Are we expecting too much from Apple?

Rumours and ideas surrounding the iPad3 were (as always) rife. Retina display, memory card port, near field communication and a whole host of other “revolutionary” new features were touted as making iPad3 the Next Big Thing.

OK, so we got the retina display (and lovely it looks too, from the few screenshots and commentaries I’ve seen), but the whole launch leaves me with a bit of a feeling of “meh”.

The biggest surprise of the event was actually the name – gone is the sequential numbering, now there is only “iPad”. I think this works – its worked for the various iPod ranges over the years, so why not. I get the feeling that the iPhone will follow suit, although I’m not as sure that will work (but that’s a discussion for another blog post).

I like the addition of the dictation option, although like many I wonder about the exclusion of Siri.

Otherwise, everything was just a step up, not a leap or even a hop. Don’t get me wrong – the 3rd gen iPad is just as (or even more) desirable as its predecessor, and I certainly hope to get my hands on one soon. It’s bigger, better, faster, more. But that’s really all it is.

So I ask again, are we expecting too much? This is their first big hardware launch since Steve Jobs left us, and it must be hard to innovate more without one of the world’s leading creative minds directing things any more. Not that I think Apple can’t innovate without him, but perhaps it’s just too soon.

The tell will be he next iPhone launch. If they don’t produce something special there, I think people will begin to worry then. Until then, this is a solid, desirable piece of kit. And I want one.