As a proud owner of a first generation and a third generation iPad, I was curious as to what the iPad mini reviews would say before deciding whether I should go out and get one.
Here is a roundup of all the top info I could gather on the iPad mini from around the web:
with a 7.9 inches display, the iPad mini is larger than the Nexus or the Kindle Fire but is still small enough to be held in one hand
it has a A5 chip processor
it is 7.2 mm thick
it weighs only 0.68 pounds
it has access to 275,000 apps from the Appstore
it has a front-facing and a rear-facing camera
unfortunately, it does not have a Retina diplay–this may be one of its major drawbacks, according to some reviewers
other reviewers think that its 1024 x 768 display, which is like that of the iPad 2, is more than adequate for watching videos
it is pricy for a small tablet, coming in at $329 for the 16 GB wifi-only version
one reviewer recommends it for combined use with a MacBook Pro
for CNET’s first look video review, see below:
So, will I buy an iPad mini? I will probably wait until they come out with an iPad mini that has a retina display, because after using my third-generation iPad for months, I have become accustomed to the beautiful, clear display and am not sure how I would feel if I had to re-adjust to a lower resolution screen. How about you? Do you have one, or do you plan on getting one? Please comment below.
Every since the untimely death of Steve Jobs, the tech world has been wondering what the next iPad would bring to the table. Rumors started almost immediately, and they have been growing louder and louder with the advent of tech shows such as CES, from which Apple will be absent as usual. A new report by DigiTimes claims that Apple is planning not one, but two new iPad models for 2012: the iPad 3 and the iPad 4. Here is a compilation of the latest rumors surrounding these models:
1. Release dates: the iPad 3 is rumored to be released in March of 2012. Surprisingly, the iPad 4 is rumored to be not far behind, with a November release date. These could simply be a mid-range and a high-end model.
2. HD display: the iPad 3 is rumored to have a retina display like that of the iPhone 4S. The display will reportedly have 1536 x 2048 pixels and dual OLED backlights to improve the LCD display. A photo of the alleged iPad 3 display was even leaked to a Korean technology forum. The photo shows that the iPad 3 may have 3 data connectors, as opposed to the 2 data connectors that are on the current iPad 2. The third detector may help to power the retina display.
3. Front-facing camera: the iPad 3 is rumored to come with a front-facing camera, which will enable users to video-chat using services such as Skype or Facetime. Could the next iPad ad be “If your tablet isn’t an iPad, your tablet doesn’t have Facetime” ?
4. Rear-facing camera: the iPad 3 is rumored to come with the same 8 megapixel camera as the iPhone 4S.
With the advent of these new models, Apple will reportedly slash the price for the iPad 2 to $399 to better compete with the new Android-based tablets such as the Kindle Fire, which are less expensive and have been quite successful over the holiday season.
I’ll admit that while I greatly admire the artistic creations of others, I always wish I were more artistic myself. Now there’s an app for the techies among us who like to feel artisitc without really having to be Michelangelo…
Evernote just came out with Skitch for iPad, a free app that lets you annotate pictures or screencaps. I just started testing it out and I am totally hooked! It is so easy to use that literally even those of us who feel they have ten thumbs can use it! Here is a summary of all that it can do and how it works:
1. Pics: Skitch lets you upload pics from your iPad memory or if you have an iPad2, you can snap a photo right away. You can also download pics from the Internet into your iPad and then upload them onto the Skitch app.
2. Screenshots: You can also take a screenshot from your iPad by holding down the Home button and the On button at the same time. This will automatically save a picture of what is on your iPad’s screen into your iPad’s photo album.
3. Freestyle: You can also draw freestyle right into the Skitch app by clicking on the “Blank” button on the app’s homepage.
4. Annotate: There are several ways you can annotate. Skitch allows you to draw or write with your finger. Just click on the pencil icon and draw away! You can select the color and size of the pencil from the menu. Right now there are only 8 choices: yellow, blue, red, brown, deep red, green, black and white. Hopefully the selection will be expanded. Anyone who knows me knows that I would of course love to see purple!
5. Type: You can also type into a text box and place it wherever you want on your picture.
6. Arrows: You can select the arrow icon and it allows you to draw arrows simply by dragging your finger across the pic.
7. Share: You can share your creation on Twitter, email or Airplay. You can of course also save it to your Evernote account.
I have had so much fun trying out this app. So far, it seems to be a big success. Everyone is now asking when the Skitch app will be available for the iPhone. Evernote promises that it is “in the works.” For now, I’m going to enjoy playing with it on my iPad and feeling like I can be “artistic” too.
Ever since Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs came out, readers like I have become fascinated with the way one man could change the information age as we know it so completely. Since Steve Jobs’ death in October, many wondered what would be Apple’s next big thing. Walter Isaacson’s biography may provide the answer. In it, Steve Jobs tells Walter that he had “cracked” the code for making an Apple TV set that would revolutionize TV as we knew it. Apple already has “Apple TV” on the market. This is a box that can be connected to your existing TV set to allow streaming from iTunes, Netflix etc. However, Steve Jobs’ vision was to have Apple produce a full-fledged HD TV set, complete with screen and everything. Here are the rumors surrounding the upcoming Apple TV set that may launch as early as in 2012:
1. iCloud: the new Apple TV set will sync with iCloud, allowing users to have access to their entire iTunes library. Users will be able to rent or buy content on iTunes and watch it on their TV sets, just as they are now able to watch or listen on other Apple devices such as the iPad, iPhone or iTouch.
2. Size: the new Apple TV set will reportedly come in a range of sizes, according to Apple guru Gene Munster. This will allow anyone from the college student to the suburban family to buy an Apple TV set.
3. Price: rumors have it that Apple TV sets will be expensive, at least twice as expensive as a conventional TV set. According to Gene Munster, an average price might be around $1600 for a TV set that would normally cost $800.
4. Developer: Jeff Robbin, the same expert who devloped iTunes and the iPod, is reportedly heavily involved in developing the Apple TV set. Robbin was hired by Apple in 2000 after Apple bought SoundJam, the digital music player that he developed. He was so valuable to Steve Jobs, that his identity was reportedly a closely guarded secret, for fear that he would be poached by competitors, according to Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs. Apple insiders say that there is currently an Apple TV set prototype.
5. Siri: the most exciting rumor, to me, is that the new Apple TV set will have a Siri-like interface that will allow users to TALK to their TV sets, something many of us are already doing nonetheless, only now when we talk to the TV, it will actually respond. The possibilities are endless. Users will be able to simply tell the TV set to play the latest episode of “Breaking Bad” or to change the channel to CNN. This is probably what Steve Jobs was referring to when he said that Apple TV would have an extremely simple interface.
6. Integration: the new Apple TV set will reportedly integrate seamlessly with other Apple devices, such as the iPad and the iPhone. One can envision using the iPhone as a remote, for example, or using the iPad to set up recordings of live TV, for example.
7. Content: in addition to offering iTunes content, Apple TV will reportedly make deals with cable companies like Comcast and Time Warner to provide a complete set of content, for a price that is rumored to be less than $100 per month. This, of course, is Apple’s biggest hurdle and will ultimately determine how successful the project becomes.
To me, the whole idea of a TV set made by Apple was foreshadowed by Steve Jobs himself in his 1983 keynote address, when he first showed the Macintosh “1984” ad. Only time will tell if 2012 will or will not be like 1984.
Now that Amazon has announced its new $199 Kindle Fire tablet, rumors have already begun that Apple has an iPad mini in the works. I have rounded up the latest iPad mini rumors below:
1. Screen size: the iPad mini is rumored to have a 7.85 inch screen, compared to the 9.7 inch (diagonal) screen that the current iPads have. There are rumors out of Taiwan that Apple has already ordered 7.85 inch test screens from LG display and AU optronics. This is despite Steve Jobs’ outspoken opposition to smaller tablets.
2. Resolution: the new screen is rumored to have the same 1024 x 768 resolution as the current iPad 2 screen. Hopefully this means that apps will run just as well on the mini iPad as on the current iPads.
3. Launch: it is rumored that the launch would happen early in 2012.
4. Price: most experts agree that any iPad mini would have to cost something close to $199 in order to be competitive with the new Kindle Fire. There are even rumors that the iPad mini will be cheaper but not smaller.
Launch of the iPad mini is rumored to be followed closely by the launch of the larger iPad 3, which will have a 2048 x 1536 pixels high definition screen, as I related in my earlier post.
My take on this is that the iPad mini might be great for children, with their smaller fingers. As a parent, I know I would be much more likely to buy my child an iPad mini of his own at $199 than a $499 or more iPad 2. I think the iPad mini is also great for people who primarily want to read or to watch movies on the iPad, and who therefore prefer something lighter and easier to hold than a full-size iPad. Would you consider buying an iPad mini? Please comment below.
After months of speculation, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the new iPhone 4S model on Tuesday, and it will be available on October 14 (preorders started on October 7). It seems like we will have to wait a bit longer for the much anticipated iPhone 5.
So what exactly is does the iPhone 4S have that the current iPhone 4 doesn’t? I decided to make a list:
1. Camera: The iPhone 4S has an 8 megapixel camera, instead of the 5 megapixel camera of the iPhone 4. The new camera is built around a backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor.
2. Video: the new iPhone can record 1080p HD video.
3. Processor: The new iPhone uses the same processor as the iPad 2–the dual-core 1GHz A5 chip. It will thus be twice as fast as the iPhone 4 and will offer graphics performance that is seven times faster.
4. Operating system: The iPhone 4S has the iOS 5 operating system with iCloud.
5. Siri: As mentioned in my earlier post, the new iPhone has a built-in Siri personal assistant, which is highlighted in the video below. Edited to add: Since Apple bought Siri and announced Siri as part of the new iPhone 4S, it is no longer available in the App store as a standalone app. You need to buy the new iPhone 4S to have it. If you already downloaded the Siri app, it will only work until October 15. After that, you will need an iPhone 4S to have access to Siri.
Many people are disappointed that the iPhone 4S looks just like the iPhone 4, with the same shell, and the same screen size. Hopefully, the iPhone 5 will be a complete redesign that will fuel people’s imaginations and will cement Apple as the visionary technology company that it was under the helm of Steve Jobs.
Buying a new iPad can be a bit overwhelming. You want to load it up with apps but are not sure where to begin. The app store now has more than 100,000 iPad apps!
A good place to start is by getting the AppStart iPad app. It was actually recommended to me by an employee at the Apple store in Atlantic City. Last weekend, I went with my family to Atlantic City and instead of going to the casinos, the first place I headed was the Apple store on the Pier at Caesar’s Palace. What a nerd! As I have said in previous posts, I have a first generation iPad and although I already have a few apps that are my go-to apps for work and fun, I am always on the lookout for new apps to try. The employee at the Apple store recommended that I get the AppStart app.
When you open it up, AppStart looks like a magazine with a great layout and headlines that link to various articles. For example, you have “The first 10 apps everyone needs to download” or “How to dump your laptop.” This makes it very easy to decide where to go first. The articles then list recommended apps with links to the app store.
So whether you’re a new iPad user, or someone like me who has had one for a few months but is still discovering new uses for it…give AppStart a try.
Everything seems to be growing by increments these days. First you have Google, then you get Google Plus. Now, Apple has joined the game with rumors that the next iPad will not be the iPad 3 but rather the” iPad 2 Plus.”
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Here is a compilation of the rumors that are floating about regarding the iPad 2 Plus:
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1. Release date. According to recent rumors, the iPad 2 Plus will be released in the third or fourth quarter of 2011. This means that the release date of the iPad 3 will probably be pushed back until 2012.
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2. HD screen. The iPad 2 Plus is rumored to have the HD retina screen that was rumored to come with the iPad 3.
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3. New supplier. Apple is rumored to have obtained a new supplier for the iPad 2 Plus in addition to current supplier Foxconn Electronics. Taiwan-based Quanta Computer and Pegatron Technology are being indicated as the potential contenders for the possible orders. Insiders say that Pegatron is the likely winner because it already has reportedly received orders for the iPhone 5.
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4. Geared for pro users. The focus of the iPad 2 Plus will reportedly be pro users who will most be attracted by the HD display.
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5. Pro apps. Another rumor is that the iPad 2 Plus will be accompanied by pro versions of popular photo and video apps like aperture and final cut.
In my last post I talked about rumors surrounding the upcoming iPad 3. There are just as many rumors flying around regarding the iPhone 5. Here are just some of them:
1. Better camera. The iPhone 5 is rumored to have an 8 megapixel camera. The iPhone 4 comes equipped with only a 5 megapixel camera, so this is quite an improvement.
2. Slimmer and lighter. Apple is rumored to continue trying to make its products sleeker and lighter, and the iPhone 5 is no exception. There are rumors of a complete redesign.
3. Aluminum backing. The iPhone 5 is rumored to come with aluminum backing, instead of the glass backing and the exterior antenna of the iPhone 4. This may be a way of avoiding the well-publicized problems that the iPhone 4 had with reception due to its exterior antenna.
4. No Home button. Steve Jobs reportedly never wanted the iPhone to have any physical buttons, and his dream is rumored to have come true for the iPhone 5, which will reportedly lack a Home button.
5. Qualcomm’s wireless chips. The iPhone 5 is rumored to come equipped with Qualcomm’s wireless chips rather than with the current Infineon chips that most versions of the iPhone 4 are provided with. A version of the iPhone 4 that is carried by Verizon currently uses Qualcomm’s wireless chips.
Whatever the new iPhone 5 looks like, Apple hopes to ship 25 million units by the end of the year. The launch may occur as early as in September, and as late as in 2012. Are you planning on getting the new iPhone 5 when it goes on sale?
As the proud owner of a first-generation iPad, I am really looking forward to what Apple has in store for us with the iPad 3 when it hits stores possibly as early as October or sometime early next year. Here are some rumors that have been floating around the web.
1. Retina display. A very exciting rumor is that the new iPad 3 will have a retina display screen like that of the iPhone 4. A retina display has twice the resolution of an iPad or iPad 2 screen. This rumor originated with the discovery that some iPad apps included images that were sized to work with a 1536 x 2048 retina display.
2. 3D display. Even more exciting is the rumor that the next iPad will allow users to watch videos in 3D. Evidence for this includes the filing by Apple of several patents for a 3D display. With the advent of the Nintendo 3DS, an iPad with a 3D display seems very likely, if not now, then soon.
3. Flash camera. Another rumor is that the iPad 3 will have a flash camera much like that of the iPhone 4. Even less need to carry around a separate camera!
4. Lower price. The iPad now has more competition than when it first launched. Consumers have other tablet options, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the new HP TouchPad. There is therefore a rumor that Apple will lower iPad prices when the iPad 3 launches.
Whether any of these rumors turn out to be true or not, one thing is sure…I will probably be first in line to get the iPad 3 when it comes out!
deboraplehn 