蘋果新版iPad亮相 新系統亦將問世

CUPERTINO, Calif. — In reaction to declining sales of tablet computing devices, Apple’s chief executive, Timothy D. Cook, recently remarked that tablets had hit a “speed bump” that was nothing to be concerned about.

加利福尼亞州庫比提諾——鑑於平板電腦設備銷量下滑，蘋果公司(Apple)首席執行官蒂莫西·D·庫克(Timothy D. Cook)最近表示，平板電腦撞上了一個“減速帶”，但這種情況無需擔心。

Now Apple is trying to accelerate past the bump.

如今，蘋果正試圖加速經過這條減速帶。

The company on Thursday introduced new models of iPads, including a major revision for its iPad Air, the larger and more expensive model, and some improvements for its smaller sibling, the iPad Mini 3.

週四，蘋果推出了新款iPad，對更大更貴的iPad Air做出了重大改動，還對尺寸較小的iPad Mini 3做了一些改進。

Apple said the iPad Air 2 was 18 percent thinner and 40 percent faster than the last one, a surprising change — and a bit of an engineering feat — because Apple made the previous version thinner and faster just last year. Essentially, the new iPad Air is thinner than a pencil. The new iPads will be available Oct. 24.

蘋果表示，iPad Air 2比上一代薄了18%，快了40%，這個改變有些出人意料，在工程上也是一大成就——因爲蘋果去年纔剛剛讓上一版iPad變得更輕更快。可以說，新款iPad Air比一支鉛筆還薄。它將從10月24日開始發售。

“It’s unbelievably gorgeous and look how thin it is. Can you even see it?” said Mr. Cook, holding the new iPad in front of an audience of members of the news media and Apple employees at the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters.

“它實在太棒了，看看它多麼薄。差點都看不到了吧？”庫克在蘋果位於硅谷的總部拿着新款iPad，對媒體和蘋果員工說道。

The iPad Air 2 has an improved camera, and it has a display designed to reduce reflections. The tablet has 10 hours of battery life, same as the previous version. It has a starting price of $500. The iPad Mini 3 starts at $400 — but it’s not thinner than the last version.

iPad Air 2改善了照相功能，顯示屏的設計還能減少反光。與上一款一樣，其電池續航時間爲10小時。它的起售價格爲500美元（約合3000元人民幣）。iPad Mini 3的起售價格爲400美元——但並不比上一款薄。

Apple added its fingerprint sensor, called Touch ID, to each of the new iPads. The technology is used to log into the iPad in place of a typed passcode. It can also be used to make in-app purchases with Apple’s new mobile payments system, Apple Pay, which will be available Monday.

蘋果給每個新款iPad都增加了稱爲Touch ID的指紋傳感器。用戶將通過這項技術進入iPad，而無需像之前那樣輸入密碼。指紋傳感器還可以通過蘋果的新移動支付系統Apple Pay來在應用中進行支付。Apple Pay將於週一推出。

Apple said iOS 8.1, the next update for the software that runs Apple’s mobile devices, would also be available Monday.

蘋果宣佈，週一還將推出iOS 8.1，即蘋果移動設備運行軟件的下一版更新。

Apple also added gold as a color option for the new iPads.

新款iPad還增加了金色版供用戶選擇。

Apple has made big changes to its iPads more quickly than it has with other Apple products, like the iPhone, which in the past has been redesigned every two years.

蘋果對iPad做出重大修改的速度比對iPhone等其他蘋果產品更快。過去，每隔兩年，iPhone纔會重新設計一次。

Why the difference? For one, an iPad gives Apple’s engineers more physical space to tinker around. And from a business standpoint, Apple has to do more with the iPad to maintain healthy sales.

爲何會有這種差別？首先，iPad給了蘋果工程師更多進行改進的實際空間。從商業角度來看，蘋果需要對iPad投入更多，才能維持良好的銷售業績。

In the second quarter, Apple’s iPad sales declined 9.3 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to the industry analysis firm IDC. And the worldwide market for tablet sales is starting to cool. While shipments of tablets exploded from 18 million in 2010 to 207 million last year, they are expected to increase just 11 percent this year, according to another research firm, Gartner. Last year, shipments had increased 55 percent.

據科技研究公司IDC透露，二季度蘋果iPad的銷售量同比下降了9.3%，全球市場的平板電腦銷售也開始降溫。據另一家調研公司高德納(Gartner)透露，去年，平板電腦的出貨量從2010年的1800萬臺飆升至2.07億臺，今年全球平板電腦的出貨量只會增加11%，而去年的增幅達到了55%。

But the iPad is still Apple’s second-biggest moneymaker, accounting for about 10 percent of its profit. That is a long way from the iPhone, which accounts for about 70 percent of its profit, but still important.

但iPad仍是蘋果的第二大收入來源，產生的利潤在蘋果總利潤中佔10%。儘管這距離iPhone產生的利潤——70%——還有很大的差距，但它仍是一款重要的產品。

Also at the event on the company’s campus, Apple released its new Macintosh operating system, OS X Yosemite, which it introduced this year. The software system, which is a free download, has a new design with new icons and more vibrant colors.

在蘋果總部舉行的發佈會上，蘋果還推出了新的麥金塔(Macintosh)操作系統OS X Yosemite，蘋果公司於今年發佈了該系統。新版系統有新設計、新圖標，色彩更加鮮明。

A key feature is called Continuity, which makes it easier to juggle content across different Apple devices. For example, a user can be making a presentation on a Mac, and then swipe up from the corner of an iPad to resume working on the same presentation.

一種稱爲Continuity的關鍵功能，使在不同蘋果設備中進行同步操作變得更容易。例如，用戶可以用Mac做演示，然後滑動iPad屏幕，繼續剛纔的演示。

In addition, the company said WatchKit, a tool kit for software makers to use in developing apps for its coming smart watch, would be released next month. The Apple Watch, which Apple demonstrated last month, is still on track for a release early next year, according to Mr. Cook.

除此之外，該公司還表示將於下月發佈軟件開發者用來爲蘋果的智能手錶開發應用時所需的工具WatchKit。蘋果上個月展示了Apple Watch，但據庫克透露，按照計劃，這款產品將於明年早些時候推出。

Apple on Thursday also released a new iMac, a desktop computer with a high-resolution, 27-inch screen. Apple said the display has seven times more pixels than a high-definition television. It costs $2,500.

週四，蘋果還發布了新版iMac，這款臺式電腦擁有27寸的高分辨率屏幕。該公司表示，其顯示屏的分辨率是高清電視的7倍。這款電腦售價2500美元。

In addition, the company released a new upgrade for its Mac Mini, the smaller desktop computer, with a faster processor. It costs $500.

蘋果還推出了新款Mac Mini，這款配有更快處理器的小臺式電腦售價500美元。