Unboxing the third-gen iPad (photos)

No big surprises here. The third-gen iPad comes in typical Apple packaging. The new iPad goes on sale Friday in various flavors, starting with the 16GB Wi-Fi-only model for $499 all the way up to the 4G 64GB model for $829.

In addition to the new iPad, Apple also announced an update to iCloud that gives customers the ability to store TV shows and movies on its servers.

Ahhh. There's nothing like the new tablet smell. As CNET Australia's Seamus Byrne notes in his unboxing video, inside the box are the usual bits and pieces, including a power adapter and cable.

Can you tell the difference between the two iPads? Physically, the two tablets are very similar. The new iPad's (right) glass and aluminum chassis is still 9.5 inches tall by 7.3 inches wide, but it's slightly thicker (0.37 inch) and heavier (1.46 pounds--4G/Wi-Fi) than its predecessor.

One of the biggest draws of the iPad 2012 is its new Retina Display. The 9.7-inch QXGA offers a resolution of 2,048x1,536--or 3.1 million pixels. Just how good does it look? To quote Donald Bell's hands-on take, "Not only does the new iPad's QXGA screen wreck your expectations for tablet screens, but your laptop or desktop computer screen will also look shabby by comparison."

With its new display, developers will have to update their apps to support the higher-resolution screen, so don't expect all your favorite apps to work perfectly right away. That said, here are 20 titles that are ready to go on the new iPad.

One of the apps that you'll be able to use right away with the new iPad is iPhoto. The app, which costs $4.99, offers new editing capabilities and can work with photos up to 19 megapixels in size.