SMALLER, CHEAPER IPAD MAY BE ON WAY

A brand new iPad for $250? That may well be a reality next fall if escalating buzz in the blogosphere proves true.

Several reputable sources, including c/net news, say that a smaller-sized iPad is in the works and that it will pack less memory than current models, enabling Apple to offer them at half the current prices.

Steve Jobs famously scoffed at the notion of iPads with a screen size smaller than the current 9.7-inch frame. But the post-Jobs regime at Apple apparently feels otherwise.

This may be due in part to advances in image quality since the earliest iPad.

The so-called retina display offering a screen resolution of 2048 pixels by 1536 pixels packs those pixels so densely they cannot be discerned by the naked eye.

The result is a phenomenally crisp image that allows you to feel almost as though you are looking through a window. The same pixel resolution on a smaller screen -- in this case 7 inches, if reports are correct -- would be even more compact, generating an even more dramatic sense of reality.

Although the iPad has easily dominated the tablet field, Apple executives clearly have their eye on competition such as e-readers, including the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook, which have captured respectable numbers of users who enjoy not only the e-ink displays that permit easy outdoor viewing (something the iPad cannot boast) but also the portability of 6-inch to 7-inch devices that can be held effortlessly with one hand.

The new iPad would be easier to hold, but it would have one drawback: less storage. Currently, iPads offer three levels of memory: 16, 32 and 64 gigabytes. The anticipated new iPad is expected to pack only 8 gigabytes.

This would not be a problem for most users if their daily regimen were mainly browsing the Web, texting, using email and using any of the nearly quarter million currently available apps. But for those who enjoy high-definition video games or who wish to store large numbers of images, videos or music files on their devices, the 8GB ceiling would be too restrictive.

With some high-definition movies weighing in near 4GB, users could possibly stream movies with no problem, but downloading and storing them on the iPad would be out of the question.

Apple's iCloud storage service offers 5GB of free storage space, and that would help. But high-demand users would still be better served by 32GB or 64GB models.

Some reports, which suggest an October release date, say the price of the new slimmed down iPad could be as low as $250.

That compares with $499, $599 and $699 for the current full-size Wi-Fi iPad models (which oddly were never designated iPad 3; they simply are referred to as the new iPads) carrying 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of memory, respectively. Models adding 3G connectivity (which allows you to connect to the Web anywhere there is cellular service) cost an additional $130 apiece.

Apple also offers two versions of the older iPad 2 models, both carrying 16GB of memory, at discounted prices: a Wi-Fi model for $399 and a Wi-Fi plus 3G model for $599.

The crystal-clear retina display will no doubt be tempting, and the convenience of holding a lighter unit, whether carrying it to work or reading in bed at night, is a strong draw. And the new, smaller iPad should appeal to younger users, those on tighter budgets and those seeking a second household unit.

According to TechCrunch, there's something else iPad owners can soon look forward to: Siri. That's the wildly popular feature introduced with the iPhone 4 earlier this year that serves as a personal assistant. Just say any command -- make an appointment for noon on Monday, find a good pizza place, find out where "The Avengers" is playing -- and Siri will respond by assigning a meeting date on your calendar, list local pizza places and display a roster of the nearest theaters showing that movie, along with times and options to buy tickets online.

Credit: Contact Peter Grad at [email protected]