A new iPad just eight months after the last one. How could any company treat its loyal customers this way? Apple is the rising star of the tech world. The company with the largest market cap in the world, valued at over $800 billion. It has legions of fans, feverishly purchasing every new iProduct at whatever exorbitant cost Apple attaches to it and waiting on line for countless hours.
All that’s expected in return is a little loyalty from Apple. Just a teensy bit of early adopter devotion to placate us. As always though, Apple is about money first and foremost. Considering the arrival of Microsoft’s Surface RT, success of the Nexus 7, and potentiality of a Nexus 10, Apple had no choice but to release a new iPad not even a year after the last.
I sit here, looking at the gorgeous Retina display on my iPad 3 (or new iPad or whatever you want to call it), and I feel betrayed. After boycotting Apple products for the last four years, I put myself out there, waited in line in freezing cold Chicago weather, and plunked down $499 for a 16 GB iPad. Eight months later, my new iPad is obsolete. The iPad 4 has the new Lightning connector, an A6X processor, faster WiFi, and the same price tag as the earlier model.
Frankly, it’s rude. I understand the logic behind Apple’s move but I don’t condone it. I shouldn’t feel something I spent so much money on is already obsolete. While I doubt this rant will change anything, I feel like it needs to be put out there. I don’t think I’ll invest in Apple products in the future if this is how the company treats its loyal customers.
I have been losing faith in apple for several years, and soon will be purchasing my first non-apple smart phone. Since their mainstream success with the iPod and now with the iPhone (not to mention iTunes Music/App Store) they have become ever less obligated to their dedicated base of media producers and thus less compelled to create truly great hardware. Each successive iteration of the iPhone has left me less impressed, lacking meaningful and thoughtful tech, software and interface updates. This isn’t to say the iPhone is a bad device. It is a great device, but it is becoming increasingly obvious that it is not the best device. I feel that sooner rather than later the iPad too will fall behind. Unfortunately, with their ever growing base of media consumers there is little incentive for them to change their ways.
Now you know how Android users feel.
This is how I feel about iOS 6. My iPhone 4s is ridiculously laggy with this new operating system because the iOS 6 was designed for the iPhone 5. My phone no longer has a long enough battery life to make it through the day, either. I was stupid to accept the update, but I had no idea it would make using my phone so frustrating. I will not buy an iPhone in the future.
@Robyn…
Just downgrade to ios 5 then, don’t see the big deal.
@Reuven…
Get a grip. Your ipad 3 is still an awesome device (Actually bought one yesterday to replace my ipad 2, since I got a really sweet deal because of the new model) and will be up to date and zippy at least two years into the future. Which is more than you can say for most tech products these days. (Especially Android!)
Apple is great for updating their OS, and every iphone or ipad user is pretty much guaranteed OS updates for 3 years.
Think Android, the Nexus 7 or Nexus 10 are appealing alternatives? Think again. I have a Nexus 7, though I dont even use it half as much as my ipad 2. The software just is, for the most part, awful.
And as someone who’ve owned Android phones for the last three years, what you’re describing is old hat. Top of the line models rarely stay that way more than 6 months.
Im actually finally switching to getting an iphone. I’ve finally got tired of waiting for OS updates that never arrive, Android never feeling truly fast and smooth and constant phone upgrades. When HTC announced their One X Plus, was the day I decided to finally go all in with iOS. My One X will be my last Android phone.