ipad question

[starise]

I know we have a few people here who are really knowledgeable about Apple products, so I thought maybe someone here could answer an Apple related question.

I am looking at ipads and the Apple website is confusing. Apple seem to offer too many products that are almost identical with only a few small changes. There is the ipad/ipad2 1st generation/ipad2 2nd generationipad 3rd generation//ipad retina display/ipad mini/etc. etc.

When looking at the site most ipads all share either an A5 or A5x chip and ipad retina display units offer an A6 chip with quad core graphics. But in reading some reviews of these there doesn't seem to be enough of a difference in them to break the bank. Most apps don't seem to be taking advantage of the advanced graphics. My wife has the ipad that came out right before they changed the charger port, I think it was the ipad 2. I like her ipad but I don't want to cut myself short in getting something that might not be as capable in the long run.

To make things even more confusing, Apple is only offering some ipads ONLY in 16gb memory and I want at a minimum 32gb memory. I don't need the cell functions and plan to use it with some music apps, the new charger port has me concerned about using existing hardware connections made for the older ipads.

It seems like Apple are really messing up here to me, I mean they have a top of the line touch pad, probably the best right now, so why keep changing all of the specs on charger ports and generally not making their hardware backward compatible? And why make so many similar products when one or two would probably be enough IMO?

I am hearing that Apple have yet another thing coming out this month, do you know what it is and is it worth my waiting a few weeks to see?

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Actually you are looking at older models in that mix. The latest iPad lineup consists of a fourth-generation full-sized version available with 4 different memory allotments: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. You can buy them in white or black, with or without cellular data capability. So the differences are pretty clear-cut.

The 7.9-inch iPad mini comes with the first three storage capacities, in white or black, with or without cellular capability.

Apple also continues to sell a second generation full-sized model, but it's really not the best value. The newer full-sized model offers a Retina display, with four times the number of pixels, so you get a much sharper picture.

Your real decision, then, is between a regular current iPad with 32Gb or an iPad mini with 32GB. Choose your color and whether you ever care about having cellular data. I would recommend you try out both models, because a lot of people prefer the iPad mini. It's easier to carry on a commute, and you can actually hold it in one hand for more than a few minutes.

As to newer models: Perhaps by April, so if you can wait a few weeks more, no harm.

 

[pixelsmith]

Apple's website is a clever intelligence test designed to weed out specific PC users. If it confuses you then you should maybe consider a Nook or a Kindle. I am kidding of course.

 

[starise]

Thanks Gene for the information and suggestions.

I think I may take your advice and go to an Apple store soon to get a better idea if how the ipad mini would work for me. It seems like the mini as of yet doesn't offer the A6x chip, but this doesn't seem to matter to most users. I'm guessing maybe in the next release the mini will have the faster cpu.

I am very tempted to wait on the ipad 5 to see exactly what it will be like. Everything I can find right now points to a redesign of the case, slightly thinner and lighter,maybe an 8 megapixel camera instead of the present 5mp, still using an A6X chip. Slightly more screen real estate and less bezel. Basically the same exterior design as the ipad mini only larger with the same battery life. None of that would really be a factor in buying one over the other for me at least....but the thing is I don't know any of this for sure.

The same A6X chip in ipad 5 as present models points to no better performance overall, that is, if Apple still use that cpu. There was some talk about Apple using an A7 chip but this was a guess,even talk of an intell chip in the ipad 5. The A6X chip is no slouch though.

The form factor that Apple went with in the recent past with handheld devices in using sharp defined corners wasn't the best for holding compared to the more smooth corners that allow something to sit in your hand better. My iphone is like this, and if it were not for the cover I have on it, holding it could be cumbersome. From what I can tell, the form factor of the ipad mini is much better,and this is supposedly the design idea that supposedly will be on ipad5.

The pricing structure of the ipad is something I don't really understand with regard to memory. Going from a 16gb to a 32 gb is a difference of 100.00. I just bought a 16gb usb memory stick the other day for 10.00, why the big jump in price? I guess the short answer is money, for apple. A memory slot in the ipad 5 would be a really nice addition.

 

[starise]

Pixel- I almost flunked the test then, lol.

I think what was most confusing to me was how some of the ipads in the "refurbished" section were labeled.Maybe this was on purpose. Not as many options on the main web page. I was reminded that I don't have a good track record with refurbished stuff.

I finally decided that since I already have a ton of apple apps in my iphone, it would be a waste not to transfer them over. Plus the other problems that seem to be surfacing occasionally with Android and Google devices are enough to make me back away from them. Add to this the limitations of the android apps themselves when compared to similar apple apps., or the lack of the kinds of apps I plan to use.

I'm sure these alternatives work well for some people.

 

[Randall]

I am hearing that Apple have yet another thing coming out this month, do you know what it is and is it worth my waiting a few weeks to see?

Consider the Microsoft Surface way before an iPad. Or for that matter you can get a pretty nice touch-screen laptop with a real OS like Windows 8 that you can load all the standard programs on for around the same price. In contrast iPads have no keyboard, no optical drive, no card reader, no wired network port and no USB port ( again ... not even a USB port ), it's browser doesn't work well on the more sophisticated websites ( although you can download Dolphin which is marginally better than Safari ), and it can't load the most common software for either the MacOS or PC. There is only one reason I'd own an iPad, and that's to use it as an electronic instrument with the touch enabled audio apps that you can download. Some pretty cool possibilities there. Apart from that it's just a glorified Etch-a Sketch ( but harder to use ).

 

[starise]

Thanks Randall,

I recently discovered that one software program I use on my Win7 64 platform has adopted touch capability for win 8 computers that have it, and I believe that I have licensing for another computer with that software, so this is a tempting option. Choices, choices, choices.

I would like the memory storage to be made of non moving parts if at all possible. Some Win8 touch pads are still using the old spinner drives. Probably the most tempting windows hardware to catch my eye recently has been the new touch screen sony PC. It is a fully functional touch screen PC with an additional wireless keyboard. Looks really sleek, comes with i5/i7 CPU. Not priced anything like an Ipad though.


I can get a USB port/card reader in an ipad if I buy a connecting adapter.



Safari now supports flash. I know it didn't before. It seems to run flash enabled add ons ok on my iphone after the last OS6 update, although since they took away the youtube app, you are required to browse for youtube.

I guess I'm also looking for an all around" go to" gadget when I need to retrieve information fast. I do things like check a recipe on my iphone while on the home wifi, but the screen is a little tough to work with in some situations. Those little things like looking up the weather,looking at the news,email,reading books...all of those things seem very efficient on an ipad. In the time most computers boot up I can be at the website....and 10 hours of battery life is pretty good.

I have played with some of the music apps made for the iphone/ipad...pretty cool stuff. I bought an akai controller that accepts my iphone and it is ok at best, but compared to other things, only a toy really. But this is coming from a guy who plays a nice acoustic piano every week. No comparison. I have played with sound modules and VSTs for years and the main advantage of the "i" stuff if portability. In some cases the sounds themselves are not as good....still, I could see myself playing with a lot of that to get an idea or just "play".

 

[Gene Steinberg]

I'm a little confused by what you write. Safari for Mac and PC always supported Flash. Mobile platforms don't. Mobile Flash is dead as a door nail, so Web developers need to embrace other ways of delivering multimedia content.

As to Windows 8, it's a huge failure so far. PC sales are down, Microsoft is cutting OEM prices to push sales, PC makers are avoiding the RT version (for ARM processors), and few take the Surface tablet seriously.

 

[starise]

Sorry for the confusion. I remember some movies and other applications that played fine on a PC had early difficulties playing on my iphone. I experienced this first hand in earlier versions. Maybe it wasn't flash that I am thinking of. It was something that prevented things that would play fine on an IE browser. Randalls' mention of this difficulty reminded me of those problems. Maybe it is java I'm thinking of? Whatever the case, subsequent revisions seem to have worked it out.

One of the forums I visit would not post at all until I went to OS6. Maybe this was java or some other application and not flash.

Isn't youtube based on flash?

I'm not sure if youtube rewrote code to better accomidate Apple portables of if Apple made some kind of a change.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Yes, Apple never supported Flash on the iOS, for iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. It only worked well on desktop systems. There was a test version of a mobile Flash for Android, but it didn't work well and was discontinued.

Both iOS and Android have YouTube, without Flash.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

The Surface = lolz.

I've seen one person using it in the wild. The only explanation I can come up with for getting one of those over an iPad is that you hate yourself...

 

[starise]

As you can tell , I am not the most knowledgable on these things. I just knew either the movie played or it didn't.

Come to think of it, YouTube vids were not specifically the ones I had trouble with. Subsequent iOS updates repaired a lot of those bugs. I would still get the occasional "flash plugin needed" on some content.

This probably isn't new news for you Gene. As I understand it Apple are working on their own replacement for mobile flash.

Most if not all of my video activity is on YouTube , aside from the occasional web page news clip. YouTube isn't a problem.

 

[SlightlyAbovePar]

Wh

As to Windows 8, it's a huge failure so far. PC sales are down, Microsoft is cutting OEM prices to push sales, PC makers are avoiding the RT version (for ARM processors), and few take the Surface tablet seriously.

Echoing Gene's thoughts: I'm not in the same class of tech knowledge as Gene, only as an end user. I upgraded from Windows 7 to 8. It's just awful. Really, really awful. Spent this last weekend "down grading" back to Windows 7.

I prefer Apple products, but don't find the OS support for games (main use of my PC).

Cheers!

 

[Angel of Ioren]

Wh

Echoing Gene's thoughts: I'm not in the same class of tech knowledge as Gene, only as an end user. I upgraded from Windows 7 to 8. It's just awful. Really, really awful. Spent this last weekend "down grading" back to Windows 7.

I prefer Apple products, but don't find the OS support for games (main use of my PC).

Cheers!

Anyone who wants to play PC games, you're better off with a Windows machine. Mac support is better than it was, but you can't even compare a Mac to a PC when it comes to games. You'll also spend a lot less if you build your own gaming PC. $1000 will go a long way.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Selection, yes. Performance? Depends. Apple is using better graphics chips these days, and to get the best hardware on the PC, you still have to spend a bundle. That said, an iPad is a pretty good gaming machine with an accessory or two, and if you use AirPlay and an Apple TV to feed to your flat panel.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

I'm talking strictly for gaming - you can pick and choose exactly what you want in there, and swap out video cards if necessary. Personally I prefer the simplicity of an iMac, but I "get" people preferring PCs for games.

 

[starise]

That's probably the biggest disadvantage to Apple if a person wants to do-it-yourself.

I have built the last 5 or so computers I use and I like having the option to pick and choose components and such. The disadvantage could also be an advantage though because the hardware just works. One bud of mine who is a died in the wool Mac user doesn't want to get into his computer,he simply wants to get a computer that works.The user interface on a Mac is probably the best out there and the hardware setups, though maybe coming up short compared to some of the higher powered PCs do a lot with less which is why there are so many loyal happy mac users.

I love Win7 64 bit for my main work computer. Never had a hiccup, never had a glitch. I backup regularly and am happy with the setup. My wife recently bought a Win 8 laptop for photo work and she doesn't seem too happy with it. I haven't heard any reasons for why.Hopefully Windows hasn't just came out with another "vista". From reading other users posts in other forums it seems to be more of a user interface issue than an issue with functionality.


Windows 8 has apps and I look for a lot of developers to continue development in that arena. Win 8 has a well integrated touch capability. RT isn't flying very well but the addition of touch in Win8 has a lot of great possibilities for artists and musicians. I think it's just a matter of the hardware catching up with the software. One of the programs I use has already put it to good use.
Cakewalk.com - The World's Best Software For Recording And Making Music On PC And Mac



I never was one of those who needed to have fancy widgets or screen backgrounds. I simply take all of that out and use the machine for the reason I built it....but then I like to build computers, I understand not everyone does.

The trend seems to be a gradual move toward a more portable future in computers with intel making some decisions that point in that direction. This had a lot of the people using higher powered systems unhappy at that prospect. Hopefully there will still be the option in the future to have a computer that is up to the task for these users. Most users are ok with a basic setup and something like an ipad fills the gap perfectly. Like Gene said the ipad is a good gamer if you game. With the A6x chipset it has a quad core graphics chip.

I would hate to trade my dual monitor DAW setup for an ipad, but I would also hate not having the ipad option.

I'm waiting until Mar. 16th to see if Apple release the new one.

 

[Randall]

I'm a little confused by what you write. Safari for Mac and PC always supported Flash. Mobile platforms don't. Mobile Flash is dead as a door nail, so Web developers need to embrace other ways of delivering multimedia content.

As to Windows 8, it's a huge failure so far. PC sales are down, Microsoft is cutting OEM prices to push sales, PC makers are avoiding the RT version (for ARM processors), and few take the Surface tablet seriously.

I'm no fan of Windows 8 either. But if you're one of those people who like all that cool but relatively useless overkill, like the "Metro" style touch navigation that turns your desktop into a giant cell phone display with Minority Report style hand gestures that together take 5 times as long to do most tasks than with a simple mouse and keyboard, well then get it and dig it. Personally I'm more pragmatic that that, and think that what they need to do with Windows 8 is include the ability to seamlessly switch to a windows 7 GUI when it's wanted without any restarting ( just a simple menu option ). Past versions had the ability to switch to a "classic mode", but I haven't seen anything like that for Windows 8. Windows is evolving into a more generic and less customizable OS ... and the more it goes that way, the less reason people have to get it instead of Linux.

 

[starise]

Well it looks as if Apple are waiting awhile longer to get the new iPad out. I think I wore my wife's patience thin in Best Buy on Saturday. I must have hung around in the touch pad dept. for at least an hour, looking at some models two and three times.

In the end it came down to either the iPad or the new Samsung Galaxy. I came very close to buying the Samsung. The Samsung has a memory card slot, something that the iPad lacks. In all honesty the Samsung was more bang for the buck. Performance on the new Galaxy tab either meets or exceeds the iPad with the exception of the retina display which is much better than I thought it would be. High Rez photos on the retina display are amazing.

The smaller iPad mini in its present configuration is lacking in the CPU and graphics its larger cousin has. In the end I got the Apple iPad retina display model.... Typing on it now. Honestly, if I would have had an android phone and apps I likely would have bought the Samsung. I couldn't justify the extra expense for the 32gb model so I ended up with the 16 gb. My apps only took 6gb so I think 16 gb will be enough. Apps are small things and can be dumped to iTunes on a larger computer, so if memory becomes a problem in the future I can unload things onto my iTunes setup.

I'm happy with it so far! Thanks for your suggestions. I'm thinking around Christmas I'll look to see what has come along with win8 and touch screens.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

The differences are far more than specs and memory cards. The user experience is far better on an iPad. You made a good choice.