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Your iPad (or any tablet) lifespan
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Hawkeye_a
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Oct 30, 2013, 12:16 PM
 
I have an iPad1, which I use almost daily.

My use case is light home use; browser the net, some reading, email, numbers, pages, skype, casual games. it's my 'couch computer'.

With all the advancements in the iPad line, and other competing products, i still dont see them offering any additional capabilities (apart from the cameras which i do not care for) which would warrant a purchase for my personal use. I'm quite happy with my iPad1 as it functions as expected. (My only minor quibble would be that the latest OS for it did slow it down a bit, which is a minor annoyance).

How many times have you guys upgraded your tablet? what did you do with your old ones?

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andi*pandi
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Oct 30, 2013, 12:37 PM
 
I also still have an ipad 1, but the camera and faster processor in the newer ones appeals. Can't run all the latest apps, so I'm thinking to upgrade soon... but probably to something refurbed, like 2 or 3.
     
ort888
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Oct 30, 2013, 12:51 PM
 
The RAM on the iPad 1 made web surfing suck, because it could only hold like 2 tabs in memory at once. Everything would constantly be reloading.

I still rock an iPad 2. The main problem I have with it is that everytime I touch it, my kid wants to take it from me.

I would also like to have a retina screen.

I'm eying one of these retina minis, but money is pretty tight right now and that is definitely something I really don't need at all.

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Oct 30, 2013, 01:00 PM
 
The biggest update after the iPad 1 is the thinner shape and lower weight. Retina display is also great for reading.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
Hawkeye_a  (op)
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Oct 30, 2013, 01:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by ort888 View Post
The RAM on the iPad 1 made web surfing suck, because it could only hold like 2 tabs in memory at once. Everything would constantly be reloading.
Yes! The constant reloading really grinds my gears. Almost enough to get me to upgrade, but the thought of the redundancy of having two tablets around annoys me.
     
SVass
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Oct 30, 2013, 01:29 PM
 
I use my retina iPad to watch tv including daily show, Colbert, ESPN, hbo, netflix, etc.
I can also read ny times, New Yorker, and track stock market.
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SSharon
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Oct 30, 2013, 01:58 PM
 
I had an iPad 1 at my last job and rarely used it. Some TV shows and movies and not much else. Now that I have an iPad mini I find that I use it every day. The difference in size and weight make it a much more functional device for me. As for when I'll upgrade it, maybe in a couple years.
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ShortcutToMoncton
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Oct 30, 2013, 03:28 PM
 
I have always thought that embedding old iPads in useful areas would be a pretty good idea.

For example, I plan on attaching our iPad 3 near the kitchen counter when it becomes mostly obsolete for day to day use (when we get a new mini). It will be used to control a remote speaker system located above the cabinets and for cooking apps, simple kitchen-specific web browsing etc. - perfect for use solely in a kitchen.

Similarly, they would double as great multimedia controllers depending on your entertainment system - would be very convenient on a little stand by the comfy chair.
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Shaddim
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Nov 5, 2013, 02:29 PM
 
Lifespan? I'm a gadget junkie and try out lots of stuff, I'm sure there's a name for it, technophilia or whatever. Most mobile devices have a 1-6 month life cycle with me (I then wipe them and hand them over the local Boys & Girls club), depending on quality and performance. Android tablets and phones, with few exceptions, are generally on the lower end of that range due to how quickly products are released and refreshed. One of those exceptions is the current Nexus 7, its picture is so sharp that I have trouble using "inferior" tablets now. Everything looks so grainy.
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Shaddim
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Nov 5, 2013, 02:32 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
I also still have an ipad 1, but the camera and faster processor in the newer ones appeals. Can't run all the latest apps, so I'm thinking to upgrade soon... but probably to something refurbed, like 2 or 3.
Go with at least a 3, you'll want the Retina display due to changes in iOS.
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subego
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Nov 5, 2013, 03:08 PM
 
iPad 1 > ex-girlfriend > ex-girlfriend's mom
iPad 2 > ex-girlfriend
iPad 3 > selling it now, it's a ****ing dog
iPad 4 > still using, will become a "work" iPad upon upgrade

Mini > still using, will become a "work" iPad also


The weight loss on the 2 made it worth it. You can tell how good of a design it is by the fact they still sell it. The retina on the 3 was worth it, but underpowered. The 4 is too freakin heavy.

My favorite form factor is still the phone though. It gets 90% of the use. I'm not in a rush to upgrade the pads this cycle, though I'm sure I will.
     
subego
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Nov 5, 2013, 03:10 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Go with at least a 3, you'll want the Retina display due to changes in iOS.
Stay away from the three. Way underpowered to begin with and iOS 7 crushes it.

If you can handle no retina, the 2 is very good. It's much better with iOS 7 because it's pushing one-quarter the pixels.
     
Shaddim
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Nov 5, 2013, 03:59 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Stay away from the three. Way underpowered to begin with and iOS 7 crushes it.

If you can handle no retina, the 2 is very good. It's much better with iOS 7 because it's pushing one-quarter the pixels.
But it looks like shite.
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subego
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Nov 5, 2013, 04:02 PM
 
Fair enough.

I'd still stay away from the 3. It was so bad they needed to do a mid-season replacement.
     
andi*pandi
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Nov 5, 2013, 04:38 PM
 
So, get an air then?

Coming from a 1, I'd likely not mind that the 2 screen is not retina... but having dog slow performance would be not much of a trade up...
     
ort888
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Nov 5, 2013, 04:42 PM
 
I wouldn't call an iPad 2 dog slow, but it is noticeably more sluggish than my iPhone 5.

iOS 7 runs pretty well on it. It's not retina, but most things look pretty decent overall. There are some fonts here and there that aliased poorly and really stick out, but overall the experience is fine.

That said, yeah, just spend the extra money and get an Air.

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Jawbone54
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Nov 5, 2013, 08:32 PM
 
If you do a lot of reading, upgrading to Retina is a must.
     
subego
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Nov 5, 2013, 08:35 PM
 
There's a tradeoff with weight. The lighter it is the slower your fatigue factor. That said, retina is very nice.

I'm full of shit BTW. I just ordered an Air.
     
mindwaves
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Nov 6, 2013, 02:05 AM
 
iPad 1, iPad 3, iPad 5 (Air) owner, or soon to be (in order). So roughly 2 years for me.
     
osiris
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Nov 6, 2013, 12:54 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
If you do a lot of reading, upgrading to Retina is a must.
Yes, I can relate. Been going blind with the iphone for years now, I can't wait to get the new iPad Mini.
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Jawbone54
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Nov 6, 2013, 04:11 PM
 
Originally Posted by osiris View Post
Yes, I can relate. Been going blind with the iphone for years now, I can't wait to get the new iPad Mini.
That's the sole reason I didn't turn in my 3rd-gen iPad and pick up a Mini last year. I just can't do much reading on the old resolution. I had a first-gen iPad on release day, but I never realized how much I was straining my eyes until I went Retina, then tried to read on someone else's iPad. Huge difference.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Nov 6, 2013, 05:26 PM
 
Since I got the iPhone 5s, the iPad 2 is used less and less for surfing.
     
ort888
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Nov 6, 2013, 05:38 PM
 
Played with an Air today... ugh... so nice... so shiny and so new...

Want to buy... do not need... but want...

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subego
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Nov 6, 2013, 05:55 PM
 
Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot View Post
Since I got the iPhone 5s, the iPad 2 is used less and less for surfing.
Which gen phone did you have previously?
     
Spheric Harlot
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Nov 6, 2013, 06:19 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Which gen phone did you have previously?
The 4S. I upgrade biennially, when my contract expires.
     
subego
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Nov 6, 2013, 06:24 PM
 
Interesting. I went from 1 to 4, and that decimated my tablet usage almost overnight.

I pace like crazy though, so that's probably a big factor.
     
Phileas
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Nov 6, 2013, 06:33 PM
 
I constantly upgrade, but that's because of the kind of work I do. As new tech comes in, old tech leaves to get donated or gets converted to specific uses. We also allow staff to take older equipment home.

My kids now own my old iPad 2, I still use my iPad 3 - it's too damn heavy though. My old Nexus 7 is part of our studio equipment now, we've got a bunch of older iPhones that will get donated, we also own a bunch of Blackberry Playbooks that are both capable and obsolete at the same time. I've been trying to get somebody to take a Samsung Galaxy Tab 1 off my hands for some time now, without success.

My next iPad will be the Air, as my small tablet needs are taken care of by my much loved Nexus 7. Maybe the lighter weight and faster speed of the Air will get me to use iOS again but I doubt it - I much prefer the Android mobile experience these days.
     
Jawbone54
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Nov 6, 2013, 08:57 PM
 
The only reason I use my iPhone is because it's so readily accessible. The size of the iPad (for me) is better for web-browsing, reading, emailing, gaming, and...well, that's about all you need it to do...

I'd be curious to know if Apple thinks a 5-inch iPhone would cannibalize some of their iPad Mini sales, though the difference in size would still make sense for reading. I think a 4.7-inch iPhone screen might be the sweet spot.
     
subego
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Nov 6, 2013, 09:01 PM
 
For me, it goes back to the pacing. If I force myself to sit down, I prefer the full sized pad. The Mini is better for bed, because you don't have a table/lap, and the weight makes it more comfortable. At the moment though, my in bed reading is dead tree.

The phone is also a pacing enabler. I pace a lot more because there's more I can do while pacing.
     
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Nov 7, 2013, 05:26 AM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
I'd be curious to know if Apple thinks a 5-inch iPhone would cannibalize some of their iPad Mini sales, though the difference in size would still make sense for reading. I think a 4.7-inch iPhone screen might be the sweet spot.
Cannibalization is when a lower margin product reduces demand for a higher margin product. If a $700 4.7" iPhat replaces a $300 iPad, that's not cannibalization, because the iPad is so much smaller margin - Apple has said as much.

An even smaller iPad I could see as a product, but pricing becomes tricky to avoid cannibalization in the other direction. Call it an iPad, and people expect a price like the mini or even less. Call it an iPhone, and suddenly labelling of the apps in the App Store becomes much harder.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
ort888
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Nov 7, 2013, 11:21 AM
 
The problem isn't that a 4.7" iPhone replaces an iPad Mini...

The problem is that a 4.7" iPhone replaces a 4" iPhone AND an iPad Mini.

That said, as long as people are buying your stuff, I think it's a good problem to have.

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Nov 7, 2013, 11:58 AM
 
4.7" phones won't replace 7"- 8" tablets, that's still enough of a difference. You need to get to the size of the Samsung Note 3 (5.5") or Mega (6.3") to tread into that territory. Having used a Note 3 for a little while now, I can say that it's a great mobile media device, and is good for things like ebook reading, in a pinch, but suffers as a phone unless you have the watch and/or a BT headset as well. Lately I've used that setup; I'll get a call, look at the watch to see who it is, then either answer it there or put on my earpiece. Sounds like it takes a long time, but it doesn't once you get in the swing of it. I really like being able to glance at the watch, deciding I don't want to talk with them, and with a tap sending them to voicemail. It saves me from having to pull the phone out of my pocket.
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Nov 7, 2013, 03:26 PM
 
One of the sources of sales for those insanely large phones is apparently as a replacement for tablets in combination with a headset for when you actually have to speak on them. That at least makes some amount of sense, in particular if you're carrying a purse or a bag anyway.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
Shaddim
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Nov 7, 2013, 05:03 PM
 
Originally Posted by P View Post
One of the sources of sales for those insanely large phones is apparently as a replacement for tablets in combination with a headset for when you actually have to speak on them. That at least makes some amount of sense, in particular if you're carrying a purse or a bag anyway.
They're a must with a phone that size (headsets), unless you like having something nearly the size of a paperback next to your face while you're talking.
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Phileas
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Nov 8, 2013, 07:53 AM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
I really like being able to glance at the watch, deciding I don't want to talk with them, and with a tap sending them to voicemail. It saves me from having to pull the phone out of my pocket.
I am waiting for a watch that works with the Nexus line. I too think that's the way to go, keep your phone in your desk or pocket and just use a small remote device for making calls.
     
Shaddim
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Nov 8, 2013, 02:10 PM
 
Originally Posted by Phileas View Post
I am waiting for a watch that works with the Nexus line. I too think that's the way to go, keep your phone in your desk or pocket and just use a small remote device for making calls.
Not sure if there will be one any time soon, Google seems to still be obsessed with Glass (which I have, and it isn't much to write home about). The Samsung Gear will soon be compatible with all current Galaxy phones, so that could be an option for you, since the Note 3 definitely isn't for everyone.
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subego
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Nov 8, 2013, 02:12 PM
 
Were you in the initial batch, or did someone sign you up for the privilege of paying Google $1,500?
     
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Nov 8, 2013, 04:42 PM
 
Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a View Post
I have an iPad1, which I use almost daily.
Me, too. I use it for reading papers and grading, but not so much for surfing anymore. The battery is almost real-time now - I get 5-6 hours at best from it.

However, I got an iPad 4 about a month ago, when the price dropped. It lasts about the same amount of time on a full charge, although it works much better for surfing. [I wanted the iPad 2 specifically for the battery difference, but this was a gift. Not really - my wife bought it for me so that she could justify replacing her iphone 4 with a 5S. Oh, the lies we tell ourselves...]

If I get ambitious I'll send my original iPad to MacResQ (iresq.com) and have them put a new batt in it. They seem to know what they're doing, and they've been reliable since the 90s.
     
Phileas
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Nov 8, 2013, 11:05 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Not sure if there will be one any time soon, Google seems to still be obsessed with Glass (which I have, and it isn't much to write home about). The Samsung Gear will soon be compatible with all current Galaxy phones, so that could be an option for you, since the Note 3 definitely isn't for everyone.
Business Week thinks that the google watch will hit the market early next spring. I think I'll wait until then, keep the Android experience as clean as possible. I don't care much for Samsung products, except TVs.

I received my Nexus 5 today. Kitkat on the 5 is like slipping into a warm bath. Everything "just works" to a degree we normally expect from Apple. The screen is gorgeous.
     
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Nov 10, 2013, 10:20 PM
 
iPad 1 is borderline unusable. Also, it has been like that for quite some time.

Our iPad 2 is OK and so is the iPad 3, but I wouldn't recommend getting a new one at this point. Minimum iPad 4, considering the refurb is US$379 and CAD$399. In contrast, the pricing in Canada for the new iPad 2 is CAD$399 and for the refurb iPad 3 was US$369. In that context, the much faster iPad 4 is the no brainer sub-$400 10" model. However, if were buying a new 10" today, it'd be the US$499/CAD$519 iPad Air. Much faster, and much lighter.

What does this mean in the context of this thread? I think the lifespan of the iPad 1 was considerably shorter than the iPad 2, so lifespan depends on model. I also think the lifespan of the Air will be decently long - probably at least 3 years or so.

Originally Posted by subego View Post
Stay away from the three. Way underpowered to begin with and iOS 7 crushes it.

If you can handle no retina, the 2 is very good. It's much better with iOS 7 because it's pushing one-quarter the pixels.
Interestingly I noticed that there are OS stutters on the Air, for example when selecting an app from the multitasking menu, something I don't see on the iPad 2. (Note I have Reduce Motion turned on for the iPad 2 currently.) However, surfing is much nicer on the Air of course, both because of speed and Retina clarity.
( Last edited by Eug; Nov 10, 2013 at 10:47 PM. )
     
Laminar
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Nov 10, 2013, 11:58 PM
 
Originally Posted by Eug View Post
What does this mean in the context of this thread? I think the lifespan of the iPad 1 was considerably shorter than the iPad 2, so lifespan depends on model. I also think the lifespan of the Air will be decently long - probably at least 3 years or so.
I think it helped that they maintained the same form factor from 2-4. The wife and I both have 2s with no incentive to upgrade any time soon. The only advantage would be eliminating the last dock connectors in the house.
     
Phileas
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Nov 11, 2013, 11:06 AM
 
Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
no incentive to upgrade any time soon.
The screen. I've got an old iPad2 stashed away, which I am keeping for my kids to play with once they're old enough. The screen is jarring, now that all of my other devices have ridiculously high resolutions.
     
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Nov 11, 2013, 02:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by Phileas View Post
The screen. I've got an old iPad2 stashed away, which I am keeping for my kids to play with once they're old enough. The screen is jarring, now that all of my other devices have ridiculously high resolutions.
It truly is. We still have a 2, it's a recipe finder for the kitchen (I didn't upgrade it to 7) and it really looks "off" now. I'm probably going to swap that one for a Retina Mini.
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Nov 11, 2013, 02:45 PM
 
I will probably upgrade from my iPad 2 next year to a 10" iPad Air, although I bought one of these Logitech keyboard cover refurbs off eBay for the iPad 2 this year anyway:



I really wanted to upgrade this year, since the iPad 2 bogs down on complex websites, and it's not Retina. I also find it a bit heavy, even though it's much lighter than the iPad 3 and iPad 4.

However, it's still quite usable as a basic surfing device, and the fact that Apple is STILL selling the iPad 2 for $399 suggests to me the thing it's going to hold some decent resale value even next year, and the fact that the iPad Air does not have 2 GB RAM led me to decide to wait at least another year.

I've noticed on my iPhone 5s that 1 GB RAM isn't enough for these 64-bit devices. If I have a lot of tabs in memory for Safari, when I go back to a tab, they have to reload. I think the combination of 64-bit iOS 7 devices being more memory hungry and the 1 GB limitation is the cause.

BTW, the other thing I don't like about the iPad 2 is that it can't play high bitrate 1080p MKV reliably with most apps. It's smooth as silk on the iPhone 5s. In my house I have a Synology NAS which works as a multimedia streaming machine with their 3rd party iOS app, DS Video. Leveraging vlc 2.1, I can stream mkv directly from the NAS, and standard definition MKV works fine. However, the iPad 2's A5 simply isn't fast enough to play higher bitrate 1080p. (It's a problem on the iPad 3 as well.) OTOH, even 15 GB MKV 1080p play perfectly streamed wirelessly to the A7-endowed iPhone 5s.

So, for the time being I continue to use my Nexus 7 for 1080p MKV streaming from the NAS, or else I use a MacBook Pro, or a WDTV Live to the TV.
     
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Nov 11, 2013, 03:53 PM
 
My Retina iPad works well for watching movies and streaming tv from Comast via my AirPort Extreme router. I could use the 32 or 64 gig hard drive to save movies for off line viewing.
Sam from my iPad
I also can watch most desirable channels live.
     
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Nov 11, 2013, 04:53 PM
 
Originally Posted by Eug View Post
I've noticed on my iPhone 5s that 1 GB RAM isn't enough for these 64-bit devices. If I have a lot of tabs in memory for Safari, when I go back to a tab, they have to reload. I think the combination of 64-bit iOS 7 devices being more memory hungry and the 1 GB limitation is the cause.
The only thing bigger on a 64-bit process in general is the size of the pointers, and Apple is reusing that space for storing object metadata anyway. It might well be that they're less optimized at this stage, but I think that that problem is transitory.

What more is, there is apparently a hack to enable memory compression on iOS 7 today. It's not enabled, but this means that Apple is testing it. If Mavericks is any guide, this should significantly alleviate any low memory issues.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
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Nov 11, 2013, 04:55 PM
 
IOW, the problem is Safari blows chow.
     
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Nov 11, 2013, 05:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by SVass View Post
My Retina iPad works well for watching movies and streaming tv from Comast via my AirPort Extreme router. I could use the 32 or 64 gig hard drive to save movies for off line viewing.
Sam from my iPad
I also can watch most desirable channels live.
Which Retina iPad?

BTW, the iPad 2 has no problem with TV channel apps and works fine with QT files too in general. However, my issue is specifically with high bitrate MKV using third party general video playback apps. The likely reason is the inability to due adequate GPU assist on these files. However, whatever the cause, the Apple A7 SoC solves the problem, presumably through brute force.

Note that the lowly A4 in my Apple TV 2 actually plays back 1080p MKV just fine actually, using 3rd party software loaded via jailbreak. However, I'm restricted to a few apps like vlc on my non-jailbroken iPad 2, and they just don't support good playback at high bitrates for MKV with this level of hardware.

Originally Posted by P View Post
there is apparently a hack to enable memory compression on iOS 7 today. It's not enabled, but this means that Apple is testing it. If Mavericks is any guide, this should significantly alleviate any low memory issues.
Hmmm... I wasn't aware of that. Interesting. I wonder if we'll see it in iOS 8 then.

Nonetheless, I'm happy to wait another year for the light, Retina-ified, 2 GB iPad Air 2. By that time, perhaps Logitech's keyboard cover refurbs will also be available too, or maybe Apple will create their own even better one.
     
SVass
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Nov 11, 2013, 07:56 PM
 
I have a retina iPad purchased last spring.
Sam
I watched NCAA basketball tournament on cbs last march and espn football now in hd along with netflix and hob, etched.
( Last edited by SVass; Nov 11, 2013 at 09:09 PM. )
     
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Nov 12, 2013, 09:01 AM
 
For the record, HD video playback should be fine in certain formats even on the iPad 2. The problem comes specifically with MKV. MKV is not sanctioned by Apple, and is not natively supported. So for MKV playback, it is dependent upon 3rd party apps.

Also, up until recently, one could only transfer MKV files to the iPad for MKV playback. However, now you can stream MKV directly over the network with certain apps. vlc 2.1 is one of those apps, when used in conjunction with the right servers and client apps (and no transcoding is involved).
     
 
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