Rumors have surfaced that the next generation of iPad, the iPad 3, is on the verge of being announced. There is no official word yet, but according to techcrunch.com, there is reason to believe that Apple will announce the iPad 3 during the first week of March. Of course, even if the prediction is correct, and we do get an announcement in the next couple of weeks, it will still be several months before the product hits the shelves. Nevertheless, even rumors of the next hot Apple product are enough to get Apple fans excited.

One of the reasons that some credibility is granted to this rumor, is that the second generation of iPad was announced around the same time last year. Apple does tend to keep improving their products on a regular basis, so it's a pretty safe bet that we'll be seeing an iPad 3 sooner rather than later. It's quite likely that by the time we heard about the second iPad, the company was already working on the iPad 3 behind the scenes.

The iPad is a very interesting product. When it was first announced, many people were skeptical that a tablet PC would become popular. Some people called it a crazy stunt and couldn't understand how anyone would want a blown-up iPhone. Of course, the initial success of the device was credited to the Apple loyalist, who would buy anything Steve Jobs told them to. Their investment was to be expected and didn't necessarily mean the product would be popular. Over time, however, the success of the iPad and its successors has become undeniable.

In a lot of ways, the iPad does work like a large iPhone, in that it is a thin, portable device with a touch-screen display. The screen is larger, which makes it better for longer-term browsing. People have made due, and will continue watching movies and reading articles on their phones, and the smaller phones are still more convenient for entertainment while waiting in line at the grocery store.

At first glance, the iPad may seem awkward or too large to carry around, but the fact is, it's not much larger than a book. The iPad fits nicely in most purses or briefcases and easily tucks under one's arm between use. Although it's only been a year since the last generation iPad was announced, you can bet that herds of Apple fans will be itching for the latest and greatest Apple device.

There isn't much depth to these recent rumors about the iPad 3. There were no details about what we might expect from the newest Apple tablet. The devices is highly anticipated, and although many competing tablets have made their way to store shelves, to Apple's credit, the iPad and iPad 2 remain the top-selling tablet devices. It is a safe bet that the iPad 3 will be an improvement on the iPad 2. There will likely be an upgraded, higher-resolution display and a dual-core processor.

The announcement of the iPad 2 last year, was the late CEO Steve Jobs' last Apple announcement. He made a surprise return from medical leave to deliver the announcement personally, before passing away later in 2011 from cancer. There is no word on who might deliver the iPad 3 news, but it may be a bitter-sweet day for Apple fans.