Should you go ahead and purchase an iPad now or wait to see if Apple will release a new version of its best selling tablet device by the end of the year? Many people who don"t own an iPad are likely making that kind of decision thanks in part to persistent rumors that Apple plans to launch a third version of the iPad soon. The latest comes from Venture Beat that reports a Chinese language web site claims that Apple will launch the iPad 3 in time for Thanksgiving here in the US., the unofficial start of the holiday buying season. Most of the Internet rumors of an iPad 3 center on adding a higher resolution screen compared to the current iPad 2 but nothing else in terms of upgraded hardware.
In related news, the Taiwan Economic News web site reports that Apple is going to be using a new manufacturing company to make the iPad 3. The report, which cites unnamed sources, claims that Pegatron has secured the contract to assemble the new iPad. Previously the iPad had been made by Foxconn but the China-based company has had some recent issues, including the fact that one of Foxconn"s plants exploded back in May, killing three factory workers. Apple previously announced that it had sold 9.25 million iPads worldwide in the quarter that ended on June 30. If the iPad was considered to be part of the PC hardware market its sales would now make up a 11 percent of the total PC market.