Analyst: Surface Could Mean Slimmer iPad for Early 2013
Despite the fact that Apple announced a fourth-generation iPad (and an iPad Mini) just seven months after the iPad 3 launched, the firm may already be working on a thinner, lighter model for launch early next year.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst for KGI Securities, the iPad 4 and iPad Mini may not be enough to beat competition stemming from Microsoft's hotly anticipated Surface tablet. Kuo wrote in a note to investors that due to the threat Surface poses, Apple could be pressured into launching a lighter and thinner model of the 9.7-inch iPad.
"Though the iPad mini is expected to be successful, we think launching the lighter, thinner 9.7-inch iPad as quickly as possible matters more for Apple strategically," Kuo said.
The analyst expects Apple to integrate "GF DITO" (otherwise known as GF2) touchscreen technology into the new iPad. The iPad Mini already utilizes GF2, with the tech contributing to the slate's 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter body when compared the iPad 4.
It will still have a chump smartphone OS on it that has about 1/3 the potential capabilities as Windows 8/RT.
It will still have a chump smartphone OS on it that has about 1/3 the potential capabilities as Windows 8/RT.
1) Lighter. It's a little too heavy.
2) Cooler. It runs too hot. - fixed in iPad 4 I believe
3) Better edges. The current rounded edges are a pain for holding, plugging in, etc. The surface looks much better in this regards.
4) Volume control - move it away from the power button. I hate turning the device off when I want to change the volume. I also hate how it mutes the volume when you turn the volume down.
As far as the OS, it's good for what the tablet is used for - web browser, mail, netflix, some games.
Having used Windows 8 for a bit, it appears it would be really nice on a tablet. It's not so nice on a dual screen setup. Actually reverted back to Windows 7 due to usability. Microsoft did improve a lot of the core in Windows 8, but the new UI can be crippling for advanced users.
For once someone who makes a criticism on Apple without bashing on them.
My criticism of Apple is that I want MORE than they're delivering. Some folks will buy Apple because it's cool, or because it matches their purse... I'm OK with that... I bought an iPhone because it fit my needs better than the other options at that time... but I've been disappointed with the lost opportunity that Apple had and has nearly lost through complacency. They have complete control over a wide swath of the current computing infrastructure (mobile, tablet, laptop, desktop) yet their interoperability is TERRIBLE. They could have tightly integrated those devices to make my life easier by having them able to connect transparently with each other, authenticate, and then link in ways that would be useful to me (like drag and drop, display extension, single control point for multiple devices, transparent tethering, etc...) but they've done nothing. Well that's not exactly true... they've asked us to put our faith in the 'Cloud' to connect devices, which is a poor solution (why send data to a remote server in order to retrieve it to a device 2 inches away from the source machine?).
Now Microsoft nearly has the same basic breadth of products (phone/tablet/laptop/desktop)... and they have the advantage of already showing tech demos of what I'm talking about (remember the big 'surface' that allowed you to drop a phone on it and pull pictures off the phone in about 2 seconds?). It's sad to say, but I think at this point we're more likely to see this (IMO Revolutionary) step in technology from the company that is rediculously late to the big game. That's inexcusable, and Jobs was as guilty of missing the boat as current Apple management.
I like Apple products, I've got an iPhone, iPad, Mac Mini, a bunch of mp3 players... but I want their innovation to be more than just another pretty skin on the same functionality... or a new map app.