( CNN ) -- In an age of streaming media , we 're still a culture of digital hoarders . That may partly explain why on Tuesday , Apple introduced an iPad with 128 gigabytes of storage capacity , twice as much as any previous model . But will the average tablet owner need that much space ? For casual users , tablets are media-consumption devices . We use them to watch movies and TV shows , listen to music , play games and read books and magazines . All those files take up memory on your internal hard drive . Today 's high-resolution photos and videos are increasingly hogging storage , too . It 's easy to see how someone with a lot of downloaded files might eventually run out of room on a 64GB tablet . But 128 gigabytes ? That 's the equivalent of about 100 DVD-quality movies , 30 Blu-ray movies , 30,000 songs or 40,000 photos , according to this graphic by a computer store in the United Kingdom . Everything else about the iPad announced Tuesday is the same as the current fourth-generation models : a 9.7-inch Retina display , a dual-core A6X processor , a FaceTime HD camera , 2 gigabtyes of RAM and an estimated 10 hours of battery life . So the new device , which goes on sale February 5 , is all about giving users more storage space . That 's why Apple is targeting the 128GB iPad at professional users such as architects , doctors or audio engineers , who often work with large files ( and can afford pricey gadgets ) . `` Companies regularly utilizing large amounts of data such as 3D CAD files , X-rays , film edits , music tracks , project blueprints , training videos and service manuals all benefit from having a greater choice of storage options for iPad , '' Apple said in a news release announcing the new iPad . Some observers say the tablet 's cost -- $ 799 ( Wi-Fi only ) and $ 929 ( Wi-Fi and cellular ) , $ 100 more than the current 64GB model -- is n't worth it in an age when we can store movies , music , photos and documents on cloud-based servers instead of our own machines . `` Apple does n't expect you to buy a 128GB iPad , not unless you 're a professional-grade buyer , like an architect or a supervillain , '' writes Leslie Horn for Gizmodo . `` The 128GB iPad is like a $ 300/head steakhouse dinner . It goes on the corporate account . '' Other pundits noted that at $ 929 , the top-of-the-line 128GB model costs almost as much as the base-model MacBook Air laptop ( $ 999 ) , which is much easier to type on . `` Apple has set its eyes on the dying infrastructure of the PC industry and Microsoft 's Windows operating system business , '' writes Dan Rowinski of ReadWriteWeb . `` That is really the only reason that Cupertino would unveil an iPad with 128 GB , a size that challenges many of the 'ultrabooks ' that have become popular in the laptop market these days . '' In that way , the launch of the new iPad seems poised to stave off competition from Microsoft 's 128GB Surface Pro tablet , due February 9 in the U.S. and Canada . When it comes to storage capacity , though , these tablets are n't close to being the biggest . That distinction belongs to the Panasonic Toughbook H2 , which retails for $ 3,579 and has a whopping 320GB of internal storage .
Apple introduces iPad with 128 GB of storage capacity . Score: 6 The average user wo n't need that much internal storage . 128 gigabytes is equivalent of about 100 DVD-quality movies , 30,000 songs or 40,000 photos . Gizmodo : ` ` 128 GB iPad is like a $ 300/head steakhouse dinner . It goes on the corporate account ''