Buying Guide for the New iPad

Apple's new iPad tablet is the company's latest upgrade to the incredibly popular iPad 2. It's faster with improved processing performance and includes a brilliant new retina touch screen.

The uptake of tablet computing in Australia over the last few years has been strong. While tablet computers have been available for nearly 2 decades, Apple's iPad has driven Australian consumers' widespread adoption of this new technology. 434 thousand tablets were sold in Australia/New Zealand in the third quarter of 2011, and 78% of them were Apple's iPad 2 according to IDC figures.

With Apple's latest tablet, the new iPad, just released on the 16th of March this year, we've put together a simple guide to help you decide if the new iPad is for you - whether you are Apple's latest iPad convert or an existing iPad1 or iPad 2 user looking to upgrade.

The basics

Two versions of the new iPad are available: the Wi-Fi version and the 4G+Wi-Fi version - See connectivity section for details. Customers can also choose between 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of storage.

All models of the new iPad have a sharp 'Retina' display, an upgraded operating platform and a 5-megapixel camera. Not only is this new model powered by a dual core processor chip - the A5X - that has been custom-designed for high performance without draining battery life, the quad core graphics processor that comes with this device enhances the overall quality of your display, with pictures and videos looking brighter and sharper.

Connectivity

Connectivity is fundamental to the benefits the new iPad delivers, from surfing the Web to accessing ebooks, to downloading and running the huge array of apps available. Games on the iPad are even better when they are networked and you can play against others.

So, when it comes to choosing your iPad - storage volume aside - it's important to think about how you will connect to the Internet when mobile. If you opt for the Wi-Fi version, connectivity is via Wi-Fi hotspots such as at home or work using a wireless router, or in the local Wi-Fi enabled cafe. Greater mobile Internet flexibility is offered by the 4G+Wi-Fi version and it can keep you connected to the Internet using a mobile phone data network connection when Wi-Fi isn't available.

One important point to note here is that while the new iPad has the technology to connect to 4G networks, it cannot connect to the only 4G network in Australia, Telstra's LTE 850/1800MHz network. That's because the 4G+Wi-Fi version of the new iPad supports the 4G LTE at 700MHz and 2100MHz only. However the new iPad can connect to existing 3G networks in Australia and can use HSPA+ Dual Channel 3G on Telstra for faster Internet access.  This product supports very fast cellular networks. It is not compatible with current Australian 4G LTE networks and WiMax Networks.

Display and camera

The new Retina display has enabled Apple to cram four times as many pixels on the screen as the iPad 2. The 9.7-inch screen of the new iPad is a 2048 x1536 display which offers 3.1 million pixels: text, video and graphics are clearer on the new iPad than Apple's other tablets.

Complementing the screen's display, the new iPad comes with a built-in 5-megapixel iSight camera, with autofocus, tap to focus, and face detection for still images. The iSight camera also supports HD video recording with automatic video stabilisation, to make filming on the go even easier. The camera is supported by iPhoto software, a simple to use application that allows the user to take ordinary photos or videos and turn them into images and home movies.

200,000 apps at your fingertips

And finally, what's an iPad without the apps? There are over 200,000 apps that are compatible with the new iPad and many of these are free to download. With the introduction of a new version of iWork, users can now make documents, spreadsheets and presentations easily. The new iPad also introduces Apple's new dictation technology. By selecting the microphone icon on the keyboard, users can have their spoken words translated into written text on the device.

Big W has Apple's new iPad available for purchase in select stores. Click here for more information on the new iPad available at Big W.