Is Apple betting the farm on the new iPad (iPad3 or iPadHD or ?)?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ScotiaBurrell

u see this as negative?

I don't see it as anything. Apple's free to do as they please.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

aGPS uses a GPS chip and cellular or wifi data. It is better than a "standalone" GPS because the additional data helps with startup time and in conditions where reception from the satellites may degrade (trees, cities, valleys).

Recently a hiker was lost in bad weather with icy rain and snow. He had a smart phone. I think it was an iPhone, but I am definitely not sure. He was looking for a crossing of a big stream. His phone with aGPS said it was where he was standing. It wasn't. He was talking to his wife on the phone and then the emergency responders. They said use the GPS. He said it isn't working. Finally he heard the emergency crews. (I admit I forget if they were in the air or on the ground.) He was talking to them. Finally he used the "light" from the phone screen to attract their attention.

So much for aGPS. I have seen other problems too. A good chip GPS doesn't usually have those problems.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

Recently a hiker was lost in bad weather with icy rain and snow. He had a smart phone. I think it was an iPhone, but I am definitely not sure. He was looking for a crossing of a big stream. His phone with aGPS said it was where he was standing. It wasn't. He was talking to his wife on the phone and then the emergency responders. They said use the GPS. He said it isn't working. Finally he heard the emergency crews. (I admit I forget if they were in the air or on the ground.) He was talking to them. Finally he used the "light" from the phone screen to attract their attention.

Glad there was a happy outcome, but that hiker wasn't prepared. Where was his hiking partner? map & compass? signal whistle? flashlight? flare gun? handheld GPS? etc...

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

Recently a hiker was lost in bad weather with icy rain and snow. He had a smart phone. I think it was an iPhone, but I am definitely not sure. He was looking for a crossing of a big stream. His phone with aGPS said it was where he was standing. It wasn't. He was talking to his wife on the phone and then the emergency responders. They said use the GPS. He said it isn't working. Finally he heard the emergency crews. (I admit I forget if they were in the air or on the ground.) He was talking to them. Finally he used the "light" from the phone screen to attract their attention.

So much for aGPS. I have seen other problems too. A good chip GPS doesn't usually have those problems.

If it was an iPhone than the hiker was just holding it wrong

[HappyMartin]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Glad there was a happy outcome, but that hiker wasn't prepared. Where was his hiking partner? map & compass? signal whistle? flashlight? flare gun? handheld GPS? etc...

Not sure what this all proves about tablets. I agree with you of course. Nuts to go hiking with no map and a phone for a GPS. You hike you carry a dedicated GPS with AA batteries. What you going to do when the phone runs out of power? Also all GPS devices have a weakness in that under trees, with bad weather and so on they may not reliably pick up a signal. Hardly an issue to call Apple out on.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

Recently a hiker was lost in bad weather with icy rain and snow. He had a smart phone. I think it was an iPhone, but I am definitely not sure. He was looking for a crossing of a big stream. His phone with aGPS said it was where he was standing. It wasn't. He was talking to his wife on the phone and then the emergency responders. They said use the GPS. He said it isn't working. Finally he heard the emergency crews. (I admit I forget if they were in the air or on the ground.) He was talking to them. Finally he used the "light" from the phone screen to attract their attention.

So much for aGPS. I have seen other problems too. A good chip GPS doesn't usually have those problems.

Yeah, I read about that. It didn't have anything to do with aGPS (which will work as well with a sirf III chip as any other gps chip); it had to do with the fact that the map on his phone wasn't appropriate for backwoods use. I.e., the gps showed where he was fine - it's just that being a blinking blue dot in a featureless green map won't help anyone find you.

The fact that the hiker didn't bring an actual map and that the only flashlight he had was the flashlight app on his phone are probably pretty good examples of his preparedness.

[Prestidigitweeze]

The problem is that you're comparing a single Android model from one company to the best and only offering by the only company that makes iOS tablets. The very graph attribute about which monkeyluis complained -- that it included in the sales data even those wretched knock-off tablets marketed in equally wretched chain stores -- applies here in the opposite way.

If you're comparing the best tablet Apple has to offer all year to the a tablet which journalists claim is the best Asus offered that day, then the comparison isn't helpful to the person who wants the best tablet for their purposes. That person needs to read a comprehensive survey of tablets and to go to physical stores and try the ones that interest them most.

(On the other hand, if monkeyluis were showing us a graph of tablet durability and usability (acc. to customer surveys) by OS, and the graph included even that aforementioned generic Android tablet, then results would likely serve an argument he might make: that tablets on iOS are better and more durable than those on Windows or Android.)

Originally Posted by Penforhire

It just doesn't matter if a Transformer can lift three iPads. At that price point there is no tablet market. There is an iPad market. The Fire and Nook tablets are hot (in America) because of price.

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

The Transformer Prime launch was miserable. The GPS did not work correctly, wifi range was weak, keyboard shipments were delayed, and they didn't have the latest Android OS at launch. They won't really fix the first two issues until the NEXT Transformer, which they announced about a month after the Prime launch. They have to redesign the metal rear case to either use engineered grills or plastic windows. But after the announcement of the next model in the pipeline, how many people are jumping on the Prime?

That is no way to compete.

And what most geeks misunderstand is, the general public doesn't buy tablets based on specifications. They are mostly buying the store experience (B&N, Apple, or Amazon)and "ecosystem." Android Marketplace? The general public hears Charlie Brown's parents speaking that name, "wah, wah, wah." It has zero cachet. Another marketing failure (of the same magnitude as Windows phone but that is whole other can of marketing pain).

It just doesn't matter if a Transformer can lift three iPads. At that price point there is no tablet market. There is an iPad market. The Fire and Nook tablets are hot (in America) because of price.

It was my understanding that most of these problems were addressed by Asus pretty quickly, except for the GPS issue. I'd have to agree that Asus didn't do a great job with the launch, but then again demand for the thing took everybody by surprise.

You're right about the general public. Every time I've used my Transformer in public, the reaction has been the same...Is that an Ipad? Cool! And when I say its not, the look of disappointment is the same as well. But when I explain that it cost 150 Euros less, has a better screen (compared to the Ipad2 at the time), and much better overall specs most of them regain interest.

Considering that there are more Android smartphone users out there than Iphone ones, the Android Market is pretty well known. Especially if you're under 30.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by VaporPunk

You're right about the general public. Every time I've used my Transformer in public, the reaction has been the same...Is that an Ipad? Cool! And when I say its not, the look of disappointment is the same as well. But when I explain that it cost 150 Euros less, has a better screen (compared to the Ipad2 at the time), and much better overall specs most of them regain interest.

Really? 150 Euros less? Is that the Transformer Prime or the original? I kept waiting for a good sale on the original Transformer (was hoping to get the TF+dock for $400 total). Having bought an HP TouchPad for $150 had a way of distorting expectations. After that, I wanted to buy the Prime but it was out of stock from my preferred seller (Amazon) and by the time it became available, the Transformer Pad Infinity was announced.

Still, even if that has made them regain interest, I reckon most would still choose an iPad over another tablet. In future, I expect we'll see the same thing as with Macs and PCs. The iPad would continue giving Apple high profit margins and Apple would have less market share while other hardware manufacturers duke it out based on price/specs and sell Android tablets for lower profit margins.

Originally Posted by VaporPunk

Considering that there are more Android smartphone users out there than Iphone ones, the Android Market is pretty well known. Especially if you're under 30.

Under 30, then yeah, the Android Market, sorry, Google Play would probably be well known. However, the iPad is well known even to folks who don't have smartphones and I know several who still use feature phones but have bought an iPad.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

(On the other hand, if monkeyluis were showing us a graph of tablet durability and usability (acc. to customer surveys) by OS, and the graph included even that aforementioned generic Android tablet, then results would likely serve an argument he might make: that tablets on iOS are better and more durable than those on Windows or Android.)

I'm confused by why you would link durability to the OS. To me durability is this:

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

I'm confused by why you would link durability to the OS. To me durability is this:

The importance of having a raised bezel, either built-in or via case. See this drop test @ 4:00

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

The importance of having a raised bezel, either built-in or via case. See this drop test @ 4:00

Makes you wonder why anyone would buy a tablet without a raised bezel.

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Really? 150 Euros less? Is that the Transformer Prime or the original? I kept waiting for a good sale on the original Transformer (was hoping to get the TF+dock for $400 total). Having bought an HP TouchPad for $150 had a way of distorting expectations. After that, I wanted to buy the Prime but it was out of stock from my preferred seller (Amazon) and by the time it became available, the Transformer Pad Infinity was announced.

Still, even if that has made them regain interest, I reckon most would still choose an iPad over another tablet. In future, I expect we'll see the same thing as with Macs and PCs. The iPad would continue giving Apple high profit margins and Apple would have less market share while other hardware manufacturers duke it out based on price/specs and sell Android tablets for lower profit margins.


Under 30, then yeah, the Android Market, sorry, Google Play would probably be well known. However, the iPad is well known even to folks who don't have smartphones and I know several who still use feature phones but have bought an iPad.

Until just recently, the Ipad 2 (Wifi-16)was selling here in Belgium for about 499E. I got my Transformer (original) for 349E last September from a Dutch webshop, sans keyboard dock. It was a special sale, about 30 euros cheaper than anywhere else at the time (Amazon France had it at 379 for the longest time).

As per changing their buying plans, I honestly don't know and suspect you're probably right. But at least one person I know in my "Dutch for Immigrants" class went out and bought an Archos tablet (the newest 8" one) for her kid, after seeing my Tran and is really happy with it.

Does Google have the same name recognition as Apple? Not yet, but give it a year or two, more and more people are realizing that Apple isn't the only game in town for tablets. And yeah, its Google Play now, lol, keep forgetting.

[HappyMartin]

By delivery dates and current estimates of sales for the iPad 3 it seems whatever Apple bet they won.

I'm trying to work out from the thread wether Jobs was a copy artist with no skills other than marketing or a product genius whose absence will inevitably destroy Apple. Both opinions are put forward and appear mutually exclusive to me

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

I'm confused by why you would link durability to the OS.

Because I was being facetious.