DailyTech - Report: iPad 2 in Production, No Resolution Improvements

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Gadgets Report: iPad 2 in Production, No Resolution Improvements
Mark Kurlyandchik - February 9, 2011 7:30 AM

53 comment(s) - last by robinthakur.. on Feb 24 at 11:03 AM

Apple CEO Steve Jobs holding up the iPad. (Source: NYDailyNews.com)

Next-gen device will be lighter, thinner, and sport a front-facing camera

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a new version of Apple's iPad -- one with a faster processor and at least a front-facing camera -- is now being manufactured.

Despite earlier reports of improved resolution, the unnamed sources in the WSJ report fail to corroborate that rumor, saying that the new iPad will have a resolution similar to its first-generation cohort. "People familiar with the situation said Apple has had trouble improving the display technology, in part because of the iPad screen's larger size compared with the iPhone," WSJ reports.

However, the new device is allegedly lighter and thinner than the current iPad, will boast more memory, a more powerful GPU, and will sport at least a front-facing camera for video conferencing.

Since its debut in last April, the iPad has reportedly moved 14.8 million units. The iPad 2 is expected to launch in the next few months, and will be available from both Verizon and AT&T at roughly the same price as the current model. Analysts Piper Jaffray & Co. predict Apple will move 27 million iPads this year, while others predict a number as high as 35 million units.

Meanwhile, research firm IHS iSuppli believes that the iPad's market share could decline to less than 50% of the tablet market that by 2013.

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RE: I don't get it

By Shadowmaster625 on 2/9/2011 11:18:51 AM , Rating: 2

Your comment might make sense if bicycles costed more than pickup trucks. If APply made a bicycle I'm sure it would cost more than a pickup truck.

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RE: I don't get it

By Pirks on 2/9/2011 11:25:19 AM , Rating: 2

Your comment might make sense if iPads costed more than WinXP tablets.

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RE: I don't get it

By The Raven on 2/9/2011 3:09:43 PM , Rating: 2

Umm.. I think the problem with you original comment Pirks, is that it would be like if bikes were invented after the truck and it wasn't until Apple created a Nth gen bike that didn't have bells and whistles on it and couldn't go offroad.

And to be honest, it is great to have another option. I and others just don't like how simple minded people are when they fall for the marketing tricks of Jobs and co.

But back to the OP's question, I think that many companies see that they missed the boat on the netbook craze and want to capitalize on this craze.

Personally I think that the netbook was a great idea even moreso than the tablet which is just a bunch of hype. Tablets have been around for sometime now and all the sudden people want one. Sounds like a fad to me. Like the librarian who takes her glasses off and lets her hair down, now everyone is interested in reading. But how much reading actually goes on in that case? Hmmm?

The netbook really was like the flood of Japanese compacts in the 80's. Well result wasn't the same (or at least isn't yet) but the lead up seems so. We were trying to get bigger screens, more powerful GPUs, etc. to make the most advanced desktop replacements. Then Asus comes out with the Eee and bam. Everyone was thinking, "Hey, you know what, I really don't need a 17' screen to check my e-mail real quick." or "This little doozy would be great for Grandma."

What happened next was people started to clamor for something smaller like the Eee and later the iPad.

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RE: I don't get it

By SPOOFE on 2/9/2011 4:28:21 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
I and others just don't like how simple minded people are when they fall for the marketing tricks of Jobs and co.

And I think it's your own hubris and bias to say they're falling for "marketing tricks". The simpler solution is that Apple saw an opportunity and went for it; tablets have always been niche devices with very uninteresting support and options.

I mean, look how hung up you guys get on a simple (and apt!) analogy. You're just trying really, really hard to invent reasons why the iPad is not a good product, so hard that there's no room in your brain for "Well, maybe it IS a pretty good product."

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RE: I don't get it

By Alexstarfire on 2/10/2011 1:53:13 AM , Rating: 2

The iPad isn't a good product for most people. Then again, I think that also applies to nearly all, if not all, tablets. The tablet, at least iPad size, doesn't seem like a good fit to me. 10" tablets seem too big to replace a laptop. A 7" one could be a good fit, but I haven't actually used one enough to know. Might be just a bit too small.

And I know you might say it's not meant to replace a laptop, but think about it for a second. If a tablet isn't meant to replace a laptop and a laptop isn't meant to replace a desktop then you basically have 4 devices to do almost the exact same things: phone, tablet, laptop, and a desktop. That just doesn't make sense to me.

These new tablets and the classic/original/old tablets have largely different markets. The iPad targets consumers, based on price alone, while the other tablets, namely Windows, were more for business users. No one argues that the Windows tablets weren't far more versatile and more feature rich; however, they also came with a high price.

I have to agree with SPOOFE when he says Apple just got it in the right price range. I still think that even in that price range a notebook is a much better option but it consumers something to think about since the prices are pretty similar.

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RE: I don't get it

By SPOOFE on 2/10/2011 3:23:06 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
If a tablet isn't meant to replace a laptop and a laptop isn't meant to replace a desktop then you basically have 4 devices to do almost the exact same things:

Did you know that there are people that own more than one TV? Shocking, I know! They own multiple devices that do the exact same thing! Why would people do that? Don't they know they only need one of a thing to do the things that that thing does?

quote:
That just doesn't make sense to me.

Do you always do a given thing in the same spot at the same time with the same purpose? Or do you use items in different ways depending on your desired task?

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RE: I don't get it

By robinthakur on 2/24/2011 10:00:27 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
The iPad isn't a good product for most people.

I don't know where you pluck this statement of fact from. I'm pretty sure that 'most people' browse the net, do their email and view pictures on computers. They probably do office program stuff as well, but generally that's on business machines at work, not their home machines.

The iPad is perfect for all of those uses apart from business use, and I know several businesses (Banks and recruitment mainly) that have deployed iPad's to their workforce. For many users the iPad could easily replace their laptop and for a slightly smaller number, it could replace their desktop too. Chuck in the games and it could replace your PSP/DS all for about £4-500. Tablets before the ipad ran to about £1500 minimum, were bulky, ugly and heavy and ran Windows, an OS designed for high res monitors and KB and mouse combos. As people write less these days (in general) handwriting recognition is far less appealing than it was in the early 90's.

Note that this assumes that 99% of everybody does not want to edit and transcode HD videos or create 3D animations in Maya or play Crysis 2, which is accurate...

Is Apple's lead in the Tablet market unassailable? Certainly not. Do I think the competition on the market at the moment is a complete joke compared to the admittedly limited usability of the iPad? Absolutely. The problem is that despite both Android and Apple having App Stores, the Apps I tried on Android (on a Galaxy Tab) seemed to run shockingly badly if they even ran at all and in general, you can see why it is a one horse race currently. The innovative apps which have been written for the Appstore extend the iPad's utility immeasurably and this is for some reason not taken into account alot of the time.

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RE: I don't get it

By The Raven on 2/10/2011 11:11:42 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
And to be honest, it is great to have another option. I and others just don't like how simple minded people are when they fall for the marketing tricks of Jobs and co.

Why do people leave these things off of their quotes?

I was addressing the fad. And yes people who follow a fad are simple minded (with respect to that fad. They might be geniuses regarding other things).

quote:
The simpler solution is that Apple saw an opportunity and went for it

This is Apple saying that blue is the new black and nearly nothing more. If HP, MS, Sony or anyone else would've done the same exact thing (even with a real OS on it), it would be a different story. They are the Flava Flave of the PC world. Hype machines.

Steve Jobs is so hot right now he could take a crap, wrap it in tinfoil, put a couple fish hooks on it and sell it to Queen Elizabeth as earrings.

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RE: I don't get it

By SPOOFE on 2/10/2011 3:31:13 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
Why do people leave these things off of their quotes?

In this case, it's because I didn't want to quote irrelevent text.

quote:
I was addressing the fad.

With the implicit assumption that it IS a fad. Tablets have been around for a decade. Fad?

quote:
And yes people who follow a fad are simple minded (with respect to that fad. They might be geniuses regarding other things).

You made the baseless assumption that they "fall for marketing tricks". Instead of whining about how I didn't quote everything you wanted me to quote, maybe you should be supporting the claim that "marketing tricks" are what's driving iPad sales, as opposed to some other phenomenon?

quote:
This is Apple saying that blue is the new black and nearly nothing more.

This sentence is just meaningless drivel. If you want people to quote more of what you say, then say things that are less inane.

quote:
If HP, MS, Sony or anyone else would've done the same exact thing (even with a real OS on it), it would be a different story.

It's fun to make claims that are physically impossible to disprove. How's this? If HP, MS, Sony or anyone would've done the same exact thing, it would have been essentially the same exact story.

You seem to think the iPad exists in a vacuum. It doesn't. Tablets have been around for a long time. Tablets have driven very hype-filled news stories for a long time. A smart person looks at all the variables and tries to narrow it down to as few variables as possible. What's the biggest difference between the iPad and previous tablets? Price! All else being equal, cheap stuff sells better than expensive stuff! Is this some amazingly difficult concept to grasp?

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RE: I don't get it

By NellyFromMA on 2/15/2011 10:10:15 AM , Rating: 2

How can all else be equal... Even a Windows XP tablet can do infintitely more than an iPad... Don't get me wrong, I don't even think the two are comparable even in their target audience, but to say the price difference is the only variable is a bad claim. an iPad is by far a less capable device. That doesn't make it a bad one and in fact it does a lot of what its target audience needs, but it doesn't do so at a value. To claim it does is turning a blind eye to many obvious facts.

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