Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Would Apple sneek a iPad memory upgrade out without saying anything?

Piggie

Piggie

macrumors G3
Original poster
Feb 23, 2010
9,215
4,220
With iOS4 around the corner, just wondering.

Given the fact we must be 10 months or so at the least before iPad Mk2

Do you think in the mean time they could quietly, without changing anything else, just add in an extra 256MB of memory to new iPads soon, just to make the later ones run the new OS more smoothy?

Not an official model upgrade, but a mid term internal tweak so to speak?
 
No reason to. They're just now catching up with demand and all the RAM would serve to do is fragment and anger the community. They'll release a fully update model next year rather than half-ass it.
 
Not going to happen. The next generation iPad will have it though I am sure. There is no reason to "sneak" anything, that is just not how Apple does things. They know damn well everyone will take notice immediately if it ever happened.
 
No because this would a selling point of iPad 2. Also, why anger people in regions where the iPad has just now become available and only recently readily available in the US?
 
Piggie said:
With iOS4 around the corner, just wondering.

Given the fact we must be 10 months or so at the least before iPad Mk2

Do you think in the mean time they could quietly, without changing anything else, just add in an extra 256MB of memory to new iPads soon, just to make the later ones run the new OS more smoothy?

Not an official model upgrade, but a mid term internal tweak so to speak?
Click to expand...

Doubtful, a memory upgrade would require a full new circle of design, test and manufacturing processes. And seeing how they just now begun to catch up with manufacturing with just the countries they have released in so far that would be a mean feat to pull off. No, more likely is that we wont see a new iPad until next cycle, which is what, 10 month's or so out.

As far as memory goes, I'm not really seeing the problem, you have to realize that no matter how much memory they add there will always be someone complaining and saying that they need to add x amount more of it.
 
They need all the 512MB chips for the iphone 4 now. Wait till the iphone supplies had catch up and we'll be seeing 512MB for iPad2.
Manufacturers can pump out 512MB like no tomorrow then.
 
Holy Jesus, some of you seriously think Apple had no foresight whatsoever in putting the amount of RAM it did in the iPad, like iOS 4 was never a planned reality and that it's a conspiracy the iPhone 4's got more RAM and that iOS 4 for iPad is destined *NOT* to run smoothly. :rolleyes:

The iPhone 4 has additional RAM *because* of the camera module, which uses up more resources this time around. The iPad won't multitask worse than the iPhone 4, you can bet the house on that. Apple didn't wake up some night and say "let's make an iPad", release it, then wake up again and think "let's make iOS 4 with multitasking".

Sheesh.
 
Doing so would be like apple saying "we made a mistake" ... and I really do not see that happening.
 
Thanks to all for the replies.

Just a couple of points on what's been said.

I don't think most people would say Apple NEVER makes mistakes.

Also, the hardware specs for the iPad could have been put into place long before iOS4 and the iPhone4 specs were put together.

Lastly, I have heard numerous times that Apple teams don't really communicate THAT much together and are left (forced?) to work on THEIR project and not mix with other projects/teams.

This does make me feel that just perhaps things may not (in hindsight) be decided quite as brilliantly as we may always think they are.

That said, I'm very much looking forward to iOS4 even though I think I'm going to be dissapointed in that there are some things (apps) I'd like improved that won't be. All depends if it's a very special iPad enhanced version we are getting with loads of tweaks and improvements all over the place to many things. or just pretty much what the iPhone's have got with only a few differences.
 
CristobalHuet said:
The iPhone 4 has additional RAM *because* of the camera module, which uses up more resources this time around.
Click to expand...

I've heard this a few times on this board and it's pure horse-twaddle. The iPhone 4 got 512 MB of RAM because that's what application developers wanted. We've heard time and time again that the 256MB limit on the iPad has caused them issues due to the increased screen real-estate and thanks to the iPhone 4's higher-res display, apps on that platform would have been similarly constrained. That doesn't mean that the iPad will have issues with iOS 4 or multi-tasking, but the RAM is constrained for app developers vs the iPhone 4, no question.

It has nothing to do with the camera module. :rolleyes:
 
Piggie said:
With iOS4 around the corner, just wondering.

Given the fact we must be 10 months or so at the least before iPad Mk2

Do you think in the mean time they could quietly, without changing anything else, just add in an extra 256MB of memory to new iPads soon, just to make the later ones run the new OS more smoothy?

Not an official model upgrade, but a mid term internal tweak so to speak?
Click to expand...
How do you know they haven't already started doing that? ;)
 
blomma said:
Doubtful, a memory upgrade would require a full new circle of design, test and manufacturing processes.
Click to expand...

Begs the question: anyway to pop-in a 512MB chip into the current slot to replace the 256MB chip? Normally an OS would automagically recognize the additional RAM.

jdg
 
JohnDG said:
Begs the question: anyway to pop-in a 512MB chip into the current slot to replace the 256MB chip? Normally an OS would automagically recognize the additional RAM.

jdg
Click to expand...

Sure, pop it in after getting a production quality ability to desolder and solder new chips on an already complete circuitboard. Its NOT possible or feasible. The iPad and all compact mobile devices don't waste space or cost inside for 'slots' to swap out chips. They are built in the factory onto the motherboard.
 
ovrlrd said:
Not going to happen... that is just not how Apple does things.
Click to expand...

Anyone remember the G4 Minis? Apple did exactly that - the first models were a crap shoot between 4200rpm and 5400rpm hard drives; it was advertised as 4200rpm, but the later ones (before the first refresh) came with 5400's. Same thing with the end of the G4 Minis - even though they were advertised as 1.25 and 1.42GHz and 32MB of video memory, Apple silently upgraded them to 1.33 and 1.5GHz with 64MB of VRAM. These upgrades weren't even listed ANYWHERE.

Link to Everymac page about the 1.5GHz G4 Mini.

Point is that YES, sometimes Apple does do this. Not that I think they will with the iPad, but its not totally out of the question.
 
bluedog3401 said:
Sure, pop it in after getting a production quality ability to desolder and solder new chips on an already complete circuitboard. Its NOT possible or feasible. The iPad and all compact mobile devices don't waste space or cost inside for 'slots' to swap out chips. They are built in the factory onto the motherboard.
Click to expand...

It's even more integrated than that; the RAM is actually built into the A4 chip itself. Increasing the amount of RAM is far less trivial than it is on a desktop platform.
 
abta1 said:
The 3GS handles iOS 4 pretty well with the same amount of RAM as the iPad and a slower processor.
Click to expand...

I'm right there with you. I've got a 3GS and it handles multitasking and such just fine. I assume since the iPad has a better processor and the same amount of RAM that is should be fine. I'm inclined to think that the RAM upgrade in iPhone 4 had more to do with iMovie than anything. Obviously, there's a natural hardware progression and the iPhone is the flagship iOS device.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back