Would you buy a "one battery" iPad to save weight?

[aohus]

i too, feel that the ipad is a bit on the heavy side. yes, relative to other devices, its very light.

from the way you hold it, it can get heavy after prolonged use. hopefully the second revision of the iPad will address the weight issue. theres always room for improvement. lets challenge Apple. Go Apple, make the iPad lighter!

 

[mKTank]

Weird.Pretty much all reviewers said the iPad feels quite heavy. Pretty much everyone I know thinks the iPad is heavy. I think the I pad is heavy. I invite to to join me in the gym or on the mountains to compare our strength . Then lets see who is the wimp.......

There is no reason to attack the OP. He makes a valid point.

It seems however the majority of people here (including me) simply value the 10hr battery life way more than the potential weight reduction. I'm quite sure apple did lots of market research to end up with this weight/battery life ratio.

My prediction (without having any insider knowledge) is that Apple from now on keeps the battery life constant and starts to reduce weight if possible.

Step aside guys, else real internet tough guy here will show you up in a gym.

 

[bobob]

In my experience carry weight is an easily sliding scale that tips to overloading if no thought is given to selection of what's most important for your purpose.

What novice camper has never carried too much gear? What vacationing socialite hasn't packed one too many Louis Vuitton trunks?

If you feel an 11% weight savings is insignificant in relation to 10-hour battery life, then why not double that incredible battery life to 20 hours? That would only add a second two cell unit at 5.22 oz, raising the weight of the iPad up to 29.22 oz, or 1.83 lbs + a bit for the slightly thicker case, brings this Super iPad up to a featherlight two pounds!!!

Double the battery again, and get a full 40 hour work week between charges! That would only weigh another 2 x 5.22 oz = ⅔ lb. Add a nice leather carrying case with hand strap like the Marware and you're still a full pound lighter than your MBP.

It's all an engineering decision, and by the results of my poll in this thread (currently sitting at 85-4 against), it seems that Apple has hit the absolute sweet spot for weight/battery life balance for most users today.

And I certainly can't say I don't love my iPad - - two cells and all - - but if the 3rd generation iPad (same battery life and screen size) weighs just under a pound, I'm going to go ahead and trade in my current large 24 oz soda for that 15 oz fruit juice without hesitation.

 

[Tobster3]

No, it's fine the way it is. I love the battery life.

 

[blackNBUK]

I really haven't found the weight to be a big issue. It just feels nature to prop my iPad up on a knee, cradle it in my lap or support it some way beyond just holding it in my hands. Less weight would be nice but sacrificing half the battery life to get just an 11% reduction in weight sounds like a pretty poor trade-off.

10 hours of battery life gives me a lot of freedom in the use of my iPad. Even if I forget to charge it everyday I can still be pretty confident that there will be enough juice to do what I want to do. I think that 5 hours of life would remove a lot of that carefree ability.

 

[j_maddison]

Weird.Pretty much all reviewers said the iPad feels quite heavy. Pretty much everyone I know thinks the iPad is heavy. I think the I pad is heavy. I invite to to join me in the gym or on the mountains to compare our strength . Then lets see who is the wimp.......

There is no reason to attack the OP. He makes a valid point.

It seems however the majority of people here (including me) simply value the 10hr battery life way more than the potential weight reduction. I'm quite sure apple did lots of market research to end up with this weight/battery life ratio.

My prediction (without having any insider knowledge) is that Apple from now on keeps the battery life constant and starts to reduce weight if possible.

Umm I'm not sure what mountains have to do with strength. Stamina/ endurance maybe.

It isn't heavy, and you don't need to be a gym rat to think otherwise

 

[bobob]

Weird.Pretty much all reviewers said the iPad feels quite heavy. Pretty much everyone I know thinks the iPad is heavy. I think the I pad is heavy. I invite to to join me in the gym or on the mountains to compare our strength . Then lets see who is the wimp.......

Umm I'm not sure what mountains have to do with strength.

Here's a picture of andiwm2003 on his daily walk through the mountains...

 

[j_maddison]

Here's a picture of andiwm2003 on his daily walk through the mountains...

Is that a woman?

That's a hand stand lol, I can do a handstand too. I'm not sure what this is proving? lol

 

[pelicanflip]

And I certainly can't say I don't love my iPad - - two cells and all - - but if the 3rd generation iPad (same battery life and screen size) weighs just under a pound, I'm going to go ahead and trade in my current large 24 oz soda for that 15 oz fruit juice without hesitation.

You just made made your original argument pointless.

You first said: "Would you trade 50% of your battery life for 11% of the weight? I would."

Now you're saying, "I would trade 11% of the weight for the same battery life and size." Completely different argument.

Obviously there's a tipping point for weight of the iPad. You said, "why not just double the battery life and weight?" Well, I don't need 20 hours of battery life for watching videos, especially if the iPad weighs roughly 2 lbs at that point. If I wanted to lug around something heavy, I would just go the extra distance and get a heavier MBP or macbook. At least I'd have have higher performance to compensate for the weight.

However, I certainly need more than just 5 hours of battery usage, and that's why I don't think a one battery iPad is sufficient at all. My morning and nightly commutes total roughly anywhere between 2 to 2.5 hours, and I use my iPad frequently throughout the day. I don't want to be stuck with a dead iPad in the middle of the day, and I certainly do not want to be scrambling to find a place to charge it.

That's where the 10 hour iPad comes in. Say I wake up by 8 AM, and I consistenly use it for the entire day, nonstop. By around 6-7 PM, I'd have low battery, but I'd generally be heading home after work around that time, so I can charge it at home.

The current iPad is light enough for it not to be a burden, but powerful enough for me to get stuff done. If an iPad was to lose battery life, it would have to have something much better than "slightly lighter weight" in order to become a selling point.

Roughly 96% of the people in your poll don't think it's worth it to trade a battery in the iPad for 11% of the weight. I'd think that's a pretty strong argument in itself that taking out a battery in the iPad for about 1/10 of the weight, is simply just not worth it.

 

[bobob]

Is that a woman?
That's a hand stand lol, I can do a handstand too. I'm not sure what this is proving? lol

I recommend an 11% increase in humor.

It's all an engineering decision, and by the results of my poll in this thread (currently sitting at 85-4 against), it seems that Apple has hit the absolute sweet spot for weight/battery life balance for most users today.

Roughly 96% of the people in your poll don't think it's worth it to trade a battery in the iPad for 11% of the weight. I'd think that's a pretty strong argument in itself that taking out a battery in the iPad for about 1/10 of the weight, is simply just not worth it.

Why didn't I think of that?

This whole thread is ridiculous....

Have people really run out of conversation starters? What next, "why rectangular? Who would prefer a trapezoidal iPad?"

You're right! It seems that if there were ever a meeting between MacRumors Forum members and practioners of ultralight backpacking, that there would be very little common ground as a basis for discussion.

Now what about that trapezoidal iPad?

 

[j_maddison]

I recommend an 11% increase in humor.



Lmao, British mate. Insert some dry Whitt and sarcasm. Now read it again

 

[BlackMax]

I haven't really noticed the weight much and I use my iPad to read in bed each evening, sometimes for hours. I find it easier to hold while reading that most of my books.

On the other hand I have noticed the nice long battery life. Love it.

 

[Neous]

I

If you cannot hold the iPad for 30 minutes in one hand, you need to do some serious evaluation about your physical condition. My mom, who is 55, can hold the iPad for a long time before she gets tired.

How do you hold your iPad.

 

[mixvio]

The iPad is heavy now? Jesus christ, some people will never be happy I guess.

 

[drjsway]

Apple had a target weight first, then tried to design the product to meet it. If they only managed to get 7 hours at 1.5 pounds, they probably would've released that.

Thte weight, I suspect, was chosen because it is the weight of a long hardcover book.

 

[GadgetGeek71]

Until they invent light weight dylithum crystals...i'll stick with the 2 battery option.

 

[Southern Dad]

They can add a third battery to mine, I'll accept 11% more weight for 15 hours!

 

[i-Want-Apples]

Personally, I like my electronics to be on the heavier side. I just like them to feel more substantial and I just find when they have a little weight behind them I like it better. However, I was still surprised with how heavy the iPad actually is. Now, I'm not saying it is too heavy for me to use comfortably, it is just heavier than I was expecting. For me, it isn't an issue, but I know anyone that has mobility issues would have problems with it. My mom has carpal tunnel and really can't use it because of the weight.

That being said, personally, I would not want to sacrafice battery life to get a lighter iPad. For me, the battery life is perfect because I don't have to always worry about is needing charged and I can use it for a good amount of time before even thinking about charging it. I think I would really regret the limited battery life down the road when the battery doesn't hold as strong a charge.

The battery life is one of the best parts of the iPad for me, I hate mobile electronics that have really limited battery life, so I wouldn't want to lose it.