Only thing that changed on New IPad is the screen

I highly disagree. Doubled pixel density and 44% improved color gamut were necessary changes, and I doubt highly that anyone who sees an iPad Retina Display could ever go back to an iPad 1 or 2 display, just as those who saw the iPhone 4's Retina Display couldn't go back to the 3GS.

I understand it's subjective. And I understand it will look better. But not enough to matter to me. My wife has an iPhone 4 and we have a couple of iPod touches so I can compare. And while the iPhone 4 display is nice, the iPod touch display just doesn't bother me.


You are getting more real world power. Your basic assumption here is that the hardware upgrades will be negated by the higher resolution, leaving us with no net gain in performance. Hands-on reports after the keynote contradict this. You're getting better hardware.

I haven't read any such reports(not that I doubt you). And i've read a number of impressions. I'm more likely to chalk it up to wishful thinking. But either way, i'll know soon enough for myself.


Not sure what specific functionality you want that you're missing; just going on your example, apps already have access to the camera, or the 30-pin port, or whatever else they might need. To take things a step further, you now have systemwide Twitter integration, allowing you to do things like tweeting out your current page in Safari.

Apps have access to the camera, but not the camera to the apps. In android or wp7 if I install a 3rd party app of some sort the built in camera app knows these other apps were installed and I can take a picture with the built in camera app and share it directly via 3rd party apps. That's only one example of app integration. The features don't have to be built into the OS like twitter has been to iOS but rather the apps are aware of each other. You also can't select default apps in ios.
It's actually pretty damn nice. Makes the mobile device function like a real desktop computer and I find it very useful. Having owned or currently own iOS, wp7 and android I can tell you there's a pretty massive difference between devices in this regard. Hopefully we'll see something like it in ios6.

The smart cover negates that, IMO. Just rest it on a surface and take a photo. I think the real issue is that most people don't have their iPad in situations where they might want to take photos, while they do have their iPhone.

I don't think it negates it at all. It's still pretty damn awkward. Imagine just holding my iPad above my head while videoing my daughter during a school concert. Awkward indeed. And blocking people's view. I'd use a phone or camcorder for that but not an iPad.

I am also disappointed the new iPad doesn't have siri. Why voice dictation and no siri? Doesn't make sense to me. Not a deal breaker, just thought it was odd.
 
Apps have access to the camera, but not the camera to the apps. In android or wp7 if I install a 3rd party app of some sort the built in camera app knows these other apps were installed and I can take a picture with the built in camera app and share it directly via 3rd party apps. That's only one example of app integration. The features don't have to be built into the OS like twitter has been to iOS but rather the apps are aware of each other. You also can't select default apps in ios.

Third party apps have access to your photo album. That's exactly the functionality you want.

I don't think it negates it at all. It's still pretty damn awkward. Imagine just holding my iPad above my head while videoing my daughter during a school concert. Awkward indeed. And blocking people's view. I'd use a phone or camcorder for that but not an iPad.

Like I said, most people don't have an iPad available in situations where they would want to take a picture.

I am also disappointed the new iPad doesn't have siri. Why voice dictation and no siri? Doesn't make sense to me. Not a deal breaker, just thought it was odd.

Probably for the same reasons the iPad doesn't have a weather widget or calculator app; different device, different use.
 
Third party apps have access to your photo album. That's exactly the functionality you want.

Not the same at all. I've used all platforms, trust me, not the same. In android or WP7 you take a pic with the camera you then share directly to whatever sort of app you have installed on the phone. The built in app sees which other apps are installed and then shares via them. One smooth operation.

In ios you take a pic with the camera and then you have to go to that app and pull up the photo from the camera roll to share. Two separate apps then required to do a single task that is done on other platforms via one integrating with another.

Again, i'm using the camera sharing as one example. But that sort of thing is throughout those other OS's. I open up an epub document from email or dropbox and have several ereader apps on the device, they ask me which I want to use for that file and give me the option to make it the default.

Because these platforms are aware of all the apps installed and apps are aware of each other you get the option(most of the time) to choose which app to use for a given task.

Another example, on WP7 I use local scout to find nearby entertainment. I come across some movie theaters and it gives me showtiimes. If I want to learn more about those movies the phone knows I have flixster, IMDB and Fandango installed and gives me the choice of which to use, you select it and then it automatically brings up info on that movie in the app you selected.

Like I said, most people don't have an iPad available in situations where they would want to take a picture.

Because they have already decided to bring a different device for such tasks.
 
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Nope. Not the same at all. I've used all platforms. In android or WP7 you take a pic with the camera you then share directly to whatever sort of app you have installed on the phone. The built in app sees which other apps are installed and then shares via them. One smooth operation.

In ios you take a pic with the camera and then you have to go to that app and pull up the photo from the camera roll to share. Two separate apps then required to do a single task that is done on other platforms via one integrating with another.

Again, the functionality is there. iOS gives you a common pool from which all apps can draw data from, in this case the Photo Album. All apps can speak to the Photo Album and retrieve what they need from it.

iOS is sandboxed. The direct transfer functionality you want isn't going to happen, at least not unless Apple takes the share sheet concept from Mountain Lion and adds it to iOS 6 or 7. Even then I suspect you would still be unhappy with that.

You take a picture with a camera app, then you email it with a mail app, or you tweet it with a Twitter app, or you edit it with a photo app, or you send it out to storage with a cloud app. Some of these apps can talk to each other—using Safari to tweet—and some can't. That's intentional design and won't change, at least not in the foreseeable future.

If you prefer WP7 or Android, buy a device that uses WP7 or Android.

Because they have already decided to bring a different device for such tasks.

Most people don't sit there and think "Hmm. What am I going to use to take photos?" They don't even plan on taking photos. They go out somewhere, decide to take a photo, and they happen to have their iPhone handy. Because they use the iPhone differently than they use the iPad, the iPhone happens to be available in that particular scenario more often than the iPad.

There are also instances in which one might have an iPad at hand but not an iPhone. For example, an ER doctor who has an iPad to look at medical records or imagery. A patient comes in with unidentified drugs on his person; the doctor would use the iPad's camera to photograph the drugs for reference, because he already has the iPad ready.

I suspect you're speaking more of your own use than general use, which is fine so long as you realize that your preferences are not common.
 
iOS is sandboxed. The direct transfer functionality you want isn't going to happen, at least not unless Apple takes the share sheet concept from Mountain Lion and adds it to iOS 6 or 7. Even then I suspect you would still be unhappy with that.

You take a picture with a camera app, then you email it with a mail app, or you tweet it with a Twitter app, or you edit it with a photo app, or you send it out to storage with a cloud app. Some of these apps can talk to each other—using Safari to tweet—and some can't. That's intentional design and won't change, at least not in the foreseeable future.

Correct. And I hope for such changes in ios6 as it's been very nice to have on other devices.

If you prefer WP7 or Android, buy a device that uses WP7 or Android.

I did. I own an WP7. Owned an android but sold it to get a WP7. Also have an ipad. imac. Ipod touch. Many windows machines. I'm all over the map.


Most people don't sit there and think "Hmm. What am I going to use to take photos?" They don't even plan on taking photos. They go out somewhere, decide to take a photo, and they happen to have their iPhone handy. Because they use the iPhone differently than they use the iPad, the iPhone happens to be available in that particular scenario more often than the iPad.

Sure they do. If i'm going to my daughters school function we think about which device to bring. Typically a camcorder and/or DSLR. If we go to a party at a friends house we think about that as well. When we go camping i'm always sure to pack a device to video record. Birthday parties as well. Christmas. When I take my kids to see santa. Etc.

I don't deny during spontaneous moments you grab what is on hand. But there are many situations in life you do plan for and know of in advance.

I actually think my situation is more common than you realize.
 
You also get bluetooth 4.0 and while not a lot has this integrated yet it is slowly rolling out making external devices even better and not so battery hungry.
Beyond the screen & better hardware I guess there is not much but if you enjoy iOS the hardware is worth the upgrade. I have an original iPad and the screen was what I was waiting on and it is finally here. LTE is a bonus with living in a major city I can take full advantage of this and this time instead of just a wifi version I will be getting the mobile/wifi one (added bonus is Verizon iPad has hotspot).
 
I understand it's subjective. And I understand it will look better. But not enough to matter to me. My wife has an iPhone 4 and we have a couple of iPod touches so I can compare. And while the iPhone 4 display is nice, the iPod touch display just doesn't bother me.

I'm certain you're technical, but a lot of it depends on which iPod Touch you have. The newer models have the higher resolution display.
 
Sure they do. If i'm going to my daughters school function we think about which device to bring. Typically a camcorder and/or DSLR. If we go to a party at a friends house we think about that as well. When we go camping i'm always sure to pack a device to video record. Birthday parties as well. Christmas. When I take my kids to see santa. Etc.

I don't deny during spontaneous moments you grab what is on hand. But there are many situations in life you do plan for and know of in advance.

I actually think my situation is more common than you realize.


I think both situations occur a great deal. However, I know that once I get the 3rd gen iPad that I will use it for simple home vids where I don't need a zoom lens. But I still realize that there will be times when I will want a camcorder or other video recording device that has a zoom lens on it, too. I see the new iPad as simply offering a new option for taking pics and videos....and it is never bad to have options. I will definitely be using the feature whenever it is convenient to do so, and won't when I know I need a zoom lens or a need the device to be small. I like to make videos on bike rides, for example, and would not have an iPad for that, and frankly would not even use my phone for that (too expensive to replace if dropped). One of those pocket Canons works fine for this.
 
I'm certain you're technical, but a lot of it depends on which iPod Touch you have. The newer models have the higher resolution display.

Oh no, it's an old one. Got them for free for opening a checking account. Might be 2nd gen. Maybe.
 
I like to think of the new iPad display as a trial run of larger Retina panels. Because we're almost due for a MacBook Pro update. And I know somewhere Retina would look really, really nice. 17 inches diagonal of nice.
 
OS X still lacks some facilities for resolution independence required for that, though. There's forward momentum, but it just isn't all there yet.
 
OS X still lacks some facilities for resolution independence required for that, though. There's forward momentum, but it just isn't all there yet.

Mountain Lion. The implementation is complete in Lion as well, it just doesn't have support from 3rd party software developers.
 
Mountain Lion. The implementation is complete in Lion as well, it just doesn't have support from 3rd party software developers.
I know there's some support for it and that they're still working on it, but I've never heard of it being complete.
 
I know there's some support for it and that they're still working on it, but I've never heard of it being complete.

Resolution independence circa 10.5 was never implemented fully. It was eventually frozen out and replaced by HiDPI modes in 10.7, presumably because HiDPI is easier to implement (just draw larger bitmaps) than resolution independence, which relied IIRC on vectors.
 
Resolution independence circa 10.5 was never implemented fully. It was eventually frozen out and replaced by HiDPI modes in 10.7, presumably because HiDPI is easier to implement (just draw larger bitmaps) than resolution independence, which relied IIRC on vectors.

Yeah, I meant HiDPI, not the old "resolution independence" in Leopard. Functionally, they accomplish the same goals. HiDPI works fine in Lion, just has some small issues with 3rd party apps if the developers didn't include the proper sized icons, and the occasional text sizing fluke. I suspect the last few bugs will be ironed out by Mountain Lion, and it will go from a high-end feature to being part of Apple's marketing strategy.
 
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