New Apple Tablet

[dirk digler]

Cool stuff. On Engadget live right now

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/l...est&refresh=30

[chris]

Originally Posted by AustinChief

No, the fact is .. Motorola rushed the Xoom out the door before it was ready. That said, I have read far far far more user experiences that are without issue... combine that with the few hours I have spent on a Xoom and didn't see a single issue... and I tend to think the problems are overblown. Have you spent any time on a Xoom yet? Maybe I was just lucky, but I also can point to a ton of reviews that had the same problem free user experience I have had.

Agree.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by AustinChief

I didn't bother replying to that benchmark because it's fundamentally flawed. Even Anandtech admitted that. It's a very old benchmark that doesn't accurately represent anything. I will admit that the A5 does MATCH the Tegra2 in a lot of categories... but you'd have to either be an idiot or dishonest to actually think the hardware of the iPad2 is better then the Xoom.

Huh? WHICH Benchmark? The one that shows page loading times to be faster on the iPad 2 than the Xoom? At the very least, the CPUs are of equal quality in the iPad 2 and the Xoom (aren't they both dual core ARM Cortex A9s running at 1 GHz?), but the GPU in the iPad 2 is better.

I'm not sure how you couldn't recognize that the SGX543 in the iPad 2 KILLS the Tegra 2 in the Xoom. It's just a better GPU, and it's not even close. Tegra 3 should be better than the SGX543, though. So goes tech, right?

Even if processor power is a wash... the Xoom kills it in EVERY OTHER aspect... memory, storage, screen, cameras.. Jesus, what was Apple thinking by putting two CRAP cameras on the thing when it would have been easy to actually put decent ones on.

Because cameras on a tablet are stupid, anyway. The front-facing camera doesn't need to be high-res . . . it's just for video conferencing. The rear camera should probably be better, but again, taking video with a tablet, even small as they are, is awkward due to their size.

Storage might be a point, if one actually needed it. I have a 64 gb iPad. Know how many times I've used that storage space? Zero. Why? Because everything streams to it from home. There's simply no need to store anything on the device. If people actually need more than 64gb of storage on their tablet, then perhaps a tablet isn't really for them.

[AustinChief]

Originally Posted by Silock

Huh? WHICH Benchmark? The one that shows page loading times to be faster on the iPad 2 than the Xoom? At the very least, the CPUs are of equal quality in the iPad 2 and the Xoom (aren't they both dual core ARM Cortex A9s running at 1 GHz?), but the GPU in the iPad 2 is better.

I'm not sure how you couldn't recognize that the SGX543 in the iPad 2 KILLS the Tegra 2 in the Xoom. It's just a better GPU, and it's not even close. Tegra 3 should be better than the SGX543, though. So goes tech, right?



Because cameras on a tablet are stupid, anyway. The front-facing camera doesn't need to be high-res . . . it's just for video conferencing. The rear camera should probably be better, but again, taking video with a tablet, even small as they are, is awkward due to their size.

Storage might be a point, if one actually needed it. I have a 64 gb iPad. Know how many times I've used that storage space? Zero. Why? Because everything streams to it from home. There's simply no need to store anything on the device. If people actually need more than 64gb of storage on their tablet, then perhaps a tablet isn't really for them.

It does have a slightly better GPU... and the processors are very close in performance. Which is why I called this a wash.

I agree that tablet cameras are pretty silly overall but it was still dumb to use crap cameras.

I agree on the storage size issue BUT having an SD card slot is a good idea.. although a USB port would be better. The Xoom has both.

Leaving the memory at 256MB was also a mistake. It's fine for current apps but leaves no room for growth.

The Xoom has a better screen but in reality I don't think it's that much better.

There is no excuse for Apple having a full year head start and not releasing something that was better.

In exactly one week, the Xoom will be equal or better in every aspect except # of apps. (I guess you could go with the iPad2 is thinner... but at a certain point it gets kinda silly.. both are thin enough)

[Silock]

I think the GPU is more than slightly better. By all accounts, it's significantly better.

Agree that a USB port would be nice, as would SD, but for me, and a lot of users, it's not a dealbreaker.

The iPad 2 has 512 mb of RAM. It probably should have 1 gb, though.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Silock

I think the GPU is more than slightly better. By all accounts, it's significantly better.

Agree that a USB port would be nice, as would SD, but for me, and a lot of users, it's not a dealbreaker.

The iPad 2 has 512 mb of RAM. It probably should have 1 gb, though.

Honestly, 512MB RAM will be plenty sufficient for everything the iPad2 runs. Double what the original iPad had. I've seen several graphics games on the iPad2, and it looks really good. For any game suitable for running on a current tablet, it will do fine.

[WoodDraw]

I don't have a tablet, so I can't speak too much to the daily use, but I've started to see a ton of them around. And I've never seen anyone do anything too intensive with it. A lot of checking email, reading books, messing around on facebook. Maybe watching some video. I don't see the iPad's specs being much of a problem for its users.

[Great Expectations]

If the IPad 2 had a USB port I'd own one, for now I'll stick to my ipone.

[Skyy God]

No concept of the iPad, lol.

http://lileks.com/bleat/?p=9037

[The_Doctor10]

Originally Posted by WoodDraw

I don't have a tablet, so I can't speak too much to the daily use, but I've started to see a ton of them around. And I've never seen anyone do anything too intensive with it. A lot of checking email, reading books, messing around on facebook. Maybe watching some video. I don't see the iPad's specs being much of a problem for its users.

Essentially. It does what it's designed to do very well. AustinChief thinks it should be something that it isn't.

Oh, and there's a bunch of college textbook support in the works for September, designed to specifically for the iPad. That's gonna be huge.

[WoodDraw]

Samsung's new tablets look pretty nice. And finally priced aggressively.


Although they are skinning Touchwiz on top of it, just like I predicted. So we'll have to see how that turns out. It seems to be pretty minor, but I'm more more worried about software updates. I suspect Samsung will continue to blow in that regards.

[AustinChief]

Originally Posted by WoodDraw

Samsung's new tablets look pretty nice. And finally priced aggressively.


Although they are skinning Touchwiz on top of it, just like I predicted. So we'll have to see how that turns out. It seems to be pretty minor, but I'm more more worried about software updates. I suspect Samsung will continue to blow in that regards.

I'm surprised that Samsung is pulling this bonehead move.. but as I said before, it won't matter since 3.0 has a usable interface unlike the 2.x versions. So anyone can update themselves and not worry about the manufacturer keeping pace. (although from what I have read, it's much easier for the manufacturers to keep pace now, given the way 3.0 was designed)

As to the pricing, I agree that it's more aggressive... but it's not there yet. Let's pretend that we are already at the point where apps have caught up enough ... it will still take much better hardware AND much lower prices. The tabs coming out right now (next 3 months) have Apple beat on hardware and OS but will need to be much cheaper then what I am seeing. Apple's marketing machine is just too strong to overcome at a similar price point. (sadly)

Everything I have seen points to that price point AND hardware/OS advantage finally being reached closer to the end of 2011.

Not saying that these tablets aren't fine, I'm just not sure anything will be an iPad "killer" until prices drop into the $300 range.

[AustinChief]

Originally Posted by Unleash_the_Phury

Essentially. It does what it's designed to do very well. AustinChief thinks it should be something that it isn't.

Oh, and there's a bunch of college textbook support in the works for September, designed to specifically for the iPad. That's gonna be huge.

No, I think that to be USEFUL FOR ME it needs to be more than a barely functioning web browser and stripped down app platform. If Apple can convince people that $500 is worth spending for that limited functionality... when my phone does both better... then more power to them.

[The_Doctor10]

Originally Posted by AustinChief

No, I think that to be USEFUL FOR ME it needs to be more than a barely functioning web browser and stripped down app platform. If Apple can convince people that $500 is worth spending for that limited functionality... when my phone does both better... then more power to them.

What exactly do tablets do, at any price, if not run apps and surf the web? They play movies, music, games. There are some excellent apps for note-taking, productivity, word-processing, etc. As an eBook reader, the iPad is extraordinary.

That's what they're designed for at this point. If you want an actual computer, buy one. If you want a tablet to replace a computer, wait six years or so. The iPad killer isn't going to do what the iPad doesn't for less money; if possible, it will do exactly what the iPad does for less money.

[AustinChief]

Originally Posted by Unleash_the_Phury

What exactly do tablets do, at any price, if not run apps and surf the web? They play movies, music, games. There are some excellent apps for note-taking, productivity, word-processing, etc. As an eBook reader, the iPad is extraordinary.

That's what they're designed for at this point. If you want an actual computer, buy one. If you want a tablet to replace a computer, wait six years or so.

Actually, it won't be nearly this long. In terms of processing power, we'll be there within a year (Kal-El drops this Fall and is equivalent to a T7200 Core2Duo proc). In terms of OS (and putting the hardware all together and out there), I would GUESS 12 -18 months.

Regardless, my main beef is that Apple DICTATES the user experience instead of trying to adjust to actual demand. They rely on smoke and mirrors marketing to convince people that they are better off without FLASH or whatever...

I'll give you a perfect example, my girlfriend loved her iPhone except that it sucked as a phone (which admittedly is prolly ATT's fault).. she loved it right up until she was around my phone 24/7 and realized the massive amount of functionality she gave up to have an iPhone.

Right now, as of TODAY, an iPad2 or Xoom are the most functional devices... Xoom has FLASH but iPad2 has more apps. In the next couple months, Android apps will start to catch up quickly and prices will drop... there isn't any excuse at that point to buy an iPad2 except for aesthetics and maybe battery life. BUT unless you absolutely can't wait... you'd be much better off waiting... yes, yes there's always something better coming... but there are some massive leaps in power (Kal-El) combined with price drops that make waiting well worth it.

[WoodDraw]

Originally Posted by AustinChief

I'm surprised that Samsung is pulling this bonehead move.. but as I said before, it won't matter since 3.0 has a usable interface unlike the 2.x versions. So anyone can update themselves and not worry about the manufacturer keeping pace. (although from what I have read, it's much easier for the manufacturers to keep pace now, given the way 3.0 was designed)

We're still a long ways away from android, user updatable devices. If anything, manufacturers are going the opposite way. I'm sure Google is the only reason Motorola released the Xoom with an unlocked bootloader. They lock and encrypt all their other devices. I fully expect their next tablet will be locked and motoblured.

Even HTC has started to lock their bootloaders down harder now. That really leaves Samsung as the only major manufacturer left that's relatively friendly to outside development.