With the iPad just over a week away from release, Apple has begun approving applications for the App Store, and developers are distinguishing their iPad-specific applications as "HD" or XL" versions ...
I have to say this is one of the lamest naming conventions they could have gone with. "HD"??? that's all they could think of? Srsly?
But any given trip to one's local electronics store will reveal that some 99% of all devices/monitors/laptops/netbooks/media players/et al. (including Apple's very own laptops etc.) are widescreen, and simply because Apple decided to go with 4:3 for their 'New Creation' will hardly reverse that trend.
Apple never uses the trendy method. They use what is best.
You don't see the iPhone changing shape. I don't see it happening with the iPad. It's a reading, web-consuming device which is primarily meant to be used in portrait - which is why it's 4:3. Whether you agree or disagree with the screen ratio I don't see it changing.
Well the iPhone is primarily used in portrait and that's not 4:3.
I have to say this is one of the lamest naming conventions they could have gone with. "HD"??? that's all they could think of? Srsly?
Does anybody know if it will play the HD versions of the movies offered in iTunes or the standard version only? This could be one of the reasons - to maintain consistency with the sales tags.
Does anybody know if it will play the HD versions of the movies offered in iTunes or the standard version only? This could be one of the reasons - to maintain consistency with the sales tags.
I think a lot of you are misreading this article. I took it to mean that some developers were voluntarily adding "HD" or other suffixes to their app names ... not that Apple is attaching these labels in some deliberate or consistent way.
No-one's 'quibbling' over anything, we're merely discussing the subject, and HD is far more than just a label, it's an Industry Standard, and what doesn't matter to you is not the least bit reflective of the entire world's consumers..
Deal With It -
Well throwing out all of my random, bizarre and all but implausible ideas I put forth above... Perhaps the most obvious explanation is this...
Perhaps the HD isn't really assigned in the APPs name but is some kind of 'auto generated' suffix appended by the store itself based on directly reading the APPs meta data (unlikely since it seems processor intensive considering the amount of traffic the APP store gets) or some other internal APP store DB field that maintains such information and is updated when the APPS record created and/or modified.
An AI member by the name of gtownfan had this to contribute...
Quote:
I have found some others:
In entertainment
A+ Records: Shake It! SP
A+ Records: Hotdog Eating Sp
Action Bricks SP
Action Bubble SP
Adrenaline Racer SP
Just a few pages search. I bet there have been many approved
Looks like along with HD and XP, SP is another extension being used
SO we have
SP = ???
XP = ???
HD = High Definition
And their appearance will likely disappear (the HD one anyway) until such a time when an HD iPad is a real product and obviously before the iPads actually ship and start surfing the iPad App Store.
This seems like the most reasonable explanation... To me anyway..
And now it means "this is the version for the iPad". Deal with it.
That Apple choose that developers call their app with XL or HD to underline the fact that they run in the native resolution of the iPad is actually a very good idea!
Why?
Because it simply mean that this kind of applications is not bound to the sole iPad but is poise to make an appearance on another device: the iPhone.
Over time more and more applications will be badged "XL" or "HD"...
It seems the next logical step that iPhone gain a say 800x480 screen resolution like its competitors.
XL apps will then have all their interest.
It also means that XL apps are not bound to 768x1024 either. It's simply mean that they can adapt their screen usage to the screen estate available.
If you watch to the API specification of the iPad, you will notice that an iPad app can/must adapt itself to any resolution larger that 320x480 pixels.
One of us is misreading this article. I took it to mean that some developers were voluntarily adding "HD" to their app names ... not that this was a label Apple was attaching to all iPad apps.
I never took it mean all iPad apps either.
However- Can HD version of the movies play on the iPad? Wouldn't they be sharper than the standard version on the iPad? Does anybody know how this will work?
For anyone who wants to make the iPad act like those 16:9 or 16:10 or even 2.35.1 to match watch theatrical films are typically shown in (though real IMAX is about 4:3), there is an easily solution to fit your silly needs. Just get some tape and a couple strips of cardboard for each side of the display. Now you have a crappy 16:9 widescreen display for playing video just like you get on those crappy netbooks.
For anyone who wants to make an iPad 16:9 or 16:10 or even 2.35.1 to match watch theatrical films are typically shown in (though ral IMAX is about 4:3. Yeah, really?), there is an easily solution to fit your silly needs. Just get some tape and a piece of cardboard for each side of the display. Now you have a crappy 16:9 display with an extra short and horrible for viewing text ? the most common thing to do on a computing device ? just like you get on a netbook. :rollseyes:
So now 16:9 is crappy because Apple doesn't use it?
And those that want it have "silly needs"?
Isn' t the iMac 16:10 and the MBP? Are those horrible? Or did you forget before you posted this rant?
It's not like Apple closed its eyes and pointed to a list of screen ratios. It was most likely carefully considered against the overall design and the array of potential uses for the machine.
Indeed.
The way people here are talking, you'd think Apple engineers might read the comments above and go "Doh! OMG. Why didn't we think of making it HD during those 2 years (?) of product development where we considered dimensions, inputs, outputs, ease of use, materials, ergonomics, sound, processor, memory, wireless, applications ... but ... we completely overlooked the resolution and aspect ratio and just chose the first numbers someone in the personnel department gave us over coffee one day. How could we have been so stupid?
So now 16:9 is crappy because Apple doesn't use it?
And those that want it have "silly needs"?
Isn' t the iMac 16:10 and the MBP? Are those horrible? Or did you forget before you posted this rant?
he said netbooks were crappy, not the ratio (edit: and a screen with cardboard as crappy too). Quit being****** all the time and engage in the conversation like a normal person. You've got the kernel of a good point in your posts, but its hidden by all your rhetoricizing and bravado. Stop it.
A theory: "HD" apps would be in true HD, which the iPad can not display ... yet
However- Can HD version of the movies play on the iPad? Wouldn't they be sharper than the standard version on the iPad? Does anybody know how this will work?
The iPad tech specs page states: "H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats"
If you tried copying high-resolution video to the iPad, my guess is that iTunes would say that the video is incompatible with the device.
It's the same if you try copying a 1080p HD movie to your iPhone or iPod touch. It won't let you.
In this case, I don't think HD really means anything, and certainly not a particular screen resolution or aspect ratio. It's just a marketing term that implies more detail, like HD Radio.
For anyone who wants to make the iPad act like those 16:9 or 16:10 or even 2.35.1 to match watch theatrical films are typically shown in (though real IMAX is about 4:3), there is an easily solution to fit your silly needs. Just get some tape and a couple strips of cardboard for each side of the display. Now you have a crappy 16:9 widescreen display for playing video just like you get on those crappy netbooks.
... and crappy (by your definition) MacBooks, MacBook Pros, iPod Nanos, iPod Touches, iPhones, iMacs, and US 1800.00 Apple Cinema Display monitors. Each/all sporting 16:9/16:10 resolutions -
That Apple choose that developers call their app with XL or HD to underline the fact that they run in the native resolution of the iPad is actually a very good idea
Agreed... I think what we might be seeing is the unintentional (for the present time) display of this data.. This 'badge' is likely attached to its APP Store database entry along with its name, price etc. In other words just an additional piece of meta data that for all we know have been part of the system rom the beginning...
I think most ration people would consider the use of HD as a designation for anything other than High Def to be simply asking for trouble and is the reason these tags will be disappearing very soon and FINALLY these designations might have never been intended to be seen in the APP store at all. They could just been a way for Apple to quickly tell how many APPs have included graphics suitable FOR an HD display and thus get the HD tag and those that fall shot of HD but will work find on todays iPad screen XP/XL and the last one? Perhaps those only contain graphics truly suitable on the iPhone screen.
My guess... this data wasn't ever intended to be seen by the APP store (and or) were simply testing HOW the data could be eventually displayed when the time comes that they actually want to show it.
Comments
Once upon a time HD meant Hard Disk , Hard Drive, High Density...
... and then technology moved forward, and the widely held meaning of HD changed accordingly.
With the iPad just over a week away from release, Apple has begun approving applications for the App Store, and developers are distinguishing their iPad-specific applications as "HD" or XL" versions ...
I have to say this is one of the lamest naming conventions they could have gone with. "HD"??? that's all they could think of? Srsly?
Yes... In Your Opinion.
But any given trip to one's local electronics store will reveal that some 99% of all devices/monitors/laptops/netbooks/media players/et al. (including Apple's very own laptops etc.) are widescreen, and simply because Apple decided to go with 4:3 for their 'New Creation' will hardly reverse that trend.
Apple never uses the trendy method. They use what is best.
You don't see the iPhone changing shape. I don't see it happening with the iPad. It's a reading, web-consuming device which is primarily meant to be used in portrait - which is why it's 4:3. Whether you agree or disagree with the screen ratio I don't see it changing.
Well the iPhone is primarily used in portrait and that's not 4:3.
I have to say this is one of the lamest naming conventions they could have gone with. "HD"??? that's all they could think of? Srsly?
Does anybody know if it will play the HD versions of the movies offered in iTunes or the standard version only? This could be one of the reasons - to maintain consistency with the sales tags.
... and then technology moved forward, and the widely held meaning of HD changed accordingly.
And now it means "this is the version for the iPad". Deal with it.
I have to say this is one of the lamest naming conventions they could have gone with. "HD"??? that's all they could think of? Srsly?
Frankly, who cares.
I can't quite understand the vehemence of some of the nonsense here, as though something major had happened!
Weird.
Does anybody know if it will play the HD versions of the movies offered in iTunes or the standard version only? This could be one of the reasons - to maintain consistency with the sales tags.
I think a lot of you are misreading this article. I took it to mean that some developers were voluntarily adding "HD" or other suffixes to their app names ... not that Apple is attaching these labels in some deliberate or consistent way.
No-one's 'quibbling' over anything, we're merely discussing the subject, and HD is far more than just a label, it's an Industry Standard, and what doesn't matter to you is not the least bit reflective of the entire world's consumers..
Deal With It -
Well throwing out all of my random, bizarre and all but implausible ideas I put forth above... Perhaps the most obvious explanation is this...
Perhaps the HD isn't really assigned in the APPs name but is some kind of 'auto generated' suffix appended by the store itself based on directly reading the APPs meta data (unlikely since it seems processor intensive considering the amount of traffic the APP store gets) or some other internal APP store DB field that maintains such information and is updated when the APPS record created and/or modified.
An AI member by the name of gtownfan had this to contribute...
I have found some others:
In entertainment
A+ Records: Shake It! SP
A+ Records: Hotdog Eating Sp
Action Bricks SP
Action Bubble SP
Adrenaline Racer SP
Just a few pages search. I bet there have been many approved
Looks like along with HD and XP, SP is another extension being used
SO we have
SP = ???
XP = ???
HD = High Definition
And their appearance will likely disappear (the HD one anyway) until such a time when an HD iPad is a real product and obviously before the iPads actually ship and start surfing the iPad App Store.
This seems like the most reasonable explanation... To me anyway..
And now it means "this is the version for the iPad". Deal with it.
That Apple choose that developers call their app with XL or HD to underline the fact that they run in the native resolution of the iPad is actually a very good idea!
Why?
Because it simply mean that this kind of applications is not bound to the sole iPad but is poise to make an appearance on another device: the iPhone.
Over time more and more applications will be badged "XL" or "HD"...
It seems the next logical step that iPhone gain a say 800x480 screen resolution like its competitors.
XL apps will then have all their interest.
It also means that XL apps are not bound to 768x1024 either. It's simply mean that they can adapt their screen usage to the screen estate available.
If you watch to the API specification of the iPad, you will notice that an iPad app can/must adapt itself to any resolution larger that 320x480 pixels.
FrenchMac
One of us is misreading this article. I took it to mean that some developers were voluntarily adding "HD" to their app names ... not that this was a label Apple was attaching to all iPad apps.
I never took it mean all iPad apps either.
However- Can HD version of the movies play on the iPad? Wouldn't they be sharper than the standard version on the iPad? Does anybody know how this will work?
For anyone who wants to make an iPad 16:9 or 16:10 or even 2.35.1 to match watch theatrical films are typically shown in (though ral IMAX is about 4:3. Yeah, really?), there is an easily solution to fit your silly needs. Just get some tape and a piece of cardboard for each side of the display. Now you have a crappy 16:9 display with an extra short and horrible for viewing text ? the most common thing to do on a computing device ? just like you get on a netbook. :rollseyes:
So now 16:9 is crappy because Apple doesn't use it?
And those that want it have "silly needs"?
Isn' t the iMac 16:10 and the MBP? Are those horrible? Or did you forget before you posted this rant?
It's not like Apple closed its eyes and pointed to a list of screen ratios. It was most likely carefully considered against the overall design and the array of potential uses for the machine.
Indeed.
The way people here are talking, you'd think Apple engineers might read the comments above and go "Doh! OMG. Why didn't we think of making it HD during those 2 years (?) of product development where we considered dimensions, inputs, outputs, ease of use, materials, ergonomics, sound, processor, memory, wireless, applications ... but ... we completely overlooked the resolution and aspect ratio and just chose the first numbers someone in the personnel department gave us over coffee one day. How could we have been so stupid?
So now 16:9 is crappy because Apple doesn't use it?
And those that want it have "silly needs"?
Isn' t the iMac 16:10 and the MBP? Are those horrible? Or did you forget before you posted this rant?
he said netbooks were crappy, not the ratio (edit: and a screen with cardboard as crappy too). Quit being****** all the time and engage in the conversation like a normal person. You've got the kernel of a good point in your posts, but its hidden by all your rhetoricizing and bravado. Stop it.
A theory: "HD" apps would be in true HD, which the iPad can not display ... yet
I never took it mean all iPad apps either.
However- Can HD version of the movies play on the iPad? Wouldn't they be sharper than the standard version on the iPad? Does anybody know how this will work?
The iPad tech specs page states: "H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats"
If you tried copying high-resolution video to the iPad, my guess is that iTunes would say that the video is incompatible with the device.
It's the same if you try copying a 1080p HD movie to your iPhone or iPod touch. It won't let you.
In this case, I don't think HD really means anything, and certainly not a particular screen resolution or aspect ratio. It's just a marketing term that implies more detail, like HD Radio.
For anyone who wants to make the iPad act like those 16:9 or 16:10 or even 2.35.1 to match watch theatrical films are typically shown in (though real IMAX is about 4:3), there is an easily solution to fit your silly needs. Just get some tape and a couple strips of cardboard for each side of the display. Now you have a crappy 16:9 widescreen display for playing video just like you get on those crappy netbooks.
... and crappy (by your definition) MacBooks, MacBook Pros, iPod Nanos, iPod Touches, iPhones, iMacs, and US 1800.00 Apple Cinema Display monitors. Each/all sporting 16:9/16:10 resolutions -
That Apple choose that developers call their app with XL or HD to underline the fact that they run in the native resolution of the iPad is actually a very good idea
Agreed... I think what we might be seeing is the unintentional (for the present time) display of this data.. This 'badge' is likely attached to its APP Store database entry along with its name, price etc. In other words just an additional piece of meta data that for all we know have been part of the system rom the beginning...
I think most ration people would consider the use of HD as a designation for anything other than High Def to be simply asking for trouble and is the reason these tags will be disappearing very soon and FINALLY these designations might have never been intended to be seen in the APP store at all. They could just been a way for Apple to quickly tell how many APPs have included graphics suitable FOR an HD display and thus get the HD tag and those that fall shot of HD but will work find on todays iPad screen XP/XL and the last one? Perhaps those only contain graphics truly suitable on the iPhone screen.
My guess... this data wasn't ever intended to be seen by the APP store (and or) were simply testing HOW the data could be eventually displayed when the time comes that they actually want to show it.