Hey! Some people enjoy spending shitloads of money on something useless that will lose its value almost immediately and be obsolete in a week. Jackass!

Hard to critisize Apple for their business model. Overpriced tat sells and people are stupidly loyal to them so the only way they can keep making money is to make their own products obsolete by bringing out new ones.

I paid $500 for an ASUS T101MT Netvertible, right after its release, that does exactly what a netbook can do, plus functions exactly as an iPAD does with touchscreen and stylus operation if you swivel around the upper half. I can't remember how much an iPAD cost at the time, but frankly, you pay a good portion for the technology and then even more just to have the Apple logo on it.

Yeah, but with the logo people will recognize what it is and your status in society will be da champs!

Companies right now, including Apple, are treating tablet computers a lot like cell phones. The focus is on the "use it anywhere/anytime" capability that tying it to a cell network gives you. And that means some lucky cell phone company probably gets a data plan out of you.

And if there's one thing that's true about cell phones and the companies behind them, it's that you don't sit on a product for years, or even months. You upgrade that sucker, slap a slightly larger number on the end of its name, and you push it out within 16 months at the outside or you're dead, your family's dead, and your house is burned to the ground.

Not that I'm supporting the move. Personally, I'd never use the cell network connectivity of these things, not if they can use plain-old good-enough-for-me wireless. But basically, they want you to see them less like small computers and more like large phones that you don't really place calls with. And that you upgrade frequently. Or skip the latest version of and then grab the even latest-er version of a few months later.

I think i used the wrong slash. Oops.

You really have to hand it to Apple - They did something that other companies can only dream of

They put themselves in a state where their product will get sold no matter what - Make it pretty, make it shiny, market it well and it will sell

it doesn't matter how shitty the product it, it doesnt matter how overpriced it is, it doesnt matter if competitors offer better things - it will sell

Kind of reminds me Of Nintendo and Microsoft with their consoles and accessories. Well done Apple

Really, you just got that?
It was pretty much confirmed something like two or three weeks ago.
And it's not that surprising, Apple is one of the worst in that department.
They're always releasing the same gadget over and over with tiny improvements and people love them for it.

uncapitalize your first "i" in [I]. It only works with lowercase ;)

Well, I had an iPhone 3G for the last two years until I replaced it last Saturday with an iPhone 4. And the only reason I did that is because my 3G started showing the tell-tale signs that it was dying.

I don't really have a problem with Apple putting out new versions of their stuff each year, what I have a problem with is the people who feel that they have to keep replacing their old stuff the second the new is out -- as it only encourages Apple, etc., to throw out newer stuff sooner.

Me, I'll stick with the iPhone 4 until it finally dies and replacing it with whatever the current model at the time is becomes the better option.

But then, I'm not an Apple fan, they just happen to have the cheapest solution on the market here for what I need.

Oh apple. Well at least I can laugh about the fact the white iPhone 4 keeps gets getting delayed. Apparently slapping on a white faceplate is a logistical nightmare! lol

It's a 1-year refresh cycle for the iPad (the announcement is next week, it's expected to ship in April) ... In fact almost everything Apple is a 1-year refresh cycle, which seems reasonable ... you don't have to buy the new one each year. I upgrade to the most recent cycle only after 4+ years of owning the last one. I just got a new Mac laptop 6 months ago and am looking to enjoy it for another 4 years at least. There is a new MacBook Pro out this week (just announced in fact), but my current laptop is just fine thank you. I also have no plans on upgrading my iPhone 3G even though the iPhone 5 comes out this summer, my 3G still works pretty well.

This is bizarre, most of the time Apple-hate focuses on them not refreshing their products fast enough because Android phones (tablets soon too) and Windows computers come out all during the year ...

Thanking you, using the phone so it autocaps some things

No problem :D