Apple Inc.?s new iPad, dubbed iPad 3 by tech aficionados to identify it as the third generation of one of the world?s top-selling tablet computers, went on sale as scheduled at 8:00 a.m. local time today in the United States and nine other countries. With a price range between $499 and $829, it will be carried by more than 362 Apple stores around the world and by virtually every major technology retailer.
At the time of the new tablet?s release, Apple had sold more than 55 million iPad units in just under two years, including the first iPad that came on the market in April 2010 and the iPad2 that rolled out almost a year later. The speed of the tablet?s evolutions leaves consumers with nagging questions about the difference between previous and future-generation models and why they should get the latest one.
Sleeker, thinner and lighter than its predecessor, the iPad3 will be sold as two different types and models: a Wi-Fi-only edition, and a version with Wi-Fi and 4G LTE ability. AT&T and Verizon Wireless are ready to sell it in stores as of today, but they will sell only the 4G LTE models. Both carriers already have different plans for these models. Meanwhile, Apple and big-box retailers like Best Buy and Target are expected to sell the Wi-Fi-only models.
The ?cons? of this revamped piece of technology are, simply put, few and far between. Many reviewers complain that the device has only 1 gig of processing memory and 64 gigs of saving space. They gripe that media and pictures alone can quickly fill the space provided. Moreover, because of its new capabilities, the iPad 3 will require many programs to go above the Microsoft download limit of 20 megabytes. This can directly affect those who own Apple?s iPhone, as they currently won?t be able to download apps over 20MB. The iPhone 5, rumored to be released in this summer, should provide a solution to this problem.
Now here are the reasons why I want an iPad3 and why thousands were lining up at Apple stores here at home and in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and Britain a day ahead of its release.
This new iPad features a function known as ?iSight.? This is a camera that has a 5-mega-pixel sensor. It also possesses a five-element lens, auto focus, and face recognition. In addition to these luxuries, the ?iSight? camera can capture true high-definition (HD) videos in 1080p, with software-based image stabilization. It features retina display with a massive resolution of 2048 X 1536 pixels. This means the resolution is spread over 3.1 million pixels. That?s one million more than an HDTV.
The display also claims to offer 44 percent better color saturation than the iPad 2, allowing it to provide more excitable pixels than an Xbox 360 or a PS3 game console. According to Apple, the GPU (graphics processing unit) fitted in the iPad 3 is also twice as powerful as the iPad2?s?all this is in addition to an already brighter screen display.?
Another addition to the new frame is voice dictation. Pressing the microphone decal enables voice dictation capability and transcribes text to typing in six widely excepted languages. Lastly, the iPad 3 houses an 11,666-mAh battery. This is almost double the battery power of a MacBook laptop, and more than 70 percent larger that the iPad 2?s battery, allowing for nine to ten continuous hours of usage.
