also said there would never ever be Flash on the iOS. I, for one, would not hold him to his word on that one (two...three...whatever...n+1...). You're welcome to try, but historically, his ability to anticipate what the market will bear borders on prescience, and he will change with the nimbleness of a cleat-footed ninja in a log-rolling contest, if it will generate revenue.

He's actually already clearly stated in an interview with that boring guy from the WSJ that if the market dictates Flash so be it, but he's not going to invest any of Apples resources in the current Flash. We need to remember in the future when Jobs was battling Flash, it wasn't fully operational on any other mobile platform either. Anyway, we'll see where it's all headed after Flash works well and completely on any mobile platform. And I think they're waiting for hardware acceleration on the Air.

[n_maher]

people were complaining that the screen didn't look as good as the newer competitors so yes, they did need to do it, because things like screens and visual quality is something Apple cares about.

The 3G/S certainly look dated now, by comparison with many competitors. But I'd argue that they wasted a ton of $$ on the 4 screen. Yes, it is nice, but the screen on my X by virtue of size and a still high pixel density is a much richer overall experience. There's no sense of pixelation or loss of resolution unless you're holding the phone 6" from your nose, which is indicative of far bigger problems for the user. In truth I'd prefer a slightly smaller screen that I currently have, perhaps just larger than the Droid Incredible's, but I'm 95% fine with the X size-wise.

[Salt Peanuts]

iPad Keyboard Case

[The Monkey]

That thing looks cool, but hasn't its release been imminent for months?