Breaking News: Apple Announces the iPad 3 March 7, 2012

[DaddyTorgo]

CyanogenMod 7 Makes Its Way To The HP TouchPad (http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/08/28/cyanogenmod-7-makes-its-way-to-the-hp-touchpad/)

[stevew]

I don't understand putting an inferior(though wildly more popular) OS on a product. I suppose if it is more responsive, as the touch pad was apparently not very well optimized for performance in spite of having good specs.

[DaddyTorgo]

I don't understand putting an inferior(though wildly more popular) OS on a product. I suppose if it is more responsive, as the touch pad was apparently not very well optimized for performance in spite of having good specs.

More apps.

[Young Drachma]

HP Exec: TouchPad Could Make a Comeback (http://gizmodo.com/5835772/hp-exec-touchpad-could-make-a-comeback)

HP TouchPad Becomes #2 Selling Tablet and Will Get Updates (http://gizmodo.com/5835758/hp-touchpad-becomes-2-selling-tablet-and-will-get-updates)

[stevew]

New product announcement next Wednesday. I'm still pretty happy with my first generation, but I will be interested in the new things that the gen 3 provides. Supposedly a very high resolution screen(2048 by 1536) and possibly a quad core processor in this one.

[Logan]

Sorry I'm probably out of the loop, is Flash considered a never-gonna-happen?

[cartman]

Sorry I'm probably out of the loop, is Flash considered a never-gonna-happen?

Yep. HTML5 is going to be the path to have Flash-like content on iOS.

[Glengoyne]

New product announcement next Wednesday. I'm still pretty happy with my first generation, but I will be interested in the new things that the gen 3 provides. Supposedly a very high resolution screen(2048 by 1536) and possibly a quad core processor in this one.

+1

I passed on the 2nd gen, but mostly because I convinced myself to wait for the third. The 2nd gen is ALOT faster than my first gen.

I just have to decide whether to go with the 3g(maybe 4g?) or wifi. My first gen comes with an unlimited data plan. I could transfer it, as I do use the 3g all the time, but the wifi is so much cheaper.

[samifan24]

Sorry I'm probably out of the loop, is Flash considered a never-gonna-happen?

Flash doesn't matter anymore anyway: mobile Flash was killed a few months ago.

[tyketime]

Last year we bought an iPad2. I liked it but didn't use it a whole lot. Most of my gaming/browsing is done on my desktop computer. But since I have an Android phone and use GMail, I talked myself into buying an Asus Transformer (TF101). I really like it (the Eee Pad), and for EMail and Internet browsing, it's a perfect fit for me. It always keeps in synch with my email & calendar. They really talk well with each other.

But... I bought it on the promise that the Google App Store would start to catchup with the huge lead Apple has with it's Apps. 8 months later, and there are still relatively few games/apps that I find I have on Android. Unsurprisingly, most of the new stuff still comes to Apple first (FM2012 handheld and iOOTP are 2 examples discussed here on our forums). I keep hearing and reading about more folks playing significant games on their iPads.

And so I feel like I've fallen into the same trap I have too many times to remember regarding technology. Yes - I was the guy that bought Intellivision instead of Atari. Commodore 64 instead of Apple. Betamax instead of VHS. And I don't want to succumb to the Apple teat. My wife uses the iPad, and my son has one as well. So we have a mix. But I finding myself being drawn more to "the bird in hand" instead of the promise of two in the bush. I am really so disappointed that there is such fragmentation in the Android market. I'm finding myself dreaming of getting the iPad3. I'm really bummed that the Apps haven't made significant headway. The Asus Transformer is a great tablet. The latest one apparently compares very favorably to the iPad3. Most reviews agree with that sentiment. But the one thing that many reviewers don't mention is the tremendous difference in the corresponding App Stores. And at the end of the day, content is what will ultimately drive the market.

Ugh - sorry for venting. But just wanted to put my thoughts out there and see what any of the rest of you think.

[AnalBumCover]

Being a devout member of Team Android, I'll always favor the Android OS over Apple's iOS. That being said, I bought the New iPad for the wife and while I am very impressed with the unit, I can't get passed the lack of customization of the iOS that I have with the Android.

In my opinion, the iPad hardware is state of the art. But the Android OS is far superior than iOS despite the fact that its apps lag behind the those for Apple.

I wouldn't be too bummed about how the Android phones/tablets seemed to play second fiddle to Apple. History has shown that the superior technology will outlast all others like VHS over Betamax, BluRay over DVDHD. But the battle between Apple and Android will be around for a long time, and personally, in the end I think the two will coexist for a long time. Like Coke and Pepsi. McDonalds and Burger King.

ABC

[ISiddiqui]

Indeed. Considering Android is building its lead in smartphones, you shouldn't fret too much regarding apps (not as if the app store for Google is barren or anything).

[RainMaker]

All I know is that in my industry, they can't hire Android programmers fast enough. I have a feeling the app gap is going to be much smaller in a year.

[lungs]

I started with an Android phone (Droid X) and then got an IPad2. I could not wait for my contract to be up to get rid of that piece of shit phone and get an IPhone. Maybe it was the hardware but Android just seem like a messy OS to me. I prefer the clean (and yes, less customizable) feel of iOS.

I may get an Android tablet for the farm as there is some software I use that is Android only. For personal use at home I don't plan on going back to anything Android anytime soon.

[Ksyrup]

We have 3 iPod Touches, my wife has a hand-me-down iPhone 3 from my parents, and I just bought my wife a new iPad, but I have a Galaxy S II and love it. I kinda prefer having an iPod for music/games and a phone that does other things and is much more open and customizable. One of the reasons for this is it allows me to cover my bases on both sides of the app offerings, but really, I don't ever want a phone that has to be used for everything because of the battery drain. I already need to recharge daily as it is - I don't want to feel like I've got a landline because I have to worry about battery capacity all day long.

[dawgfan]

History has shown that the superior technology will outlast all others like VHS over Betamax, BluRay over DVDHD.
Not to debate your larger point, but Betamax was the superior tech to VHS.

[ISiddiqui]

Forget it, he's rolling!

[AnalBumCover]

Not to debate your larger point, but Betamax was the superior tech to VHS.
Haha! Noted. :)

[BrianD]

Forget it, he's rolling!

Thanks for that. Now I feel the need to watch Animal House again.

[henry296]

I could use some help with my wife's iPad. We are trying to free up space by deleting some pictures. When we try to manage the pictures it wants to sync with her MacBook which doesn't have all of the pictures and music. This is one area that is confusing with Apple products. Any help on the best way to delete some pictures without completely syncing?

Thanks.

[Groundhog]

I could use some help with my wife's iPad. We are trying to free up space by deleting some pictures. When we try to manage the pictures it wants to sync with her MacBook which doesn't have all of the pictures and music. This is one area that is confusing with Apple products.

Confusing?! What are you talking about, this feature works perfectly! If you only have one person using their device with iTunes. And only use your device with one PC.

Was definitely one of my frustrations back in my iPhone/iPod days.

[Swaggs]

I could use some help with my wife's iPad. We are trying to free up space by deleting some pictures. When we try to manage the pictures it wants to sync with her MacBook which doesn't have all of the pictures and music. This is one area that is confusing with Apple products. Any help on the best way to delete some pictures without completely syncing?

Thanks.

Yeah -- it sucks.

I had this problem when I first got mine. I somehow filled up the hard drive with pictures and music (I think I somehow put them on twice, because I put them all back on and the drive isn't full now).

For me, it ended up being easier to restore it back to factory settings and start over. I'm sure there is an easier resolution (actually, I'm not sure -- I tried all of the online tutorials and they seemed to either not work or take so long that I aborted), but since I didn't have much on it and it is easy to redownload your apps, I just restored.

[Peregrine]

Are you just in the iPad photo area and it won't let you delete the pictures? That is strange, I've never had an issue with that before, so maybe I am not understanding the problem. Do you have the photos synced on your computer? I think you could try just turning off the sync function for the photos when you connect the iPad to your computer.

[henry296]

Are you just in the iPad photo area and it won't let you delete the pictures? That is strange, I've never had an issue with that before, so maybe I am not understanding the problem. Do you have the photos synced on your computer? I think you could try just turning off the sync function for the photos when you connect the iPad to your computer.

I think the big cause of the problem is these pictures were imported onto the ipad from an old PC computer. Therefore, if I understand correctly, they don't sync with the new MacBook.

[stevew]

Dropbox the photos from the iPad and then open them on the Mac and set the photos not to sync.

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

My complaint is my ipad 1 is basically obsolete at this point. I never upgraded the ios. After doing some research, I found out ios 5 is too unstable on the first ipad so I thought I could download ios 4 and still get some programs that are offered on the app store. No dice. The only way of getting ios 4 is to upgrade to ios 5 then downgrade to ios 4 by jumping through a lot of hoops.

I understand that computers become obsolete over time but at least with older computers there are sites that you can go and get old operating systems or old programs. As far as I can tell on the ipad, there is no legitimate way of paying for a program that works on an old operating system and that stinks.

[stevew]

I haven't had really any issues with 5 on my first gen. Which programs don't work? Most of the loud complainers are probably just trolls or android fanboys.

[stevew]

Dola-
5 has wifi syncing, which is worth its weight in gold.

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

hmmm...okay, well this is good news! I will update to 5 tonight, but if it causes problems you and I are going to have words:cool:

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

Stevew,next time you are in town, dinner is on me! :)

Upgraded to 5 on my original iPad and it works great! I would say it is slightly slower, but still well worth the upgrade given that I can download all the apps again.

Thanks once again.

[Chubby]

Is anybody tethering their ipad? I plan on doing this with my android phone and unlimited Verizon data plan (I have a 4g phone, thank you FCC!)

[lungs]

Is anybody tethering their ipad? I plan on doing this with my android phone and unlimited Verizon data plan (I have a 4g phone, thank you FCC!)

I do this when I'm not at home.... but when I tether things to my phone my unlimited data plan is no longer unlimited. I'm with Verizon too.

[mtolson]

Is anybody tethering their ipad? I plan on doing this with my android phone and unlimited Verizon data plan (I have a 4g phone, thank you FCC!)

I tether my Verizon iPad. Works pretty well, especially with LTE. Very fast.

[Chubby]

I do this when I'm not at home.... but when I tether things to my phone my unlimited data plan is no longer unlimited. I'm with Verizon too.

are you using mobile hotspot or a 3rd party app? i have no desire to use the verizon app, I plan on using foxfi

[samifan24]

are you using mobile hotspot or a 3rd party app? i have no desire to use the verizon app, I plan on using foxfi

Just root your phone.

[lungs]

are you using mobile hotspot or a 3rd party app? i have no desire to use the verizon app, I plan on using foxfi

Mobile hotspot on my IPhone

[stevew]

IPhone 5 announcement tomorrow. I can't believe it's only going to have a 4" screen. That seems silly. Possible small iPad going to be announced as well.

[CleBrownsfan]

IPhone 5 announcement tomorrow. I can't believe it's only going to have a 4" screen. That seems silly. Possible small iPad going to be announced as well.

Anyone know what time?

[cartman]

Anyone know what time?

10am Pacific

Here's a link to one of the places that will live blog the event: http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/09/apple-september-2012-liveblog-september-12-is-almost-here/

[CleBrownsfan]

Thank you sir

[kingfc22]

90 minutes away. Please do not disappoint Apple.

I passed on the 4s as it was essentially the same as my current iPhone 4.

[cartman]

The new connector to replace the long-standard 30 pin connection is called Lightning. It will be 9 pin, and direction independent.

[cartman]

New color, slate, in addition to the black and white iPhones.

[cartman]

Same price as the iPhone 4S

[Ksyrup]

New iTunes? Maybe this one won't freeze every time I open it. Would be nice if they automatically configured individual artist names by last name, too. That never ceases to piss me off.

[Easy Mac]

Evolutionary. Nothing here makes me feel the need to upgrade on Verizon. Especially since I'd lose the unlimited data (which happens if I upgrade to LTE), so I'd end up paying far more to use the same amount of data I use now.

[Honolulu_Blue]

The new connector to replace the long-standard 30 pin connection is called Lightning. It will be 9 pin, and direction independent.

Ugh. I assume that means that the new phones won't work on any of the old docking bays for speakers and what not.

[cartman]

Ugh. I assume that means that the new phones won't work on any of the old docking bays for speakers and what not.

They announced a whole series of adapters they can't wait to sell you. The new connector is something I'm not a big fan of.

[CleBrownsfan]

When does it the 5 come out?

[cartman]

When does it the 5 come out?

Pre-orders starting on the 14th, start selling in stores 21st.

[DaddyTorgo]

They announced a whole series of adapters they can't wait to sell you. The new connector is something I'm not a big fan of.

Of course they did.

Heh.

[CleBrownsfan]

This will be a much appreciated upgrade from my 3s...

[Subby]

Sounds pretty sweet in every way. Huge upgrade over the 4.

[kingfc22]

So how are the phone companies going to try to screw over the consumers with the new LTE ability, especially AT&T?

[stevew]

gizmodo.com/5942710/fuck-that-goddamn-iphone-adapter-costs-30-bucks

[cartman]

So how are the phone companies going to try to screw over the consumers with the new LTE ability, especially AT&T?

I'm curious about that as well. I've been grandfathered-in up to this point with my unlimited data plan.

[Easy Mac]

So how are the phone companies going to try to screw over the consumers with the new LTE ability, especially AT&T?

Well, I can answer for Verizon. Until earlier this year, unlimited data plans were grandfathered in. Now, If I want an iphone 5, or any other LTE phone, I have to drop my unlimited data plan.

I pay $130 pre-taxes for 2 iphone 4s phones with unlimited data, unlimited text, and unlimited talk.

If I want an iphone 5, for $130 I get unlimited text, unlimited talk, and 1 GB of data to share with my wife.

For comparison, my wife used 1/2 gig last month, she's on pace for about that much this month. I used 5 gigs last month, and am on pace for about 6 this month. So I'd probably need to get an 8 gig shared plan, just to cover myself. That's an extra $40 a month (pre-taxes), so an extra $500 a year.

[Easy Mac]

dola,

So I'm pretty much staying with the iphone 4s until its no longer usable with apps (most apps don't work on my 3 year old ipod touch because apple doesn't update the ios software on it).

[kingfc22]

Just saw that AT&T announced that they will allow those grandfathered in to keep their unlimited data plans! Woot!

Press Release (http://9to5mac.com/2012/09/12/att-confirms-iphone-owners-will-be-able-to-keep-their-unlimited-data-plans/)

[cartman]

So I get a message from AT&T that my upgrade date isn't until May of 2013, (which I am aware of). But they do tell me I am eligible for a discounted iPhone upgrade. Which is the purchase price + $250 + $36 upgrade fee. Ummm.... I'll wait until May. That is basically the unsubsidized price they are charging.

[Marc Vaughan]

Just saw that AT&T announced that they will allow those grandfathered in to keep their unlimited data plans! Woot!

Press Release (http://9to5mac.com/2012/09/12/att-confirms-iphone-owners-will-be-able-to-keep-their-unlimited-data-plans/)

That'd be me then ;)

(would hate to lose use of Pandora on car trips)

[Galaxy]

Sounds pretty sweet in every way. Huge upgrade over the 4.

:confused:

[Ksyrup]

How much worse can my experience with Apple be? I already have constant freezing of iTunes every time I try to use it with my iPod. I rarely plug in as a result. Last night I wanted to add some music, so I plug in and it comes up with an update to the OS. I figure I haven't upgraded in a while, so why not?

6 hours later, the full restore of my iPod was complete. The iOS6 upgrade completely bricked my iPod. Tried to reset a few times, nothing would work, the computer wouldn't recognize it, etc. So I had to do a full restore to factory settings and reload 7500 songs last night.

Thanks Apple!

[DaddyTorgo]

How much worse can my experience with Apple be? I already have constant freezing of iTunes every time I try to use it with my iPod. I rarely plug in as a result. Last night I wanted to add some music, so I plug in and it comes up with an update to the OS. I figure I haven't upgraded in a while, so why not?

6 hours later, the full restore of my iPod was complete. The iOS6 upgrade completely bricked my iPod. Tried to reset a few times, nothing would work, the computer wouldn't recognize it, etc. So I had to do a full restore to factory settings and reload 7500 songs last night.

Thanks Apple!

Man - your experience with Apple is absolute shit. I can't explain it...I'm no apple-fanboy, but my experience hasn't been anywhere near that painful.

[Ksyrup]

It all ties back to that shitty iTunes program.

I should have just bought that damn Cowon X7. Open source, can drop/drag files freely back and forth just like my phone. My problems are probably caused by the negative energy I emit every time I realize I have to interface with iTunes.

[Alan T]

Yeah, same here. Just updated to the new Iphone OS this morning, and no problems at all. I backed up my phone, started the update and took my daughter out to the bus stop. By the time her bus came, I was back inside and my phone is all updated and ready to use with all my apps and music still on there.

[Subby]

:confused:
:confused:

[Subby]

Ok maybe not better maps. :D

[Easy Mac]

I tried 6 times to update over wifi and it wouldn't let me. I finally got to my computer and tried it there. First time my phone bricked. Luckily it had backed up before I upgraded, so I went ahead and restored everything, so nothing was lost. Took about an hour and a half, so I was without a working phone for that long.

The new OS is a little faster, but maps and passbook are useless.

[Daimyo]

I'm not upgrading until (if) Google's maps app is accepted to the app store...

[Peregrine]

Yeah same here - I use the maps enough that it's an essential feature - not upgrading until I hear (and believe) that the issues are resolved, or until I can get Google's maps.

[DaddyTorgo]

I'm not upgrading until (if) Google's maps app is accepted to the app store...

You can always just get google maps on the web and set a bookmark to it on your home screen.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

My iPod touch is iOS 4.3.5. When I updated to 5.0 I found that it didn't like playlists larger than 10 GB or so at all & was mutch slower. Apple gave me a new ipod with 4.3.5 on it. They wanted me to update to 5.0 to see if it did the same thing, but I never got a guarantee that i would get another with 4.3.5. I told them if they wanted to send me one with 5.0 preloaded i would test it for them. No dice. So I never updated this one.

The problem i had with 5.0 was the first problem I had with an iPod. It has made me extremely leery over whether I ever want to buy a new ipod or iPhone, as if the attitude about an iPod is that playing music is so far down the list of what they need to get right... (I'm also frightened about any iTunes updates)

[Easy Mac]

Anyone else with horrible battery life on the 4s since upgrading?

[terpkristin]

Anybody here tried updating an iPhone 4 to iOS6? I'm likely getting a 5 when my contract is up in November, but kinda hesitant to update from iOS 5 to 6 on my 4...

Kinda want to know impressions from others...

/tk

[wade moore]

Anybody here tried updating an iPhone 4 to iOS6? I'm likely getting a 5 when my contract is up in November, but kinda hesitant to update from iOS 5 to 6 on my 4...

Kinda want to know impressions from others...

/tk

I did it on Thursday and have had no problems besides one app (TapTalk) that seems to have problems working, but I do not believe has had an iOS6 update for the app itself.

[dawgfan]

Anybody here tried updating an iPhone 4 to iOS6? I'm likely getting a 5 when my contract is up in November, but kinda hesitant to update from iOS 5 to 6 on my 4...

Kinda want to know impressions from others...

/tk
I updated mine as soon as it came out and didn't notice any technical issues. There's obviously the annoyance of Apple's war with Google which necessitates downloading the Google YouTube app and bookmarking Google Maps in Safari to get around the inferior new Apple maps app.

On the plus side, I like the ability to go full screen in Safari, and I've noticed some nice improvements in some of my apps that have been updated for iOS6.

[Ben E Lou]

Anyone else with horrible battery life on the 4s since upgrading?
{raises hand}

[INDalltheway]

Just sold my 16gb iPhone 4 on eBay for $253.67. I paid $300 and some change for my new 32gb iPhone 5. Yeah, I'm feeling good.

[Chubby]

Well, I can answer for Verizon. Until earlier this year, unlimited data plans were grandfathered in. Now, If I want an iphone 5, or any other LTE phone, I have to drop my unlimited data plan.

I pay $130 pre-taxes for 2 iphone 4s phones with unlimited data, unlimited text, and unlimited talk.

If I want an iphone 5, for $130 I get unlimited text, unlimited talk, and 1 GB of data to share with my wife.

For comparison, my wife used 1/2 gig last month, she's on pace for about that much this month. I used 5 gigs last month, and am on pace for about 6 this month. So I'd probably need to get an 8 gig shared plan, just to cover myself. That's an extra $40 a month (pre-taxes), so an extra $500 a year.

I believe you can buy it unsubsidized ad not have to switch plans

[terpkristin]

I did the upgrade of my 4 and it went relatively painlessly. Thanks to the folks here for giving me the confidence to do so. ;)

/tk

[Marc Vaughan]

Is it ok if I pop in here to rant about AT&T, apparently they fulfill pre-orders after they sell out the stock they received which mystifies me .... and is why I'm still waiting for my pre-ordered iPhone5 ..... grrrr.

(to be frank I'm not particularly excited by the phone, but I do kinda need it to get FMH2013 working on it)

[Glengoyne]

I have to say that I loved the Samsung commercials about all of the people in line for their iPhones. Especially the hipster "just holding a spot" in the Apple line for his parents.

Good stuff.

[kingfc22]

Just sold my 16gb iPhone 4 on eBay for $253.67. I paid $300 and some change for my new 32gb iPhone 5. Yeah, I'm feeling good.

Man you reeled in a sucker.

I got $250 for a 32GB iPhone 4.

My wife's iPhone 4 is currently at $175, but that auction has a few days left so I hope some people get into a battle towards the end. :D

[BrianD]

Is there a real benefit to upgrade an iPhone 4 or an iPad 2 with iOS 6? They both seem to miss out on some of the bigger benefits, so I am wondering if this will do anything other than slow them down?

[Mota]

Is it ok if I pop in here to rant about AT&T, apparently they fulfill pre-orders after they sell out the stock they received which mystifies me .... and is why I'm still waiting for my pre-ordered iPhone5 ..... grrrr.

(to be frank I'm not particularly excited by the phone, but I do kinda need it to get FMH2013 working on it)

Oh the same happened to me last year with Rogers in Canada. They had a pre-order page online, you get notification and the phone is sent to your nearest store. The store even referred me to this page to ensure I got one.

Then on launch day I go into the Rogers later in the day for an unrelated matter, and find out that they had shipped units for the shelves and so preordering was actually a disadvantage.

[stevew]

I have to say that I loved the Samsung commercials about all of the people in line for their iPhones. Especially the hipster "just holding a spot" in the Apple line for his parents.

Good stuff.

Yeah. Those are awesome.

[Groundhog]

Anyone else with horrible battery life on the 4s since upgrading?

Ahh yes, the infamous Apple OS upgrade, where they release a new version at the launch of a new product that degrades the performance of the previous models...

[Mota]

My 4S battery life is horrible now. My son asks "can I use your iPhone?", plays some games on it for 30 minutes, and I'm down to 56% battery. It's insane.

[stevew]

So I'm heading that the 5's Lightning port is so proprietary that there may be no way to make cheap cords? I have maybe 6 cords throughout the house and cars...there's no way anyone in this house upgrades If they cost $30 a pop.

[MIJB#19]

Ah, bummer. I was hoping the complaints on the web about iOS6 were just the usual 'there's always angry people', but the posts in this thread convince me there are real problems with upgrading.

[Professor58]

Not seeing what you get with iOS6 for the Ipad2, seems more is taking away.

[dawgfan]

So I'm heading that the 5's Lightning port is so proprietary that there may be no way to make cheap cords? I have maybe 6 cords throughout the house and cars...there's no way anyone in this house upgrades If they cost $30 a pop.
Off-brand adapters are already showing up on Amazon.com (and elsewhere). And yes, this stuff could be junk trying to scam early adopters.

Still, I have a hard time believing that with the huge demand there will be for this stuff that Apple will be able to totally prevent other companies from offering much cheaper versions of these cables & adapters. I'm keeping my eye on Monoprice to see if they come up with adapters, and I'll keep tabs on my friends to see if they take the plunge on any of the cheap adapters already being sold, and if that gear is any good.

[stevew]

I see the off brand stuff as well, but I'm cautiously waiting until it becomes a bit clearer whether that stuff actually works. I mean, right now I can get like a 6pack of okay quality cords for the 4 shipped for maybe 8 bucks. If they break, I still have more left.

[dawgfan]

I see the off brand stuff as well, but I'm cautiously waiting until it becomes a bit clearer whether that stuff actually works. I mean, right now I can get like a 6pack of okay quality cords for the 4 shipped for maybe 8 bucks. If they break, I still have more left.
Yeah, until stuff shows up on Monoprice, I'm going to wait for my friends to be the guinea-pigs on the stuff showing up right now :)

[samifan24]

Word is that the Apple Lightning cord contains a microchip which allows the cord to sync, charge, etc. based on what it's plugged into. I thought I read somewhere that aftermarket cables won't contain the chip and therefore won't be as versatile (they'll only charge).

[RainMaker]

I think some of the map stuff is overblown. The new Apple maps does suck, just as Google maps sucked in 2005. It takes a long time to build a reliable system and gather enough data from users. But it's overblown because there are really good alternatives to it and Google maps.

Mapquest is just as good as Google maps and is free. Garmin has an app too for navigation that is like 99 cents. And Waze is an amazing free app that everyone should have too.

Not downplaying how bad Apple maps is, just pointing out that there are a lot of good alternatives. I was more pissed about Apple dropping the YouTube app for the iPad.

[Pyser]

the biggest problem i have with the new maps is the lack of traffic updates. a few red dashes doesnt convey enough info, compared to the red/yellow/green google maps system. i used that multiple times a day in la.

[Ben E Lou]

Anyone else with horrible battery life on the 4s since upgrading?{raises hand}Ahh yes, the infamous Apple OS upgrade, where they release a new version at the launch of a new product that degrades the performance of the previous models...My 4S battery life is horrible now. My son asks "can I use your iPhone?", plays some games on it for 30 minutes, and I'm down to 56% battery. It's insane.Went to the local apple store on Saturday and this is now resolved for me. Diagnostics determined that it was never really going to sleep, and it was running at a higher than normal temperature because some of the apps weren't truly "closing." They did a complete system reset and had me reload all my apps, and I'm back in business. They told me *NOT* to restore from a backup, though, because the problem was likely embedded in the backup. According to the duuuuuuuuude that helped me, it wasn't any sort of malware--I suppose because Apple products don't get malware, according to their worshipful minions. He did tell me to reload all of my apps (no concern about the problem being in one of the apps,) and not to restore the backup that contained the non-malware problem, though. ;)

Bottom line: a full reset seems to have resolved the battery issue and another issue I was having with apps crashing.

[dawgfan]

The inability to truly close an app on iOS without rebooting it is annoying. I've had a few apps (mostly games) that would effectively crash on me, and the only way to get the app to work properly would be to reboot the phone.

[Peregrine]

The inability to truly close an app on iOS without rebooting it is annoying. I've had a few apps (mostly games) that would effectively crash on me, and the only way to get the app to work properly would be to reboot the phone.

When you say truly close, do you mean close through the double tap Home button, or do you mean some resources of the app remaining open even after you close it using that?

[dawgfan]

When you say truly close, do you mean close through the double tap Home button, or do you mean some resources of the app remaining open even after you close it using that?
I'm not sure what you mean - AFAIK, double-tapping the home button is how you switch to any of the other apps you've recently used, many of which are still running.

There was one game in particular (that I've stopped playing) that would often crash when it tried to connect to their data center - it would just hang forever trying to load. Hitting the home button and opening another app wouldn't kill that process - the next time I opened that game, it was still stuck on that same loading screen. Only way to kill it as far as I could tell was to reboot the phone.

[Subby]

You double press the home button and then when the icons appear along the bottom, hold your finger down on one of those icons. Keep your finger on an icon until red circles with white minuses appear on the top left edge of each of the apps. Touch that red circle to close the app.

[dawgfan]

You double press the home button and then when the icons appear along the bottom, hold your finger down on one of those icons. Keep your finger on an icon until red circles with white minuses appear on the top left edge of each of the apps. Touch that red circle to close the app.
Cool, good to know.

[gstelmack]

You double press the home button and then when the icons appear along the bottom, hold your finger down on one of those icons. Keep your finger on an icon until red circles with white minuses appear on the top left edge of each of the apps. Touch that red circle to close the app.

I love how Apple gets kudos for intuitive UIs that contain steps like the above. Reminds me of the Mac days, where the "easy to use Mac" had key combos like "Command-Apple-X" (or whatever) to do basic functionality.

[Fidatelo]

I love how Apple gets kudos for intuitive UIs that contain steps like the above. Reminds me of the Mac days, where the "easy to use Mac" had key combos like "Command-Apple-X" (or whatever) to do basic functionality.

When I first got an iPod I had to Google how to turn it off. I felt like an idiot, until I heard the same story from a half dozen friends over subsequent years.

[Peregrine]

You double press the home button and then when the icons appear along the bottom, hold your finger down on one of those icons. Keep your finger on an icon until red circles with white minuses appear on the top left edge of each of the apps. Touch that red circle to close the app.

Yes, this is what I meant - as far as I know this is the official way to close the app - I just wasn't sure if you were aware of it or not when you talked about truly closing an app.

[Autumn]

When I first got an iPod I had to Google how to turn it off. I felt like an idiot, until I heard the same story from a half dozen friends over subsequent years.

I know, Apple users have figured all this stuff out. When I got an iPad, never having used an iPhone or iPod, my friend was all, "It's easy, you'll figure it out." Meanwhile I'm Googling how to close an app or restart the iPad. I still haven't figured how the copy paste thing works, it just pops up randomly to annoy me.

[dawgfan]

I know, Apple users have figured all this stuff out. When I got an iPad, never having used an iPhone or iPod, my friend was all, "It's easy, you'll figure it out." Meanwhile I'm Googling how to close an app or restart the iPad. I still haven't figured how the copy paste thing works, it just pops up randomly to annoy me.
Press and hold your finger over some text and you should get a blue overlay with blue dots that show the extents of the area you are copying (you can move those dots to increase or decrease the area you want to copy); then click the "Copy" button above your highlighted area. You now have that copied to your clipboard. You can then press and hold your finger and get an option to "Paste" if you are in a valid spot to paste something.

[Daimyo]

I love how Apple gets kudos for intuitive UIs that contain steps like the above. Reminds me of the Mac days, where the "easy to use Mac" had key combos like "Command-Apple-X" (or whatever) to do basic functionality.

Its not really basic functionality though. I probably hard close an app less than once a month. Given a choice between:


Every function being about equally accessible (like say in a File menu system or the old WM6-style interface)
The functions you use most being most accessible and those you use rarely being proportionally less accessible (even if it means having to google to figure out how to do things occasionally)


I'll choose number #2 every time. Unfortunately most developers seem to instinctively go for #1. Its hard to find a happy medium on a platform like a phone where you only have so much screen real estate and precision for input.

Maybe in this case they could create a task manager that has the functionality... but then you're left with an app that adds clutter and ultimately requires just as many clicks or you hide it somewhere like the notification panes and you're left with having to google to find it anyway.

[Glengoyne]

I know, Apple users have figured all this stuff out. When I got an iPad, never having used an iPhone or iPod, my friend was all, "It's easy, you'll figure it out." Meanwhile I'm Googling how to close an app or restart the iPad. I still haven't figured how the copy paste thing works, it just pops up randomly to annoy me.


While I generally have found most of the things I need to accomplish on an iPad are quite intuitive, there are a whole set of cool things you can do for which intuitive = "You can figure it out, if you Google it".

[Fidatelo]

While I generally have found most of the things I need to accomplish on an iPad are quite intuitive, there are a whole set of cool things you can do for which intuitive = "You can figure it out, if you Google it".

Ya, I think that's what it comes down to. I have an iPad, my wife has an iPhone, and I have a Windows Phone 7. My oldest son (now 3.5) taught himself the iPad/iPhone without any input from us around the time he turned 2. That included unlocking the screen, navigating, opening apps, etc. He just sort of figured it all out. Of course, he would never 'hard close' an app or even care about turning the thing off, so that kind of functionality being non-obvious is not a problem.

The Windows Phone, that I prefer by a large margin, has been much harder for him to pick up. It's focus on using fonts and typeface certainly doesn't help since he can't read, but everything just seems slightly less discoverable for him. If I show him something he can repeat it, but he never really stumbles across anything like he always has on iOS. And, most tellingly, he will always ask for the iPad first, then the iPhone, and last the Windows Phone.

[I. J. Reilly]

Is this the right place for a general iPad question?

So I’m looking to pick one up for the wife for our anniversary, she will really only be using it to surf the web and maybe read a book or two. I’m sure my son will want to watch videos on it as well. So my questions are:

Is there any reason to go above the 16gb base model?

How much better is the A5X chip than the A5 chip?

And is the only other upgrade on the iPad3 the better screen resolution?

Basically I’m just wondering what would make the 3 worth the $100 increase.

[DaddyTorgo]

I don't think there's much reason to go above 16gb. I got a fully-loaded one for work and it's embarassing how much space I still have on it. Particularly if you're not storing a ton of music or a ton of full-length movies. Books take virtually no space.

[Alan T]

If I am traveling, I'll usually load up the ipad with a bunch of my movies before I go. Almost every movie these days when you buy them have digital copy options. Putting movies on the ipad eats up that space very very fast.

If you aren't going to have a bunch of movies or music or other content on there (or like a million games), you probably don't need a ton of storage.

[SegRat]

I have the32 gb. If you are going to put videos on it I wouldn't suggest less than 32.

[Marc Vaughan]

Is there any reason to go above the 16gb base model?
Depends on what you use it for - I've maxed out the 64Gb model because I tend to have at least 3-4 TV episodes stored along with 4-5,000 songs ..

How much better is the A5X chip than the A5 chip?
In practice about 2x but thats downgraded HEAVILY if you're using high resolution art on the application in question, for standard item usage though difference is marginal (and you might see a downgrade on some high res arty things) - for games and heavy processing its obvious.

[Ben E Lou]

I know, Apple users have figured all this stuff out. When I got an iPad, never having used an iPhone or iPod, my friend was all, "It's easy, you'll figure it out." Meanwhile I'm Googling how to close an app or restart the iPad. I still haven't figured how the copy paste thing works, it just pops up randomly to annoy me.I just synched some of my old mp3s to my phone, and now they're just playing. Is there not a "STOP" button, or do I have to do the double-tap thing to shut down the app. WTF???

[Ben E Lou]

Oh lovely. And the songs I had in more than one folder for one reason or another...they copied twice.

[Peregrine]

I've had that double copy thing happen to me before, really annoying to have to delete extra copies of songs.

[stevew]

Supposedly details about the new iPad Mini will finally release next tuesday. Also rumors of some sort of enhanced processor ipad3 as well.

[Scoobz0202]

The event Steve mentioned is today. Not an apple fan, but will definitely follow because I love me some tech.

Interested in seeing the Mini and the refreshed iTunes.

Starts in 45 minutes.

[Scoobz0202]

4th gen iPad???

[PackerFanatic]

Aaand there's another one. Already.

[sterlingice]

Looks like $329 for the mini. I think if you're Amazon and Google, you aren't that concerned at your $199 price point. It could have been a lot worse and I think $250 vs $200 makes this much more troubling for them.

I think a lot fewer people are going "$199 vs $329". There will certainly be some and you can't underestimate Apple's clout in the consumer electronics market. But this feels more like a Wii vs PS3/X360 rather than a complete head to head competition.

EDIT: Honestly, I think the standard iPad is more worried about $329 competition than the lower end models.

SI

[Scoobz0202]

Looks like $329 for the mini. I think if you're Amazon and Google, you aren't that concerned at your $199 price point. It could have been a lot worse and I think $250 vs $200 makes this much more troubling for them.

I think a lot fewer people are going "$199 vs $329". There will certainly be some and you can't underestimate Apple's clout in the consumer electronics market. But this feels more like a Wii vs PS3/X360 rather than a complete head to head competition.

SI

Yea. I would have really considered one at $249. But they went into attack mode on what was obviously the Nexus 7 while showing things like, "67% more viewing space," but yea, at what.. 65% cost added on? It's not even a fair comparison.

[DaddyTorgo]

Looks like $329 for the mini. I think if you're Amazon and Google, you aren't that concerned at your $199 price point. It could have been a lot worse and I think $250 vs $200 makes this much more troubling for them.

I think a lot fewer people are going "$199 vs $329". There will certainly be some and you can't underestimate Apple's clout in the consumer electronics market. But this feels more like a Wii vs PS3/X360 rather than a complete head to head competition.

EDIT: Honestly, I think the standard iPad is more worried about $329 competition than the lower end models.

SI

I was thinking this to myself yesterday - "if they don't get the iPad mini down into the mid-to-low $200's then it's going to cannibalize more sales from the base-level full-size iPad then from the Amazon/Google tablets below it" was my thought.

[Jughead Spock]

I haven't been right about Apple much lately, but think they missed on the Mini. I was interested in the idea, but not at nearly 8". Kinda missing the idea here, folks. Should've come in at 7" and under $300.

[Jughead Spock]

Oh, and a new iPad already, that's just a smack to the face. Not mine, mind you.

[ISiddiqui]

Say what you will about Steve Jobs, at least he came out with inresting stuff. I mean really, a small iPad 2 (no retina display & the internals are basically the same as an iPad 2)?

[sterlingice]

Say what you will about Steve Jobs, at least he came out with inresting stuff. I mean really, a small iPad 2 (no retina display & the internals are basically the same as an iPad 2)?

I think that's a little unfair. I think eventually tablet/phone convergence will settle down to this size range due to the size of a human (tho we do keep getting fatter so maybe we need bigger screens for bigger onscreen kbs). They needed to take a whack at Android and, unfortunately, I think they missed. It's not like they haven't missed before and it's not going to cost them the farm.

SI

[Scoobz0202]

But really, who are we kidding. This will probably sell like crazy, because, apple.

[Glengoyne]

...

EDIT: Honestly, I think the standard iPad is more worried about $329 competition than the lower end models.

SI

+1


Hey, lets steal some of our own market share!!

[DaddyTorgo]

What are the specs on the new ipad 4?

What's the "reason I should upgrade from an iPad 2?"

[Scoobz0202]

New A6X processor, new lightning port, the facetime camera was updated to HD, and LTE support with Sprint.

Nothing major, but the processor is surprising to me.

[Fidatelo]

What's the "reason I should upgrade from an iPad 2?"

Because in 6 months they will release iOS7 and it will only run on iPad3+, although there won't be any real reason it couldn't have also run on your iPad 2.

- signed disgruntled iPad 1 owner

[Jughead Spock]

2 doesn't have the retina display either, does it? From what I've heard, that is the most worthwhile reason to update.

[DaddyTorgo]

2 does not have retina, no. and i agree with you on the stupidity of the OS updates and "planned obsolesence" Fidatelo.

I wouldn't have gotten one if work didn't pay for it - I would have gone Android.


"It's not just a shrunken-down iPad," Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller told the audience at a media event here.

Prices range from $329 to $659, depending on storage capacity.

Yikes...talk about cannibalizing the bottom of the full-size iPad market at those price points.

[Fidatelo]

I'm not sure I would ever buy anything but the low-end model on these tablets at those price points. They obsolete them so quick that having the max storage space seems like overkill. By the time I fill up the device I may as well just buy a whole new one of the latest model. The high-end model is DOUBLE the price!

[jeff061]

Looks like $329 for the mini. I think if you're Amazon and Google, you aren't that concerned at your $199 price point. It could have been a lot worse and I think $250 vs $200 makes this much more troubling for them.

I think a lot fewer people are going "$199 vs $329". There will certainly be some and you can't underestimate Apple's clout in the consumer electronics market. But this feels more like a Wii vs PS3/X360 rather than a complete head to head competition.

EDIT: Honestly, I think the standard iPad is more worried about $329 competition than the lower end models.

SI

At $329 I don't see the point of even offering it. I guess people just want a smaller form factor, not sure I'd understand why. Totally agree on it being more of a threat to their standard iPads, up until recently I didn't think they'd ever release a mini for that reason(and I didn't think they'd come close to $199).

[jeff061]

I think that's a little unfair. I think eventually tablet/phone convergence will settle down to this size range due to the size of a human (tho we do keep getting fatter so maybe we need bigger screens for bigger onscreen kbs). They needed to take a whack at Android and, unfortunately, I think they missed. It's not like they haven't missed before and it's not going to cost them the farm.

SI

I don't know, I think width matters more than screen size when it comes to mobility of a tablet. Mini or standard, it's not going in your pocket.

[stevew]

Not interested in the Mini at that price. $329 with LTE is something I'd consider. The new IMacs look really slick.

[Easy Mac]

I don't know, I think width matters more than... size...


We should ask a woman.

[BillJasper]

I'll be sticking with my ipad 3 for the foreseeable future. Thankyouverymuch.

[RainMaker]

So they have a mini tablet that has worse specs than their competitors and are going to sell it for $100 more.

[Groundhog]

I'm a very happily reformed Apple fan boy, and I was shocked how easily I caved and was convinced to pick up the iPad3 for my GF when I walked into the store planning on the Galaxy tab. I think it's simplicity is probably a plus on the tablet format... and I've found myself using it more than my GF has, and it's even seen me start reading comics again, which I haven't done in years and years, and the Flipboard app is a great way to keep up with the various blogs I read. GarageBand has been a hell of a lot of fun, despite its limitations.

Still, the geek in me is infuriated when I download a comic app and then have to setup an FTP server on my iPad to transfer comics across to the device over my local network, rather than, you know, plug it into my PC and drag and drop. I mean seriously. Little things like this really bug me about Apple's modus operandi. It's not enough that they wall off their garden, but they also put land mines and razor wire around the perimeter.

Zero interest in the new mini-iPad, I just don't really see the point. My Galaxy Nexus has a big enough screen that it's nearly a tablet, and my kindle is a good size for a portable reader...

[Subby]

So they have a mini tablet that has worse specs than their competitors and are going to sell it for $100 more.
Not everything is worse, some stuff is better. I agree that the price point is stupid. They've done the market research though - maybe folks would cough up an extra 100 to get an ipad.

[RainMaker]

Not everything is worse, some stuff is better. I agree that the price point is stupid. They've done the market research though - maybe folks would cough up an extra 100 to get an ipad.

Yeah, it just doesn't seem like it's any better. Some specs are better and some are worse. It feels like you're paying $100 more just to keep all your products Apple for easy syncing. Maybe that's realistic, I know some people who like the iCloud a lot.

[Raiders Army]

I was thinking about getting the mini but they sandbagged it yet again with no retina display and the price. The problem that Apple got themselves into is that they priced their new iTouch at $300 and the iPad 2 is $399. I know the specs are different for all three but if the sizes are small, medium, and large the medium size has to price between the other two.

I need a device to read books, stream Amazon Prime movies, and read comic books. My thought process is that I'm so in bed with Apple and its ecosystem of apps that a $100 higher price is worth it. I have about $2K in apps, movies, TV shows, and songs, not to mention future purchases. However, why would I pay $329 for a mini when I can pay $399 for an iPad 2 with approximately the same specs for what I will use it for. If I'm willing to pay $399 for a tablet to watch movies, read books, etc. then why not buy two Kindle Fire HDs for that price?

I think I may go with the Kindle Fire HD instead. Apple screwed themselves here because they sandbagged the design, put the price point too high to justify the purchase over other devices, and introduced a new iPad seven months after the last one. There seems to be a pattern of screwing their customers with new devices that aren't necessarily the best they could make.

There are many similarities between Apple and EA Sports.

[wade moore]

I have been planning to get a tablet (likely Apple) this winter.

I was intrigued by the idea of the mini. The ipad, for instance, can't fit in a cargo shorts pocket - a mini could. A mini could even fit in the back pocket of some pants, etc. How I carry this tablet around is a concern of mine.

However, the pricing is just idiotic. I can't see spending that money for the mini when I can splurge a bit more for the new ipad. There's basically a $170 difference between the ipad mini and an equivalent (hard drive, network capabilities, etc) ipad gen 4.

[Peregrine]

It seems to me that they are undermining the iPad mini in two ways - the neither here nor there pricing as has been mentioned but also by also introducing an improved iPad in the same event. I wasn't really thinking about getting a mini iPad since my regular one does pretty much all I need, but they really seem to be pushing out a mini because they "had to" instead of their normal attempt to lead the market.

Have to say that new iMac looks pretty sweet though.

[wade moore]

It seems to me that they are undermining the iPad mini in two ways - the neither here nor there pricing as has been mentioned but also by also introducing an improved iPad in the same event. I wasn't really thinking about getting a mini iPad since my regular one does pretty much all I need, but they really seem to be pushing out a mini because they "had to" instead of their normal attempt to lead the market.

Have to say that new iMac looks pretty sweet though.

I'll be in the market for an iMac in the next year or two probably. I've had PCs 100% up until now, but my wife got a Macbook a few years ago and fell in love. We both have laptops for work these days, and likely will for the forseeable future, so when our current laptops have seen their last days, we're going to look into an iMac.

With all of that - the latest iMac looks REALLY REALLY nice, so that has me excited.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Seeing this pricing makes me even more glad I jumped to the Kindle Fire. As someone said on the last page, I can pick up the new HD version and have two Kindle Fires for roughly the same price as one iPad Mini.

[wade moore]

I'd consider the Fire except two things really scare me off.

1. I've heard from multiple that have used both an ipad and a Fire that the experience is noticeably diminished on the Fire. Touch sensitivity isn't great. Apps aren't as stable. Navigation isn't as good. Again, this is not from personal experience, but word of mouth. Those that only have experience with the fire seem to love it fwiw.

2. I'm so ingrained in the iOS ecosystem.

FWIW - bear in mind that I don't want to just consume media with a tablet. I want to use it for note taking and some other productivity stuff.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'd consider the Fire except two things really scare me off.

1. I've heard from multiple that have used both an ipad and a Fire that the experience is noticeably diminished on the Fire. Touch sensitivity isn't great. Apps aren't as stable. Navigation isn't as good. Again, this is not from personal experience, but word of mouth. Those that only have experience with the fire seem to love it fwiw.

2. I'm so ingrained in the iOS ecosystem.

FWIW - bear in mind that I don't want to just consume media with a tablet. I want to use it for note taking and some other productivity stuff.

It's not the same, I'll grant you that. It's obviously different. I haven't had any touch issues and have had more app crashes on my Apple phone than the Kindle. The navigation is fine, but it's definitely not the same as the Apple products.

My main uses are reading, web, Netflix, and some apps that the kids and I use. I can definitely see how some people wouldn't like it, but for the price, it's extremely hard to beat.

[Pyser]

seems to me apple purposefully holds back features of every new product release. ipad didnt have a camera, for example.

so you get the initial crush of people just wanting to own things first, then in 6 months they release the next version of the mini ipad with retina display.

then you charge the same for it, and hey, now it's looking like a deal in comparison to the first release.

shady, but seems to be working pretty well.

[stevew]

The mini is a 4:3 aspect ratio. it should be 20% larger than the 16:10 ratio on the fire.

[Raiders Army]

Well, I couldn't resist and I picked up a 32GB iPad Mini. It's great. I really wish it had retina.

It meets all of my needs with the Amazon Kindle, Amazon Prime, and Comic Zeal apps, plus it's the perfect size for me. The iPad is a little too large.

[SegRat]

I need to go look at a mini.

[Marc Vaughan]

I'd consider the Fire except two things really scare me off.
Kindle Fire is awesome imho - very little between it and the iPad imho ...

The integration into the amazon eco system is great - especially if you have 'Prime' as that allows you to stream various videos on the Fire for free (think NetFlix).

I've only the original Fire, from what I've heard the new HD model is even better ...

[wade moore]

FWIW, picked up a 4th generation ipad on Friday. Reminds me, need to bump the iOS apps thread.

[MizzouRah]

Just received my ipad mini today.. going to the iOS apps thread myself.

[stevew]

Looks like apple is going to be moving to a 6 month upgrade schedule next year. We got the daughter an iPhone 5. It's nice but entirely too small. I hope they make a retina iPad mini next year. I really liked the demo I saw.

[Desnudo]

Looks like apple is going to be moving to a 6 month upgrade schedule next year. We got the daughter an iPhone 5. It's nice but entirely too small. I hope they make a retina iPad mini next year. I really liked the demo I saw.

My wife prefers the iPhone because of the smaller form factor. She finds the larger droid phones tough to hold.

[gstelmack]

Well, all my mobile future plans have been shot, because I'm getting an iPad Retina 64GB Wifi as a 15 year anniversary gift from work. Not complaining, iOS really does seem to be the mobile standard, so my checking out other OSes is more due dilligence and avoiding the inevitable. So now I'll get an up-close-and-personal look. Still going to buy a Win8 phone to check it out.

I've been keeping an eye on the iOS apps thread, but my question is on covers. I know Apple has a standard one, with some reviews talking about it breaking down / falling apart after a few months. For about the same price Kensington makes a couple of models that include a BlueTooth keyboard, which intrigues me for note taking at work (although I'd probably also get a stylus and see which works better).

Thoughts / suggestions / experience with covers for the current iPad?

[samifan24]

I have a Zaggfolio bluetooth keyboard case and I love it. I paid $70 on sale but I think they're normally $99. Light and portable with a full keyboard and case built in. I recommend it.

[GoldenEagle]

I am not so sure I like this new iCloud thing. My wife and I both have iPads under the same Apple ID. She was downloading games and they were also being installed on my iPad. No big deal, I would just turn off the auto download thing. But I downloaded a new app and I can not for the life of me figure out how to add it to my iPad.

[Marc Vaughan]

I am not so sure I like this new iCloud thing. My wife and I both have iPads under the same Apple ID. She was downloading games and they were also being installed on my iPad. No big deal, I would just turn off the auto download thing. But I downloaded a new app and I can not for the life of me figure out how to add it to my iPad.

Open the App Store application - bottom has an icon which shows' Purchased' items; click on that and then on the 'cloud' next to an application to install it.

[Marc Vaughan]

Thoughts / suggestions / experience with covers for the current iPad?

I've got a really nice "Brighton and Hove Albion' one for mine ... ;)

More seriously most are pretty good, the 'iBook' ones look fantastic but are cumbersome for general use, I wouldn't touch the 'standard' Apple magnetic ones with a bargepole - I bought one originally and it kept falling off .... plus they give next to no protection at all to the device itself.

[GoldenEagle]

Open the App Store application - bottom has an icon which shows' Purchased' items; click on that and then on the 'cloud' next to an application to install it.

Thanks. That worked.