Well, it’s official. The new iPad is the most popular yet with Apple selling 3 million units in the first weekend;  iPad’s best launch yet.  Many people have criticized this device for having very few changes.  I sort of agree with these critics, but it’s not a bad thing.

                Although you won’t notice at first, the screen is better. You won’t know how good the screen is until you look at an iPad 2 with has richer, brighter and clearer colors.  It was a joy to watch movie trailers and play games on the new iPad.  The screen is the exact same size as the past iPads.

                The camera was another part to get updated, and is way better than the iPad 2 camera.  Even though I don’t think people will carry around their iPad to take pictures, it is a light enough device that  is easy to pull out and snap a photo. 

The new camera was able to take regular pictures much clearer and even photographs different writings and fonts extremely well.  The iOS 5.1 makes taking photos easier with the shutter button moved to the center of the right side of the screen.  The front camera did not have an update; it is the same VGA camera from the iPad 2.

                The sound quality of the device is a tiny bit better.  I’m glad to hear that Apple knew its speakers were not that great in past devices. 

                The graphics were not much different from before, since no apps are currently using the quad-core graphics.  The device was slightly faster than before and apps launched faster than I could even imagine.

                Some issues I have are that the back panel is more curved than the iPad 2.  This makes the device a little awkward to hold.  Also, it was a little difficult for me to press the power button as you have to reach behind the top of the device to hit the button.  The new iPad is slightly heavier than the iPad 2, but that’s not a big issue.

                I was unable to test the 4G models, but tests performed by Cnet.com showed that AT&T’s 4G network was faster than Verizon’s. 

                In all, this is still a fun and cool tablet.  If you already have an iPad 2, there is no use in upgrading.  If you have an original iPad I still wouldn’t upgrade, unless you really want that new camera.  For non-tablet owners, this is a good investment.  I give the new iPad a 9.5.

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