iPad 2 announcement

[afroloq]

anyone excited about the iPad 2 announcment?

What are you expecting to see in the new model.

What feature will make or break your decision to get one vs another tablet?

[K-DoG7p7]

Seems like its only a small "facelift", double the RAM (so its half the competition), and a small overclock of the CPU (not even Dual core)

Apparently the iPad3 will be out before Christmas this year with some major improvements, the iPad 2 is just a desperate stab to remain up to date

http://www.slashgear.com/ipad-2-may-underwhelm-claims-apple-source-ipad-3-due-late-2011-to-really-wow-02136971

[Weeto]

Seems like its only a small "facelift", double the RAM (so its half the competition), and a small overclock of the CPU (not even Dual core)

Apparently the iPad3 will be out before Christmas this year with some major improvements, the iPad 2 is just a desperate stab to remain up to date

http://www.slashgear.com/ipad-2-may-underwhelm-claims-apple-source-ipad-3-due-late-2011-to-really-wow-02136971

The iPad 2 IS dual core.

[K-DoG7p7]

The iPad 2 IS dual core.

yes i guess that means the article i posted before the announcement wasyet another false rumor

but what i wonder is who made the CPU?
if its Samsung again then I have to say.. i'm worried because not even Samsung is using the Exynos on their Tablet (and so far only one of their phones)

[Weeto]

yes i guess that means the article i posted before the announcement wasyet another false rumor

but what i wonder is who made the CPU?
if its Samsung again then I have to say.. i'm worried because not even Samsung is using the Exynos on their Tablet (and so far only one of their phones)

The CPU is a dual core 1Ghz Apple A5 according to the Apple website.

[Gaelforce]

It means I get to giggle while I play with my NI Adam ;)

[K-DoG7p7]

The CPU is a dual core 1Ghz Apple A5 according to the Apple website.

yes.. and guess what!
Apple is not a CPU manufacturer, they take other peoples hard work and rebrand it as their own
the "Apple A4" is in fact a Samsung S5PC110 "Hummingbird"
the "A5" is probably the Samsung "Exynos", and Samsung isn't even using that them self (they are in one phone, but that phone will also come with the Tegra 2 in some markets)

Its also interesting they they haven't announced RAM yet..
the original iPad was only 256MB, while all the competitors are over 1 GB

[Forheiszombie]

much more interested in tablets like the XOOM.

Open > Closed.

[Weeto]

yes.. and guess what!
Apple is not a CPU manufacturer, they take other peoples hard work and rebrand it as their own
the "Apple A4" is in fact a Samsung S5PC110 "Hummingbird"
the "A5" is probably the Samsung "Exynos", and Samsung isn't even using that them self (they are in one phone, but that phone will also come with the Tegra 2 in some markets)

Its also interesting they they haven't announced RAM yet..
the original iPad was only 256MB, while all the competitors are over 1 GB

I only used the Apple name for the processor because that is what it is branded as. I did know that Apple don't make them themselves.

[CutterMike]

yes.. and guess what!
Apple is not a CPU manufacturer, they take other peoples hard work and rebrand it as their own
the "Apple A4" is in fact a Samsung S5PC110 "Hummingbird"
the "A5" is probably the Samsung "Exynos", and Samsung isn't even using that them self (they are in one phone, but that phone will also come with the Tegra 2 in some markets)

Its also interesting they they haven't announced RAM yet..
the original iPad was only 256MB, while all the competitors are over 1 GB

Well, yes and no... The Hummingbird version of the ARM A8 core was a joint Samsung/Intrinsity project (Intrinsity was later bought by Apple). Intrinsity's IP was in in custom logic enabling them to get the A8 to 1 GHz clock speeds.

As ArsTechnica (http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/04/apple-purchase-of-intrinsity-confirmed.ars) pointed out at the time of the Intrinsity purchase:

Given than Intrinsity and Samsung collaborated on Hummingbird, and that Samsung also has some SoC designs based on the core, it makes sense that A4 was fabbed on Samsung's 45nm SoC process. This means that Apple is basically just a typical Samsung foundry customer who mixed IP blocks from a number of different vendors, Samsung included, into a custom SoC design that Samsung now makes. Other customers could license those same blocks from Samsung (the Hummingbird "A8" CPU), Imagination Technologies (the PowerVR GPU), and others who haven't yet been disclosed, and make their own A4 competitor that would match the A4's performance and power efficiency profile quite closely. Once again, this means that Apple's edge with the iPad is not in the processor or the hardware, but in industrial design and software.

If the Intrinsity team actually stays together and keeps working on Apple mobile parts, however, Apple will have the potential to really differentiate itself from the rest of the ARM ecosystem. In a few years, Apple could have very fast, proprietary versions of the CPU and GPU cores that power its products.

So the CORE of the A4 System-on-a-Chip is a Samsung/Intrinsity "Hummingbird" modified ARM A8, but the rest of the SoC -- what makes the A4 the A4, is an Apple-designed smorgasbord sourced from multiple vendors. We can presume that, similarly, the A5 is a bespoke, Apple-designed SoC fabbed for them on Samsung's 45nm machines.

[Lew'sGhost]

http://theawesomer.com/ipad-2-big-screen-review/89233/

[Evan Wiener]

much more interested in tablets like the XOOM.

Open > Closed.

"Open" is a relative term. Android Marketplace has had apps pulled by Google.

[K-DoG7p7]

"Open" is a relative term. Android Marketplace has had apps pulled by Google.

malware yes..

[Gail Simone]

I still want one.

[Basque]

The iPad is still beautiful and, design-wise, makes me drool. But even if I could afford one, I've decided to boycott it (and the iPhone) in light of some of the recent news about Apple's stranglehold on the publishing apps. I understand they want to control the apps themselves, but when control starts to affect the content, that's when I can no longer support it.

It's disappointing that so many consumers are willing to give Apple that much power. If people refused to play along and let them know this is unacceptable, Apple would be forced to back off. But they can get away with almost anything, because they know their loyal customers will keep buying their products no matter what.

I'm still saving up to buy a MacBook Pro, because I haven't found a better laptop on the market and it's the best machine to do what I need it to do. (Music, mostly.) But as far as smart phones and tablets go, I'll go with Android.

[omega8932]

I've gotta say. I'm considering blowing my tax return on this thing, or part of it at least. Garage Band on it makes me interested if nothing else. If they port a copy of Pro Presenter that is useable I'll drop for one in a heartbeat. I don't really want a Macbook (slash can't afford) or one of their desktops, but I wouldn't really mind having something with some of the features. It would be nice to have something to read on when I travel, and would save me space on books if nothing else.

[ThiefKiller]

So the CORE of the A4 System-on-a-Chip is a Samsung/Intrinsity "Hummingbird" modified ARM A8, but the rest of the SoC -- what makes the A4 the A4, is an Apple-designed smorgasbord sourced from multiple vendors. We can presume that, similarly, the A5 is a bespoke, Apple-designed SoC fabbed for them on Samsung's 45nm machines.

In my role as Official Wal Mart Greeter to immigrants from the Planet Technobuzzle, I'd like to say Welcome to Earth! A friendly reminder: In the United States, they speak English.

Please enjoy our complimentary sausage samplers. Don't eat the toothpick.

[CutterMike]

In my role as Official Wal Mart Greeter to immigrants from the Planet Technobuzzle, I'd like to say Welcome to Earth! A friendly reminder: In the United States, they speak English.

Please enjoy our complimentary sausage samplers. Don't eat the toothpick.

And a "Nanoo, nanoo!" right back atcha, TK!"


(I actually have a friend who used to chew on/eat toothpicks -- it kept him from running down the hall to the snack machine when he was pulling long hours in the lab, back when he was working on his doctorate.

(He was studying termite behavior, curiously enough...!)

[rob]

The iPad is still beautiful and, design-wise, makes me drool. But even if I could afford one, I've decided to boycott it (and the iPhone) in light of some of the recent news about Apple's stranglehold on the publishing apps. I understand they want to control the apps themselves, but when control starts to affect the content, that's when I can no longer support it.

It's disappointing that so many consumers are willing to give Apple that much power. If people refused to play along and let them know this is unacceptable, Apple would be forced to back off. But they can get away with almost anything, because they know their loyal customers will keep buying their products no matter what.

I'm still saving up to buy a MacBook Pro, because I haven't found a better laptop on the market and it's the best machine to do what I need it to do. (Music, mostly.) But as far as smart phones and tablets go, I'll go with Android.


Your second 3 paragraph renders your "protest" moot.

I, for one, can't wait until next friday...anybody wanna Ipad? I got a 3G and a WiFi I need to get rid of now. lol

[Basque]

Your second 3 paragraph renders your "protest" moot.

Nice try, but:

A) It's not a protest.
B) It doesn't render anything moot.

I'm not boycotting Apple as a company. I'm boycotting a specific product from them, because I think it's inferior to other similar products on the market. My problem is not with their laptops, but with their app store.

I believe consumers vote with their dollars. I think Apple makes amazing computers and I love their operating system. So I'm buying an Apple computer.

But the iPad is a shitty deal, and if more people felt this way and let Apple know by refusing to buy an iPad, Apple would be forced to change the way they police the app store. How many laptops get sold in the meantime has absolutely no impact, so I'm being perfectly consistent.

[K-DoG7p7]

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/03/03/steve-jobs-reality-distortion-takes-its-toll-on-truth/

[Lanowar]

Charlie Brooker discusses the Ipad-2 and he is not impressed.. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmWnAE-SFeM)

[JohnBehling]

I can't wait. I use my iPad all the time - much more than my desktop.
I'll be there Friday. Just wish I could get there earlier, but work calls!
;)

[afroloq]

waiting for Friday...

[afroloq]

anyone picking up one today?

[JohnBehling]

Got it in hand.
Syncing & setting up now.
Thin, nice looking, cover is super cool.