The iPad Mini
Not to be outdone by the Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7, Apple is attempting to enter into the 7-inch category of tablets. However, it faces quite a few challenges, including a higher price tag. The iPad Mini starts at $330 for the 16GB version and only goes up from there. This brings it close to twice the cost of its Android counterparts after tax. The Mini also doesn’t feature any other new tech, as it is comprised mostly of the same parts found in the old iPad 2. Technical Specs
.68 pounds (Half the weight of the normal iPad)7.2mm thick7.9 inch display / 1,024×768 resolution512MB RamA5 Processor (same processor from the iPad 2)Same new Lighting port as the iPhone 55 megapixel rear camera / FaceTime HD front camera$330 for 16GB / add $130 for the 4G LTE versionPre-order begins Friday October 26, 2012. (The same day as Windows 8 release)
iPad 4th Generation
If you just ordered “the new iPad” (3rd generation) only a few months ago, don’t expect any pity from Apple. The iPad 3rd generation has now been discontinued and is being replaced by the snappier 4th gen. The iPad 2 will stick around for a while maintaining the $400 price tag it has had for the past 6 months. Technical Specs
Same size and weight as the iPad 3rd gen, as far as we knowNew Lightning connector (as found in the iPhone 5)9.7-inch display / 2048 x 1536 resolutionNew A6X processor (Apple claims is twice as powerful in CPU and GPU function vs A6)Price starts at $500 / add $130 for 4G LTE
Super Slim iMac
Just when I thought tablets were getting thin, Apple managed to cram a desktop computer into its new and unbelievably slim iMac. We aren’t talking just a small decrease in body size, this is an 80% drop in thickness. Somebody call The Biggest Loser, we have a new winner here! It looks like Apple has gone an unusual route and stuck a mobile video card into the desktop, but it pays off in size. The optical drive has also been removed. There’s both a 21-inch and a 27-inch model available. The desktops include a new Fusion drive which in the basic model offers 128GB of flash storage that the OS and core apps are stored on, and files and apps can be transferred to it with ease. In other words, the Fusion drive takes care of what a solid state disk normally would. Both models can be upgraded to an i7 processor, a 3TB HDD, 765GB Flash storage, and 32GB of ram at an additional cost. Technical Specs
New Retina MacBook Pro
Apple has a new Retina MacBook Pro in town. The previous models will still be available, and prices will be lightly dropped. Surprisingly, the 13-inch Macbook Pro isn’t offering a dedicated GPU but features onboard graphics instead. Both models can be upgraded up to 768 GB storage at an additional cost. Technical Specs
Mac Mini
Available in a basic OS X or OSX server edition, Apple has fiercely upgraded Mac Mini to boost it with twice the performance. Can be upgraded to 16GB of RAM, and the 1TB HDD can be replaced with a 256GB SSD for an additional price. Technical Specs
And that’s all! The way I look at it is, it’s $330 + tax, which comes out to $360 because there are Apple stores in every state. At this price point I could almost buy 2 Kindle Fire HD’s, or 2 Nexus 7 tablets, or the new Asus Transformer which is 5x the tablet that this one is. As a person who mainly just wants to surf the web, read email, read books and play a game here and there, I honestly don’t care too much that that the hardware is inferior. To me, it doesn’t make that much difference since I’m not playing CPU or GPU intensive games. I just want something that can do the things I need and not cost me $1000.00. For me, the iPad Mini does all that AND, I get to stay within the ecosystem I’ve already bought into with my iPhone and previous iPad and my kids iPod. Not only can I now give my ipad (Which I’ve always thought to too large to carry to work and back which is why it normally is kept at the house) to my wife, but now I can get a mini and keep it in my backpack with all the same Apps I already own. So, I like it. I won’t say I’m “excited”, it’s a gadget after-all .. but I will be one of those who will end up buying it shortly after release. Brian lightly touched on the quality of the speakers in his review: https://www.groovypost.com/reviews/amazon-kindle-fire-hd-7-inch/ And regarding web browsing, the iPad is pretty much stuck with Safari. I’ve yet to see Apple allow a fully-equipped alternative in the App Store. (e.g. It has Opera Mini, but it won’t allow Opera Mobile) The iOS version of Chrome is also far inferior to that on Android or PC. Not long ago Lifehacker (http://lifehacker.com/5927910/five-best-ios-web-browsers)had a poll run on the top 5 iOS browsers, and Chrome beat Safari by almost double the votes. I think that says a lot for the quality of Safari – especially considering the iOS Chrome is sluggish in comparison. Still too expensive though for what you’re getting in terms of raw computing power. While impressive, the specs -especially the video card- will be outdated in 6 months and it can’t be upgraded at all (the 27-inch has user serviceable RAM slots, but that’s it!) As someone who recently got into Adobe Premier, After Effects, and Autocad 3DS Maya -I’d have to pass on it. But it’s great for the normal consumer or a rich college student. Comment Name * Email *
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