back to article iPAD AIR WORLD DEBUT: Our Australian team gets an early fondle

Apple's iPad Air is beautifully light, so much so you can handle it with one hand. The Reg makes this assertion after sending operatives from its Sydney office to a nearby Jobsian store to take advantage of timezone accidents, and thereby bring you news of the new fondleslab before it goes on sale elsewhere. Yes, we know, …

COMMENTS

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Slightly squarer edges?

    Is there a patent for that?

    1. Chris G

      Re: Slightly squarer edges?

      No! But there might be an app.

    2. LarsG

      Re: Slightly squarer edges perhaps

      But nothing compelling

  2. Nanners

    Ill be

    buying one.

  3. Philip Lewis

    Me2

    Yes, my iPad3 has gone to a good home (and at a good price), and I will pick up one next week.

  4. Wibble
    WTF?

    Should I upgrade from an iPad 1?

    Should I suffer the slings and arrows and dig out an outrageous fortune to help Apple's balance sheet or not?

    My 64Gb 3G iPad 1 still works. I can read, check emails, browse the web, read books, kill pigs... In fact pretty much everything that a later version will do. Sure, it'll be a bit faster and the screen will be better, but hey-ho, forking out the £659 quids (plus another case) seems a lot to get slightly better text rendering.

    Hmm, that's an awful lot of Meh.

    1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

      Re: Should I upgrade from an iPad 1?

      The thing is that you have had a good number of years use out of your iPad 1. Perhaps it is time for a change?

      On the otherhand, if it still works for you then unless there is a compelling need syay where you are.

      Either way you seem to be a happy Apple Camper (shouts of boo hiss from the resident fandroids can be heard all over the world).

      It might be a hefty wad of cash to for out for a new one so if I were you, I'd head off down to the nearest retail outlet where you can try one and have a good play with it. Compare it directly with the iPad1. If you just get blown away with <insert feature here> then go for it and buy it. (Lots more booing can be heard in the background)

      You will have made an informed choice. Just like years ago when people bought a Skoda when it was the butt of many jokes. Having had one when living in Prague I found them to be very fit for purpose vehicles and they were cheap. Now if they bought a Wartburg or a Moskovitch or even a non UK Lada then they deserved all the laughter and derision they received.

      I'm probably going to be comparing a Nexus and an iPad over the next few weeks. I will buy the one that suits my needs the best. I already have a Kindle Fire which I'll be passing onto my better half. I can't seem to get it out of her hands even now.

    2. Lord Elpuss Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Should I upgrade from an iPad 1?

      Compared to your iPad 1, it's a whole lot different. Screen, weight, camera and iOS7 are not insignificant upgrades.

      Of course if your iPad 1 still fits your use case and does what you need, then there is no need to upgrade. It's the ability to make that decision that differentiates a savvy buyer from a fanboi (or fandroid or whatever).

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Should I upgrade from an iPad 1?

      That's really a testament to how good and capable the previous models are. I know plenty of people still running iPad 1 / 2 and iPhone 3GS / 4 albeit being 3-4 years old and many Android users on their 18 month (pretty much forced) replacement the iUsers are now on SIM only contracts paying much less.

      My iPad 2 is used a lot every day - it's certainly does not owe me anything. I will probably upgrade now as I like the idea of a retina screen and it being significantly lighter but the iPad 2 will find a new home and suspect still be in use for a long while to come.

      1. ThatGuy

        Another way to look at it...

        The iPad has stagnated and differences between generations is cosmetic or negligible. On the other hand Android tabs take huge leaps from one generation to the next which justifies the upgrade. Lets face, it early Adroid tabs were terrible, with nowhere near the spit and polish of the iPads, so huge leaps where inevitable.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Another way to look at it...

          Stagnated. So what do major features do you expect more than a whole new OS, 64bit processor and being significantly lighter and thinner while keeping the same battery life. Yes would have been nice if they added the fingerprint reader - but really it's a tablet computer - what do you expect?

          1. ThatGuy

            Re: Another way to look at it...

            Please don't blow a fuse. The only real reason to get the iPad Air over the iPad 1 or 2 is the weight. Let me qualify: the retina display is nice, but cosmetic; the new processor may be awesome, but iOS is already so slick that I doubt you would notice a HUGE difference in your day-to-day activities like browsing the web and what not; whole new OS, whose main claim to fame is.. pastel colours and removal of 3D effects on icons.

    4. Dramoth

      Re: Should I upgrade from an iPad 1?

      I am still using my ipad 1. The reason being is that it is still fit for purpose. I read a lot of books on it, I can watch videos on it, I can browse the web and check my email. I can listen to music. I play a few games and occasionally, I launch twitter on it to keep up with that.

      I have an iPad mini as well... I dont tend to use that as much really but I think that I will be going forward.

      But when all is said and done, I travel with so much technology anyway, whats the point in upgrading!

    5. Nanners

      Re: Should I upgrade from an iPad 1?

      I'm using an iPad 1 as well. It is getting pretty slow with all the OS upgrades. Even the internet is getting frustratingly slow on it. I use a bunch of the more high end apps, and some of them won't even work on the older iPad now… so it's being donated to the 6 yr. old. She is ecstatic. I got my use out of it. Time for an upgrade.

      1. MrXavia

        Re: Should I upgrade from an iPad 1?

        I brought an iPad 1, then a few days later gave it to my 3 year old son and went back to using my android phone of the time to do what I wanted the tablet for in the first place!

        iPads are nice looking, they have gotten really light, but I was shocked how locked down it was, maybe newer ones are better, but the original iPad destroyed my opinion of iOS devices, and I've barely used it since... on the plus side there were some nice learning apps on it for my kids, so for an expensive kids toy, it was good.

  5. MJI Silver badge

    Pants

    I am afraid that they are for my bits not my money.

    Keeping money in pants - weird, could fall out through the leg holes. Not to mention who would want to handle money after it has been down there.

    1. Intractable Potsherd

      Re: Pants

      Yep; when there is a perfectly cromulent word like "trousers" to identify clothing that covers the body from the waist to the ankle, why use a word that also means "undergarment to keep genitalia in"?

      On the other hand, is it possible that "under-pants" comes from the idea of wearing them "under pants"? No doubt the answer is on the internet somewhere, but I don't actually care enough to find out. "Trousers" is sufficient, "pants" is unnecessary.

      1. BenR

        Re: Pants

        My understanding - which is far from perfect so I will happily be corrected - is that the dreadful Americanism of 'pants' = 'trousers' is from when such garments were more fittingly referred to as 'pantaloons'.

        From a country still doggedly fixed on pounds and ounces, and feet and inches, such anachronisms shouldn't be unexpected!

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Pants

        I don't suppose that it's ever occurred to any of our Limey brethren that over on this side of the pond there was, and still is a strong Spanish influence and pantalones maybe, just maybe, that is the origin of our use of pants for trousers.

        Heck, there was a pretty strong German influence too, early in our history, thus we tend to use kids – probably from kinders – for children; just like I believe you lot do.

        Now, inquiring minds really want to know, when is it appropriate to use the word knickers? Or has that been relegated solely to the Don't Get Your Knickers in a Twist dustbin, er, trashcan.

        1. TitterYeNot

          Re: Pants

          "Heck, there was a pretty strong German influence too, early in our history, thus we tend to use kids – probably from kinders – for children; just like I believe you lot do."

          I believe 'kid' is derived from some ancient Scandinavian tongue via Middle English, probably due to the annoying habit the inhabitants of said region had of coming over here and working a number 6 on us (see Rock Ridge.)

          Of course I may be talking bollocks - if anyone strong in etymological juju knows better please feel free to correct.

          /Digress

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Pants

            You mean etymological juju like looking it up in a dictionary?

            ...

            Origin:

            1150–1200; Middle English kide < Old Norse kith

  6. Misky

    Hmmmm

    Well I've had my iPad 2 for a couple of years and still find it great (if annoying when I want to play flash videos, yes, yes, there's an app for that, but still). But I'm not a fanboy, as I ditched my iPhone 4s for a Galaxy S3, then Note II, and now Note 3, because they were just better than the iPhone.

    Sadly Android based pads haven't quite made it to that stage yet, and the iPad Air still seems king of the hill. Just a shame there is no slot for a MicroSD, and apart from weight, size, screen res and a smoother scrolling experience, (none of which will make a huge difference to my life) there's nothing really new. (and please don't say anything about the camera, you look ridicules holding a pad up to take photos)

    Come on Samsung, Sony and the others, I don't want to buy into the Rotten Fruit Merchants for my next 2 years on contract, but it's looking like I may have to. And Apple, ok I know adding an SD slot would mean you couldn't charge the huge markup you do on the internal memory levels, but it would have made me a lot more happy about choosing the Air.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hmmmm

      Suspect the reality is most people (excluding those on here) are not all that arsed about a micro SD slot - I know people who have other tablets / phones with the feature and can't think of anyone that actually uses it.

      1. Intractable Potsherd

        Re: Hmmmm

        Is it anything you would actually ask?? I have absolutely no idea who of my family,* friends and acquaintances uses a SD card in their gadgets, and I doubt that any of those people know that I do - SD cards in all phones that accept them (still have some dumb phones in the car for emergencies), and in the laptop.

        *Apologies - I know my wife doesn't, since she uses an ancient Nokia as *a phone*, and won't even consider upgrading. Her laptop is so huge she never takes it anywhere (completely undermining its purpose), and she is trying hard not to accept the tabletty thing or work mobile that would make her job soooo much more efficient because ... well, because it would make her job soooo much more efficient in the sense of people being able to get hold of her when they want her, not when she is available.

  7. Shakes

    Nice behind

    I clicked on this article because of the picture. Lost interest afterwards.

    1. SuccessCase

      Re: Nice behind

      Who posted the comment then?

  8. Snapper
    FAIL

    Not that old humbug again?

    Are you still pushing the old, old story of market share being the main deciding factor?

    If tablets running Android range from £50 kids stuff to highly capable items like the Samsung Note 10.1 and above, then it's only common sense that 'Android' will sell more tablets.

    Point is, will these companies make money and still be around or making tablets in a couple of years time? You can bet your nads that Apple will.

    To pull up an old, old comparison myself that others will recognise, do BMW or Mercedes lie awake at night worrying about how many cars Ford sell?

    1. Intractable Potsherd

      Re: Not that old humbug again?

      Do you seriously think that companies don't look at market share - of course they fucking do! Apple wants to take market share from Samsung, Lenovo wants to take market share from them both. BMW and Mercedes want to take market share from Ford and Vauxhall.

      However, deciding as an individual what to buy based on market share only counts as far as working out if there is likely to be support for your purchase towards the end of the time you intend to keep it. Otherwise, if it works for you, buy one (where "one" is whatever suits your actual needs or desires). I don't have a tablet because I can't see a use in my life for one - a laptop, a Very Large Phone(TM)*, and an e-reader seem to fill all the uses I have for screened technology at the moment. However, it might well be that, since I rarely buy new tech (preferring second-hand), at some point I go out looking for an iPad1, since they seem to proving to be very robust.

      *That isn't, these days.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not that old humbug again?

      the original Note 10.1 is a damn fine piece of kit, the ONE thing that lets Android down is the Play Store, those Google guys still can't make the store easy to navigate and find what you want...

      Oh and it lacks some decent apps, yes it has lots of apps, but lacks in some areas, notably kids learning apps...

  9. Buzzword

    Tablet apps

    The Apple app store has a great many more tablet-friendly apps than the Google Play store. That seems to be a deciding factor for many people.

  10. big_D Silver badge
    Coat

    Limp wristed in Oz?

    You can hold it in one hand? I can hold the company iPad 2 in one hand as well, or my ATIV SmartPC 500 or a Surface Pro.

    I think your wrist might need a bit more excercise. Have you tried pulling the one out of your pocket and seeing if that one can hold a bit more weight? ;-)

  11. stratofish
    Joke

    > We suggest the likelihood of hand-in-pants action

    Apple fans are involved, that part is a given.

  12. FormerKowloonTonger

    Having finally yielded to that magnetic claw inside the local Best Buy, and getting used to, finally, a small screen albeit with that "retina" clarification which is excellent, my previously "THE IT" [pun alert!] iPad only three months old still seems fine.

    And, despite gasps of dismissal coming from sophisticated readers here, I'm convinced that this "Apple Thing" is based upon a primal snob appeal....plus their obviously superb Marketing/Publicity Department.

    Caveat emptor, babies.

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