iPad Mini Could Retail For $250, Delete iPad 2 211
Nerval's Lobster writes "If the Apple rumor mill proves correct, the unveiling of the iPad Mini this week could mean sayonara for the iPad 2. At least, that's the prediction of Evercore Partners analyst Rob Cihra, who wrote in a recent note to investors that he believes Apple will remove the iPad 2 from its lineup to make room for a smaller tablet. Apple insider excerpted parts of Cihra's note Oct. 19. Of course, that's just one analyst speculating about the future plans of a company known for playing things close to the proverbial vest: Apple's Oct. 23 event in California could feature all sorts of surprises. So what do we know about the iPad Mini? First, that it might not be called the iPad Mini — that's a moniker dreamed up by the press. Second, a cheaper and smaller iPad could impact the market for e-readers and 'price-sensitive users,' according to J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz, which in turn could mean a challenging future for Amazon, Google, and other IT vendors marketing cheaper tablets. Third, the media—driven by unnamed sources and blurry spy photos—seems to have collectively settled on a 7.85-inch screen without a high-resolution Retina Display."
Macrumors shows $329 as the base price. (Score:5, Informative)
$250 would be nice but it's probably $329.
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/10/20/ipad-mini-pricing-to-begin-at-approximately-329/
Re:It's been a cyclic fad. (Score:5, Informative)
Tablet fads have come and gone... the iPad has actually done really well this time around, but I remember how the 486 tablets (that did all the same stuff at much lower resolution) were going to make PCs obsolete... sure they did.
It's not for people like you and me. It's for people like my wife. She enjoys sitting in her chair and knitting while watching TV. Now she doesn't need to bump me off of the main computer in order to look up a pattern, she can pull it up while sitting in her chair, and she doesn't have to print it either. She also uses it for a camera. This weekend, an owl landed on the neighbor's porch, she was able to snap a photo and e-mail it, all without having to touch the computer. Perfect for her, and works well for me too.
Re:Macrumors shows $329 as the base price. (Score:5, Informative)
One of the blogs with an inside source and a proven track record for nailing what is to come in recent Apple announcements, 9 to 5 Mac, has also come out and said the starting price will be $329.
Read for yourself. [9to5mac.com]
Sadly, a $250 price point seems to be wishful thinking. Apple isn't going to pull a Google and sell things anywhere near break even.
Re:It's been a cyclic fad. (Score:5, Informative)
Uhh, *you* may not be able to type on a tablet quickly, but I can bust out some verbage with decent speed. Certainly well enough that I don't feel the need to go hunting for a 'physical' keyboard.
For a very arbitrary definition of "decent". The fact remains that you will never be able to match the typing speed achieved on a keyboard, even with limited travel, when typing on a tablet's screen.
Not to mention that, when typing on a screen, you must keep your eyes on that "keyboard" like a fucking moron. I haven't looked at my keyboard in decades, because I clearly feel where the keys are.
It's 'dollars', Biff. (Score:3, Informative)
Are you Biff from Back To The Future?
It's 'dollars', you idiot. The expression is "more dollars than sense."
It's a pun.