He that sups with the devil needs a long spoon - Chaucer
|
|
|
A 4G Ipad is coming, says Clearwire
IN A BLATANT ATTEMPT to grab headlines and make heads turn at the use of an I-word, Clearwire has blurted out that it will be providing 4G service for the Ipad.
Great news, but the Ipad has no 4G module option - well, at least not yet.
The first thing that comes to mind is that somewhere on Apple's secret roadmap there's a follow-on Ipad 4G model that will knock the socks off all current 3G devices, and that the launch of said device is closer than you'd think. Possibly true, but that's not what Clearwire is advertising.
In fact Clearwire, the company that relies almost entirely on Intel's Wimax technology, has come up with a small battery-powered device that will spread the goodness of 4G by bridging it with a WiFi connection. The device is called a Clear Spot and anyone within range of the WiFi connection will enjoy the unbelievably high speed of "3Mbps to 4Mbps", shared between up to eight simultaneous users. The device will also cost Clearwire's customers $139 to buy, on top of monthly 4G service fees.
Of course, the Ipad has WiFi and the fact that it launches tomorrow has prompted Clearwire to advertise the match-up.
Clearwire's attempt does touch base with something that many a hack has fingered, that is, the low storage capacity on Apple's Idevice, which forces users to rely on WiFi and 3G connections for streaming data to the Ithingie. As data streaming to your Ipad may prove too unwieldy for the 3G connection, and WiFi too restrictive to justify buying one, Clearwire's solution aims to resolve both of these problems, in a workaround kind of way.
So it's not an Ipad 4G, and our disappointment is great. Apple has just such an ignoble tradition of shortchanging its customers by following up its launches with better versions of the same kit.
As the big launch day draws closer, queuing has started at stores and fisticuffs might or might not break out due to the likely insufficient number of Ipads available. Girlfriends will be sorely neglected. Plastic will be swiped. Flash will be broken. µ
Share this:
Share
Ken - WiMAX may be dead (debateable) but it will be deployed in the Top 100 US cities by the end of the year so that works just fine for me. The EVO has CDMA as well so it drops back to that when I am not in 4G coverage. Globaly, I don't really care as I usually by a local SIM when in Europe and Japan and Taiwan (my typical travels) both have WiMAX. LTE is 2+ years away so I will enjoy the benefits of 4G until LTE is available, then decide what to do. In 2 years, I will switch out handsets 2 times so I am not too concerned.
WiMax is a dead technology. Only a handful of locations around the world will have it.
The world is moving to a different 4G technology called LTE, which will be a global system.
Why does Apple not use the latest hardware in small form factor devices? Why don't they have user replaceable batteries? Etc.
FAO Steve T - When the iphone got 3G, everyone else was already using it for a long time. Apple was slow, some say they knew their customers would pay twice, and apple were right about many of their customers.
Phone contracts are typically 18-24 months for smartphones, so that time cycle for an upgrade is wise if you want to lock customers into your product. And it means that for at least 4 years you only need to upgrade halfway through, and the customer gets a familiart but better device. Even though in reality Apple could have given them this device at the start.
16GB is small. Ipad should have SDHC slot or similar expandable storage, like HTC Evo.
And I think smartphones should be portable backup devices, or be usable as partial backup devices.
Ipad, will it allow 8 other devices to connect to it and use it's 4G connection? No, but the HTC Evo will.
Again Apple is getting left behind by HTC in terms of hardware inside. But the apple might be easier to use, but more costly for batteries, software etc.
Cupercino People Decided to Retaliate Upon World of Apple Vs nutcakes & result isn't serious, yet Restrictive. Forget HTML, OUT. Now have to code in iHTML, Steve o'grady own,errrr, Sir Steve Jobs own?
Now Don't Cry, heres' Idea, by forcing Software to include iHTML support in webpage, theory is Porn Monsters like luan can crumble for copyright violation or Freeze.
Still HTML5 is go, nestled into iHTML. Webpage ?Already in HTML must merely add line authorizing iHTML, Plus line for HTML5 playback. Simple enough.
Not Till Summer will Security Feature Be Included, in Next Rounds of i. Eye Yi Yi,. That Much.
drashek
Trowser Front Pocket seems like the ideal location for me to be running 4G/WiFi all day on a battery powered device. Where else would I carry it? Perhaps someone coudl come up with a nifty set of eyeshades or head band that could hold it.
Actually, I think the much better pairing would be an HTC EVO (3G/4G handset) along with the iPad. The EVO does the same 'wifi hotspot' thing and you need to carry a phone regardless unless you want to hold the iPad up to your ear. However, with a 4.3" screen and a 1GHz processor, I really don't see the need at all to carry an iPad if you buy the EVO.
"Apple has just such an ignoble tradition of shortchanging its customers by following up its launches with better versions of the same kit."
Yes, let's all get together and attack Apple for improving their products. After all, they should wait until 4G technology is available before releasing a phone. They should have at least waited until 3G was available before releasing the iPhone. Of course, if they had, you'd be complaining in 2012 that Apple was short changing their customers by selling 4G when 5G was coming soon.
For that matter, how dare Intel release 2.6 GHz processors and then later bring out faster ones? They must be intentionally shortchanging their customers. And Windows XP was shortchanging customers because Vista - and then Windows 7 would be released later.
Apple releases the best product it can at any given point in time. It's not perfect and there are always improvements that can be made, but anyone who has managed product development knows you sometime have to go with a product even while you're working on the next generation. That's just a fact of life.
Please stop the inflammatory garbage about Apple being evil because they improve their products.
"Clearwire's attempt does touch base with something that many a hack has fingered, that is, the low storage capacity on Apple's Idevice, which forces users to rely on WiFi and 3G connections for streaming data to the Ithingie."
Even 16GB is a whole shed load of media (never mind eBooks). It's over 11 days of solid audio, or 22 hours of good quality TV & movies. If you can't survive with ONLY 64GB of medial along with you then you've got be some sort of serious addict.
Whats with this idea that you have to carry around all the media you have ever laid your hands on, ever, in the history of the world?
What is this, Apple Insider? For all the bitching about the IPad being such a stillborn failure device this site produces, the site sure concentrates on it a lot.