Apple Release iOS 4.2 With Free Mobile.me And iWorks App Overhaul

Apple’s iOS 4.2 is finally here for all your iOS devices, including the iPad. That means the iPad finally has the fancy multi-tasking you’ve already come to love on your iPhone 4 plus AirPrint and AirPlay for instant streaming to your new AppleTV. What’s more, Steve Jobs & Co. has now offered two previously pay-only features from Mobile.me for free, and if that wasn’t enough goodness, Apple has overhauled the iWork apps for the iPad. Here’s the simple scoop…

With iOS 4.2, the big features are AirPlay and AirPrint. As self explanatory as they sound, users will now have the ability to print from their iOS devices to shared printers on a network, in addition to streaming nearly all media on their iOS devices to the new AppleTV for big-screen or big-speaker enjoyment.

Apple has also unlocked two features of Mobile.me for free, which include the Gallery and Find My iPhone. Find My iPhone is obviously the big deal, because before today, users had to paid or use a 3rd party program to get similar features that Apple previously only provided through a yearly Mobile.me subscription. (Apple may also be providing these free features to entice users to upgrade and go full Mobile.me in the future.)

With iOS 4.2 for the iPad, Apple has revamped the iWork suite (version 1.3) on the iPad with some majorly useful features. All apps now include AirPrint and multi-tasking support. Specific highlights include:

Pages:

Keynote:

Numbers:

Apple truly is showing commitment to work on the iPad and wants users to take these $9.99 apps seriously.

Meanwhile, we’re all still wondering what Apple is planning to do with their new data-center. I don’t think Apple built that huge data center just to deal with the influx of Mobile.me photos and iPhone location software, do you? Maybe it’s for “The Daily” app rumored to arrive, but I doubt that too…

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