Ipad 2 - What will be your dealbreaker decision?

johnc24

Hey all

with the ipad release only a couple of days away what will be the must have feature you would like to "complete the deal" if you like?

Just curious to see what peoples expectations are.

For me I think I will get it regardless as I never got iPad 1. But time will tell I guess.

What will it be for you?

Basq

I got a 1st gen iPad.. but there's not a whole lot they could add to the 2nd gen to make me get it.

If they (unlikely) went for retina display, I'd probably consider it.

But if they're just gonna badge on a camera and Facetime (more likely).. meh!

alexlyons

they might add an SD slot (doubtful), slim it down, add a camera or two, make it a bit faster and stuff like that.

I think it's going to a similar sort of update from the 3G to 3GS. I didn't upgrade the 3G until the 4 came out and doubt I'll be upgrading the iPad any time soon.

IamMetaldave

The screen is what will make or break it for me. I didn't get an iPad, said I would wait for the second version to come out. If it had a retina display, I would certainly pick one up.

dave oc

Didn't get iPad 1 so will almost certainly get the new one, regardless of whether they add some features or not.

Secretly hoping for retina/increased resolution screen. There is likely to be bigger hard drives, cameras and maybe faster processor/more ram. The software update to 4.2 brought multitasking and that by itself is a big addition to the original iPad.

MCD.

Im currently torn between an iPad (1st or 2nd gen) and HD tv.


If the new iPad only has a minor speed bump and a camera, id be inclined to shell out for the TV and maybe pick up a 2nd hand 1st gen iPad.

If the new iPad has a higher res screen i might be tempted. However, with a MBP and a 3GS im struggling to justify it.

As for the rumours of an SD slot, id highly doubt it, we have had 4 generations of iphones and ipod touches and no micro sd so id doubt they ll throw in a sd slot on an ipad, plus they make so much money on the increased capacity models that it would make no sense to offer a cheaper alternative to boost the capacity, they could have it on the high end one (ie 64GB) but again i doubt it.

As for thunderbolt compatibility, as impressive as it is, id don't need it.

Basq

MCD. wrote: »

As for the rumours of an SD slot, id highly doubt it, we have had 4 generations of iphones and ipod touches and no micro sd so id doubt they ll throw in a sd slot on an ipad, plus they make so much money on the increased capacity models that it would make no sense to offer a cheaper alternative to boost the capacity, they could have it on the high end one (ie 64GB) but again i doubt it.

Not forgetting this little baby..

.. which was near-impossible to get for the first 2 - 3 months after the iPad's launch.

alexlyons

MCD. wrote: »

As for the rumours of an SD slot, id highly doubt it, we have had 4 generations of iphones and ipod touches and no micro sd so id doubt they ll throw in a sd slot on an ipad, plus they make so much money on the increased capacity models that it would make no sense to offer a cheaper alternative to boost the capacity, they could have it on the high end one (ie 64GB) but again i doubt it.

It's not for increased capacity, it's for uploading photos from cameras etc.
Maybe understand what the features are for before slating the rumours?

MCD.

Right you are

IN any event as has been pointed out, the camera connection kit was also a nice little money spinner for apple so why close off a profitable avenue of revenue?

Dades

Retina display or nothing.

So yeah, not this year it seems!

super_furry

Flash, price point and screen resolution. Bluetooth would be nice.

Basq

super_furry wrote: »

Flash, price point and screen resolution. Bluetooth would be nice.

1st-gen iPad has bluetooth.

Flash you say?

copacetic

IamMetaldave wrote: »

The screen is what will make or break it for me. I didn't get an iPad, said I would wait for the second version to come out. If it had a retina display, I would certainly pick one up.

I didn't get an ipad either, waiting for the 2nd gen. would like a front facing camera for video calls in the hope that video skype app will follow. higher res screen (seems unlikely based on reports), if not higher res, then lighter and thinner instead. Proper usb support for flash drives etc, faster cpu etc.

Make it cheaper too and it'd be a no brainer..

beer enigma

Rumours that the price on i-Pad2 could be lower than i-Pad1 ?

Dades

copacetic wrote: »

if not higher res, then lighter and thinner instead.

Actually yeah - it would have to be lighter. Tis far too heavy imo.

Basq

Andip wrote: »

Rumours that the price on i-Pad2 could be lower than i-Pad1 ?

Not likely I'd say..

.. they're not exactly awash with cheaper competition. Samsung Galaxy Tab is probably their only real competitor right now.

Fat_Fingers

Yes, I’m interested. Didn’t buy ipad 1. Now with ipad 2 i’m going to compare its features against Android tablets.
For me question will be how good is ipad 2 without flash. If i see that overall benefits and features are better than competition i might pick it up even without flash support.
Only real Android contenders IMHO will be Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1-inch , Motorola Xoom, Lenovo IdeaPad and maybe Notion Ink Adam … maybe add ASUS Eee Pad Transformer to check list…

super_furry

Basq wrote: »

1st-gen iPad has bluetooth.

I didn't know that. Anyone know if you can connect a PS3 joypad to it for gaming?

Creamy Goodness

Basq wrote: »

.. they're not exactly awash with cheaper competition. Samsung Galaxy Tab is probably their only real competitor right now.

Not really competition when you actually have used both.

iPad - usable.
galaxy tab - is about as annoying as trying to peel a sticker off a cd case without leaving any of the sticker on the box.

i'll probably get an iPad 2, doubt i'll shell for a 3g model especially if 4.3 brings wi-fi hotspot although if the 3g model has a gps in it and the wifi doesn't then i'll be getting the 3g model.

Sad Professor

I'm not expecting a huge upgrade over the current iPad. I think all the people who held off buying last year on the expectation that the iPad 2 would be worth the wait are going to be disappointed. Retina screen is very unlikely IMO. I'm expecting a camera, a better processor, more RAM and a few other small things.

BBMcQ

SD Slot - Not going to Happen

Thinner/Lighter - A virtual certainty.

Improved CPU and RAM - Definitely (iPad 1 256mb Vs iPhone 4 512mb???)

Thunderbolt - Likely, but most likely on iPad 3 (Apple have exclusivity on the deal with Intel for little while, might aswell wait until hard drives etc some out with the technology).

Double Cameras - Guaranteed to have front camera. I never bought into the rear camera thing on tablets. What kind of gob$hite wud you look like?

Flash support - nope, not ever. never. maybe if.... nope!

The big one..... Display. We will not see Retina Display. That would take the resolution beyond Full HD, which is unnecessarily costly and complex. What I hope we see, is something definitely beyond what the iPad 1 currently offers. It was said when the iPhone was launched: Retina display made the iPad screen look poor. Since the iPad was launched, we've had the iPhone 4 with Retina Display, and the iPod Touch with Retina Display. It would be very dissappointing for Apple not to improve the resolution.

And that, is the dealbreaker

Earthhorse

No one thing will swing it for me. Adding cameras certainly won't (though I can see that adding to the pricetag quiet a bit). I'll read up on what they do at the time and if I see enough reason to upgrade I will. On the weight thing, I actually something with a bit of heft in it (and the iPad is hardly hefty) and don't really like those ultra thing designs, especially on an item that big.

BBMcQ

9to5 Mac Report rumours of a White iPad 2 What is it with Apple and white things? or lack thereof!

Fat_Fingers

stuartmchugh wrote: »

Thunderbolt - Likely, but most likely on iPad 3 (Apple have exclusivity on the deal with Intel for little while, might aswell wait until hard drives etc some out with the technology).

I agree with everything you said, Apple "exclusivity" needs correction. This is one of the Apple's RDF's (Reality distortion fields) . Intel refutes Apple exclusivity for Thunderbolt I/O

ADSLUSER

Retina display, else I'll wait for iPad 3

ironclaw

super_furry wrote: »

I didn't know that. Anyone know if you can connect a PS3 joypad to it for gaming?

Thats not a serious question is it? The answer sadly is no and never.

As regards the Retina display, its impossible currently apparently. The likely resolution is 1536x800

As per here:

http://rafeed.me/2011/01/14/wood-tile2x-png-in-ibooks-1-2-hints-at-2x-ipad-2-resolution/

For me, it would have to be Cameras and FaceTime. I wouldn't not buy it due to the display. Its fantastic enough already. I have a iPhone 4 and frankly I never notice the Retina aspect. The iPad 1G was rubbish, it lacked way too much basic features.

Dman001

We won't see a price drop anyway. Competitors can't even match Apple's €500 baseline model. I wouldn't be surprised to see and SD card slot. I dont know why everyone is shooting this idea down as Apple have released an adapter for SD card support on the first gen iPad so it is not unreasonable to expect it built into the iPad. Hardware wise I think the next iPad upgrade will be fairly underwhelming, so an SD card slot will make upgrading a bit more "pleasing". An upgrade in the CPU (A5) and RAM is almost a certainty.

Im more interested in the Software updates Apple is going to release. There's not really much Apple can improve on the hardware to interest me, but it will be interesting to see what they pull out of the bag in terms of software and the rumoured Cloud integration.

Basq

ironclaw wrote: »

For me, it would have to be Cameras and FaceTime. I wouldn't not buy it due to the display. Its fantastic enough already. I have a iPhone 4 and frankly I never notice the Retina aspect. The iPad 1G was rubbish, it lacked way too much basic features.

You say "basic"? I say "unnecessary".

Realistically, how many people would use a 10" tablet held up to your face for making a Skype video call? And anyone who does is lying! :P

It's a nice addition but that's it.

gzoladz

I don't have an Ipad 1 and will very likely be getting ipad 2.

What I expect and I think we will get:
1. Front and back camera (back camera not for pictures but for other functions)
2. Thiner and lighter
3. More RAM
4. Better processor (dual core)

What I would like:
5. Better screen (I see ipad 2 getting a better screen by an improved build but no Retina at this stage)

What I could not give a flying...
6. SD card
7. Thunerbolt
8. USB

Chances are I will be getting the wifi model. 3g is now almost and old technology as 4g is being rolled out, so I would rather get a wifi version and eventually a dongle, or use my own phone as hotspot. Although GPS would be very nice.

super_furry

ironclaw wrote: »

Thats not a serious question is it? The answer sadly is no and never.

Sure it is. PS3 joypads connect to the PS3 via Bluetooth. If the iPad has Bluetooth, then it's not exactly beyond the realms of possibility that it could connect to that too, is it?

Stainless_Steel

super_furry wrote: »

Sure it is. PS3 joypads connect to the PS3 via Bluetooth. If the iPad has Bluetooth, then it's not exactly beyond the realms of possibility that it could connect to that too, is it?

Why would they bother though?

It would be a rare occasion that someone would buy an iPad because they can play with their PS3 controller on a 10" display. Have ya not got a telly?

super_furry

Yes I have a telly but I can't hook my iPad to it to play games. The iPad is technically very proficent when it comes to games but one of the things holding it back from being a system for traditional and less disposible games is the lack of a decent input. Something like NOVA looks great but can't really be controlled well via touchscreen. Being able to use a PS3 joypad on the iPad would make it a much more attractive prospect to gamers.

johnc24

All

Thanks for all your contribuations thus far, keep them coming.

I was in a compuB store yesterday asking about watching the keynote for the "iPad2" live at 10am Pacific (1800 Local I think) on Wednesday.

The guy said it could be watched via the apple site using HTML5 with Safari.

Does the latest Safari support HTML5 and where do I go on the site to watch the keynote does anyone know?

Cheers

Basq

johnc24 wrote: »

The guy said it could be watched via the apple site using HTML5 with Safari.

Does the latest Safari support HTML5 and where do I go on the site to watch the keynote does anyone know?

Ah yeah.. HTML5 is supported in all major browsers.

Although I would have enjoyed if Apple broadcast it embedded inside a nice Flash player.. just to mess with heads!

The keynote will be available to download not long after also.

Blazer

Reckon Apple will cave in evenutally and allow flash on their stuff...
Android are making massive gains and will soon be the dominant mobile OS within the next year or so..
Apple will need to bring in new customers and not fanboys per se to keep that revenue stream coming in and if google keep banging that "flash" drum sooner or later it's gonna backfire massively on Apple...
Most people hasn't a bulls notion what flash is..but if you tell your customers that your phone has flash support and your leading competitor's doesn't....who do you think they'll go for.

I'm also seeing as Apple release each revision of iOS that they're starting to include stuff which previously you could only get with jailbreaking...
eg..multitasking, wifi hotspot (4.3).
I reckon Apple allow these loopholes to see what the hackers come up with ....(sorta a beta test of potential apps if you like) and any that prove very popular and they can code without any issues Apple will consider a future rollout.

Creamy Goodness

it's only supported in safari on OS X/iOS though.

rivalius13

ironclaw wrote: »

For me, it would have to be Cameras and FaceTime. I wouldn't not buy it due to the display. Its fantastic enough already. I have a iPhone 4 and frankly I never notice the Retina aspect. The iPad 1G was rubbish, it lacked way too much basic features.

Hold it next to damn near any other phone and come back.

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

it's only supported in safari on OS X/iOS though.

The livestream? Yep, it only works in Safari and iOS. The feature it uses is something Apple have open sourced, but only they have implemented it, as far as I know. Can't remember the name of it....but, yea, odds are it will be broadcast live Wednesday like they've done with the last few announcements. No more live streams, yay.

Dman001

Now this looks interesting, the BBC are distributing UK Apple invites to their event held in their studio. Apparently Apple Fanboy Stephen Fry will hold the UK event. Looks like a bitta over the pond Facetime will be happening at the event:

http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/02/25/apple-and-the-bbc-to-co-host-ipad-2-release-event/

Edit: I should note that this is held on the same day and time as the Apple event in the US, it isn't a separate event.

adamski8

Basq wrote: »

You say "basic"? I say "unnecessary".

Realistically, how many people would use a 10" tablet held up to your face for making a Skype video call? And anyone who does is lying! :P

It's a nice addition but that's it.

why would you have to hold it any different than you would normally use it?? and whats the difference in using an ipad and a desktop for skype im getting an ipad2 pretty much just for the camera, i skype all the time with the ipad1

rivalius13 wrote: »

Hold it next to damn near any other phone and come back.

i dont understand why people want such great resolution on such a small screen (phone), why is the retina display such a deal breaker? zooming in alot on stuff

3DataModem

Front camera is all that is missing from my ipad. I would love to be able to make full two-way skype calls. But no matter, otherwise v happy with my ipad.

Creamy Goodness

adamski8 wrote: »

and whats the difference in using an ipad and a desktop for skype im getting an ipad2 pretty much just for the camera, i skype all the time with the ipad1

erm well the fact that you don't have to be near your desktop is one. you could be out in the garden enjoying the rays (rare for here i know) and you're on skype. you notice your buddy that's in oz pops up on skype and you want to see his new baby girl or for what ever reason and you have to run inside to boot up your desktop etc etc. with cameras on the ipad it eliminates that.

not saying that i will use cameras on an ipad, there's no doubt in the matter that they are a welcomed addition.

also my parents loved it when they facetimed with my brother in boston at christmas the whole family loved it. they want to do it every weekend now yet when i show them how to set it up on a laptop they get scared. old people are scared to use laptops (i find anyways). with an ipad i can say, look press this big S button (skype app icon) and bam you're away.

guessing the tl;dr version of what i'm trying to say is....

a mobile device removes the need to be near a desktop is the biggest difference between skyping on an ipad compared to desktop.

adamski8 wrote: »

i dont understand why people want such great resolution on such a small screen (phone), why is the retina display such a deal breaker? zooming in alot on stuff

i thought the 3g s had a great resolution, and it did that was until i saw the iphone 4 with my eyes. i don't find myself zooming in a lot with my iphone 4 (just text/images are now incredibly sharper than any phone out there) and i assume the same would remain true with a "retina" like display in an ipad.

Feelgood

This maybe of some help

rivalius13

adamski8 wrote: »

why would you have to hold it any different than you would normally use it?? and whats the difference in using an ipad and a desktop for skype im getting an ipad2 pretty much just for the camera, i skype all the time with the ipad1


i dont understand why people want such great resolution on such a small screen (phone), why is the retina display such a deal breaker? zooming in alot on stuff

You don't have to hold your desktop up to use it.

And until you hold an older iPhone next to an iPhone 4 you really can't appreciate the Retina Display.

Dades

rivalius13 wrote: »

And until you hold an older iPhone next to an iPhone 4 you really can't appreciate the Retina Display.

+1

I was watching the rugby on Sunday on a mate's 42 inch TV. I thought it looked amazing on digital TV until he switched to BBC HD - WOW.

The point is - what has been seen cannot be unseen. I'm so used to my iPhone retina display that when I pick up the iPad I'm dismayed to actually see pixels. :pac:

It may not be a dealbreaker for everyone, but if Apple don't (and probably won't) update the display this year - and you buy an iPad 2 - it is going to look so inferior next year when they do up the resolution.

Fat_Fingers

Dades wrote: »

+1

It may not be a dealbreaker for everyone, but if Apple don't (and probably won't) update the display this year - and you buy an iPad 2 - it is going to look so inferior next year when they do up the resolution.

Agree.
but also following that logic why buy ipad3 when ipad 4 will be so much better.. then again not sure i should buy crappy ipad 4 when ipad 5 is going to be great!

jamesd

Once I hear the irish release date I will be selling my 32GB wifi Ipad to fund the new Ipad purchase.

Danbo!

Fat_Fingers wrote: »

Agree.
but also following that logic why buy ipad3 when ipad 4 will be so much better.. then again not sure i should buy crappy ipad 4 when ipad 5 is going to be great!

It depends on your definition of better. I didn't even consider an iPhone until the 3GS. There were certain features I wanted that weren't there in the first two models. Yes the iPhone 4 is superior but in my opinion not worth the upgrade. The 3GS has the features I want and anything else is a bonus, so I'll wait until the iPhone 5 to upgrade, which I'll probably have to because iOS 5 will probably slow the 3GS right down.

Blazer

jamesd wrote: »

Once I hear the irish release date I will be selling my 32GB wifi Ipad to fund the new Ipad purchase.

give you fifty bucks for it
I was planningto do that same but unless there's a retina display and dual-core cpu as well as at least 1gb of ram I'm not interested and will hold out for ipad 3

Dades

Fat_Fingers wrote: »

Agree.
but also following that logic why buy ipad3 when ipad 4 will be so much better.. then again not sure i should buy crappy ipad 4 when ipad 5 is going to be great!

Ahh, but according to Apple the whole "retina" thing

Apple wrote:

displays pixel density is so high, your eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels

... meaning they'll hardly be upping the resolution again!
Certainly there'll be no leap in the foreseeable future like from the current resolution to the retina one?

adamski8

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

erm well the fact that you don't have to be near your desktop is one. you could be out in the garden enjoying the rays (rare for here i know) and you're on skype. you notice your buddy that's in oz pops up on skype and you want to see his new baby girl or for what ever reason and you have to run inside to boot up your desktop etc etc. with cameras on the ipad it eliminates that.

thanks creamy but i didnt mean to come across the way i did to you with that post. I know the benefits of using skype with an ipad and the camera is all thats missing to enjoy it fully. I was just arguing with basqs post.
If your using an ipad for browsing etc etc, why would you have to use (hold it closer etc) for the camera to see your face?! and i cant see anyone owning an ipad and saying oh i want to use skype better use the desktop! much more comfortable to be able to skype sitting wherever you want etc etc

rivalius13 wrote: »

You don't have to hold your desktop up to use it.

And until you hold an older iPhone next to an iPhone 4 you really can't appreciate the Retina Display.

fair enough but i think the ipads resolution is pretty damn good anyway. surprised its such a dealbreaker for people

I wouldnt mind losing money on selling ipad1 buying ipad2 because ive gotten use of it for a 8months already.

dave oc

Anyone know if the iPad event will be streamed live from the apple website? Havent they done it before for Safari web browsers only? Would like to see it live and not have to sit looking at engadget's live stream of photos