Why isn't the iPad 3 listed on the iOS 7 page?

I have an iPad 3. I call it the iPad 3 because it's technically the 3rd generation iPad and has the Retina display but it also has the older 20 pin connector instead of the new Lightning connector. So, it's technically NOT the "iPad with Retina display" even though it has a Retina display.

On the iOS 7 page, it indicates that iOS 7 is compatible with:

• iPad 2
• iPad with Retina display
• iPad mini

So, where does the 3rd gen iPad fall on this list? It's technically not "iPad with Retina display" since "iPad with Retina display" specifically refers to the 4th gen iPad that also has the Lightning connector and the faster dual-core A6X with quad-core graphics. The 3rd gen iPad has the dual-core A5X chip and the 20 pin connector.

I'm sure iOS 7 will work on the 3rd gen iPad (right Apple?).  However, I'm disappointed that iOS 7 won't work on the older iPod touch models. Looks like iOS 7 will only run on the 5th gen iPod touch.

Speaking of older iPads and iPods, you can get some nice deals on refurbished products from the Apple Outlet.

The original iPad won't support iOS 6

Those of us who were early adopters purchased the original iPad. Many of us went ahead and upgraded to the iPad 2 or the New iPad. The rest of us who are still using the original iPad will be stuck on iOS 5 and will soon find that certain apps will no longer run on our devices. It's nearly impossible to stay current with the latest hardware technology because of the rapid pace of hardware advancement. I've been a happy user of the original iPad, but the time is approaching where I'll need to upgrade to a newer model. I'm also using an Android tablet simultaneously and Lenovo was kind enough to release the latest Android OS (Android 4 also known as Ice Cream Sandwich) on the ThinkPad Tablet, so I'm fortunate to have a tablet running the latest Android OS (and I didn't need to upgrade the hardware).

75% of my Apple iOS devices will soon be "obsolete"

As you may suspect, I have a number of Apple gadgets in my home. We have a few iPods (various generations), an iPad, an iPhone 4S, an iPod touch, a MacBook Pro, and even a Newton Messagepad (remember those?)

I tend to keep my old devices, so my iPod touch is a 2nd generation device. The current iPod touch is a 4th generation model. If you have an iPod touch, do you know what generation your device falls into?

I also have the first generation iPad (do you think this will become a collector's item someday?)

The sad reality that I must accept is that many of my iOS devices will soon become "obsolete." My current iPod touch is running iOS 4.2.1 because it doesn't support iOS 5 (or any updated version of iOS 4). This means that I can't run certain medical apps (like the Sermo app) on my old iPod touch.

The exciting announcement about iOS 6 wasn't too thrilling for me since my first generation iPad won't support iOS 6. I'll be stuck with the obsolete iOS 5 on my iPad.

The hardware on mobile devices changes so rapidly that it's nearly impossible to keep up with technology. Do you feel that way too? Let's look at the bright side: Soon, we'll be calling these devices "vintage."

Fortunately, someone within our household has an iPhone 4S, so we're not all behind the times.

Entrada app for iOS revolutionizes mobile documentation for busy physicians

The following is a press release:

New Entrada app for Apple iOS devices revolutionizes mobile documentation for busy physicians and specialists

New Elegant Interface, Easy-to-Use Interface, Powerful Performance

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 27th, 2012 — With the latest release of its iOS application available for Apple mobile devices (e.g. iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch), Entrada unlocks the productivity potential of clinics, hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers looking for innovative ways to accelerate and simplify the adoption of electronic health records, without experiencing the once inevitable loss in physician productivity. As noted in a recent MGMA survey, nearly 78% of physicians fear a significant loss in productivity while implementing an EHR. With the release of its new iOS app, Entrada helps alleviate these concerns by protecting the physician’s traditional, dictation-based workflow and providing a level of mobility and flexibility currently unachieved in the mobile health industry.

Box.net offering 50gb of free storage to iOS users

Author: Riley Alexander, MD, MBA

To rain on iCloud's parade, Box.net is offering, for the next 60 days, 50gb of free cloud storage to all iOS users (upgrades to current users). I downloaded and signed up today. It seems to be a very Dropbox-esque site, but lacks some of the desktop integration that Dropbox does. Surprisingly, the Mac app is free while the Windows desktop client is a premium service. However I did see a workaround to this that involves adding box.net as a network location here and it is very easy and it works.

Medical students can take notes during class using a tablet if they...

Medical students can take notes using a tablet if they use a tablet that accepts pen-based input. Traditionally, Windows tablet PC used Wacom technology and Penabled digitizer pens that allowed you to draw and write directly on the screen of your tablet. Your "inking" could also get converted into text if your handwriting was somewhat legible.

Today, we live in an era of capacitive touch-based computing and many people have said "bye bye digitizer pen (or stylus if you prefer)." Those of us who lived in the era of traditional tablet PCs often miss our pens and we feel drawn to tablets that have pen-input technology.

Today, we're left with a few options if you want a touch-based tablet that also allows you to take notes using a pen. N-trig has filled the void with its DuoSense digitizer that lets you switch from capacitive touch to pen-based input. If you want the best of both worlds, you can choose between tablets like the Lenovo ThinkPad (running Android), the HTC EVO View 4G from Sprint (running Android), or the HTC Flyer (running Android).

How many of these tablets can you identify?

Here's a photo that includes all the tablet computers that I had in my office last week. How many can you recognize?

Let's start with the left column:

• Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC (Windows)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 (Android)
• HTC EVO View 4G (Android )
• HP Slate 500 (Windows)

Right column:

• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Android)
• Apple iPad (iOS)
• HP TouchPad (webOS)

Did you get all those? I only own 3 of these devices. I'm currently testing all the others. Which 3 do I own?

Win a free app! LogMeIn Ignition

Here's your chance to win a free app! LogMeIn Ignition. We're giving away three (3) copies of LogMeIn Ignition here on MobileHealthComputing.com and we need your help to promote this contest!

I've been using LogMeIn Ignition for the past few months and I've found this to be an "essential" app for my iPad. It's been a great way for me to access my PC or Mac remotely from my Apple iPad. LogMeIn Ignition has some nice features that facilitates the remote computing experience on a touch-screen device like the iPad. They also have an application for Android smartphones & tablets. You can read my review of the iPad version here.

Here's how you can enter the contest:

1. Leave a single comment at the bottom of this blog post explaining how you plan to use LogMeIn Ignition to remotely access your computer from your mobile device (iPhone, iPad, Android, etc.) Your creativity can help you win! Make sure to include your full name with your comment.
2. You'll need a Facebook account for this second step: "Like" the following four pages on Facebook:

• http://www.facebook.com/LogMeIn
• http://www.facebook.com/MobileHealthComputing
• http://www.facebook.com/MedicalSmartphones 
• http://www.facebook.com/MedicineandTechnology

It's that simple. Leave a comment and like 4 Facebook pages for a chance to win one of three LogMeIn Ignition apps.

How the winners will be chosen: Two of the winners will be selected at random. The third winner will be selected based on the creativity of your comment.

This contest will run from Feb 21, 2011 to May 21, 2011.

On May 23, 2011, we will announce three winners here on MobileHealthComputing.com!

Each winner will receive a free LogMeIn Ignition app for either their iOS or Android device. = Winners will be notified via their Facebook page.

With LogMeIn Ignition, you’re just a touch or click away from all your computers. Install LogMeIn Ignition on your iPhone, iPad or Android deviceand get to your information anytime, anywhere.

Microsoft Tablet OS in 2012

Some may say that Windows 7 is a tablet OS. I think Windows 7 is a nice OS for tablet PC users who are using a Wacom or Penabled stylus pen. It's difficult to compare Windows 7 against iOS, webOS, or Android if you're mainly using finger touch for primary navigation. That's probably why Microsoft is going to release a tablet OS in 2012. I think that many people are concluding that Windows 7 is not an optimal OS for touch-screen slate tablet PCs. My prediction is that the Microsoft tablet OS will look very similar to HP (formerly Palm) webOS. Some are already saying that RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook is using an OS (BlackBerry Tablet OS) that closely mimics HP webOS.  I won't get into that right now.

Eventually, will these tablet operating systems become so powerful that they essentially replace standard desktop and laptop operating systems? Perhaps this may happen as cloud-based computing evolves. After all, if we can compute off the cloud, then who needs a robust OS? You just need a robust (and fast) connection to the Internet. Let the cloud provide all the software services that you need.

2011 Slate Tablet PC Market

As predicted, 2010 was the "year of the tablet."  In 2010, we saw several new slate tablets enter the market. The Apple iPad was a huge success (and I often wonder if the marketing folks at Apple predicted correctly). Now, we're seeing a large number of other slates on the market to compete against the iPad. I'll refer to these as slate tablet PCs even though they're not your traditional "PC" running Microsoft Windows. It seems like these slate devices will be called "tablet PCs" or "slate tablet PCs" by those in the industry, so we're bound to face some confusion as people differentiate between devices running Android vs. those full-fledged PCs running Windows 7.

Here are the slate tablet computers we saw in 2010:

• Apple iPad (running iOS)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab (running Android)
• Dell Streak (running Android)

We also heard that in 2011, we can expect to see:

• HP PalmPad (running webOS)
• RIM PlayBook (running BlackBerry)
• Lenovo LePad (running Android)
• Apple iPad 2 (running iOS)

Will 2011 continue the tablet trend as we see more slate devices emerge on the market? Soon, we'll complete a circle as these slate tablets morph into laptop-style devices with removable keyboards.  Does this mean that netbooks will be making a comeback in the near future?

iOS 4.2 brings multitasking to iPads

Apple has released iOS 4.2 to the iPad (and iPhone and iPod touch). This software update brings multitasking features to the Apple iPad. Plus, it allows you to have access to over 100 new features. Certain features are only available on the newest iPod touch models.

Apple's iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

Major Software Update Brings Multitasking, Folders, Unified Inbox, Game Center, AirPlay & AirPrint to iPad

CUPERTINO, California-November 22, 2010-Apple® today announced that iOS 4.2, the latest version of the world's most advanced mobile operating system, is available today for download for iPad™, iPhone® and iPod touch®. iOS 4.2 brings over 100 new features from iOS 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2 to iPad including Multitasking, Folders, Unified Inbox, Game Center, AirPlay® and AirPrint.