New IPAD smaller, 1 more MP in camera and A6X CPU... still £300+ very expensive compared with alternative options.

As ever with Apple products there is absolutely nothing to justify the extra cost. Apple fans will quote features other tablets also have and use the phrases 'it's just better' and 'the best' a lot.

I watched the stream of the announcement and a couple of things made me laugh:



WTF? That is one of the most idiotic things I've heard in a long time. Have a go of the Nexus 7 or Samsung's tablets and justify that statement please. I'll bet there were an army of Samsung lawyers licking their lips when he rolled that classic out.

Another was the terminology they use to bamboozle and impress Apple fans. "A Facetime HD camera, no other tablet has that".

The most shocking comment was made by the commentator on the web stream I watched, quoting some other Apple employee with a wonderful job title and saying that Apple have sold more ipads in the last quarter of 2012 than any one PC manufacturer has sold PCs in their history. OMG, so they've sold more ipads in three months than HP have sold PCs. Staggering if true.

Apple is an astonishing company, a shining example not in technology, creativity or innovation, but in marketing. Genius of the highest order. Truth is the mini is not better in any significant area than other small tablets, is a year late and costs 40% more, but it'll still outsell them all.

Where is the £300+ figure from? $329+VAT works out at £250ish

Very rarely happens like that in the UK though doesn't it. Most retailers just change the dollar sign for a pound sign.

Apple have it at £269 on their site, £70 more than the Nexus...

Saddened you really need to try and calm down. You clearly don't like apple products, which of course is fine, just don't buy them.

They make premium products that are designed and built extremely well, they charge a premium for that (I agree the products are expensive) but some people are prepared to pay for that, I can't understand why you get so worked up over it.

As an aside the new iMac looks stunning.

I don't know where you get the idea from that I'm worked up about it. I work in a similar industry now so take an interest in these things. Apple's commercial performance always impresses me and good for them that they continue to pull the wool over people's eyes. As you say though I'm not forced to buy their products so I'm not worked up about it.

After a few days with the Note 2, i'm very very happy with it, great piece of kit. The size really isn't a problem for me. When i went from the n97 to the HTC desire HD that seemed to make the HD seem massive, but going from the HD to the Note 2 wasn't such a jump in size. The case the HTC was in made the HTC bulky but the genuine note 2 case adds little to the thickness so the note feels a lot better in hand. After only 3 days the HTC is looking a bit on the small side.
All in all i'm loving the Note 2.
PS, couldn't prize mrs G away from i-phone so she is now the proud owner of i-phone 5.... it's minute...

I decided to reset my phone in the end anyway. Low and behold, problem sorted. The EE text came through a few days after.

Hardly, most of the stuff they use is mid range PC gear wrapped up in a nice design.



About the only thing they do worth shouting about, a lot of companies need to take lead from them and design products better (a lot of the Ultrabooks are starting to do this now)



Apple tax!

You could build your own version of a Mac Pro for under a third of the price, the only difference is you don't get that Apple logo stuck on the side which adds to the cost.

The biggest problems with Apple:
- Products aren't anywhere near as good as they make out, especially at the prices they sell them for (Samsung make better products, for example).

- Inane patents - this week they were granted a patent for using maps on a touchscreen device!

They're a great bunch of marketing people who have drawn millions of people in hook, line & sinker with the OOOH LOOK AT OUR SHINY NEW THING whilst adding very little, or in the case of the Macbook Pro...taking a lot out (ethernet, DVD drive, dedicated graphics chip) and increasing the price.

OSX is a good OS and the iPod is great but everything else they do is over priced and average from a tech standpoint.