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Hands On With The New iPad

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 12:16 PM PST

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I’ve just gotten out of a quick hands-on session with the new iPad (and yes, it’s just called the iPad), and have come away with exactly the feeling I expected to have: that I need to buy one.

The first thing you should know, and also the reason there aren’t many pictures, is that as far as weight and shape, it’s almost exactly the same as the iPad 2. They wouldn’t allow comparison shots — probably because the new iPad is a little thicker — but the dimensional differences are minor and the overall feel is near-identical.

Let me tell you why I’m going to buy the new iPad. Or rather, let me show you.

Open it in a new tab to see the pixels up close.

The top picture is the new Retina screen, the bottom picture is the original screen. This close up (about a quarter of an inch), you can see the pixels. But from a normal distance, the text is so clear and the overall visual effect is so smooth, I can’t help myself.

I would love to read books and magazines on the iPad. I’d love to work from it, do my photo editing on it. But reading text and viewing images just wasn’t ever good enough. Now it is. The sharpness is as good as you expect, the device otherwise is more or less the same. Were you hoping for a redesign? That will happen eventually. Don’t be greedy.

As for the new apps, which they demoed for me, they look great. iPhoto feels like a lot of fun to use, though professionals will of course prefer the more robust controls in something like Aperture or Lightroom. For everyone else (and perhaps me), these basic controls over exposure, color, and so on (non-destructive and fairly robust; the brushes are nice) will be more than enough.

Beyond that, what’s to tell? Objective benchmarks will appear when we have our own unit; performance of the updated apps will have to be evaluated by users of the old versions; the new apps and games will have to be actually tried (the new Epic game wasn’t available for testing and Infinity Blade wasn’t upscaling very well); 4G speeds and coverage will be progressively evaluated; dictation is worthless in a crowded hands-on room; the cameras can’t be tested properly in a dim room with little connectivity; the main fact I ascertained is that having my hands on the new iPad was a lot like having my hands on the old iPad.

But having my eyes on it? That’s another story.

Watch Out Amazon, The iPad 2 Is Now Just $399

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 11:36 AM PST

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There was a debate over the last few months regarding the iPad 2. Some said the iPad 3, now known as the new iPad, would replace the iPad 2. Others, including myself, speculated that the similar form factor and slightly upgraded specs (plus it’s still selling like gangbusters) all told a different story. Well, as it turns out, Apple is in fact keeping the iPad 2 on the market for the time being.

Starting today, the iPad 2 will be available in only 16GB form. The WiFi version will cost $399 and the WiFi/3G version is $529. That’s a $100 drop from its previous MSRP. Android tabs should officially be on notice now.

This puts the best selling tablet in a new price point range. At $399 it’s within striking distance of Android tablets like the Asus Transformer and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. This is huge.

This strategy will likely increase Apple’s dominance in the tablet space. It now is officially selling two models. It doesn’t matter to the average consumer if one of them is a year old; it’s still better than nearly every other Android tab.

Since the iPad 2 and the new iPad share many components and manufacturing processes, it’s all prancing unicorns for Apple. 2012 is going to be the year of the iPad (and new iPad).

Apple Reveals LTE iPads For Verizon, AT&T, Rogers, Telus, And Bell

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 10:49 AM PST

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The new iPad (dubbed, simply enough, iPad) packs a slew of new hardware — the A5X system-on-a-chip, a 5-megapixel iSight camera, and perhaps most importantly for wireless connectivity fiends, an LTE radio. Yep, the new iPad will be Apple’s first LTE-capable device, and it’s very likely that it won’t be the last.

So far, Apple has revealed that LTE-friendly variants for Verizon and AT&T will be available, as well as for Canadian carriers Telus, Bell, and Rogers. Worldwide 3G support is understandably also part of the mix, so those of you who take the plunge without the right coverage will still be able to get those wireless data connections going.

Expect battery life to take a hit while surfing on that 4G connection, though the reported 9 hours of use is certainly no slouch especially when the iPad itself is still hovering around 10 hours sans wireless data. We’ll see how this actually pans out though — the iPhone 4S was notoriously finicky when it came to battery, and that was a 3G-only device. Still, that minor detail probably won’t keep most people from buying these things, so here’s how the pricing breaks down for the 4G models.

Apple is sticking to their standard pricing model here, with the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB 4G iPads going for $629, $729, and $829 respectively. Pre-orders open today, so you should probably start wailing on the Apple Store website if you want to get in on the ground floor.

Developing…

Apple Announces A $499 Retina-Equipped iPad (It’s Just Called iPad)

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 10:25 AM PST

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Today, in downtown San Francisco, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook unveiled the iPad 3. “We are redefining the category that Apple created with the original iPad,” he said. The device looks very similar to the iPad 2 but the new model is equipped with internal hardware including a high-resolution screen with a 264 ppi, and as Apple’s Phil Schiller notes, is good enough to call a retina screen.

But Apple doesn’t talk about just hardware. It’s all about the experience and a screen nearly twice as sharp is something Apple hopes will push the iPad into new markets and use cases.

Inside the new iPad is an A5X processor complete with quad-core graphics. Apple states that the A5 SoC is “twice as fast” as the Tegra 3 and the A5X offers “four times the performance.”

Software

Apple has optimized all the stock apps for the new screen like the company did for the iPhone 4. Several developers were given access to the new screen specs and have updated their apps to take advantage of the new pixels.

The new A5X chip gives developers new found freedom. Apple demonstrated on stage today several apps that take full advantage of the new processing power and high-resolution screen. Gaming and art apps have never looked better.

iWork is also all new and equipped with 3D animations and new transitions. Garageband now has smart strings, a note editor and, of course, syncs with iCloud. It also has a new feature called Jam Session in which 4 iOS devices running the app can play together over WiFi or Bluetooth.

Predictably, iMovie received a major update thanks to the new camera, high-res screen and processor. It features storyboards (!!!) and new editing tools.

New with the new iPad is iPhoto. This marks the first time that Apple has ported its desktop photo program to the iPad. It features gestures, effects, multi-touch editing and, yep, you guessed it, iCloud syncing and what Apple calls, Photo Beaming. The cloud tools will allow the iPad to be a remote photo editing station of sorts. Photos can live on a desktop (or MacBook) but still be edited on the tablet. This could be big.

Camera

Holding up the iPad to take a picture is never the most pleasurable experience, which is likely why Apple kept the camera specs on the lower-end in the previous generation models. But with all the killer camera apps available on iOS and our general enthusiasm toward imagery, Apple knows it’s time to slap something better onto the iPad. That said, the next-gen iPad has been fitted with a 5MP shooter capable of recording video in 1080p.

The camera has the larger f/2.4 aperture to let in more light, and all the same software goodness that came with the iPhone 4S camera app — like swipe to preview, photo editing, and facial recognition — is along for the ride too.

The new iPad also comes equipped with a voice dictation tool that supports U.S. English, British, Australian, French, German, and Japanese. This positions the iPad for increased productivity tools — it’s a straight shot at other mobile workstation solutions.

LTE

Apple has also equipped the new iPad with high speed networking. This model sports 21 Mbps HSPA+, 42Mbps DC-HSDPA and 73Mbps LTE. This is blazing fast data connectivity.

The new iPad can rock its LTE goods on Teslus, Rogers, Bell, Verizon, and AT&T (Verizon & AT&T in the states). It retains its 3G radio from before and is 3G world-ready.

Battery

The new model is 9.4mm thin and weighs in at 1.4lbs. That’s slightly heavier than the iPad 2 but the additional weight allows for larger batteries that give the new iPad, complete with its new screen and LTE radio, the same 10 hour battery life found in the iPad 2 (9 hours on LTE.)

Price and availability

Price points remain from previous models: the 16GB is $499, 32GB $599 and 64GB $699. Likewise, the LTE versions are $629, $729 and $829. The iPad 2 is also staying on the market and is now available for $399 and $529.

The new iPad ships on March 16th. Pre-orders are available today.

Tim Cook Talks iOS Device Stats: 315 Million Sold, 62 Million In Q4 2011 Alone

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 10:21 AM PST

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While we wait for the new iPad to officially take the stage in San Francisco, Apple CEO Tim Cook has just taken the opportunity to rattle off some impressive numbers for the company’s iOS devices. The company has sold a total of 315 million iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches, with a full 62 million of those iOS-powered devices being sold in Q4 2011 alone.

It seems as though 2011 was a banner year for iOS hardware too — of the 315 million devices sold in total, 172 million of those post-PC units were sold in 2011. With the new iPad just waiting in the wings, it’ll be interesting to see how much more traction Apple will be able to eke out in the tablet space.

These three product lines alone accounted for 76% of Apple’s Q4 2011 revenue, and a quite a bit of Apple’s big Q4 performance can be pegged on the iPad’s popularity. According to Cook, 15.4 million iPads were sold during that quarter, which eclipses the sales performance of nearly every other major PC manufacturer during that same time period.

Though their iOS business means big bucks for Apple, it’s unlikely that they will be giving up their consumer computer business any time soon. Rather, with updates like Mountain Lion on the horizon, they’re looking to bridge the gap between a more traditional computing experience and a new, more mobile one.

It’s certainly a savvy move on their part — Apple can start off slow by roping people into their ecosystem with their portfolio of mobile iOS devices, and bring them deeper into the fold by reducing the friction between iOS and their desktop operating system. A person who was content with an iPod Touch may be more likely to consider a Mac for their next computer purchase if the lines between the experience the know and the experience their computer brings starts to blur.

Apple Announces An Updated Apple TV Complete With A Swanky 1080p UI

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 10:21 AM PST

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Meet the new Apple TV. It’s a lot like the Apple TVs of old in that it does not feature a traditional iOS interface centering around apps: it’s still all about media and content consumption.

The biggest update here comes in the form of support for higher resolution videos. The updated UI sports a 1080p interface, and movies can now be purchased from iTunes in that resolution as well.

iCloud is also a big part of the new Apple TV and works in a similar manner as other Apple devices. Photos can be accessed in a Photo Stream and iTunes playlists are available from the cloud as well. The new 1080p interface should make for gorgeous photo viewing.

The new Apple TV is available for pre-order today, and will begin to ship on March 16. Good news cheapskates: it’s still only $99.

image via Engadget.

LIVE From The Apple iPad Event In San Francisco

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 09:49 AM PST

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We’re coming to you live from San Francisco’s Yuerba Buena Center from the Apple iPad HD (?) event. We’ll be liveblogging with MG and Devin and you can listen to our live commentary with Jordan and John.

We’re using ScribbleLive this time so things should go much more smoothly so keep your eye on this page for the duration of the event and then tune in at 4pm Pacific/7pm Eastern.

Update: Scribblelive is experiencing difficulties. Don’t forget to check out our live Apple iPad event commentary, and full coverage of the event here.



TCTV Live: Get Your Apple Fix With Our iPad Event Commentary

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 09:45 AM PST

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To be clear, there is no live stream of Apple’s upcoming iPad event so we’re giving you the next best thing. If you don’t want to keep your eye on our liveblog from the show floor, you can watch or listen to our news updates live from our NY studios where Jordan and I will attempt to bring all the news that’s fit to obsess over to you, dear viewer.

You can Tweet questions and comments with the hashtag #ipadcrunch and we’ll address them live.

Again, this is not a live stream from the show floor but an opportunity to listen to what’s going on without having to read what will be going on below. Think of it as a live event on tape. So slap on your headphones, fire up an Excel worksheet, and keep your eyes and ears on our charming and knowledgable faces.

In addition, we will have a follow-up live event at 4pm Pacific with Devin and Colleen in our San Francisco office.

The Apple Store, She Is Down

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 07:12 AM PST

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Just as surely as the swallows winging their way back to Capistrano or my mouth herpes flaring up again, as expected, the Apple Store is down.

Remember that we will have a full liveblog plus a full, live video commentary running during the event at 1pm Eastern/10am Pacific. There is no live streaming of the event anywhere, so watch this space for what Apple has on offer.

Oh, and if you have something to say or feel like chatting anything out with us, use the hashtag #iPadCrunch on Twitter and we’ll be sure to get back to you.



The Kinect-A-Sketch: A Homebrew Robotic Sketcher

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 05:34 AM PST

This video from Waterloo Labs shows a bunch of young, excited interns building what amounts to a computer-controlled Etch-A-Sketch. The project uses an Xbox Kinect sensor to find the nearest point in space and then transmits that motion to an Arduino board which in turn controls stepper motors to turn the Etch-A-Sketch knobs. Sure you could just turn the knobs yourself, but where would the fun be in that?

You can pick up an Arduino board and software for about $50 these days so these sorts of wacky homebrew projects are closer to everyday reality than you’d think. Considering the highest tech I ever got in school was building a balloon powered car, to have these resources at hand would be boon to science teachers everywhere.

While you won’t be drawing the Mona Lisa with this thing, it’s a fun experiment and the video – after the gratuitous nerd intro – is pretty funny.





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