I just tested your assertion. I started a game, moved to another app and moved back to the game. Yes, it was in the same state in which I left it.
I power cycled the phone. The game was in the fast switch area and so I opened it. The game started anew.
What this tells me is the fast switch area is really just stack of the most recently used apps. It says nothing about their state. Unless I'm holding it wrong.
I question why the bar is there is in the first place. Why can't simple access the apps from the spring board? You still have to press the home button.
When you power cycle it's different. Even with true multitasking on the Mac, turning the computer off will turn everything off.
What if they discontinued the wifi only iPad and the line up were like this?
$699 = 32GB Wifi + 3G (Cheaper than the current 32GB Wifi + 3G model)
$799 = 64GB Wifi + 3G (Cheaper than the current 64GB Wifi + 3G model)
$899 = 128GB Wifi + 3G (Only 70$ more than the most expensive iPad model)
Would you buy these iPads?
No. I have no need for 3G on my iPad. My guess is Apple will have the iPad2 32GB WiFi model come in at $549 or even $499 and drop the 16GB model. If the iPhone releases are any indication of pricing, Apple won't eliminate the entry point but give more for the same price.
I just tested your assertion. I started a game, moved to another app and moved back to the game. Yes, it was in the same state in which I left it.
I power cycled the phone. The game was in the fast switch area and so I opened it. The game started anew.
What this tells me is the fast switch area is really just stack of the most recently used apps. It says nothing about their state. Unless I'm holding it wrong.
I question why the bar is there is in the first place. Why can't simple access the apps from the spring board? You still have to press the home button.
I want to carefully answer the question about fast-switch, saving state and suspend/resume.
The definitive answer is... It depends on the app!
In iOS 4, the app gets callbacks that tell the app it will be suspended. You have a reasonable time to save state. There are other callbacks you get whenever any major event (switching views, etc) that you can save state incrementally -- so each can be done quickly.
But, the app has to use the callbacks.
I have an app I wrote where I can be entering text into the middle of a text field. If the app is suspended, I can start angry birds and some other apps. When I resume my app, the active screen is displayed with the latest character, followed by the cursor displayed in the text field -- exactly the way it was.
Theoretically, you can be in an app and cycle power without suspending (hitting the home button, and resume as above.
No. I have no need for 3G on my iPad. My guess is Apple will have the iPad2 32GB WiFi model come in at $549 or even $499 and drop the 16GB model. If the iPhone releases are any indication of pricing, Apple won't eliminate the entry point but give more for the same price.
For sure that 16 GB model has to go. It is the saddest excuse for an iPad ever.
I do think Apple has to be really bold and agressive with how they think things will shape up in the future. I have talked to many people who feel the iPad is an overgrown iPod and it is really hard to tell them it isn't even though it has some outstanding benefits.
Overgrown iPod doesn't seem to be pointing at a post-PC era and even $899 for a 128GB iPad is still cheaper than their cheapest notebooks.
I can see buying on HW specs if your also comparing price points AND the devices are using the same OS. As we’ve seen Android and WP7 have needed better HW specs just to do the same tasks. I think it was Wizard69 who stated Android 3.0 will finally have HW accelerated GUI. That’s a start, but when will Android 3.0 be released and how efficient will it be compared to mobile OSes that have had it for years.
And most of the best apps will still be written for iOS, because developers can count on a large, buying audience for their product. I spoke to the authors of Photosnitch, an app that allows you to download RAW images to your iPad over WiFi as you're taking them, and then to look at them at different sizes, catalog them, and do a lot of management. I asked them if they had plans for an Android version, because a friend of my daughter who is also a photo major, told me that her dad had bought her an Android tablet for Christmas, and she wanted to know if the app was available for Android, and if any of the other iOS photo apps were. I had to tell her no. And the guys producing Photosnitch, which is fast becoming a staple for pros, said that they had no plans to bring it to any Android devices. Why? Well, one reason is because any photographer who wants this app will buy an iPad to get it ("It's the software, stupid!", remember that?), and Android is too fragmented for them to work with.
And by the way, as I'm talking about an app that uses WiFi, the iPhone 4 and the iPad have far faster WiFi transfer speeds than ANY other device so far. Even the 3GS is up there. This is the kind of information you can't see in the specs. So, many other devices use "n", but run at "a" speeds. Scroll down to where the chart is for WiFi speeds.
Ouch, that's the one I have and I still have plenty of space on it. I love my iPad especially for streaming NetFlix and using GoodReader and EverNote.
Right there with you. I barely use any space on it. I have my iPhone and my iPod Shuffle as my PMPs. I even have a few AVIs on it in CineXPlayer and still have 12GB remaining.
Ouch, that's the one I have and I still have plenty of space on it. I love my iPad especially for streaming NetFlix and using GoodReader and EverNote.
Sorry about that, I should be more thoughtful with what I post.
It is looking like it has always taken Apple two years to double their flash on iOS devices. Who knows what will happen.
I just really want more storage. I'm a filmmaker and since I own a lot of movies I just can't fit them all in 64GBs. Its pretty much 1GB per film, if not more.
But seriously! These things are supposed to be slowly but surely replacing PCs! That is how I think about these things. They have many more benefits than PCs do! And the 3G is the most freeing element because you can use it anywhere with the advantage that no one has to buy a little internet connector because it is already built in.
Who knows what tablets will mean for people in a couple of years. When I go to an Apple Store, people are using these things more than they are using the laptops but Apple needs to make sure people stop looking at it as an expensive toy and instead as a very productive tool that is also an amazing toy!
And by the way, as I'm talking about an app that uses WiFi, the iPhone 4 and the iPad have far faster WiFi transfer speeds than ANY other device so far. Even the 3GS is up there. This is the kind of information you can't see in the specs. So, many other devices use "n", but run at "a" speeds. Scroll down to where the chart is for WiFi speeds.
Oh, I?ve been posted those AnandTech?s smartphone WiFi comparisons for a few month as a rebuttal to those that say HW specs mean everything to performance. I was using an older review that didn?t have some of the newer Android devices with updated firmeware. Some are looking pretty good compared to just a few months ago. I wonder how The Dell Streak is doing these days? lol
-- a 2x display ppi would be costly and have lower yield
-- bifurcating the line with a pro model is wrong, as they already have too many SKUs
Then, there is the unknown about the competition -- will MMI (or the others) have access to enough components and manufacturing capacity to produce the millions of units to provide real competition?
I have posted in other threads that Apple is in the catbird seat because of pre-buying components and reserving manufacturing facilities. Apple can milk the current iPad 1 for several months -- and release the iPad 2 when it make best sense from a profit, capability and delivery fulfillment perspective.
I think that is still true, as there really are no competitive offerings... just RSN.
Here's the thing that has been bugging me -- iPhone, and now the iPad (supposedly) will be refreshed on an annual basis.
Would it be to Apple's advantage to refresh on different than a calendar cycle...
It may be more realistic to refresh for a competitive advantage or when there is a technological breakthrough (e.g. higher yields on 2x ppi screens).
Maybe, some times an 18 mo refresh makes sense -- other times, 6 months.
I wonder...
I've been giving a lot of thought to this, and depending on what area I'm thinking about, I come up with a different answer.
Basically though, I think Apple is stuck with a one year major refresh. It occurs to me that these devices are more like game consoles than "normal" computers, and I hope someone doesn't jump on my back for saying that without understanding what I mean by it. I'm not saying that they are game consoles, though they may be used that way. What I mean is that they benefit from being stable platforms for long enough to enable developers to get the benefit of a long life for their apps without having to rewrite them for a major new hardware release twice a year. One big reason for that is because they get no money for updates or upgrades.
If Apple is making big changes too often, we'll need OS updates, and then the platform will be almost as fragmented as Android. Game consoles are only upgraded every five years, and we haven't heard anything about the current generation, so it may be going to seven this time.
Of course, I'm certainly not suggesting that Apple go to multiyear upgrades. But once a year seems to be enough. The problem Apple has, is that their upgrade schedule for the iPhone and iPad is off the major Android upgrade cycle, and so Apple's products may seem to be somewhat outdated for a few months until their new products put them ahead again for a few months. That's due to Apple not releasing new products right before the holiday shopping season, except for iPod upgrades, which Apple considers their holiday gift item.
How many people would be happy if Apple came out with a new version just a few months after they bought theirs? If that happens once a year, that's not too bad, but every six months? I think that could be a problem.
Sorry about that, I should be more thoughtful with what I post.
It is looking like it has always taken Apple to[sic] years to double their flash on iOS devices. Who knows what will happen.
Two years? That seems about right. We can?t have a doubling/shrinking every year. I even wonder if we?ll get more than 64GB this year or if the next jump will be to 128GB. They use 2 flash chips in the iPad. There is no reason they have to use two same capacity chips or even two chips.
Here?s a scenario: Samsung uses new process (announced last year) to move from 45nm to 20nm NAND chips. However, this new process is not without its issues and faster, more reliable, and cheaper per GB are 32GB modules instead of 64GB modules of the same size die. This situation inevitably leads to Samsung being able to produce enough 32GB 20nm NAND flash chips for Apple?s needs. As a result they use 3x 20nm NAND chips in their next iPad, which still only using about 75% of the space of the current 2x45nm chip system. This results in 24GB (3x8GB), 48GB (3x16GB), and 96GB (3x32GB) iPads.
I'd say that anybody who seriously believed those "retina" display rumors are totally naive and gullible people. I'd love for it to be true, but it just isn't realistic, not at this time. Get real. Learn to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
I've been following Apple product releases for many years now, and it's not hard to notice certain trends after a while. When the iPad2 comes out, it will have some new good features and it will obviously be a considerable improvement over the iPad1 and it will sell well.
No matter which new features or how many new features are included in iPad2, a few whiners will still be there to whine about it not including a certain feature that the whiner finds particularly important to their egocentric needs.
The same exact thing will happen when the iPad3 and iPad4 come out and so on. As for me, I'm definitely getting an iPad2 as soon as they come out.
I wouldn't say naive and gullible. I also wouldn't say that people believed those reports, but rather were, and that includes me, hopeful that they were true. The displays are being made. Too bad they are apparently not being made by manufacturers who can supply the volume needed.
Two years? That seems about right. We can?t have a doubling/shrinking every year. I even wonder if we?ll get more than 64GB this year or if the next jump will be to 128GB. They use 2 flash chips in the iPad. There is no reason they have to use two same capacity chips or even two chips.
Here?s a scenario: Samsung uses new process (announced last year) to move from 45nm to 20nm NAND chips. However, this new process is not without its issues and faster, more reliable, and cheaper per GB are 32GB modules instead of 64GB modules of the same size die. This situation inevitably leads to Samsung being able to produce enough 32GB 20nm NAND flash chips for Apple?s needs. As a result they use 3x 20nm NAND chips in their next iPad, which still only using about 75% of the space of the current 2x45nm chip system. This results in 24GB (3x8GB), 48GB (3x16GB), and 96GB (3x32GB) iPads.
That is some seriously interesting math. 96GB is like owning a 64GB and a 32GB iPad in one!
If your math is correct and this does happen, I'm getting one.
Sorry about that, I should be more thoughtful with what I post.
It is looking like it has always taken Apple two years to double their flash on iOS devices. Who knows what will happen.
I just really want more storage. I'm a filmmaker and since I own a lot of movies I just can't fit them all in 64GBs. Its pretty much 1GB per film, if not more.
But seriously! These things are supposed to be slowly but surely replacing PCs! That is how I think about these things. They have many more benefits than PCs do! And the 3G is the most freeing element because you can use it anywhere with the advantage that no one has to buy a little internet connector because it is already built in.
Who knows what tablets will mean for people in a couple of years. When I go to an Apple Store, people are using these things more than they are using the laptops but Apple needs to make sure people stop looking at it as an expensive toy and instead as a very productive tool that is also an amazing toy!
It seems as though most people are not trying to track memory prices. Both RAM and flash memory has seen pretty steady pricing over the past 18 months or so. While the most expensive parts have come down a lot in price for RAM, the lower density parts have not. Indeed, they went way up for some time.
As far as flash goes, the price of fast, dense memory is still very expensive. You can look to fast SD and Compact Flash cards for cameras. While slow memory is pretty cheap, fast dense memory is very expensive. Look at the prices for SSD's. They came down a lot, and then stopped dropping. I bought a 60 Gb drive from OWc for $134 on sale. Reg. Price is $150. The 120 GB version is $240. The 240 GB drive is $480, and the 480 GB version is a whopping $1,580! They tell me the price of that fast dense flash is still VERY expensive.
I've been giving a lot of thought to this, and depending on what area I'm thinking about, I come up with a different answer.
Basically though, I think Apple is stuck with a one year major refresh. It occurs to me that these devices are more like game consoles than "normal" computers, and I hope someone doesn't jump on my back for saying that without understanding what I mean by it. I'm not saying that they are game consoles, though they may be used that way. What I mean is that they benefit from being stable platforms for long enough to enable developers to get the benefit of a long life for their apps without having to rewrite them for a major new hardware release twice a year. One big reason for that is because they get no money for updates or upgrades.
If Apple is making big changes too often, we'll need OS updates, and then the platform will be almost as fragmented as Android. Game consoles are only upgraded every five years, and we haven't heard anything about the current generation, so it may be going to seven this time.
Of course, I'm certainly not suggesting that Apple go to multiyear upgrades. But once a year seems to be enough. The problem Apple has, is that their upgrade schedule for the iPhone and iPad is off the major Android upgrade cycle, and so Apple's products may seem to be somewhat outdated for a few months until their new products put them ahead again for a few months. That's due to Apple not releasing new products right before the holiday shopping season, except for iPod upgrades, which Apple considers their holiday gift item.
How many people would be happy if Apple came out with a new version just a few months after they bought theirs? If that happens once a year, that's not too bad, but every six months? I think that could be a problem.
Sigh...
very good points, all!
I am going to take your last paragraph and rephrase it for a specific situation:
What would happen if Apple delayed the iPad2 until, say, August 2011 (at the latest) with a a 2x ppi display and all the other goodies?
They could announce the iPad2 any time before July and offer the iPad1 models at reduced prices.
The developers would have more robust hardware (and iOS) to exploit and could offer for pay upgrades.
The consumer would have the option to buy now for less or wait and pay/get more.
If the iPad 2 did not obsolete the iPad 1 then this could benefit all.
I want that 2x ppi iPad n and I don't want to wait until April 2012.
Oh, I?ve been posted those AnandTech?s smartphone WiFi comparisons for a few month as a rebuttal to those that say HW specs mean everything to performance. I was using an older review that didn?t have some of the newer Android devices with updated firmeware. Some are looking pretty good compared to just a few months ago. I wonder how The Dell Streak is doing these days? lol
Taking the holiday quarter sales, increasing the number by 30% for a new product launch, then average the unit sales per day and dividing by 4.5 and 5 million units tells me that the next iPad will launch 42 to 47 days before the end of the quarter.
7.33M x 1.3 = 9.53M ÷ 90 = 105.9k (per day)
4.5M ÷ 105.9 = 42 days = February 18th, 2011 ±n-date*
5M ÷ 105.9 = 47 days = February 13th, 2011 ±n-date*
* Where n equals the number of days before or after the last day of March where Apple?s Q2-2011 officially ends.
Keeping yer brain active, I see.
Well, my analog cranium says mid-Feb announcement for a mid-March launch. Remember this is a new product launch so the 5 million iPad2s will be the opening salvo, meaning they need to stock up massively on it. For example, if there is a mid-March launch in 10 countries, that 5 million will pretty much be gone by the end of March.
Good points mel. Apple's once-a-year iOS and twice-a-year Mac updates seem to be going very well for them, and they should stick to it for at least a few years.
We may see the iPad two officially launch mid-March though instead of April. Maaaybe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
I've been giving a lot of thought to this, and depending on what area I'm thinking about, I come up with a different answer.
Basically though, I think Apple is stuck with a one year major refresh. It occurs to me that these devices are more like game consoles than "normal" computers, and I hope someone doesn't jump on my back for saying that without understanding what I mean by it. I'm not saying that they are game consoles, though they may be used that way. What I mean is that they benefit from being stable platforms for long enough to enable developers to get the benefit of a long life for their apps without having to rewrite them for a major new hardware release twice a year. One big reason for that is because they get no money for updates or upgrades.
If Apple is making big changes too often, we'll need OS updates, and then the platform will be almost as fragmented as Android. Game consoles are only upgraded every five years, and we haven't heard anything about the current generation, so it may be going to seven this time.
Of course, I'm certainly not suggesting that Apple go to multiyear upgrades. But once a year seems to be enough. The problem Apple has, is that their upgrade schedule for the iPhone and iPad is off the major Android upgrade cycle, and so Apple's products may seem to be somewhat outdated for a few months until their new products put them ahead again for a few months. That's due to Apple not releasing new products right before the holiday shopping season, except for iPod upgrades, which Apple considers their holiday gift item.
How many people would be happy if Apple came out with a new version just a few months after they bought theirs? If that happens once a year, that's not too bad, but every six months? I think that could be a problem.
It seems as though most people are not trying to track memory prices. Both RAM and flash memory has seen pretty steady pricing over the past 18 months or so. While the most expensive parts have come down a lot in price for RAM, the lower density parts have not. Indeed, they went way up for some time.
As far as flash goes, the price of fast, dense memory is still very expensive. You can look to fast SD and Compact Flash cards for cameras. While slow memory is pretty cheap, fast dense memory is very expensive. Look at the prices for SSD's. They came down a lot, and then stopped dropping. I bought a 60 Gb drive from OWc for $134 on sale. Reg. Price is $150. The 120 GB version is $240. The 240 GB drive is $480, and the 480 GB version is a whopping $1,580! They tell me the price of that fast dense flash is still VERY expensive.
So what do you expect Apple to do?
But you have to know that Apple doesn't buy the Flash at those prices. I've read that it costs them $25 for 16GB. They buy in bulk plus they are "the number one flash storage users" so they must get discounts for that.
Comments
I just tested your assertion. I started a game, moved to another app and moved back to the game. Yes, it was in the same state in which I left it.
I power cycled the phone. The game was in the fast switch area and so I opened it. The game started anew.
What this tells me is the fast switch area is really just stack of the most recently used apps. It says nothing about their state. Unless I'm holding it wrong.
I question why the bar is there is in the first place. Why can't simple access the apps from the spring board? You still have to press the home button.
When you power cycle it's different. Even with true multitasking on the Mac, turning the computer off will turn everything off.
What if they discontinued the wifi only iPad and the line up were like this?
$699 = 32GB Wifi + 3G (Cheaper than the current 32GB Wifi + 3G model)
$799 = 64GB Wifi + 3G (Cheaper than the current 64GB Wifi + 3G model)
$899 = 128GB Wifi + 3G (Only 70$ more than the most expensive iPad model)
Would you buy these iPads?
No. I have no need for 3G on my iPad. My guess is Apple will have the iPad2 32GB WiFi model come in at $549 or even $499 and drop the 16GB model. If the iPhone releases are any indication of pricing, Apple won't eliminate the entry point but give more for the same price.
Whatever they choose to price these at (this is just a question) would you guys not spend $899 for a 128GB iPad?
The current most expensive iPad is $829. Apple could totally sell a Wifi + 3G iPad with 128GB of flash storage for $899
I think that's too much.
I just tested your assertion. I started a game, moved to another app and moved back to the game. Yes, it was in the same state in which I left it.
I power cycled the phone. The game was in the fast switch area and so I opened it. The game started anew.
What this tells me is the fast switch area is really just stack of the most recently used apps. It says nothing about their state. Unless I'm holding it wrong.
I question why the bar is there is in the first place. Why can't simple access the apps from the spring board? You still have to press the home button.
I want to carefully answer the question about fast-switch, saving state and suspend/resume.
The definitive answer is... It depends on the app!
In iOS 4, the app gets callbacks that tell the app it will be suspended. You have a reasonable time to save state. There are other callbacks you get whenever any major event (switching views, etc) that you can save state incrementally -- so each can be done quickly.
But, the app has to use the callbacks.
I have an app I wrote where I can be entering text into the middle of a text field. If the app is suspended, I can start angry birds and some other apps. When I resume my app, the active screen is displayed with the latest character, followed by the cursor displayed in the text field -- exactly the way it was.
Theoretically, you can be in an app and cycle power without suspending (hitting the home button, and resume as above.
Some apps do not do this... and simply restart.
No. I have no need for 3G on my iPad. My guess is Apple will have the iPad2 32GB WiFi model come in at $549 or even $499 and drop the 16GB model. If the iPhone releases are any indication of pricing, Apple won't eliminate the entry point but give more for the same price.
For sure that 16 GB model has to go. It is the saddest excuse for an iPad ever.
I do think Apple has to be really bold and agressive with how they think things will shape up in the future. I have talked to many people who feel the iPad is an overgrown iPod and it is really hard to tell them it isn't even though it has some outstanding benefits.
Overgrown iPod doesn't seem to be pointing at a post-PC era and even $899 for a 128GB iPad is still cheaper than their cheapest notebooks.
For sure that 16 GB model has to go. It is the saddest excuse for an iPad ever.
Ouch, that's the one I have and I still have plenty of space on it. I love my iPad especially for streaming NetFlix and using GoodReader and EverNote.
I can see buying on HW specs if your also comparing price points AND the devices are using the same OS. As we’ve seen Android and WP7 have needed better HW specs just to do the same tasks. I think it was Wizard69 who stated Android 3.0 will finally have HW accelerated GUI. That’s a start, but when will Android 3.0 be released and how efficient will it be compared to mobile OSes that have had it for years.
And most of the best apps will still be written for iOS, because developers can count on a large, buying audience for their product. I spoke to the authors of Photosnitch, an app that allows you to download RAW images to your iPad over WiFi as you're taking them, and then to look at them at different sizes, catalog them, and do a lot of management. I asked them if they had plans for an Android version, because a friend of my daughter who is also a photo major, told me that her dad had bought her an Android tablet for Christmas, and she wanted to know if the app was available for Android, and if any of the other iOS photo apps were. I had to tell her no. And the guys producing Photosnitch, which is fast becoming a staple for pros, said that they had no plans to bring it to any Android devices. Why? Well, one reason is because any photographer who wants this app will buy an iPad to get it ("It's the software, stupid!", remember that?), and Android is too fragmented for them to work with.
And by the way, as I'm talking about an app that uses WiFi, the iPhone 4 and the iPad have far faster WiFi transfer speeds than ANY other device so far. Even the 3GS is up there. This is the kind of information you can't see in the specs. So, many other devices use "n", but run at "a" speeds. Scroll down to where the chart is for WiFi speeds.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4126/nokia-n8-review-/7
This is why those specs aren't always useful.
Ouch, that's the one I have and I still have plenty of space on it. I love my iPad especially for streaming NetFlix and using GoodReader and EverNote.
Right there with you. I barely use any space on it. I have my iPhone and my iPod Shuffle as my PMPs. I even have a few AVIs on it in CineXPlayer and still have 12GB remaining.
Ouch, that's the one I have and I still have plenty of space on it. I love my iPad especially for streaming NetFlix and using GoodReader and EverNote.
Sorry about that, I should be more thoughtful with what I post.
It is looking like it has always taken Apple two years to double their flash on iOS devices. Who knows what will happen.
I just really want more storage. I'm a filmmaker and since I own a lot of movies I just can't fit them all in 64GBs. Its pretty much 1GB per film, if not more.
But seriously! These things are supposed to be slowly but surely replacing PCs! That is how I think about these things. They have many more benefits than PCs do! And the 3G is the most freeing element because you can use it anywhere with the advantage that no one has to buy a little internet connector because it is already built in.
Who knows what tablets will mean for people in a couple of years. When I go to an Apple Store, people are using these things more than they are using the laptops but Apple needs to make sure people stop looking at it as an expensive toy and instead as a very productive tool that is also an amazing toy!
And by the way, as I'm talking about an app that uses WiFi, the iPhone 4 and the iPad have far faster WiFi transfer speeds than ANY other device so far. Even the 3GS is up there. This is the kind of information you can't see in the specs. So, many other devices use "n", but run at "a" speeds. Scroll down to where the chart is for WiFi speeds.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4126/nokia-n8-review-/7
This is why those specs aren't always useful.
Oh, I?ve been posted those AnandTech?s smartphone WiFi comparisons for a few month as a rebuttal to those that say HW specs mean everything to performance. I was using an older review that didn?t have some of the newer Android devices with updated firmeware. Some are looking pretty good compared to just a few months ago. I wonder how The Dell Streak is doing these days? lol
I have been thinking about this for a while.
I mostly agree that:
-- a 2x display ppi would be costly and have lower yield
-- bifurcating the line with a pro model is wrong, as they already have too many SKUs
Then, there is the unknown about the competition -- will MMI (or the others) have access to enough components and manufacturing capacity to produce the millions of units to provide real competition?
I have posted in other threads that Apple is in the catbird seat because of pre-buying components and reserving manufacturing facilities. Apple can milk the current iPad 1 for several months -- and release the iPad 2 when it make best sense from a profit, capability and delivery fulfillment perspective.
I think that is still true, as there really are no competitive offerings... just RSN.
Here's the thing that has been bugging me -- iPhone, and now the iPad (supposedly) will be refreshed on an annual basis.
Would it be to Apple's advantage to refresh on different than a calendar cycle...
It may be more realistic to refresh for a competitive advantage or when there is a technological breakthrough (e.g. higher yields on 2x ppi screens).
Maybe, some times an 18 mo refresh makes sense -- other times, 6 months.
I wonder...
I've been giving a lot of thought to this, and depending on what area I'm thinking about, I come up with a different answer.
Basically though, I think Apple is stuck with a one year major refresh. It occurs to me that these devices are more like game consoles than "normal" computers, and I hope someone doesn't jump on my back for saying that without understanding what I mean by it. I'm not saying that they are game consoles, though they may be used that way. What I mean is that they benefit from being stable platforms for long enough to enable developers to get the benefit of a long life for their apps without having to rewrite them for a major new hardware release twice a year. One big reason for that is because they get no money for updates or upgrades.
If Apple is making big changes too often, we'll need OS updates, and then the platform will be almost as fragmented as Android. Game consoles are only upgraded every five years, and we haven't heard anything about the current generation, so it may be going to seven this time.
Of course, I'm certainly not suggesting that Apple go to multiyear upgrades. But once a year seems to be enough. The problem Apple has, is that their upgrade schedule for the iPhone and iPad is off the major Android upgrade cycle, and so Apple's products may seem to be somewhat outdated for a few months until their new products put them ahead again for a few months. That's due to Apple not releasing new products right before the holiday shopping season, except for iPod upgrades, which Apple considers their holiday gift item.
How many people would be happy if Apple came out with a new version just a few months after they bought theirs? If that happens once a year, that's not too bad, but every six months? I think that could be a problem.
Sorry about that, I should be more thoughtful with what I post.
It is looking like it has always taken Apple to[sic] years to double their flash on iOS devices. Who knows what will happen.
Two years? That seems about right. We can?t have a doubling/shrinking every year. I even wonder if we?ll get more than 64GB this year or if the next jump will be to 128GB. They use 2 flash chips in the iPad. There is no reason they have to use two same capacity chips or even two chips.
Here?s a scenario: Samsung uses new process (announced last year) to move from 45nm to 20nm NAND chips. However, this new process is not without its issues and faster, more reliable, and cheaper per GB are 32GB modules instead of 64GB modules of the same size die. This situation inevitably leads to Samsung being able to produce enough 32GB 20nm NAND flash chips for Apple?s needs. As a result they use 3x 20nm NAND chips in their next iPad, which still only using about 75% of the space of the current 2x45nm chip system. This results in 24GB (3x8GB), 48GB (3x16GB), and 96GB (3x32GB) iPads.
I'd say that anybody who seriously believed those "retina" display rumors are totally naive and gullible people. I'd love for it to be true, but it just isn't realistic, not at this time. Get real. Learn to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
I've been following Apple product releases for many years now, and it's not hard to notice certain trends after a while. When the iPad2 comes out, it will have some new good features and it will obviously be a considerable improvement over the iPad1 and it will sell well.
No matter which new features or how many new features are included in iPad2, a few whiners will still be there to whine about it not including a certain feature that the whiner finds particularly important to their egocentric needs.
The same exact thing will happen when the iPad3 and iPad4 come out and so on. As for me, I'm definitely getting an iPad2 as soon as they come out.
I wouldn't say naive and gullible. I also wouldn't say that people believed those reports, but rather were, and that includes me, hopeful that they were true. The displays are being made. Too bad they are apparently not being made by manufacturers who can supply the volume needed.
Two years? That seems about right. We can?t have a doubling/shrinking every year. I even wonder if we?ll get more than 64GB this year or if the next jump will be to 128GB. They use 2 flash chips in the iPad. There is no reason they have to use two same capacity chips or even two chips.
Here?s a scenario: Samsung uses new process (announced last year) to move from 45nm to 20nm NAND chips. However, this new process is not without its issues and faster, more reliable, and cheaper per GB are 32GB modules instead of 64GB modules of the same size die. This situation inevitably leads to Samsung being able to produce enough 32GB 20nm NAND flash chips for Apple?s needs. As a result they use 3x 20nm NAND chips in their next iPad, which still only using about 75% of the space of the current 2x45nm chip system. This results in 24GB (3x8GB), 48GB (3x16GB), and 96GB (3x32GB) iPads.
That is some seriously interesting math. 96GB is like owning a 64GB and a 32GB iPad in one!
If your math is correct and this does happen, I'm getting one.
Sorry about that, I should be more thoughtful with what I post.
It is looking like it has always taken Apple two years to double their flash on iOS devices. Who knows what will happen.
I just really want more storage. I'm a filmmaker and since I own a lot of movies I just can't fit them all in 64GBs. Its pretty much 1GB per film, if not more.
But seriously! These things are supposed to be slowly but surely replacing PCs! That is how I think about these things. They have many more benefits than PCs do! And the 3G is the most freeing element because you can use it anywhere with the advantage that no one has to buy a little internet connector because it is already built in.
Who knows what tablets will mean for people in a couple of years. When I go to an Apple Store, people are using these things more than they are using the laptops but Apple needs to make sure people stop looking at it as an expensive toy and instead as a very productive tool that is also an amazing toy!
It seems as though most people are not trying to track memory prices. Both RAM and flash memory has seen pretty steady pricing over the past 18 months or so. While the most expensive parts have come down a lot in price for RAM, the lower density parts have not. Indeed, they went way up for some time.
As far as flash goes, the price of fast, dense memory is still very expensive. You can look to fast SD and Compact Flash cards for cameras. While slow memory is pretty cheap, fast dense memory is very expensive. Look at the prices for SSD's. They came down a lot, and then stopped dropping. I bought a 60 Gb drive from OWc for $134 on sale. Reg. Price is $150. The 120 GB version is $240. The 240 GB drive is $480, and the 480 GB version is a whopping $1,580! They tell me the price of that fast dense flash is still VERY expensive.
So what do you expect Apple to do?
I've been giving a lot of thought to this, and depending on what area I'm thinking about, I come up with a different answer.
Basically though, I think Apple is stuck with a one year major refresh. It occurs to me that these devices are more like game consoles than "normal" computers, and I hope someone doesn't jump on my back for saying that without understanding what I mean by it. I'm not saying that they are game consoles, though they may be used that way. What I mean is that they benefit from being stable platforms for long enough to enable developers to get the benefit of a long life for their apps without having to rewrite them for a major new hardware release twice a year. One big reason for that is because they get no money for updates or upgrades.
If Apple is making big changes too often, we'll need OS updates, and then the platform will be almost as fragmented as Android. Game consoles are only upgraded every five years, and we haven't heard anything about the current generation, so it may be going to seven this time.
Of course, I'm certainly not suggesting that Apple go to multiyear upgrades. But once a year seems to be enough. The problem Apple has, is that their upgrade schedule for the iPhone and iPad is off the major Android upgrade cycle, and so Apple's products may seem to be somewhat outdated for a few months until their new products put them ahead again for a few months. That's due to Apple not releasing new products right before the holiday shopping season, except for iPod upgrades, which Apple considers their holiday gift item.
How many people would be happy if Apple came out with a new version just a few months after they bought theirs? If that happens once a year, that's not too bad, but every six months? I think that could be a problem.
Sigh...
very good points, all!
I am going to take your last paragraph and rephrase it for a specific situation:
What would happen if Apple delayed the iPad2 until, say, August 2011 (at the latest) with a a 2x ppi display and all the other goodies?
They could announce the iPad2 any time before July and offer the iPad1 models at reduced prices.
The developers would have more robust hardware (and iOS) to exploit and could offer for pay upgrades.
The consumer would have the option to buy now for less or wait and pay/get more.
If the iPad 2 did not obsolete the iPad 1 then this could benefit all.
I want that 2x ppi iPad n and I don't want to wait until April 2012.
Oh, I?ve been posted those AnandTech?s smartphone WiFi comparisons for a few month as a rebuttal to those that say HW specs mean everything to performance. I was using an older review that didn?t have some of the newer Android devices with updated firmeware. Some are looking pretty good compared to just a few months ago. I wonder how The Dell Streak is doing these days? lol
The Streak Struck Out.
Taking the holiday quarter sales, increasing the number by 30% for a new product launch, then average the unit sales per day and dividing by 4.5 and 5 million units tells me that the next iPad will launch 42 to 47 days before the end of the quarter. * Where n equals the number of days before or after the last day of March where Apple?s Q2-2011 officially ends.
Keeping yer brain active, I see.
Well, my analog cranium says mid-Feb announcement for a mid-March launch. Remember this is a new product launch so the 5 million iPad2s will be the opening salvo, meaning they need to stock up massively on it. For example, if there is a mid-March launch in 10 countries, that 5 million will pretty much be gone by the end of March.
We may see the iPad two officially launch mid-March though instead of April. Maaaybe.
I've been giving a lot of thought to this, and depending on what area I'm thinking about, I come up with a different answer.
Basically though, I think Apple is stuck with a one year major refresh. It occurs to me that these devices are more like game consoles than "normal" computers, and I hope someone doesn't jump on my back for saying that without understanding what I mean by it. I'm not saying that they are game consoles, though they may be used that way. What I mean is that they benefit from being stable platforms for long enough to enable developers to get the benefit of a long life for their apps without having to rewrite them for a major new hardware release twice a year. One big reason for that is because they get no money for updates or upgrades.
If Apple is making big changes too often, we'll need OS updates, and then the platform will be almost as fragmented as Android. Game consoles are only upgraded every five years, and we haven't heard anything about the current generation, so it may be going to seven this time.
Of course, I'm certainly not suggesting that Apple go to multiyear upgrades. But once a year seems to be enough. The problem Apple has, is that their upgrade schedule for the iPhone and iPad is off the major Android upgrade cycle, and so Apple's products may seem to be somewhat outdated for a few months until their new products put them ahead again for a few months. That's due to Apple not releasing new products right before the holiday shopping season, except for iPod upgrades, which Apple considers their holiday gift item.
How many people would be happy if Apple came out with a new version just a few months after they bought theirs? If that happens once a year, that's not too bad, but every six months? I think that could be a problem.
It seems as though most people are not trying to track memory prices. Both RAM and flash memory has seen pretty steady pricing over the past 18 months or so. While the most expensive parts have come down a lot in price for RAM, the lower density parts have not. Indeed, they went way up for some time.
As far as flash goes, the price of fast, dense memory is still very expensive. You can look to fast SD and Compact Flash cards for cameras. While slow memory is pretty cheap, fast dense memory is very expensive. Look at the prices for SSD's. They came down a lot, and then stopped dropping. I bought a 60 Gb drive from OWc for $134 on sale. Reg. Price is $150. The 120 GB version is $240. The 240 GB drive is $480, and the 480 GB version is a whopping $1,580! They tell me the price of that fast dense flash is still VERY expensive.
So what do you expect Apple to do?
But you have to know that Apple doesn't buy the Flash at those prices. I've read that it costs them $25 for 16GB. They buy in bulk plus they are "the number one flash storage users" so they must get discounts for that.