There were already countless number of news reports and rumors circulating the Internet even before the official release of Apple's 3rd generation iPad. This news frenzy generated a bigger hype regarding the release of the new iPad but was the hype worth it?

The official Apple event was held last March 7, 2012 in San Francisco. This is the first official event for iPad that was not done by Apple founder Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs passed away last October due to cancer. Tim Cook, the Chief Executive of Apple lead the unveiling of the new iPad which is already his second time of doing so since he also did the unveiling for iPhone 4S with the popular virtual assistant feature called "Siri".

Apple's new iPad

Contrary to reports speculating that the third generation iPad will be called iPad 3 or iPad HD, Apple refers to it as just the "new iPad" or simply the "iPad". The new iPad has a depth of 9.4mm and weighs around 653g. If compared to iPad 2, the new new iPad seems to be a little bulky. Despite that, one of its defining features is its display. It has a screen size of 9.7-inches with a Retina Display of 2047 x 1536 pixels. This means that it has a total of 3.1 million pixels on the display screen. Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President remarked on this new feature stating "Your retina in your eye cannot discern those individual pixels. The images on it look stunning." In terms of processor type, it has a new dual-core Apple A5X processor which is much faster as compared to iPad 2.

Another notable feature of the third generation iPad is its capability of operating on 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) network. This feature means that the new iPad can connect to network which is 10 times faster than the current 3G technology. This also means that iPad users can now enjoy fast and reliable connectivity which allows them to view, stream, and download at a much faster phase. Its camera features are also improved due to its 5MP rear camera with advanced optics, a backside illumination sensor, auto white balance, and face detection for incredible still images. It can record 1080p HD video and take pictures at 30 frames per second.

The new iPad is available in different models. One of which is iPad with Wi-Fi connectivity only and it is available in 16GB (US$499), 32GB (US$599), and 64GB (US$699). As for the new iPad with Wi-Fi plus 4G model, prices start at US$629 for 16GB model, US$729 for 32GB, and US$829 for 64GB. Chief Executive Tim Cook also announced that there is a US$100 price-cut for iPad 2 which means the starting selling price of iPad 2 is around US$399. The new iPad is expected to be available on March 16, 2012 in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the US Virgin Islands.

Reaction About the "new iPad"

Now that the new iPad has been officially released to the public, it has put a stop on all those countless number of rumors regarding this device. Though that is the case, the official release also ignited countless number of responses regarding the new iPad. Some people were happy due to the significant improvement in terms of display and the incorporation of 4G LTE. There are also some people who were not that happy with the new iPad because the improvements were not that big as compared to its predecessor.

Here are some of the responses regarding the new iPad:

CNET: I have to admire Apple's gamesmanship. It was the first to make a tablet people cared about. Then, just when the competition started to feel confident, Apple sliced the iPad to an impossibly thin design. For its third act, Apple has pushed tablet screen expectations to a ludicrous new height. The competition will inevitably catch up, just as surely as Apple will raise the stakes all over again.

Engadget: By and large, the new guy is the same as the old guy (Home button included), but with a few nice amenities that could very well convince OG iPad owners to upgrade. Upon touching the HD variant, it's not the overall form factor that grabs us -- it's the screen.

TechCrunch: The first thing you should know, and also the reason there aren't many pictures, is that as far as weight and shape, it's almost exactly the same as the iPad 2. They wouldn't allow comparison shots - probably because the new iPad is a little thicker - but the dimensional differences are minor and the overall feel is near-identical.

Based on these reactions, it would seem like the new iPad received mixed reviews. Some were impressed while others are not that impressed. People should have to answer this question personally to know if the new iPad was indeed worth the hype.

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