iPad 3 coming out in March... Here's some things you might want to know...

Only issue then is how to have a phone as well if the tablet is your hot spot.

Definitely agree. It has its place. And having one item you can hot spot (i do not comment on whether user agreement allows this...) is nice as a security blanket. I know it saved my butt in the first week of having my tablet that I had the ability on my phone to do so.

Also for me, it is a monthly cost issue leading to my decisions. If I was going to get another monthly data plan, and worse yet be tied to a tiered plan, i would get my wife a new phone first.

I also wonder how rushed the ipad3 is to market with a coming price crunch by year end in the tablet market? I do not see them being able to sustain (any company) $500 for wifi only basic model come next year.

Definitely agree on price point. I think the other competitors stumbled out of the gate, but will have better products on tap this year. Amazon's Kindle Fire was just a tiny toe dip in the pool of their new tablet line. They wanted it out for last Christmas. Even rushed it was a pretty solid successful first effort. I imagine they'll get something out this year that's close enough to the iPad but much cheaper, and Apple will have to cut at least $100 off.

I sure hope so. This product looks amazing but as soon as I saw $499 for 16GB wifi ... yikes. What is this, 2010?!

In true miles junkie fashion, I'll hold off on purchasing this until I can find a lucrative shopping portal.

I just look at the new Asus 370 coming out at about $250 and think a couple of things. Kindle Fire is dead, and so is anything else that is not top end at $250 for a 7". I know Apple currently doesn't play in the 7" market, but I believe people will choose on price over anything once store people start offering options when they walk in looking for i-whatever. (assuming the customers who can be sold on something in bestbuy/etc)

I don't agree completely that the Kindle Fire is dead. Not yet anyway. Amazon has such a huge market presence that it'll trump Asus for non-geeks. But... Amazon will need something better out by April/May.

16GB iPad 2 will stay available at $399. That helps keep Apple a little more accessable, but barely so. IMO, they should plan on knocking $50 off across the board by mid-summer. But... sales have been so strong that they may just not have to race to the bottom. They haven't had to with the iPhone, which is still at the high end of price in spite not having a particularly large screen or other distinguishing bells and whistles--aside from iOS, of course.

So is this thing really called "The new iPad"?

Kinda looks like it... even apple.com keeps referring to it as "the new iPad". Maybe they intend to just start calling them "iPad" from now on and ditch the "model number" like they have with macbook, etc. I find the version numbers helpful, personally.

Some combination like that. Apple has a patent and trademark on the entire English language.

Can't imagine what the next one might be called . . .

the newER iPad

New2 iPad?

New, New, iPad?

Really new iPad?

"the new iPad"2

I'm not an Apple fanboy anyway, but a new display, more battery life and better camera isn't worth me buying one. HOWEVER, I am not above winning one here on MP (here that, iPad bestowers? Feel free to pick me!).

Right - I'm not getting a new one. I've got a "The old iPad2."

Or me!

The one thing that's pulling me toward a 3 vs getting an older 2 is the screen. I used an iPod touch 2G as a mobile wifi device for 2 years then switched to the iPhone 4 when I decided to start using a smartphone. Even now, about 20 months after switching, I can still sense a huge difference just by using a higher-res screen, especially with text-based functions.

The screen is 99% of these devices and a higher resolution display really does make a difference, since the screen is both input and output. Like you, I don't care too much about battery life or camera, but I've been spoiled by my phone.

I agree completely, and if I had an old iPad TM or no iPad, I'd definitely go with "the new iPad"TM because of the higher resolution.

I am vacillating, but going from an early original IPad to this would seem to be a clear choice. I'll dither a while before geting it. A new MBPro, OTOH, will have my order as soon as I can make it.

As mentioned earlier in this thread, I'm 100% with you on the macbook pro, which is a lot of why I'm pretty sure I'll sit on the sidelines with the "new iPad"TM.

I keep telling myself I do NOT need another gadget.

I was really hoping a new MacBook (Air and/or Pro) might surprise us today. No dice.

Anyone pre-order and go through Mileageplusshopping for the points? My friend did. Took him a while.

But after he did, he clicked back and the terms changed. "Pre-orders for the iPad 3 are not eligible." This was added after he clicked through. Amazing. And, of course, there is no "iPad 3."

Classic nonsense from one of these malls . . .

Ha, good catch. I noticed the same terms in the Chase UR Shopping Mall. I wonder how many people will click through anyway and order, then debate that they didn't pre-order an "iPad 3".

Chase UR says the same thing. SOP for Apple pre-orders.

Call me old-fashioned, but I still want to go to the Apple Store down the street and try out any product before I purchase. Plus it'll give time for 3rd-party retailers to start selling, allowing higher shopping portal earnings. So long as they take AmEx.

So why are these exempted from the malls? Think it's some Apple technical thing? Or an Apple "we do because we can" thing? Or just Cartera et al trying to goose their profits?