Not so fast on the 2G iPad Retina Display

It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that the second-generation iPad will inherit the super-sweet Retina Display from the iPhone 4. Numerous rumors indicate that it's going to happen, and so does logic and a little deductive reasoning.

The Retina Display, dual-cameras and gyroscope are all likely to migrate to the second-generation iPad for the update that's expected in early 2011 as Apple continues to reap the rewards from the new technology that it build for the iPhone 4.

Or so the theory goes.

A larger Retina display will be a killer feature for a tablet and will help further differentiate the iPad from a growing pool of rivals.

Or will it?

gdgt's Ryan Block throws cold water on recent rumblings that Apple’s second-generation iPad will ship with a Retina Display. He writes that in order for a 9.7-inch iPad to qualify as a Retina Display (300 DPI) the screen would need a resolution of 2560 x 1920 - which is massive.

That kind of resolution would top every other display that Apple currently ships, including:

• 17" MacBook Pro (1920 x 1200)
• 24" iMac (1920 by 1080)
• 27" LED Cinema Display (2560 x 1440)

Imagine all the pixels of the 27" LED display (and then some) crammed into the 9.7-inch iPad's frame. Yeah, it's a lot.

Even if Apple did include a sick 300DPI panel in the next iPad, what kind of GPU would be required to drive it? How would 3D applications like Rage HD and Epic Citadel perform? What would the penalty be on battery life?

The post is a great read and will make you question a lot of the conventional wisdom that's been floating around the last few months.

(While we're at it: Apple, please don't make it glossy. Pretty please?)

Sound off in the TalkBack: Do you think that Apple will include a Retina Display in the 2G iPad?