iPad specs - moving my goal posts.
A while ago now I wrote about why I would not be buying an iPad. My main concern was the lack of multitasking for third-party applications. Now that Apple has announced OS 4 and it includes the limited ability for third-party apps to continue running in the background I am closer to buying one, mentally at least, than I was when they were announced.
I still will not be buying one when they become available in the UK at the end of May because the second requirement I had -- a front facing camera -- is still not present. When Apple announced the fourth version of their OS for the iPhone and the iPad, they said the phone version would be ready in July but the iPad version would not be ready until "the fall". This got me thinking. Why wait until autumn for the iPad version? The only answer I could come up with was that a new version of the iPad will be announced in the autumn. With all the rumours doing the rounds it seems likely that the next version of the iPhone will have a front facing camera and built-in video conferencing software. If that is the case I am sure that the iPad will also have the same abilities as it would seem odd to have a small form factor phone having features that a "netbook killer" doesn't have. All netbooks come with a front facing camera and I believe that before long the iPad will as well. Although I will be waiting for the iPad that has an upgraded processor before I buy one as my experience of the iPhone 3G, with its underpowered processor, has taught me a lesson in that regard. I have also learned over the years not to buy the first version of any Apple product. I made that mistake when I bought an iMac after it had been redesigned and came with the G5 processor. It cost me over £1800 but three months later all the expensive optional extras were now standard features at a price of around £900.
At the moment only the iPad with the 3G capability has a proper GPS unit built in, the WiFi version uses a database of WiFi hotspots to get a general location. I believe in time that the WiFi version will also have a proper GPS unit. I am also waiting for that to become reality before I buy an iPad.