Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 16

Thread: Apple unveils thinner, faster, camera-packing iPad 2

  1. #1
    #DeSantis2024 Teh One Who Knocks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    5280' Above Sea Level
    Posts
    256,044
    vCash
    10966
    Mentioned
    20 Post(s)
    Thanks
    23,810
    Thanked 113,085 Times in 59,902 Posts

    Apple unveils thinner, faster, camera-packing iPad 2

    By Ben Patterson Wed Mar 2, 1:23 pm ET


    A year after revitalizing the once-sleepy, now red-hot tablet market with the original iPad, Apple surprised absolutely no one Wednesday by taking the wrapper off a slimmer, trimmer version of the wildly popular slate, complete with a front-facing camera for video chat (finally!) and a souped-up processor.

    The new iPad 2 took the spotlight during a press event at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, with none other than Apple CEO Steve Jobs—who is still on medical leave, mind you ("he looks good," Engadget noted on its live blog)—taking the stage to unveil the much-anticipated follow-up to the best-selling original.

    The "dramatically faster" iPad 2 boasts a dual-core A5 "system on a chip" processor under the hood, said Jobs, good for twice the CPU power and nine times the graphics performance of the original while maintaining the same 10-hour battery life.

    Also new: dual cameras (at last), including a front-facing camera for VGA-quality video chat, while the rear camera will be good for 720p video capture. (Apple hasn't listed specific megapixel counts for the iPad 2's cameras yet.)

    As predicted, the 9.7-inch display on the iPad 2 has the same resolution as that on the original: 1,024 by 768, to be exact, disappointing news for anyone hoping that the new iPad would boast an improved "retina"-style display.

    Measuring 9.5 by 7.3 by 0.34 inches, the iPad 2 is slightly shorter and narrower than the original (according to Apple's specs, at least), with the listed weight of 1.33 pounds (or 1.35 for the 3G-enabled iPad 2) a bit lighter than the iPad 1.

    As with the first iPad, the iPad 2 comes with Apple's proprietary 30-pin dock connector for syncing and charging, along with a 3.5mm headset jack. Missing in action, however, is a slot for SD (or microSD) memory cards.

    A white version of the iPad will be available on "Day One," promised Jobs, with Apple probably hoping to avoid last year's debacle of the white iPhone that never quite arrived.

    The iPad 2 retains the same price points as the original: $499 for the 16GB version, $599 for the 32GB model, and $699 for the 64GB model. The 3G-enabled versions will also come with the same $130 premium over the Wi-Fi-only models (think $629 for the 3G-ready 16GB iPad 2, $729 for 32GB, and $829 for the 64GB version), and they'll be available for both AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

    The ship date? March 11 in the U.S., and March 25 in 26 additional countries.

    Jobs also announced a new "Smart Cover" to go along with the iPad 2—one with magnetic clasps that either wakes up the iPad or puts it to sleep depending on whether it's being attached or removed. The polyurethane version of the case will sell for $39, while a pricier leather one goes for $69.

    Another new accessory is a $39 HDMI video-out cable that's capable of 1080p video mirroring. The cable works with all iPad apps, Jobs said, and it'll charge your iPad when plugged into a power source.

    March 11 will also see the release of iOS version 4.3, with new features such as personal hotspot support for the iPhone 4 (nice), a speedier version of Safari, improvements to AirPlay media streaming, and FaceTime video chat. Not bad, but the iOS 4.3 release on the 11th will only be for iPads, third- and fourth-generation iPod Touches, and the GSM version of the iPhone—meaning that owners of the iPhone for Verizon (which runs a CDMA network) will have to wait.

    There will also be a new iPad version of Apple's iMovie video-editing app, which is slated to arrive March 11 for $4.99.

    Before unveiling the new iPad, Jobs confirmed recent rumors that book publisher Random House, the last of the major iBooks holdouts, would be offering more than 17,000 volumes through Apple's e-book store.

    Jobs also took a shot at Honeycomb, Google's new Android-based tablet OS, by bragging that only 100 Honeycomb-ready apps are currently available for download, versus about 65,000 apps for the iPad—perhaps not the fairest comparison, since the first Honeycomb-enabled tablet only landed in stores about a week ago.

    The first iPad, originally unveiled last January before landing in stores the following April, was initially greeted with skepticism.

    Where's the camera, reviewers (including me, I'll admit) and wary consumers asked? Why no SD card slot—or USB, for that matter? How are you supposed to hold the thing, especially while tapping the on-screen keypad? Isn't it just a jumbo-sized iPod Touch? And what are you supposed to do with the thing, anyway?

    Valid questions all, but in the end, the numbers speak for themselves: 14.8 million sold in 2010 alone, a total that shocked even the most optimistic Apple watchers, with the iPad laying waste to the once-burgeoning netbook market and even taking a bite out of laptop sales. During Wednesday's event, Jobs claimed that the iPad now has a 90-percent share of the tablet market.

    Unsurprisingly, the massive success of the iPad has drawn a slew of competitors, with sleek new tablets from the likes of Dell, HP, LG, Motorola, and Samsung either on sale now or waiting in the wings.

    Most of the hottest new tablets (such as the Motorola Xoom and the upcoming LG G-Slate) are based on Google's tablet-oriented Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" OS, although we'll also be seeing such non-Android tablets as HP's WebOS-based TouchPad and the BlackBerry PlayBook from RIM.

    So, what do you think—is the iPad 2 a worthy successor to the iPad? Planning to get one on March 11, or will you instead go for one of the iPad's increasingly powerful, feature-packed competitors?

  2. #2
    #DeSantis2024 Teh One Who Knocks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    5280' Above Sea Level
    Posts
    256,044
    vCash
    10966
    Mentioned
    20 Post(s)
    Thanks
    23,810
    Thanked 113,085 Times in 59,902 Posts
    $500 for one that isn't even 3G enabled?

    What moron would actually buy one of these?

  3. #3
    rokr Arkady Renko's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    2,609
    vCash
    3000
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Thanks
    16
    Thanked 58 Times in 47 Posts
    beats me - Samsung Galaxy Pad seems to be the way to go instead.

  4. #4
    weapon of mass consumption redred's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Bristol , England
    Posts
    30,600
    vCash
    3793
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Thanks
    1,838
    Thanked 5,562 Times in 3,632 Posts
    can that ipad play flash stuff yet ?

  5. #5
    #DeSantis2024 Teh One Who Knocks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    5280' Above Sea Level
    Posts
    256,044
    vCash
    10966
    Mentioned
    20 Post(s)
    Thanks
    23,810
    Thanked 113,085 Times in 59,902 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by redred View Post
    can that ipad play flash stuff yet ?
    Of course not

  6. #6
    weapon of mass consumption redred's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Bristol , England
    Posts
    30,600
    vCash
    3793
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Thanks
    1,838
    Thanked 5,562 Times in 3,632 Posts
    haven't they seen any of the users asking them to have this

  7. #7
    #DeSantis2024 Teh One Who Knocks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    5280' Above Sea Level
    Posts
    256,044
    vCash
    10966
    Mentioned
    20 Post(s)
    Thanks
    23,810
    Thanked 113,085 Times in 59,902 Posts
    crApple doesn't care what the users want because they know that the fanboys will buy it anyway

  8. #8
    fricnjay
    Guest
    Its not about function or productivity its a fashion accessory.

  9. #9
    Sisukas Jezter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    9,495
    vCash
    2357
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Thanks
    641
    Thanked 2,139 Times in 1,281 Posts
    And funny how it took a whole another version to come up to get more power to it and the cameras. When others have had those for a good while now. And yet, Apple steals all the attention. Beats me why the fuck that is.

  10. #10
    Forever Alone! Loser's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Surrounded by amish Q.Q
    Posts
    5,490
    vCash
    3000
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Thanks
    3,738
    Thanked 1,286 Times in 869 Posts
    While I don't understand why anyone would pay any amount of money for a crippled O/S, I can understand why apple doesn't allow flash.

    1.) It's a security nightmare. It has very big security holes that have been outstanding for years. Adobe is only just now fixing them.
    2.) It's a resource hog. It's capabilities have been scaling, year by year, with the processing power of desktop and laptop hardware. Flash runs like shit on mobile devices, flat out.

    Will any of this matter in the next 6-12 months? No. HTML 5 is going to decimate flash...Hands down.

    Quote Originally Posted by Hal-9000 View Post
    I already have your name on my butthole...too bad the tattoo artist couldn't spell
    Looser
    Quote Originally Posted by Hal-9000 View Post
    murder my ass..shove it up my ass....both are beautiful terms of endearment

  11. #11
    Basement Dweller Godfather's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Vancouver
    Posts
    16,820
    vCash
    13129
    Mentioned
    28 Post(s)
    Thanks
    4,305
    Thanked 6,770 Times in 4,009 Posts
    Interesting point about HTML5 Loser

    Still.. I don't want one.

    I do however want a Windows 7 tablet at some point... I like the idea of tablets to be honest. They're all overpriced but I think I would get a lot of use out of one.

  12. #12
    #DeSantis2024 Teh One Who Knocks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    5280' Above Sea Level
    Posts
    256,044
    vCash
    10966
    Mentioned
    20 Post(s)
    Thanks
    23,810
    Thanked 113,085 Times in 59,902 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Loser View Post
    While I don't understand why anyone would pay any amount of money for a crippled O/S, I can understand why apple doesn't allow flash.

    1.) It's a security nightmare. It has very big security holes that have been outstanding for years. Adobe is only just now fixing them.
    2.) It's a resource hog. It's capabilities have been scaling, year by year, with the processing power of desktop and laptop hardware. Flash runs like shit on mobile devices, flat out.

    Will any of this matter in the next 6-12 months? No. HTML 5 is going to decimate flash...Hands down.
    When about 90% of the interwebz runs Flash of some kind on their sites, it would be kind of a nice thing to have.

    Yet another reason why only people that have had a lobotomy would buy an iPad.



  13. #13
    Wibble! beowulf's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Monkey Hanger Town, UK
    Posts
    2,816
    vCash
    3000
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Thanks
    20
    Thanked 279 Times in 144 Posts


    i did read today that its coming in white to appeal more to women

    They say that life's a carousel, Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well. The world is full of Kings and Queens, Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams

  14. #14
    Basement Dweller Godfather's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Vancouver
    Posts
    16,820
    vCash
    13129
    Mentioned
    28 Post(s)
    Thanks
    4,305
    Thanked 6,770 Times in 4,009 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by thelancinator View Post


    There is a lot of great stuff like this out there... this is bar-none the best

  15. #15
    Sisukas Jezter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    9,495
    vCash
    2357
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Thanks
    641
    Thanked 2,139 Times in 1,281 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Loser View Post
    While I don't understand why anyone would pay any amount of money for a crippled O/S, I can understand why apple doesn't allow flash.

    1.) It's a security nightmare. It has very big security holes that have been outstanding for years. Adobe is only just now fixing them.
    2.) It's a resource hog. It's capabilities have been scaling, year by year, with the processing power of desktop and laptop hardware. Flash runs like shit on mobile devices, flat out.

    Will any of this matter in the next 6-12 months? No. HTML 5 is going to decimate flash...Hands down.
    All points are true, but when it comes to the security, that can always be improved, no? And that is why normal computers have antivirus and such programs. Androids have them too...
    And yes, HTML5 will make life easier and better, but until we get full support of that to mobile browsers and until webpages start to fully utilize it, Flash is kinda nice. And atleast my android has Flash Lite to run youtube stuffs and such..and it works sweet. So it doesn't always run like shit. Needs the powaahhh! Which we now have even in mobile phones. Not on the low-end ones so much though.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •