There’s no denying the fact that with the advent of the iPad, the tablet world was rocked. Apple had delivered a device with incredible performance and abilities to use apps that no other tablet prior to it could really match up to. Entirely touchscreen and powered by the applications from the massive iTunes Store, the iPad could do virtually anything.
From running games to running an entire virtual office remotely via application, the iPad proved that tablet computers can be elevated to excellence: capable of multiple processes, 4G connectivity, web browsing, photo editing, document creation—in essence, it was its own PC in a sleek, flat package that Apple has been so known for.
The last update
However, as competitors rushed to advance and copy these abilities, Apple’s own iPad seemed to plateau after the iPad 2. True, the newest iPad has the dazzling Retina display, a new Thundercharge port and upgraded processor (both for programs and display), but there wasn’t much that was different about it from the last iPad other than that. Various tech sites such as CNET and TechCrunch reviewed the new iPad and compared it against the iPad 2 and declared that apart from those mentioned upgrades, there wasn’t much point in upgrading to it. Apparently, only the truly finicky users would even be able to detect the difference in the retina display and in the processing speeds. The general verdict: now is not the time to upgrade to the costlier model.
Now may be the time to
Apple seems to continue on their plans for bi-annual product releases, and the latest news declares that the Cupertino-based company is planning to release a new incarnation of the Retina-display iPad but this time with a staggering 128GB data storage capacity—which is virtually unheard of in the industry. Over 120 million iPads have already been sold worldwide, but with the new tempting storage capacity size, there’s a great chance Apple would sell even more.
With the larger capacity, the iPad now genuinely becomes a cheaper alternative to ultraportables. This may seem very far-fetched given that Apple products commonly have a rather high price tag on them (the current price for an iPad at 64GB capacity is $799 as it is, with no accessories, possibly cheaper if you get it through a service provider data plan). And the iPad 4 with the 128GB option stands at what looks like a staggering $929. This may turn some casual users off, but business users would do very well to take a second look. At this price, they are cheaper than a lot of the ultraportables such as the super thin laptops that will cost more. The iPad 4 could perform in the same manner (standard office capabilities, graphic editing apps, web browsing, etc) via apps for a cheaper price. While it may not be a substitute for a full laptop, it certainly can carry just as much and perform in the roughly the same manner without having to be a laptop at all.
Currently, the iPad 4 is scheduled to be launched formally in February.
