Apple has once again released a product that will no doubt get very many people excited. As always Apple fanboys will love this new device, but is it a grand improvement over the last iPad? Let’s take a look.
The Good
Apple has totally redesigned the look of the iPad 2. It is thinner, lighter and even comes in white. Apple has added a front facing camera for facetime video chatting and Photo Booth. There is also a rear camera for HD video. Furthermore, Apple has put an A5 1GHz dual-core processor in the iPad2 and managed to maintain their stellar 10 hour battery life. This new processor boasts twice the speed in normal usage and 9 times the speed for graphics and gaming. Overall, the improvements in iPad are pretty good.
The Gripes
There are some things that are so obviously missing from this new iPad. We are still waiting for a retina display on the iPad. The current display stands at 1024 x 768 resolution and 132 ppi. This is the same display from the original iPad. The iPad 2 is also missing 4G capabilities. With other tablets such as the Motorola Xoom already on the market prepping to support Verizon’s 4G network, it would seem that this is one area Apple is a little behind on. The iPad does have the fact that it works on both AT&T and Verizon working for it, but we would still like to see the option for 4G support on a device claiming to be this innovative. The last gripe on this new device is still its lacking flash support. This is no surprise for Apple, but still kind of sucks for the users looking to get the full web experience on a tablet.
New Apps
The iPad also come loaded with a few new applications. The two big ones are Facetime and Photo Booth. Facetime is going to be the iPad’s method for video chatting with iPhones and Mac computers. With the big screen on the iPad, this could be pretty cool and is definitely something that users want to see on a tablet. Photo Booth is basically copied straight from the OSX. It allows users to take pictures of themselves and alter them with many fun effects.
The increased power of the iPad 2 is also going to allow for some new power apps for multimedia users. iMovie and GarageBand will now will be available from the App Store for the iPad 2. More information will be available on these later, but just from the preview Apple give us, they look pretty cool. iMovie supports HD video editing. GarageBand comes fully loaded with tons of instruments including a drum set that plays the drums louder if you tap the screen harder.
The New Smart Cover
This new cover comes in 10 colors, 5 are polyurethane and 5 are leather. It features a magnetic clipping mechanism that fits on the iPad without making it to bulky. This case also utilizes its magnetic ability to wake the iPad when it’s opened and put it to sleep when it is closed. The case folds up to form a stand to hold the iPad both as a video stand and a keyboard stand. The case looks like it will work well, but at a price point of $49 for the polyurethane cases and $69 for the leather cases might be a little bit expensive.
Overview
The new iPad features some really nice upgrades from its predecessor. The hit iPad was able to take more than 90% of the tablet market before there were many competitors. Apple hopes to continue this domination of the tablet market. After delivering the iPad 2, and keeping the prices exactly the same with so many new features, it would seem that the iPad 2 will be a hit. The iPad 2 with its robust App store and all the new features is probably the best tablet on the market for $499. Competitors are going to have to step up their game if they want to compete with this. Will 2011 be the year of the iPad 2? Only time will tell.
