Apple iPad Event - 16 Oct 2014

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Yet, they remain the number 1 seller in the tablet market space.

Oh yes, and almost certainly one of the best on the market too. But the mobile market is splintering and the use case for them is not the same as it was when they were first released.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Let me guess! Fingerprint sensor and still 1GB of RAM!

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Those prices are completely unrealistic for a device with the same screen as the iPhone 6. Consider that an iPod is essentially an iPhone without the 4G radio transmitter. How much do you suppose that transmitter costs?

There's more to it than that. Traditionally, the touch is constructed with cheaper components and building materials. It has cheaper cameras, fewer sensors, etc. Maybe $199 might be cutting it close for the 16GB model and a jump to the $229 initial price point would be more realistic; but the price points for the 64GB and 128GB models are realistic considering they involve $100 bumps for NAND costing far less than that.

[Shane R]

Don't forget the 'soft' costs of bringing a new device to market. Humans have to be paid, their medical insurance subsidized, marketing prepared and tech support trained.

[ProfCrash]

Eh, I love my iPad and will eventually update it when it can't run the apps that I want. I don't want to use the laptop. I don't want to go to the basement to use the PC. I don't use it outside of the house except for when I travel, which is like twice a year. So it is the prefect size, weight and form for me. I bought the iPad instead of a Galaxy two years ago because the apps that I want to use were only available for Apple and that is still the case. The niche market I use is the strategic board games niche and most of those are available for Apple but not Android.

So there is a market but I am sounding like more and more the exception to the rule. I don't want/need a smartphone. I don't want the data plan. I do have a new iTouch because I wanted something small to listen to music on at the gym and have something for apps that my Son can use when we travel or I can use when he is watching a video on my iPad when travelling.

So we are weird, we don't need a smartphone (can't use them at work, don't need the internet capability at home and we are not out enough were we want to have internet access outside of the house), I sure as hell don't want a phone that is the size of a smartphone these days.

(shrugs)

I like being the outlier?

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I bet they go 16GB, 64GB, 128GB for the iPads; skipping 32GB. Apple would be stupid to set the base at 32GB, because most people would stay there. By keeping it at 16GB, they force more people to spend the extra $100 to move up to 64GB.

Agreed. I think they will keep the storage the same as the iPhone.

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Let me guess! Fingerprint sensor and still 1GB of RAM!

TouchID would be nice for the iPads.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Shane R

Don't forget the 'soft' costs of bringing a new device to market. Humans have to be paid, their medical insurance subsidized, marketing prepared and tech support trained.

That's all factored in. Look at the difference between the BOM and retail prices for previous models. There isn't a huge difference cost wise for the base model. Apple knows how to keep costs down. A cut here and a cut there adds up.

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by ucfgrad93

TouchID would be nice for the iPads.

I still get annoyed when I have to enter my (long) passcode to access my (non-retina) iPad mini.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

So there is a market but I am sounding like more and more the exception to the rule. I don't want/need a smartphone. I don't want the data plan. ?

That's me. I refuse to pay for data that I don't need, so I still use a flip phone. But I own a smartphone (Nexus 4) that I use as a 4.7" tablet. It's my Android replacement for the iPt4 I used to have. I wanted something with a compass, GPS, and enough CPU and RAM to not obsolete so fast. I just wish it was about a half inch smaller screen wise.

[tubemonkey]

CNET will be starting their live video blog in a half hour (8:45am PT).

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Shane R

I still get annoyed when I have to enter my (long) passcode to access my (non-retina) iPad mini.

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 is easier to remember

Originally Posted by Shane R

I still get annoyed when I have to enter my (long) passcode to access my (non-retina) iPad mini.

It is only four digits! But I hear you. I also get annoyed every time I buy an app and I have to enter my Apple ID, but then I remember that it makes for a more secure transaction. I get the feeling that Google could care less whether their Android is secure or not, after all they let anyone post apps and never seem verify if those apps are data miners. So I will put up with a little inconvenience for a lot more security.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Shane R

Oh yes, and almost certainly one of the best on the market too. But the mobile market is splintering and the use case for them is not the same as it was when they were first released.

Sure, it goes back to a post that I made on a different thread. When a company comes out with a new product category, then it has a short term monopoly. Over time, that short term monopoly starts to break up as competitors come into the market. What we are seeing is the market start to go in the same direction that the smart phone market did. Apple is still focused on the high profit margin group. They aren't interested in what I would call the commodities part of the market, i.e. cheap tablets.

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by jswinden

It is only four digits!

Oh no. I use a pass-code longer than just four digits.