Sure, a Retina Display on the iPad would really make family photos pop, and video games rock, but it would also bring valuable capabilities for professionals like pilots (electronic charts), doctors (medical imaging) and other professionals.
MacWorld reports that during the past year, many airlines began using the iPad to replace conventional flight bags. Unfortunately, regulations restrict the iPad from being used outside of a 50 mile radius of the originating and destination airports.
Says FAA spokesperson Les Dorr, “The charts for the in-route portion of a flight are still too complex to be displayed well on any electronic device.”
“About 75 to 80 percent of a flight is done using the autopilot,” says Kevin Hiatt, Executive Vice President of the Flight Safety Foundation. The navigation of highly complex flight maps could be better served by an iPad with a Retina Display.
The iPad has already found uses in medical imaging, and is approved for use by the FDA. Other professionals would surely benefit from an increase in screen resolution. So far, Apple has been unique in it’s ability to bring increased resolution to it’s mainstream iPhone, and would also be similarly unique in bringing it to its tablets.
An iPad with a display of 2048 x 1536 has been rumored for nearly a year, and some evidence is indicating the 3rd generation of the overwhelmingly successful tablet will include the “Retina Display”.