$1.5 Billion in opening weekend for ipad 3

Apple’s three million new iPad sales in the opening weekend are impressive but not particularly surprising; what the company has really demonstrated with the third-generation tablet isn’t that it can create a coveted product, but that it can now deliver in bulk. Stock shortages have plagued Apple launches since the original iPhone, the company seemingly unable to meet demand for its high-profile phones and tablets. In fact, it’s become a measure of success for stores to sell out and lines to snake outside for days and weeks as would-be owners queue desperately for the rationed hardware. Still, while “sell-out success” makes for good press hyperbole, turning customers away empty-handed isn’t best for business. With the new iPad, though, Apple showed that the supply chain just got serious.

For a while, it seemed like the new iPad launch would go just as with its predecessors. Online pre-orders opened on Friday, March 9, a week before in-store availability, and by the following Monday delivery estimates were stretching 2-3 weeks away. Even now, online sales still warn of that same delay in shipments.

The expectation, then, was that competition would be fierce for units in-store on March 16, and the traditional queues – perhaps truncated a little this time around, though the usual zealots were out in force – formed. Nonetheless, a few hours after opening time at 8am, the lines were gone and new iPads still waited on shelves.

A few knee-jerk analyst reactions showed just how perverse our expectations had become: Apple hadn’t sold out of every last iPad, and so the tablet must’ve been underwhelming. Yet take a step back and the scale of the change from last year’s iPad 2 launch is clear: a simultaneous debut in ten countries across the world, including the gadget-addicted US and UK, with sufficient supplies to go around. Today, you can walk into a store and leave minutes later with a new iPad.

"Apple’s achievement will be doubly-impressive on Friday"

Apple’s achievement will be doubly impressive after this coming Friday. On March 23, the new iPad goes on sale in a further 24 countries, taking the total to 34. Contrast that to the iPad 2, which initially saw an under-supplied debut in the US alone, and then 25 more locations later in the same month, for a total of 26.

“The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold” Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing said today, “the strongest iPad launch yet.” That strength isn’t just in terms ofcustomer demand, but of Apple’s ability to leverage its formidable supply chain and gets stock to where it needs to be so that more buyers go home satisfied.

The iPad isn’t for everyone. Still, Android tablet manufacturers can no longer count on patchy availability for opportune gaps in the market: if people want a new iPad, they can have one today. The tablet wars are nowhere near over – Windows 8 will see a fresh batch of OEMs join the fray later in 2012 – but rivals will face an Apple that not only has razzle dazzle on-stage, but the well-oiled machine behind the scenes to back it up.

Crowds gather at Bay Area Apple stores in anticipation of new iPad's release

 

Before the sun could warm up a rainy Bay Area on Tuesday morning, Apple(AAPL) fans lined up outside the Cupertino company's retail stores for the debut of the newest iteration of the iPad tablet computer, joining employees in cheers and coffee until the doors opened at 8 a.m.

At Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara, about 60 people slept overnight outside the Apple Store in anticipation of buying the new iPad, and another 100 had gathered in a secondary line in the parking structure by 7 a.m.

First in line inside the mall was Jose Cuevas, 29, a mechanic for the city of Sunnyvale's recycling operations, who said it is the third Apple device launch he's attended.

Donning an "Hecho in Mexico" T-shirt and jeans, Cuevas got in line at 10:30 a.m. Thursday with a folding chair, bottled water, a small cooler and a backpack with his iPad 2 and several other Apple devices. Mall security told him he had to move along at one point Thursday because he was not "a mall patron," so Cuevas said he "went and bought a coffee, which made me a patron, so they let me stay."

Cuevas brought a sleeping bag, but said he didn't get much sleep Thursday night because there was a lot of clapping and commotion, which his ear plugs couldn't drown out.

He didn't regret the decision, however.

"I have all the iPods, iPads and iPhones they've released. The only thing I don't have is the iPhone 4S," Cuevas said. "I love how easy and revolutionary these products are. I first realized it when I saw a friend using sign language and reading lips by using the front-facing camera and Facetime. I thought this was amazing and I wanted to be a part of it."

Cuevas planned to buy a white, 64 gigabyte, 4G LTE-capable iPad, which he had figured out beforehand would cost $906.48 with tax.

About 60 young, blue-shirted employees served coffee and water to those waiting in line and whipped them into a frenzy at certain points before gathering inside the store for a frenetic prelaunch rally. A crew of about a dozen employees of the Microsoft Store had their own pep rally, but their size and enthusiasm was dwarfed by their neighbors thirty feet away.

Emma Harris, 56, a small-business owner from Morgan Hill, waited in line anxiously at Valley Fair as the doors were preparing to open. She said she has been to every Apple launch so far at Valley Fair, three for iPads and three for iPhones.

"It's having it before anyone else has it, because you can shove it in their face and say 'Look what I've got,'" she said of her motivation.

She passed the evening comfortably sleeping on the floor in advance of buying two 64GB iPads and one 16GB for her, her daughter and her brother.

"If you're tired, you can sleep anywhere," she said.

The store opened at 8 a.m., and customers were welcomed by two lines of screaming employees. The first customers came back outside with their prized purchases about ten minutes later.

Harris emerged with her new 64GB 4G-capable iPad, for which she paid $829 plus tax.

"It feels wonderful. After all, it's Apple and I've got the newest one on the block"

Kelvin Pham came out clutching his new iPad close to his chest soon after. The 22-year-old tutor from San Jose said he had gotten in line at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

"I wanted to be the first to get the new iPad. I'm fascinated with everything Apple does. I was disappointed that this one doesn't have Siri, but I'll settle for voice dictation," he said as he waited for the doors to open.

When he emerged with a 32GB, Wi-Fi-only model, he said "It feels wonderful. I can't wait to use it."

Exactly 39 minutes after being the first person allowed in the Apple Store following a 22-hour wait, Jose Cuevas walked out with his new prized possession.

"This is my 21st Apple product, and it still feels awesome." Cuevas said before heading directly to Great Mall to get an application of Ghost Armor on his new iPad to protect it.

As he walked away, Cuevas turned and said, "I'll be back for the iPhone 5, hopefully in June, and I'll be first in line for that one, too."

At the newest Bay Area Apple Store on 4th Street in Berkeley, a smaller crowd of about three dozen people waited in rain gear at 7 a.m., many with camping chairs, for the store to open at 8 a.m. Apple Store employees dished out coffee from a cart and chatted with everyone, sharing news that the crowd in Emeryville was reportedly much larger.

Two lines led from the closed door of the Apple store, one for picking up pre-orders and one for purchasing an iPad. A 21-year-old UC Berkeley senior, who would only identify himself as Mike M., was the only customer waiting in the pre-order line.

He has purchased all iterations of the iPad, he said, and sold his 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad 2 for $350 to a friend before arriving at the Apple store at 6 a.m. Friday morning.

He said that he always buys the newest iPad because "they're always better. I like new stuff."

The wait was much easier this time, he said. Last time, he showed up at 6 a.m. as well, but the iPad 2 didn't go on sale until 5 p.m., creating an 11-hour wait. Friday, he would get his hands on his new iPad only two hours after arriving.

This iPad's most important feature for him is the retina display, the new, high-resolution screen that Apple has been heavily promoting.

"I do all of my school reading on it. I use it for highlighting and note-taking. The easier to read, the better," he said.

Matthew Brueckmann, an 18-year-old UC Berkeley freshman who was first in the other line, is an iPad virgin who was planning to buy a 32GB Wi-Fi-only version because "Wi-Fi is everywhere in Berkeley."

He said he only became fascinated with technology in the last year and a half, but agreed with his first-in-line partner that the retina display was the big draw. "It's better than anything you can imagine on an HD TV," he said.

However, he is not as intent on using the iPad for educational purposes as Mike M. "Maybe I'll find those intentions eventually," he said, while laughing.

Samsung Galaxy S WiFi 3.6 hands-on

 



If you were paying very close attention during Samsung's IFA announcements last year, you may have caught wind of a 3.6-inch PMP, fittingly called the Galaxy S WiFi 3.6. Now, Samsung has confirmed that this elusive entry-level Gingerbread handheld will finally be making its way to North America, with a 3.6-inch 800 x 480-pixel display and 1GHz Hummingbird processor in tow. There's no question that this isn't going to be a must-have gadget for power users, but for children and those new to Android or portable media players, the 3.6 will suit just fine. It's still a capable device, though on a more modest scale than pricier models -- there's a rear-facing 2-megapixel camera with a VGA snapper up front, a 1500mAh removable battery, a microSD slot for memory expansion, micro-USB and headphone ports on the bottom, and a power button and volume rocker on the side.

We had a chance to go hands-on with the 3.6 ahead of its U.S. launch during a visit to Samsung HQ in South Korea. The first thing we noticed is its size -- the compact design and light weight make single-handed operation quite feasible, even for those with smaller hands. The relatively high-res display (given the size) is of the LCD variety, as with other Galaxy Players, though with the same amount of screen real estate as larger devices, you should have no problem using the PMP for occasional email and basic web-browsing. Surprisingly, we also didn't have any issue using the keyboard, even in portrait mode with fairly stocky fingers. Navigation was noticeably sluggish compared to higher-end Samsung Galaxy devices, but not out of the ordinary for a mid-tier gadget. We wouldn't necessarily recommend purchasing the Galaxy S WiFi 3.6 if your everyday device has a large, gorgeous AMOLED display and plenty of processing power under the hood, but if you're looking for a PMP to compliment your prepaid feature phone, this budget offering should fit the bill. We're still awaiting confirmation of U.S. pricing and availability, though it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect it to land within the $150-200 range. Jump past the break for our video hands-on.

Yahoo sues Facebook over 10 patents

Yahoo is accusing Facebook of copying a range of technologies that the flagging search company invented, in a lawsuit that alleges the social media giant infringes 10 patents.

"Facebook's entire social network model, which allows users to create profiles for and connect with, among other things, persons and businesses, is based on Yahoo's patented social networking technology," Yahoo wrote in the lawsuit filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Yahoo accuses Facebook of infringing patents covering technologies related to advertising, privacy, site customization, social networking and integrated communications in social networking.

The suit describes several Facebook features that Yahoo alleges use its technology. Facebook's News Feed, the primary way of viewing friends' activity, infringes Yahoo's customization patents, according to Yahoo. The way Facebook handles privacy infringes Yahoo patents related to privacy, it said.

The format of many ads, such as Facebook's Premium Video Comment Ads, are based on Yahoo inventions, according to Yahoo. And the way Facebook displays and arranges ads and combats click fraud using the pay-per-click model infringe Yahoo patents, it said.

Yahoo didn't say if it had offered to license the technologies to Facebook, though reports last month suggested that Yahoo threatened the social networking site with legal action if it didn't make a deal.

In a statement Monday, Facebook said it was surprised by the move.

"We're disappointed that Yahoo, a longtime business partner of Facebook and a company that has substantially benefited from its association with Facebook, has decided to resort to litigation. Once again, we learned of Yahoo's decision simultaneously with the media. We will defend ourselves vigorously against these puzzling actions," it said.

It's likely no coincidence that Yahoo filed the suit now, just before Facebook is set to go public. "I think the timing coincides with the IPO and they're going to try to use the IPO as a source of pressure to get them to settle rather than litigate," said Greg Sterling, an analyst with Sterling Market Intelligence.

The strategy echoes Yahoo's decision to sue Google just before that company filed for its IPO. Yahoo sued Google for allegedly infringing patents controlled by Yahoo subsidiary Overture. Onlookers thought Google settled that dispute so that it wasn't involved in any potentially costly legal action when it went public.

In the suit against Facebook, Yahoo argues that simple back payment of royalties won't suffice.

"Yahoo is harmed by Facebook's use of Yahoo's patented technologies in a way that cannot be compensated for by payment of royalty alone," Yahoo's lawyers wrote. "Facebook's use of Yahoo's patented technologies has increased Facebook's revenue and market share because it does not have to recover the cost or time involved in the development of the technology."

iPad 2 Deals: Where to Buy it for Less

An upgrade to a product line usually brings bargains for the older models, and some iPad shoppers are watching for the iPad 2 deals to break. But you don't have to wait until the third-generation iPad ships on March 16 find a deal on an iPad 2. Major national retailers, including Apple itself, have already slashed prices on last year's Apple tablet.

Apple recently implemented the new pricing and other retailers quickly followed suit, but not every retailer has jumped on the iPad 2 price cut bandwagon. Here's where you can snap up Apple's 2011 iPad for less than its original $499 price tag.

Apple Store

Apple has already implemented its discount pricing on the 16GB Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models selling for $400 and $530 respectively, in both black and white. 

If you're looking for something even cheaper, or an iPad 2 with more memory, Apple is selling refurbished versions of the iPad 2 with Wi-Fi for $350 (16GB), $450 (32GB), and $550 (64GB). If you want Wi-Fi + 3G it will cost $480 (16B), $580 (32GB), and $680 (64GB). Color and availability could change.

Refurbished devices are typically defective units that have been returned to "just like new" condition and sold at a discount. Apple refurbished iPads come with the company's typical one-year warranty. Apple limits iPad 2 purchases to two per customer.

Best Buy

Best Buy is matching Apple's iPad 2 pricing for the 16GB Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 3G pricing at $400 and $530 respectively, in both black and white.

You can also get other versions of the iPad 2 for $100 cheaper including the 32GB iPad 2 for $500 in both colors, or the 64GB Apple tablet is available for $600. For Wi-Fi + 3G, you can get the 32GB version for $630 and the 64GB version for $730.

Walmart

Walmart is matching Apple's new pricing with the 16GB iPad 2 for $399 in white or black, and the Wi-Fi + 3G version for $529.

You can also get the 64GB Wi-Fi only version for $650, $50 cheaper than pre-third generation iPad pricing. Walmart's prices were available online and in store.

Radio Shack

RadioShack is selling the iPad 2 only in its stores for $100 cheaper than original pricing. Availability will vary in your area, but calls to several Radio Shack locations on the east coast suggests that you are more likely to find 16GB ($399) and 32GB ($499) Wi-Fi only devices, and 16GB  Wi-Fi + 3G ($529) models. If you plan to buy from Radio Shack you might want to call ahead and see what your local stores have in stock.

Where Not To Buy, Yet

So far, Amazon and third-party retailers selling via the site have yet to drop iPad 2 prices. The best price the online retailer offered at the time of this writing was $433 for a 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad 2.

Target also hasn't budged on pricing, and you should steer clear of eBay sellers for now as well. That being said, if you can't find a cheap iPad 2, keep your eye on pricing wherever the iPad 2 is sold near you. As we get closer to March 16, iPad 2 pricing is likely to drop at most major, and possibly local, retailers.

iPad (Third Generation) vs iPad 2

The biggest feature addition to the new iPad is its improved display resolution of 2048-by-1536 at 264 pixels per inch, over the iPad 2's 1024-by-768 resolution. The screen size remains the same at 9.7 inches. The new iPad also has a new A5X processor with an improved GPU for better graphics processing.

Units also have a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p video capture, bumped over the iPad 2's 720p video recording. Bluetooth is upgraded from Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR to the new Bluetooth 4.0, and those looking for wireless broadband will appreciate the zippier LTE 4G speeds over the iPad 2's 3G connectivity. The new iPad is available for advance orders now and is scheduled to hit store shelves on March 16.

Verizon Wireless Seen Getting More Benefit Than AT&T From Apple’s New IPad

Verizon Wireless is poised to get a bigger boost from Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s new iPad than competing wireless- service provider AT&T Inc. (T), even though both carriers will be the first in the U.S. to sell the tablet, unveiled March 7.

Verizon Wireless will probably sell 3 million to 4 million new iPads this year, while AT&T will sell about 2 million units, said Kevin Smithen, an analyst at Macquarie Securities USA Inc. The iPad is designed to work on the companies’ next-generation wireless networks, based on a technology called long-term evolution, or LTE.

AT&T’s LTE network isn’t as extensive, covering fewer potential customers. Verizon Wireless also lets subscribers turn their iPad into a mobile hot spot, a capability not yet possible with AT&T. As a result, Verizon Wireless customers may be able to make more use of their Apple tablets, Smithen said.

“Verizon is going to benefit more,” he said. “The iPad could mean pretty significant growth for Verizon, because they have good LTE coverage.”

The Verizon Wireless LTE network covered more than 200 million potential customers at the end of last year, the company said in January. AT&T, based in Dallas, said that month that it reached 74 million would-be users with LTE.

“Competitively, Verizon Wireless’s more extensive LTE footprint gives it a modest marketing advantage,” James Ratcliffe, an analyst at Barclays Capital, wrote in a report yesterday.

Even when AT&T customers are outside an area covered by LTE, they “are still going to have a very fast experience,” said Mark Siegel, a spokesman for AT&T.

More Data Purchasing
Many owners of the iPad 2 use the tablet on free Wi-Fi networks at homes, offices and cafes to avoid costly wireless data charges. That’s likely to change as subscribers seek to take advantage of the fuller range of iPad capabilities. As many as 30 percent of purchasers of the new device will use it on carriers’ networks, up from less than 20 percent for prior- generation iPads, Smithen said.

For AT&T and Verizon Wireless, which is owned by Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), that may mean an extra $45 a month per iPad subscriber, on average, Smithen said.

Verizon Communications declined less than 1 percent to $39 at 12:52 p.m. New York time, while AT&T was little changed at $31.07.

Portable Hot Spot
An average owner of the new iPad will use twice as much data as users of prior-generation iPads, Chetan Sharma, an independent analyst, said in an interview. As many as 10 percent of those owners may look to upgrade to a more expensive data plan, to allow for higher data usage, Sharma said.

“The new LTE is much faster,” Sharma said. “The performance and user experience will be better. I expect the consumers will use it more.”

The new iPad will have a faster chip and a sharper screen, which will make it better for viewing video and graphics.

Verizon’s iPad will also let owners turn it into a hot spot, to which other devices can connect to surf the Web. AT&T’s iPad doesn’t currently have this capability, but is working with Apple to offer it in the future, AT&T’s Siegel said.

As data usage of their networks continues to skyrocket, many U.S. wireless carriers have moved to new broadband technologies like LTE to keep up with demand. They also began capping customers’ monthly use and raising prices. Wireless-plan prices may rise by 5 percent a year, Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Tim Horan said in an interview.

Earlier this month, AT&T said it will start slowing data speeds of customers with unlimited wireless plans who use more than 3 gigabytes of data a month.

The strain on the global mobile networks more than doubled last year, as consumers began watching more mobile video and using tablets, according to networking-equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO)

New iPad lights up trade-in services

Record numbers of iPad owners sold their devices yesterday following Apple's introduction of its next-generation model.

Today both eBay and Gazelle, online services that buy used tablets and other gadgets, reported a record influx of people selling their tablets, many of which were models less than a year old.

eBay says it had "more than" 20,000 trade-in offers for tablets yesterday, 89 percent of which were iPads. eBay says that 20,000 number represents a 10-fold increase in the volume of trade-ins the company pulled in the day before Apple's event. Perhaps more telling is that more than half of those trade-ins were Apple's iPad 2, a device that went on sale less than a year ago.

Separately Gazelle, which does not offer a way to auction off goods to other buyers like eBay does, said that customers were selling it an iPad on the service every eight seconds.

"Since the announcement yesterday we've already had about 80,000 offers presented to Gazelle customers, which is a 650 percent increase in trades," Anthony Scarsella, Gazelle's "chief gadget officer" told CNET in an interview.

75 percent of those trade-ins were iPad 2s, Scarsella said, with the other 25 percent consisting of first-generation models.

To put these numbers in perspective, last week eBay said it generated more than 125,000 tablet trade-in offers during the entire month of February, with 97.6 percent of those consisting of Apple iPad models. That number was up tenfold from the number of offers during the same month last year, the company said.

That more people are trading in their iPads now than this time last year shouldn't be too much of a surprise. In February 2011, the first-generation iPad had been out less than a year and had suffered considerable supply shortages that pushed availability back several weeks for those looking to get their hands on one. By comparison, Apple sold 32 million iPads last year, with the majority of those being the second-generation model--a device that had supply problems of its own.

Worth noting is that eBay's trade-in numbers come from the online commerce site's Instant Sale program, which differs from its auction services by giving gadget owners a way to trade in items for cash. Users describe the quality of their item, and eBay picks up the shipping cost, as well as the job of wiping whatever data is on it. A company spokesperson said auction listings for both the iPad and iPad 2 increased nearly three times the number the previous day.

Where do these devices go?
You may be wondering where these tablets and smartphones go once they're traded-in, and the simple answer is that they're sold right back to new buyers. Both Gazelle and eBay wipe the data on the device, then clean it up and package it for a sale back to someone else.

Stacks of iPads sit waiting to be sold on launch day in San Francisco in 2010.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

In Gazelle's case, the company says the majority of traded-in gadgets are re-sold on the company's online stores on eBay and Amazon. Gazelle will also sell the units wholesale in the U.S. and internationally, where they end up being sold by other companies.

eBay manages its trade-ins through a third-party company, which assesses the value then puts them up for sale again on eBay's site. Whereas eBay once made users define the quality of the item, that's now something that's been simplified to "working" and "non-working."

Time is money
The diminishing resale value of electronic goods in the gadget world is not a new phenomenon, and with the advent of trade-in services has become a publicly-viewable exercise in economics. Both eBay and Gazelle estimate the value you'd get based on a supply and demand curve. And both offer a way for iPad owners to "lock in" the price they'd get for their used goods, making the eventual trade days or weeks after the price is set.

In eBay's case, the company is providing a pre-set value for how much it will give owners for their device as long as it's sent in within a certain time frame. That deadline is this Saturday, with owners having to postmark their package by Tuesday, March 20.

For Gazelle, the amount buyers can get is a moving target ahead of them locking it in, a price the company will put on hold for 30 days. Gazelle also says that it sometimes increases the pricing of trade-ins when people misjudge the quality of their item, with some 5 percent of iPad trade-ins getting a post-trade bump.

As gadgets go, Scarsella said smartphones hold their value the best among the products the company buys, but that the return people are getting on those devices has changed considerably among the varying device makers.

"In the past we tended to see that with BlackBerry devices, now nobody wants them," he said. "iPhone and iOS are becoming more corporate than when it first started, so businesses are adapting iPhone models and businesses and people are just dumping BlackBerrys. That's causing them to lose quite a bit of value."

Scarsella added that Apple's products are among the top items in terms of holding trade-in value among gadgets.

"Now that people are beginning to catch on to [Apple's] upgrade cycle, users are beginning to trade in much earlier than before," Scarsella said. "Previously they would wait until the actual launch day to know it has certain specs or features to commit to buying it. Now it's just like they're going to buy it, no matter what Apple puts out there. It could be a blender and they're going to buy it."

Apple unveils new 4G iPad

SAN FRANCISCO – Apple Wednesday introduced a new iPad that, as expected, will have a sharper display, faster processor, voice dictation and the ability to tap into faster cellular networks.

The new iPad is "taken to a whole new level, and redefines the category Apple created with the original iPad," said Apple CEO Tim Cook at a press event here.

As with the previous iPad, the new iPad starts at $499 with 16 GB of storage for a Wi-Fi model, or $629 to get cellular Internet access. It will be available on March 16.

The iPad, first introduced in April 2010, is the most successful tech product of the last few years. It has sold over 55 million units to date, and analysts expect it to top 100 million by year's end.

Apple is keeping iPad 2 in the lineup, dropping the price to $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version.

Also Wednesday, Apple unveiled a new version of itsApple TV set-top box, which brings Internet movies and TV shows — and music from your computer — to the TV set.

The new box upgrades the high-definition from 720p to a sharper 1080p and sells for $99. The Apple TV box will also be available on March 16.

One of the biggest selling points for the new iPad is the sharper "retina" display, which was first introduced on the iPhone 4 in 2010.

Most HD TVs are 1920x1080 resolution, but the sharper resolution of the iPad is 2048x1530, or "1 million more pixels than HDTV," said Apple senior vice-president Phil Schiller.

The new, faster processor is "four times" faster than the previous iPad, which means that e-mails, videos, photos and other programs will open much faster.

There were expectations that Apple would add Siri, the digital personal assistant from the iPhone 4S to the new iPad, but it didn't. It did add voice dictation, however.

A new tab has been added to the keyboard. Press a button and users can dictate texts, e-mails and the like.

The improved camera first introduced on the iPhone 4S — which many consumers have turned to in place of their point and shoot camera, has been added to the iPad.

The 5-megapixel camera has built-in image stabilization, to help eliminate the shakes, and also offers the ability to shoot video in full 1080p HD resolution.

Previous iPads could access cellular 3G networks; the new one can get faster 4G, which is available from AT&T and Verizon, but not everywhere nationally. The 4G services are in more markets from Verizon.

Apple also introduced new updates to the iMovie video-editing app and GarageBand for virtual music playing for the iPad.

For iMovie, you can create movie trailers, as you can on Mac computers. And with GarageBand, new virtual instruments have been added.

Additionally, iPhoto, the photo program on Mac computers, is now part of iPad. With iPhoto, as opposed to the camera roll photo app on previous iPads, you can both edit photos and access the same libraries ("our vacation," "baby born") created on computers.