Hello, long time no post… blah blah blah. Let’s get to it.

So the iPad 3 is just about here, all rumours point to it coming in early March 2012 and I think quite a few people will be jumping aboard the iPad power boat of love. I myself have been on board since the iPad 1, I love it, I’ve held off getting the iPad 2 as I knew the 3 would be bringing all the stuff I wanted. So thinking there’s going to be a lot of people getting iPads for the first time I thought I’d put together a guide to my must know knowledge as a 2 year iPad owner and what apps and games you simply must get.

I’m going to split it up into a few parts. First, I just want to go over the rumours about the iPad 3 hardware so you can navigate the next few weeks a make decisions to what you want/will want. All the most reliable sources are pointing to a launch in the first week of March.

Nothing is official about the iPad 3 yet, so this is all based on rumour and speculation but some of it is extremely likely. The most likely thing is the new iPad will be the shame shape and size as the iPad 2, it might be a slight bit thinner or thinker but you probably won’t be able to spot the difference. Forget the idea of a smaller iPad or even a bigger one for that matter. All of the changes are going to be internal, but just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not important.

The put your mortgage on it, 99.999% certain upgrade is the screen being upgraded to a “Retina” display. Like the iPhone 4, the iPad 3 will cram 4 times the number of pixels into it’s screen, giving it display where it’ll be extremely hard to see the individual pixels. Why? Reading text, viewing pictures and video will be far easier on the eye. If you get the chance to look at an iPhone 3/3GS next to an iPhone 4/4S you’ll see the difference is night and day. For me if this was the only upgrade I would see it as a must buy.

But the good news is that’s not going to be the only upgrade! The more pixels means Apple are going to need to beef up the power of the iPad, so a better CPU and GPU (processor and graphic processor) will be almost dead certainties too. The CPU could easily double the performance of the iPad 2, which is far from a slouch, and the GPU could be many times faster (the iPad 2 GPU is 7 times faster than the one in the original iPad). In fact it should out power the chip Sony is using in their new mobile Playstation the ‘Vita’ which is made for games and getting rave reviews for the quality of the graphics it can display.

The last upgrade you can bank on is an improved camera. The one from the iPhone 4S is a prime candidate, HD video, stunning stills, it’s just the type of camera that can produce images that will look great on the new retina display.

Other less likely or unknown upgrades include 4G mobile technology (which will be pointless for UK users) and improved battery life (though the extra power might be needed to drive all the new stuff).

The last rumour is that the iPad 2 will continue to be made, but sold at a cut price and maybe available in just a single configuration. The rumoured price cut would be to between $299 and $399 (from $499 for the base 16Gb WiFi model) which should mean £225 to £300 once it’s over here and VAT has been added.

So crunch time? What do you get?

Assuming they’ll keep the same price and model structure I’m getting the 64Gb WiFi + 3G option. The top dog. Why? Honestly in two years I’ve never used the 3G, but I have used the GPS, which is only on the 3G models. If the WiFi came with GPS I wouldn’t bother with the 3G. But I don’t see it happening. 64Gb, well my 32Gb iPad 1 has 12Gb left, I’d imagine over the next few years I’m going to buy many more apps, games and comics which would put me above the 32Gb mark, so 64Gb it is. But recommending the best of the best is an easy thing to do, if money is tighter you’ve really got to consider the options.

A cheap iPad 2 would be a fantastic bargin, even at a year old it’s not been surpassed, and there’s so many out there it’s going to be a target device for years to come. A second hand iPad 1 (of which there will be many on ebay at great prices) I’d probably avoid, unless you are looking for a device to give to the kids. If you are torn between a cheap iPad 2 and base model iPad 3, my advice would be to go into your nearest Apple store and judge for yourself. The retina display will need to be seen to be believed.

For most people, the best recommendation will be the iPad 3 32Gb WiFi at £429, for most the 3G isn’t worth it and in my opinion 16Gb won’t last you more than 2 years of apps, even more so as app and game sizes are on the increase.

Oh, and get a black one.

So there you have it, my opinion on the hardware. If you have any question feel free to tweet me or leave a comment. Next I’ll look at apps and some tips and tricks so you can get the most out of your iPad.

Next up, I’ll be blogging about Apps and Accessories. Hopefully have that up tomorrow.

Ashley.