Intel Corp (INTC)

[ibc]

Here is what Walt Mossberg, one of the most influential reviewers, has to say about the new iPad

Overall, the new model reinforces my view that the iPad is the best full-sized tablet, but this latest iteration isn’t much of a leap.

...

The problem was this: I couldn’t tell the difference between the Air and Air 2 while doing these things. The new model didn’t seem faster or smoother while running all my apps, perhaps because — like most people — I don’t use my iPad for the most demanding video-editing apps or high-end games.

http://recode.net/2014/10/21/review-apples-ipad-air-2-is-better-but-is-it-better-enough/

It seems like the iPad is like a PC now. Regular people don't seem all that impressed with the performance improvements. Apple is now forced into the benchmark-eting game.

Previous Apple messages were more about showcasing new use cases.