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I'm pretty blown away they're already on a fourth generation of iPads. It seemed like they just released the last one not too long ago. Are people upset over ho

by Permit 14y ago

I'm pretty blown away they're already on a fourth generation of iPads. It seemed like they just released the last one not too long ago. Are people upset over how quickly it released or happy to have a potential upgrade?

revscat 14y ago
I have the current (err, previous!) gen iPad. I don't particularly care that there are new models. I'm still happy with mine, and don't have any plans on buying the new one. Why do you think this would make someone upset?
- Permit 14y ago
  I was watching a CNet livestream where the commentators were absolutely livid about the announcement. I don't have a tablet of any kind so don't feel strongly either way, I was just curious if their anger was felt by others. It doesn't seem that it is.
  - arrrg 14y ago
    That’s completely irrational. Being livid about something like that makes exactly zero rational sense. It would had Apple withheld stuff on previous models, but it doesn’t look like they did.
KirinDave 14y ago
The 4th gen is just an incremental push on components the 3rd gen. It seems like Apple is staggering products with their processor releases to let them accelerate that tick-tock for phones and tablets.
- Steko 14y ago
  I think maybe they just wanted to turn the line over to the new dock faster so this year they went with 2 releases.
wcarey 14y ago
I suspect the driver for the new full-size iPad is the lightning connector. Now all of the iOS devices (except the iPad 2?) use it.
- nchlswu 14y ago
  that's my guess as well. I'm not sure how it aligns with previous launches, but I imagined they were going to discontinue the 2 as well.
- JoelSutherland 14y ago
  Additionally the A5x was a really expensive chip to produce. It didn't have the graphics power to drive the retina screen so they just threw silicon at it. It had twice the die size as the Tegra 3: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5685/apple-a5x-die-size-measured-16294mm2-likely-still-45nm http://www.anandtech.com/show/5685/apple-a5x-die-size-measur...
- nicholassmith 14y ago
  My money is on them shipping it pretty much for the Lightning connector and beefing the specs up to at least make it look like an upgrade.
jonknee 14y ago
It was just a minor bump so they can speed along the painful transition to the Lightning connector ASAP. No one's going to sell their iPad 3rd gen and upgrade.
- sallen 14y ago
  I am going to upgrade my iPad 3. I mean you can sell it to Amazon for $400, and buy a new one for $500+tax. Doesn't seem like a bad deal to basically lease the iPad 3 for six months for about $120.
  - jonknee 14y ago
    I guess, but the new one doesn't seem to have an advantage. At least not one worth the hassle of all that. I'll wait until a noticeable upgrade.
engtech 14y ago
I'm unhappy that my iPad 1 is essential on it's way to brickdom. I had bought it planning to pass it on to my toddlers as it reached about 4-5 years old. Unfortunately I don't think there will be any supported iOS 5 apps at that point. I may have to jailbreak it just to get a newer version of the OS on it at some point (assuming that someone gets the newer OS working on it).
- digisign 14y ago
  Never buy the first version of any new product.
grecy 14y ago
Are you upset when a car manufacturer releases a new model every year? I love that you can buy the 2013 model of a car in ~September 2012. Jeep are taking that to a new level.. In Jan 2013 they are going to begin selling the 2014 Grand Cherokee.. (I realize the gap from iPad3->iPad 4 was less than a year, but that happens in the car market too)
- kamaal 14y ago
  Except that Jeep 2013 won't be totally useless by 2017.

by Permit 14y ago

revscat 14y ago

I have the current (err, previous!) gen iPad. I don't particularly care that there are new models. I'm still happy with mine, and don't have any plans on buying the new one. Why do you think this would make someone upset?

Permit 14y ago
I was watching a CNet livestream where the commentators were absolutely livid about the announcement. I don't have a tablet of any kind so don't feel strongly either way, I was just curious if their anger was felt by others. It doesn't seem that it is.
- arrrg 14y ago
  That’s completely irrational. Being livid about something like that makes exactly zero rational sense. It would had Apple withheld stuff on previous models, but it doesn’t look like they did.

KirinDave 14y ago

The 4th gen is just an incremental push on components the 3rd gen. It seems like Apple is staggering products with their processor releases to let them accelerate that tick-tock for phones and tablets.

Steko 14y ago
I think maybe they just wanted to turn the line over to the new dock faster so this year they went with 2 releases.

wcarey 14y ago

I suspect the driver for the new full-size iPad is the lightning connector. Now all of the iOS devices (except the iPad 2?) use it.

nchlswu 14y ago
that's my guess as well. I'm not sure how it aligns with previous launches, but I imagined they were going to discontinue the 2 as well.
JoelSutherland 14y ago
Additionally the A5x was a really expensive chip to produce. It didn't have the graphics power to drive the retina screen so they just threw silicon at it. It had twice the die size as the Tegra 3: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5685/apple-a5x-die-size-measured-16294mm2-likely-still-45nm http://www.anandtech.com/show/5685/apple-a5x-die-size-measur...
nicholassmith 14y ago
My money is on them shipping it pretty much for the Lightning connector and beefing the specs up to at least make it look like an upgrade.

jonknee 14y ago

It was just a minor bump so they can speed along the painful transition to the Lightning connector ASAP. No one's going to sell their iPad 3rd gen and upgrade.

sallen 14y ago
I am going to upgrade my iPad 3. I mean you can sell it to Amazon for $400, and buy a new one for $500+tax. Doesn't seem like a bad deal to basically lease the iPad 3 for six months for about $120.
- jonknee 14y ago
  I guess, but the new one doesn't seem to have an advantage. At least not one worth the hassle of all that. I'll wait until a noticeable upgrade.

engtech 14y ago

I'm unhappy that my iPad 1 is essential on it's way to brickdom. I had bought it planning to pass it on to my toddlers as it reached about 4-5 years old. Unfortunately I don't think there will be any supported iOS 5 apps at that point. I may have to jailbreak it just to get a newer version of the OS on it at some point (assuming that someone gets the newer OS working on it).

digisign 14y ago
Never buy the first version of any new product.

grecy 14y ago

Are you upset when a car manufacturer releases a new model every year? I love that you can buy the 2013 model of a car in ~September 2012. Jeep are taking that to a new level.. In Jan 2013 they are going to begin selling the 2014 Grand Cherokee.. (I realize the gap from iPad3->iPad 4 was less than a year, but that happens in the car market too)

kamaal 14y ago
Except that Jeep 2013 won't be totally useless by 2017.