My review

[Seadog]

After a little time with my new iPad, I have formed some thoughts. First, while full brightness is a joy for viewing, it does tend to suck the battery down faster. The screen is a joy to see in its full glory. It makes my photos snap out at me. The 4G is really fast in my tests, shockingly so. I may find myself using it instead of my HS DSL now and then.

The camera was a big surprise to me and others. I am used to long pauses while the picture focuses and snaps. I touch the icon on the screen and the shot is taken. The clarity and focus of the shots is first rate. This has gone from being a convenience picture taker, to being a serious contender for frequent picture taker. I still have testing to do, but it is not as awkward as I imagined. I am looking forward to trying out its video features.

I have tried the dictation function, and was impressed by how well it did. I rarely can use voice call features because my voice. In a paragraph, it made only one mistake, which is less than I do typing. I do not know how much I may desire this feature, but I can see potential.

I can also see why many are hesitant to update. This is not a leap in technology. It is a steady progression, an update with many good values. It is still miles ahead of the competition, but it has no features that scream innovation. It is a marvelous next step, but it is not the home run that sends the others running. For those with an iPad original, this is a great step up. For those with an iPad 2, do not sweat waiting another year unless money is not an issue. The next model is the one that Apple needs to create a fantasy. If for no other reason than to show the world that SJ taught his successors well.

 

[zman]

Nice read :thumbs:

I'm sure I'll appreciate all the advancements from my iPad 1 when I set the new one up tonight

 

[skimonkey]

Thanks for the nice review, Seadog. I'm sure this will be helpful for those still contemplating their decision.

 

[Amp1216]

For those with an iPad 2, do not sweat waiting another year unless money is not an issue. The next model is the one that Apple needs to create a fantasy. If for no other reason than to show the world that SJ taught his successors well.

thanks that part made me feel better about my ipad2 hah

 

[azone5]

Good review! This is my first iPad and I'm looking forward to learning how to use it.

 

[saholz]

Like you, I was really impressed with the upgraded camera function. The photos are now crisp and well focused, and can easily be enlarged with no apparent pixelation at reasonable zoom levels. The "shutter" is now very sensitive and requires only the lightest touch to trigger it.

I may have to dim the screen brightness a bit .. it is really bright and very sharp.

I'm using WiFi, so my download speeds have been about the same as before, with a slight performance increase with the faster processor. The overall feel and look is very close to the iPad2 with the camera and screen sharpness being the most obvious improvements. I agree that this shouldn't force any iPad2 owners to upgrade ... unless they can take advantage of the 4G connection. Another improvement to an already exceptional device.

 

[mikespe]

I'm going to be honest when I first started reading your review I thought "GREAT! Another fanboy praising a new apple product JUST BECAUSE it's Apple". (Sorry if that offends anyone)....But I am VERY impressed with your honesty & directness. I wish others would use a format similar to yours when reviewing products. NO product is perfect yet some reviewers make them sound that way.

I have the iPad 2 & just bought it about 2 months ago so an upgrade was not in my future UNLESS the new iPad was beyond amazing. I read the speculations of what would be new & thought just display upgrades won't be enough to get me to shell out another $500. Plus for me, I would HAVE to go at lease 32gb this time since the 16gb I have filled up QUICK! But that would have been $600...

Thank you so much for your honesty in your review & for taking the time to write it!

 

[iwchris]

Well got the new iPad today and I am very pleased with it, I did have the first generation iPad and I must say that this is a massive jump from my original, and I think the screen is just fantastic the other thing that is very noticeable is this is so much faster than my original.
Very Pleased

 

[Harley man]

just a quick review of my iPad 3. That retina display is really amazing. The gaming graphics were good before but now they're really really good. I like the added dictation feature. Have not Really played with the camera much. it seems to be faster on the web on the Wi-Fi. and yes you can notice it's a little bit heavier.

from USA bucks county pa Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[noel1]

I completely agree with seadog, ive also upgraded from ipad 1 to the new one and im very impressed with it. But if i had the ipad 2 i wouldnt have bothered.

 

[casey3557]

I have the first generation iPad and I am loving his new brother! Much quicker and more responsive with a screen that is really beautiful! I really did not hesitate in this purchase since I felt the upgrades were well worth the cost. It was a wise decision!

 

[grouchomarx]

If you don't compare the iPad3 with previous versions side-by-side, then all of the don't-bother arguments are valid.