4th Generation iPad

The most obvious change in the 4th generation iPad is switching from Apple's old 30-pin dock connector to the new, much smaller Lightning connector. All versions include 802.11n WiFi on both 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands, and there are two cellular versions - both support GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA+/DC-SHSPA, but one supports LTE bands 4 and 17, while the other supports CDMA and LTE bands 1, 3, 5, 13, and 25.

The iPad 4 is the Apple's first product to use the new A6X dual-core processor with quad-core graphics (the iPhone 5 has tri-core graphics).

To support the more powerful processor and 4G LTE, the iPad 4 has a much more powerful battery - 42.5 watt-hours vs. 25 on the iPad 2 to achieve the same 10 hours of in-use time between charges. (Drop that to 9 hours when using 4G LTE.)

The iPad is very green: no arsenic, BFR, mercury, or PVC, and it's highly recyclable.

Prices without cellular: 16 GB, $499; 32 GB, $599; 64 GB, $699. With cellular: 16 GB, $629; 32 GB, $729; 64 GB, $829.

If you already have an iPhone or iPod touch, you can use your existing apps with the iPad - no need to buy them again.

Specifications

• announced 2012.10.23; preorder 2012.10.26; available 2012.11.03
• requires iOS 6 or later
• CPU: dual-core 1 GHz (?) Apple A6X with quad-core graphics
• RAM: 1 GB
• Level 2 cache: 1 MB
• performance: Geekbench
• overall:
• integer:
• floating point:
• memory:
• stream:
• display: 9.7" 2048 x 1536 LED backlit, 264 ppi resolution
• video out: with adapter
• flash drive: 16, 32, and 64 GB
• ports: Lightning port, 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, SIM card tray (cellular models only)
• WiFi: 802.11n (supports 5 GHz band)
• Bluetooth: 4.0
• G3: UMTS/HSDPA/GSM/EDGE/CDMA
• G4 LTE
• sensors: accelerometer, ambient light sensor, digital compass
• microphone: built in
• Battery: rated at 10 hours, one month on standby
• size: 9.50 x 7.31 x 0.37" (241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm)
• weight
• WiFi: 1.44 lb. (652 g)
• 3G: 1.46 lb. (662 g)

Online Resources

• iPad perfect for handheld computing, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2010.02.05. You can hold the iPad in one hand and operate it with the other, giving it real advantages over a laptop computer.
• Touch shifts the Apple empire, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 2010.02.05. Apple dominates mobile computing, and it will be difficult for competitors to match the value of the iPad.
• iPad targets netbook users, iPad 'flaws' don't matter, in-page search for iPhone Safari, and more, iNews Review, 2010.02.05. Also FSF considers iPad 'iBad' for freedom, Touch Mouse app turns iPhone into wireless keyboard and trackpad, privacy screen for iPhone, and more.
• iPad should support a stylus, CoolBook quiets MacBooks, Puppy Linux for PowerPC Macs, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2010.02.03. Also the iPad as a genie in a bottle, Eudora Classic 6.2, notebook battery life, and more uses for 'obsolete' technology.
• Is the iPad Apple's true successor to the 12" PowerBook?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2010.02.02. The iPad has the same 1024 x 768 display as generations of G3 PowerBooks, iBooks, and the 12" PowerBook G4 - but it offers a whole lot more than any laptop ever has.
• The iPad shows the failure of journalism, Jason Walsh, Mac Life, 2010.02.02. Tech pundits latch on to every perceived shortcoming of Apple's iPad while looking to it to save the publishing industry.
• iPad a better choice than a netbook, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 2010.02.01. Apple's iPad is a new category of product explicitly designed for getting work done on the go.
• The iPad changes the mobile game, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2010.01.29. The iPad goes beyond Apple's Newton and iPod touch legacy to create a new and compelling mobile platform.
• iPad score card, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 2010.01.29. Apple's iPad is almost everything expected, but there are areas where it comes up short.
• iPad to kill off laptops?, office app with Google Docs integration, SpotACop app, and more, iNews Review, 2010.01.29. Also iPad pros and cons, AutoPark helps avoid parking tickets, WhiteHouse.gov: Anywhere, Dragon Dictation reviewed, first iPad bags announced, and more.
• iPad priced from $499, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2010.01.27. The 9.7" iPad has a custom 1 GHz Apple CPU, runs iPhone apps, ships in 60 days, and defines a whole new category of products.
• Making the computer even more personal, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 2010.01.25. Portability and wireless networking make computing on the go easier and more personal than ever.
• Why I didn't wait for the Apple tablet, Jason Walsh, Mac Life, 2010.01.20. Jason Walsh explains why he bought Dell Mini and made a 'Hackintosh' of it rather than waiting for Apple's new mobile computer.