[kennyliu]

They're in a spec race, that's why it's common. Spec race isn't generally about necessity, it's about pumping up numbers for marketing purposes.

And I thank the Almighty for that. Would hate to work on a VGA screen with only 64Kb of RAM.

[Chaddface]

What exactly do you use the front facing cam on the Playbook for any way. Last I heard we didn't have Skype

I use it to say goodnight to my kid. Nite nite dada. Kills me everyone.

[Abrante]

I was going to get it mainly so that my soon to be 3 year old daughter could have more options for games. But, like $50 worth of paid kids games on my PB should do. My daughter can't spell Retina, nor her name for that matter. so she doesn't need "the new iPad"

[papped]

And I thank the Almighty for that. Would hate to work on a VGA screen with only 64Kb of RAM.

You're saying an alternative to a spec race is guaranteed, extremely low specs, which isn't true...

[vlade31]

Hey guys, here is a crazy idea...how about we first see it in person and play with it for a while before we start having full discussions on how useful it is and how it compare to the PB.

[conix67]

They're in a spec race, that's why it's common. Spec race isn't generally about necessity, it's about pumping up numbers for marketing purposes.

This is not just a spec race. Beyond retina, I would agree, but the reason most tablets today don't have retina display isn't necessarily because the display is not available. Driving that display is the problem on a portable device, which is the major engineering challenge.

To many people iPad2's screen was good enough, but I didn't like it especially for reading. I do like PB's screen better for reading for that matter, but I could still use higher PPI screen. I'm sure many will be happier with a large retina display, without a significant loss in other areas (weight, size, battery life).

[conix67]

You're saying an alternative to a spec race is guaranteed, extremely low specs, which isn't true...

VGA was considered "high resolution" back then, when people were stuck with CGA displays and EGA. I got one of those as a student and was very pleased on a 15" monitor.

[kennyliu]

You're saying an alternative to a spec race is guaranteed, extremely low specs, which isn't true...

No, I am saying whatever the reason for the spec race is (marketing or not), it drives the technological progress. Otherwise, we wouldn't get to the point where we enjoy Full Hd or even 4K image on our 65 inch HDtVs and don't have to work in DOS.

[Toodeurep]

What exactly do you use the front facing cam on the Playbook for any way. Last I heard we didn't have Skype

One guy points it at his tv while using his HDMI. He was like a cat on catnip

I really want to say something gross right now but will just leave it up to your imagination

[Toodeurep]

No, I am saying whatever the reason for the spec race is (marketing or not), it drives the technological progress. Otherwise, we wouldn't get to the point where we enjoy Full Hd or even 4K image on our 65 inch HDtVs and don't have to work in DOS.

...or

Maybe people got too focused on how much memory they could put on an SD card or how many pixels the could get on a TV screen and not focused enough on my flying car.

I want an affordable flying car and would gladly go back to analog cell phones if it would mean I get it. People are way too easy on "innovation". We aren't really getting a solution to a problem, we are inventing problems based upon the solution in our hands.

I repeat, fewer pixels, more flying cars.

[stevedee]

It's not just the display, it's also how it will be leveraged with additional software like the new iPhoto to be a fantastic enhancement. With higher resolution they had to reengineer how these displays work, and refine how the touchscreen translated usage.

They are keeping their lead in offering an improved experience that retains what people love about these devices.

Not yet my cup of tea, but much as I love my PB, there's a certain lure there.

[Abrante]

What exactly do you use the front facing cam on the Playbook for any way. Last I heard we didn't have Skype

I use my front face camera on my PB to look at a pimple that needs to be popped (without the need to have to take a picture of it). lol, on "New iPad" I wont be able to tell the difference between the pimple or the discoloration of the individual pixel... Oh wait... does the "Retina display" fix that? Sarcasm!

[malcerie]

What exactly do you use the front facing cam on the Playbook for any way. Last I heard we didn't have Skype

Well....... My wife is at a conference today and we just video chat over lunch. She switched to the front camera to show me a view. Works really well.

[app_Developer]

This is not just a spec race. Beyond retina, I would agree, but the reason most tablets today don't have retina display isn't necessarily because the display is not available. Driving that display is the problem on a portable device, which is the major engineering challenge.

Exactly. Now try to push out over 3 million pixels at good frame rates without killing the battery, producing too much heat in a fanless device, and without introducing any kind of sluggishness or tearing in the UI. This is a difficult problem to solve. 3 million is a lot of pixels.

I'm looking forward to seeing how well Apple did it, and looking forward to seeing how Samsung does with their version of it.

[lebob23]

think about it this way the blackberry is retina display for your old eyes and the ipad hd is the retina display for young people,

BTW i am 19 and I have a playbook

[yorkshireman2]

That is why the Blackberry commercial say "we need tools not toys". I am fine with the Bold 9900 and the PB screens.

I totally agree.

Why not make it 10000 pixels by 20000 pixels.

Is there not a point, e.g. on the Playbook, where it already looks great and any more pixels are just not needed and can't actually be seen.

It's like someone bringing out a newspaper and saying it is printed at a resolution that is twice the resolution of any other newspaper in existence. Does that make it any easier to read? No. If you can read it then you can read it. End of. Having twice, four times, or a hundred times more pixels doesn't make it any more readable.

[kennyliu]

...or

Maybe people got too focused on how much memory they could put on an SD card or how many pixels the could get on a TV screen and not focused enough on my flying car.

I want an affordable flying car and would gladly go back to analog cell phones if it would mean I get it. People are way too easy on "innovation". We aren't really getting a solution to a problem, we are inventing problems based upon the solution in our hands.

I repeat, fewer pixels, more flying cars.

Hm... You have a car? I thought you still use horses.....

[Toodeurep]

Hm... You have a car? I thought you still use horses.....

No no, that is the next house down the road. I need the flying car to get over the horse droppings.

[Economist101]

more resolution the better but 2047 x 1536 is still an overkill for a 10". A bit like 41 megapixel phone camera

They didn't pull the number out of thin air. The 2048x1536 is exactly double the current resolution of 1024x768, which simplifies software development.

[app_Developer]

They didn't pull the number out of thin air. The 2048x1536 is exactly double the current resolution of 1024x768, which simplifies software development.

Development and interface design. This scheme worked really well with the iPhone 4. You have no idea what a dream exactly 2x is versus what we have to deal with on Android.

[papped]

Development and interface design. This scheme worked really well with the iPhone 4. You have no idea what a dream exactly 2x is versus what we have to deal with on Android.

Well android would never be able to maintain that anyways because they have multiple manufacturers and there is no such thing as a restraint on resolutions...

[[email protected]]

So which of your "two" categories the front facing camera of the iPad2/new iPad does it fall under? "Megapixels, Schmegapixels"? or should I answer that?


You are right on the quality of pixels and lens type argument...

Don't know yet. The camera on the iPad 2 is crap. The camera on the iPad is supposedly the same camera on the iPhone 4S.

I have an 8mp HTC and the photos are crap. My partner has an iPhone 4s. It's only 5mp. But it has a better lens and lets in more light. His pics look far better than mine.

[Economist101]

Don't know yet. The camera on the iPad 2 is crap. The camera on the iPad is supposedly the same camera on the iPhone 4S.

I have an 8mp HTC and the photos are crap. My partner has an iPhone 4s. It's only 5mp. But it has a better lens and lets in more light. His pics look far better than mine.

Actually the 4S camera is an 8mp (Apple - iPhone 4S - Technical Specifications); while the iPhone 4 sensor is a 5mp. The "new iPad" combines the 5mp sensor from the iPhone 4 with the 4S' lens system, including backside illumination, so it should perform better than the iPhone 4, though below the level of the 4S.

[app_Developer]

Actually the 4S camera is an 8mp (Apple - iPhone 4S - Technical Specifications); while the iPhone 4 sensor is a 5mp. The "new iPad" combines the 5mp sensor from the iPhone 4 with the 4S' lens system, including backside illumination, so it should perform better than the iPhone 4, though below the level of the 4S.

I doubt I'll use it as a camera to take pictures. But I am very eager to see what it does for AR apps. I bet it improves their performance quite a bit in low (interior) light.

[canadoc]

I use my front face camera on my PB to look at a pimple that needs to be popped (without the need to have to take a picture of it). lol, on "New iPad" I wont be able to tell the difference between the pimple or the discoloration of the individual pixel... Oh wait... does the "Retina display" fix that? Sarcasm!

ever hear of a mirror?