sallonoroff /about /blog /blog/archive /blog/stats /search

The new iPad.

Yesterday Apple unveiled the new iPad.

Just “the new iPad”. Not the iPad 3, iPad HD, iPad 2S, iPad 2R or iPad Pro. I am pleased to see the numbering thing dropped. Presumably we will see the same thing happen to the iPhone line later this year.

The new iPad has some new features that had been predicted by rumour sites (Well done, rumour sites). It is also “missing” some new features that had been predicted by rumour sites (Well done, rumour sites).

The one surprise for me was the inclusion of 4G/LTE mobile networking. As far as i’m aware these services barely exist outside North America and are hardly ubiquitous within the US, so i thought Apple would hold off for another year.  Maybe they’ve conquered the battery-drain problems common with such high-speed mobile connections and just wanted to show the Android folk it could be done.

Perhaps the most exciting announcement made at yesterday’s press event though was that iPhoto is coming to the iPad. It looks very, very good. So good in fact that i’m left wondering if my current Mac will be my last. It is clear that the future of mass-market “computing” is the iPad (other tablets are available) but i honestly wasn’t expecting it to happen as quickly as it appears to be.

Since email, web, video chat, word processing, spreadsheets, music and now photo management/editing are handled by apps on iOS devices, i’m struggling to think of a good reason i need a Personal Computer (in the old sense of the word) anymore. Right now, i only have one – and that’s storage capacity.