Apple iPad 3: What We Want

There are few things in this world that travel faster than an Apple rumor. As per usual, we were bombarded with the things this week, in the lead up to yesterday's "Special Event." For the most part, the rumor assortment was the standard fare—dimensions, release date, color, and a handful of new features.

One rumor really struck us as odd, however. According to a still anonymous employee, Apple had to scrap a number of features from the iPad 2, due to technical issues. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time this has happened. Apple openly fessed up to the fact that the white iPhone 4 has been repeatedly delayed because it has proven "challenging to manufacture." The employee explained that the iPad 2 would prove a bit a disappointment because of these "engineering issues."

He went on to add, "For the iPad 2 don't get your hopes up too high. That's all I'm going to say. They've had a number of problems along the way, and the third-generation iPad is the one to make a song and a dance about." The iPad 3? The iPad 2 wasn't even out of the gate yet, and the rumor mill was already churning about an iPad 3.

As always, some rumors were right on the money and others fell flat. The latest iPad is being regarded as an evolution, not a revolution. For the most part, response to the device has been largely positive, with most pundits predicting that the updates to the device would be sufficient enough to keep Apple atop the tablet game (though, let's be honest, it's going to take a full-out revolution for a competing tablet to take down the iPad's 90 percent market share).

All of this got us thinking—what precisely will the iPad 3 offer that will so utterly blow its predecessors out of the water? It's probably a little early to discuss a feature set for the thing with any real accuracy, but that doesn't mean we can't engage in wild and wishful speculation.