iPad 3 Review

Okay. I’ve had my new iPad for a while now, and I feel like I can finally review it. I know you’ve all been waiting breathlessly for this. My opinion could totally make or break Apple.

In a nutshell, the new iPad is a fantastic piece of hardware. The screen is just as amazing as you’ve heard. (Going back to use my iPad 2 makes me feel like I’m looking through a screen door at the screen. Seriously.) The camera is tons better–especially in lower light. The videos look great. The battery life hasn’t dipped, and it zips along just fine through anything you throw at it. I’m really happy with mine.

Should you upgrade?

If you have an original iPad, and don’t mind shelling out another couple hundred then I’d say yes. You should. Original iPads still go for about $200-$250 (when I last checked). If you sell yours, then that makes the upgrade less steep. I know there were some apps on my iPad 1 that were much slower than on the other iPads. That will only continue to increase. Not a big deal if you don’t use those apps, but if you’re an app fiend like myself, then it becomes more problematic.

That said, if you’re primarily using your iPad to check email and the internet and play a few games, then you don’t need to upgrade. If you would like to use it to take some pictures and video, then obviously an upgrade begins to look more appealing.

If you have an iPad 2, there’s less incentive. You can already take okay pics and video. The awesome screen is awesome, the zippy speed is great, but worth hundreds of dollars? Probably not, unless you’re an Apple fanboy (self-confessed–right here). That said, having such a significantly better screen really is helpful. It impacts everything you do on the device. Reading (for me) is much easier on the eyes, and that’s a big plus.

If you don’t have an iPad at all, then you really ought to buy one. 🙂 I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–I use this thing for everything. It goes with me everywhere. I’ve started using it instead of my old video camera. I’m taking more and more pictures with it. (Now the problem I’m facing is how to figure out a way to back up all that video when I don’t have cassettes or discs that it’s stored on. Still thinking about that one.)

I know plenty of people who didn’t buy an iPad at first, claiming they didn’t see the point. Many of them have since caved, and none of them have said to me, “I wish I hadn’t bought one.” It’s something that once you have, you find out how many ways you could really have used it all along.

Anyway–if anyone has any questions, I’m happy to answer them. That’s all I’ve got for you today.