Apple's 128GB iPad aims to drive profits up a path competitors can't easily follow - Page 4

"the surprise announcement also demonstrates how quickly (and unpredictably) Apple can shift direction"

This is so pro-Apple that it's cute.

I'd like to be able to take SD from my camera, plug into iPad and review my photos on decent screen. Having a small slot is more elegant and simple than having to use dongle adapters, IMHO.

Maybe I'm not unconscious enough..?

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Edited by MacRulez - 5/16/13 at 12:41pm

Ultrathins, really? Like ultrathin ladies' hygiene pads? Now that would sell... "Feel comfortable with your Ultrathin. Laptop, that is".

Apple is doing the same. How many people really care about fastest graphics on any phone, for example? Maybe some of them frequently gaming, and not even all of them. For majority, it is irrelevant, or, at best, bragging topic. But selling premium product includes selling bragging rights, there is nothing wrong there from business perspective.

It's a notebook disguised as tablet. Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 is netbook disguised as tablet, with its dual core Clover Trail Atom CPU. I think they will do well for business users - we are receiving stronger interest for such devices from our customers than we ever did for iPads and Androids. Mind you, it is interest only, right now - only time will tell if it will actually transfer into actual purchase. But potential is there - from manageability and compatibility aspects, and both are top priorities for business users.

 

For the vast, vast majority of people on the planet now, their phone is the camera. It'd be easier for you, but wouldn't be more elegant for the product as a whole. What's this slot for? What slot? And once they add one port/slot/additional-button, people would want something else added. It's about drawing a hard line in the sand. It's about whipping that simple stick. That's the reason I use the word 'unconscious', because most people are unaware this is why they like Apple. Design is about making tough choices, and there ain't no company that comes close to making choices quite like Apple does.

Yes rather than cheaper minor tweaks to its devices, which create extremely low prices;Aplle chooses upgrade the device (more mem.,better camera, true screen improvements) By the way by the end of 2013 I expect it to be

---

IPad---(full size)---
32,64,128 gb

---

IPad mini

---

16,32,64, (mostly 128) gb

---

iPhone

---

32,64 gb (mostly 128) gb

---

iPod touch

---

32, 64 (lessly 128) gb

---

other IOS
Not mentioned

AMD is still alive and kicking. The system I'm typing on now is running an AMD A6 3650 with Radeon HD graphics chip. It runs awesome!

One other important aspect of Apple releasing the 128 GB iPad 4 now is, contrary to to persistent rumours, it signals the rest of the iPad line-up will not be upgraded in the short term. This is a good thing. Apple's refresh cycles have gotten a little muddled lately. No one expected the iPad 4 to arrive as soon as it did - annoying if you had just bought an iPad 3. 

 

As someone else noted, other recent product launches have been less than faultless. One retina MacBook Pro instead of a complete range. Very late iMacs. Huge delays on iPhone 5s. No wonder that sales growth faltered. 

 

As things stand, we seem to be on track for a refreshed iPad line-up in September, plus new iPods and iPhones. That is the right time to refresh these products so that retail outlets can be fully stocked for the Christmas season. 

 

I guess the Mac range will be refreshed in June or as soon as Intel gets Haswell out the door. New Mac Pros should be imminent. 

 

Whenever these events occur, Apple needs to get back on a consistent track. 

 

They should, in fact, stagger their releases through the year, both to combat the supply chain issues, and to stop consumers guessing that a release is imminent and not buying the devices. Then the devices are upgraded but not available. That is a much greater risk to the company than a few disgruntled iPad3 buyers.

Another one who just doesn't get it.

If you want to mess with directories and external storage, get a MacBook Air.

The iPad is designed specifically so they don't get 50,000 phone calls a day saying 'Where is my file?'

Can I have a 250GB option please. I'm an architect and since the first release of an IPad I design and model all my projects on it with fingers only. I love it !
 

The fact that you even reply to such posts is...commendable. Sir.

Note that a Macbook Air with iPad portability and decent space (say, the model I own, 11 inches maxed-out) will cost you 1k more than said iPad.

It does put somehow a premium price on directories ;)

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Edited by MacRulez - 5/16/13 at 12:41pm

Or (Open)Solaris or *BSD?

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Edited by MacRulez - 5/16/13 at 12:41pm

Of course not!

Thanks to the commenter with historical perspective- yes, "fat" was a reference to the very early "Fat Mac" that had 512K of RAM instead of the 128K the original Mac shipped with.  Also, to those complaining about a lack of user-accessible file system- did you also kvetch about the lack of command line control on all Macs before OSX?  The point.  You're missing it.

I thought it was called a MacBook?

Huh. I guess Denise is holding a MacBook. Hadn't noticed.
Edited by SolipsismX - 1/31/13 at 1:30pm

No, because the space that would have gone for a slot used by hardly no one is instead being put to a larger battery. Duh.

 

You left off a sarcastic tag.   

 

Apple did not put in bigger batteries in the non-3G models which didn't include a radio board or SIM slot.  Heck, iPads have all sorts of unused space.  A memory slot would be easy to add.

 

 

 

Thanks for that picture of the first-gen. Here's a modern iPad.

 

 

Why people still push for this nonsense in the first place is beyond me. 

Don't understand it myself. The sheer torture they wish to inflict on themselves is incomprehensible.

 

You act like people swap cards in and out.  They don't.  Most just buy it and install once.

 

"Torture" is paying $100 for only 16GB more storage, or $200 to get just 48GB more storage... EVERY time you buy a different device.

 

"Happy and smart" is paying only ~$25 for an extra 32GB, or ~$60 for an extra 64GB... and even being able to reuse the memory in a different device later on, if you wish.

 

It's not rocket surgery to see which is the better deal for the consumer.

And $300 to get 'just' 112GB.

Really, if you don't understand Apple, well, then you don't understand Apple. They are making it so dead easy, have build in storage, no 'things to think about', no SD Cards, no nothing. Choices are storage, cellular, size and color. That's it. I like their strategy, I like it a lot.

If they would have (an optional) SD Card slot it would open up a can of worms. Questions, support, software config, what goes where, people not understanding why their encyclopaedia app works but doesn't contain any articles (app on NAND, DB on SD) the shit just goes on and on.

And for those that do want SD? Why don't they buy that instead, instead of wanting this in an iPad? Ask yourself this, what good is an SD card slot if you only going to pop in one and leave it at that? If you want to save a buck, don't buy an iPad. Apple will be better off.

One of Apple's strengths has for 15 years been a great ability to do long term planning and then execute their plans. Let's hope they still have that. It's been about three years now since the iPad intro, which IMO was their last step function in their long term plans. Historically they've executed big impact releases every 3-5 years since the original iMac. So they're coming due on another big step either this year or next. Will be interesting to see what they're working on with all that money.

 

I'm not debating their strategy or its wisdom.  I'm only disputing your claim that people who want to use SD cards are engaging in some form of torture. 

 

They're not.  They're saving money that can be used to buy other things.  Like food. Or more gadgets 

 

 

Edited by KDarling - 2/1/13 at 9:45pm

 

Author predicts enterprises would be very interested in 128gb iPad.  Enterprises are not enamored of devices with removable storage.  Do you need someone to explain why that is so?

For everyone wondering where Apple's official announcement for this is, it is http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2013/01/29Apple-Increases-iPad-with-Retina-Display-to-128GB.html

 

Unless they have lame IT departments, enterprises are prepared when they use removable storage.  

 

They simply choose devices with file encryption capabilities, either stock or addon.

"Fat" iPad harks back to the second iteration of the original Mac with the bump from a whopping 128Kb to 512kb. Those were heady bumps back then...."ah the power of it all...."