Apple iPad 3

The original Apple iPad sold over three million units in just 80 days. By the time the second generation, the iPad 2, arrived in March 2011, almost 15 million iPads had been sold worldwide.

With almost 75% of the world tablet market share, it is no wonder that the release of a new iPad is a much-anticipated event.

Despite all the hype, the iPad 3 looks remarkably similar to the iPad 2. That is, until you pick it up and switch it on.

The first thing you notice is that the iPad 3 is heavier than its predecessor, around 80 grams heavier, in fact. It¿s also slightly thicker at 9.4 mm compared with the iPad 2 at 8.8mm, but the height and width at 241 mm and 186 mm respectively remain the same.

So what¿s inside that tempted over three million buyers to purchase the new model in the first three days after it was released?

The most eye-catching difference is the amazing Retina Display, which has four times the number of pixels as the iPad 2. The 9.7-inch screen packs in 1,536 x 2,048 pixels in total and the crispness, clarity and detail on the new screen have to be seen to be believed.

The iPad 3 also benefits from the A5X processor that enhances the graphics even more; new apps are expected that will take advantage of the potential of the new processor. The operating system is the iOS5.1 version released on March 7, 2012, one week prior to the iPad 3¿s release date. The iPad 3 also comes with 1 GB memory, double that of the iPad 2.