1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

The One-Pound iPad

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by daniel, Oct 24, 2013.

  1. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    After giving up on a laptop/netbook for travel (with my bad back it's too much weight to add to an already full backpack/carry-on, and it was too fragile to survive being used as a soccer ball by the baggage handlers) I went from a Nokia N-800 to an iPod Touch, and finally to the iPad Mini, which I bought because it was big enough to type on and browse the web (the Touch was too small for comfort, though better than a heavy netbook) but was still under a pound: my break-point for an acceptable travel device.

    The iPod Air has been announced and it weighs one pound, compared to a pound and a half or two pounds for previous iPad versions.

    Before this month I was so extremely nearsighted that I could read tiny fonts, even web pages on the Touch. My focal point was three inches in front of my eyes. Now, since the cataract surgery and the artificial lens implants, I am extremely farsighted. Without reading glasses, anything closer than 5 or 6 feet is blurry. Web pages sometimes have text that does not wrap as you enlarge it, so you have to scroll back and forth if you make it too big. This makes a full-size iPad more attractive than it was last month, and with the lighter weight and finer screen resolution, I do believe I'm going to upgrade.

    They're apparently not going to allow pre-ordering. I can show up at the local Apple store on the first at around opening time and hope there's not a big line, or I can wait a while. I got my Mini the day they came out, and there was no line at all. Maybe iPads are not as gotta-have-it-now as phones. With my next trip coming in December (snowshoeing) I'd kind of like to get it before then. Yeah, I'm taking my chances if there are bugs in the first shipment, but I had no trouble with the Mini. And the thing will probably have the usual one-year warranty.

    Does anybody know whether previous iPad versions were met with lines of people waiting at the store to buy them on day 1?
     
  2. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2009
    6,722
    2,120
    45
    Location:
    North Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Only a £1? I'll have one (y)
     
    fotomoto likes this.
  3. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2008
    11,627
    2,530
    8
    Location:
    Southwest Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    Daniel, I do not remember day#1 shortages of any iPad.

    People who pre-order often get theirs before opening day for the store. Since Apple has a very generous and simple return policy you can consider pre-order and if you end up with two devices just return one.
     
  4. zhenya

    zhenya Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2013
    649
    209
    0
    Location:
    Ithaca, NY
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I would not expect a shortage, especially if you are looking for anything other than black 16gb wifi. In general, there are not shortages for the iPads like the iPhones.

    Looks like the retina Mini's may be hard to come by for a while though.
     
  5. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    7,668
    6,481
    0
    Location:
    Redneck Riviera (Gulf South)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    It appears that you'll have to wait.
    The new i-air looks promising.
    Depending on the location of your nearest retailer, I'd be tempted to do a drive-by an hour or two before they open if I REALLY had to have the new i-thingy THAT day.
    1 November is on a Friday.
    Otherwise?
    I'd just order on-line and wait the extra day or two.

    Your call.

    I personally like the 8" form factor, and I really like the Mini, but I'm only going to be thrown into the Apple ecosphere when my beloved company tosses one in the front door to replace my desktop.
    I pitched a fit about it until they assured me that I could keep my notebook as well, but the one that they're going to issue me will be a current 10" model.

    I am about to get the Samsung 8" since the new tabs are about to come out, and I already have an S4.
     
  6. Reetz

    Reetz Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2013
    36
    14
    0
    Location:
    Seattle
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I have the gen 2 iPad. I plan on ordering on Nov 1 since I will be out of town . It should be at the house upon my return. My current iPad is starting to freeze occasionally and the camera is really sub par. Still, it's been on lots of vacations, I carry it every day and it takes it all. Time to upgrade.
     
  7. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Sorry, Grumpy. Due to a gravitational anomaly, the weight of the iPad Air in the UK is 399 pounds. :(


    Thanks. I don't need it badly enough to do that, but it's good to know there have not been fast sell-outs in the past.


    I'll be getting the 32 GB Wi-Fi-only. I don't much care which color. My first Kindle DX was white. It died, and the replacement is black. I hated the black for about five days and then I got used to it and now the color does not bother me at all.

    I plan on going to the store early on Friday the 1st. Not before they open. If they are sold out it's not that big a deal. I'll place an order and return when it comes in or have it shipped to me. I'd like to get it right away, but if I can't I won't lose sleep over the wait. I really like my Mini, and I could live with it another few years, but retina display will be nice, as will the larger screen with my new IOLs.

    Related note: When I phoned the local Apple store to ask whether they expected to sell out of them quickly, the guy I spoke to said there was no way to know and my only sure way to get one that day would be to arrive at 3:00 a.m. and camp out. NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!!!! I don't know if I spoke to a moron, or some kid who has only worked there for three weeks and doesn't have a clue, or if they have been instructed to tell people they cannot even take a guess at the first-day demand.
     
  8. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2008
    11,627
    2,530
    8
    Location:
    Southwest Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    Sounds like a plan. You could call the store before you drive over to verify inventory. If apple has setup online order with store pick-up you can avoid the chance of inventory drying up while you are traveling.
     
  9. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    3,779
    1,282
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I have the iPad Gen 3 wifi only and have not one complaint. It rarely leaves my coffee table but it is in use almost daily. I traded in a Gen 1 for the Gen 3.
    The iPad Air is $499. I can get $200 trade in at Best Buy or Gizelle. Thus the net is $300 plus tax. I'll kick it around and look at it when it releases. I'm probably a buyer. $300 is not that much to keep current.

    Apple Rumor tweets indicate that current iPads sales are down about 27% in the current Quarter. The spin is most people are delaying buying new iPads waiting for the iPad AIR release. Thus there is pent up demand. A rush on opening day is expected however I believe Apple prepares for this. I did have problems on opening day buying my Gen 1 and Gen 3. Gen 3 was far worse.

    My gut says that you should be OK but I would not be surprised if a few shortages occur. Walmart is the only retailer I know who is discounting. The 16GB wifi only will be $20 less $479.

    Best Buy will take your iPad mini in on trade if you want to offset the cost of a new purchase. I try to give my older stuff to my kids but they are not interested, so I sell or trade them in. My son picked up the MAC Book Pro that just got released. No problem Apple Store has them in stock.

    I'll watch the keynote speech soon but from what I understand the 64 Bit Processor is desktop class and the dual wifi antenna is a new standard. I have the Retina Display in the Gen 3 and if you are coming from a non retina display to a retina display the quality is astonishing. This alone should make your experience worth every penny. Lighter weight and improved processor speed is a big advantage. I read that the iPad AIR will be 72 times faster than the iPad Gen 1 in processing power. You will notice the difference.
     
  10. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2008
    11,627
    2,530
    8
    Location:
    Southwest Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    Unusual for Apple, they made no mention of battery life or weight for the new mini in the keynote. I like my mini a lot, but if the retina-mini is as light and energy frugal as mine I'll upgrade.
     
  11. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    3,779
    1,282
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    My son said I should change from Time Warner Cable to ATT Uverse. ATT would give me a $300 gift card for the trouble and free install and that and the trade in would pay for my iPad Air. I wonder.
     
  12. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    I don't like Best Buy. I think they mostly sell end runs. That is, the lower-quality units that come last off the assembly line when the dies are nearing the end of their life before re-tooling. Might not be the case for something like this, but I don't like the store. I'll probably sell my Mini on Craig's List instead of trading it in. Unless Apple has a trade-in program, which I doubt.

    The Mini has the same number of pixels as the iPad 2, but in a smaller screen, making it denser and sharper. The retina display is denser still, so going from a gen 1 Mini to a retina full-size will be an improvement, but less so than going from non-retina to retina in the full-size version. The Mini gen 2 with retina will be even sharper than the Air, being smaller with the same number of pixels, but I suspect that my eyes would be unable to see the difference at that resolution. I'm not entirely sure that I'll see the difference between my Mini and the Air. Beyond a certain pixel density you can't tell the difference. But the larger screen will mean larger type face on web pages.

    I was actually thinking of going to the Mini 2 with retina, if I could see a difference, but with the Air weighing only a pound, it's the clear choice for me.

    Apparently the Mini won't be available until later next month.
     
  13. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    My mother signed up for AT&T long distance because they promised her a lower rate. They lied, and charged her more than promised. She called them to cancel the service, and they refused to accept her cancel order. They just talked her ear off about staying with them. She finally told them "Cancel it!" and hung up. They continued to bill her. She had no end of trouble getting them to stop, as they tried to sic bill collectors on her.

    Moral: Don't have anything to do with AT&T. It ain't worth the $300, assuming they even honor that promise.

    I'm old enough to remember when AT&T was THE phone company. They charged through the nose and their motto was "The customer can go **** himself!"

    I don't think they've changed, if my mother's experience is any indication.
     
  14. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    3,779
    1,282
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Best Buy sells a lot of refurbished equipment but they mark it as such. I haven't used Best Buy in awhile but when I do they did a good job in convincing ATT to waive my $35 activation fee to zero. So I bought a Case. That was many years ago though
     
  15. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    3,779
    1,282
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I have heard of the Customer Service horror stories. I just read something on Twitter from one of the Research Groups that in the past year 86% of people changed vendors due to poor Customer Service.
     
  16. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    3,779
    1,282
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Time Warner is no walk in the park. The Internet speed is a disappointment.
     
  17. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    End runs are not the same as refurbished. Refurbished units are used or damaged units that have been repaired. End runs are new units, but coming at the end of a production run are slightly lower quality. Manufacturers typically sell the end of the production run to discount stores. The customer becomes the quality tester: If it's defective they'll take it back, usually with no questions asked. But it's a hassle, and if it's not obviously defective it might wear out a bit sooner than otherwise. I just don't think it's worth it. There's a reason why those stores sell stuff for a bit less. They want you to think it's because of volume. That may be the case sometimes. Other times it's because the items are just a bit lower quality.
     
  18. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    I have no experience with them. I have Comcast and it's very fast, and customer service has always been great. I always get a native English speaker who is knowledgeable enough to solve my problem.
     
  19. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    3,779
    1,282
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    My area is limited choices. Not Comcast. Time Warner cable, ATT Uverse, or Dish.

    I had dial up DSL with ATT and Cable TV with Time Warner. However the wife and kids were complaining daily about slow internet speed and even I thought it was intolerable. I visited the ATT store and they said I had the maximum speed on the Dial Up DSL and that in order to get faster speed on par with a Cable Modem I would have to switch my TV from Time Warner to ATT.

    I thought about it but who wants Cable boxes next to every TV in the house and I also thought it was a terrible inconvience scheduling people, dealing with credits and debits, etc.

    So I ended the ATT DSL relationship and ordered the TW Cable modem. The cost was the same but speed was much better.

    However on any one day in my home there can be 12 or more devices connected to the Moto Router which just kills performance. I alone have a work Laptop, Personal Laptop, iPhone and iPad, and 2 dvd players with wireless capability, wife has more computers than I, she has 1 work laptop, 1 iPhone, 2 personal laptops, 2 wireless printers, son and daughter have multiple devices. It is a home but almost on par with a few small businesses in IP address asking for bandwith.

    I should buy a good Cisco Router for about $500 bucks or so with a professional Fire Wall and that may help but I haven't reached that level of frustration.
     
  20. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2008
    11,627
    2,530
    8
    Location:
    Southwest Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    :)

    Truly though, it is not the number of devices in the home, it is more likely the number of bandwidth hogs active simultaneously. A little snooping that tells you MB/day per device might help you make some choices.
     
    JMD likes this.