News - Apple retires iPad 2 and puts an "affordable" iPad 4 in its place

[HEXUS]

Offers only a 16GB storage option with either Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular connectivity.

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[Chadders87]

Don't get me wrong, I love tablets. I just fail to see why people actually buy these overpriced devices that restrict usability?

I would have thought even a technology layman would be able to compare an iPad to an android version and see that the ability to add your own SD card and customise the system is a no brainer.

I love apple for bringing smartphones and tablets to the market, but since Jobs is no longer, they have stopped innovating AND need to play catch-up all the time.

[Frankenfurter]

Totally with you.

Although... I will admit that my nan loves her iPad. I was extremely skeptical when my granddad bought it for her as she's never used computers and has dementia, but turns out it's just simple enough that she can make the most of it and so far *fingers crossed* the only time I've had to 'fix it' is when she accidentally muted the volume.

To be honest, I think all the puzzles and things she's doing now are actually sharpening her back up a bit. She beat me at some puzzley word game the other day anyway!

[herulach]

Don't get me wrong, I love tablets. I just fail to see why people actually buy these overpriced devices that restrict usability?

I would have thought even a technology layman would be able to compare an iPad to an android version and see that the ability to add your own SD card and customise the system is a no brainer.

I love apple for bringing smartphones and tablets to the market, but since Jobs is no longer, they have stopped innovating AND need to play catch-up all the time.

I think you overestimate the average layman. Maybe the average 20 year old (although you still have to factor in badge appeal) but, although more capable and customisable its a lot easier to balls up as well. We're an entirely android house, but i told my MIL to buy an ipad precisely because its locked down.

[crossy]

I would have thought even a technology layman would be able to compare an iPad to an android version and see that the ability to add your own SD card and customise the system is a no brainer.

I thought that there was some dongle arrangement available from Apple that would let you plug in extra storage. Might have been some kind of SD card reader.
That out of the way, I'm in agreement with you - I wouldn't buy a non-budget tablet that didn't have some kind of storage expansion capability. So the likes of the Nexus 7 is a no-go for me - although I did buy a couple of HP Touchpads, (but at the price they were going for I was willing to compromise).

I love apple for bringing smartphones and tablets to the market, but since Jobs is no longer, they have stopped innovating AND need to play catch-up all the time.

Contrary to their claims they didn't invent the smartphone nor tablet. Heck, I've got an N95 sitting gathering dust that pre-dates the iPhone(1), (release dates March v's June 2007 if you believe Wikipedia). And, thought it pains me greatly to say this - are ANY of the major smartphone manufacturers innovating these days? Samsung definitely isn't - unless your idea of innovation is a slight size up and add more "value add" bundled software (bloat).

It will be interesting to see if this new model of the iPhone "for the colourful" shifts some units thanks to its £40 price differential.

Okay, so this cut equals about 10% discount. What I'm wondering is how the heck Apple feel they can charge so much, when there's "comparable" gear available for a lot less. Taking as one example, I just checked the Google Play store and I can get a 32GB Nexus 5 in red for £210 less than the equivalent 5C. I've got to ask ... is there something about that 5C that I've missed that warrants the price hike? (And if anyone replies and uses the word "magical" then they deserve a thump). Is the iPhone two-hundred quid easier to use? I have my doubts.

[burble]

I would have thought even a technology layman would be able to compare an iPad to an android version and see that the ability to add your own SD card and customise the system is a no brainer.

Maybe they don't want to be able to put an SD card in and mess about with the OS? My Mum has an iPad, on which she can do everything she wants to do and because the OS is locked down she can't really break it.

She tried an Android tablet and found it confusing, not as easy to use and a couple of times got it into a right mess when pushing buttons and ticking options.

For her an iPad is absolutely perfect. An Android device is a total non starter.

[peterb]

Hmm, I've recently updated my HP touchpad to Android -and its OK - certainly getting more use than it did with WebOS since HP stopped supporting it.

Can't really say I'm blown away by it though.

I have also just started using an Apple OSX device, which has given me iCloud - so I am contemplating an iPad mini or iPhone as much to get access to iCloud as for any other app, although there are supporting apps for some product on iPhone that aren't available on the android platform.

[killer7xx]

£429 for an 8GB phone is pathetic

[crossy]

Hmm, I've recently updated my HP touchpad to Android -and its OK - certainly getting more use than it did with WebOS since HP stopped supporting it.
Can't really say I'm blown away by it though.

Yes, the distros on the old Touchpad are ... well, "works in progress" is probably the kindest I can say. Kids got theirs flashed and use them quite happily for videos, games, etc. In fact they replaced the portable DVD player that we usually use on those holiday drives - the major advantage being none of that annoying "but I want to watch this, but she won't let me". There was a lot of talk about some "official" HP Android distro, but that came to naught unfortunately.

I have also just started using an Apple OSX device, which has given me iCloud - so I am contemplating an iPad mini or iPhone as much to get access to iCloud as for any other app, although there are supporting apps for some product on iPhone that aren't available on the android platform.

Isn't there any non-Apple equivalents to iCloud? Then at least you'd have some choice.

[peterb]

Yes, the distros on the old Touchpad are ... well, "works in progress" is probably the kindest I can say. Kids got theirs flashed and use them quite happily for videos, games, etc. In fact they replaced the portable DVD player that we usually use on those holiday drives - the major advantage being none of that annoying "but I want to watch this, but she won't let me". There was a lot of talk about some "official" HP Android distro, but that came to naught unfortunately.

Isn't there any non-Apple equivalents to iCloud? Then at least you'd have some choice.

Cyanagen 9 is OK - and the Touchpad is pretty high spec. It works OK - just can't see anything to rave about - its no better than IOS from a functionality point of view.

There are, but I trust them less than I trust Apple's - and most of the people I want to talk with are on iCloud. There are a few other plus points as well. but whichever one you go with, you are pretty much locked in.

[Top_gun]

I'm no Apple fanboy but I'm interested in buying an Ipad after finding it easy to read an A4 pdf document on their retina display.

[zdn1042]

About time. Last night, I was using my niece's iPad 2 and as she was updating some apps on her device and me trying to sync it on my PC. It got real slow.

[crossy]

I'm no Apple fanboy but I'm interested in buying an Ipad after finding it easy to read an A4 pdf document on their retina display.

I'm no Asus fanboy, but I actually found it easier to read a doc on one of their Transformer's screens. Actually thought that the Retina iPad looked a bit "harsh" - although that could perhaps have been down to the spotlights that PC World use on their "Apple Experience Zone"

Not saying you're wrong btw, since like keyboards I know that screens are very much a personal preference.

[slipthemonkey]

I've never had any Apple products so I cannot see the point in me starting now, but that being said if someone has a whole Apple set up I would not advise them to start buying Android as it would be counter productive. If you have Apple, keep buying Apple and it will all work together very nicely. As for me, not going to bother introducing an Apple product into an environment where it will not work as well.

As with most things in life, choose whatever works for you. At least we have a choice of technologies to pick from which in turn should keep the manufacturers more motivated to improve their products and one up the competition. If we only had Android or Apple or Microsoft monopolising the tablet market then they could churn out whatever they wanted and that would be the only option.

[zzzaac]

Its funny though, I recommended Apple for my parents, but they decided on an Android Phone and a nexus tablet. I think some people overestimate the difficulty of android, and underestimate our elder's abilites

In fact, Out of the family, I'm the only one using an apple product.

But I guess different people different needs etc.

[o00oo00o]

For Tablet, I prefer iPad myself, its easy to use, don't have to worry about SD card and things like that.

For everything else, there's windows which can handle everything else.