[psmith2.0]

I just realized the mini has the new slate back on the black model. How did I miss this?! I'm off today/tonight, so I'm just now really getting to soak all this in, 48 hours later...

[709]

Yeah. I'm hoping it doesn't turn into "ScuffGate v2" with these things, but I have to have a black front... and I really like the looks of the silver edge on the white model too. Oh well. Can't have everything.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by 709 Yeah. I'm hoping it doesn't turn into "ScuffGate v2" with these things, but I have to have a black front... and I really like the looks of the silver edge on the white model too. Oh well. Can't have everything.

I'm glad I went with a white iPhone this time around, but that black/slate has grown on me. The only time this white iPhone seems a bit weird is using an app not yet made for the iPhone 5...the letter boxing/bordering is quite noticeable. I'm sure it disappears on the black version.

Hopping Boggle and Scrabble (and my guitar tuner app) have updates in the works. Those are about the only three things I use on a regular basis that are still in the older 960x640 size. And it's very obvious on this white-faced phone.

[Kraetos]

Black paint on the chrome band is stupid. Just leave it chrome, Apple! It starts to scrape off in a matter of days.

[turtle]

I can tell you Paul that the black borders do just blend in on the black iPhone 5. I mess with my wife's every now and then and it's not even noticeable. Pretty nice actually.

[psmith2.0]

Ha...I just threw together a quick infographic of a "what if?" scenario of the iPad mini coming in colors.

If I did my counting/layout correctly, they automatically more than double their production/manufacturing by simply adding the three colors of the current iPod touch line (blue, lime green and that salmon pink)...once you factor in those colors and the three capacities and the three carriers (plus wifi-only versions in the three capacities and three colors) that adds 36 models to the line.

Added to the initial 24 of the current setup, you're at 60 models.

If they took it a step further and decided to add the mint green and light purple/lavender color found on the new shuffle and nanos (and factoring in the three capacities and three carriers, plus wi-fi only versions of each capacity and color) they've now added 24 new models for a grand total of 84.

And if they added a PRODUCT (RED) model - again, all three capacities and three carriers, plus a wi-fi only version in each capacity) that's 12 new models alone, added to the previous 84.

That's 96 different models total if they went all out and added all the colors currently found in the latest iPod lineup.

If they played it conservative and just went with the three iPod touch colors, that's still going from 24 to 60.

Since losing MobileMe's iDisk thing, it's a real bear for me to post pics, mockups, etc. as easily as I used to. What's a good solution/workaround for this? It was always so easy to upload something I've done to my iDisk or whatever and then link to it. I'd like to share this little graphic I did...it's funny. It looks like a box of crayons threw up.

[Brave Ulysses]

Well I don't think they would do it unless the cellular model because a true world model and dint require 3 carrier specific models.

Then it is far more manageable.

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, I was just running a current, US-specific thing out of curiosity (and off-day boredom). It would have to simply/streamline greatly for them to even consider it. It's just funny how fast those models grew as I tweaked the layout/elements. I kept doubting my math and double-checking things..."wow, that's a lot of different models!" More than I imagined, actually.

[Brave Ulysses]

Yea. It would be. Even just black and white versions and 3 capacities and 3 carrier versions is a hell of a lot to stock

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, that was my other point I was working my way around to...even if Apple could/did handle the manufacturing end of it all, I couldn't imagine how places like Best Buy, Target and Walmart - all three big iPad resellers - would manage to stock enough of each so customers had a halfway decent shot of walking in and getting the exact model they wanted (color, carrier, capacity, etc.).

You're right...even at just two colors it can sometimes be a trick once you factor in the capacity and carrier angle.

What are the chances anyone could walk into their Walmart (and, let's face it, for many people that's their only local option...lots of smaller towns don't even have Target, let alone Best Buy, and the closest Apple Store is 100+ miles away, as is the case with me) and getting, say, a "green Verizon 32GB" if places like this are limited to how much they can truly keep on hand. It would be a logistical and customer relation/PR nightmare, I fear.

I remember years ago, during the fruit-flavored iMac era, how a reseller (was it Computer City? CompUSA? Someone like that) got into a bit of a back-and-forth with Apple about how they were required to stock certain colors, even if those colors weren't as popular or strong-selling, etc. I don't remember all the details, but it came down to "we don't have room to keep big boxes of goofy-colored stuff around on the off-chance someone actually comes in and wants that one color..." (no doubt strawberry )

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Since losing MobileMe's iDisk thing, it's a real bear for me to post pics, mockups, etc. as easily as I used to. What's a good solution/workaround for this? It was always so easy to upload something I've done to my iDisk or whatever and then link to it. I'd like to share this little graphic I did...it's funny. It looks like a box of crayons threw up.

Sign up for a free Dropbox account, and use the "Photos" folder. You can create live web links by right clicking on the item you want to share.

Dropbox is iDisk/iCloud done right, I'm surprised you aren't already on board, pscates. You'd love it. Apple tried to buy them to make iCloud, and they refused. It's an Apple-caliber service, through and through.

[709]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 (no doubt strawberry )

Flower Power and Blue Dalmation please! (I'm sure Apple has tried its damnest to wipe that memory from the collective conciousness )

Kraetos beat me to it, but yes, Dropbox. Easy schmeasy. And free.

[psmith2.0]

I dabbled with it before (and already have an account). I just wasn't sure quite what to do with it. I didn't know I could use it to host images like this. I'll have to give it another try. Heading out to trivia now...my one off night, so I tend to pack in wall-to-wall fun, food, booze and debauchery starting right around 7:00pm and lasting until...???

[Kraetos]

Didn't know what to do with Dropbox?!? It's easy!

1) Buy Dropbox Pro.

2) Move the entire contents of your Documents folder into your Dropbox folder.

3) Wait a few hours.

4) Enjoy the ability to access all of your documents, ever, from any device, in any location, with automatic backup, versioning, and sharing. Ta-da!

There are few pieces of software I am completely dependent on, but Dropbox is one of them. Dropbox is in the same league as my iPhone in the sense that I don't know how I survived before I had it. When that email asking for $100 comes around once a year, I pay it with zero hesitation. I simply cannot overstate the awesomeness that is Dropbox.



(Then again I have eleventy-zillion computers and computer-like devices, and to the best of my knowledge you have an iMac and an iPhone. So it's probably not the game changer for you that it is for me, but still, it's pretty damn cool.)

[thegeriatric]

Originally Posted by turtle I mess with my wife's every now and then and it's not even noticeable.

[709]

She either notices or they have some alien osmosis going. Because as far as I can tell they have a kid every two weeks or so.

[screensaver400]

Speaking of Dropbox, any college students should check this out:

https://www.dropbox.com/spacerace

[Satchmo]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Ha...I just threw together a quick infographic of a "what if?" scenario of the iPad mini coming in colors.

I know you weren't serious, but I don't think colours are coming to the iPad line...ever.

That's whole reason for Apple's Smart Covers and Cases. Keep them classic white or black but if you're so inclined to add a splash of colour (and protect your screen), you can accessorize. This saves on having to produce different iPads plus the covers increases their bottom line. Apple's pretty clever.

[addison]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 The A6x and all the rest was unexpected. I don't know...if I bought an iPad 3 a few weeks ago, based on three years of history/patterns, I'd be a little "hmmm..." about it. But I'd like to think I wouldn't get all cranky and bent out of shape that I couldn't exchange it. I'd try to remember "this is tech...no guarantees, no promises. Stuff changes when it changes, hold on tight and roll with it " (or find another hobby or something else to spend your money on).

Sure I'd be a little grumpy if I was just outside the window but I'm talking about people who bought months ago. They exist! I heard Apple has extended the return period to 30 days which should help some. Interestingly i was told most people seem to want to return the iPad 3 for a mini.

[Moogs]

I'll be curious to see if this "much faster Wi-fi" thing is a gimmick, as wouldn't this be dependent mostly on the router being used and not the iPad connection tech? Can't the existing version 3 model take full advantage of Wireless G / N speeds, etc? I've never noticed any slow-down vs. using wireless on our laptops.

The A6x makes it tempting but if I upgrade every cycle I'll lose my gourd. Thinking every 2-3 cycles minimum now as I'm pretty darn happy with iPad 3. I think they should focus on improving the iTunes side of the experience. Syncing iPads is one of the most bizarre things I've seen, where clicking sync will sometimes give you "you're about to erase everything on your iPad do you really want to sync?" Completely nuts. Sync should mean updating individual components (as selected by type or by item) that are newer on your iPad or iTunes, and nothing more. Nothing should get erased ever, except the older stuff you're updating.

[Brave Ulysses]

The iPad 3 actually has notoriously awful WiFi. Anything would be better.

[psmith2.0]

Was/is it hardware (bad antenna/trasmitter) or more on the software side of things? Or both? Was it a known, across-the-board issue on the whole line, or just specific models or production runs? I know 3-4 people with an iPad 3, but I've never heard them mention any troubles with it. And I'd be the one they'd tell too, as I was the one who got them all set up and trained.

I've been pondering an iPad 4 early Christmas gift to myself (I've been reasonably good this year). The mini is just too close in size to my phone for me to consider, so if I ever got an iPad I'd want the larger, beefier, iPhone equaling/surpassing fourth-generation model (and since I got rid of all my 30-pin cables when I sold my iPhone 4, that rules out an iPad 2 or 3 because I'd just rather fully embrace Lightning at this point).

I'd go Wifi-only, but I'd probably get the 64GB model and just put all my music and photos on there and start using it as a day-to-day "computer"...maybe investigate those Adobe touch apps a bit? I don't know...

I'm sitting on all this overtime money, and Apple's just updated their entire damn lineup...bad timing for an idiot like me, causing me to consider purchases I probably shouldn't.

[thegeriatric]

iMac, iPad mini, iPad 4. Sorted.

[Brave Ulysses]

just do a google search for iPad 3 wifi problems. Apple's tech support forums are overrun with complaints and issues. dropped connections, poor speeds, terrible reception drop-offs, error messages..... unfortunately as it has not improved it seems it is hardware based... and seems even more so since Apple highlighted the revised antenna design, throughput and reception of the new iPad 4.

For myself I've never seem such bad wifi reception. 10 feet from my Airport Extreme router the iPad 3 gets 36mb/sec down. 16-18 feet away through an open doorway it gets 8-12mb/sec and 30 feet away through 2 interior wood stud walls it gets .5mb/sec. iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 perform better, as does a 2007 MacBook Pro.

I've also had terrible experiences getting my iPad 3 to connect to congested routers at hotels, airports and coffee shops.

Sucks... but unfortunately seems very common.

[psmith2.0]

Interesting. I've never heard of it, or followed that.

[Brave Ulysses]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Interesting. I've never heard of it, or followed that.

yea. it's surprisingly stayed off the media radar but it is very prevalent. the thing is, it works... it just doesn't work well, especially in bad wifi environments.... so, kind of similar to the iPhone 4 antenna gate in some ways.

[torifile]

Huh. I didn't know about this wifi thing either. Never had an issue at all. BTW, the Apple support forums are a cesspool of idiots. Wow.

[psmith2.0]

...and in a related story, water is wet.

[Brave Ulysses]

Originally Posted by torifile Huh. I didn't know about this wifi thing either. Never had an issue at all. BTW, the Apple support forums are a cesspool of idiots. Wow.

Yea. Unfortunately they are really useless if you have a real problem and aren't a complete tool.

One advantage of them though is you get points for helping people and if you get enough Apple invites you to be a beta tester. It's somewhat unofficial but that's how they do it.

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Interesting. I've never heard of it, or followed that.

It's news to me too, my iPad 3 is very fast on WIFI and never has connection issues.