“A Chinese accessory supplier is floating a new ‘iPad 2nd generation’ case differing from previous designs shown at CES, with port openings that appear to be designed to accommodate a new SD Card slot and a new port consistent with the size of a mini DisplayPort jack,” Daniel Eran Dilger reports for AppleInsider.
“The flexible silicon case designs parallel previous models that have been shown in both hard plastic and rubberized material, with a standard dock connector at the bottom, an opening on the lower right rear that is believed to be for an enlarged internal speaker, a new rear facing camera on the top right, and customary holes for the headphone jack, mute switch and volume controls,” Dilger reports. “The newest case design to surface shows a very distinct cutout on the rear upper left corner (a blank area on the current iPad) that appears to be consistent with the size of an SD Card slot. The new case also depicts a cutout on the center of the top edge that appears to be the size of a mini DisplayPort jack, located between the camera hole and the headphone port.”
Dilger reports, “Apple’s mini DisplayPort connectors function as ‘dual mode’ ports supporting HDMI output, so the inclusion of a mini DisplayPort on iPad 2 would enable both output to HDTVs via HDMI as well as, potentially, connection to a full resolution monitor such as Apple’s 27″ LED Cinema Display. A third potential advantage to using mini DisplayPort is that the standard supports video input, as Apple has implemented on the 27-inch iMac. If supported, this would enable iPad 2 to be used as a very high resolution external display by any Mac with mini DisplayPort output.”
Read much more, and see the photos, in the full article here.
Android who ?
NO USB STILL?????
You know this is what everyone is going to be saying.
2048×1536 Resolution
mini Display Port/HDMI
SD card reader
A5 and the 543
One/Two cameras
None of it will matter to the “USB” faction. Even if it had USB there will be the idiots that will hate it just because it is Apple.
One day maybe they will realize that all of the cool shlt they use Apple had their hand in bringing something in relation to market to make those products possible.
no USB!
OMG….
who cares. with everything the iPad can do, why USB? its not needed.
every item one would connect to an iPad via USB, could be done with wifi/Bluetooth. or the dock connector.
so why is USB needed?
with a SD slot (if thats the case) the only reason you’d need a USB slot, more storage/transfer ability, would be done with a SDcard.
I dont get the “USB faction” i’d rather not carry 800 cables/dongles and do everything wirelessly.
Can one not simply purchase a dock adapter with a USB plug on it and be done with it? I know it’s $29, but it’s not as if it can’t be done.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A
The problem with USB is that people will try to use the device for areas that it is not intended. That’s why Apple makes design choices that keep their products within their intended focus.
A mini display port makes sense because of the number of business people who are carrying it with them – plus – how do you output Keynote to a projector? Or if you want to share a document on screen?
As the iPad becomes more of a collaborative device, you have to have methods to easily share information.
I always ask people what they’re going to plug into the USB slot. The only answer they ever give is “my thumb drive” which is dumb, but an SD card solves that. Anything else?
Remember the patent where you slide the “portable” computer into the display from the side? Say Cheese!
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Still no Blu-Ray in the iPad? OMG OMG OMG!!
Why as card? You can get the card reader now that plugs into the port so why make a built in one?
Seems a little early for display cases to be leaking if the iPad 2 isn’t going to be released until April. I bet it comes sooner, like early March.
Those cases look more like Wal-mart Jell-O molds to me!
@ChrissyOne
Spot on. As the iPad becomes more powerful and more widely accepted, you could dock your iPad rather than docking your laptop (or, you could do both).
That patent is pretty clear on one possible future for the iPad and Apple.
Oops – I meant @thethirdshoe. Sorry C1.