These days, any announcement from Apple is enough send most of the computer world into a full-blown frenzy.

Apple’s recent announcement of the new iPad certainly was no exception.

When CEO Tim Cook took the stage at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on March 7 to make Apple’s first major announcement since Apple founder Steve Jobs passed away last October, it had the makings of a near-epic moment.

And being the marketing geniuses they are, the good folks at Apple took full advantage of the opportunity to lay the drama on pretty thick, heralding the iPad as the “post-PC revolution”.

“We think the iPad is the poster-child of the post-PC world,” said Cook. “When we set out to create the iPad, we set out to create not just a new product, but a new category.”

Is the iPad the beginning of the end for the PC?

2012: YEAR ZERO FOR THE iPAD

Forget iPad3 or iPad HD. Instead, Apple went with the name the “new iPad”, much to everyone’s surprise. Apparently, as far as Apple is concerned, this is Year Zero for the iPad.

March 16, 2012: D-day for the New iPad

With the new iPad appearing in stores today, the usual Apple-crazed hordes could be found crowding city sidewalks last night, anxious to be among the first to get their hands on the latest iPad. Here’s what they sacrificed a good night’s sleep for:

COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES:

NEW iPAD VS. iPAD2

 

Features	iPad2	New iPad 3	Difference
Models	Wi-Fi Wi-Fi + 3G	Wi-Fi Wi-Fi + 4G LTE	Super-fast mobile broadband support iPad can now be used as a personal hotspot
Chip	Dual-core Apple A5 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip	Dual-core Apple A5X custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip with quad-core graphics	Faster performance and graphics compared to the iPad2
Storage	16, 32 and 64 GB	16, 32 and 64 GB	Still no 128 GB model
iOS	iOS 5	iOS 5.1	Mostly bug fixes and interface tweaks
Thickness	0.34”	0.37”	Negligible
Dimensions	9.50” x 7.31”	9.50” x 7.31”	Same
Weight	1.33 lbs.	1.44 lbs. (1.46 lbs. for Wi-Fi + 4g)	Negligible
Battery & Power	Built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery Up to 10 hours (up to 9 hours for Wi-Fi + 3G) Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system Built-in 42.5-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery Up to 10 hours (up to 9 hours for Wi-Fi + 4G) Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system		9 hours is impressive considering that LTE is such a big power drain
Text input	Keyboard	Keyboard & dictation	Still no Siri, but surprisingly accurate
Display	9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)	Retina display 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi)	When placed side-by-side, the difference in clarity is quite stunning
Camera, Photos and Video Recording	Back camera: Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still camera with 5x digital zoom Front camera: Video recording, VGA up to 30 frames per second with audio; VGA-quality still camera Tap to control exposure for video or stills Photo and video geotagging over Wi-Fi	5-megapixel iSight camera Autofocus Tap to focus Face detection in still images Video recording, HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio Video stabilization FaceTime camera with VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second Photo and video geotagging Dramatically better images than the iPad2 Auto-stabilisation in video recording removes shaky-hand camcorder syndrome
Pricing (US$)	$399 for 16 GB ( Wi-Fi) and $529 (3G + Wi-Fi)	$499 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB $629, $729 and $829 respectively (for Wi-Fi)	Similar pricing structure

A SOLID EVOLUTION, NOT REVOLUTION

All told, it looks like Apple gave iPad fans just about everything they had on their wish list: retina display, a faster processor, better cameras and image editing options, 4G mobile downloads… There’s not much bad to say about the new iPad. Even the pricing structure works in its favor.

That said, the new iPad is more of an evolution than a true revolution. It’s unlikely that iPad2 owners everywhere will instantly run out and upgrade. On the other hand, we’re betting that the new iPad will tempt a lot of folks to finally change their tablet-less status.

And by the way, users of SherWeb’s Hosted Exchange will be happy to know that the service is compatible with the new iPad 3, and email will be supported.

[Question: Today is D-day for the New iPad. Did you spend the night on the sidewalk to be among the first to buy one?]