By now you’ve probably read about the various new features in iOS 4.3, as well as the mention of new iDevice codes including both iPhones and iPads.

I won’t recount all the upcoing features here, but as an every day iPad user I am extremely happy and most excited about the 4 and 5 finger gestures controlling app switching, return to home screen, and access to the multi tasking bar. I simply don’t like having to double click the home button. Which brings me to….

The rumor that at least some future device models will lose the home button outright. As an experienced user I’d have no problem losing the home button given the upcoming multi touch gestures. However, for new/inexperienced users i don’t think a buttonless design will improve the “anyone can use this thing” sense that one gets when walking up to an iDevice for the first time. I mean, it’s sort of intuitive to simply try to press the button to see what happens. Without that? Confusion. And that’s not something Apple is noted for creating these days, at least not in terms of useablliity.

I don’t doubt that we could see buttonless designs eventually, or perhaps overlapping with current designs for a year or two. But not now, not outright. Though obviously I could be wrong.

Beyond these issues, I am relly excited about an improved iPad. I still maintain that a beefier processor and more ram are the most important improvements Apple can provide. Camera(s), a better/higher rez screen, lighter weight, better shape, etc. would all be nice, and welcomed, but I would trade ANY of them for (much) snappier hardwre.

As Apple has continued to load up iOS with wonderful capabilities, the iPad’s hardware has been taxed to the point where it’s just nit as great an overall user experience as is that on the iPhone 4.

Aside: I am not switching to Verizon, at least not yet. I want to see what happens this June whether next iPhone is announced, as well as what is said about said future iPhone coming to Verizon. All that said I will likely stay with my current iphone4 until an LTE model is released.

Finally, as usual, my biggest desire for iOS remains an improved, centralized file system (or app) fromm apple that is deeply integrated across the platform, and has easy, seamless cloud storage and syncing across devices. Please Apple?