Hardware 2.0

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | March 3, 2011, 5:54am PST

Summary: “Why wasn’t the iPad 2 a more impressive upgrade?” This is a question that I’ve heard a lot since yesterday’s iPad 2 announcement. The short answer is that it didn’t need to be any better - it’s still more than good enough to toast the competition.

“Why wasn’t the iPad 2 a more impressive upgrade?” This is a question that I’ve heard a lot since yesterday’s iPad 2 announcement. The short answer is that it didn’t need to be any better - it’s still more than good enough to toast the competition.

The iPad 2 has three main competitors - The Motorola Xoom, the RIM/Blackberry PlayBook and the HP TouchPad, powered by Android 3.0, Blackberry Tablet OS and webOS 3.0 respectively. They all sport a dual-core CPU, all have screens around about the 1024 x 768 region (the Xoom screen is 1280 x 800 while the PlayBook has a 1024 x 600 screen). All have pretty much the same storage capacity options, cameras and connectivity.

So why will the iPad 2 toast the competition?

Well, first off, the iPad is a recognized brand name. More importantly than that, iPad is becomings a generic catch-all term that the public use for tablets (much like iPod became a catch-all for MP3 players). Never underestimate the power of being first and being able to shape the market, and the minds of the buyers. Apple has done this in many ways, defining the price point, size, capacities, and so on.

The iPad is also already on the scene, and has been for almost a year. The Xoom is just out, the TouchPad will be out sometime this summer, same with the PlayBook. These devices were a response to the original iPad, and two won’t be out until after the iPad 2 ships. That’s just crazy.

Then there’s apps. Apple has over 65,000 apps available for the iPad 2, not counting all the iPhone apps that will also run on the tablet. That’s a massive supporting ecosystem. How many apps are there available for the Xoom, Touchpad and PlayBook? Well, there’s a small handful for Xoom but no developer ecosystem. There are none for the TouchPad or PlayBook, and there’s no developer ecosystem worth mentioning either.

So why didn’t Apple carry out a major iPad upgrade, adding a hi-res “retina” display, or USB/Thunderbolt port or make the chassis out of some exotic liquid-metal alloy? The answer is quite simple - because it didn’t need to have any of these features. There’s not enough competition out there to warrant Apple doing anything that puts too much pressure on profit margins. The iPad 2 upgrade, put simply, is good enough.

Unless the competition can get their act together, not only will 2011 be the year of the iPad 2, but 2012 will be the year of the iPad 3.

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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

symbolset 5th Mar 2011

It's as good as it needs to be. No matter how good it is though, it lacks choices. This is the opening the Android army will charge through.

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Really, its all about the ecosystem after all

kenosha77a Updated - 3rd Mar 2011

Enough said. Until the other players in the tablet game can expand their app presence substantially, the lowest priced iPad 2 WiFi or 3G version will prove more than sufficient for most consumers irregardless of the impressive specs that the other players can boast about.

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But Apple would still do liquid metal alloy and Retina display right now,..

DeRSSS 3rd Mar 2011

@kenosha7777: ... if it could. These are not such easy features like adding cameras, which could be done from very beginning.

So while current specifications are fully sufficient, Steven Job's wish is always beyond that. For now, these mentioned features are not achievable for mass production.

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Ecosystem may not overcome shortcomings...

BillDem 3rd Mar 2011

@kenosha7777 The ecosystem is Apple's only advantage right now over a Xoom. The question is whether the ecosystem offsets the big disadvantages of buying an iPad. When consumers try both devices at Best Buy and their favorite Flash-based web sites work perfectly on a Xoom and only display an empty box on an iPad 2, which device will they choose for couch-browsing? If more choose the Xoom, the Xoom ecosystem will blossom as a result, removing the only advantage Apple currently has. The average consumer just wants it to work. The iPad 2 simply doesn't work as well for browsing, thanks to Jobs' shortsighted ban on Flash. The fact that both will be available at retail for comparisons is going to make this abundantly clear to consumers.

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LOL

oncall 3rd Mar 2011

@BillDem

No here is what the average consumer is going to see. They are going to go into the busy Apple store where there are tables with working iPads for them to play with, already loaded with apps and games and such. If they know about the Xoom at all it will be the current TV commercial where the guy pops open Google maps 3D view. Then they are going to go to Costco where they have a bin with cardboard box cutouts representing the Xoom's that may be purchased but with no working Xoom to be found anywhere and even if there was one it'll be just the OS and no apps, and the thing will cost more. This is EXACTLY what they will find because I have been to Best Buy and Costco. To the average consumer this will be a no-brainer purchase of the iPad.

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there's an app for most of those site..

doctorSpoc Updated - 3rd Mar 2011

@BillDem.. you're simply living in the past.. the preferred way to access online service is now through dedicated, highly platform/system integrated, high performing apps.. "web"/browser based apps are second class citizens on modern mobile devices..

no one cares.. don't you get it? 15million devices in 9mths.. $9billion.. no one give a rat's behind about Flash..

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the cliche.. there'

doctorSpoc 3rd Mar 2011

@BillDem

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

Geuseppi 3rd Mar 2011

@BillDem Last time I checked, flash isn't working on the XOOM as of yet. So people won't be seeing the flash on either tablet.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

clokverkorange 3rd Mar 2011

@BillDem The "average" consumer doesn't care about Flash. They want an iProduct, pretty much.

Now, the mid- to high-level user, sure. They want Flash, they want HDMI out, they want those sorts of things. But that's not the "average" person.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

vhase 3rd Mar 2011

@BillDem This flash argument is so old, it now comes with it's own walker. Surfing the web is not the only thing that happens on the device - it's a myopic view that shows the shallowness of the programmers and tech-heads who first brought the point up - and, unfortunately, those who continue to bring it up. I, nor anyone in my family, has missed flash at all. Yes, the consumer just wants the platform to work - and the astounding response by the average consumer has been to make ipad number one with a bullet. Imagination trumps flash at every turn, and Apple and many others have shown that specialized apps for content and html 5 beat the pants off of the generic html experience in a current standard browser.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

ssaha Updated - 4th Mar 2011

@BillDem Assuming that Flash actually shows up on the Xoom, I'd like you to be a fly on the wall when those consumers pull up their favorite Flash games on the Xoom and find out that they don't work as touch apps. The sound you'll hear after that are feet beating a path to the iPad and its dedicated app ecosystem.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

Loverock Davidson 3rd Mar 2011

All tablets are toast as soon as people realize the device is limited. That's why I won't spend $600 on one just to duplicate what I already have.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

abbub 3rd Mar 2011

@Loverock Davidson Spoken like...well, frankly, like someone who doesn't know what they're talking about. I suspect you probably will spend money on one, as soon as you realize that it's your ability to see what the tablet is capable of that's limited, not the tablet itself.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

Loverock Davidson 3rd Mar 2011

@abbub
No I'm probably won't buy a tablet. I have a laptop that does everything the tablet can do and more.

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i don't need a car..

doctorSpoc 3rd Mar 2011

@Loverock Davidson.. i have a team of horses and a wagon that can do everything a car could do for me..

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

Loverock Davidson 3rd Mar 2011

@doctorSpoc
Exactly, the horses and wagons will get you to where you need to go. Same can be said for metro cities, just hop the bus or take the subway.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

clokverkorange 3rd Mar 2011

@Loverock Davidson The tablet has its niche just like laptops have theirs. I don't know about you, but my Macbook makes a horrible e-reader, for example. It's also kindof hard to slip my laptop in my pocket. No touchscreen makes it kindof awkward in certain situations also.

Don't get me wrong, I love my MacBook Pro, but my Galaxy is slowly becoming my "on-the-go" device as I find myself using it more and more. It's really great as a calendar, as well. Granted this is nothing that most phones couldn't do, technically, but being able to do it in the larger form factor is actually quite nice.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

Loverock Davidson 3rd Mar 2011

@clokverkorange
I wouldn't see you slipping a tablet in your pocket either unless you got big pockets.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

vhase Updated - 3rd Mar 2011

@Loverock Davidson Then you're really missing out - since I've added an iPad to the equation, all of my standard tasks (email, general surfing, info lookup, etc.) have moved to the device, while I only go to my MacbookPro for my actual work (I do video and audio work) - It has been a uniquely freeing experience ('limiting' totally misses the mark). In fact, now when I make a short trip - I Use LogMeIn to actually access my laptop on the road - without bringing my laptop. Multiple days of battery life and no longer tied to my desk - It's been amazing.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

KBot 3rd Mar 2011

Motorola is going to fail and i am glad, because its sad and disgusting that they expect their Xoom to cost $800 retail and $600 with a 2yr contract. They need to drop $200 at least off this thing. And one more thing, can't the Xoom use the google marketplace's already full collection? It would be really stupid and unfortunate to restrict the Xoom to only tablet apps. It's the same OS after all.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

ryanmc 3rd Mar 2011

@KBot The xoom is not restricted to tablet only apps. However, there are a lot of older apps that do not work on it, and some that work but only use a little of the screen. I think the same thing happened when the iPad first came out. It will just take time for the app developers to catch up.

Check out the screen shot of the market in this review (about half way down). You can see at the top there is a tablet only section, but the other apps are still available.
http://www.justechn.com/2011/02/24/review-motorola-xoom-wifi-3g-tablet

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yes you can but..

doctorSpoc 3rd Mar 2011

@KBot.. many of those apps look really dumb on a 10 inch screen..

think of all the apps that have lists of things on a phone one column makes sense.. on a ten inch screen having one column stretched ALL the way across it is kind stupid and a total waste of space.. it was bad enough on a seven inch tablet.. on a ten incher it reaches ridiculous..

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Fill in the blanks

MobileAdmin 3rd Mar 2011

I love the spin on why the iPad 2 isn't a great upgrade but it's enough.

I'm sorry but spec wise Playbook, Xoom and other have surpassed iPad 1 and 2. iPad 2 did nothing to appeal to enterprise which will be a major purchases of tablet computers. Considering we have a standing order for over 500 Playbooks and have already pilots the iPad and seen the major gaps on the device this is far from over.

You really don't think Blackberry and HP are not a known "Brand"??

The Apple faithful are out in force to spin everything as it's Apple and only Apple that will have success with tablets / smartphones and it's really F'n annoying. Last I looked we all don't have a Sony TV and all drive a Model T car. The market is large and only getting larger.

Apple cannot provide enough to fill all the gaps and they know this. They played to the consumer yesterday as they spent the bulk of the announcement covering iMovie and Garage Band. They NEED you to focus on the Apps as the hardware isn't anything great.

I also have no need for Apps for everything when I have a device with full internet that supports all current standards and like it or not Flash is a STANDARD. HTML 5 has not even been certified.

What will the Apple drones say when RIM beats or gasp beats $499?? Then it will be about the 65,000 Apps X brand doesn't have .. you know what. With my current iPad I use 10 apps .. the iPhone 30. I have little value for 65,000 Apps and the truth is the bulk I download get deleted about a minute after as most are useless.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

abbub 3rd Mar 2011

@MobileAdmin Meh. The hardware on my first gen iPad is MORE than adequate enough to do anything I need to do with a tablet. If I need more horsepower, it's going to be for the kind of things I'll be sitting at my desk for, anyway. Tablets aren't as powerful as a quad-core laptop because they're not trying to BE quad core laptops.

Also, any IT department that green lights 500 orders for a product that isn't out yet and has an unknown software ecosystem should be given pink slips.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

MobileAdmin 3rd Mar 2011

@abbub

Who says we don't already have the Playbook? Considering we have 30k Blackberrys we are one of RIM's key accounts. We have our OWN ecosystem and make the Apps we want to use on the device and via BES can push it directly to our devices. No need for Apple to approve or some half ass limited side load method Apple still uses.

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I say you don't have it

wackoae 3rd Mar 2011

@MobileAdmin

Calling your BS is pretty easy. You are just a clueless pretender.

You don't have a Playbook because the Playbook has not being released ... not even to top RIM developers.

So please, stop pretending and get educated. You will never achieve anything by pretending to be something you are obviously not.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

Rama.NET 3rd Mar 2011

@MobileAdmin
AFAIK, the enterprises that are going for iPads are mostly executive level, and they want to check their BI Dashboards and email. And like @abbub mentioned above, they don't need more muscle. And I think they would adopt to iPads and I also see RIM Playbook going in but not Xooms.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

MobileAdmin 3rd Mar 2011

@Rama.NET

Well we did that exact use case and the iPad failed due to the software we use to make dashboards renders them in FLASH!. They do however work great on Playbook. Even SAP has stated this on RIM's behave.

Before you go spouting to reprogram our dashboards / replare the product we are using the industry standard Crystal Reports (now owned by SAP).

iPad is absoluting awful at document management as you need an App (or iTunes) to manage files?!? Playbook just connects via USB and drag and drop.

Sometimes Apple just makes things too complicated for their own (self serving) good.

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Again, stop lying

wackoae 3rd Mar 2011

@MobileAdmin Dude, you are so pathetic.

Worked in the Playbook ... a product that is not even in production and not even top RIM developers have a preview.

Pathetic.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

PAR501 3rd Mar 2011

@MobileAdmin

I agree with your line of thinking!! This market will be pretty big and if we see how the PC market is, there are multiple companies that share it!! Apple has a niche and they play to that but there will be others and they will be here to stay.
I also think that RIM and HP will flex their enterprise muscle and allow you to build your own environment and will also add more security to the devices.

The game is just starting so I don't understand we people get so worked up

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

Peter Sabin 3rd Mar 2011

The Apple bias seems to be showing.

It was a blase upgrade; to cast the debate into 'they didn't need to" seems to miss the point. Others are moving; Apple isn't.

They are milking the cow.

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The Qannaddian guvmint is paying for one of these devices...

Feldwebel Wolfenstool 3rd Mar 2011

...for every Federal Member of Parliament. I bet President-for-Life Hu of China can hardly wait to gather up these units, when the battery pooches out in a year or so.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

rimpac99@... Updated - 3rd Mar 2011

Draconian control never works in the long run. Give it 5 years and it will be Mac all over again. iPad will eventually settle for a loyal 10% market share. Seen it all before. Right now, it's pretty cool - only until tablets become a commodity.

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All non-iPad tablet already are commodities

oncall 3rd Mar 2011

@rimpac99@...

Look at the folks talking about the Xoom. It's the darling of the moment for the ABA crowd because it has better "features", nothing about the ecosystem or available apps, just better "features". These competitors are already totally commoditized. I like to think of them as techie "feature hounds", next month someone will release a tablets that has 5 more pixels or .01 Mhz faster processor or $10 cheaper and they'll all be like "What's a Xoom?" That's why Apple played the long smart move by building their own ecosystem that caters to the consumer which is where the real money it, so they can actually develop and sell products that have something to offer beyond a simple spec sheet, beyond the "Hey look at us, we added a barometer!" competition.

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Better features??

wackoae 3rd Mar 2011

@oncall Lets see:

- A pre-alpha OS that constantly crashes
- Peripherals that don't work
- Only 16 apps
- etc.

Yeah, the Xoom has "better" features.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

diogenesspeaks 3rd Mar 2011

What a bunch of BS. A bunch of Apple haters trying desperately to convince themselves the iPad 2 was not a major upgrade... This is so funny and pathetic... iPad 2 has just sliced the manhood off of all other tablets.... and did it at $499 and a $100 refund for recent iPad 1 buyers ROTFLMAO

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Maybe it's good enough for Apple, but not for me

ron.cleaver@... 3rd Mar 2011

I don't fall for marketing 101. I don't hate Apple, but I've never bought any of their products for a variety of reasons. Companies that don't exceed my expectations don't get my money.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

ssaha 4th Mar 2011

@ron.cleaver@... Wow, you must not spend a lot of money. Care to expand on which companies actually DO exceed your expectations? Or are you simply a spec checking moron that cares for phantom bullet points over real-world performance?

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

clokverkorange 3rd Mar 2011

There's a huge bias here, since you didn't even mention the Galaxy Tab and it's iterations. The 10.1" version is hitting soon, and I know a lot of people that weren't interested in the 7" that are now considering jumping in when the 10.1 hits. Google and Android are powerful motivators, and the 10.1" Tab coming pre-loaded with Honeycomb is attractive as well. While the iPad may appeal to the masses, the Galaxy has a strong following and Android itself has a HUGE developer ecosystem. Both great products, and it'll be interesting to see how the increased competition from Android makes Apple respond. In an environment like this the consumer actually wins for once.

Also, I tend to agree with those who say that having 65,000 apps isn't really a big deal with all the duplication and crapware on the App Store. Granted, the Android Market has the same thing (how many Flashlight app variations do we need? Do we really want another Mr. T soundboard?) but it seems to be more prevalent on the App Store, maybe just because of the popularity of the format.

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Let the past speak for itself.

TripleII-21189418044173169409978279405827 3rd Mar 2011

2007
http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/04/30/ballmer.on.iphone/
Ballmer: iPhone has 'no chance'

OK, do I really need to show how devastatingly wrong that statement was?

http://phandroid.com/2010/05/24/steve-jobs-not-a-chance-for-google-to-leapfrog-apple/
Steve Jobs has already made his mind up: there?s ?not a chance? that Google will match ? or, at best, surpass ? Apple?s prowess in the mobile phone space.

Hmmm, you mean King Jobs was incorrect? Blasphemy!

http://gigaom.com/2010/08/02/android-sales-overtake-iphone-in-the-u-s/
Sales of Google Android phones in the U.S. are rising so quickly, the devices have outsold Apple handsets for the first time on record.

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/PG.Biz/Vivid+Games+news/feature.asp?c=10639
Android is a good opportunity but it can't compete with iPhone

Hmmm, I wonder how many ZDNet blogs stated Android was DOA.

http://techcrunch.com/2009/12/16/google-android-market/
, We Count Only 16,000 Apps In Android Market

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13970_7-20032228-78.html
"If apps continue to be developed for each platform at this same rate, the Android Market will have more apps than the Apple App Store by mid-2012,"

http://www.slashgear.com/ios-apps-65000-vs-android-3-0-honeycomb-apps-at-100-02137192/
Apple?s counterblow came in the form of a single graphic showing the Honeycomb bee logo and ?00,100?, one hundred apps compared to iOS which has 65,000

Hmmm, it seems that Apple is in an active assault stage of the game. First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they FIGHT you, then you win.

What a difference two years makes. From DOA to Big Dog. I think it is premature to state that "it's all over but the crying..."

You know, as magical as Apple is, it is similar to what happened to Microsoft, they are, in the big scheme of things, one dinky little company when stacked up against the hundreds and hundreds of companies actively working to bring tablets to market. I can see the future arguments now.

"Yeah, Honeycomb 3.0 has 40K apps but they ALL SUCK"
"Android can have the low end marketplace, Apple is about profit"
...

TripleII

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

dave95. Updated - 3rd Mar 2011

Worth repeating:

"The iPad is also already on the scene, and has been for almost a year. The Xoom is just out, the TouchPad will be out sometime this summer, same with the PlayBook. These devices were a response to the original iPad, and two wont be out until after the iPad 2 ships. Thats just crazy."

Safe to say the competitors are off beat, responding to the iPad 1 one year later when the iPad 2 is already shipping (or about to be shipping). Crazy indeed.

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RE:

jcpt928 4th Mar 2011

@ Adrian

IDK what planet you're from...

"Never underestimate the power of being first"

...but, Apple is/was NOT the first one to make tablets.

The only thing they were "first" at is figuring out how to sell someone else's idea to the masses...maybe...just maybe.

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RE: Why the iPad 2 is only a minor upgrade, and why the Xoom/PlayBook/TouchPad are toast

FrogWild 5th Mar 2011

@jcpt928

Wow are you off base here. You're seriously comparing the old HP slates that ran M$ Windoz to the new style App-based tablet THAT APPLE INVENTED? They aren't even in the same league. One ran on a crappy OS that was never meant to be used in a touch environment, while the other was designed from the ground up to do so! And yes.. Apple gets 100% of the credit as they re-defined both the smartphone and tablet categories.

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Flash not a thought

memmad@... 5th Mar 2011

Most consumers now do not understand the impact of FLASH. It is extremly annoying to not get to see something a friend sent. You don't know it until you bought it and then tooo late. You work around it begrudgingly. We want FLASH! We want it to do it all a solution is wanted. We feel cheated!

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Seriously?

FrogWild 5th Mar 2011

Yo Adrian! I'm here because the Macalope said "you get it" but I'm not so sure. I mean seriously... " it didn?t need to be any better" is the premise of your article? I couldn't disagree more. When have you known Apple to slack off and rest on their laurels? Perhaps you were in a lazy mood and had a heck of a weekend planned and needed to knock out an article in 10 minutes. Because it doesn't appear you put any thought into this article of any REAL reasons for this update.

If I may offer up some food for thought: I believe the retina display on the iPad would have used up too much processing power and battery life for the current technology. One of Apples biggest bragging rights is battery life and they wanted to debut a new iPad with twice the power, in a thinner form factor, without taking a hit on battery life. Because believe me... had it been even 1 hour less, we would never heard the end from the Fandroid crowd about how this is a "downgrade" a "step backwards" and on and on and on... I think there is another real possibility of Apple not being able to secure enough high-res screens to meet demand. We must not forget that many times a manufacturer is limited by what the wholesale market can bear. We already know that Apple has tied up up 60% of all touch screens available in the world at that size. That tells me there aren't a whole lot of manufactures out there right now able to fulfill Apples' demand for the current resolution size, so imagine how scarce the higher resolution screes are. As far as USB and SD... I'm disappointed in the lack of them both but feel Apple has it's reasons for which I disagree with. The camera was a cost-saving move that also disappoints me. They should have used the iPhone 4 5 MP camera setup for the back and the new HD camera from the brand new MacBook Pro line on the front. I'm guessing these are being saved for the iPad 3 as well. (I mean c'mon... you gotta save some stuff to cause iPad 1 owners to "need" to upgrade to the super-impressive iPad 3). I would have preferred HDMI jack on the iPad vs a dongle... but really... that would raise the cost for the few people who will actually use it.

So to wrap up... I feel Apple did what had to do to say on top, but feel there were too many trade offs or supply issues with the other decisions. But to say Apple "didn?t need to be any better" is simply incorrect and lazy.