"<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;">We are now hearing reports that the upcoming Surface Pro takes an even bigger hit due to Windows 8 Pro and pre-installed apps from Microsoft. According to </span>
<em style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;">Hexus</em>
<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;"> and</span>
<em style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;">Softpedia</em>
<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;">, the 128GB Surface Pro will only have 83GB of space available to the user. So the user is losing 45GB of storage space due to formatting/OS/pre-installed apps."</span>
<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;">If true, that sux! And that's taking into consideration the Surface Pro doesn't come pre-installed with Office like the RT version.</span>
It's true and false. What's true is that Windows RT and Windows 8 both use a lot more data for the OS than iOS. What's false is that total NAND capacity is measured the same way HDD vendors have been measuring capacity. BASE-10. That means you 128GB drive is actually saying it has at least 128,000,000,000 bytes which is only 119.2GiB when using a BASE-2 system like Windows would calculate. That means it's under 30GiB for the Win8 install, not 45GiB.
Note: Im very much against the lawsuit against MS for advertising the capacity of the storage and not the remaining capacity after the OS is installed. No one has ever had to do that before.
What does the average corporate user need that kind of storage for? PDFs don't take up much space, nor do PowerPoint (Keynote) presentations. I couldn't picture using even a small fraction of that space for corporate use.
Private users, OTOH, who have their iPad jammed full of photos, movies, and music may appreciate the extra space.
iCloud. private users will gladly use iCloud for most of their storage. they may 'appreciate' the extra space, but they don't 'require' it.
You've never seen corporate PDF files. Chock full of bitmap graphics (because they scanned their old PowerPoints ;-( ). I'm often seeing a GB per presentation in the financial sales space. that means you get to carry < 50 presentations. Sales men are pack rats (look at their old briefcases.
you bring your iPad with Cellular out to lower frostbite falls MN and get 2G network performance in downloading your financial sales presentation... you'll want that quicktime vid and keynote presentation and PDF set on your desktop.
Spending another $100 to ensure you have the presentation to make a $1000 commission. No brainer.
Last sales organization I worked for... 9000 employees, 25,000 Field sales force. Even if 1/5th are the road warrior salesmen (3 office support staff, 1 in house sales person), that means 5000 fully independent laptops (yes, I said that... because we argued that they couldn't access corporate data unless they VPNed into the home office... they said, no thank you and I'll leave your company and take my 300 clients and 3Million in Assets under management to your competition.... so we deployed out the app client server, that synced 64GB of presentations and their entire customer data set every night (security/network pain in the *ss))
Now we had 1 Million clients - 5000 iPads with AirWatch would have made our security and sync a lot easier).
If 100 Million households are served by a Life, Health, Financial, Auto & Home Ins agent.. the BOTE calc is a 1 million sales force market.... that's a lot of iPads;-)
Again, the key is 'zero down time' Apple could do this with a simple USB port (flash drive), but this is their answer for 'always available' data.
so release the same old product, with absolutely no additions or new "innovation" except increase the GB that hardly anyone really needs... and this is considered impactful, how?
What did you expect after 3 months? A whole new iPad redesign?
so release the same old product, with absolutely no additions or new "innovation" except increase the GB that hardly anyone really needs... and this is considered impactful, how?
Jesus Christ. This is simply an additional capacity option for their current models. Apple isn't marketing this as the 5th gen iPad, nor did they make a keynote for it, it isn't even advertised on their fucking homepage. What exactly is it about the existence of this product that offends you? Were you expecting the iPad line to be completely overhauled silently in January, when it was last updated in October? The level of baseless, self-righteous faux outrage with you is nauseating. Next time Apple issues a a software bug fix for something, be sure to come here shrieking about the lack of innovation in the maintenance update.
This marks the 2nd time I can recall Apple doing this. They had a mid cycle release for the first 16GB iPhone on the market. I think that was January 2008.
Quote:
Originally Posted by crazy_mac_lover
Gross Margin increase !!
That's a sill reason to suggest that's why they offered this today because it assumes that Apple is so stupid that they didn't think of when the iPad first launched or when they are planning the iPad mini release. Do you think that's possible? I don't.
The reason for this product is due to other forces.
Yes, other forces!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdonisSMU
I think the cost is reasonable. It's double the storage for only 100 bucks more. I'd say that's pretty good deal.
That's the marketing built into the pricing structure. I have a 64GB iPad and I use like 4GB. I've done this every time because "it's just $100 and what if i need that space" I tell myself. They've got me where they want me.
I do wonder the cost and hope iFixit does a teardown, although I doubt they will. If we do get to see inside I'd like to know if the are using 20/25nm chips now which could mean that we'll see a boost across the line for the same price points this year.
Also, if we're getting this now and not later this year does that mean there won't be a new, lighter and thinner iPad coming out until after the 2nd half of the year? Does the Surface Pro play any role in this 128GB release?
I believe you'll get the lighter, thinner iPad when the technology is available: IGZU Display, less power requirement and smaller battery.
I suspect that the Surface Pro is one of the drivers of 128 GB... but there are other forces as well. An iPad Retina can play 2K and 4K videos -- and may have a use in video creation. *
* From the people who provided the technology for "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" Shot 4K from 5K and delivered end-to-end in 4K.
Medical images is another need for large storage. A couple of the most interesting uses suggested by Apple were 3D CAD and Drafting/Blueprints...
...Interesting because there are currently no mainline apps to create or manipulate these files on an iPad... However, I do believe that iOS 6 and the A6X chip are up to that job as well as higher end video editing.
"<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;">We are now hearing reports that the upcoming Surface Pro takes an even bigger hit due to Windows 8 Pro and pre-installed apps from Microsoft. According to </span>
<em style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;">Hexus</em>
<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;"> and</span>
<em style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;">Softpedia</em>
<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;">, the 128GB Surface Pro will only have 83GB of space available to the user. So the user is losing 45GB of storage space due to formatting/OS/pre-installed apps."</span>
<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;">If true, that sux! And that's taking into consideration the Surface Pro doesn't come pre-installed with Office like the RT version.</span>
Sorry, I don't buy it. 45 GB for apps and OS? So the 64 GB Surface has only 19 GB free? I'm sure that even the densest tech reporters would have noticed that.
Maybe but iPad just gets faster and more capable with each iOS release. People whine about features in 6.1 but I'm finding it to be well developed with many features, speed increases and a few operational issues gone.
I just find your reasoning overly critical and nitpicking. For some users iPhone is a computers and is leveraged for the success of their businesses. Remember perspective here, somebody that spends their day at the interface of a supercomputer might see your Mac as a toy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
I have the rMBP, an iPad 3 and an iPad mini and I couldn't disagree more with your opinion. (bolded part, my emphasis)
The comparison between a computer and an iPad has nothing to do with speed, simply capabilities. I don't believe the iPad is really a computer at all. If the iPad is a computer then so is an iPhone, which seems absurd to me.
If the iPad is to be considered a computer, it is probably the worst computer on the market. It certainly cannot replace a real computer for my needs.
The only thing they add is more flash, that is it. As such they are charging way too much for a 128GB of flash.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
You can't take the starting price as some perfect value and then step a single component to then argue they are ripping you off. The product has a range with a calculated ARP and profit margin designed into it. Your argument is just as fallacious as saying the 128GB is priced well and the other ones are drastically under priced as you get to the lower-capacity models.
I was expecting this to appear on the iPad 5 not the current one. I'm also rather disappointed that this is in addition to the 16-32-64 GB versions for more money, rather than say 32-64-128 GB's for the same cost as current 16-32-64 GB equivalent versions (Flash prices are so low now!). This seems a ploy to increase sales of the full-size iPad to counter cannibalization by the Mini. I like the idea of a 128 GB iPad - but not for even more dosh! I imagine iPad 5 will drop the 16 GB version when it comes out. I'm going to wait...
That doesn't make sense. You'd have to assume there are people who were holding off buying a 64GB iPad just so they could get a 128GB model. It's mid-cycle after all. Then you'd have assume there are so many people that the drop of the APR would be countered by 4 additional SKUs for a nearly $1000 tablet. Then you'd have to argue why this odd update wasn't done earlier as they knew before they released the iPad mini that the APR would fall. Then you'd have to find an argument that discounts the coincidence that it's being released the same week as the 64GB and 128GB MS Surface Pro tablets.
Let's also remember that less expensive products tend to be more popular than more expensive products so there would have to be a lot of these sold in comparison to the iPad mini to make a dent in the APR, as if that is Apple's primary concern.
Finally, the iPad mini started at a price $170 less than the starting price of the iPad and yet the APR only when down $70. I think it's safe to say iPad mini buyers are buying the higher-end models.
so release the same old product, with absolutely no additions or new "innovation" except increase the GB that hardly anyone really needs... and this is considered impactful, how?
I'll just assume you're not awake yet and that you don't really mean anything you've said here.
You cannot possibly mean anything you've said here.
Its a little tempting, but I hope with the next version of IOS there can be profiles or something, it takes a long time if I loan it to my daughter to set all the parental controls and such. It is nice to store things locally when flying or something like that. Not to have to keep taking things off and on. Yes there will always be another one, sometime, Its not even February yet so if another one isnt coming out until September or October thats still a lot of time.
The only thing they add is more flash, that is it. As such they are charging way too much for a 128GB of flash.
Again, you're looking at this wrong. I know you can't be ignorant in how the marketing of a product category works or how companies will lose profit margins on the low-end in expectation of making it up on the high-end. The same logic that lets you claim they too much for the high-end can also be used to say they charge too little on the low-end. You've made the erroneous assumption that the 16GB is some sweet spot with price and profit margin so that anything higher is just a rip off, but that's foolish.
Is there a market for this size? I thought i have a lot in my ipad 64.. Lots of map and games and other appl.. 700 songs and lots of pics.. Yet i only used 32gb... Who would need 128... What kind of apps and usaage requiers this much storage?
Sorry, I don't buy it. 45 GB for apps and OS? So the 64 GB Surface has only 19 GB free? I'm sure that even the densest tech reporters would have noticed that.
It's about 30GiB for the OS and they have noticed it. They have also noticed what the "stripped down" Windows RT uses. That's why the Surface RT starts at 32GB, not 16GB, and yet has about the same capacity as the 16GB iPad.
Unless you need a trully fast laptop for some use (think the best of them all, a rMBP 15) the iPad is the best computer on the market today.
I have the rMBP, an iPad 3 and an iPad mini and I couldn't disagree more with your opinion. (bolded part, my emphasis)
The comparison between a computer and an iPad has nothing to do with speed, simply capabilities. I don't believe the iPad is really a computer at all. If the iPad is a computer then so is an iPhone, which seems absurd to me.
If the iPad is to be considered a computer, it is probably the worst computer on the market. It certainly cannot replace a real computer for my needs.
Not for your needs... or for all my needs...
But, for many people, it is more than enough computer for all their needs... I can remember my [late] Dad struggling with the Apple ][ and a Selectric printer to create letters, etc... It was so much hassle my [late] Mom wouldn't even touch it... Today, with WiFi and the Internet, either would be right at home on an iPad.
In bed, or on the couch, I use the iPad exclusively -- though I have an iMac 17" and a 17" AluBook handy.
In the den:
In front of my loaded 27" iMac with dual display -- I often grab the iPad next to the kb to look something up, track the grandkids. I often use the iPad as a 3rd screen to monitor my investments or watch a video tutorial (FCP X, Motion, Blender) while following along on the dual-screen iMac.
Medical images is another need for large storage. A couple of the most interesting uses suggested by Apple were 3D CAD and Drafting/Blueprints...
I found it interesting in the Apple announcement that they highlighted three business use examples:
AutoCad, music recording, and football. The football example I get because you are on the sidelines watching the video taken in the previous plays of the day.
The AutoCad and music examples have me baffled. If you are at a construction site it might make sense to be able to view the plans on an iPad but why on earth would you make edits to them? All edits to the building CAD files should be done back at the architect's office on the master copy otherwise you have multiple versions floating around. The music one is nonsensical to me as well because in order to do professional recording you need a truck load of equipment like mics, stands, cords, instruments, etc. Why is a small portable device like an iPad a benefit when you are toting around a drum kit and a piano? You would probably be better off with the full desktop version of the app on a MBP.
Edit: Also I forgot to mention that in almost every medical image setting you store the images on a server (PACS) and use an app to view them instead of saving them to the computer/iPad. In some instances we do share the images as a runtime Windows executable for doctors who don't have the native application, but in that case it doesn't run on an iPad anyway. It might make sense to save png files if you were going to make some Keynote presentations which included clinical cases but otherwise the large tiff of bmp files stay on the server. There is one nice Mac/iPad x-ray viewer. http://www.osirix-viewer.com
Comments
It's true and false. What's true is that Windows RT and Windows 8 both use a lot more data for the OS than iOS. What's false is that total NAND capacity is measured the same way HDD vendors have been measuring capacity. BASE-10. That means you 128GB drive is actually saying it has at least 128,000,000,000 bytes which is only 119.2GiB when using a BASE-2 system like Windows would calculate. That means it's under 30GiB for the Win8 install, not 45GiB.
Note: Im very much against the lawsuit against MS for advertising the capacity of the storage and not the remaining capacity after the OS is installed. No one has ever had to do that before.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
I see it differently.
What does the average corporate user need that kind of storage for? PDFs don't take up much space, nor do PowerPoint (Keynote) presentations. I couldn't picture using even a small fraction of that space for corporate use.
Private users, OTOH, who have their iPad jammed full of photos, movies, and music may appreciate the extra space.
iCloud. private users will gladly use iCloud for most of their storage. they may 'appreciate' the extra space, but they don't 'require' it.
You've never seen corporate PDF files. Chock full of bitmap graphics (because they scanned their old PowerPoints ;-( ). I'm often seeing a GB per presentation in the financial sales space. that means you get to carry < 50 presentations. Sales men are pack rats (look at their old briefcases.
you bring your iPad with Cellular out to lower frostbite falls MN and get 2G network performance in downloading your financial sales presentation... you'll want that quicktime vid and keynote presentation and PDF set on your desktop.
Spending another $100 to ensure you have the presentation to make a $1000 commission. No brainer.
Last sales organization I worked for... 9000 employees, 25,000 Field sales force. Even if 1/5th are the road warrior salesmen (3 office support staff, 1 in house sales person), that means 5000 fully independent laptops (yes, I said that... because we argued that they couldn't access corporate data unless they VPNed into the home office... they said, no thank you and I'll leave your company and take my 300 clients and 3Million in Assets under management to your competition.... so we deployed out the app client server, that synced 64GB of presentations and their entire customer data set every night (security/network pain in the *ss))
Now we had 1 Million clients - 5000 iPads with AirWatch would have made our security and sync a lot easier).
If 100 Million households are served by a Life, Health, Financial, Auto & Home Ins agent.. the BOTE calc is a 1 million sales force market.... that's a lot of iPads;-)
Again, the key is 'zero down time' Apple could do this with a simple USB port (flash drive), but this is their answer for 'always available' data.
What did you expect after 3 months? A whole new iPad redesign?
Quote:
Originally Posted by KingChael
are you serious?
so release the same old product, with absolutely no additions or new "innovation" except increase the GB that hardly anyone really needs... and this is considered impactful, how?
Jesus Christ. This is simply an additional capacity option for their current models. Apple isn't marketing this as the 5th gen iPad, nor did they make a keynote for it, it isn't even advertised on their fucking homepage. What exactly is it about the existence of this product that offends you? Were you expecting the iPad line to be completely overhauled silently in January, when it was last updated in October? The level of baseless, self-righteous faux outrage with you is nauseating. Next time Apple issues a a software bug fix for something, be sure to come here shrieking about the lack of innovation in the maintenance update.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
This marks the 2nd time I can recall Apple doing this. They had a mid cycle release for the first 16GB iPhone on the market. I think that was January 2008.
Quote:
Originally Posted by crazy_mac_lover
Gross Margin increase !!
That's a sill reason to suggest that's why they offered this today because it assumes that Apple is so stupid that they didn't think of when the iPad first launched or when they are planning the iPad mini release. Do you think that's possible? I don't.
The reason for this product is due to other forces.
Yes, other forces!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdonisSMU
I think the cost is reasonable. It's double the storage for only 100 bucks more. I'd say that's pretty good deal.
That's the marketing built into the pricing structure. I have a 64GB iPad and I use like 4GB. I've done this every time because "it's just $100 and what if i need that space" I tell myself. They've got me where they want me.
I do wonder the cost and hope iFixit does a teardown, although I doubt they will. If we do get to see inside I'd like to know if the are using 20/25nm chips now which could mean that we'll see a boost across the line for the same price points this year.
Also, if we're getting this now and not later this year does that mean there won't be a new, lighter and thinner iPad coming out until after the 2nd half of the year? Does the Surface Pro play any role in this 128GB release?
I believe you'll get the lighter, thinner iPad when the technology is available: IGZU Display, less power requirement and smaller battery.
I suspect that the Surface Pro is one of the drivers of 128 GB... but there are other forces as well. An iPad Retina can play 2K and 4K videos -- and may have a use in video creation. *
* From the people who provided the technology for "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" Shot 4K from 5K and delivered end-to-end in 4K.
http://www.lightiron.com/products/todailies
http://www.lightiron.com/products/live-play
Medical images is another need for large storage. A couple of the most interesting uses suggested by Apple were 3D CAD and Drafting/Blueprints...
...Interesting because there are currently no mainline apps to create or manipulate these files on an iPad... However, I do believe that iOS 6 and the A6X chip are up to that job as well as higher end video editing.
Sorry, I don't buy it. 45 GB for apps and OS? So the 64 GB Surface has only 19 GB free? I'm sure that even the densest tech reporters would have noticed that.
Maybe but iPad just gets faster and more capable with each iOS release. People whine about features in 6.1 but I'm finding it to be well developed with many features, speed increases and a few operational issues gone.
I just find your reasoning overly critical and nitpicking. For some users iPhone is a computers and is leveraged for the success of their businesses. Remember perspective here, somebody that spends their day at the interface of a supercomputer might see your Mac as a toy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
I have the rMBP, an iPad 3 and an iPad mini and I couldn't disagree more with your opinion. (bolded part, my emphasis)
The comparison between a computer and an iPad has nothing to do with speed, simply capabilities. I don't believe the iPad is really a computer at all. If the iPad is a computer then so is an iPhone, which seems absurd to me.
If the iPad is to be considered a computer, it is probably the worst computer on the market. It certainly cannot replace a real computer for my needs.
The only thing they add is more flash, that is it. As such they are charging way too much for a 128GB of flash.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
You can't take the starting price as some perfect value and then step a single component to then argue they are ripping you off. The product has a range with a calculated ARP and profit margin designed into it. Your argument is just as fallacious as saying the 128GB is priced well and the other ones are drastically under priced as you get to the lower-capacity models.
That doesn't make sense. You'd have to assume there are people who were holding off buying a 64GB iPad just so they could get a 128GB model. It's mid-cycle after all. Then you'd have assume there are so many people that the drop of the APR would be countered by 4 additional SKUs for a nearly $1000 tablet. Then you'd have to argue why this odd update wasn't done earlier as they knew before they released the iPad mini that the APR would fall. Then you'd have to find an argument that discounts the coincidence that it's being released the same week as the 64GB and 128GB MS Surface Pro tablets.
Let's also remember that less expensive products tend to be more popular than more expensive products so there would have to be a lot of these sold in comparison to the iPad mini to make a dent in the APR, as if that is Apple's primary concern.
Finally, the iPad mini started at a price $170 less than the starting price of the iPad and yet the APR only when down $70. I think it's safe to say iPad mini buyers are buying the higher-end models.
Originally Posted by KingChael
are you serious?
so release the same old product, with absolutely no additions or new "innovation" except increase the GB that hardly anyone really needs... and this is considered impactful, how?
I'll just assume you're not awake yet and that you don't really mean anything you've said here.
You cannot possibly mean anything you've said here.
I suspect we'll be seeing and/or hearing about a few other, possibly larger, rabbits being pulled out of Apple's hat in the next couple of months.
Its a little tempting, but I hope with the next version of IOS there can be profiles or something, it takes a long time if I loan it to my daughter to set all the parental controls and such. It is nice to store things locally when flying or something like that. Not to have to keep taking things off and on. Yes there will always be another one, sometime, Its not even February yet so if another one isnt coming out until September or October thats still a lot of time.
Again, you're looking at this wrong. I know you can't be ignorant in how the marketing of a product category works or how companies will lose profit margins on the low-end in expectation of making it up on the high-end. The same logic that lets you claim they too much for the high-end can also be used to say they charge too little on the low-end. You've made the erroneous assumption that the 16GB is some sweet spot with price and profit margin so that anything higher is just a rip off, but that's foolish.
Who would need 128... What kind of apps and usaage requiers this much storage?
It has nothing to do with other tablets it is all about the cost of flash.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slurpy
"In sync with the rest of the market"? Please point me to the other 128GB tablets so we can see if its in "sync". They don't exist. Nice troll though.
It's about 30GiB for the OS and they have noticed it. They have also noticed what the "stripped down" Windows RT uses. That's why the Surface RT starts at 32GB, not 16GB, and yet has about the same capacity as the 16GB iPad.
You're not buying flash, you're buying a product.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Quote:
Originally Posted by pedromartins
Unless you need a trully fast laptop for some use (think the best of them all, a rMBP 15) the iPad is the best computer on the market today.
I have the rMBP, an iPad 3 and an iPad mini and I couldn't disagree more with your opinion. (bolded part, my emphasis)
The comparison between a computer and an iPad has nothing to do with speed, simply capabilities. I don't believe the iPad is really a computer at all. If the iPad is a computer then so is an iPhone, which seems absurd to me.
If the iPad is to be considered a computer, it is probably the worst computer on the market. It certainly cannot replace a real computer for my needs.
Not for your needs... or for all my needs...
But, for many people, it is more than enough computer for all their needs... I can remember my [late] Dad struggling with the Apple ][ and a Selectric printer to create letters, etc... It was so much hassle my [late] Mom wouldn't even touch it... Today, with WiFi and the Internet, either would be right at home on an iPad.
In bed, or on the couch, I use the iPad exclusively -- though I have an iMac 17" and a 17" AluBook handy.
In the den:
In front of my loaded 27" iMac with dual display -- I often grab the iPad next to the kb to look something up, track the grandkids. I often use the iPad as a 3rd screen to monitor my investments or watch a video tutorial (FCP X, Motion, Blender) while following along on the dual-screen iMac.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
Medical images is another need for large storage. A couple of the most interesting uses suggested by Apple were 3D CAD and Drafting/Blueprints...
I found it interesting in the Apple announcement that they highlighted three business use examples:
AutoCad, music recording, and football. The football example I get because you are on the sidelines watching the video taken in the previous plays of the day.
The AutoCad and music examples have me baffled. If you are at a construction site it might make sense to be able to view the plans on an iPad but why on earth would you make edits to them? All edits to the building CAD files should be done back at the architect's office on the master copy otherwise you have multiple versions floating around. The music one is nonsensical to me as well because in order to do professional recording you need a truck load of equipment like mics, stands, cords, instruments, etc. Why is a small portable device like an iPad a benefit when you are toting around a drum kit and a piano? You would probably be better off with the full desktop version of the app on a MBP.
Edit: Also I forgot to mention that in almost every medical image setting you store the images on a server (PACS) and use an app to view them instead of saving them to the computer/iPad. In some instances we do share the images as a runtime Windows executable for doctors who don't have the native application, but in that case it doesn't run on an iPad anyway. It might make sense to save png files if you were going to make some Keynote presentations which included clinical cases but otherwise the large tiff of bmp files stay on the server. There is one nice Mac/iPad x-ray viewer. http://www.osirix-viewer.com