Apple IPad MC706LL/A (32GB, Wi-Fi, Black)3rd Generation

I've been a big iPad fan and was waiting anxiously for the third generation to come out. I bought the original iPad, and when the 2 came out, I happily sold the 1 and upgraded. I was thrilled with the thinner, lighter and improved iPad 2. So naturally, when word came out that the third one was about to be released in March 2012, I was right on board to buy one. Sold my 2 and preordered the 3 from Apple the day it was released.

I was hoping the third gen wouldn't be noticibly thicker and heavier than the 2, but unfortunately it was. I could definitely tell the difference when reading ebooks, which I do a lot. I couldn't really tell any difference between the speed and clarity of the 3, but to be fair, I didn't compare the two models side by side. I've no doubt the 3 is superior in this regard. I don't use the cameras, so don't care about this since I have a very nice digital camera for that.

The one thing about the third generation iPad that concerned me was the heat issue. Shortly after receiving it, I was reading an ebook and noticed the left side was warm. Not hot, but definitely warm enough for me to notice it. This reminded me of laptops I've had that have overheated and shut down, and here I was only reading a book. My iPad 2 never had this problem and I used it a lot.

Review about Apple iPad MC706LL/A (32GB, Wi-Fi, Black)3rd Generation

UPDATE November 2012

As you know, Apple has just discontinued this 3rd-generation model and replaced it with a 4th generation iPad. This is good news if you're a buyer. You have the option of buying the newest iPad. But you have another option that I think is pretty attractive: buying a used 3rd-generation iPad at a much reduced price.

The differences between the 3rd and 4th generation iPads are mostly minor and won't affect the actual experience of using the device for many folks. The 3rd and 4th gen iPads have the same wonderful retina display, they are the same size and weight, and they have the same battery life.

So what's different? The 4th gen iPad has a faster chip and Apple tweaked the wifi and cellular connectivity. But as an owner, I can tell you that the 3rd-gen iPad is plenty fast and the internet connectivity via wifi or 3G/4G cellular is excellent. Really excellent.

The 4th gen iPad has a different type of connector, so if you have previously invested in speaker docks and other accessories designed for the old connector, it'll be harder to use them with the new iPad (you'll need to buy adapters, and even they don't solve all compatibility problems). I have a new iPhone 5 that has this new type of connector, and while I love the phone, the incompatibility problems with my existing accessories are frustrating.

The introduction of the latest iPad last week is already causing the prices of 3rd-gen iPads to drop--even though they are at most 7 months old. It should be very possible to find a like-new 3rd gen iPad that's maybe 5-6 months old at a much lower price. This is an option worth considering.

As for me, I'm still very happy with my 3rd-gen iPad and I plan to keep it for a couple more years.

My original review follows, with a few minor edits and updates to reflect new information.

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This review is for iPad 2 owners trying to decide whether to upgrade to the 3rd generation iPad. It also might be helpful for people deciding between buying a 3rd-gen iPad the now-cheaper iPad 2.

I was perfectly happy with my iPad 2, a wifi-only model with 32gb. When Apple announced the 3rd generation iPad, I typed up a long list of reasons why I shouldn't buy it. And then I bought one anyway. (I'll be giving my iPad 2 to my parents. )

You've probably already know what features the 3rd-gen iPad has, and how the specs compare to the iPad 2's specs. But comparing specs on paper is different than comparing the actual experience of using the two products, and the experience matters more than the specs. .

Features:

• 9.7 Retina Display, 2048 x 1536 Resolution
• Apple iOS 5, Dual-Core A5X Chip with Quad-Core Graphics
• 5 Megapixel iSight Camera, 1080p Video Recording
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), 32 GB Capacity
• Up to 10 Hours of Battery Life, 1.44 lbs