Topic: iPad 3 is announced, is same thing as iPad 2 (and iPad 1).

[BranDonk Kong]

To be fair I'm sure the display will be beautiful, now when you take those 5MP pictures, you can see them in all of their circa-2009 cell phone quality. And just think of all of those shortcuts to apps that you can look at on your desktop now that it has an unnecessarily high resolution for a 9.7" (4:3) screen.

Other than that, it's the same oversized iPhone that it has always been. I'd say Steve Jobs is rolling in his grave, but it's probably no different than it would have been if he were still the mastermind behind incremental upgrades.

Source = the internet.

[ShyGuy]

Yeah, what is with Apple's resolution obsession? I don't get it.

[TJ Spyke]

Yeah, those fangled kids always want to see their movie/TV shows/games more clearly. When I was a kid, we watches things on 480i TVs with RCA cables and we LIKED it.

[NWR_insanolord]

Yes, apart from doubling the resolution and significantly bumping the processor and graphics and adding a whole bunch of fancy camera abilities and allowing for 4G LTE, it's the same exact thing as the previous models.

[ShyGuy]

It's just two ipad 2s duct taped together with waggle.

[TJ Spyke]

In other Apple news today, Apple released iOS 5.1 with mostly minor updates:

*Japanese language added to Siri
*Photos can FINALLY be deleted from your Photo Stream
*The camera shortcut is now always visible on Lock Screen for iPhone 3GS/iPhone 4/iPhone 4S/iPod Touch 4th gen
*Camera face detection highlights all detected faces
*Redesigned camera app for iPad
*Genius Mixes and Genius playlists for iTunes Match subscribers
*Audio for TV shows/movies on iPad optimized to sound louder and clearer
*Podcast controls for playback speed and 30 second rewind added to iPad (which I love since I listen to them at 2X speed on my iPod Touch)
*Updated AT&T network indicator
*Addresses bugs affecting battery life
*Fixes an issue that occasionally caused audio drop for outgoing calls

They also announced that later this month they will release a new version of Apple TV that supports 1080p (right now it only supports up to 720p).

[nickmitch]

Aren't all tablets just giant cell phones? Is it particularly fair to ridicule on device when the entire category is defined that way? The only exception to me is the Kindle Fire because I guess it's a Kindle? I dunno. Amazon doesn't have a phone, so it can't really be that.

[Plugabugz]

It's not even 4G LTE, its "4G" HSPA+ which isn't even 4G it's nearer to 3.75G.

It would be nice of any of Siri's location based services  - "find me a supermarket" -  actually worked rather than telling me i need to be in the USA and use US English, still.

[NWR_insanolord]

It does both LTE and HSPA+. And of course they release 5.1 less than a week after I jailbroke my phone, and it does some good stuff.

[Adrock]

Yes, apart from doubling the resolution and significantly bumping the processor and graphics and adding a whole bunch of fancy camera abilities and allowing for 4G LTE, it's the same exact thing as the previous models.

And insano takes the bait... For shame, insano! FOR SHAME! Brandogg clearly has an ax to grind. I expect this from him and I expect better from YOU!

*Photos can FINALLY be deleted from your Photo Stream

Flipping finally! Time to turn on iCloud!

Edit: More exclamation points!!!

[BranDonk Kong]

Like I said, incremental improvements. The thing is, that they always gimp the model so badly, that when they announce the improvements that should have existed on the first model (like a front camera and a 5MP rear camera...and higher resolution), it seems like a big deal (to some people).

Same thing with Apple TV.

[Ceric]

I was very underwhelmed.  It was just an iteration.  They are calling it "The New iPad" likes it more then an iteration.

iPad 2 had the Cover at the very least.  What is the feature that The New iPad has that is really unique?  I would have counted fully Siri support.

[BranDonk Kong]

Siri is just an app, there is no reason even the original iPhone (2G) shouldn't have Siri.

[Ceric]

Siri is just an app, there is no reason even the original iPhone (2G) shouldn't have Siri.

Brand differentiation.  Though I don't remember how good the microphones are.  With voice recognition that could make a big difference.

[Adrock]

I was very underwhelmed.  It was just an iteration.  They are calling it "The New iPad" likes it more then an iteration.

Does it matter? If you have an iPad 2 or even the original, you don't have to upgrade but Apple, like every other company, has to update their product line. In fact, this should put a lot of people to ease. They can stand pat for at least another year unless they're really itching for Siri support and a higher res screen. If I had any tablet, that would make me happy. Admittedly, that's just the way I've always looked at upgrading my wares, be it videogames consoles, phones, computers etc. I need a good reason to spend that money and I don't like the idea of buying something that gets trounced by an update in the same line just a few short months later. I would have been pissed if I bought the Droid 3 last year when the much better Droid 4 came out like 7 months later. Ugh, F that.

On a semi-related note, I can understand a front facing camera for video chat/conferencing. I don't understand the rear facing camera on any tablet, iPad or otherwise. I remember seeing a pic of some idiot holding an iPad in the middle of a concert. There a very good chance that one owns a far more practical device to use, especially if one also owns something like an iPad. To each his own, but there's no way I'm holding something that large and expensive up in the middle of a crowd. The update is nice and all. I just don't understand what it's doing there in the first place.

[BranDonk Kong]

Some idiot filmed the kindergarten holiday recital using his iPad at my daughter's school. I use the camera (for video at least) just because it's nice to be able to instantly play it back on a big screen, and the Xoom actually takes pretty decent video, has cool effects with ICS, etc. It's definitely not something you'd use as a digital camera replacement, but if you're going to put a camera on a tablet, at least make it halfway decent from the beginning.

One of my major issues with the iPad and iPhone is that while they update the hardware every year, it's still the same OS it has been since the beginning. It's nice being able to say that you have a dual core A5X CPU, but that home screen is the same one it has been since the phone's inception.

[Adrock]

The home screen is probably not going to change unless iOS device users universally complain (and even then, Apple does whatever they want) but it seems adequate for most people. I don't mind it. In fact, I kind of like it. I use maybe 8 things on a daily basis. The only thing I'd really want changed is the ability to delete/uninstall stupid apps that I don't care for like Newstand, Weather, and Stocks. I was able to group a few of them in a folder called "Useless Apps" but Newstand requires an entire spot on he home screen. /first world problems

[NWR_insanolord]

I think it's entertaining that one of the more popular jailbreak tweaks out there right now is just there to get rid of Newsstand.

And the OS has changed dramatically over the years, just not in terms of the look of it, which Apple unsurprisingly nailed the first time around.

[nickmitch]

The central look of Windows hasn't really changed either. Start menu, task bar, desktop with icons. It's what you do/can do with the OS that's evolved and you really only see that with the applications. That comes with both the OS and the hardware.

[xcwarrior]

You want proof they aren't really changing a lot to the iPad?

Look at the price of iPad and iPad2. Yeah, still $500. Why? Cause there isn't a significant enough of an upgrade to warrant a price drop.

But as long as the device gets you to Facebook and Twitter and will play Angry Birds, it's apparently worth $500 to a lot of people.

[BranDonk Kong]

Face Time still doesn't support 3G...and now you can add 4G LTE to that sentence. Way to go, Apple! Now people will have a reason to buy next year's model.

On a side note I think it's hilarious that iOS 5.1 put a "4G" icon on the iPhone 4S on AT&T, and people are acting like the phone actually gets a 4G signal and is faster now. It has the same HSPA radio that the iPhone 4 has (and 3GS I believe), but now all of the sudden it's "4G" on the 4S. What a joke.

[TJ Spyke]

You want proof they aren't really changing a lot to the iPad?

Look at the price of iPad and iPad2. Yeah, still $500. Why? Cause there isn't a significant enough of an upgrade to warrant a price drop.

Um, Apple dropped the price of all models of the iPad 2 when they announced the new iPad. I think it was $100 for each version.

[Kairon]

Look at the price of iPad and iPad2. Yeah, still $500. Why? Cause there isn't a significant enough of an upgrade to warrant a price drop.

On the Apple Store Website iPad 2's are listed at $400.

But anyways, I think that's smart of Apple, and one way in which they agree with Nintendo: don't degrade what people expect you to price things at. Apple may have generated the whole race-to-the-bottom amongst third-party developers in terms of free and 99 cent iOS games and apps, but when it comes to them actually charging for their own products, they don't want anyone getting used to the idea of paying less than top dollar.

Better to have old models magically disappear than run a clearance sale that risks teaching consumers to not buy products on day one.

[Ceric]

There's the big thing on Apple.  All the Software they don't make and some they do could be free for all they care as long as it causes you to buy there hardware.  Apple is a Hardware company.

[NWR_insanolord]

Face Time still doesn't support 3G...and now you can add 4G LTE to that sentence. Way to go, Apple! Now people will have a reason to buy next year's model.

That's not Apple's call; the carriers won't allow it. It's like the people blaming them for the DRM back when iTunes songs had it, where Apple would love to get rid of that restriction but it's not up to them.

You want proof they aren't really changing a lot to the iPad?

Look at the price of iPad and iPad2. Yeah, still $500. Why? Cause there isn't a significant enough of an upgrade to warrant a price drop.

But as long as the device gets you to Facebook and Twitter and will play Angry Birds, it's apparently worth $500 to a lot of people.

I'm not following your logic there. Apple not dropping the price on the outdated hardware somehow proves the new hardware isn't a real improvement? This is the way Apple designs hardware: each new model replaces the previous one, with improved specs and features at the same price point. Not dropping the price on the old ones is like Nintendo not dropping the price on old games; doing that would encourage people to wait for the price drop, decreasing how much money they make.