*** The Official iPad (Early 2012) Thread ***

[Robbo]

Yeh, GPS doesn't work, big deal. I doubt many people buy tablets to use as a sat nav anyway.

The Ipad has better apps and a better eco system overall but other than that the transformer prime isn't "embarrasingly far behind" or "not even close". In fact, it has gotten glowing reviews all across the web. Excellent screen, battery life, performance and ICS, not to mention the keyboard attachment. I'd say it's the first tablet that you can legitimately say is a worthy competitor to the iPad.

You are talking about the hardware directly though. The positive reviews simply praised it as the best Android tablet, it isn't really even compared to the iPad because at the moment there is no comparison to be made.

Joshua Topolsky (editor of The Verge) has done nothing but praise Android phones, but just recently he posted this on Twitter -

After using the Prime for a week, it's clear Android tablets are still awful. Excited about new iPad, and I think MSFT has a huge opp here.

Going back to the iPad after the Prime feels like going from drowning to fresh air. Insane difference.​

Like I said, it's the overall difference. Sure, the hardware differences aren't big and the Prime is better, but the software is so, so important on tablets.

 

[Qhorin]

...if all you want to do is surf the web, put your own videos on it and use smartphone apps stretched to tablet size.

I'd say in my household 70% of the time on the iPad is spent in the browser and the rest in games. I'd hazard a guess and say most here have simillar usage patterns for their iPads. I'm not trying to downplay the importance of non-game apps, it's just that when you have a screen big enough for comfortable browsing and a browser that is a first-class citizen, apps become less important.

 

[crinkleshoes]

I'd say in my household 70% of the time on the iPad is spent in the browser and the rest in games. I'd hazard a guess and say most here have simillar usage patterns for their iPads. I'm not trying to downplay the importance of non-game apps, it's just that when you have a screen big enough for comfortable browsing and a browser that is a first-class citizen, apps become less important.

Everyone I know uses their iPads for a whole lot more than that, with the exception of me... lol... sales guys + project managers use them for taking notes in meetings, we have an app that links to our software + used as general business tools. Heck, some restaurants are even using them to take orders and payment now!

For me, it's only really used for VNCing to the HTPC, web browsing, emails + videos and games when flying around (it's FANTASTIC for travelling).

Other than that it'll stuck on my desk controlling itunes while my two monitors are in use with other things.

Despite my limited use, I still really want the bigger screen real-estate.

None of my non-phone devices have a resolution any lower than 1920x1080 now... so trying to browse on 1024x768 can be quite frustrating - the ipad handles it well... but 1024x768 is too low a resolution for me.

 

[Qhorin]

You are talking about the hardware directly though. The positive reviews simply praised it as the best Android tablet, it isn't really even compared to the iPad because at the moment there is no comparison to be made.

Joshua Topolsky (editor of The Verge) has done nothing but praise Android phones, but just recently he posted this on Twitter -

After using the Prime for a week, it's clear Android tablets are still awful. Excited about new iPad, and I think MSFT has a huge opp here.

Going back to the iPad after the Prime feels like going from drowning to fresh air. Insane difference.​

Like I said, it's the overall difference. Sure, the hardware differences aren't big and the Prime is better, but the software is so, so important on tablets.

Maybe I'm not using my iPad correctly but I fail to see where all these compelling apps are. Things like garageband, image editors are all very niche and something I don't ever see myself using.

The thing I always liked about the Ipad are the ultra smooth scrolling and the general polished nature of IOS. The Tegra 2 tablets of last year were terrible for this, but Tegra 3 and ICS has done a lot to close the gap.

 

[Somnambulist]

There are loads - first off all the usual ones that are useful on the iPhone, like world/entertainment/media/sports news - which can be done via the web browser but aren't optimised for touch the way the apps are.

Watching Sky (if you have it)
For the artistically inclined, it's not just the actual apps like Sketchbook, but the ability to integrate them into their other products. Displaying your 3D models to people from Rhino, AutoCAD etc. You also have the education side of things, which is one of the biggest IMO - music theory, languages, cooking, drawing, and so on. Again, these are available online, but they're not touch-optimised.
If you play an instrument there are obviously apps for the iPad for playing along, sheet music, scale and chord charts etc.
Remote side of things for controlling iTunes, Airplay devices, Airplay mirroring
Boatloads of games (proper iPad optimised or exclusive ones)
iWork is fine on the iPad.
Numerous enterprise applications as someone else said.
iTunes store for music, movies, shows, podcasts, iBooks (including these new-fan-dangled interactive txtbooks)
Airplay mirroring (requires ATV 2)
I know some people find forums fine to look at on tablets but the truth is they're laid out and designed with little pokey buttons for mice to click on, not fingers, so Tapatalk and AVF would be vital for me.

There's just scratching the surface - there are plenty of iPhone/Pod ones that have iPad versions with optimised layouts. On Android most of these good smartphone apps are just stretched out onto the tablet and waste loads of space/look stupid.

Not to mention, with iTunes, it makes it very easy to uninstall things you've paid for but re-download them at a later date, as you have access to a full history of what you've bought. I think on Android you have to manually find the apps.

 

[Shocky-FM]

cool story bro

Sadly it's no story.

 

[oli356]

If the screen resolution is what it's rumoured to be, wouldn't that mean things like youtube will look fairly poor unless they let you view them in 1080p? Heck, video content generally.

The release can't come any sooner imo

 

[Qhorin]

All very impressive but none of which I would actually use. If you actually do take advantage of all of that then clearly the iPad is your only option. I find I tend to download interesting sounding apps, only to use them once or twice before forgetting about them entirely. I tend to gravitate towards the browser for all my info/education/research needs.

Not to mention, with iTunes, it makes it very easy to uninstall things you've paid for but re-download them at a later date, as you have access to a full history of what you've bought. I think on Android you have to manually find the apps.

I think Android does keep a log of your purchased apps. Free apps can be backed up using something like titanium backup.

 

[Robbo]

All very impressive but none of which I would actually use. If you actually do take advantage of all of that then clearly the iPad is your only option. I find I tend to download interesting sounding apps, only to use them once or twice before forgetting about them entirely. I tend to gravitate towards the browser for all my info/education/research needs.

I think Android does keep a log of your purchased apps. Free apps can be backed up using something like titanium backup.

It seems like you're trying to convince yourself not to buy an iPad...

In which case, go here - http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18319100

I should add that I think Safari is the best browser as well, as Flash isn't important and doesn't run particularly well on Android and a touch screen interface.

 

[Qhorin]

I already have an iPad and wouldn't hesitate to buy another. I just took issue with your overzealous post, that is all. Android is viable alternative for many whether you chose to admit it or not.

I agree the rendering engine in Safari is great. The default android browser sometimes trips up on the layout of sites and double tap behavior is flaky. Chrome beta puts it on a par with Safari when it comes to those issues, you should check it out on your G Nexus.

Anyway, lets get back on topic since this is about the iPad 3.

 

[King Damager]

The phones are a more viable alternative but the tablet side of things is a real mess at the moment.

Having said that it depends entirely on what you are using it for, there are certain things an Android tablet would be better for (drag and drop HD movie playback for example), but factoring everything in, there isn't much of a competition; the iPad wins with ease.

Have to agree with this.

I'm yet to see a tablet that get's close to the iPad 2 yet... Just the functionality of it is so good. Simply put, it just works.

The phone side I have to agree is more competitive. However when my contract runs out I think I'll be moving over to iOS (hoping the iPhone 5 will be out by then).

I used to say: Windows for PCs, iOS for Tablets, and Android for phones. And whilst I like the small things more in Android phones, for example the way you type and the way you navigate around your typing, it has some big flaws. My HTC Desire, was hardly low-range when I bought it 12 months ago. It's now so ridiculously slow, and never even got onto Gingerbread really... Luckily it broke, and I got a Sensation XE as a free upgrade replacement (they wouldn't let me upgrade to an iPhone as I was mid contract). I'm really hoping that it get's ICS as confirmed, but I'm not holding out hope... I suspect I'll have the same problem in 12 months with the Sensation XE though. Despite it being Dual Core 1.5ghz, I expect the apps that are written for it etc... won't be well written for the phone, and I'll start getting "the task android.x.x has stopped working; force close". I got to a point where I was getting it multiple times a day on my Desire. In contrast the iPhones (and most Apple products), seem to have well optimised apps, that WORK with relatively outdated products, and want to upgrade? Sure, it's easy, and Apple make sure old products still get support for a while. I think whatever the new version of OSX is is supporting like the 07 macbook pros as the cut off point... My parents had to upgrade their iPhone finally the other day because they could no longer use it for what they wanted it. (iBooks 2.0). Apart from that it met all their needs. Upgraded to a 4S. From a 2S. In between that there were quite a few generations of iPhones, and a number of years... Apple just create a better long term investment product that you'll be using for years, and what's more it just works. Simples.

Also, I was wondering how long it was going to take Robbo to buy one of these xD

kd

 

[crinkleshoes]

I already have an iPad and wouldn't hesitate to buy another. I just took issue with your overzealous post, that is all. Android is viable alternative for many whether you chose to admit it or not.

I agree the rendering engine in Safari is great. The default android browser sometimes trips up on the layout of sites and double tap behavior is flaky. Chrome beta puts it on a par with Safari when it comes to those issues, you should check it out on your G Nexus.

Anyway, lets get back on topic since this is about the iPad 3.

I have to disagree... there are no viable alternatives for the ipad in the current market. It's a shame... I love competition.

It seems the only people who go for the other tablets are people who generally dislike apple or need android for some reason or another.

Quite simply, there are no tablets (of this form) out there to compete with the ipad on any level (even performance - iOS is coded much better even if the specs of the ipad2 aren't as good as the prime).

There are of course proper pc based tablets out there, but they're not targetted at the same market share, weigh a lot more and cost a lot more.

I am most definitely not an apple fanboy... it's plain and simple fact.

 

[Qhorin]

Your opinion not fact. But I don't expect many to disagree with you given the section of the forum we're in, which is fine.

 

[Vertigo]

The relative merits of the iPad versus Android tablets is almost irrelevant, it's all about the 'system' and this is what Apple are leveraging with a vengeance at the moment.

With the iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Macs they've got pretty much all the bases covered and every talks to everything. Customers see a lot of sense and value in having an almost totally 'Apple home' where everything is synced automatically through the cloud and they can chuck things at their TV from their phone or tablet. Apple realise how appealing this is and it's why they're pushing it so hard, first with Apple TV, then with iCloud and now with Mountain Lion.

It's something no-one else can compete with really, no matter how good their individual products are.

 

[Faustus]

Should have gone to Specsavers!

Why, if I can't see there is an issue, and I can't then what's the problem? I could watch HD on my TV for most of my viewing, do I? No I don't as I'm quite happy with SD. It's all a matter of distance and perception oh and mind over matter. Tell yourself you the screen isn't crystal clear and you quickly convince yourself of that.

 

[Faustus]

The relative merits of the iPad versus Android tablets is almost irrelevant, it's all about the 'system' and this is what Apple are leveraging with a vengeance at the moment.

With the iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Macs they've got pretty much all the bases covered and every talks to everything. Customers see a lot of sense and value in having an almost totally 'Apple home' where everything is synced automatically through the cloud and they can chuck things at their TV from their phone or tablet. Apple realise how appealing this is and it's why they're pushing it so hard, first with Apple TV, then with iCloud and now with Mountain Lion.

It's something no-one else can compete with really, no matter how good their individual products are.

I was reading a very interesting article on the Cloud the other day and how consumers are blindly putting their faith in companies securely looking after their data. Recent events have shown that it's not that secure or safe after all. That has always been my opinion. The only cloud my data will see is if I'm on a plane journey travelling through them. Give me a home server solution any day of the week.

 

[crinkleshoes]

Problem?

There's no "problem" with the current screen... just could do better.

There was no "problem" with the old data tape spindles... doesn't mean storage shouldn't improve to move with the times.

Your argument makes no sense - without people striving to improve every aspect of technology, we would not have developed any where near as much as we have :S

 

[Vertigo]

Problem?

There's no "problem" with the current screen... just could do better.

There was no "problem" with the old data tape spindles... doesn't mean storage shouldn't improve to move with the times.

Your argument makes no sense - without people striving to improve every aspect of technology, we would not have developed any where near as much as we have :S

Indeed. There was no 'problem' with the old iPhone screen, just that the 4 and 4S displays are so much nicer

 

[crinkleshoes]

I was reading a very interesting article on the Cloud the other day and how consumers are blindly putting their faith in companies securely looking after their data. Recent events have shown that it's not that secure or safe after all. That has always been my opinion. The only cloud my data will see is if I'm on a plane journey travelling through them. Give me a home server solution any day of the week.

Paranoid much?

Go back in your hole - if you don't like technology improving - don't buy it... why bother even being a member of this forum if you don't like seeing how tech evolves and what can be done with it?

Chances are your data is much more secure on systems like this than it ever will be on a home server... unless of course you've invested in some really meaty hardware firewalls

 

[Faustus]

3 years ago if you wanted to do what the current iPad does you bought a computer...

Not sure I agree with you there. I haven't even bought an app for my iPad 2 and I've had it for some time now. I use it for casual browsing, checking emails but rarely writing them and for mirroring iPlayer type content onto ATV2 to my flat screen TV. Quite simply that's about it. For anything else it's back to the iMac which I find a far more satisfying experience.