I have no doubt that Apple creates a variety of prototypes of new products to test out different technologies. I would bet money that they have prototypes testing different displays, including "retina displays'. I could even see them having a prototype with a SD card, if only to use that SD to load software on the device during testing. or as a proof of concept. Whatever hardware Apple does decide to produce will have been decided months before the actual delivery of a product to a customer. You can't plan production for millions of devices at the last minute. The Apple rumor mill has become a big business for some blogger types in the last 10 years. I am sure they love all the web hits they get. All the Apple fans will view because they are curious about buying a new device, all the Apple haters will hit the web page to post flaming comments. And the flame wars back and forth over any rumor are guaranteed to give those sites plenty of web hits. Some sites like AppleInsider try to be honest with their reports. But look at all the grubby little creepy tech bloggers out their who make a living reporting rumors and hitting up product vendors for demo toys to "review". These are the kind of leeches who add nothing productive to the world. The only solution for them would be to send over Joe Pesci with a baseball bat. One thing I wonder about all these "rumored features" that may have appeared in a prototype product, is how Apple keeps track of them. By releasing different prototypes with different features can Apple connect the dots back and figure out who is releasing information that is supposed to be held confidential under a non-disclosure agreement?
The main thing I would like to see on the iPad is implementing the protocol for mobile phone style blue tooth headsets for VOIP and possibly even adding in full cell phone.
The second thing that would be great is a stylus, but that is mostly because I am a Graphic Designer and for me it seems logical to have that as an input method.
4) It's not designed to support the weight of the device.
5) No peripheral that the iPad uses would ever need it
The iPod dock connector is a brilliant thing. People who whine about it deserve to spend eternity trying to plug a bent mini USB plug into a recessed socket.
C.
I didn't say anything about removing the 30-pin dock connector.
The main thing I would like to see on the iPad is implementing the protocol for mobile phone style blue tooth headsets for VOIP and possibly even adding in full cell phone.
Oddly enough, I actually own a phone.
Now the iPhone has a WiFi hotspot, I can finally tether my iPad to my phone. This is great, because who wants to pay for two data plans?
I still have no idea why Apple have not implemented a Bluetooth PAN stack in the iPad.
AKA : with the possible exception of the Xoom, other manufacturers have not provided or brought to market a competitor that poses a real enough immediate threat to the current iteration of the Ipad to warrant a major feature upgrade such as the Retina( like ) screen. Apple believes they can hedge their bets by releasing a slimmer device with a highlight on processor speed and most importantly from a marketing standpoint, Facetime which will now essentially " work across their platform".
BINGO. This is exactly it.
Why blow the competition away and throw down all the cards when you are still competitive with a minor upgrade.
This tells me that Apple is expecting some serious competion this year and is going to hold on to a few 'trump' cards.
I like Apple - have an iPhone 3GS, plan to upgrade to "iPhone 5" and use a MBP at work. But this is (TO ME) is not a good upgrade. No SD-Card or Thunderbolt connectivity? No high-res screen? iPad 2 has what new... a couple cams, thinner (which most people don't care about), and more RAM (which is very good)...but still, whoopdee-freaking-doo. Especially with the Xoom and TouchPad (etc) coming out with dual-core processors, SD slots, better messaging and multi-tasking options, 1G RAM, HD cam, etc etc. Apple has to keep up and hopefully next Wednesday will offer more than 2 cams, more RAM, and thinner. I hope they at least put a higher res screen and some type of better connectivity.
All I'm saying is Apple can't lay back on their laurels and think, "We're Apple... iPad is #1, we have our devoted fans/buyers and we can put anything out there, even if it's not as good as the competition because they'll buy anything with an Apple logo." Next thing you know it'll be Android phones all over again... people will bail on Apple and go to other devices - then Apple is losing market share rapidly and fighting to keep up.
A friend of mine who relies on me for Tech advice wants to buy an iPad for his wife, I been telling him to wait for iPad-2. Now I have to tell him to look at iPad2, but also keep his options open and also look at Xoom and TouchPad when it comes out. Don't get complacent Apple, we aren't all Apple drones.
Great post. In full agreement..
To add. I can't imagine Apple didn't mapped out iPads version 1 through version 6 before version 1 came out. So only they know what to expect...
Usually, Apple adds three kinds of features to every product update. Primary, supplemental, and non-influential.
Primary features are like Retina displays, better CPU/GPU, storage, price, etc. Supplemental features are like longer battery life, and more RAM, etc. Non-influential features are things like thinner/smaller footprint, environmentally friendly, etc.
If no retina display and no CPU/GPU. Are we going to see 32/64/128 GB options? Are we going to see cheaper prices?
My guesses are as follows:
Double the storage space, longer batter life, same size, more RAM, and more environmentally friendly.
I like John Gruber's take on it. Interesting piece to note in a footnote on his response:
"I could publish things I?m only half-sure about, like the iPad 2 switching from aluminum to a lightweight high-strength carbon fiber body, but I don?t, because I?m only half-sure and I?ve only heard about it from second-hand sources who themselves are unsure about it. And even if I were to off-handedly mention such speculation, I?d do so in a footnote and take pains to emphasize the uncertain nature of the information and the second-hand status of the sources thereof. What I would never do is take a flyer and report uncertain speculation as a fact, and, if it wound up not panning out, chalk it up to Apple having changed things at the last moment rather than the report being flat-out wrong all along."
Now that is something to look forward to, if true!
And yet quite ironically, a half dozen sites are already citing Gruber's carbon fiber rumor in their front page headlines. No shame.
So you'd use Thunderbolt to connect the iPad to a RAID array, or a 30" monitor?
I am sorry, the iPad needs Thunderbolt in the same way that a pushchair needs a chainsaw.
C.
Are you purposely being obtuse? Do you not understand how a faster data connection and more power from a host computer could benefit accessory devices like tablets? You comment alludes to Thunderbolt being a limited scope technology that is only for host PCs, RAID drives and external displays. That simply isn't the case and regardless why you think USB isn't the longterm solution for syncing and charging accessory devices.
There might be a reason Apple wants to update the iPad more then once a year. I, however, highly doubt Apple has any interest of offering an iPad update at the same time as the iPad.
Apple likes to stagger product releases throughout the year to carry earnings momentum throughout the year. Further, studies show people spend less money on gifts for others then they do on gifts for themselves. Many companies including Apple update less expensive products (e.g. iPods around the holidays), however, update more expensive products afterwards.
Apple wants people buying things before the holiday (one earnings quarter), and right after the holidays (another earnings quarter).
Quote:
Originally Posted by alandail
They have a a very good reason to have a two releases this year. To get on the iPod release cycle which gets the best products out before christmas instead of after.
Are you purposely being obtuse? Do you not understand how a faster data connection and more power from a host computer could benefit accessory devices like tablets? You comment alludes to Thunderbolt being a limited scope technology that is only for host PCs, RAID drives and external displays. That simply isn't the case and regardless why you think USB isn't the longterm solution for syncing and charging accessory devices.
That's fine, but what percentage of the iPad's addressable market is going to be using Thunderbolt equipped Macs, over the next year? I think it would make more sense to allow some ecosystem to develop before sticking an all but useless port on there, because syncing to a relatively few computer with the capacity to do so would literally be all it could do. On the Powerbooks there will shortly be storage solutions, probably pro video solutions coming to market, and Apple will not doubt start putting Thunderbolt hubs on their monitors, but the iPad can't use any of that.
What, like the iPhone 3GS vs the Droid, Desire and others?
Quote:
Originally Posted by kotatsu
Oh I think they have very good reasons this year, and those reasons even have names - XOOM, Galaxy Tab 2, Playbook, and Touchpad.
Tablet competition will be ferocious this year, and without a retina display to shout about the iPad 2 is going to have a tough time competing against more technically advanced competition.
I call bullsh*t on the display rumour, "last minute engineering decision" my arse, several million screens are just going to appear magically.
The iPads economies of scale are just too large to make such a last minute change.
That's fine, but what percentage of the iPad's addressable market is going to be using Thunderbolt equipped Macs, over the next year? I think it would make more sense to allow some ecosystem to develop before sticking an all but useless port on there, because syncing to a relatively few computer with the capacity to do so would literally be all it could do. On the Powerbooks there will shortly be storage solutions, probably pro video solutions coming to market, and Apple will not doubt start putting Thunderbolt hubs on their monitors, but the iPad can't use any of that.
It's also a mini display port, which is better than a VGA adaptor.
If you're an early adopter you'll always be buying something
like me!
And there is nothing wrong with that
Anyways, I think these rumours are silly. An engineering issue that prevents inclusion of an SD card slot? Really? Apple, with all its experience couldn't figure out a way to build in an SD card slot? And they didn't realize this until 1+ years into the development of iPad 2?
Lets just say that nobody knows whats coming out Mar 2 and be done with it.
Are you purposely being obtuse? Do you not understand how a faster data connection and more power from a host computer could benefit accessory devices like tablets?
I really do not understand.
It's great technology. But currently there are are few/no Lightpeak devices.
The initial benefit will be to high performance applications. Video editing. Compositing. Capture cards. HD film making. - and of course file storage.
Makes total sense for the film-makers favourite notebook computer. Makes absolutely no sense for a tablet that does not even have a user accessible file system.
It's great technology. But currently there are are few/no Lightpeak devices.
The initial benefit will be to high performance applications. Video editing. Compositing. Capture cards. HD film making. - and of course file storage.
Makes total sense for the film-makersfavourite notebook computer. Makes absolutely no sense for a tablet that does not even have a user accessible file system.
C.
I don't understand your comments either. Just because TB is allot for a tablet doesn't mean a tablet wouldn't benefit.
1) the tech is cheap . We don't know what the component costs are yet, but the intent was to make it as cheap as USB and firewire.
2) Apple and Intel both want to "supplant" usb at least in as much as they and we are all tired of the various cables. What better way to do this than include the port on iphones ipad and ipods? Apple can put TB on all of it's macs next week, but it wouldn't affect adoption of TB nearly as much as it would if they put in on all idevices. This will even encourage PC owners to want TB.
3) the TB port would also include and HD video out that so many have been complaining about.
4) The entire point of TB is to make it easy to convert a universal cable to a "proprietary" cable type. Why not just put TB on the ipad and include a USB adapter if need be?
5) this allows tablets to send very "clean" video in and out of the device. I could think of more than a few ways, movie and medical businesses alone would benefit.
'
TB's one port is exactly what a tablet needs. Don't be ridiculous in your assumption that we won't see it on the ipad iphone or ipods. We will most certainly, maybe not next week, but soon.
I would also suspect that we'll see TB on the Ipad as the 2nd port rumors have mentioned or just replace the doc connector all together.
Apple's decision making policy has dramatically changed...
It was customer first, than cash...
Now it is cash first, than customer...
They are following in Bill Gates shoes...
There is a reason Apple has $45B in cash in the bank... They design great aluminum enclosures, but place inside their shell minimum hardware like 16GB for IPad storage so we have to pay $100 or $200 for real storage capacity... It's purely a financial decision not to put in a SD slot, not technical issue... You can buy 64GB or 128 GB Class 10 SD flash... That terrifies them... So they make sure they do not put in a SD slot, so they can inflate their hoards of cash...
So we are left with substandard inner hardware for IPad 2...
They will try to dazzle us the new Lion operating system, to make us forget what little upgrade they actually did to IPAD at the meeting next & we will get another subpar product...
Mac Air same situation, great aluminum enclosure... It is to die for, but it has the same cheap hardware treatment... Intel Core Duo 1.4 Ghz, 3M L2 Cache... released in Sept 2008... (At least this was only one I could find matching Intel's current offerings)... 2 GB RAM, again terrible choice for great for raking in the cash... And more cash for Apple...
Comments
The second thing that would be great is a stylus, but that is mostly because I am a Graphic Designer and for me it seems logical to have that as an input method.
I do.
1) Thunderbolt would not plug into my Mac
2) It would not plug into a TV
3) It would not plug into my dock.
4) It's not designed to support the weight of the device.
5) No peripheral that the iPad uses would ever need it
The iPod dock connector is a brilliant thing. People who whine about it deserve to spend eternity trying to plug a bent mini USB plug into a recessed socket.
C.
I didn't say anything about removing the 30-pin dock connector.
I didn't say anything about removing the 30-pin dock connector.
So you'd use Thunderbolt to connect the iPad to a RAID array, or a 30" monitor?
I am sorry, the iPad needs Thunderbolt in the same way that a pushchair needs a chainsaw.
C.
The main thing I would like to see on the iPad is implementing the protocol for mobile phone style blue tooth headsets for VOIP and possibly even adding in full cell phone.
Oddly enough, I actually own a phone.
Now the iPhone has a WiFi hotspot, I can finally tether my iPad to my phone. This is great, because who wants to pay for two data plans?
I still have no idea why Apple have not implemented a Bluetooth PAN stack in the iPad.
C.
"Engineering Issues"
AKA : with the possible exception of the Xoom, other manufacturers have not provided or brought to market a competitor that poses a real enough immediate threat to the current iteration of the Ipad to warrant a major feature upgrade such as the Retina( like ) screen. Apple believes they can hedge their bets by releasing a slimmer device with a highlight on processor speed and most importantly from a marketing standpoint, Facetime which will now essentially " work across their platform".
BINGO. This is exactly it.
Why blow the competition away and throw down all the cards when you are still competitive with a minor upgrade.
This tells me that Apple is expecting some serious competion this year and is going to hold on to a few 'trump' cards.
I like Apple - have an iPhone 3GS, plan to upgrade to "iPhone 5" and use a MBP at work. But this is (TO ME) is not a good upgrade. No SD-Card or Thunderbolt connectivity? No high-res screen? iPad 2 has what new... a couple cams, thinner (which most people don't care about), and more RAM (which is very good)...but still, whoopdee-freaking-doo. Especially with the Xoom and TouchPad (etc) coming out with dual-core processors, SD slots, better messaging and multi-tasking options, 1G RAM, HD cam, etc etc. Apple has to keep up and hopefully next Wednesday will offer more than 2 cams, more RAM, and thinner. I hope they at least put a higher res screen and some type of better connectivity.
All I'm saying is Apple can't lay back on their laurels and think, "We're Apple... iPad is #1, we have our devoted fans/buyers and we can put anything out there, even if it's not as good as the competition because they'll buy anything with an Apple logo." Next thing you know it'll be Android phones all over again... people will bail on Apple and go to other devices - then Apple is losing market share rapidly and fighting to keep up.
A friend of mine who relies on me for Tech advice wants to buy an iPad for his wife, I been telling him to wait for iPad-2. Now I have to tell him to look at iPad2, but also keep his options open and also look at Xoom and TouchPad when it comes out. Don't get complacent Apple, we aren't all Apple drones.
Great post. In full agreement..
To add. I can't imagine Apple didn't mapped out iPads version 1 through version 6 before version 1 came out. So only they know what to expect...
Usually, Apple adds three kinds of features to every product update. Primary, supplemental, and non-influential.
Primary features are like Retina displays, better CPU/GPU, storage, price, etc. Supplemental features are like longer battery life, and more RAM, etc. Non-influential features are things like thinner/smaller footprint, environmentally friendly, etc.
If no retina display and no CPU/GPU. Are we going to see 32/64/128 GB options? Are we going to see cheaper prices?
My guesses are as follows:
Double the storage space, longer batter life, same size, more RAM, and more environmentally friendly.
... I can't imagine Apple didn't mapped out iPads version 1 through version 6 before version 1 came out. ...
Right, because technology won't change at all over 6 years or more (depending on when they were alleged to have done said "mapping").
No competent technology company would ever do such a thing, except perhaps in the absolutely broadest strokes. Such a map would be obsolete in a year.
f no retina display and no CPU/GPU.
Whoah!
Who said no CPU/GPU upgrades?
I'm expecting Mark Rein from Unreal to be making a presentation next week, showing just what their engine will do on the new hardware.
C.
I like John Gruber's take on it. Interesting piece to note in a footnote on his response:
"I could publish things I?m only half-sure about, like the iPad 2 switching from aluminum to a lightweight high-strength carbon fiber body, but I don?t, because I?m only half-sure and I?ve only heard about it from second-hand sources who themselves are unsure about it. And even if I were to off-handedly mention such speculation, I?d do so in a footnote and take pains to emphasize the uncertain nature of the information and the second-hand status of the sources thereof. What I would never do is take a flyer and report uncertain speculation as a fact, and, if it wound up not panning out, chalk it up to Apple having changed things at the last moment rather than the report being flat-out wrong all along."
Now that is something to look forward to, if true!
And yet quite ironically, a half dozen sites are already citing Gruber's carbon fiber rumor in their front page headlines. No shame.
So you'd use Thunderbolt to connect the iPad to a RAID array, or a 30" monitor?
I am sorry, the iPad needs Thunderbolt in the same way that a pushchair needs a chainsaw.
C.
Are you purposely being obtuse? Do you not understand how a faster data connection and more power from a host computer could benefit accessory devices like tablets? You comment alludes to Thunderbolt being a limited scope technology that is only for host PCs, RAID drives and external displays. That simply isn't the case and regardless why you think USB isn't the longterm solution for syncing and charging accessory devices.
Apple likes to stagger product releases throughout the year to carry earnings momentum throughout the year. Further, studies show people spend less money on gifts for others then they do on gifts for themselves. Many companies including Apple update less expensive products (e.g. iPods around the holidays), however, update more expensive products afterwards.
Apple wants people buying things before the holiday (one earnings quarter), and right after the holidays (another earnings quarter).
They have a a very good reason to have a two releases this year. To get on the iPod release cycle which gets the best products out before christmas instead of after.
Are you purposely being obtuse? Do you not understand how a faster data connection and more power from a host computer could benefit accessory devices like tablets? You comment alludes to Thunderbolt being a limited scope technology that is only for host PCs, RAID drives and external displays. That simply isn't the case and regardless why you think USB isn't the longterm solution for syncing and charging accessory devices.
That's fine, but what percentage of the iPad's addressable market is going to be using Thunderbolt equipped Macs, over the next year? I think it would make more sense to allow some ecosystem to develop before sticking an all but useless port on there, because syncing to a relatively few computer with the capacity to do so would literally be all it could do. On the Powerbooks there will shortly be storage solutions, probably pro video solutions coming to market, and Apple will not doubt start putting Thunderbolt hubs on their monitors, but the iPad can't use any of that.
Oh I think they have very good reasons this year, and those reasons even have names - XOOM, Galaxy Tab 2, Playbook, and Touchpad.
Tablet competition will be ferocious this year, and without a retina display to shout about the iPad 2 is going to have a tough time competing against more technically advanced competition.
I call bullsh*t on the display rumour, "last minute engineering decision" my arse, several million screens are just going to appear magically.
The iPads economies of scale are just too large to make such a last minute change.
That's fine, but what percentage of the iPad's addressable market is going to be using Thunderbolt equipped Macs, over the next year? I think it would make more sense to allow some ecosystem to develop before sticking an all but useless port on there, because syncing to a relatively few computer with the capacity to do so would literally be all it could do. On the Powerbooks there will shortly be storage solutions, probably pro video solutions coming to market, and Apple will not doubt start putting Thunderbolt hubs on their monitors, but the iPad can't use any of that.
It's also a mini display port, which is better than a VGA adaptor.
If you're an early adopter you'll always be buying something
like me!
And there is nothing wrong with that
Anyways, I think these rumours are silly. An engineering issue that prevents inclusion of an SD card slot? Really? Apple, with all its experience couldn't figure out a way to build in an SD card slot? And they didn't realize this until 1+ years into the development of iPad 2?
Lets just say that nobody knows whats coming out Mar 2 and be done with it.
Are you purposely being obtuse? Do you not understand how a faster data connection and more power from a host computer could benefit accessory devices like tablets?
I really do not understand.
It's great technology. But currently there are are few/no Lightpeak devices.
The initial benefit will be to high performance applications. Video editing. Compositing. Capture cards. HD film making. - and of course file storage.
Makes total sense for the film-makers favourite notebook computer. Makes absolutely no sense for a tablet that does not even have a user accessible file system.
C.
I really do not understand.
It's great technology. But currently there are are few/no Lightpeak devices.
The initial benefit will be to high performance applications. Video editing. Compositing. Capture cards. HD film making. - and of course file storage.
Makes total sense for the film-makersfavourite notebook computer. Makes absolutely no sense for a tablet that does not even have a user accessible file system.
C.
I don't understand your comments either. Just because TB is allot for a tablet doesn't mean a tablet wouldn't benefit.
1) the tech is cheap . We don't know what the component costs are yet, but the intent was to make it as cheap as USB and firewire.
2) Apple and Intel both want to "supplant" usb at least in as much as they and we are all tired of the various cables. What better way to do this than include the port on iphones ipad and ipods? Apple can put TB on all of it's macs next week, but it wouldn't affect adoption of TB nearly as much as it would if they put in on all idevices. This will even encourage PC owners to want TB.
3) the TB port would also include and HD video out that so many have been complaining about.
4) The entire point of TB is to make it easy to convert a universal cable to a "proprietary" cable type. Why not just put TB on the ipad and include a USB adapter if need be?
5) this allows tablets to send very "clean" video in and out of the device. I could think of more than a few ways, movie and medical businesses alone would benefit.
'
TB's one port is exactly what a tablet needs. Don't be ridiculous in your assumption that we won't see it on the ipad iphone or ipods. We will most certainly, maybe not next week, but soon.
I would also suspect that we'll see TB on the Ipad as the 2nd port rumors have mentioned or just replace the doc connector all together.
It was customer first, than cash...
Now it is cash first, than customer...
They are following in Bill Gates shoes...
There is a reason Apple has $45B in cash in the bank... They design great aluminum enclosures, but place inside their shell minimum hardware like 16GB for IPad storage so we have to pay $100 or $200 for real storage capacity... It's purely a financial decision not to put in a SD slot, not technical issue... You can buy 64GB or 128 GB Class 10 SD flash... That terrifies them... So they make sure they do not put in a SD slot, so they can inflate their hoards of cash...
So we are left with substandard inner hardware for IPad 2...
They will try to dazzle us the new Lion operating system, to make us forget what little upgrade they actually did to IPAD at the meeting next & we will get another subpar product...
Mac Air same situation, great aluminum enclosure... It is to die for, but it has the same cheap hardware treatment... Intel Core Duo 1.4 Ghz, 3M L2 Cache... released in Sept 2008... (At least this was only one I could find matching Intel's current offerings)... 2 GB RAM, again terrible choice for great for raking in the cash... And more cash for Apple...
APPLE IS ALL ABOUT CASH NOT CUSTOMERS...
So you'd use Thunderbolt to connect the iPad to a RAID array, or a 30" monitor?
I am sorry, the iPad needs Thunderbolt in the same way that a pushchair needs a chainsaw.
C.
Dammit, someone leaked the plot to my new movie.