I'm not sure how I feel about it. I can see Apple wanting to at least replace the contact style push button with something a little more robust like a capacitive sensor. The button that is on there now is a wear component that will fail at some point, so taking that means of failure away from the device only makes sense. I think Apple is just playing with some ideas right now. In some shape or form I believe the home button as we know it now will be gone on third generation devices.

The button's got to go. When I first saw it on iPhones it felt out of place and still is awkward on iPad.

Worse is the plug hole! That thing's enormous!

One of the most appealing aspects of iPad in general is the fact that almost every "way to do" is wireless. Why not go all the way? Wireless induction charging, wireless Bluetooth earbuds...those are things that exist, now! Get rid of every hole, I say!

It's true that when the processor is out you need a physical prompt to start it but there are cleaner, less obvious ways of doing that.

Originally Posted by iVan

The button's got to go. When I first saw it on iPhones it felt out of place and still is awkward on iPad.

Worse is the plug hole! That thing's enormous!

One of the most appealing aspects of iPad in general is the fact that almost every "way to do" is wireless. Why not go all the way? Wireless induction charging, wireless Bluetooth earbuds...those are things that exist, now! Get rid of every hole, I say!

It's true that when the processor is out you need a physical prompt to start it but there are cleaner, less obvious ways of doing that.

A wifi dock would be a nice place to start!

I have zero concerns about wearing out the home button. I have yet to wear out a mouse button. The iPad will be long obsolete and useless before that button fails.

Originally Posted by speedlever

I have zero concerns about wearing out the home button. I have yet to wear out a mouse button. The iPad will be long obsolete and useless before that button fails.

I'm not worried about wearing mine out either, that's not really what I was talking about. Any small mechanical device like the home button is a means of failure on the device. I imagine the average MTBF for that button is millions of clicks. Still, there are going to be those unlucky enough to have it fail after 100,000 (or 100) clicks also. It is smart design to remove as many potential modes of failure as possible, and I would have to think that cheap little button is close to #1 on the iPad.

I'm sure apple have a load of samples without buttons that they are trying in house.
I personally like the idea of a non mechanical home button, but thats with the current iOS. Perhaps a future update may have interface changes making it no longer relevant.
Time will tell.

Originally Posted by DaveSt

I'm not worried about wearing mine out either, that's not really what I was talking about. Any small mechanical device like the home button is a means of failure on the device. I imagine the average MTBF for that button is millions of clicks. Still, there are going to be those unlucky enough to have it fail after 100,000 (or 100) clicks also. It is smart design to remove as many potential modes of failure as possible, and I would have to think that cheap little button is close to #1 on the iPad.

I'd say number two. Number one is the port socket... That has to be changed.

If they were smart they would leave it there.