back to article Apple iPad 4 Wi-Fi only tablet review

I didn’t get the iPad at first. When the tablet was first announced, I was interested but couldn’t see the value to me. I had an e-book reader, I had a phone on which I could watch films while travelling and listen to music, and I had a laptop for everything else. Why, I wondered, did I need a tablet too? I was happy to take …

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  1. Badwolf

    Happy Bunny

    I purchased the iPad 3 a couple of weeks before the 4 came out

    A little miffed, I called Apple and they happily agreed to swap it for a 4

    Try that at PC World

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Happy Bunny

      Try that with your Samsung = no way.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Happy Bunny

        Why would Samsung replace an iPad?

      2. Vince

        Re: Happy Bunny

        Of course I don't need to do that with the Samsung products I have, since I already have all of the latest tech in the device to statr with.YMMV of course, but I prefer the approach of putting it in to start with, rather than artificially holding back until the next release...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Trollface

      Re: Happy Bunny

      I purchased the iPad 3 a couple of weeks before the 4 came out. The markup that Apple had put on the iPad 3 was greater than the cost to them of an iPad 4. So they gave me an iPad 4, knowing they were still up on the deal, and that another person they had rinsed of cash would now be singing their praises on the internets.

      The greatest trick the devil every pulled was to convince the world he wasn't ripping them off.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Paris Hilton

        Re: Happy Bunny

        So, you have the reference from iSuppli or whoever detailing the BoM cost of the iPad 4?

        This would appear to be a necessary requirement for you assertion.

        Paris: Because she is not

    3. Benchops
      Coat

      Re: Try that at PC World

      > Try that at PC World

      Okay, send me your iPad and I'll gladly give it a go

    4. GotThumbs
      Boffin

      Re: Happy Bunny

      It's not like Apple won't just resell your old Ipad3 tablet to someone else. They are making such great profits off each device that keeping you in the collective and buying through their stores is where the true money is for Apple and they want to keep you as a customer. It was just a smart decision since their marketplace is where they really make the money. A 30% slice of everything you purchase adds up over your one life-time.

      Please don't be offended, but It's seemingly innocent/naive consumers such as yourself who don't seem to fully understand the mufti-dimensional ways that apple generates revenue. Apple could mark down their products 100-200 and still be profitable. They just know that their consumers are more willing to spend the money. Any company would be foolish not to take advantage of that opportunity. This is why Amazon is selling their tablets for cost/little profit. The money is in the buying of content and products within their own marketplace and Amazon needed to be competitive against Apples draw. This is how Harley Davidson motorcycles cost more than other brands. Brand recognition adds value.

      Why do you think all Cell providers routinely subsidize the full cost of a cell phones on their network? It's because the money is not in the hardware...its in the continued monthly service charges.

      I am glad that Apple worked with you and that you are happy with your purchase/service. It's always good when any consumer is happy with their choice/purchase. If you feel its money well spent, then I am happy for you. At the end of the day, that what matters. Is each consumer happy with their choice/selection.

      Best wishes,

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    When you see the speed benchmarks you can see what you get for your money. While the Nexus 7 is cheap it's also massively slow and running a notoriously clunky mobile OS (who needs quad core on a phone? erm Android users).

    1. Craigness

      Just for the record, Nexus 7 is not slow and Android is not clunky. You should try them sometime.

      1. Martin
        Thumb Up

        +1 to the above...

        ...to counter the downvote that it's been given. The statement is entirely true, and I don't actually understand the mentality of anyone who would downvote it.

        1. Colin A. Mackay

          Re: +1 to the above...

          I don't think Android OS is "clunky". If you want to be critical of Android then it is the fragmentation of the OS and devices by various hardware manufacturers and telecoms operators that is the problem.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        I have iOS and a colleague has Android - he is constantly having to tinker to get it to work, updated are slow to arrive and when it went wrong it was away for 3 weeks. I find doing similar tasks there are more and better apps and it just works. I dropped mine and dislodged the camera - back to the Apple store - 20 minutes later (not even time for a coffee) and it's fixed = happy bunny.

        For me I don't want to waste my time tinkering - I want to watch media, play games, email and web and for that iOS is perfect. I can give it my dad and there is zero learning curve.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          I can give it my dad and there is zero learning curve.

          Fucking good job, you obviously need to be learning English not smart phone.

          1. Dave 126

            Re: I can give it my dad and there is zero learning curve.

            >Just for the record, Nexus 7 is not slow and Android is not clunky.

            I don't find Android clunky on my phone (Ice Cream Sandwich) but until Jelly Bean it has had significantly higher latency than iOS. For most users this doesn't matter, but for music creation applications it does - they need to hear a note at the same time as pressing a virtual key. Some developers of music creation apps for OSX have now started thinking about Android now that Jelly Bean is here.

            This is admittedly a niche use (90% of users happy with internet and videos, perhaps), but then Apple survived the nineties by giving essential features to niche markets, such as DTP or music creation. The latter continued into OSX with its CoreAudio, and features they bought in for DTP (such as FireWire) made them attractive to video editors. Again, fairly niche.

        2. Ian Yates
          Mushroom

          "he is constantly having to tinker to get it to work"

          Then I can only assume he has either a defective phone or is an utter moron.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: "he is constantly having to tinker to get it to work"

            > Then I can only assume he has either a defective phone or is an utter moron.

            or alternatively he is managing to get it to do things it wasn't supported to do, but he finds useful.

        3. GotThumbs
          Boffin

          Phone OS 101 for Dummies....

          Perhaps you should upgrade (next gen just around the corner) and sell your old IProduct to him? You can then play in the same sandbox together and tease those not part of your club.

          IOS IS a great OS for dummies. Even Steve Jobs helped by telling you how to hold your phone :-). It's true that Android dies have a learning curve for some, but if my 10 year old Nephew and 16 year old niece can figure it out, then maybe your colleague should be wearing a bib as well.

          All teasing/banter aside, I do think that IOS is better for some users and I'm glad your enjoying your product and service. That's what really counts for us as consumers. Just understand there are many others who find the same enjoyment with large selection of Android products.

          Best wishes,

    2. Peter 48

      massively slow?

      considering it is roughly 70% faster than the ipad 3 I would call that pretty damn quick. And Jellybean is just as slick as iOS. Quadcore? well that would be for those people who actually want multiple processes running at the same time, something iOS is rather bad at.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      Congratulations

      you have fallen for Apple's Android FUD...

    4. Vince

      No not everyone "needs" quad core, but better to have it available if you do - and if you knew anything about how this stuff works, you'd also realise that more cores can improve battery life in some scenarios too.

      I'm quite happy with my "nobody needs a phone bigger than ours until we make ours bigger" Samsung Galaxy Note 2 thanks.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm impressed

    You managed to get through the entire 3 page review without once mentioning its natural competitor, the Nexus 10. Kudos.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I'm impressed

      There's no pleasing some people. The Nexus 10 is in the benchmarks and the higher res screen is mentioned. If Tony had spent the review explaining why he'd buy the iPad 4 over a Nexus 10 it would likely have generated 500+ pages of comments from frothing Android users who think Android should "win" at everything just because they own one.

      1. GregC

        Fail

        The Nexus 10 is not in the benchmarks. The Nexus 7 and the Samsung Tab 10 are, but not the Nexus 10.

        Not that this is a surprise, given that you can't actually buy one yet and I haven't seen a review of it that isn't based on a pre-production sample.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Fail

          Android still lagging in performance...

          http://www.anandtech.com/show/6426/ipad-4-gpu-performance-analyzed-powervr-sgx-554mp4-under-the-hood

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Fail

            Wierd - I can't see the two OSes running on the same hardware anywhere on there.. not sure how your assertion holds up.. Let me restate the assertion in a more accurate from - "For specific tasks, some hardware that has Android installed on it scores lower on a specific benchmark test than some completely different hardware running iOS".

    2. Steve Todd
      Stop

      Re: I'm impressed

      You can get the Nexus 10 from where? Until they are actually available and you can compare the two it's a bit previous complaining that there's no comparison.

    3. Psyx
      Pint

      Re: I'm impressed

      "You managed to get through the entire 3 page review without once mentioning its natural competitor, the Nexus 10. Kudos."

      Why would he? The first page is a general review of tablets, and generically alternative device types were mentioned several times.

      All in all, I thought it was an excellent and informative review. It seemed a little apologetic in tone for liking the device, but I guess this is El Reg, and anything less would have resulted in a million comments calling the reviewer a fanboi and demanding their head on a plate!

      1. Magnus Ramage

        Re: I'm impressed

        I also think this is an excellent review, once of the best I've read for the new iPad. The point about not having a monopoly ecosystem is an important one - all through the IT world, systems are better if they have competition. And there's nothing wrong with liking Apple on a partly subjective basis. The subjectivity comes across as a lot more nuanced and well-grounded than Charles Arthur manages at the Guardian (a good journalist and a well-informed man, but manages to sound like a fanboy even when he's trying not to be).

        1. miknik
          FAIL

          Re: I'm impressed

          "more nuanced and well-grounded than Charles Arthur manages at the Guardian (a good journalist and a well-informed man, but manages to sound like a fanboy even when he's trying not to be)"

          Charles Arthur is a rabid fanboi, in his iPad mini review he tried to justify the letterboxing on video content viewed on the 4:3 mini by including a screenshot of a Nexus 7 playing a 2.35:1 video and saying "look, it has big black borders too!" A tech editor who doesn't understand aspect ratios? C'mon....

  4. Craigness

    Choice

    Choice was mentioned a lot but the author seems not to know that you can choose which OS to run on your PC even if it comes with Windows preinstalled. You can get a refund of the cost of the windows license and install Linux or another version of Windows if you want. You can't choose OS X though.

    1. Badwolf

      Re: Choice

      What bollox - I run Windows and OSX on my Mac comfortably

      1. Peter 48

        Re: Choice

        sure, but what if you wanted to run it on any other machine not manufactured by Apple. That is what he is referring to. Oh, and good luck installing the latest OSX on a mac from before 2005. Windows or Linux don't lack that sort of legacy support. That is hardly true to the definition of choice.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Choice

          They don't want to develop drivers, test compatibility etc etc etc for hardware they don't make. And they don't have to if they don't want to. If you don't like that, buy something else, but stop moaning about it, it's a conscious decision.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Choice

            Right, so we're not allowed to moan about "concious decisions". Hmm, that should quieten things down here considerably...

            1. Dave 126

              Re: Choice

              You are allowed to moan about it, but it doesn't affect the vast majority of users. I've used G4 era machines recently, and though they haven't the latest OSX, they were still snappy and woke from sleep instantly- and were still fit for purpose. Okay, its version of OSX doesn't support all the latest fancy features, but then no seven year old computer would.

              I'm normally a Windows user, and know that a seven year old PC would be groaning and lethargic if it hadn't had its OS reinstalled.

          2. Craigness
            Flame

            Moan Moan Moan

            Nobody even moaned! And why would they - who'd want to run OS X on anything anyway?

        2. It wasnt me
          FAIL

          Re: Choice

          "Oh, and good luck installing the latest OSX on a mac from before 2005."

          Do you really think Windows 8 would install and run on lets say a Sony Vaio from 2005? Even if you could cobble the drivers together it wouldn't boot before the heat death of the sun.

          "Windows or Linux don't lack that sort of legacy support."

          Utter windows fanboy shite. Vista would barely boot on a brand new machine with a "Designed for Vista" sticker on the front when it was released. I'm still waiting for it to copy a 4Gig file I started off in Feb 2009.

          Fair enough on your first point, but you should have left it at that. Holding up Windows as a model citizen makes you look like a shill.

        3. Badwolf

          Re: Choice

          Why would I possibly want to run on a machine thats over 7 years old?

          Jeez - maybe you work in the museum of creaky old rubbish - I don't

          1. Dave 126

            Re: Choice

            >Why would I possibly want to run on a machine thats over 7 years old?

            Anything that you would have done seven years ago. Email, web browsing, company accounts, storing photographs, editing family videos from a Sony camcorder, Photoshop and Illustrator... a dual G4 PowerMac can do these things without any fuss, and its all near-continuously backed up on a second physical disk.

            Not everybody wants to run Crysis (or whatever it is the kids are doing these days).

  5. SuperTim
    Trollface

    It is truly amazing...

    for those who only want to do what apple let them...

    1. sabroni Silver badge

      Re: It is truly amazing...

      If Apple let you do all the things you want to then that's not much of an issue... It's a consumer device.

      1. SuperTim
        FAIL

        Re: It is truly amazing...

        Apple don't let me do all the things I want, and I am constantly finding out new things I cannot do. If you think it does everything you need it to then feel free to spend a fortune on a limited device.

        1. sabroni Silver badge
          Facepalm

          Re: SuperTim

          Well sounds like you brought the wrong device and should have taken a little more care when deciding what to buy. The fact other people don't have your requirements means that an iPhone can still be the perfect device for them. Maybe you should concentrate on sorting yourself out before you start sneering at others who are happy with their choices. You're the one who's spent a fortune on a device that doesn't satisfy your requirements.

          1. Lallabalalla
            WTF?

            Re: SuperTim

            What can't you do exactly? Get a virus? Install conflicting apps? Resell it 3 years on for most of what you paid for it? Get it replaced almost instantly if it breaks? What?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: It is truly amazing...

      Hardly true - I can put all my music and video on there and I can play it on iPhones, iPads and on an Apple TV.

      1. dotslash
        FAIL

        Re: It is truly amazing...

        good luck getting all that content back when Apple inevitably tank once people (and idiotic stockbrokers) wake up and smell the ashes of false innovation.

        1. Tim99 Silver badge
          Boffin

          Re: It is truly amazing...

          @dotslash - "good luck getting all that content back when Apple inevitably tank..."

          Considering what your username is, you appear to be a shill or a bit of an idiot.

          OS X conforms to the Open Group UNIX 2003 Specification, so I would probably mount another volume, then cp or rsync the files I needed onto it.

    3. Dave 126

      Re: It is truly amazing...

      >If Apple let you do all the things you want to then that's not much of an issue... It's a consumer device.

      It's horses for courses, Tim... there are things that Windows doesn't let you do, or if it does it makes you jump through some ridiculous hoops first... try changing the default MIDI device on Windows 7, for example, or using more than a handful of ASIO channels.

      And as someone who provides informal tech support to an enthusiastic but novice Windows user, I wish that Windows hid its sensitive bits from his clumsy fumblings.

      1. Test Man
        Stop

        Re: It is truly amazing...

        It sometimes does - set him up as a LIMITED user and UAC will stop him making system-wide changes.

  6. Martin
    FAIL

    I expected to read a review....

    ...not a three page justification of why the "reviewer" likes iPads.

    1. eSeM

      Re: I expected to read a review....

      It reads like a sermon ...

      How the feck did such an iFanboi get a job at The Register?

      1. Piro Silver badge

        Re: I expected to read a review....

        Anything to rile people up now and then, I suppose!

        I don't see how they can keep coming up with stupid names for these things. "The New iPad" then "iPad with Retina Display", even though "The New iPad" had a high-DPI display anyway.

        All that said, I have no idea of the appeal of iPad 4 - just a lot faster (snore) with a connector that obsoletes all existing accessories.

        1. Peter Storm

          Re: I expected to read a review....

          Well if I were you, I wouldn't buy one then eh?

        2. Dave 126
          Happy

          Re: I expected to read a review....

          >I don't see how they [Apple] can keep coming up with stupid names for these things.

          Have you ever seen Linux? I'm not knocking it, but its applications have some bloody random names! At least Apple give their products names that hint at what they do. Linux software have names such as: GIMP, Helix, Ogle, Xine, Totem, Gedit, Kate, Gaim, Kopete, XMMS, Noatun, Xine, Grip, Gnome Toaster and Sound Juicer.

          And they wonder why the general public hasn't embraced Linux for their desktop. Heck, its usually only biologists and physicist who employ this sort of humour for their naming conventions. My geeky heart approves, but I can see why others might be flummoxed.

      2. Psyx
        Thumb Down

        Re: I expected to read a review....

        "How the feck did such an iFanboi get a job at The Register?"

        Yeah, because regardless of how good anything Apple makes, El Reg should just slag it off.

        Seriously?

        You can pick up your pitchfork and lighted torch at the door.

  7. Dilbert1969

    Bought myself a new iPad (3rd generation) in May and very happy with it. I was quite surprised when Apple announced an upgraded quite so soon after.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      But does it matter and it's not that different so no massively compelling reason to upgrade - the old one is perfectly fast, it has the older 'dock' connection - but so what? The problem is Apple can't win - if they bring out new / improved models after 12 months the competition has chance to catch up, if they do it every 6 months people say that they don't want to upgrade yet. I don't see this upgrade issue - my 3GS is still going strong, my iPad 2 still works very well - my wife has it now but she and the kids use it for a couple of hours every day.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        How many different connectors have us non-Apple users had over the period that Apple stuck to their old 13-pin version?

        And how many sensible docking solutions?

  8. Badwolf

    Personally I love a good Apple review on El Reg - I love the way it winds up the OSnobs who can't stand the fact that we have a choice with how we spend our cash

  9. Mike Brown

    I will never buy apple again. I bought an ipad 3, 2 weeks later the 4 was announced. Fair enough, things move forward. But. The 4 is everthing the 3 should have been. As far as im concerned the 3 was a stop gap, that was released because they had to release it to please shareholders. Clearly they knew the retina was too powerful for the a5x, the screen has visible tears when scrolling but released it anyway. I dont mind companies updating hardware, but this update felt like it was taking the piss, beacuse it was so close to the original retina release.

    Luckily i was able to send the ipad back, and now im looking at the nexus 10.

    1. Toxteth O'Gravy

      Hate to say it...

      ...but all IT products - hell, all products, period - are stopgaps. There is *always* something new and better coming six to twelve months down the line. I have bought 'old' models weeks before new ones. It happens. Live with it.

      What does the iPad 4 actually do that the 3 doesn't? Nothing at all, so far as I can see. It'd be different if the new one came with loads of extra ports or something, but it doesn't: it has a nominally faster CPU - irrelevant to 95% of apps - and a Lightning port that's incompatible with all the accessories out there.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      If you bought an iPads 3 a few weeks ago - speak to Apple and they may just swap it for a 4 - they have done with other people.

      What happens when Samsung or whoever bring out a new model - will you dump them for the same reason and on to someone else?

      Let's face it all changes now will be pretty incremental - different dock, higher res camera, faster CPU. It's just the same with PCs - do you have change your PC just because Intel announce a new CPU or replace your video card because there is one out a bit quicker. The answer is no (well for most people).

    3. Steve I
      WTF?

      WTF?

      "I will never buy apple again. I bought an ipad 3...The 4 is everthing the 3 should have been...i was able to send the ipad back, and now im looking at the nexus 10."

      so let's get this right:

      1. The iPad 3 was released and you thought wasn't good enough but you bought it anyway?

      2. You were able to return it just because there was a new version.

      3. You didn't want an iPad anyway?

      And this makes you cross with Apple?

      I've met people like you before...

      1. Mike Brown

        Re: WTF?

        1: Yes. But since apple released an updated version in an incredibly short space of time, they clearly didnt think it was good enough.

        2: No. I had to lie.

        3: I did, but not now.

        whats your point caller?

        1. Steve I
          Paris Hilton

          Re: WTF?

          "Yes. But since apple released an updated version in an incredibly short space of time, they clearly didnt think it was good enough."

          Oh I'm sorry - I take it back. I assumed that you thought it wasn't good enough - I didn't realise that you thought it was OK until Apple decided it needed an upgrade at which point you suddenly weren't happy with it.

          It's tech - buy what you want, when you want it. Accept that a newer/bettter version will come out and that your gadget will still mostly do the job you bought it for

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: WTF?

            New tech comes out all the time - you buy it brand new and have to put up with the potential for bugs - wait too long and the new model will be out soon.

            How long have you lived on Earth?

        2. tony

          Re: WTF?

          "2. No. I had to lie."

          No you didn't but you are now. Apple give you a minimum 2 weeks no quibble return policy, with or without packaging. They, discretionary, extend this any time of the year to around a month (if you're not being a dick in store). And in the event of an upgraded product being released this they'll swap products brought in the last 4 to 6 weeks.

          1. Dave 126

            Re: WTF?

            I guess that's why Apple Stores just pipped John Lewis and Richer Sounds to the post of offering greatest customer satisfaction in a survey of its readers by the Consumer Association's Which? magazine.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: WTF?

            Apple are more than fair - do Samsung or others give you this 2-6 week return - no. Yes it's only been 6 months but so what - I see no issue in Apply having multiple tablets / versions - many people still buy the older iPhone 4S etc. as it's cheaper and does everything.

            Guess what wait 6-12 months and another one will be out - is that suddenly wrong. Guess if you buy a new car and they announce a new model a month later you go down the dealership and kick off? Difference is Apple will probably take it back and give you a new one.

    4. Lallabalalla

      "weeks later the 4 was announced"

      Why didn't you just go back and swap it for free liek others have done? Or did you but it from Dixon's?

    5. Test Man
      FAIL

      Mike Brown, if the 4 is what the 3 should have been, why in the hell did you buy a 3? No pleasing some people.

  10. John King 1
    Meh

    I just got one for work

    I finally got an iPad 4 (16GB) for work, my first ever Apple product. I'm a front-end developer and every client was asking for iPad compatibility and touch functionality so it had to be done.

    Coming from using Google Play on a Samsung Galaxy S1 I found the Apple App Store to be pretty hopeless. I can't seem to find a decent program to allow me get files, like pdfs, avis and cbr from my PC or NAS (and possibly stream them) via wifi. And none of the decent Google apps seem available like Sky, Maps and Reader. If you've never visited a walled garden before it does feel pretty limiting. I'm sure I'll find some apps that will solve my issues though, I've only had the device for 12 hours.

    The good news is that I haven't had to install iTunes on my PC yet and the iPad is still up and running fine. The amazing news is the screen. I've never seen a retina display before and it is quite breathtaking. Coming from an early 80's 8-bit generation I've seen so many improvements in graphic resolution but this seems like it's finally all been solved. To me it's like there's no need for resolution specs any more once you get past certain figures.

    Battery life seems amazing too. After a few hours on it last night it was still at 82%. Unlike my much smaller Galaxy S1 which can run out of juice in just over an hour. Build quality is great too but there's something about the touch scrolling in iOS that just doesn't feel right compared to Android.

    Now I just have to work out what's the best app to read PDFs, and get them from my home-networked PC. The Register app is quite nice too.

    So overall, if it was my own money I was only going to purchase one tablet every 5 years I would probably go for a much cheaper Android tablet in about year's time. I think that's when you'll get an ideal product both hardware and software. The App Store offerings do seem a bit corporate and rigid, and if you're quite technically minded and/or don't usually consume media via iTunes you may find it too limiting.

    But it's still an amazing product. And if you're happy to spend a few quid once you've bought it paying for some decent apps and your media then I think you're be extremely happy with your purchase.

    1. Ben Brandwood
      Thumb Up

      Re: I just got one for work

      for browsing SMB shares/nas/clouds then GoodReader is all you need. Wouldn't go a day without it

    2. Toxteth O'Gravy

      Re: I just got one for work

      WD2Go does me just fine to get CBZ, PDF et al files from my WD Nas box; streams vids and music too. Consult the maker of your Nas box.

      There are plenty of media-streaming apps capable of pulling stuff across an SMB link: try OPlayer

    3. hplasm
      Thumb Up

      Re: I just got one for work

      Now *that* is a Review.

      Take note.

    4. Lallabalalla

      Re: I just got one for work

      All my pdf's appeared in iBooks and work rather well. You have to switch to "pdfs" from "books" in library view though I think.

  11. Sulphur Man

    "I can't seem to find a decent program to allow me get files, like pdfs, avis and cbr from my PC or NAS (and possibly stream them) via wifi"

    Which NAS do you have? I have a Synology, and the suite of Synology iOS are superb - browsing, file access, surveillance cam control, torrent client control and more. I dont think it's any coincidence that Synology's smaller home NAS boxes actually look like iDevices...

    1. John King 1
      Thumb Up

      Good call.

      Thanks for the heads-up re Synology apps. But as luck would have it I have the Synology DS 207+ which is too old for DSM 4.1, and therefore too old for the video streaming functionality. The other Synology apps should work though.

      Cheers!

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    How much...

    .....have you been paid by Apple to be their pimp?

    Maybe it wasnt the Raffle you won it in, and St.Jobs sycophants gifted it to you.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: How much...

      Worried Google aren't paying the going rate?

    2. Psyx
      Thumb Down

      Re: How much...

      "....have you been paid by Apple to be their pimp?

      Maybe it wasnt the Raffle you won it in, and St.Jobs sycophants gifted it to you."

      Maybe it's actually not a bad bit of kit if you like the OS, get it for free, and don't have the same blind pathological religious-extremist style hatred for anything Apple that you seem to have?

      1. Dave 126

        Re: How much...

        It was a good mini-review. Note that he stated at the start what he did, and what uses he might have for the device. He mentions the direction he is coming from, and some of the hurdles he hit.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good review

    Honest, transparent and no declarations of "love". As the author points out, choice is a good thing. Want iOs? Buy an iPad or iPad mini, want Android? Buy a Nexus 7 or 10.

    If you want the excellent productivity apps by the iPad, if you want to watch videos buy the Nexus. If you want GPS buy the Nexus. If you want a near-enough no questions asked replacement policy at your Apple store buy the iPad. If you want to save money, buy the Nexus. If you want instant one sign in synch with your Google stuff (that's the reason I have a Nexus 7) buy a Nexus.

    This frothing at the mouth allegiance to one or other OS is frankly pathetic, though to be fair so is the unquestioning praise heaped on iDevices of many journalists (read Charles Arthur in the Guardian for a good and slightly sickening example) which does the brand no favours at all amongst the more intelligent consumer.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Good review

      If you want people to think "oh wow he's got an iPad" buy an iPad.

      Block out the thoughts that people really think your a massive knob!

      If you want a device that does practically everything you need it to do, buy anything other than an iPad.

      Accept the fact that your don't need to be molly-coddled and live in a fantasy world, your apps and security are your own concern.

      No a very difficult choice, unless your a brainwashed fanboi.

      1. nanchatte

        Re: Good review

        If you're going to insult people, at least do so with a modicum of correct grammar, it will make your opinion more convincing.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Good review

        Don't be a tit, you just the polar opposite of a fanboi and just as big a twerp.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Good review

          No, you be a tit. and as a big twerp! No important grammer is!

          1. Steve I
            Paris Hilton

            Re: Good review

            "Me fail English? that's unpossible!"

            Just like that time when I was caught out with fire thing - who would've thought that flammable and inflammable mean the same thing?

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Good review

        "If you want people to think "oh wow he's got an iPad" buy an iPad.

        Block out the thoughts that people really think your a massive knob!"

        I'm fairly sure that being "a massive knob" is as unconnected with choice of mobile platform as "having a massive knob" is. As an example, you, for example, do not appear to own an iPad, yet are as egregious a waste of skin as has ever posted on the Reg.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Fanboi Tony

    "But they’re Android devices and I don’t enjoy using Android as much as I enjoy using iOS"

    You have no taste!

    iOS is like a grandad, Jelly bean is like your little brother.

    Tony must be an old man!

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
      Happy

      Re: Fanboi Tony

      That's a disturbing mental image!

      Incest: A game all the family can play...

    2. sabroni Silver badge

      Re: Jelly bean is like your little brother.

      An irritating arse that steals and breaks your stuff and goes crying to mum if you don't do what he wants? Great.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Fanboi Tony

      Obviously!, dearie, did you forget to take your pills again?

  15. RainForestGuppy

    Shock Horror

    A bench mark test that has to be approved by Apple before being released into it's walled garden says that the performance is better than anything else on the market.

    1. Dave 126

      Re: Shock Horror

      Curiously, Anandtech's benchmarks substantiate it. The latest iDevices are fast. Whether the software most people use needs it to be that fast is a different question.

  16. nanchatte
    Thumb Up

    A5X too slow? tear in the scrolling?

    I think the person who complained about the A5X on the iPad 3 saying it tears when scrolling should have it returned. My pad is glass smooth on all but heavily GIFed or java scripted web pages. The only game I've downloaded so far which taxes it is the free Battleship Craft game, where you build a ship up in 3D out of Lego-like parts such as blocks, guns, turrets, propellers and so on and send it out. Once my ship approaches 1000 or so components, rotating it in 3D can get a little ropy. Besides that? No probs.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      Re: A5X too slow? tear in the scrolling?

      Ditto nanchatte... no problems here either.

  17. Scott 2
    Facepalm

    I can't quite believe I'm posting this, but...

    You do realise that both Apple and Android devices are 'walled gardens' right? I mean, you still have to go through the same rigmarole to get the latest fart app included on the respective market.

    And besides, anyone who actually gives a fuck about installing 'non-sanctioned' apps (ie, pirated stuff), can do so on either platform with ease.

    So, to put it bluntly, the iPad 4 is pretty fast, has a rather nice screen, and has more apps than Google Play.

    The Android devices tend to be cheaper, and you can have a clock and a picture of Aunt Mary in a little widget on the front screen.

    Right, now I understand everything.

    1. nanchatte
      Coat

      @scott 2, I think you might be leaving out an important fact... With Apple, you are limited on form factor, but with Android, you can choose practically any shape device you want...

      so long as it doesn't have rounded corners.

      1. Scott 2
        Trollface

        No, thats not true!

        You can choose from a large, thin cuboid, or a smaller, thicker box.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Yeah different form factor is so great - how about a triangular screen. Tablets are rectangular and the choice is really 4:3 or 16:9 and both have their benefits and even then if you go with one it still does the other just with cropping or black bars on the screen - would have thought this would have been obvious - we have had this with TV and movies for a long time.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Point of order..

      iPad 4 doesn't have "more apps" than anything. Apple's App Store may have "more apps" than Google Play. But quantity != quality. It's a useless metric. And my understanding is that both are around the same number currently (though this is constantly fluctuating of course). But as I said, it doesn't matter anyway.

      I use both, and struggle to find what I want on both. I've basically now given up looking for new apps on either by using the store, as they're *both* utterly horrible to use and absolutely rammed full of total shite. And wading through a sea of shit to find occasional nuggets of gold holds little interest to me..

    3. GotThumbs
      WTF?

      Fail. I can't believe you posted that either.... You just countered your own statement.

      As you simply stated. In the Android settings, you have the CHOICE/FREEDOM to allow loading of Apps from other markets. I know of 6 other App stores I can load content from.

      Apple does not give you that choice/freedom.

      You need to rethink your ignorant definition of a walled garden.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "You do realise that both Apple and Android devices are 'walled gardens' right? I mean, you still have to go through the same rigmarole to get the latest fart app included on the respective market."

      No, "you're wrong, and you're a grotesquely ugly freak" (as the man Morris said).

      I can deploy an app on my Android devices whenever I want. I can download thrid party apps from any dodgy internet crevice and install it, too- should I so choose.

      I can't do that on my iOS devices unless I jailbreak them, or pay for an Apple developer account. The latter will only allow me to deploy software that I write on my own devices, prior to app store approval.

      It's not the same at all.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This clock that seems so important to Android users

    When I press the little tit on the top of my iPhone to wake up the screen, what is the first thing I see?

    The time. At the moment itr's 10.15 over a picture of Hong Kong Harbour.

    1. Scott 2
      Thumb Up

      Re: This clock that seems so important to Android users

      Yes but, can you move that clock to another part of the screen AND have app shortcuts ON THE SAME SCREEN???

      See, Android is OBVIOUSLY far superior.

      *nods*

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: This clock that seems so important to Android users

        Yes that sells it for me. Not. Android seems to be going after gimmicks - most people just want something that works - quick - easy.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: This clock that seems so important to Android users

          Jesus, you really don't get British humour. You not from round here?

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re: limiting choice

    "But I like iOS more and by choosing it I don’t feel I’m limiting what I can do with a tablet."

    Funny that, I feel the exact opposite with iOS devices.

    Whereas with (many) Android devices I may install different releases of the OS and tweak various settings.

    Far less limiting (for those who wish to have the choice).

    Similarly, stating the obvious, you cannot tar all versions of Android or iOS with the same brush.

    Not all Apple devices will run all versions of iOS and not all Android device will run all versions of Android.

    The latest versions of both operating systems require decent hardware, and providing you have it, not a problem.

    At the end of the day, they are just toys that we dont need, but are nice to have, so chill dudes.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: limiting choice

      Android and tweaking your car with underbody lights and flared wheel arches - some would argue they want the 'choice' to do it but 99.5% of people don't...

      1. elaar

        Re: limiting choice

        Would that include pimping it out with an aluminium chassis or special glass?

      2. M Gale

        Re: limiting choice

        "Android and tweaking your car with underbody lights and flared wheel arches - some would argue they want the 'choice' to do it but 99.5% of people don't..."

        I find that ironic considering some of the rather garish iThing covers that are routinely spotted on the buses.

        As for why you'd reconfigure the home screen.. well a grid of icons might be good for you. For me though, I rather like something a bit more useful for a phone.

        Or even a tablet.

        The lock screen clock looks pretty sweet too, with the 3D rotating live wallpaper of an EVE ship in the background, but frankly I can't be arsed screencapping it and blurring my owner details out at gone 3am. You'll just have to take my word on that one.

  20. Glostermeteor

    I have an iPad 2 for work and while it's great at what it does, it could never replace some of my other devices that I have for personal use. The problem that Apple has/will have is that devices are merging together, there will soon be no need for a separate PC, laptop and tablet, you will just have one device that can take the place of all 3 (this is why Microsoft HAD to go down the Surface route as they know that the PC is slowly dying). The problem with the iPad is it simple cannot do that, it has no expandable storage options, no way of connecting up external non-apple peripherals, it simply is what it is which is fine as an 'other' device, but unless they change their rather authoritarian thinking the iPad will always be an accompaniment to another device, which consumers will be increasingly less willing to pay sky high prices for, so Apple will slowly find that consumers will only really be willing to pay £200 for a tablet that they currently price at £400, UNLESS they innovate and open up the iOS world and allow more connectivity.

    1. SMPASS
      Happy

      Merging

      I agree that not one of devices does it all. I'm waiting for something that can be peeled away as you need it. Like the pad phone where you have a phone that has the power, it drops into a tablet, then drops into a PC. All in one place, mixed with cloud storage. Who cares about which OS?

  21. Steve I

    How dare you...

    ...come here with your reason and logic. this is El Reg's iOS vs Android battleground, so some tawdry tech discussion site.

  22. PaulR79

    iPad owning Android fan

    When I was looking to get a large, good tablet after I initially bought an Advent Vega (great price at the time, still runs great with community ICS!) I had two real options. Those were the 3rd generation iPad or the ASUS Transformer Prime. I wanted to get the ASUS, I was ready to spend my money and be happy with what it gave and then ASUS gave the UK no options. You either bought the 32GB version with keyboard dock for £499 or you do without. They lost a customer there by doing that and I imagine I won't be alone.

    The iPad had a higher resolution screen and cost £100 less, sure I knew it was a walled garden but the screen was more than just specs. to me. I'm a DSLR owner trying to learn by practicing and unfortunately trying to review images on a camera display has shown me that I can't rely on it to tell me if I got a decent image or not. I can't really tell if I lost detail, had a bit of movement that blurred the photo or if the highlights meant I lost what was in the shadows. I bought the camera kit / USB connector and now I just hook the camera up and can see almost instantly what it looks like. Could I do it with another tablet? You bet. I'm not saying this is unique to the iPad at all, just explaining my reasoning behind the purchase.

    I still hate Apple and their "shiny shiny" mentality but for pushing resolutions up and making other companies give me choices of products I wanted for years before the iPad I grudgingly acknowledge them.

    1. Glostermeteor

      Re: iPad owning Android fan

      Hi PaulR79,

      I think Asus has learned their lesson on the price point, I picked up a Transformer TF300 with keyboard dock for £380, it's as good if not better than the Prime and has completely replaced my laptop, an iPad could never replace a laptop, it's just too restrictive.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: iPad owning Android fan

        For you.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: iPad owning Android fan

        Most poeple want to browse the web, view YouTube, iPlayer, Angry Birds etc. - they don't need to setup a secure VPN bouncing off a pop in Switzerland. For the vast majority of people an iPad (or most tablets) does everything they need (and more) - it's netbooks that will feel the strain.

  23. kyza

    I was trying to remember where I'd seen this kind of argument before...

    ...then I remembered my childhood and endless Spectrum vs Commodore vs Amstrad arguments.

    Then I remembered Sega vs Nintendo for 2 generations of console

    Then it was Sony vs Nintendo

    Now it's Sony vs Nintendo vs X-box, MS vs Linux vs OS & Android vs iOS

    And the arguments still sound like they're being made by 7 year olds arguing over a controversial Top Trump top score (probably the Rockets set between the Saturn V booster & the Titan VII)

  24. Sil
    Facepalm

    Super FanBoy

    I didn’t get the Falcon 2000LXS at first. When the airplane was first announced, I was interested but couldn’t see the value to me. I had an e-book reader, I had a phone on which I could watch films while travelling and listen to music, and I had a laptop for everything else. Why, I wondered, did I need an airplane too?

    I was happy to take possession of a first-gen Falcon 2000LXS a few months later - I won it in a raffle, oddly enough - but I thought that, after a brief play, it would just sit and gather dust in the warehouse.

    How wrong I was.

    To the private jet sceptics, all I can say is: I was one of your number, but no longer. My laptop gets plenty of use and so did the e-reader - unlike a ten-inch private jet, it fits in coat pockets - until I availed myself of a Nexus 7 earlier this year, but my Falcon 2000LXS has become my prime device.

    I read my newspaper on its 120 inch plasma screen long before I head off to work and fly by a newsagent. I read magazines on it. I read lots of comics on it - like the papers and the mags, they are so much better viewed in portrait, in your hand, than on a notebook landscape display, or on a monochrome E Ink screen.

    The private jet’s speed and big, 120 inch colour display makes flipping around computer reference books so much more practical than it is on an e-reader, though the ability to take the equivalent of six inch-and-a-half thick books to work with no strain is much the same with either device.

    While my phone remains my main music playback device, watching a stack of catch-up TV programmes and films on a private jet's 120 inch tv is a much more pleasant experience than the phone and certainly than the ropey back-of-the-seat screens you get on most flights these days. Travel by a no-frills airline and you don’t even get that.

    The Falcon 2000S, since upgraded to the thinner, lighter Falcon 2000LXS , is used to check multiple email accounts, for a lot of web browsing and such, and occasionally I let the nipper play games on it. Once in a while, I hook up a Bluetooth keyboard and use it to report from events. It’s not an efficient a writer’s tool as a multi-window OS device is, but it’ll do at a pinch.

    So, for me, my Falcon 2000LXS has become a crucial part of my working and home lives. It has taken over certain roles that I used to put other devices to, but hasn’t superseded any of them entirely. I’ve never believed in a one-size-fits-all approach to technology. I won’t limit myself to one device when there’s another that’s better suited to the task in hand.

    Choice matters

    To insist otherwise is the equivalent of refusing to watch video on a 120 inch TV because you own a private home cinema, or giving away your Aston Martin because you have a Ducatti too. Unless you’re a skinflint, or woefully impecunious, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have both and use each when most appropriate.

    But if there’s no good reason why you should reject a private jet out of hand, is there a good reason to select Dassault’s latest private jat? For me, the gorgeous flight deck is reason enough. It makes reading maps so much more comfortable than even on a Gulfstream panel does.

    Of course there are other private jets with flight decks that approach that. Some exceed it. But they’re Android devices and I don’t enjoy using Android as much as I enjoy using DassaultOS. It’s entirely subjective. There’s nothing wrong with Android - as I say, I use it on my Nexus 7. But I like DassaultOS more and by choosing it I don’t feel I’m limiting what I can do with a private jet.

    It’s not the choice you make that matters but the fact that you have a choice. This is the antithesis of a world where 95 per cent of personal cars come with gas and you’re forced to use it no matter what. Or one where there's no PS3, just Xbox.

    Not that I’m suggesting you buy a Falcon 2000LXS for the good of a dynamic, competitive market. What I am saying is, value judgements aren’t always a matter of choosing the best spec on paper. Indeed, Falcon 2000LXS's engines may be one of the best out there, but I have to face the inevitable claims, not unfounded, that there are cheaper alternatives and ones with more tech for my money.

    Verdict

    It’s daft to say Dassault’s fourth-generation Falcon is its best yet - how could it not be? If you're sure you want a Falcon, fanboy or not, it's the one to go for. Still, there’s no need at all to upgrade if you have a Falcon 2000S, of course - wait for the XSL+ at least. I wouldn’t go from a Falcon 2000S if it wasn’t for the retina flight deck, though the new model’s performance hike is welcome. Having to cope with a new connector is less so, but new buyers won’t be overly inconvenienced, though they may balk at the price.

    Thanks to the missus for the review sample

  25. SMPASS
    Happy

    Great review what a refreshing change

    It is great to read a review that reflects my own in that you don't need to get carried away on which is best. I just buy what suits and is available at the time. I probably have more money than sense in that I use whatever device I have to hand. We have in our house, IPhone, Blackberry, kindles (2), IPads, (2), iPods (too many), desktops, laptops, DS, and I'm getting a nexus 7 for the kids. They all have their uses and they all get used at various points. The desktop is the one slowly getting left out. I only ever use it for photo shop these days.

  26. Lallabalalla
    WTF?

    Exactly WTF is it....

    ....that everybody is desperate to do on an iPad but can't?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Exactly WTF is it....

      I don't know either - I mean there are only over 750,000 apps to choose from.

  27. Wize

    Benchmarks?

    Any particular reason why the benchmark tests were against old competitors equipment?

    EG, The first Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1? They have produced a version 2 of this tablet, then came up with an even more powerful 10.1 Note.

    How do the modern ones compare?

    1. Dave 126

      Re: Benchmarks?

      Because the first version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (nVidia Tegra) is more powerful than the Galaxy Tab 2. The Note took the top spot in Samsung's line up.

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    85% - surprised not more. Basically you have to judge this as do you want iOS or Android and if you want / are happy with iOS it's a near perfect tablet.

  29. ravenviz Silver badge
    Gimp

    HDMI port

    Apple TV does it for you, I was so impressed when I played music out of my stereo (via optical cable to amp) from my 3GS. And the sound quality at 384 kbit/s was great for my setup.

    1. Test Man
      WTF?

      Re: HDMI port

      So instead of paying £5 for an HDMI cable, we need to pay near £100 to stream video and audio.

      1. Badwolf

        Re: HDMI port

        Yeah - I love running 3 metre cables from my phone to my TV - Really smooth

        Personally, I appreciate not having to run cables from my phones and tablets to listen to tunes, view images, mirror Apps and play video on my TV.

      2. ravenviz Silver badge
        WTF?

        Re: HDMI port

        Yes, it's my money.

    2. elaar

      Re: HDMI port

      So you need to use a Apple TV because Apple chose not to use DLNA, when thousands of other companies did, purely so they could lock you in and squeeze more money out of you. Superb!

      1. Steven Raith
        Stop

        Re: HDMI port

        Apple chose not to use DLNA, probably because DLNA is laughably poor and only occasionally works properly from devices of the same manufacturer - if even that.

        I've never had DLNA work properly between different manufacturers, and I've never seen anyone else manage it properly either - something *always* breaks.

        DLNA deserves to die far more than Windows/OS X/iOS/Android/choose your OS of hatred - it's a pathetic standard that doesn't even deserve that classification, and that's a fact.

        Steven R

        (check my previous posts before downvoting - I'm no apple apologist...but by gum they were right to not use DLNA)

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