Apple Ipad, The Third Coming!!!

The screen is higher-def than full HD. It's got quadcore graphics, a slicker look and an unexpectedly snappier name. Is this the point at which resistance to Apples's market-leading tablet becomes futile?So yes the new iPad looks much the same as the iPad 2. The Home button remains despite the big tease of the launch invite's imagery, but where successive iThings of the past have been thinner and lighter. Apple's latest tab is thicker by 6mm, heavier by 50g and has ni identifying numbers or letters to its name.

However the third-generation iPad is also faster,more powerful, has by far the best screen ever seen on a tablet and will allow developers create apps of greater power than ever by exploiting the above. So should you be shelling some $ for one?

See Clearly

Some 3.1 million pixels are crammed into the 9.7in display, while the leading Android tables,Samsung tabs and Asus Transformer prime come in at 1280x800. Put it side by side with the iPad 2 and the difference is quite visibly clear. On the older tab, apps in folders are just blobs of pixelated color; on the new one you can almost make out text. Apple's retina display smooths out edges and renders text pin-sharp so ebooks,websites and documents are so much easier on the eye.

Another Retina reward can be seen with the HD video now upto 1080p - apple is updating its itunes movie catalogue to Full HD and stills upto 19 pixels.

Chip off the new block

To power this next-gen display the new iPad needs extra processing grunt, and it's provided by an improved dualcore chip, the A5X, with a quadcore GPU. While HD video and menu swiping don't appear any smoother than before - they were already plenty smooth - gaming as you'd anticipate really benefits. Playing the upcoming Infinity Blade Dungeons the polygonal-pushing experience is exceptional. There are multiple layers, complex shading,frenetic action and minimal slow down.

Asus and Toshiba may be rubbing their hands in glee, with both having announced quad core tabs in recent months. However with the dedicated chip handling graphically intensive tasks, the dualcore A5X seems more than adequate, keeping the new iPad quick and slick even when processing the likes of iPhoto and GarageBand.

iSight

A lesser upgrade is the rear facing iSight cam. Its f/2.4 apertue optics are pinched from the iPhone 4S, but with a five-meg resolution rather than eight. Images are better than the iPad 2's but tablet cams are still hardly the last word in convenience.

Photos and 1080p, 30fps video are pretty good. If you have a steady hand, stills look good on screen or when beamed to the new Apple TV while video stabilization is effective, although the automatic focus has a tendency to jump into life at inopportune moments.

4G or nor 4G?

One of the most exciting additions on the new iPad is 4G, except er there might not be alot of countries offering 4G. What the new iPad can take advantage of is HSPA+ which isn't 4G but has a theoretical top download speed of 21Mbps. Browsing,downloading and streaming are briskier than on the iPad 2. Blue tooth has also been upgraded to thw low-power-consuming 4.0 standard. Wi-Fi is still N standard but there is a single-band.

Power to the 'Pad

With all its muscle enhancements you would expect compromised battery life. Apple claims the same figures with iPad 2 with ten hours of wi-fi web surfing, nine hours on a mobile network and 10 hours of video or music. The major gripe is that the new iPad will take an excessive amount of time to reach full charge. It is atleast 6 hours using a mains charge and double that via USB from a computer. This may be irritating if you are used to speedy re-juicing.

Siri there in Spirit

Voice dictation is now supported wherever you see the virtual keyboard. Tap the mic button, say your piece, tap it again and it will jot down your babble. Its not siri, so you cannot command it or ask questions about Timbuktu or the humidity but recognition is fairly accurate, though you may do manual editing with longer sentences.