At last, the iPad 2 has been unveiled. The major feature appears to be some kind of stand which can also be used as a coloured cover for the screen. The hardware has been beefed up as well as the battery life. The previous iPad made Apple king of the tablet market so it's likely its successor will make things only better. No brainless bashing please. We've already got a thread for that.
Even with the cheapest version at 16GB and no 3G, you still get close to €600 before you have all the fucking connectors you need. At a base prices of €499 you get no USB, no SD and no HDMI. No, for each of those you'll need to buy some kind of friggin adapter; I believe it's one for USB/SD and one for HDMI? And if you get the "real" ones, that's €30 a piece - €60 for functionality (especially SD slot) that should've been there to begin with.
Best bit? Tough luck if you'd want to load something off a USB drive or SD card and stream it across HDMI.
On the other hand, it does obviously still look good, and the fact that they managed to make it so much thinner is impressive, but they really are not listening to what users want. All they care about is bringing in the dumb fucks that will fall for this anyway.
Honestly, I can't wait to see the load of Android tablets that were announced a few weeks ago. Honeycomb is pretty darn amazing, and I'm sorry, but if these tablets are going to perform as well as they seem they will, and Apple doesn't get down on updating IOS very soon, then Android will have won this round.
It's funny how Apple always claim to innovate, but Android is the OS making the big jumps right now.
Look at the iPhone. They will keep the resolution the same until they can get panels with 2048x1536 at affordable prices for backwards compatibility without ugly scaling issues.
Apart from that it's still only an iOS device and it's still too big to fit into a pocket. Since you need a backpack to carry it you might as well put a real Windows/Linux/MacOS laptop inside it and enjoy a real OS.
iOS is fine as a phone/DAP system but compared to Windows or even MacOS it's a joke.
Considering the size and relative power of the iPad 2 I would say it is fairly impressive.
Anyone else see the new Garage Band app they will release for the iPad 2? That shit was fucking impressive, and I normally don't give a shit about Apple products.
I can see the Laptop argument - But regardless of the OS current netbooks/CULV laptops aren't as bullet proof and easy to use. Nor are they as thin, nor do they have the battery life. The iPad 2 is hardly underpowered either. The new A5 is quite impressive for the size of the device. Not really sure why any cares about USB charging or not. The device comes with the cables it needs, who really cares? The new HDMI 1080p out is quite impressive as well.
And that stand is awesome.
I wouldn't buy one because I don't have the need for it. That said, I can clearly see why some people would want it, and if anything - You have to give Apple credit for Garage Band on iPad. Again, that shit was fucking impressive for such a small device. I love how it uses the accelerometer to detect how hard you hit the screen and thus apply that to the force on the virtual keyboard/drums.
I don't really see an issue with the price either. $500 is pretty on par with what I would expect for a device of that function and quality.
Of course, the one thing people always forget (or choose to forget) about Apple products is their support. If my Asus CULV laptop breaks it is a pain in the ass to get it fixed / replaced. If an Apple product breaks all I have to do is walk into an Apple store and they typically give you a replacement on the spot free of charge. The older I get (And thus less free time) the more I appreciate Apple support.
Last edited by Mchart on Thu, 3rd Mar 2011 19:54; edited 1 time in total
Even with the cheapest version at 16GB and no 3G, you still get close to €600 before you have all the fucking connectors you need. At a base prices of €499 you get no USB, no SD and no HDMI. No, for each of those you'll need to buy some kind of friggin adapter; I believe it's one for USB/SD and one for HDMI? And if you get the "real" ones, that's €30 a piece - €60 for functionality (especially SD slot) that should've been there to begin with.
Best bit? Tough luck if you'd want to load something off a USB drive or SD card and stream it across HDMI.
On the other hand, it does obviously still look good, and the fact that they managed to make it so much thinner is impressive, but they really are not listening to what users want. All they care about is bringing in the dumb fucks that will fall for this anyway.
Honestly, I can't wait to see the load of Android tablets that were announced a few weeks ago. Honeycomb is pretty darn amazing, and I'm sorry, but if these tablets are going to perform as well as they seem they will, and Apple doesn't get down on updating IOS very soon, then Android will have won this round.
It's funny how Apple always claim to innovate, but Android is the OS making the big jumps right now.
It supports HDMI out now, and one can quite easily Jailbreak iOS devices and load whatever the fuck they want on the storage space. There are also quite a few 3rd party media players now as well. It should also be noted that converting movies to the useable format that a non-jailbroken iOS device will play is quite easy as well...
So I don't really see how that is much of a complaint. No, you can't as easily do it like on Android devices or linux/windows tablet PC's... But these devices are seriously lacking in other areas that I would consider more important in terms of a tablet device.
The new MobileMe improvements coming sort of resolve space issues as well. You can upload any compatible media you have to the MobileMe cloud (or if in your house just use Airplay) and then stream it to the iDevice. So, again, I don't see this as being as large of an issue as you play it off to be.
I do agree that it would have been nice to include a HDMI port on the device itself. Let us be reasonable about this expectation though. This would have increased the size of the device, and also increased the price. And to be frank, $30 for the HDMI dongle is pittance when you've allready paid hundreds of dollars for the device itself.
With the €30 ($42) adapter.
You also said in your previous post that $500 is what you'd expect - I'd expect that too, since it would be €360. That happens to be what the iPad 1 has been dropped to now, and the iPad 2 sits at €500. That's $700 for the base device, would you still think that's a fair price? No, I didn't think so.
And I wasn't referring to Android's ease with apps, if you actually look at Honeycomb the whole thing is just so much more fit for tablets. Whether the upcoming Android tablets really will be lacking in "other areas" remains to be seen, none of them are out yet. Also good fun that MobileMe stuff, just a shame it's not free (or did they change that recently?), making it a lot less attractive.
Honestly, when I look at the thing in US Dollars, it's a lot fairer for the price, but we simply get fucked over three times here in Europe.
Oh and about the support, they have to replace your device on the spot because every single employee of these stores I've dealt with knows jack shit about anything. Printing to and from PS applications broken in OS X 10.6.5? Erm, no idea. Yeah thanks, I'll just dive into the terminal and go at it good old Unix style to fix it, because you can't get to the appropriate locations through the OS's UI. Useless, really. Not to mention the bug in IOS 4.2.1 which can randomly on very select devices cause the touchscreen to be unresponsive when there's an incoming call while the screen is already on. One of the employees at the company where I'm doing my internship also went back to the store because his phone couldn't get updated, and they didn't want to help him. I ended up doing it on my laptop, having to manually enable some update override in iTunes's config files to get the damn thing to work. Great shit, Apple rules.
No, I'm not impressed by Apple at all. Don't get me wrong, the iPhone 4 is a very nice device, and MBP's are awesomely built, but the support is shit. That printing bug is a pretty big deal in the graphic industry, and where Microsoft (of all companies) would've rolled out a hotfix already, Apple have so far taken 6 months and still nothing. Took them 2 months to acknowledge their fuckup in the first place (I had to manually recompile one of the PS filters, go figure). Definitely not worth paying the price for; not in Euros anyway.
Yes I know I'm ranting, but this retarded "Apple is great" shit has to end. It's simply not true, and they fuck up just as much as any other company. Difference is that they rarely acknowledge their fuckups.
(If Leo is still reading this by the way, that 4.2.1 bug above I also told you about on Skype? We updated the other phones to 4.2.1 as well (had to because of some problems syncing with Apple's own iCal server, and one of those 2 now has the same issue as well)
Yes, the employee's know jack shit. That is besides the point. Getting a brand new piece of hardware for even the dumbest issues is awesome, and yes I abuse that. I've gotten my iPhone 4 replaced multiple times now when it had scratches, and i've complained about some stupid non-issue just for the replacement.
I don't know about OSX issues because I never use it. My experiance with iOS has been wonderful though. For a mobile device OS it has been 100% bullet proof for me, my experiance with other mobile platforms has been otherwise. Yeah, great, they are more open off the bat - But you aren't fooling anyone if you suggest any Android release has less issues then any iOS release. iOS isn't perfect - But it is far more polished then the other choices.
And yes, Europe gets raped on prices for everything. Blame VAT and your other import taxes for that. I just went out last weekend to buy a stupid pair of Levi's jeans here in the UK and the cheapest price I could find was 50 GBP. In the US they sell for $20 tops.
Apple as a whole has never been perfect. My limited experiance with Apple concerning product support has been leaps and bounds better then the non-exsistant Indian call center bullshit I get if I have a problem with my PC hardware though. If I buy a HTC phone I can't walk into a HTC store and get a replacement on the spot. I would have to deal with the shitty carrier and get some refurbished crap as a replacement, and wait a month on top of that.
For desktops I don't really care about this, as it is a different issue when shit breaks. Mobile devices are far different though. You can't fix that shit yourself. So when it comes to mobile devices and the 'replace' attitude of Apple support - I appreciate that.
Not really sure why any cares about USB charging or not.
I don't.
I do care if I can't use an external HD to transfer all my pr0n/movies/series from and to the device.
Same for an SD card.
Unless I understood wrong this is only possible if I spend another ~30€ for the friggin adapter?
And +1 about the europe pricing.
The 30 dollar adapter is for the HDMI thing.
You can transfer whatever the fuck you want to iOS devices if you jailbreak them.
I've personally never needed the ability to connect a hard drive to a mobile device (like a phone) itself for storage needs. Usually I have a computer to transfer shit onto the device.
I don't know about OSX issues because I never use it. My experiance with iOS has been wonderful though. For a mobile device OS it has been 100% bullet proof for me, my experiance with other mobile platforms has been otherwise. Yeah, great, they are more open off the bat - But you aren't fooling anyone if you suggest any Android release has less issues then any iOS release. iOS isn't perfect - But it is far more polished then the other choices.
What issues does Android have then? Honestly, I know it seems like I'm bashing iOS but I'm not really. It's a very fine mobile OS (although Apple do need to finally give it a major overhaul, because Android 3.0 is looking pretty amazing so far), but I honestly don't get what it does so much better than other systems. I've had a WinMo 6.5 device, Android and at work I've been dealing with the iPhones. Both Android and iOS 4 (I don't know about earlier versions) are a huge step forward from WinMo 6.5, but to say either is better than the other? No, not really. They both have their quirks, advantages and disadvantages. I just don't get the fucking worshipping that goes on with it :/
Mchart wrote:
And yes, Europe gets raped on prices for everything. Blame VAT and your other import taxes for that. I just went out last weekend to buy a stupid pair of Levi's jeans here in the UK and the cheapest price I could find was 50 GBP. In the US they sell for $20 tops.
Prices are higher than VAT; import taxes are bullshit, as it has to get imported to the US as well, and there are import taxes just the same. The €360 including VAT here in NL would be 360 * 1.19 = €428, still nowhere near the scams they pull.
I thought you were from..Chicago btw? Moved to the UK?
You can transfer whatever the fuck you want to iOS devices if you jailbreak them.
I've personally never needed the ability to connect a hard drive to a mobile device (like a phone) itself for storage needs. Usually I have a computer to transfer shit onto the device.
So no USB at all?
Seems like an unnecessary step, especially in this day and age (transfer it from the external device to your PC and then to the iPad) but whatever.
boundle (thoughts on cracking AITD) wrote:
i guess thouth if without a legit key the installation was rolling back we are all fucking then
I don't know about OSX issues because I never use it. My experiance with iOS has been wonderful though. For a mobile device OS it has been 100% bullet proof for me, my experiance with other mobile platforms has been otherwise. Yeah, great, they are more open off the bat - But you aren't fooling anyone if you suggest any Android release has less issues then any iOS release. iOS isn't perfect - But it is far more polished then the other choices.
What issues does Android have then? Honestly, I know it seems like I'm bashing iOS but I'm not really. It's a very fine mobile OS (although Apple do need to finally give it a major overhaul, because Android 3.0 is looking pretty amazing so far), but I honestly don't get what it does so much better than other systems. I've had a WinMo 6.5 device, Android and at work I've been dealing with the iPhones. Both Android and iOS 4 (I don't know about earlier versions) are a huge step forward from WinMo 6.5, but to say either is better than the other? No, not really. They both have their quirks, advantages and disadvantages. I just don't get the fucking worshipping that goes on with it :/
Mchart wrote:
And yes, Europe gets raped on prices for everything. Blame VAT and your other import taxes for that. I just went out last weekend to buy a stupid pair of Levi's jeans here in the UK and the cheapest price I could find was 50 GBP. In the US they sell for $20 tops.
Prices are higher than VAT; import taxes are bullshit, as it has to get imported to the US as well, and there are import taxes just the same. The €360 including VAT here in NL would be 360 * 1.19 = €428, still nowhere near the scams they pull.
I thought you were from..Chicago btw? Moved to the UK?
I travel quite often and live other places every few years. No, i'm not in Chicago right now. My personal experiance has been that UK/Europe gets raped on everything though, and this is largely due to various taxes.
As for iOS - It is the level of polish and no bullshit experiance. If you've used iOS then you know. I've used the latest Android devices and they still lack a smooth flowing interface, and the specific manufacturer/carrier likes to put a bunch of crap on the device as well.
It's similar to OSX/Windows. Yes, I can do more with Windows if I choose to, but OSX just looks more polished, and feels more polished in daily tasks. On a desktop I don't care about this. On a mobile device that I use on a heavy basis this is important to me.
I agree that iOS needs some improvements, the main one being notifications. However, when notifications are improved on iOS they will be just as bullet proof and polished as is typical of Apple.
You can transfer whatever the fuck you want to iOS devices if you jailbreak them.
I've personally never needed the ability to connect a hard drive to a mobile device (like a phone) itself for storage needs. Usually I have a computer to transfer shit onto the device.
So no USB at all?
Seems like an unnecessary step, especially in this day and age (transfer it from the external device to your PC and then to the iPad) but whatever.
I guess I just don't see the issue.
The iOS devices use the 30-pin apple connector which goes to USB anyways. I'd rather have the 30 pin apple connector on an iOS device because of all the accessories I have which use the 30 pin connector.
I guess I don't see what the issue is. The device still plugs into your computer via USB. You can get USB chargers. Yet you still have the backwards compatibility with the vast amount of apple specific accesories.
I suspect Apple will use the new thunderbolt connector with their next generation of devices once more people have that on their computers.
As for iOS - It is the level of polish and no bullshit experiance. If you've used iOS then you know. I've used the latest Android devices and they still lack a smooth flowing interface, and the specific manufacturer/carrier likes to put a bunch of crap on the device as well.
It's similar to OSX/Windows. Yes, I can do more with Windows if I choose to, but OSX just looks more polished, and feels more polished in daily tasks. On a desktop I don't care about this. On a mobile device that I use on a heavy basis this is important to me.
I agree that iOS needs some improvements, the main one being notifications. However, when notifications are improved on iOS they will be just as bullet proof and polished as is typical of Apple.
Well again, Android 3.0 will change that. Difference up to now has been that the whole UI in iOS is GPU accelerated, which it isn't in Android right now; it will be in Honeycomb though. You say they carrier and manufacturer likes to put a lot of crap on it, but so does Apple, so that's a bit of a useless discussion.
The difference is that Apple's stuff is more limited for an advanced user. I have to go for OS X's terminal far more often than I need to use Windows' command prompt to do very basic shit. Same goes for iOS: while for the average user it is probably easier, it's actually annoying for me. I spent far too much time figuring out where in the settings I could find some settings for my boss' iCal. Would make much more sense to do app configuration within the app, like in Android
Again, it's a fine OS, but I don't consider it to be more "polished" or have less bullshit than even Android 2.1 and up. More idiot-proof perhaps (since it takes a bit more work to fuck anything up), but for someone with a clue it's hardly more polished
For the record, iCal is a giant piece of shit - terrible implementation of something that's pretty standard. On its own it's fine, but I highly discourage anyone of ever running an iCal server as it is nearly impossible to get both an iPhone and a MBP to sync properly with one and the same iCal server. Meanwhile, my Android phone and Windows-based laptop (using Lightning in Thunderbird) work fine
Ipads are cheaper than any other (respectable) tablet on the market, and the new versions are the exact same price as the old version.
apple has reasonable prices iphones/pads so price shouldn't be an issue. why the fuck those asshats add a x2 multiplier to their laptops/desktops is another story
Ipads are cheaper than any other (respectable) tablet on the market, and the new versions are the exact same price as the old version.
apple has reasonable prices iphones/pads so price shouldn't be an issue. why the fuck those asshats add a x2 multiplier to their laptops/desktops is another story
Except for the fact that the good tablets aren't out yet. A whole load have been announced for Android 3.0, and that version of Android makes a huge difference for developers. Honestly, for the tablets I'd wait a bit. Even the Xoom, while overpriced, compares well to the iPad 2. 32GB+3G iPad 2 costs $729, Xoom is $799 (has 32GB+3G by default). At those extra $70, you get a better display, HDMI out without a $30 adapter and an SD slot (again without a $30 adapter). Flash support will also be in soon (if it isn't already, wouldn't be surprised if someone at A fixed it already), so I can't see the iPad's big advantage apart from having UE titles :E
And while in the US it may be different, the iPhone does NOT have a reasonable price. Period. iPhone 4 16GB is about €700, an HTC Desire HD is just €450. That's €250 for the display and app support; which I might add, that except for the UE games, Android is now being targeted by all the developers as well. All the popular titles have, or are making the transition. As for UE games, we'll have to wait for Epic for that
Also, if you haven't seen the Android 3.0 previews yet, I suggest you take a look at them. Google did a very fine job of making a real tablet OS, and Apple know they need to give iOS an update very soon.
I got my UK iPhone 4 for 70 quid. So like $140. Yes, that is under contract.. But still. Hardly anyone buys phones outright these days. No way in fuck would I spend 450 euro on a HTC, or even iPhone for that matter.
Well I've said it before, over those 2 years the monthly contract cost is higher for non-iPhones here in NL, and rightfully so. Mine is up for renewal soon, and I can either pay €150 + €27.50/month, or I can get *any* other phone for free AND knock off €5/month. That's €270 more over 2 years; I don't care how little/month that is, and I can afford it just fine, I just don't see why it should be more expensive to begin with
(70 quid is about $113/$114 btw, don't overestimate the British pound )
Yes. Someone bought her PLACE IN LINE for nine hundred bucks. They didn't buy the iPad 2 for that, just the place in the queue TO buy one. Let's not forget about the crazy Ruskie that flew all the way from the Motherland just to buy a pair
Yes. Someone bought her PLACE IN LINE for nine hundred bucks. They didn't buy the iPad 2 for that, just the place in the queue TO buy one. Let's not forget about the crazy Ruskie that flew all the way from the Motherland just to buy a pair
TBH, if I were rich and were standing there in line i'd do the same thing. If you got the money to spend and don't want to waste your time (Which is money) then .. yeah. $900 is nothing if you make millions a year.
Yes. Someone bought her PLACE IN LINE for nine hundred bucks. They didn't buy the iPad 2 for that, just the place in the queue TO buy one. Let's not forget about the crazy Ruskie that flew all the way from the Motherland just to buy a pair
TBH, if I were rich and were standing there in line i'd do the same thing. If you got the money to spend and don't want to waste your time (Which is money) then .. yeah. $900 is nothing if you make millions a year.
But for what? An iPad is still just an iOS device, basically a toy (or "gadget" if you think that toys are just for children).
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A fixed it already), so I can't see the iPad's big advantage apart from having UE titles :E
