Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers Apple's third-generation iPad (see article below), an iOS app that contains court rules and other legal references, a new set top box for 1080p televisions, and an iPad photo app. Don't miss the next issue.
No More Squinting
There are two types of lawyers — those with an iPad and those who will buy an iPad. Okay, that's a little bit of a stretch, but just a little bit. How many articles have you read over the years about lawyers not embracing traditional computers? Hundreds? But this resistance doesn't mean lawyers dislike technology. They just dislike overly complex technology — namely traditional computers (including Macs). By contrast, lawyers loved GPS navigators since day one. Lawyers loved car phones, then cell phones, and now touchscreen smartphones since day one. Well, guess which other easy-to-use technology lawyers have loved since day one?
iPad … in One Sentence
Announced today and available March 16, Apple's iPad (yes that's its name) is the third generation of its market-leading tablet.
The Killer Feature
My father, a retina specialist, tells me that someday my perfect vision will become imperfect and I'll need reading glasses. So far so good — no trip to Lenscrafters yet. But even I continually marvel at the "Retina" display on the iPhone 4S.
Well, the new iPad has a Retina display at 2048 x 1536 pixels with a density of 264 pixels per inch (PPI). Pixels per inch is the megahertz of this decade — the specification that matters most when discussing displays. Put simply, the new iPad's display is sharper than a typical LCD monitor, which should make it even more popular among lawyers for reviewing documents.
This level of pixel density requires a powerful processor to prevent screen lag. The new iPad sports Apple's new A5X processor with quad core graphics (this means the chip can literally handle four graphics tasks simultaneously).
Other Notable Features
Siri's debut last year got people talking — both to their iPhones and about artificial intelligence. The new iPad lacks Siri the automated assistant, but it has integrated voice dictation across all apps, including email and word processing.
Storage size on the new iPad remains unchanged — 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB. Ditto for color options (black or white). However, the cellular models now support 4G LTE networks such as those being rolled out by AT&T and Verizon (the iPad falls back to 3G when 4G is not available). Apple claims these new networks have a maximum possible download speed of 73 Mbps (faster than the typical home and office broadband connections). Best of all, you can use your iPad as a personal WiFi hotspot for other devices.
The new iPad essentially matches the iPhone 4S in the camera department with a rear 5 megapixel camera that shoots video in 1080p. The front camera, designed for video chats, has a lower resolution.
What Else Should You Know?
All this new gear comes at a slight cost — the new iPad is 0.6 mm chunkier than the iPad 2 and weighs a bit more at 1.4 pounds. But no other costs have increased, literally and figuratively. It still features 10 hours of WiFi battery life (9 hours on a 4G network), and costs $499, $599, and $699 for the WiFi models, and $629, $729, and $829 for the 4G cellular models. Apple will continue to sell the 16 GB iPad 2 WiFi model for $399, and the 16 GB 3G models for $529 (a $100 price reduction). Learn more about iPad.
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