End User: Bites from the Apple: Nothing Compares 2 iPad 2:
Bites from the Apple: Nothing Compares 2 iPad 2
by Agen Schmitz on March 02, 2011
It's been 1 year, 1 month, and 3 days since Apple first revealed its iPad love to me and the rest of the world, and created a tablet-crazed mobile electronics landscape that has spawned strong competition from Android-based tablets like the the Samsung Galaxy Tab and forthcoming Motorola XOOM as well as new tablet ecosystems from HP (webOS) and RIM (QNX).
But today, Apple announced the sequel to the iPad (which sold almost 15 million units during 2010) with Steve Jobs doing the introduction (despite currently being on medical leave from his position as Apple CEO). It was rumored that the iPad 2 was just going to be an incremental upgrade, and there will certainly be debate about whether its improvements and refinements are just an incremental step or a bold foot forward. However, whatever side you come down on, the iPad 2 is packed with some delicious goodies that should keep the sales rolling.
While it doesn't have the Retina-style uüber resolution of the iPhone 4, the iPad 2 is powered by the new dual-core 1 GHz Apple A5 chip, which will improve multitasking as well as provide a good base for the new multimedia apps that were also announced today. The design is still pretty much the same, except for a trimming of its thickness (down to 0.34-inch/8.8mm--a shaving of 33 percent from the original iPad) and its weight (down to 1.3 pounds from 1.5 pounds).
The iPad 2 also now comes with dual cameras, the most requested and rumored feature bump for this cycle. The camera on the rear can record video up to HD 720p at 30 frames per second (fps), while the front-facing camera can capture video up to VGA quality (also at 30 fps).
Despite the beefier processor and smaller interior, the iPad 2 is still rated for up to 10 hours of battery life. It will be available starting March 11 in both black and white, plus versions that work with AT&T 3G and Verizon Wireless 3G networks (no 4G connectivity). The pricing going to follow the current matrix for the 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB models (starting at $499 at the base and adding $100 for each memory bump), as well as adding $129 for cellular connectivity for each size.
Two Apple accessories were announced as well, with a new cover that connects magnetically to the iPad 2 and magically puts it to sleep when the cover is closed or wakes it up upon opening the cover. The cover can also fold up and act as a stand for typing for watching videos. Additionally, a new adapter provides an HDMI output for video mirroring up to HD 1080p from all apps (and you can also simultaneously charge the iPad 2).
Additionally, the next version of iOS (4.3) was announced, and it promises faster Safari web browsing with enhanced JavaScripting, iTunes home sharing, and a preference for setting the side slider controller as either mute or screen rotation (and believe me, this is a biggie--my wife was very upset when her easy-to-access physical screen rotation lock button was taken away). Additionally, the personal hotspot feature that was rolled out with the Verizon iPhone 4 is now coming to the AT&T iPhone 4, allowing you to share 3G cellular connectivity with other Wi-Fi devices.
Apple also announced some homegrown software to complement the iPad 2. To take advantage of the new cameras, Photo Booth is coming to the iPad, allowing you to snap photos of yourself (or others) and add "wacky" effects. FaceTime also comes to the iPad 2, providing the same video chat functionality that was first introduced on the iPhone 4. And with FaceTime now part of the Mac ecosystem, you'll be able to video chat with others who have an iPhone 4, iPad 2, and a Mac. Two new App Store apps were also announced--iMovie (for on-the-go video editing) and GarageBand (for music creation from an assortment of instruments using Multi-Touch gestures).
So, the question is: will you be getting an iPad 2? Or are you more enamored of Android's Honeycomb-based tablets like the XOOM?
We'll be back on Friday with more coverage of the iPad 2 and industry reaction to it.
--Agen G.N. Schmitz
Bites from the Apple: Nothing Compares 2 iPad 2
by Agen Schmitz on March 02, 2011
It's been 1 year, 1 month, and 3 days since Apple first revealed its iPad love to me and the rest of the world, and created a tablet-crazed mobile electronics landscape that has spawned strong competition from Android-based tablets like the the Samsung Galaxy Tab and forthcoming Motorola XOOM as well as new tablet ecosystems from HP (webOS) and RIM (QNX).
While it doesn't have the Retina-style uüber resolution of the iPhone 4, the iPad 2 is powered by the new dual-core 1 GHz Apple A5 chip, which will improve multitasking as well as provide a good base for the new multimedia apps that were also announced today. The design is still pretty much the same, except for a trimming of its thickness (down to 0.34-inch/8.8mm--a shaving of 33 percent from the original iPad) and its weight (down to 1.3 pounds from 1.5 pounds).
The iPad 2 also now comes with dual cameras, the most requested and rumored feature bump for this cycle. The camera on the rear can record video up to HD 720p at 30 frames per second (fps), while the front-facing camera can capture video up to VGA quality (also at 30 fps).
Despite the beefier processor and smaller interior, the iPad 2 is still rated for up to 10 hours of battery life. It will be available starting March 11 in both black and white, plus versions that work with AT&T 3G and Verizon Wireless 3G networks (no 4G connectivity). The pricing going to follow the current matrix for the 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB models (starting at $499 at the base and adding $100 for each memory bump), as well as adding $129 for cellular connectivity for each size.
Two Apple accessories were announced as well, with a new cover that connects magnetically to the iPad 2 and magically puts it to sleep when the cover is closed or wakes it up upon opening the cover. The cover can also fold up and act as a stand for typing for watching videos. Additionally, a new adapter provides an HDMI output for video mirroring up to HD 1080p from all apps (and you can also simultaneously charge the iPad 2).
Additionally, the next version of iOS (4.3) was announced, and it promises faster Safari web browsing with enhanced JavaScripting, iTunes home sharing, and a preference for setting the side slider controller as either mute or screen rotation (and believe me, this is a biggie--my wife was very upset when her easy-to-access physical screen rotation lock button was taken away). Additionally, the personal hotspot feature that was rolled out with the Verizon iPhone 4 is now coming to the AT&T iPhone 4, allowing you to share 3G cellular connectivity with other Wi-Fi devices.
Apple also announced some homegrown software to complement the iPad 2. To take advantage of the new cameras, Photo Booth is coming to the iPad, allowing you to snap photos of yourself (or others) and add "wacky" effects. FaceTime also comes to the iPad 2, providing the same video chat functionality that was first introduced on the iPhone 4. And with FaceTime now part of the Mac ecosystem, you'll be able to video chat with others who have an iPhone 4, iPad 2, and a Mac. Two new App Store apps were also announced--iMovie (for on-the-go video editing) and GarageBand (for music creation from an assortment of instruments using Multi-Touch gestures).
So, the question is: will you be getting an iPad 2? Or are you more enamored of Android's Honeycomb-based tablets like the XOOM?
We'll be back on Friday with more coverage of the iPad 2 and industry reaction to it.
--Agen G.N. Schmitz
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