Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

daringfireball.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–77 of 77 posts

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#71

Post by jasomill »

philh wrote: post #35
stevenj wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. Why and how is it cumbersome for you? I agree that reading a book on it isn't the best experience. But I personally just don't read many books anymore. I'm very selective as to the books I read now, as oppose to even 3 - 5 years earlier. And the ones I choose to read, I still prefer them in a physical copy. And I think, generally, people will continue reading (and buying) less books going forward, so try…

> Why and how is it cumbersome for you? I don't personally have a full-sized tablet or a smartphone. But I have a Playbook (7"), and one of the main ways I use it is lying in bed, on my side, with one hand on top to keep it upright and scroll with. I get the feeling an iPad would be too big for that.

That's exactly how I'm using my retina iPad right now — it works great.

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#72

Post by lunarscape »

JunkDNA wrote: post #64

One thing missing in all these write-ups is what the "killer feature" will be. If you look at new products in an existing product line from Apple, they almost always have something unique that differentiates them, even if it's something minor. For example, they didn't just make the iPod mini smaller, they offered it in different colors. The iPhone 4S wasn't just a faster iPhone 4, it had Siri. I would be very surpris…

Since we're throwing around ideas, how about a haptic touch screen? Maybe something like what Senseg offers [1][2].

[1] http://senseg.com/technology/senseg-technology [2] http://tech-reviews.co.uk/news/apple-ipad-3-could-feature-ha...

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#73

Post by JunkDNA »

lunarscape wrote: post #72
JunkDNA wrote: post #64

One thing missing in all these write-ups is what the "killer feature" will be. If you look at new products in an existing product line from Apple, they almost always have something unique that differentiates them, even if it's something minor. For example, they didn't just make the iPod mini smaller, they offered it in different colors. The iPhone 4S wasn't just a faster iPhone 4, it had Siri. I would be very surpris…

Since we're throwing around ideas, how about a haptic touch screen? Maybe something like what Senseg offers [1][2]. [1] http://senseg.com/technology/senseg-technology [2] http://tech-reviews.co.uk/news/apple-ipad-3-could-feature-ha...

I have been waiting for the haptic stuff. I think it's almost certain they will go there (in fact, it's likely the perfect antidote to the MS Surface keyboard).

Unfortunately, I think you need to think about this from a manufacturing standpoint. They are unlikely to put a new tech like that in a product that needs to be price competitive at the lower end of their product line. They need things that have been clearly demonstrated to be easily mass produced in sufficient quantity. Therefore, I think it's more likely to be something "safe" like a new physical design, software they completely control, colors, or perhaps a new display that someone else is already using in larger quantities.

They have actually been fairly predictable with this stuff in the past: iPhone serves as the testbed for new tech. The small form factor means you need less of the really expensive materials and the US carrier subsidy prevents the initial price from being eye-popping. Once they get the manufacturing kinks worked out and the volume up, the tech can trickle down (over? up?) to the iPad and Mac lines.

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#74

Post by endemic »

guelo wrote: post #53
lostlogin wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>I have been accused of a habit of changing my opinions. I am not myself in any degree ashamed of having changed my opinions. What physicist who was already active in 1900 would dream of boasting that his opinions had not changed during the last half century? In science men change their opinions when new knowledge becomes available.<< Bertrand Russell

It's marketing and lies. A video iPod or a tablet or whatever is that worst idea ever only because they're not selling it, once they start selling it it's new and revolutionary and you can't live without it. Most companies lie in their marketing but no other company that I know of has their customers praising them for it.

"It's marketing"

Correct.

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#75

Post by wiredfool »

alexqgb wrote: post #27
mturmon wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds reasonable. This idea is in Gruber's article, when he quotes Tim Cook saying (about iPhone) that Apple did not want to leave a "price umbrella" -- an open price range leaving a niche in which competitors could flourish.

$300 for a 7.85" with a Retina display would be outstanding. I say that as someone who loves the idea of the iPad, but has not gotten one because they're too cumbersome for extended reading.

I certainly didn't get my iPad for reading, but I've wound up reading a bunch of books on them, both through the kindle app and the iBooks one. While the experience isn't as good as a hardback, it's nowhere near bad enough to keep me from a good book. And it's far lighter than Stephenson's latest.

Though, when opening one of the hardbacks I got this past christmas, I was very impressed with the resolution of the font and the crispness and uncluttered look of the pages. No fingerprints, no icons. Just well formatted text.

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#76

Post by ricardobeat »

JunkDNA wrote: post #64

One thing missing in all these write-ups is what the "killer feature" will be. If you look at new products in an existing product line from Apple, they almost always have something unique that differentiates them, even if it's something minor. For example, they didn't just make the iPod mini smaller, they offered it in different colors. The iPhone 4S wasn't just a faster iPhone 4, it had Siri. I would be very surpris…

It's already rumored to be as thin as an iPod touch, which would feel paper-thin compared to anything else.

Re: Let’s Try to Think This iPad Mini Thing All the Way Through

#77

Post by ricardobeat »

BvS wrote: post #43

So according the the rumors it will probably have a screen of lesser quality than the Nexus 7, it will probably be more expensive and it will probably be heavier (because it is much bigger). What's the point again? Ok, it's bigger but if there is any advantage of a 7 inch tablet it is the form factor (being small and light). So if Apple won't/can't adress the problems mentioned above the only reason I see anyone buyi…

A screen of lesser resolution. The IPS screen on the iPad is unmatched except maybe for the PlayBook.
Post reply on HN