5 ms·

Sounds nice, but the way the market in consumer electronics is going, it's about time for Apple to do something disruptive. This seems like a "me too" move, un

Sounds nice, but the way the market in consumer electronics is going, it's about time for Apple to do something disruptive. This seems like a "me too" move, unless it has features we don't know about.

mtgx 14y ago
Maybe not, but a $300 iPad would be enough to completely screw with Windows 8 device manufacturers just before they start releasing those tablets, as most seem to start at double that price.
- Shivetya 14y ago
  with a 5th generation iPod Touch costing 299 I do not see why they would price a "mini" iPad at the same price. Perhaps as a 16gb model as the 32gb Touch is 299.
  - arrrg 14y ago
    Why not? An iPod touch is an absolutely awful substitute for a 7" tablet. The two are not comparable and totally different products.
    - stonemetal 14y ago
      Yes, but is a 7" tablet a absolutely awful substitute for a iPod touch? It probably is since it wouldn't be as portable(who is going to strap a tablet to their arm to go running), but in the history of small, smaller, smallest iPods has the next size down ever been priced the same as its big brother? As far as I can remember the smaller ones have always been cheaper.
      - arrrg 14y ago
        Because they were all iPods. Apple is very safe on that front, I think. Few if any people will even think to compare that.
        glhaynes 14y ago
        I agree, though the press may make that comparison for people.
      - roc 14y ago
        If the iPad Mini is an iPad 2 internally, the pricing isn't so weird. Those specs would make it a weak substitute for a new iPod Touch. (lower resolution, slower internals, not as mobile, worse cameras, etc) Beyond the consideration that pocket computers make lousy solutions for the things tablets do, and tablets are lousy at the things you want a pocket computer for.
fierarul 14y ago
>Sounds nice, but the way the market in consumer electronics is going How is it going? >it's about time for Apple to do something disruptive How many disruptions do people need? The iPad is 2 years old! Some people get bored so easily they won't be satisfied until we reach the Singularity!
- adolph 14y ago
  There are rumors of a next generation called Duality.
- andyjsong 14y ago
  >How is it going? In terms of screen size, everything is shrinking. 10 years ago, the hottest product was the LCD panel TVs. Consumer electronics were reaching new heights with bigger and bigger screens. The LCD TV/PC market is now saturated. Almost any CE company can make a decent LCD/PC, but making a great smart phone, not just in terms of hardware spec, but UI/UX is much more difficult because of the space constraints. HP got their asses handed by the market with Palm (remember that?) but they still recognize that mobile/smaller screens are the future. Now CE is trending towards wearable computers. People want information at their finger tips, they also want a flawless Siri/Google equivalent. In about 10 years, CE will be reading our minds and voice/keyboard entries will be seen as a barbaric task. Devices that need power will be charged using solar or wireless charging. (why are we still plugging things into walls?) Google is doing interesting things with Glass and self-driving cars. >it's about time for Apple to do something disruptive Apple is trending towards a great design firm with a tech focus. There are no bleeding edge products in their product portfolio. Apple could disrupt the market by entering into emerging CE categories like 3D printing, wearable computers and robotics. I've seen some amazing products built by startups, if Apple invests their $100 billion cash reserves to into these categories, I can see them lasting another 30 years before teleportation and intergalactic travel become the norm. The iPad mini, meh.
  - Avenger42 14y ago
    > Google is doing interesting things with Glass and self-driving cars. > There are no bleeding edge products in [Apple's] product portfolio. I see these as two different companies having different ideas about what to do with unreleased products - Apple hasn't even announced an "iPad Mini" which is apparently starting production, and Google has announced products with a time-to-market measured in years (if they ever arrive). I don't know what "big ideas" Apple's working on because they've decided not to tell us, but I at least give them the benefit of the doubt that by the time we see discussion about a product, it's much more likely to be released, and soon.
saturdaysaint 14y ago
7" tablets have been around, but so were mp3 players (even good ones!) when they debuted the iPod. Until the Nexus 7, I don't think there were any worth looking at. A well built Apple branded tablet with iOS (and all the apps) for under $300 might not be technologically interesting, but it will immediately outsell everything because everyone's aunt will know exactly how it works and every app you've heard of will work with it. ICS/JB are fantastic, but I'd predict that iOS's sheer familiarity will win out for most consumers. It's not really much of a prediction since Apple's so handily owned the 10" tablet market despite an abundance of competition.
- drgath 14y ago
  A maybe more importantly, a smaller iPad is needed to break into certain businesses who could use something bigger than an iPod, but portable than an iPad. For example, wait staff at a restaurant. iPods are too small, and an iPad is too big. Something in between is just the right size. I've also seen some cabs/shuttles using small Android tablets for GPS & dispatch. Here, the ideal size for something mounted is is between an iPad and an iPod. I could go on and on with ideas.
- betterth 14y ago
  The big issue is: The new iPod Touch 5th gen is $300. For a 4" screen. How can they sell the new iPad at even $300? It would have to be $350, minimum. The iPad 2 is still $400, why buy a 7" for $400 when a 10" is $400?? I don't see how Apple is going to price this effectively without cannibalizing their own markets. I guess they could switch up the 5th gen pricing but they JUST announced it, and it would come across as a cheap trick to move the rest of the 4th gens at full price.
  - Avenger42 14y ago
    The iPod Touch's 4" screen has a retina display, the iPad mini is expected to have a non-retina screen.
ctdonath 14y ago
Successful disruption includes being thorough in the disruption's long-term consequences. Seems Jobs didn't believe the 7" market would work, but competition shows there is demand so time to patch the hole and unify offerings from 3.5" to 27".

mtgx 14y ago

Maybe not, but a $300 iPad would be enough to completely screw with Windows 8 device manufacturers just before they start releasing those tablets, as most seem to start at double that price.

Shivetya 14y ago
with a 5th generation iPod Touch costing 299 I do not see why they would price a "mini" iPad at the same price. Perhaps as a 16gb model as the 32gb Touch is 299.
- arrrg 14y ago
  Why not? An iPod touch is an absolutely awful substitute for a 7" tablet. The two are not comparable and totally different products.
  - stonemetal 14y ago
    Yes, but is a 7" tablet a absolutely awful substitute for a iPod touch? It probably is since it wouldn't be as portable(who is going to strap a tablet to their arm to go running), but in the history of small, smaller, smallest iPods has the next size down ever been priced the same as its big brother? As far as I can remember the smaller ones have always been cheaper.
    - arrrg 14y ago
      Because they were all iPods. Apple is very safe on that front, I think. Few if any people will even think to compare that.
      - glhaynes 14y ago
        I agree, though the press may make that comparison for people.
    - roc 14y ago
      If the iPad Mini is an iPad 2 internally, the pricing isn't so weird. Those specs would make it a weak substitute for a new iPod Touch. (lower resolution, slower internals, not as mobile, worse cameras, etc) Beyond the consideration that pocket computers make lousy solutions for the things tablets do, and tablets are lousy at the things you want a pocket computer for.

fierarul 14y ago

>Sounds nice, but the way the market in consumer electronics is going How is it going? >it's about time for Apple to do something disruptive How many disruptions do people need? The iPad is 2 years old! Some people get bored so easily they won't be satisfied until we reach the Singularity!

adolph 14y ago
There are rumors of a next generation called Duality.
andyjsong 14y ago
>How is it going? In terms of screen size, everything is shrinking. 10 years ago, the hottest product was the LCD panel TVs. Consumer electronics were reaching new heights with bigger and bigger screens. The LCD TV/PC market is now saturated. Almost any CE company can make a decent LCD/PC, but making a great smart phone, not just in terms of hardware spec, but UI/UX is much more difficult because of the space constraints. HP got their asses handed by the market with Palm (remember that?) but they still recognize that mobile/smaller screens are the future. Now CE is trending towards wearable computers. People want information at their finger tips, they also want a flawless Siri/Google equivalent. In about 10 years, CE will be reading our minds and voice/keyboard entries will be seen as a barbaric task. Devices that need power will be charged using solar or wireless charging. (why are we still plugging things into walls?) Google is doing interesting things with Glass and self-driving cars. >it's about time for Apple to do something disruptive Apple is trending towards a great design firm with a tech focus. There are no bleeding edge products in their product portfolio. Apple could disrupt the market by entering into emerging CE categories like 3D printing, wearable computers and robotics. I've seen some amazing products built by startups, if Apple invests their $100 billion cash reserves to into these categories, I can see them lasting another 30 years before teleportation and intergalactic travel become the norm. The iPad mini, meh.
- Avenger42 14y ago
  > Google is doing interesting things with Glass and self-driving cars. > There are no bleeding edge products in [Apple's] product portfolio. I see these as two different companies having different ideas about what to do with unreleased products - Apple hasn't even announced an "iPad Mini" which is apparently starting production, and Google has announced products with a time-to-market measured in years (if they ever arrive). I don't know what "big ideas" Apple's working on because they've decided not to tell us, but I at least give them the benefit of the doubt that by the time we see discussion about a product, it's much more likely to be released, and soon.

saturdaysaint 14y ago

7" tablets have been around, but so were mp3 players (even good ones!) when they debuted the iPod. Until the Nexus 7, I don't think there were any worth looking at. A well built Apple branded tablet with iOS (and all the apps) for under $300 might not be technologically interesting, but it will immediately outsell everything because everyone's aunt will know exactly how it works and every app you've heard of will work with it. ICS/JB are fantastic, but I'd predict that iOS's sheer familiarity will win out for most consumers. It's not really much of a prediction since Apple's so handily owned the 10" tablet market despite an abundance of competition.

drgath 14y ago
A maybe more importantly, a smaller iPad is needed to break into certain businesses who could use something bigger than an iPod, but portable than an iPad. For example, wait staff at a restaurant. iPods are too small, and an iPad is too big. Something in between is just the right size. I've also seen some cabs/shuttles using small Android tablets for GPS & dispatch. Here, the ideal size for something mounted is is between an iPad and an iPod. I could go on and on with ideas.
betterth 14y ago
The big issue is: The new iPod Touch 5th gen is $300. For a 4" screen. How can they sell the new iPad at even $300? It would have to be $350, minimum. The iPad 2 is still $400, why buy a 7" for $400 when a 10" is $400?? I don't see how Apple is going to price this effectively without cannibalizing their own markets. I guess they could switch up the 5th gen pricing but they JUST announced it, and it would come across as a cheap trick to move the rest of the 4th gens at full price.
- Avenger42 14y ago
  The iPod Touch's 4" screen has a retina display, the iPad mini is expected to have a non-retina screen.

ctdonath 14y ago

Successful disruption includes being thorough in the disruption's long-term consequences. Seems Jobs didn't believe the 7" market would work, but competition shows there is demand so time to patch the hole and unify offerings from 3.5" to 27".