iPad Pro
I would love to get my hands on an iPad with MBPro power and connectivity. I'd happily do away with the notebook-format and just buy an external keyboard for the occassional letter.
Assuming that pro-audio software will be optimized for multi-touch, that is.
Just throwing this out here to see how others feel about the idea.
Assuming that pro-audio software will be optimized for multi-touch, that is.
Just throwing this out here to see how others feel about the idea.
Comments
http://www.axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbookpro
Not multitouch, but you can get this today.
I'm on it. I'm sitting tight til Ver. 2 anyway.
As good as the current iPad is I'm staying away until rev 2. I suspect it will be a dramatic jump in capability (it better be). However I doubt it will replace a Mac Book Pro, to get to that performance level Apple would have to give up to many of iPads good points.
Instead I'm expecting Cortex A9 with at least two cores and maybe 1.5GHz performance. Also atleast 512MB of RAM. I'd also like to see an SD slot, and a real USB port, these however are less likely to happen.
The good news here is that Samsung already has its dual core A9 on sale so I'd imagine that Apples variant is not far away at all. If Apple had any sense they would get this on the market early in November of this year. They could sell 20 million in two months if they could make them.
Dave
As good as the current iPad is I'm staying away until rev 2. I suspect it will be a dramatic jump in capability (it better be). However I doubt it will replace a Mac Book Pro, to get to that performance level Apple would have to give up to many of iPads good points.
Instead I'm expecting Cortex A9 with at least two cores and maybe 1.5GHz performance. Also atleast 512MB of RAM. I'd also like to see an SD slot, and a real USB port, these however are less likely to happen.
The good news here is that Samsung already has its dual core A9 on sale so I'd imagine that Apples variant is not far away at all. If Apple had any sense they would get this on the market early in November of this year. They could sell 20 million in two months if they could make them.
Dave
Interesting post, as usual, Mr Wizard. I have the present iPad, a 64 Gb 3G version. It is the most incredible piece of computer hardware I've bought since I first purchased an iPhone. Initially, I thought the iPad was all hype and nothing more than a larger iPod touch. I decided I would wait until the the second generation model was released before buying one, but after playing with a friends machine, I got hooked on the sheer tactile pleasure of the form factor and splashed out. I haven't regretted it for a moment.
Having used my iPad for more than 6 months now, I find that I am not using it as I expected to, with some applications being more and others less. My experience changes what I thought I would have wanted from the new one. Here goes.
- I don't like reading books using the iPad. It's not very good in direct sunlight. I need better screen resolution and easier control over page format and layout. Most of all, I need a screen that reflects natural light rather than emits it. However, I would rather have an IPad with a Retina Display than the Amazon Kindle's e-ink screen. I guess this is the bleeding edge of technology.
- I love reading electronic magazines, such as Popular Mechanics, which combine written content with interactive diagrams, video and so on. These kind of applications are superb and really make the iPad compulsive
- I love using the iPad at breakfast to read the latest news; again, I'd like this content to be delivered via both video and written news pieces. I like the idea of Rupert Murdoch's Times newspaper application, but it is still too clunky. And if a story is run in the print version, then I want it to be available electronically.
- My iPad has become my primary music playing device. All my music is now stored on it. I'd like the iPad implementation of iTunes to offer more options for displaying my library contents.
- I use the iPad for surfing the web much more than I ever thought I would. With 3G, it really is very fast and the experience is terrific.
- I would love to be able to make video calls using my iPad. So iPad 2 needs FaceTime and a forward facing camera.
- Email client is fantastic - I use my iPad to check email much more than I do my iPhone. What I like is the ability to type replies using the soft keyboard - this works much better than the same concept on the iPhone thanks to more screen real estate.
- Battery life amazing: 10 hours life is definitely a reality. Still I would love more battery life, say 18-hours.
- Video watching experience also excellent. Kids use it on long car journeys. I need dual headphones so they can both watch the same movie without me listening to it.
- iWork applications don't really work. You can view a document and make basic edits, but not much more. Pages is okay, but fiddly. I've given up with Numbers and Keynote. These things could be good, but they need more work.
- I recently downloaded Dragon Dictate, which to my surprise was free. This is brilliant and when handheld devices get proper speech recognition software, the lack of a trad keyboard won't matter.
- What I most love about the iPad is the touch screen. It is a genuinely a simple, intuitive and fast way to interact with such a machine. I wonder if they can get handwriting recognition to work? Seems like an obvious extension to its capabilities.
- Processor speed has never been an issue for me. On the whole, i find the IPad as fast as my MacBook Pro.
In terms of new hardware form factor, this is what I think I need:
- Same form factor: They really thought about screen size, weight and general ergonomics. In fact, I think that the current screen size represents just abut a perfect compromise between viewability, portability, weight and battery life. Well done, Apple.
- Higher resolution screen: a Retina Display would be good, but what is really needed is something that can handle reflected light and 600 dpi. (Hope I'm still alive when it is launched. )
- Connectivity: USB slot for printing and other peripherals would be great. I can see an iPad as being a remote control device for a lot of things.
- Flash disk slot for camera image uploads would also be good, but then again, I'm not really using my iPad for viewing/ managing photos.
- Front and rear facing cameras for video calling capabilities
- More memory: 128 Gb or 256 Gb hard drives would be great, I could load more video
In terms of software:
- i'd like future iPads to be stand alone machines. Certainly they need the ability to sync with iTunes on a laptop or primary computer, but i'd like to be able to load content independently via flash disk, bluetooth or USB without reference to my lap top.
- I'd like to see OSX and iOS merge into a universal operating system optimised around the device it is loaded on.
I recently went on vacation for two weeks. For the first time in 10 years, i didn't take a laptop with me. Just my iPad. it did everything I needed. Fantastic. Overall, the form factor is brilliant. Would i like a larger screen: yes. Would it replace the current iPad? No. Would I like a larger iPhone? Yes. Would it replace my existing iPhone. Absolutely. Thanks to its larger screen, the iPad is like an infinitely more usable iPhone minus the phone. An iPhone with a 5-7 inch screen would be great.
Overall, my iPad glass is half-full, not half empty. I need a second iPad not because the first one is lousy, but because my kids have all but stolen it from me. They love it more than their Nintendos, Wiis and Xboxes. My family are so addicted to Flight Control, Labyrinth, Boggle, Angry Birds and Tetris, that i've had to threaten to delete them!
What we've seen the birth of is a fundamentally new kind of computer. it's revolutionary in exactly the way Apple promised it would be. I think iPad Gen 2 will improve on everything that is currently on offer, but i don't think it'll have anything like the same level of impact.
In short, better get your order in now, because if you wait until it's launched, demand may well cause a long lead time.
Interesting post, as usual, Mr Wizard. I have the present iPad, a 64 Gb 3G version. It is the most incredible piece of computer hardware I've bought since I first purchased an iPhone. Initially, I thought the iPad was all hype and nothing more than a larger iPod touch. I decided I would wait until the the second generation model was released before buying one, but after playing with a friends machine, I got hooked on the sheer tactile pleasure of the form factor and splashed out. I haven't regretted it for a moment.
Let me tell you a little story. When the iPad first came out I knew that the WiFI model wouldn't cut it for me so I had a built in forced wait. However when the 3G hit the stores I did spend a good loooong hour looking at and using one on the display table, that pretty much hooked me. So much so that I started the process of buying one but they told me at the time it would be a long wait so I declined and walked out of the store. It has been a struggle ever since and I now avoid the mall with the Apple store.
My reasoning is based on other computing hardware that I've owned. My iPhone 3G was impressive when I bought it, but it became outdated way to quickly. Part of that due to to little RAM installed in the device. I've suffered similarly on other Apple devices all the way back to my Mac Plus. Of course this is a different class device but not so distant from the iPhone I currently own, thus is reinforced this idea that I need to hold off until a device with more RAM comes out. I need more than two years productive life out of any computing hardware I buy.
Given all of that it is very very difficult to hold off. Like you have indicated in this message it is a pretty slick device.
Having used my iPad for more than 6 months now, I find that I am not using it as I expected to, with some applications being more and others less. My experience changes what I thought I would have wanted from the new one. Here goes.
- I don't like reading books using the iPad. It's not very good in direct sunlight. I need better screen resolution and easier control over page format and layout. Most of all, I need a screen that reflects natural light rather than emits it. However, I would rather have an IPad with a Retina Display than the Amazon Kindle's e-ink screen. I guess this is the bleeding edge of technology.
I probably wouldn't buy it for intensive book reading either. But then again I like paper for that.
- I love reading electronic magazines, such as Popular Mechanics, which combine written content with interactive diagrams, video and so on. These kind of applications are superb and really make the iPad compulsive
I'm just hoping the magazines I read on a regular schedule go to electronic distribution. Some do this as PDFs which of course is somewhat limited compared to app distribution.
A big issue here is storing back issues all in one place and having easy reference to them. Right now that is a problem because it takes up a lot of space. They would likely take up a lot of Flash storage on iPad which is why I would like to see Apple offer iPad with a lot more Flash space too. Flash storage though isn't the same problem as RAM so the two shouldn't be confused.
On top of all of that I honestly believe that iTunes is the wrong place to store and manage books and magazines. I would want more flexibility in the management and organization of the materials. Ideally the structure on the Mac app would be replicated on the iPad, that way finding a specific journal/magazine or book would be easy. Right now the books app on iPhone sucks as far as organizational ability, though it is other wise pretty nice for a rev one device.
- I love using the iPad at breakfast to read the latest news; again, I'd like this content to be delivered via both video and written news pieces. I like the idea of Rupert Murdoch's Times newspaper application, but it is still too clunky. And if a story is run in the print version, then I want it to be available electronically.
The best thing to do here is to give them feedback, I'm sure they will want to improve things. If the feedback is as detailed and nicely written as this post I'm sure they will take your comments into account. Just don't expect instant fixes.
In any event there will come a day when we will be seeing more stories in the electronic editions than ween in the print. It might take a decade or more but the economics dictate that it will happen.
- My iPad has become my primary music playing device. All my music is now stored on it. I'd like the iPad implementation of iTunes to offer more options for displaying my library contents.
Interesting, I'm not a big fan of music and often just turn on the radio for background noise. However I suspect that you are experiencing the same issue that I see with the management of books and the need for better organization capabilities there.
- I use the iPad for surfing the web much more than I ever thought I would. With 3G, it really is very fast and the experience is terrific.
I don't doubt this one bit! I don't even have one yet but can see where it would immediately become my primary web access device.
- I would love to be able to make video calls using my iPad. So iPad 2 needs FaceTime and a forward facing camera.
Yep, FaceTime is extremely important. Note too, that I was not initially all that excited about FaceTime, but after sitting back a bit and thinking about it I realize apple has a revolutionary product on their hands.
- Email client is fantastic - I use my iPad to check email much more than I do my iPhone. What I like is the ability to type replies using the soft keyboard - this works much better than the same concept on the iPhone thanks to more screen real estate.
I do most of my E-Mail on my iPhone now, so I'm not sure if the iPad would be better or take away from that.
- Battery life amazing: 10 hours life is definitely a reality. Still I would love more battery life, say 18-hours.
- Video watching experience also excellent. Kids use it on long car journeys. I need dual headphones so they can both watch the same movie without me listening to it.
Interesting but honestly I don't like the aspect ratio for this usage. Hopefully when the brand gets established Apple will look into other formats. It is certainly a mix up but I can't see myself buying an iPad right now as a movie only viewing device. It is likely to be excellent on a plane though.
- iWork applications don't really work. You can view a document and make basic edits, but not much more. Pages is okay, but fiddly. I've given up with Numbers and Keynote. These things could be good, but they need more work.
I'm only somewhat surprised here as I'm frustrated at times with numbers on my Mac. So maybe there is more to it than just the iPad version. However I honestly believe one issue here is with the tight RAM resource. I see many possible uses for the iPad not happening simply because the device needs more RAM for the developers to write cleanly implemented code.
- I recently downloaded Dragon Dictate, which to my surprise was free. This is brilliant and when handheld devices get proper speech recognition software, the lack of a trad keyboard won't matter.
- What I most love about the iPad is the touch screen. It is a genuinely a simple, intuitive and fast way to interact with such a machine. I wonder if they can get handwriting recognition to work? Seems like an obvious extension to its capabilities.
- Processor speed has never been an issue for me. On the whole, i find the IPad as fast as my MacBook Pro.
It is very interesting sitting in the store using one of these things as iPad can surprise you with its quickness. It definitely a sale generator sitting on the table. However it can get a little slow at times, however it is hard to say if this is the processor or the limited RAM causing the occasional pauses.
In terms of new hardware form factor, this is what I think I need:
- Same form factor: They really thought about screen size, weight and general ergonomics. In fact, I think that the current screen size represents just abut a perfect compromise between viewability, portability, weight and battery life. Well done, Apple.
Apple could be very successful with several screen sizes. Well maybe 2 to 4.
- Higher resolution screen: a Retina Display would be good, but what is really needed is something that can handle reflected light and 600 dpi. (Hope I'm still alive when it is launched. )
Unless Apple can dramatically improve the GPU this could lead to a better experience for some apps and a regression for others. More pixels implies more GPU power to push them to the same level of performance.
- Connectivity: USB slot for printing and other peripherals would be great. I can see an iPad as being a remote control device for a lot of things.
Yes a huge consideration. Plus they need to support more drivers for things beyond storage and HID.
- Flash disk slot for camera image uploads would also be good, but then again, I'm not really using my iPad for viewing/ managing photos.
- Front and rear facing cameras for video calling capabilities
- More memory: 128 Gb or 256 Gb hard drives would be great, I could load more video
Yep to just about everything above.
In terms of software:
- i'd like future iPads to be stand alone machines. Certainly they need the ability to sync with iTunes on a laptop or primary computer, but i'd like to be able to load content independently via flash disk, bluetooth or USB without reference to my lap top.
- I'd like to see OSX and iOS merge into a universal operating system optimised around the device it is loaded on.
I recently went on vacation for two weeks. For the first time in 10 years, i didn't take a laptop with me. Just my iPad. it did everything I needed. Fantastic. Overall, the form factor is brilliant. Would i like a larger screen: yes. Would it replace the current iPad? No. Would I like a larger iPhone? Yes. Would it replace my existing iPhone. Absolutely. Thanks to its larger screen, the iPad is like an infinitely more usable iPhone minus the phone. An iPhone with a 5-7 inch screen would be great.
Overall, my iPad glass is half-full, not half empty. I need a second iPad not because the first one is lousy, but because my kids have all but stolen it from me. They love it more than their Nintendos, Wiis and Xboxes. My family are so addicted to Flight Control, Labyrinth, Boggle, Angry Birds and Tetris, that i've had to threaten to delete them!
What we've seen the birth of is a fundamentally new kind of computer. it's revolutionary in exactly the way Apple promised it would be. I think iPad Gen 2 will improve on everything that is currently on offer, but i don't think it'll have anything like the same level of impact.
In short, better get your order in now, because if you wait until it's launched, demand may well cause a long lead time.
Sadly running out of time, but just love your post. Very clearly written and well thought out.
Dave