Quote:
Originally Posted by
shompa 
Nope.
This is the real iPad3. The iPad3 that was released was a desperate product when plans did go wrong.
TSMC production of A6 tanked and Qualcomms 28nm baseband chip was delayed.
This lead to the desperate A5X thicker battery.
Apple should of course have waited and released the real iPad3.
Apple wants to release the new iPad in late Q3-early Q4 to maximise holiday season.
This is the new Apple. About maximising profits. Steve's Apple was about making the greatest products possible, then get profit. And when customers starts to feel milked for money, its over.
There is a 95% chance that Apple will repeat everything wrong they did after Steve left 1985. Just like back then, Apple will have a couple of great years before the decline starts.
Apple have already started with a wasteful dividend and share buy back. Apple should have instead fixed iCloud (by using revamped Xserve/Xsan Unix clustering) and bought/build a foundry to produce its own SoCs and NAND flash. Just one dividend could have bought AMD bought back Fab30 in Germany. If AMD was a separate part of Apple, they would have kept their X86 license. Apple could have done a custom X86 chip with DSPs and other fun stuff they have inside the A series SoC.
I agree this is what the iPad 3rd gen SHOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE six months ago. But I really think this iPad is premature. I think Apple was in such a hurry to update their entire iOS line that they just rushed this 4th gen out without really taking a good hard look at it.
Now, it's also possible that Apple updated the iPad to the 4th gen so that all current Gen iOS devices all have the "Lightning connector". Which they all but plainly stated this during the iPad Mini presentation. So I believe Apple knew that the gen 4 iPad was not truly updated, I would call this a Gen 3.1 iPad instead of an iPad 4th gen. So it's quite possible we will still see a thinner and lighter iPad 5th gen in April, but I don't think it's likely since the release has now been move to Fall. I also think this is quite clearly a strategic move on Apple's part to give a good initial launch to the iPad Mini. Perhaps a combination of all these things:
Just thinking out-loud...
First, they wanted to update all their iOS devices to "Lightning".
This way they can drop the 30-pin production lines as quickly as possible and switch to the "Lightning" production lines. In the long run this will be more cost effective.
And just sell whatever they have left of the 30-pin models "as long as supplies last".
Second, give people a little incentive to upgrade their previous iPads, but not enough to neglect the hot/new product...iPad Mini = keep iPad 10" form factor, weight, but boost performance.
Keep the Mini in the limelight, but offer a current compatible option to the Mini and the iOS Ecosystem.
I think the Mini's price is definitely based on supply not demand.
Third, Move all iPad release cycles synced to save manuf. dollars on a consistent schedule...just like the Macbooks, just like the iPod.
Efficiency First.
..smart move Cap'n Cook!
It's pretty easy to see (this year particularly) that Apple is looking for Efficient production. The staggered releases of the Mac's is a sure sign Apple is so far head of the curve, and having such issues with supply that they have to keep release cycles across product lines consistent. We're talking about 10's of Millions of devices per quarter now. So Cook is SO the right person for the CEO job now. Jobs knew what he was doing. Apple's current family of products are in their Summer-Autumn phase and they need efficiency and smooth production to keep the ball rolling, not someone to lead the company by innovation. The Winter Phase will be the point where we need someone to launch Apple to a new Spring...that might be Someone yet to be seen from Apple...could be someone completely outside the company....very likely IMO. But that's another topic for another day.
Edited by antkm1 - 10/24/12 at 11:54pm