03-16-2012, 04:28 PM

From what I'm hearing and seeing from various sources...it sounds like most folks (at least up to this point at 4:30pm EDT) are able to get the iPad 3 ("New iPad") that they wanted.

Not many reports of folks walking away empty handed (at least in the US and Canada)!

- Nick

03-16-2012, 06:27 PM

I got mine today at BestBuy. Surprisingly, they had plenty of stock in all models. Every model was well stocked. The floor reps said there was no mad rush today and there wasn't even a line when they opened. The last iteration, there were people waiting outside 4 hours before opening. It appears most people who wanted one in advance, pre-ordered from the Apple Store. .

I am impressed with some features and not so impressed with others.

The new display is nice and is gorgeous. However, unless you are going to be viewing HD content, it really isn't much of an upgrade from the Ipad2 in terms of what you are going to actually see on the screen. Netflix does not stream HD to the Ipad so you are pretty much stuck with the 780P resolution that you had on the Ipad2. HD streaming is a bandwidth hog so unless your WifFi is up to the task, it's a moot point anyways. Also, streaming HD video content from the 3G or 4G connections will cost you a lot of money in bandwidth charges. HD streaming is probably not a practical affair so I can see why it is left off many apps.

Photos and vidoes are obviously much prettier to look at, even low-res images zoomed to fit the screen. IMO, the new ipad does a better job of upscaling images. The contrast and color profile also seems to be more natural.

I really have not noticed a difference in speed. Thew new processor seems to account for the higher res display but web browsing and connectivity appears to be the same.

I played a couple games I have paid for and downloaded to the new ipad. A game like HD Pinball deluxe pretty much looks the same as on the Ipad2 because a new HD version is not yet available for the increased resolution. The same for the other game I tested,

A couple negatives noticed right away:

The new model does feel heavier and a bit bulkier in the hand. You will notice the difference. It is not enough to be a deal breaker, but it is enough that you will feel it in the hand. I wouldn't classify it as minor, however, It is signifigantly heavier feeling in the hand, regardless of what the specs say. I have a feeling some reviews are going to ding it for this. This is in no way a thinner and lighther upgrade. In terms of analogy, I would say Macbook vs Macbook Air in terms of relative weight. Although its only a couple mm difference on the spec sheets, it does indeed feel bulkier when held. How much is due to the sensation of increased weight is hard to tell but the back portion does seem to bulge more even though from the edge to bottom, it is only mm thicker than the Ipad2. The center does seem thicker. It won't fit inside the hardshell, clear plastic case I had for the Ipad2, although the magnetic cover does seem to work without issues.

Also, this thing gets hot -- rapidly. Obviously, with the new retina display, power consumption has signifigantly increased. The ipad got hot enough after 2 hours of heavy use that it became a distraction while holding it. Not burning-hot like a laptop that has been running for an hour, but enough that it is going to be noticeable. How hot it can get I don't know. Another thing it will probably get dinged for in reviews. This is expected, however. Double the resolution and you have twice as many pizels to feed power. The battery is going to put out more wattage and associated heat.

Battery life. Haven't used it long enough to tell but I only used up 20% in about 2 hours of heavy multimedia and streaming use. This is about typical for my Ipad2.

IMO, if you will just use the Ipad for web browsing and social networking etc and make little use of multimedia, you will probably be happier with the Ipad2 and save $100. It is noticeably lighter and in my subjective opinion, it feels better in the hand. If you use it mainly for multimedia and video streaming, however, it will be worth the upgrade. But just dont expect a lot of HD content right now as this is new.

03-16-2012, 06:33 PM

Hi all. First time here. My new iPad arrived today - so far everything looks great and works great! I'm not very familiar with apple products at the moment, but I'm looking to change that

Quick question: is the battery supposed to charge when it's connected to my computer? It's not doing so right now, so I want to double check whether that's normal. Thanks!

03-16-2012, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by Skierxman

One negative--this thing gets hot -- rapidly. Obviously, with the new retina display, power consumption has signifigantly increased. The ipad got hot enough after 2 hours of heavy use that it became a distraction while holding it. Not burning-hot like a laptop that has been running for an hour, but enough that it is going to be noticeable. How hot it can get I don't know.

Battery life. Haven't used it long enough to tell but I only used up 20% in about 2 hours of heavy multimedia and streaming use. This is about typical for my Ipad2.

Thanks for all that great initial iPad 3 ("New iPad") info and review!

So since you are an owner of an iPad 2 & the "New iPad"...regarding heat...your saying that the new iPad gets much warmer than the iPad 2? Does the iPad 2 get warm at all?

Also...what do you think (or anyone else with the new iPad) of the new iPads camera. It's supposed to be better than the iPad 2's camera...any quality comparisons?

Thanks,

- Nick

03-16-2012, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by pigoo3

Thanks for all that great initial iPad 3 ("New iPad") info and review!

So since you are an owner of an iPad 2 & the "New iPad"...regarding heat...your saying that the new iPad gets much warmer than the iPad 2? Does the iPad 2 get warm at all?

Also...what do you think (or anyone else with the new iPad) of the new iPads camera. It's supposed to be better than the iPad 2's camera...any quality comparisons?

Thanks,

- Nick

Those are just my initital subjective impressions after only having it for 6 hours.

I never noticed any heat from the Ipad2 beyond a slightly warm feeling during heavy use. The new Ipad feels warm after just a few minutes of use. After an hour, it was warm enough that I would classify it as hot for a portable device--kind of like some cellphones get when you let it sit and charge for 8 hours.

The front camewra seems about the same I think both are VGA so that is expected. The 1080P video is definitiely a step up in quality. I don't use the ipad much to to take videos or photos so its a non issue for me either way. But I would say the rear camera is definitely better quality.

03-17-2012, 12:28 AM

My previous iPad was the original so i can't comment on the difference with the 2, but the upgrade from the original in nothing short of amazing. Had I realized the 2 was that much faster I would have upgraded sooner. The display is very crisp and clear with books, pics or any video.
So long story short, upgrading from the original is leaps and bounds the best thing you can do.
The other feature I really like that is probably on the iPad 2 is the voice keyboard search. Really liking that.

The speed of everything and the retina display is just blowing me away coming from an original iPad.

03-17-2012, 12:40 AM

Originally Posted by Wolvrin704

The speed of everything and the retina display is just blowing me away coming from an original iPad.

Pretty awesome to hear that!

I compared the speed difference between the iPad 1 and the iPad 2 last year at my local Apple Store (right after the iPad 2 was launched)...and you could definitely see speed differences...especially when scrolling quickly thru long complex webpages.

So now add the retina display (and the cameras)...and I'm sure going from an iPad 1 to the "New iPad" (iPad 3)...is quite an upgrade!

Enjoy your "New iPad"!

- Nick

03-17-2012, 01:01 AM

Here is a perfect comparison of the new iPad and iPad 2: https://twitter.com/#!/Ihnatko/statu...885954/photo/1

03-17-2012, 01:28 AM

Originally Posted by iWhat

Here is a perfect comparison of the new iPad and iPad 2: https://twitter.com/#!/Ihnatko/statu...885954/photo/1

The display resolution is certainly hands-down the best out there. My only gripe is the color rendition. Some of the hues seem less accurate and realistic than the ipad2. The color gamut seems a bit on the cool side. I wish apple would allow contrast and hue adjustments. Comparing colors to my calibrated monitor on my MacBook pro, I have noticed less realistic, natural colors , especially in greens and yellows. Sometimes there seems to be a pale green hue in underexposed images. Images taken in good lighting don't suffer from this. They definitely used a more aggressive routine. This all might be petty to a lot of folks but I am a stickler for color accuracy. Reds and blues are very vibrant but yellows and greens are muted.

03-17-2012, 03:59 AM

Went today to Best Buy on Lunch break and got myself the new iPad 3. Happy Now. Only had to wait in line for 20 minutes. Mainly because they were trying to sell the 9 people in front of me stuff they didn't need. >_>" I pre ordered one from Apple too but not coming until April. >_<"

03-17-2012, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by Wolvrin704

My previous iPad was the original so i can't comment on the difference with the 2, but the upgrade from the original in nothing short of amazing. Had I realized the 2 was that much faster I would have upgraded sooner. The display is very crisp and clear with books, pics or any video.
So long story short, upgrading from the original is leaps and bounds the best thing you can do.
The other feature I really like that is probably on the iPad 2 is the voice keyboard search. Really liking that.

The speed of everything and the retina display is just blowing me away coming from an original iPad.

Unfortunately...the voice feature is not available on the iPad 2 even with the recent update....

03-17-2012, 10:20 AM

Thanks for that write up Skierx.

03-17-2012, 11:43 AM

Another 1st Gen ----> 3rd Gen iPad upgrader here. I'm VERY impressed with the iP3 so far. Heat does seem to be a bit much when watching video for an extended time. Just sitting here reading a book or Olive Tree Bible program doesn't leave me noticing it much.

I can potentially see why some wouldn't see such a major improvement going from 2G to 3G, but moving from the original to 3G is HUGE. Camera. Retina screen. much quicker response time with the improved processor. And when people talk about the size difference between the Gen 2 and Gen 3, I can only think about the difference in feel between the Gen 1 and Gen 3. The Gen 3 feels much more refined, IMO.

I'm really liking this thing!

03-17-2012, 12:26 PM

Went to the Apple Store in Altamonte Springs, FL over lunch Friday (3/16). No waiting. Bought the 16 GB, Verizon 4G version. They were very helpful getting it set up and synched with my MBP 15. When I went to the Verizon store to activate the 4G feature, they received 20 units of the new iPad and were sold out at 3 pm.

I also have an iPad2 synched with my wife's notebook that is full of games for a toddler almost in kindergarten, wifi only.

I do not notice a speed difference with wifi between the iPad2 and 3. The display is better and noticeable, 25% is my guess. As others have stated, the 3 does run warmer.

I needed the 4G and personal wireless hotspot feature of the 3. I have a 10mb download/1mb upload wifi system and the 4G feature is almost as fast but a tad slower.

I have a DSLR camera so I have yet to take any photos or video with the iPad yet.

So far, I am happy

03-17-2012, 07:39 PM

I noticed the rounded edges, it seems more like the design of the original iPhone up to the iPhone 3GS. I have become very used to the flat edges like on the iPhone 4/4S, and previous iPads. I wonder why they did that? It definitely takes getting used to.