(Image source: The iPad Guide)

BY JIM FLINK

Might want to hold off on that iPad 2 purchase for the holidays.  Unless -- you want to be holding old technology a few months later.  Rumor has it -- the thicker iPad 3 could be on its way.  Here’s iLounge.

“The third-generation iPad will become modestly thicker (0.7mm) in order to accommodate the twin light bar system needed for its higher-resolution display. It’s currently on track for a March timeframe release, and according to our source could be publicly shown as early as January, depending on conditions.”

So -- chunky’s in for 2012? AppleBitch says bring it.

“The iPad 3 will likely have a chunkier processor, representing a chunkier power consumption, probably because of the chunkier display. Will this require a chunkier battery? The iPad 2 is ridiculously thin but users can still squeeze out over 10 hours of battery life from it. Can the same transformation happen again, maintaining a ten hour battery life with the incorporation of a Retina Display, dual lightbar and faster processor? It’s gonna be tight.”

And with lots of teeny weeny rivals cropping up -- think Kindle Fire -- is thick really what consumers want?
Business Insider says this just doesn’t sound like an Apple concept.

“One thing that does sound odd: It sounds very un-Apple for the company to increase the thickness of a next-gen product just to give it a better screen.”

But skeptics point out that past rumors -- remember the iPhone 5 craze which resulted in the 4S? -- should be noted. ComputerWorld’s Jonny Evans says, while others may have the skinny on what’s new in iPad-land, he’s going to take this rumor with a grain of salt.

“...most of these claims aren’t new -- they've been percolating for a few months ... I don't really expect it to debut until Q3, to be honest. I also think it possible we'll see a new processor and that this tablet may even be made available with a couple of pro apps, for pro-level video or music production, for example, leveraging Final Cut or Logic technologies.”