iPad 3/The New iPad.... more like the iPad 2S

Is Steve Jobs watching this rollout? I would imagine that he kept hoping Tim would say "And one more thing..." because in my opinion, this announcement was just not very compelling, and certainly not "revolutionary". As I watched the announcement unfold, the phrase "And?" (from the recent commercial for Coke Zero) kept coming to mind. I just wasn't feeling any excitement.

So what was Tim Cook trying to get us all excited about? Well, the "new" iPad, of course. Yeah, no more model numbers. So we go from the iPad, to the iPad 2, to the "new" iPad. What will next year's model be called? Perhaps the "newer" iPad? Or the "even better" iPad? Lame. (And as an Apple mobile device lover, I just hate having to type that word here)

The key improvements

The Retina Display: This seemed the be the lynch pin of the presentation. They certainly spent a lot of time talking about it. Which I find a little wasteful considering the Retina Display has been around for two years with its introduction with the iPhone 4. The 2048x1536 resolution at 264 pixels/inch is fantastic to be sure. Greater color saturation will make photos and video look better as well. I imagine iPad 1 users will jump to the new iPad but would people upgrade from the iPad 2 just for that? Perhaps Apple is targeting those iPad 1 users and those who are still trying to decide on their first tablet purchase.

The new A5X Graphics Processor: To make the new Retina Display "pop", they had to improve the processor to a Quad Core Graphics chip that can drive all those pixels without seriously draining battery life. The A5X (not the expected A6 chip) is designed to do just that. I get the feeling that this chip won't do much for general application performance but is really just a powerhouse to support faster graphics processing. Nothing wrong with that!

4G/LTE and Tethering Support: As I said in a previous post, this is the one thing I was hoping for! And it is finally here! Of course, it should have been in both the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, but whose complaining (okay, I am). The LTE speed (for those who live in an area that has it) will be a big benefit for power users of the device. And the ability to use the iPad as a Personal Hotspot to support five other wireless devices will be much accepted (the costs of which will be up to your carrier, of course). I think this was inevitable. I wonder how the Personal Hotspot feature will impact battery life though.

LTE does suck up battery life (as most Android users with 4G/LTE will attest to). So Apple has tweaked the battery in the new iPad so that even with LTE, you will still have 9 hours of battery life (10+ hours if running 3G). This will be a welcome benefit to those LTE users who currently have to buy extended batteries for their Android phones.

Improved Camera with 1080p: The new 5 megapixel camera is nice but more of a 'duh' in my book. It should have come with the iPad 2. But Apple likes to improve its cameras with every new device release, so this comes as no great surprise. Basically, this is the same camera that ships in the iPhone 4S so people will enjoy using the iPad as an overly large camera for both stills and HD Video at 1080p. The new auto face-detection and auto image stabilization will also be appreciated.

Updates for iWork and iLife: These improvements are pretty much par for the course. GarageBand got Smart Strings, a Note Editor, and a cool new feature where multiple iPad users can collaborate in a "jam session" that can be recorded on a single iPad as separate tracks. I can see a lot of musicians trying to see how this can enhance their creativity. iMovie can now generate 'movie trailers' which should be fun. And the new iPhoto app will offer 'photo journals' that can be stored in iCloud and shared with non-Apple users via a web browser. All very nice (but not limited to just the new iPad device).

Siri with Japanese support: Okay, so if you speak Japanese, you are going to love this new feature. But otherwise, it is just another language Siri supports. It has yet to be really tested in the real world to see how well it works. Just ask Siir users in Scotland about their experiences with language recognition. I wonder how Siri will handle the various dialects in Japan.

iCloud streams movies now: iCloud is just going to expand its reach as more and more developers begin to figure out how to utilize the Cloud in their applications. The fact that Apple will now stream movies from the Cloud is just a natural extension of what it does now with media. It's a good thing, especially if it has adaptive streaming to handle varying bandwidth availability at the device level for those of us who won't be using LTE.

Apple TV supports 1080p too: Oh yeah, the new Apple TV device, which supports NetFlix and other streaming sources, will now hook up to your HDTV device in full 1080p! While this is not historic or revolutionary, it is what I would expect from a streaming media device in today's world. If you are one of the many who are 'unplugging' from the likes of Comcast, AT&T UVerse, and DISH Network in favor of getting all your entertainment over the Internet, then this is something to pay attention to. For $99, it is well worth the investment because it also allows you to stream all the media on your PC/Mac to your HDTV (photos, music, and video).

To wrap things up

I don't mean to say these improvements aren't very nice. They are all nice enhancements. And that if I had the device, I would certainly be taking advantage of them. But they just seem like a small step up -- like where the iPad 2 should have been from the start. The top four items on the above list were all things that users like me were clamoring for about this same time in 2011 when we were all waiting for the iPad 2 announcement.

The app improvements and the updated iOS 5.1 I will get on my iPad 2, so I do not really consider them germane to discussing the value of the "new" iPad. I will get to enjoy the new features of GarageBand, iMovie, and iPhoto without the new device. And sure, the camera icon visible on the lock screen is great (but of course you still need tech gloves if you live in colder climates to swipe the thing).

For those of us who shelled out the cash for a 3G 64gb iPad 2, I cannot justify the cost of upgrading to this new device. The only compelling enhancement is 4G/LTE. The Retina Display is all nice and fine, but unless you are an iPad Gamer I don't think the display alone is worth the cash. I think I'd rather wait for the iPhone 5 with LTE support and just tether my iPad 2 to that when I need the speed boost.

I can't help but wonder if Apple has 'jumped the shark'. It has been a full two days since the announcement, and I am still thinking to myself "And....?"

iPad 3 Announcement coming March 7th

Here we go again! Apple has made it official today -- an announcement on their new iPad will be made on March 7th. Official specifications and features have not yet been published by Apple but the web is filled with rumors and wish lists for the new mobile device. And, Apple's new iOS -- iOS 5.1 -- is also expected to be revealed during that announcement as well.

Having purchased the 64gb/3G iPad 2 last April, I am once again faced with the decision to upgrade or pass. I have to say that as of right now, I am likely to 'pass' on this one. I just don't see anything truly compelling enough for me to spend the money for another iPad. It might be a better choice to save my money for the next iPhone instead (especially if the coveted iPhone 5 comes with LTE support and the ability to share that connection with my iPad 2 when needed).

So what are people thinking?

LTE Support with Qualcomm 4G LTE Gobi 4000 chip.
This is the only real feature that makes an upgrade truly enticing for me. Having 4G LTE speed for the iPad would be awesome. Most people use their iPads for more powerful mobile computing, video/entertainment, and gaming. So having the ability to manage files in the Cloud more efficiently, enjoy a smoother video streaming experience with NetFlix/Hulu/YouTube, and faster audio streaming via iCloud are all major benefits of the faster network.

Quad Core A6 ARM processor by Samsung
The iPad 2 is a dual-core A5 processor that is very fast. It was a definite improvement over the original iPad processor. The A5 chip is also what is powering the iPhone 4S. So imagine the speed of this new quad-core A6! The iPad will be a speedy device for sure, and marrying that with the speed of 4G LTE, and you will certainly experience the 'turbo boost'. I would say this is the second enticement for moving up to the iPad 3, especially if you are a gamer, an iMovie user, or a power user who pushes their device to its fullest.

Bigger battery Capacity
One thing that 4G LTE users have groaned about on their HTC phones, is the impact of the LTE network access on their battery life. It isn't pretty. LTE can drain a battery fast, so it only makes sense that Apple would want to beef up the already beefy battery to compensate for LTE. I use my iPad all day long and it can last me 10-12 hours. If using LTE reduces overall battery life by more than an hour, I would be very upset. So increasing battery life makes sense. And if you don't use LTE, maybe the device will last a few more hours than it does today.

The long-awaited Retina Display
Everyone has been waiting for it. It did not appear in the original. It did not appear in the iPad 2. So it just 'has' to be in the iPad 3, right? With a potential resolution of 2048x1536, this would be great for game developers and video enthusiasts, not to mention viewing the photos you transfer to the device from your favorite Digital SLR Camera. Rumor have the screen being developed by Sharp, Samsung, and even LG. But with rumors of manufacturing challenges flying around, it is still unclear whether this is going to be realized in the next model.

A better Rear Camera at 8MP
Every time Apple releases an iDevice, they seem to want to improve the camera optics. So it is reasonable to expect that the iPad will get a better camera, perhaps at the same 8MP resolution as the iPhone 4S. It would be short-sighted to have an iPad 3 with a mediocre camera. So one feature pretty much brings the other along.

iOS 5.1 Release
Apple has been working on this new release for the past 3-6 months, and developers have had beta releases to work with for a while. It would make sense for Apple to announce the new OS along with the iPad 3, especially if there are features that the new device will take advantage of. A few of the new features that have leaked include:

FaceBook integration: Just like iOS 5.0 included Twitter integration, we will see greater integration of FaceBook into the built-in apps. It will be easier to upload photos and videos to FaceBook without using the FaceBook app, as well as posting updates. We might also see merging of contact information between the Contacts app and your FaceBook friends.

Notes w/Rich Text: The Notes app is pretty basic. Until now. Now you can choose more fonts, colors, sizes, and other rich text elements to your notes, making them a little more useful. Not sure if this will make me stop using apps like Texttastic or other notetaking apps, but at least they are improving this built-in solution.

Siri upgrade: Siri gets some improvements including support for the Japanese language and more support for dictation into email, notes, etc.

Camera slider swipe-up: To make it easier to take photos using an iDevice, there will now be a camera icon next to the Unlock Slider. You will be able to 'swipe up' on the camera icon to execute the camera app. This is great for those who have a lock code on their device. Now, if they could only make the camera app execute by pressing a volume button or something -- for those of us who live in winter climates and wear gloves (and don't have a pair of tech gloves).

A few other rumors...
A couple of rumors that I think are not likely to appear in this new release are Thunderbold device support (faster USB connectivity), a mini-USB port to replace the 30-pin connector for syncing, and a higher 128gb capacity model. I just don't see Apple changing their position on using the Cloud for additional storage needs. If you are a Cloud user, having USB ports to add storage is less necessary. And the mini-USB connector port would be great, but all of us with our multiple iDevice accessories (cases, chargers, GPS, speakers, VGA/HDMI adapters, etc.) would be pretty aggravated if they no longer worked (or we had to buy some $30 converter cable/adapter).

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So, are you planning to buy an iPad 3? If so, what is your compelling reason? Are you going to be selling an existing iPad in order to buy the new one? If so, check out Gazelle.com, which offers great deals for trading in your tech devices of all kinds for cash, gift cards, you name it.

I love my iPad

A touchscreen tablet? I did not think I would get one, having purchased a Dell NetBook back in 2009. But then I played with a friend's iPad and ended up buying one for myself in May 2010. I haven't looked back and I have been all smiles since!

Don't get me wrong. I am a PC guy. I have used Macs over the years but I love my PCs. But I have to give Apple the props on their design for the iPhone (I have a 3Gs) and the iPad. I use these devices all day long and have been very pleased with how reliable, functional, and 'cool' they are. With the release of iOS 4.2, about the only thing I wish they did was support Flash (other than just for YouTube).

But let's focus on the iPad. The thing just works. I can do about 90% of tasks I used to use my NetBook/Laptop for but now with a device that is much lighter, easier to carry around, always online (with 3G), and whose battery lasts for over 10 hours. (And yes, it looks like a handheld PADD device from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Who doesn't want one of THOSE!)

The key to the power of the iPad is the wealth of applications that have been developed specifically for its screen size and faster processor (compared to the iPhone). The 'apps' give the iPad a level of flexibility that allows me to accomplish what I need for business, hobby work, entertainment, social networking and collaboration, and task management.

So what apps do I use the most? Well here are some of the 70+ apps in my arsenal. Some are free, many are not. But since the average price of an app is about $3.00, you can pretty much give up the soda machines and fast food for a week to be able to afford anything you will need to be productive.

1) Cases
Okay, so these aren't apps but I have two cases that I love. One is the Apple Case which also serves as a stand for the iPad (both landscape and portrait), and, the ThinkGeek Bluetooth Keyboard case which also becomes a stand and includes a built-in keyboard for when you need to do some serious long-term keyboarding work.

2) Osfoora HD ($3.99)
If you are a Twitter enthusiast, then you need a client that will use the screen real estate well. Osfoora does that and a lot more. It provides the full-featured Twitter publishing environment you need to keep on top of the Twitterverse. There is a version of TweetDeck for iPad as well.

3) The Weather Channel (FREE)
This app is great for tracking weather conditions, severe alerts, etc. and offers good doppler radar displays, video weather reports, and forecast information.

4) Appigo ToDo ($4.99)
If you are a busy person who needs to track 'to do' lists for multiple categories like work vs personal, then you need an app like this. ToDo can organize your tasks and supports task types like checklists, simple tasks, contact tasks, and multi-step tasks with ease. And, it will synchronize over WiFi with Outlook and several 'cloud-based' solutions. It also supports Notifications for upcoming tasks, etc.

5) FaceBook (FREE)
Yes, I am addicted to FaceBook. So if you are a FaceBook fan, this is a very helpful app to use. Sure, you can surf to the FaceBook web site itself, but this app can help you do most FB actions more quickly and supports Notifications for activities happening on your page. Note: This app is an iPhone app that runs on the iPad.

6) Evernote for iPad (FREE)
This is one of the best notetaking apps for the iPad (and iPhone). It integrates seamlessly with the Evernote.com web site, allowing you to create, view, and manage notes from various sources into 'notebooks' that are stored both locally and synchronized on the 'cloud'. Your notes can be shared with others and are accessible across multiple platforms/devices. This is a great tool for meeting notetaking. And if there is no Internet available, it will store your notes locally and sync them when you are online later.

7) Max Journal ($1.99)
This is a wonderful application for journaling (business, personal, etc.). It supports multiple journals so you can keep business and personal reflections separate. You can also assign passwords for security. You are able to not only enter text but also include embedded photos and categorize each note with multiple tags for searching purposes. Journal entries are tracked by date and can be backed up to another computer via iTunes.

8) BlogPress ($2.99)
This is a great tool for managing your WordPress, Blogger, or other blogging site. There are several apps for this type of work, including specific apps for WordPress. But I find this tool very easy to use and it allows for both the creation and management of your blog posts as well as being able to announce new postings to Twitter, FaceBook News Feed, etc.

9) Skype (FREE)
Skype is great on the iPad (and the iPhone). You can conduct both voice and text chat with your Skype buddies and even conduct a video chat (albeit for now the video is one way -- you can see the other person but obviously you cannot transmit video cuz there is no camera on the current iPad). Certainly when iPad 2 comes out this year, the video chat will become two-way.

10) Office2 HD ($7.99)
This is the second most expensive app I have installed at the moment. This app allows the creation and editing of Microsoft Word and Excel documents. It can handle the basic word processing features but cannot handle complex documents yet. It supports cloud storage which is a big plus. There are other products out there, notably Documents to Go and Quick Office Connect but they are more expensive.

11) Wyse PocketCloud Professional ($14.99)
This is the most expensive app I have. This is for all the IT and business folks out there who need to access a server on their network or the cloud using the Microsoft Remote Desktop (RDP). This is an excellent tool that provides all the functionality you need to be successful. If you work in IT, and you have Microsoft Server technology, this is a must-have.

Other apps by Category

Communications: VNC Viewer, IM+, WebEx, GoToMeeting
Office Automation: Numbers, Keynote, Google Docs, PDF Reader Pro
Shopping: Amazon Windowshop, eBay, Best Buy, CraigsPro, Groupon
Entertainment: ABC Player, PBS, Hulu Plus, NetFlix, Pocket Tunes, Pandora, UStream, Fandango
Travel: GPS Drive HD, FlightTrack Pro, Kayak HD, Google Earth
IT Stuff: IT Tools, FTPontheGo
Cloud Storage: Box.Net, DropBox
eReaders/Audiobooks: iBooks, Kindle, Audible

Games

I won't even get into Games in this posting because that is a topic unto itself. Suffice to say that if you like gaming, you will have a plethora to choose from. Angry Birds, Need for Speed, Words with Friends, Cut the Rope, Jeopardy.... Oh wait, I said I wouldn't go there...

Bottom Line

If you are considering getting an iPad, my only suggestion as of right now is wait until March/April when Apple announces the iPad 2. It supposedly will be faster, have dual cameras, be lighter and thinner, have a louder speaker, and perhaps an even better display. But official specs have not been published at this time.

The iPad is a fantastic tool -- very useful, very flexible. Are there other devices out there right now that compete? Nah. But the recent Consumer Electronics Show promised a bunch of competitors coming in 2011. So we will see. But for right now, the iPad is the trendsetter and leading the pack.

Looking for information about the iPad as far as what apps are out there? Looking for recommendations? I watch a weekly video podcast produced by TWIT.TV called iPad Today. It is an excellent source for app reviews, iPad features, discussion, and ideas. You can watch them LIVE weekly on Thursdays at 3:30pm CST or download their podcast from their site or subscribe to it via iTunes.