Live from Apple's iPad 2 event • Hacker News Board

Re: Live from Apple's iPad 2 event

#111

Post by ghshephard » Wed, Mar 02, 2011, 8:01 PM UTC

rbarooah wrote: post #89

vyrotek wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They needed to give you reasons to buy the iPad 3 of course.

Does anyone seriously think they are deliberately holding back?

Apple is well known for coming up with ten prototypes, bringing it down to three potential shipping products, and then selecting just one.

You can be certain that somewhere in mid 2010, there was a higher resolution version of the iPad 2 that was either in the first group of ten, or possibly even down selected to the final group of three. For reasons of cost, power consumption, or, perhaps competitive pressure (Nobody else was coming out with a tablet with a high resolution, so they could hold off until the iPad 3, or possibly 4) that was not the product you saw today.

Re: Live from Apple's iPad 2 event

#112

Post by achompas » Wed, Mar 02, 2011, 8:01 PM UTC

gabriele wrote: post #106

silvestrov wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Apple will make more profit on their Smart Covers than Motorola, HP and RIM will on their tablets. http://twitter.com/#!/kawika/status/43024891062124545

really? with 15 millions units sold in 9 months and 90% market I wonder if editors still think that tablets can be a lucrative platform EDIT: I'm not being sarcastic, but my opinion is not related to the technology. I'm talking about the potentials of tablets as a new media+ads distribution platform and that number doesn't seem so impressive to me, so far.

Wait, is this sarcastic or serious? 15 million units is a lot for something that did not exist before it was released.

Re: Live from Apple's iPad 2 event

#113

Post by mattparcher » Wed, Mar 02, 2011, 8:02 PM UTC

billmcneale wrote: post #83

gfodor wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you really expect Apple to add USB ports to the iPad? Also, new iOS wasn't part of this announcement. All in all it's a pretty solid hardware refresh (the thinner case being the highlight.) The screen probably will be in v3, since the cost is probably still too high.

> Did you really expect Apple to add USB ports to the iPad? Doesn't seem unreasonable coming from the company that claims to have popularized USB: http://www.apple.com/thunderbolt/

Thunderbolt is actually based on the Mini DisplayPort specification. If anything, Apple will add this to the iPad, but it will look quite different than USB.

The next iPad, rumored for September of this year, is more likely to include major new features, including a higher-resolution display and more connectivity (i.e. Thunderbolt).

Re: Live from Apple's iPad 2 event

#114

Post by dvdhsu » Wed, Mar 02, 2011, 8:02 PM UTC

DrHankPym wrote: post #49

This is why I love Apple. They heavily advertise the iPad during the holiday season, I foolishly purchase one for my parents, and they release a new model three months later. Are they planning to release a new iPad every year or just with every new iOS update?

Good point.

John Gruber noticed this. He made the prediction that the iPad 3 would come in fall, along with the new iPods. This would allow people to buy the iPad during the holiday season without worrying a newer model coming a few months later.

Re: Live from Apple's iPad 2 event

#115

Post by joezydeco » Wed, Mar 02, 2011, 8:02 PM UTC

nroach wrote: post #102

Is this Steve Jobs signing off? Looking at Engadget's coverage, the tone of Steve's closing seems very different from any past event I can recall. It's always about Apple and about the Product. Jobs is very focused and doesn't "accidentally" include information in his presentations that isn't deliberate. Why then would he include that slide depicting the intersection of technology and liberal arts? Why bother using a…

That "technology and liberal arts" slide was used in the iPad 1 keynote last year.

I took it more as a very public declaration as to why the iPad is successful and the other tablet products haven't caught fire yet.

Re: Live from Apple's iPad 2 event

#116

Post by mattparcher » Wed, Mar 02, 2011, 8:05 PM UTC

HSO wrote: post #91

from the iOS 4 page: "the built-in dictionaries support over 50 languages and dialects" Hmpf, I just splurged on German-English, French, and Korean dictionaries a few days ago... :-( Still, if this means I can tap a word in any app, say Le Monde, and an explanation/definition pops up, I'll be superhappy. At the moment, one needs to switch back and forth between dictionary and app.

The current iOS 4.2 does not include any standalone Dictionary apps, AFAIK. I believe "dictionary" here refers to the system’s built-in spelling autocorrect and suggestion engine, which lacks definitions.

Re: Live from Apple's iPad 2 event

#117

Post by grhino » Wed, Mar 02, 2011, 8:05 PM UTC

lwhi wrote: post #88

achompas wrote: post #27

For me, the most exciting announcement has to be the line of Smart Covers. iPad covers aren't new, but this cover looks like it could solve the ergonomic problem of typing on your iPad or watching a movie/TV show while you're not sitting on a couch. It also protects your iPad's screen without adding bulk. EDIT: @marcoarment: "The Smart Cover might be the best feature of the iPad 2. I can't possibly express how much I…

Perhaps progress is overrated, when 'smart covers' are the most exciting feature.

I think when folks are saying the most exciting feature is the 'smart covers' they are using hyperbole. They haven't gotten a chance to touch and use the iPad 2 to determine speed improvements or OS improvements. If they already have an iPhone 4, they've already experienced the excited with the cameras, FaceTime, and even how thin it is.

For everyone who is comparing this against the previous iPad and not the iPhone 4, the most exciting features are probably 1) cameras 2) A5 chip or 2) HDMI out.

Re: Live from Apple's iPad 2 event

#118

Post by JacobAldridge » Wed, Mar 02, 2011, 8:06 PM UTC

HSO wrote: post #91

from the iOS 4 page: "the built-in dictionaries support over 50 languages and dialects" Hmpf, I just splurged on German-English, French, and Korean dictionaries a few days ago... :-( Still, if this means I can tap a word in any app, say Le Monde, and an explanation/definition pops up, I'll be superhappy. At the moment, one needs to switch back and forth between dictionary and app.

If you can tap Le Monde for immediate translation, then the world will be at your fingertips.

Re: Live from Apple's iPad 2 event

#119

Post by dvdhsu » Wed, Mar 02, 2011, 8:06 PM UTC

6ren wrote: post #43

http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/ RAM not mentioned (so it's probably not increased).

iMovie refused to run on the iPad 1 because the RAM was only 256. iMovie only ran on the iPhone 4, because it had 512 megabytes of RAM.

We can safely conclude that the iPad 2 has at least 512 megabytes of RAM, because iMovie requires that much.

I daresay RAM will be increased to 1 gigabyte (if not already) when the retina display for iPad debuts. 4x resolution requires more RAM, as I've noticed on the iPod Touch 4.

Re: Live from Apple's iPad 2 event

#120

Post by ghshephard » Wed, Mar 02, 2011, 8:07 PM UTC

fourspace wrote: post #10

Love the faster processor, HDMI out and better Safari performance. However, the main reason I'd upgrade my iPad would be for better resolution. Going from my iPhone 4, the iPad's screen just looks like crap. I primarily use the iPad for reading websites and Instapaper, and my guess is that I'm not alone.

I absolutely agree. I would have upgraded to the new iPad in a heartbeat if it had a better screen resolution.