You're assuming it was unplanned.
It's possible they intentionally dumped it early to rain on the Android 5.0 parade.
Apple is expected to show off new iPads at an event on Thursday – but if you want to know the features of Cupertino's latest fondleslabs before they're announced, you need look no further than the company's own user manuals. Pages in Apple's iPad User Guide for iOS 8.1, which hit the iTunes Store on Wednesday, diagram some of …
How would this rain on the parade, when it doesn't show anything surprising but pretty much exactly the same minor updates that were expected? If they wanted to rain on Android's parade they could have scheduled the iPad announcement for the same day, or leaked something big that would attract some real attention.
If Android can't hold people's attention over "yeah, they have touch ID like everyone assumed and the same camera improvements the iPhone 6 has" that would be pretty sad.
It's the other way around; Apple set its date first, then Google decided to announce the day before, then Apple leaked this information. The two are clearly playing off each other, quite harmlessly and blamelessly, but Apple tied itself to a date first.
Unlikely, this is apple we're talking about: incredibly secretive, and hardly above litigation. Admittedly the leaks appear to be more frequent than in the past, but I suspect that has more to do with Cook taking a softer line on the issue than his immediate predecessor (since as we all know it was Steve's official policy to extract and consume the still beating heart of the leaker in order to set an example for the others).
Really what is the big deal with swappable batteries when:
1. the battery lasts about 8-10 hours at a time
2. external battery packs are available to power / charge an iPad and are more flexible as can be used on multiple devices
3. Apple will swap the battery out for a genuine replacement.
4. I've seem many original iPads and iPad 2s still on their original batteries - so suspect for most people the battery outlasts the device - even seen iPhone 3GS (must be over 5 years old now) charged / discharged daily and still on original batteries.
To look at it another way - lets assume person A uses their iPad on average for 4 hours a day - they would charge it roughly 3-4 times per week - so that's around 150-180 full cycles per year. Most good lithium cells are typically rated at around 500 (at the low end) to 1000+ (better ones) full cycles and even then they are not dead they would have 75-80% of original capacity remaining.
So that means worst case a battery should be good for at least 3 years (to 80% capacity) or more likely much longer and I'm also betting 4 hours solid a day is on the high side for usage on battery.
I could see the point years ago when devices were a lot larger but I'd be interested to know of people who have replaceable batteries how many actually ever use that feature - I'd imagine it would be a low percentage.
With the admission that I don't really follow (or even care much about) such things, has the release or leak of a new version of an iThing ever provided anything that numerous blog sites haven't guessed at already?
There's no problem - they're onto a great formula and are doing what I wish many other companies would do - releasing updated versions of something that already works (ain't broke, etc...) - I just don't get why people are so eager for these leeks.
New editions are faster, slightly different shape/size, have higher resolution screens and cameras and have now implemented some features that already exist elsewhere in the market place. Scoop!
What company gets deluged with 10's of millions of orders and pre-orders. I'm sure as Apple is Apple, they did their best to predict demand, but to complain of supply chain management when you have a potential order book of 10's of millions in just a few weeks and a current waiting time of 3/4 weeks just sounds like sour grapes.
The very fact that Apple will have a potential order book of 10s of millions is why they can, and do, restrict initial supplies.
No newspaper, news channel or website ever ran with a headline of "New iPad on sale, and there's millions in stock". Headlines of "New iPad SOLD OUT in minutes" is much more likely. We've all seen soundbites from grinning phone shop managers all gushing about how they sold out in minutes. They obviously can't say that they only had 5 to sell, but, they never get asked anyway.
Apple are sitting on $billions of cash reserves, they don't care if they prize $700 from little Johnny Fanboi on the first day or the 30th day that the iPad is on sale. They know that there's millions of gullible, sorry, loyal customers out there and by artificially restricting initial supplies, they will just increase pent-up demand and make the devices seem even more exclusive and desired.
You think it's all about manufacturing delays and stock costs. It's not. It's marketing, something Apple excel at.
"You think it's all about manufacturing delays and stock costs. It's not. It's marketing, something Apple excel at."
It's about managing the supply chain moron. A place where billions can be made and/or lost by just a few poor decisions. Apple are really good at managing the supply chain, like many big companies.
Think about it, does Ford (choose your favourite mega-manufacturing company here) make every car they are going to sell this year before the first one goes on sale?
Do you think this is because they are artificially limiting supply for marketing reasons? Use whatever brain cells you have for a few seconds.
Get an education, it would help how others perceive you.
end of.
I've read a few things over the last couple of weeks that shrug off changes other manufacturers make to their phones and then make it sound like a big thing that Apple is adding Touch ID, better camera, etc. to their ipads. But this is totally expected and we all knew last year when they released the iphone with touch ID it would come to the ipad a year later. There is really nothing about these new ipads that make them worth upgrading to. If they were to come out with proper stereo speakers (you know, one on each end of the thing rather than 2" apart on the same end!) or something like that I would actually see a point to upgrading (actually this is a feature of the ipads and iphones that is so brain-dead I find it hard to imagine ever buying another one with the android manufacturers, except Samsung, now putting out proper stereo positioning).
I can understand people sticking with Apple because their app ecosystem generally is better - I have an Android phone and iPad and I much prefer apps from the Apple side) - but their hardware is really underwhelming compared to where android manufacturers are going.
Well plenty of people have been squealing for more RAM. It will be faster. Touch ID is a tempter for me, because I hate people shoulder-surfing when I unlock my iPad. That's one of the best features of recent iPhones, implemented SO much better than the competition.
I don't give a damn about a better camera, or non-existent gimmicks like tinny stereo with a separation of a few centimetres.
So... bring it on.
"There is really nothing about these new ipads that make them worth upgrading to" ...... That depends on which iPad - if any - you currently use. I still have an iPad1 and while I probably will be upgrading it one day, that isn't going to happen any time soon unless my DS drops it in the bath. (tempting fate here, I know).
I don't know where this myth that there are millions of rabid consumers out there who instantly buy everything the day it's released and eBay the old one comes from, but I'm pretty sure that it *is* a myth, perpetrated by those grinches with a cheap point to make and no other way to justify it.
So actually, there IS no fuss. There will always be a few with more money than they know what to do with who upgrade every year, but again - a few. Probably just Stephen Fry and his mates.
"the" ? Do you think that's how it works in large corporations?
Usually there would be about 50 different people involved in preparing, reviewing, approving, formatting, publishing, reviewing, authorizing, reformatting, updating, reviewing, planning, supervising, approving, scanning, approving, reformatting, approving, scheduling, authorizing, and finally uploading - exactly as was planned, scheduled, reviewed, approved and authorized.