The Apple rumour mill is once again in overdrive. Not only will Apple’s iPhone 5 be thinner and lighter and more powerful in terms of processing power, but the technology giant is now believed to be planning a new addition to the iPad family called the iPad HD.
Now, I believe the existing iPad 2 has enough attributes already to be considered HD for most users, with a screen that seems to be brighter (for one thing) than the first-generation iPad.
However, it is now believed a new iPad HD is also going to be delivered in the autumn alongside the iPhone 5 that will come with a double resolution screen (2,048 x 1,536), according to Thisismynext.
A “pro device” aimed at the higher end of the market – think design professionals, multimedia and movie producers/directors perhaps – it will no doubt cost more than the existing generation iPad 2 and could be introduced alongside an iPad version of Final Cut or Aperture as a complementary member of the iPad 2 family. Could it be iPad with Retina?
In order for a 9.7″ iPad to qualify as a Retina Display (300 DPI) the screen would need a resolution of around 2,048 x 1,536 so it could be called either iPad HD or iPad with Retina.
This makes a curious kind of sense in terms of broadening traditional Apple software out to a loyal user base if you consider traditional Mac apps like Garage Band, iMovie and Photo Booth were readied to accompany the iPad 2 at launch.
It also makes sense from the point of view of Apple’s most loyal user base – design professionals and multimedia creators – who have stuck with the company for more than two decades developing magazines, websites, video and now apps for the iPad!
The iPad is, in a sense, the most personal lightbox in the world and the onset of Final Cut or Aperture in the creative world supports a traditional mainstay niche for the Cupertino giant.
