The New iPad - Weight Comparison

We all know the 'new iPad' will be slightly heavier and thicker than the iPad 2, but I hadn't seen anyone talk about the difference for original iPad owners. Since I was curious, I did some quick calculations based on the specs for the original iPad and the 'new iPad' (3rd gen). While the 'new iPad' is very slightly thicker than the iPad 2 (0.03") the weight difference depends a lot on the configuration (Wi-Fi vs. 3G vs. 4G). 

I found out that the weight difference is basically a wash between the Wi-Fi versions with a savings of just 1.1 ounces. In contrast, the difference between the original iPad and the iPad 2 was 2.8 ounces. One thing I learned is that the original iPad with 3G weighs quite a bit more (relatively) than the Wi-Fi version (1.8 ounces). In my own scenario, moving from original iPad 3G to the 'new iPad' with Wi-Fi, there is a more substantial difference of 2.8 ounces.

These weights seem pretty minor but they do make a difference especially when reading for long periods of time (or when packing a bag for overseas travel). 

Raw Numbers (I didn't do every permutation):

iPad (1st gen 3G) -> iPad (3rd gen Wi-Fi) 
2.82 oz lighter (80g) (0.13" thinner)

iPad (1st gen 3g) -> iPad 2
4.55 oz lighter (129g) (0.16" thinner)

iPad (1st gen Wi-Fi) -> iPad 2
2.79 oz lighter (79g) (0.16" thinner)

iPad (1st gen Wi-Fi) -> iPad (3rd gen Wi-Fi)
1.06 oz lighter (30g) (0.13" thinner)

iPad 2 -> iPad (3rd gen Wi-Fi)
1.73 oz heavier (49g) (0.03" thicker)

For Comparison:

iPhone 4S
4.9 oz (140g)

4 US Quarters (0.2oz each)
0.8 oz (23g)

Data Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad

 

Words are UI

Brent Simmons on the new Twitter app tab labels:
Nobody wants to connect or discover. People want to talk, send email, chat, share, post to Facebook, tweet, and so on. They want to find old friends; they want to find new friends; they want to see if their brother went skiing on the weekend so they can remember to ask about it on Christmas.
Words are as important as graphics and animation. Words are part of the user interface. People prefer words with meaning to words that could mean just about anything.

I've long been in agreement with this philosophy. I've never had as much trouble sketching a design or creating a wireframe as I sometimes have just coming up with a single word to describe a feature or god forbid a meaningful user facing error message.

What does it really mean to be a "Product Guy" (via Tech Crunch)

The first, and I suppose seemingly easiest claim and means to justify your place in the startup world, as someone who has no experience, is to call yourself a product person.

But that claim generally comes with a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to do product. It is not code for a person who doesn’t really know how to do anything but thinks he can boss engineers around. It doesn’t refer to marketing guys who had an idea. Understanding what it means to drive a product means understanding the full scope of the vision of your company. It means understanding your engineering team, their capabilities, and their priorities. It means understanding what your next move is, and what your 6th move is from every angle.