iPad 2

[Rico]

Well, if I was designing the thing I would make the front and back cameras the same.  Easier for parts, etc.  Probably about a 3 MP camera in each spot would do it.  I can see people picture taking with it, if it happens to be what you have with you.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I use an actual camera to take pictures. :)

Well, true there is that option.  :P  Just noticed people were making a big deal about the rumors on some other boards when I'm more excited about the FT possibilities than the ability to take an ok photo on something that could easily shake and ruin the picture. 

King

[X]

I use an actual camera to take pictures. :)

Ditto

[Dangelus]

Yeah don't think many people will be holding up iPads to take pictures but it will have to be included. The front facing camera and an iPad will be ideal for Facetime though.

[Rico]

I can easily come up with many scenarios where you might want to snap a pic with an iPad.  So, you are at home relaxing on your couch with your iPad watching the latest TSF vidcast of Rico's Dance Off audition!  Then your kid or dog or whoever comes in and does the cutest thing in front of you.  Your camera is in it's bag in your closet, but hey - you have your trusty iPad right on your lap.  So, quickly you lift it up and "snap" take that perfect picture.  Or you are out in a park using it on a nice spring day under a tree checking the latest posts on the TSF forum and all of a sudden a pretty girl walks by.  So you "discretely" press the camera button and get a pic of her.  While I certainly wouldn't take an iPad to say a museum where I plan on taking a lot of pics (that's when you grab your camera), there are times when it might be cool to have it there on the iPad - just in case.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I can easily come up with many scenarios where you might want to snap a pic with an iPad.  So, you are at home relaxing on your couch with your iPad watching the latest TSF vidcast of Rico's Dance Off audition!  Then your kid or dog or whoever comes in and does the cutest thing in front of you.  Your camera is in it's bag in your closet, but hey - you have your trusty iPad right on your lap.  So, quickly you lift it up and "snap" take that perfect picture.  Or you are out in a park using it on a nice spring day under a tree checking the latest posts on the TSF forum and all of a sudden a pretty girl walks by.  So you "discretely" press the camera button and get a pic of her.  While I certainly wouldn't take an iPad to say a museum where I plan on taking a lot of pics (that's when you grab your camera), there are times when it might be cool to have it there on the iPad - just in case.

But does that require the full 5MP+ camera or would the camera found on the current iPod touch's back be suffice.  Because the guess is that it will be the iPod touch camera will be "ported" to the iPad.  More or less.  I'm just wondering...I myself don't need it other than for FT/Vid calls.

King

[Bryancd]

I tell you what, back when Apple started to install built in cameras to their iMacs and MacBooks, my wife and I loved iChat, the predecessor to FaceTime. We would video chat with the family back east, it was great and so easy.

[Rico]

So, with the iPad 2 in production (new launch prediction of that around Easter), rumors are popping up already about iPad 3.  Some are saying we may get that by the end of this year.  The thought is to put it in the same refresh launch time as other Apple products - like iPods, etc.  I'm not sure how much I buy into this idea.  Anyway, here's the story...

With Apple's iPad 2 having just gone into production, according to reports, rumours are already suggesting that Apple will release another version of the iPad before the end of the year.  The iPad 2, according to observers, will launch around Easter – a year after the first version of the tablet computer – but reports on US tech blogs have suggested that Apple is preparing a third version of the iPad for release in the autumn.

Writing on his blog Daring Fireball, John Gruber said:

    "My gut feeling is that Apple will move the iPad to a September release schedule, alongside the iPods. But they wouldn't want to wait over a year and a half from the announcement of the original iPad to announce the second one – not with these stakes, and not with so many serious competitors trying their best to catch up."

Gruber has often been right in his "guesses" about what Apple will do next and his speculation was backed by TechCrunch, whose MG Siegler wrote: "My information on this isn't a guess. [...] Apple's plan, at least right now, is to release another version of the iPad in the fall."

Apple won't comment on rumours about the iPad 2, so they certainly won't get drawn into speculation about the iPad 3. As always, we'll have to wait and see what Apple does. That won't stop the gossip in the meantime, of course.

source:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/shanerichmond/100006333/apple-to-launch-ipad-3-before-the-end-of-the-year-according-to-rumours/

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Why would Apple release the 3rd so soon?  That's just nonsense, never seen them put out the next-gen hardware that quickly.  Unless I'm forgetting something.

King

[Rico]

Yeah.  It seems unlikely to me too.  But, you never know.

[Bryancd]

This sounds very debatble, I would tend to think no way.

[Rico]

A few more articles on this:

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/02/09/apple_may_be_prepping_ipad_3_for_fall_2011_launch_rumor.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2011/02/ipad_3_to_have_fall_2011_launc.html

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Well, regardless of this info, I'm not waiting all year for the iPad 3.0.  But their guess that its 2.5 seems to be more accurate to me.  I don't see how Apple can just skip to 3.0 within a year AND keep it economical. 

So far though, Droid has made a pretty weak counter attack to the iPad.  Even Motorola's.  HP may be a threat, but it'll be a question of if the OS is up to it.  The playbook looks solid too, but again its an entirely untested OS (in terms of consumers) and could be good or horribly bad.  Windows seems to be uninterested in playing the Tablet market.  (A mistake considering how laptops and netbooks fell on selling). 

This year will be really telling how the tablet market plays out.  But by all looks of it on mass-appeal, Apple has a really strong lead.  But idk, we'll see. 

The smartphone wars continue, but it looks like at this point Microsoft didn't sell as well as they had hoped and with the iPhone coming into direct competition with the Droid, that will be interesting to see if sales hold up or not.  HP is lagging behind RIM who is also doing "ok" on the consumer market.  But both hold strong business interest so yeah. 

I'm going to love this year >=). 

King

[X]

I don't see how Apple can just skip to 3.0 within a year AND keep it economical. 

Apple doesn't have to be economical.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I don't see how Apple can just skip to 3.0 within a year AND keep it economical. 

Apple doesn't have to be economical.

Well, I meant within sanity, I doubt Apple could turn around and try and sell a $1,500 tablet this year.  ;)  just saying

King