New iPad Still Fails To Enchant Some Of Us, But iOS 6 May Make It More Enticing

By Charles Moore, on June 4th, 2012 | Permalink

iDownload Blog?s Oliver Haslam explains why he didn?t buy the new iPad and, more importantly, why he?s glad he didn?t.

He notes that he eagerly awaited the first generation iPad, noting that he was looking forward to it so much that he imported a unit to the UK from the United States and loved it. He says the iPad 2s launch found him torn, and initially decided not to buy a second-generation iPad, but a few weeks later when his local Apple Store finally got some stock, he changed his mind, bought a new iPad 2, sold the old one, and was happy.

Until a year later when he found himself on the horns of the same dilemma, and resigning himself to picking up a new iPad shortly after the hype took hold of him, but it hasnt, and he?s pleased. He concedes that if youre going to sit with your nose pressed against the new iPad?s Retina display. you?re going to appreciate all those little pixels, but the problem is, he won?t, noting that he?s a fan of technology who?s reached a certain age where something needs to be really, truly different before it warrants his spending money to make an upgrade.

Personally, I thus far remain serenely satisfied with my year-old iPad 2 for now, being not especially enchanted by the New iPad?s Retina display. Or more precisely ? dismayed by the massive amount of computing and graphics rendering resource overhead driving the ultra high resolution panel imposes. Consequently if I was shopping for an iPad today, I would still go for the iPad 2, which remains available as Apple?s entry-level iPad at $399 and has quietly been upgraded to a more efficient version of the A5 CPU.

Or at least that was my view until I read , an article by Oliver Haslam?s iDownloadBlog colleague Christian Zibreg last week which plausibly asserted that iOS?s so-called ?multitasking? (it?s currently nothing of the sort in my estimation) could be in for a much-needed emhancement with the forthcoming iOS 6, but that true multitasking support would very likely require 1GB of RAM and an A5X CPU, meaning it would be limited to only the New iPad and presumably the next generation iPhone.

Since multitasking is probably the OS X feature I miss most on my iPad, its availability with that hardware requirement would theoretically constitute a tipping point persuading me to somewhat grudgingly opt for the New iPad.

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