“With the original iPad, Apple brought an attractive, easy-to-use tablet computer to the masses at a reasonable price – a feat numerous companies are trying to top,” Rachel Metz reports for The Associated Press. “With Friday’s release of the iPad 2, Apple is pulling further ahead, with improvements that make an already excellent tablet even more enticing. It goes to show that when it comes to tablets, Apple refuses to be bested.”
“The new iPad has Apple’s new dual-core A5 chip, which helped applications open more quickly than on the older iPad. The original never felt slow, but the faster I can start a new game of ‘Plants vs. Zombies,’ the better,” Metz reports. “Add to that a new version of Apple’s iOS software. The new processor and the new iOS combined to improve Web surfing, as I could load up pages noticeably faster over my home Wi-Fi network… Like the first iPad, the iPad 2 is rated for up to 10 hours of battery life, and it performed like a champ. Playing a mix of videos streamed from YouTube over Wi-Fi and saved on the iPad itself, I got a bit more than 10 hours of entertainment before it died.”
Metz reports, “Without question, the iPad 2 is a great tablet. Still, this doesn’t mean the first iPad is ready for the trash can. It’s still a stellar gadget, and now it’s cheaper (while supplies last) with the arrival of a successor. Should you feel the urge to have the latest and greatest, however, go for it. Chances are, it will be the best tablet in town – at least until the iPad 3 arrives.”
Read more in the full article here.
If Apple can pull off putting a Retina Display equivalent on iPad 3, it will truly be game over for all other competitors.
I’m not sure Apple will ever put a retina display on an iPad; one, because of cost and two, because developers would have to rescale their iPad apps for the retina resolution. I do see, however, a 7″ iPad with a higher resolution where developers wouldn’t have to scale their current iPad apps. Based on the Ipads current 1024×768 resolution at 132 PPI based on a 4:3 aspect ratio, I calculated that if a 7″ display kept the same 1024×768 resolution (thereby obviating the need for developers to scale their current iPadd apps), the PPI would be improved to 183. Not retina, but much better.
That makes no sense; one, because technology prices go down every year and two, because developers have rescaled their iPhone apps for the retina display on the iPhone 4, so why can’t the same be done for iPad apps?
If Apple can even impress the peeps at the Ass Press, then sure it’s Game Over.
Usually they so far removed from reality that it’s like reading the Disney World News.
What she said was:
“It goes to show that when it comes to tablets, Apple refuses to be bested.”
What she meant to say was:
“It goes to show that when it comes to Operating Systems, Software, MP3 players, Smart Phones, Personal Computers, TV Streaming Devices, Tablets… hell, anything with a current running through it, Apple refuses to be bested.”
LOL, abosolutely right. I bought a logitech universal remote that was $ 149, it’s not even a year old and the buttons are rubbing off and not working as crisply as before. I thought to myself how would this remote be if Apple made it, the answer is simple it would be great and worth the money.
I think there’s an app for that, along with some sort of dongle for your iPhone or iPod touch.
I wonder if Apple will double cycle the iPad this year. The iPad would be a great back to school and xmas item. A better position than graduation and summer. A fancy new snappy display would be all that it would take to double cycle.
Right along with a couple small things and a new piece of software, nothing fancy ….
“a feat numerous companies are trying to top,”
TOP?!? They would be satisfied with “come close”.