The story develops in a spiral. What was fashionable 20-30 years ago, suddenly it takes off at the peak of glory in the world today. This applies to clothing, music, design and, of course, the technological sphere of human activity. But each time, with the next turn of the spiral, something is changing, because the times come and others, and technical capacity becomes larger. Now we are witnessing the development of a spiral iPad, which overlaps with similar events that took place with the iPhone in the past. Recall release iPhone 4 - it was very similar. A new, more high-performance filling and Retina-display, for which, in fact, increase the capacity of the gadget. As a result, the device performance is not very far removed from its predecessor - iPhone 3GS, and additional resources have been spent on the high-resolution display service. Now all the same, with the difference that the phone Retina-display and tablet Retina-display - are two big differences in all senses. Is the new iPad hopes rested upon it and there is only one fabulous display is enough to think about changing the device? Let's try to understand together.
Somewhere I've seen it
Apple remains true to itself and does not change the design of the packaging device. It is the same white box of high quality, solid cardboard with a photo on the upper cover plate, apple, and an icon iCloud iPad inscriptions on the sides, as well as a brief description of the bottom. Dimensions box also remained identical, although some observers have noted that the box of the new iPad has become a centimeter thicker. Not in my case. Package dimensions the same Apple tablet may be different in different regions, as the dimensions of the adapters on the local outlet is also different. This probably was the cause some confusion.
As I mentioned above, in case the thickness of my boxes completely identical. iPad 3 from above, iPad 2 - bottom:
Making the lower portion also coincides with the exception that 3 iPad denoted as «iPad", but the tablet of the second generation as the «iPad 2":
You might think that the name reflects a return to the roots, but it seems to me, Apple just decided to standardize the designation of their tablets, as it did with a Mac. After all, no one MacBook Pro, MacBook Air 2, iMac 4 and similar titles. Every year we see the same designation, only changing Year and in the description of a particular model you can see something like «MacBook Pro (late 2011)," that is, this device was released in late 2011 of the year. Probably, a similar situation happened with the tablet in the future. Every year, a new iPad will appear with the same name but with the designation of the year in which it is released.
Maybe so Apple suggests that the iPad - a not just a tablet, but also the computer or it will be those in the coming years. After all, iPhone and continues to receive the serial numbers or additional letters, So it somehow just does not call the computer.
Go back to the pack. Inside, too, everything remained the same. At the top is the plate, beneath the traditional set of paper and stickers, apples, power supply and 30-pin dock cable. The 4G-model still has reduced the price iSkrepka wire (needed to extract SIM-tray), while the earlier was the so-called "liquid metal".
But off the box, it's time to look at the articles of the hero. Here he is! The great and terrible new iPad... even looks like an old, at least until you take it in hand. But when picked up, the weight of sensations as iPad first generation of enough - both from iPad 2. That is, an increase of 50 g unit mass felt well (601 g in 2 iPad Wi-Fi and 652 g in iPad 3 Wi-Fi), and increased by 0.6 mm thickness is quite negligible, but it is, as shown by the photos below:
If there is no iPad 2, the naked eye and do not distinguish the novelty from the predecessor
And even if you put on top of the iPad 2, it is difficult to say which of these new
And here is a comparison with the original model, what is it thick! Incidentally, iPad 3 - the right-bottom
So, the new iPad has become thicker, harder, somehow it does not seem to Apple. Let's understand the reasons for this and how the device has changed in terms of physical sensations during its operation.
What we pay for Retina and excellent autonomy
Engineers magicians from Apple repeatedly never cease to amaze the audience. Do you remember what the plates were even before the announcement of the first iPad? That's about as follows:
They have thick and frightening. Even modern "pills" on the basis of Windows desktop users are often surprised by the presence of the fan - so it's just a wildness for a tablet! So, the original iPad in comparison with such "monsters" looked just any device from space: it is thin, metal, stylish and able to work without problems under load during the day, against 2-4 hours in Windows-tablets.
The original iPad - and now he looks better than many of its competitors
Moreover, the first Apple tablet has become a kind of standard for weight and size and that they adhered to the competitors, creating their own solutions. And then, when the first 10-inch Android-tablet have started to arrive on the market, there iPad 2 announcement, which was 4.6 mm thinner precursor nearly 100 grams lighter thus twice more efficient in the CPU and seven times more powerful to work with graphics. Moreover, the autonomy he was no different from the original.
Pad 2 - How was steep, so and remained so, even after the release of the new iPad
Apple powerfully so vdarila competitors below the belt! It is so powerful that many people simply close the current job and began to actively do the redesign plans to launch products.
Together with the third-generation iPad, history repeated itself. Yes, it can be said that when Steve Jobs was not like this, and where have you seen that new Apple product was larger than its predecessor. But if you think about it, the company was able to re-do the impossible - to keep the same level with the iPad 2 autonomy despite the fact that the display resolution has doubled, plus the graphics subsystem of the tablet, too, was twice powerful.
At first glance, what's wrong with that in changing the above mentioned parameters? Well increased resolution, GPU has become more powerful, so what? Computing SoC unit since remained the same, 2-core, and with the same frequency of 1 GHz. On the other hand, the amount of RAM has doubled, and yet it also consumes energy. As for the display, which we'll talk in detail a little later, then increase the half resolution (2048x1536 pixels) means four times larger number of pixels (which is now about 3 mn) and correspondingly increased power consumption screen. 4-core graphics accelerator also "eats" a lot of energy. Nevertheless, the level of autonomy of the iPad 3 (I will call him, and so, too) remained at the same level - about 10 hours to load, be it video playback or surfing the web.
And it was achieved an increase in battery capacity on 70% (42.5 Watt-hour versus 25 watts-hour predecessor). For comparison, the new iPad battery is even more capacious than the 11.6-inch MacBook Air (35-watt-hour)! I believe that Apple engineers were able to do the impossible, achieving the current weight and size characteristics of the tablet when such serious changes in the stuffing. To 0.6 mm thickness and 50 g in weight - is generally "dust" in comparison with that for this consumer is received.
As for the experience of using a tablet potyazhelevshy, I can not really complain about the extra '50 Of course, it all individually, but an hour later you stop noticing slightly increased weight. Plus, the device is usually held in both hands, or rests on the abdomen, chest or elsewhere, depending on the position of the body, and in this case even 100 grams top Unlikely to play a big role.
The slightly increased thickness of the body there is a positive moment. Gadget once more securely in the hand, plus reduced by the faces of the bevel angle allowed with great convenience to connect the 30-pin cable. Moreover, it seemed to me, that sounds a little bit better than a tablet, little bass or something. Perhaps the reason, too, was somewhat change the shape of the body.
Feel, touch, press and study externally
Locating Controls and connectors are not changed, but, in practice, could change applied to their components and as a result, the feeling of use of the device.
In this case, I noticed only one change - a little tougher became the power button, but maybe this is just a feature hit my hand instance. Home button is absolutely identical to that of its predecessor, and it is a little softer than the first generation iPad. FaceTime camera in the new iPad is the same as in the iPad 2 - normal and, in my opinion, outdated VGA-module.
But the camera on the back was much better. Changes in it are visible even externally and to the naked eye - the lens has become little more than the second-generation iPad. Apple has used a 5-megapixel on the iPhone 4 and the optical system of the iPhone 4S to the diaphragm f2.4 (to put it simply - wider hole, which means that more light strikes the CCD) and infrared filter. As a result, the shooting result is slightly better than the iPhone 4, but worse than the iPhone 4S. In the first case, thanks to an optical system, in the second - in the absence of the inverse matrix of illumination (BSI), which is improved due to shooting in low light conditions.
In bright daylight, the pictures are very personal, but even in good light indoors, digital noise appears and the picture comes out is not very clear. Here are a couple examples:
I think that the back camera to the tablet - it's pretty useless thing. The maximum for which it can be useful - is to take a picture of a document. Although, if you have a smartphone in your pocket, then it will fit. It is good that the iPad 3 this element has been modified, to say the least - has become virtually the best among the plates, but it is not that important detail. On a personal iPad 2 camera used a couple of times, I do not think that'll be more likely to use it in the iPad 3, even with video recording function in resolving FullHD.
Returning to the body of the tablet, I note that it is still as slippery as in the iPad 2 - is not surprising. Housing material is not changed, corrugated does not appear - keep the new iPad in the hands of tight!
But oleophobic coating was better screen. Finger glides more easily, the display gets dirty less clear it of easier trails.
So we got to the main element in the new iPad, its WOW-factor, and most of this scourge for competitors - up to Retina-screen.
The display in the new iPad - it's beautiful
Increase the display resolution in the plates, some companies have attended even earlier than Apple. For example, Acer has announced such a device as the Iconia Tab A700 - its screen resolution is 1920x1080 pixels. A ASUS introduced Transformer Pad Infinity diagonal display with a similar, but with a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels and the matrix IPS +. It would seem, cool - ahead of Apple's competitors, but that's a problem, the device has not yet gone on sale, and when they hit the shelves, it is not known.
Acer Iconia Tab A700 and ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity contain a classy display with FullHD resolution, but in selling them yet
In turn, Apple announced a tablet with a crazy resolution of 2048x1536 pixels and a pixel density of 264 ppi, a week and a half he was already available in a dozen countries. Here's how to work!
Speaking of Retina. At the time, Steve Jobs gave a display of the iPhone 4 is the name, noting that its density is 326 ppi, and already at 300 ppi human eye can not distinguish individual pixels. That is, for the marketing name became attached Retina parameter 300-ppi, but because the new iPad density is less, so why it is called the screen as well?
It's simple - even on the iPhone, you can see 4 / 4S individual pixels, if you bring it close to the eyes, and they are indistinguishable at a distance of about 30 cm, and it is comfortable to work with the phone screen. But the 9.7-inch iPad we keep far away from the eyes, and at a comfortable distance of 50-70 cm even at a density of 264 ppi individual pixels are completely indistinguishable. Picture as printed! So that the new display deserves its name, plus it's not his only positive thing.
In Retina-screen iPad new gamut is expanded to 99% sRGB against 61% sRGB iPad y 2. This means that the display is capable of transmitting more colors on it the image looks richer and more natural. According to its characteristics it is close to a professional studio monitors. I also want to mention slightly change the scale - it is warmer than its predecessor, closer to the yellow tones, while the iPad 2 in the picture is a little out pink. This is clearly seen in the picture above, but it is not felt in the daily operation, so that the previous owners of the iPad is not necessary to strain.
If you watch the screens of the two plates of different generations with a decent distance, well, for example, about one meter, like in the picture above, is not particularly catches in principle, is striking clarity in the new iPad in eyes. At least on the desktop. But it is worth a closer look, bring the device closer to the eye, and then left to say "Ah!":
For those who want to estimate the real size of the desktop in the third-generation iPad, to experience, so to speak, its huge resolution, that's clickable size screenshot:
At the moment, there are already several hundreds of customized applications under the Retina-display, but not all of their total difference in the image and perception of content is too critical, we'll talk about a little later. And where you can evaluate the display of the new iPad in all its glory and without much fuss, so it is in Safari.
Some observers have noted such an effect on the Retina-display tablet, like put corrective glasses and blurry world suddenly became crystal clear. Yes, there is, but you get used to good quickly. When you load any favorite site with an abundance of small fonts and know what scale it is no longer it is necessary, that can be perfectly read any text with no zoom - this is really cool, just a brain explosion and a delight for eye! On a pair of images below, you can see the difference:
For comparison predagayu also a screenshot of the iPhone 4S - good machine, oh, how good:
It is one thing to enjoy crisp text on a small 3.5-inch small screen, and quite another when at least get a clear picture on the 9.7-inch display. Puppy enthusiasm and pig squeals in pleasure guaranteed!
Well, let's examine how the screen behaves fabulous new iPad in different situations, with different games and applications, as well as learn how interpolated image is not adapted from it worsens quality.
Retina under the microscope
Games
To begin, consider one of the most important issues for a certain category of users - how bad on Retina-screen look is not adapted to his game and how well - adapted.
The first step was run cool toy Anomaly Warzone Earth, Which is a kind of anti Tower Defence, when you need to break through the enemy tower defense. She is very beautiful, but under Retina not yet finalized. During the test I ran the game on both tablets and literally spent two simultaneous game sessions. What can I say about the above-mentioned product - the picture on the Retina a little blurred, but overall, it is no worse than on the iPad 2, but rather even better because of a wider color gamut.
Funny logical arcade Burn It All pro actively burning ropes gave a similar result. Death Rally - is also doing well, and even virtually no blur. Again, due to the increased saturation of the picture looks even better game than the output point to point version of the iPad 2.
Of course, it's worth looking at and prepared for superekrana game. Pinball HDOne of the best pinball in the App Store, was very quickly redesigned to support the Retina, but the real test, he disappointed me. Yes, 3D-elements in high resolution, but bitmapped graphics, that is, the texture, some unclear. We can not say that it looks worse than on the iPad 2, but also enthusiastic about it. Rather parity. Hopefully in the future the developer optimizes the texture too.
The Retina-adapted game Modern Combat 3 from Gameloft similar situation with the only difference being that the high-resolution exposes the monstrous, angular character models and environments, as well as unclear teksturki. The company's high time to stop watching and brakodelstvom and master the normal 3D-engine, and not to promote the disgrace that is currently in use. Retina ultra-high resolution and it will not help, but rather the opposite. Much of a difference with the iPad 2, I did not notice. The game, though dynamic, but it looks terrible on both plates. With animation characters Gameloft is also a good idea to do something. It is no less terrible than the model. I am glad that at least the image twitching and the brakes are practically no (except in the beginning of the level, where it is still loaded).
The Real Racing 2 HD, in principle, everything is good, and the machines with high-resolution textures especially pleased. Only became more pronounced quite easy to graphically design the track, but during the race it do not pay attention. Looks game on Retina-display perfectly. Below clickable full-size screenshots:
As a result of the games can be said that not everyone is adapted to the Retina product will look fabulous. But not adapted to all not as bad as one might think. In most cases, they look no worse than on the iPad 2 and even better due to the expanded coverage of the color display.
Soft
Since the software is much more interesting. On a web browser, we have talked above - it looks great on the Retina. iBooks too wildly I pleased in the sense that the text in the book can be reduced to a couple of points, and thus the comfort of the reading will be higher than on the iPad last generations. But the information already placed higher. As a result, the book looks... like a real book with the appropriate font size, and not as some kind of a fairy tale in huge letters, for being over-strain your eyes with small, they zamylivat due to the relatively small authorization.
Real discovery I made for myself, when opened in iBooks magazine scan to PDF. Now, here's where Retina reveals itself in all its glory and gives an even greater effect than in a web browser. You can forget about the zoom and continuous page scrolling - everything is perfectly visible without tiring of these actions. Retina-on screen, even banal scan reads like a glossy pages. And if it does not scan, namely natural PDF, then all the joy comes without borders. Retina for fans of comics will also be an indispensable thing.
Different kinds of shells for news feeds, such as Flipboard or Early Edition 2, Please not less than PDF, books and comics. On Retina - it's like reading a high-quality glossy paper. Although the accompanying screenshots and images often appear unclear, but it is not particularly critical.
One of the first was adapted for Retina and popular Twitter-client Tweetbot. high-definition interface looks great, but at the expense of well-chosen font size and overall design of the program, it is, in principle, not much worse than it looks and precursors. Similar experiences and from Pages in the Retina-format.
The bottom line is to say that for all the good software. In most cases, Retina gives a huge positive effect.
A spoon of tar
Naturally, the ideal things do not exist and every barrel of honey can impair a fly in the ointment. There is such and the third-generation iPad. We can not say that the problem or, more correct to call them, the device features too critical, but it all depends on the usage pattern of the gadget.
One of the features was detected during web surfing. In most cases, all is well, except that the picture in the news and articles are somewhat unclear and it is not always and not everywhere. But if the site is not very high image quality or the interface is based on the use static graphic elements, they blur in comparison to the text can be very rush to eyes.
With video, too, everything is ambiguous. Transcoded from the source to 720p, film shrunk from 4 GB to 1.3 GB, it looks more or less normal, although compression artifacts are visible, while the iPad 2 none at all. If we are talking about SD-ripah megabytes of 600-800, such is better on the new iPad is not playing, so as not to be disappointed. That is, you want to enjoy the view, fill in the tablet film in at least 720p.
And here emerges another problem. Serious "rips" in 720p occupy a lot of space, and adapted to the Retina apps too "swell" in three to five times. And if in case the new iPad is justified, in the last generation tablets Retina-schedule will be based on dead weight and take up too much space. That is, when you buy should pay attention to at least a 32-gigabyte model. 16 GB in many cases it may not be enough, and as is the case with the iPad 3, so with the iPad 2, too.
YouTube lovers would have to be more attentive to the choice of your favorite channels. Video at 720p or higher resolution looks good, even excellent, but with the SD-content problem - picture zamylit blurred and, although it is quite possible to perceive, but the pleasure will be less than on the iPad 2.
The old and the new iPad accessories
A slight increase in the size of new items will allow to use it with a lot of all kinds of covers, which were originally adapted for the iPad 2. So, corporate Smart Cover It remained unchanged and is perfectly compatible with the third-generation iPad. All kinds of Punch plums and bags made of neoprene, leather and other materials also can be fitted without problems. Even covers laptop type DODOcase or leather options from SGP, Dublon and other companies can "pull" on the new iPad, but with plastic lining it will not work. Slightly increased the thickness of the body and slightly smaller bevel edges make the use of such accessories from the iPad 2 is almost impossible.
With a warm heart
Pad 3 is heated more precursor and nothing can be done about it. Still 4-core GPU makes itself felt, plus a load on the graphics subsystem of the above, it is necessary to handle four times as many pixels. Here are just a "elephant" because do not have to, and in fact some have tried.
In particular, in the forums on Apple.com some reports people earnestly wrote that the new tablet will burn them literally, they say, it can not hold in their hands, after half an hour of the game. As shown, it is either a delusion or you hit the defective copies. I personally lean toward the first option.
Thus, independent testing Tweakers.net It showed that iPad third generation warmed approximately 5 ° C greater than the previous one. The test conditions was able to achieve the maximum device temperature 33,6 ° C - it is not hot, it is warm and hands this tablet certainly does not burn.
In addition, Apple's reacted itself, noting that the tablet is operating within the permitted temperature range, if used in the appropriate conditions, namely, at ambient temperature to + 35 ° C inclusive. Even if the machine overheats, it will not burn, integrated temperature sensor disables apparatus long before.
My personal experience has confirmed Tweakers.net results. In the long run (more than half) several heated right corner of the device, but it remains warm and not hot. Also under intensive web surfing also I watched a little heat, which in the iPad 2 under identical conditions there. Also quite critical.
The new iPad is heated more than its predecessor, but it's not the stove which its trying to put some users (black PR from the competition?). Tablet stays warm, it does not burn and does not cause its heating some inconvenience. So let skukozhilas bloated elephant back to fly the size and precise click send her into the distance, closing in this way the question of heating gadget.
Who and why do we need the new iPad
Take it or not - that is the question? In fact, he is not particularly complicated. It all depends on the situation. If the person was in the United States and ponders whether to save $ 100 and get the iPad 2, which has not disappeared from the market, and successfully sold in parallel with the new iPad, but at a reduced price, then I advise you not to save, and to take the last unit generation. Moreover, with a storage capacity of 32 GB.
In the case of the current bad prices in the native land, rush to change your device or simply to acquire iPad 3 is not necessary. the device will appear in 23 countries, in addition to ten C March 23, where it is already available. It's a bit lower the bar value from local merchants. And there, staring, and the official device through mesyatsok catch up.
With regard to the feasibility of updating the tablet, in principle, much depends on the specific situation of the user. The owners of the first generation iPad, I can safely advise updated. They definitely get a fast device, but still with a gorgeous display, which will not be superfluous for those who like exercise web surfing, read books, glossy magazines, comic books. And indeed, as I wrote above: Retina - is a fabulous screen.
But the iPad 2 worth pondering owners. In terms of performance, they practically have nothing to gain, as the increased amount of RAM and resources more powerful graphics accelerator "eat" the need to maintain four times more pixels. Better camera - the argument is, of course, but on the plate it is not very much needed.
The only reason to upgrade in that case remains displayed. Instead of further spreading mysyu on the tree I will talk about their feelings and thoughts. At the time, I changed the first iPad on the second, so how much would like to get a slim and lightweight device, plus plenty of memory, still for iOS 256 MB - this is the minimum limit. Although now I understand that it was possible and not to hurry, and sometimes nothing at all to change.
With this in mind, it was decided not to twitch, and another year to work with the iPad 2. But so I thought until I picked up a novelty. You know, only one screen's worth it to change the gadget. At least, this is my personal opinion. No need to sacrifice something. iPad 3 also works pretty fast, and for a long time without recharging as a precursor, but it provides incredible quality and sharpness. Surfing the web - it's a pleasure. Reading books in iBooks - nice, cool, albeit with large print on the old plate, good read. But the PDF and read comics on the new iPad simply unbeatable.
The only negative - iPad 3 and a half times longer charging. That is, it will take more than 3-3.5 hours, and 5-6. No great problem if you put the device to charge for the night. But still have to monitor the level of charge tougher, not to be the situation when the machine is dead, and charge it just once.
Thus, after a hearty love with novelty my decision not to change anything given the slack. Although the one I'm trying to tell a lie to himself? Do not slack decision gave, and changed to a diametrically opposite! The tablet will be replaced, but only after the price drop to a more or less reasonable.
As a result, if you plan to purchase your tablet, wait for falling prices and take the iPad 3. The owners of the original iPad, use the device since its release, it is also worth thinking about upgrading. But those who have an iPad 2, to change the gadget makes sense only if it is very much want to and have an extra couple of hundred dollars, which is not a pity to pay for the modernization of the favorite "toys".
spiral retinitis
It so happens that Apple has once again kicked off the competition and spurred market. Who three years ago I thought about the appearance of the display smartphones with a resolution of 1280x720 or 1280x800 pixels (from the Galaxy Note a)? No one, and a resolution of 480x800 was an accomplishment. But then came the iPhone 4 with its Retina-screen competitors moved. For Android was approved standard qHD (540x960 pixels), and for today's flagships good form is the presence of the screen with HD-resolution of 1280x720 pixels.
Now the same "feint ears» Apple cranked and tablets. People see what is crystal clear picture on the plate and it is unlikely they will want to then go back to the old permissions. That is, Android-plates of the current-generation little chance to compete with the iPad 3, we need new solutions, we need more high-quality displays. And they will not hesitate. About a couple of this kind of products I have told before, plus, according to rumors, the Samsung is also preparing something monstrous, the company has the resources - is only the beginning. It will take six months to a year, and we forget about the rough picture and fuzzy fonts in the plate. The market would sooner or later come to this, and without kicks Apple, but it has evolved much faster with them.
What's next - Retina in the MacBook, Apple TV with 4K resolution? The near future promises to be for geeks, gadzhetomanov tehnomanyakov and exciting!
The new iPad for review given store "America"