Apple today introduced iPad 2, the next generation of its magical device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading ebooks and much more. iPad 2 features an entirely new design that is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same stunning 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. iPad 2 features Apple’s new dual-core A5 processor for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime and Photo Booth, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the innovative FaceTime feature to iPad users for the first time. Though it is thinner, lighter, faster and packed with new features, iPad 2 still delivers up to 10 hours of battery life* that users have come to expect. iPad 2 is available in black or white, features models that run on AT&T’s and Verizon’s 3G networks, and introduces the innovative iPad 2 Smart Cover in a range of vibrant polyurethane and rich leather colors.
“With more than 15 million iPads sold, iPad has defined an entirely new category of mobile devices,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the press release. “While others have been scrambling to copy the first generation iPad, we’re launching iPad 2, which moves the bar far ahead of the competition and will likely cause them to go back to the drawing boards yet again.”
With the new front and rear cameras, iPad 2 users can now make FaceTime calls to millions of iPhone 4, iPod touch and Mac users so they can see family and friends anywhere there is Wi-Fi. Photo Booth lets you apply fun visual effects, including eight photo special effects like Squeeze, Twirl and Kaleidoscope, to photos captured by either camera.
iPad 2 comes with iOS 4.3, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, with new features including faster Safari mobile browsing performance; iTunes Home Sharing; enhancements to AirPlay;** the choice to use the iPad side switch to either lock the screen rotation or mute audio; and Personal Hotspot to share an iPhone 4 cellular data connection over Wi-Fi.*** Additional iPad 2 features include a built-in gyro for advanced gaming; HSUPA support for enhanced 3G upload speeds on iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G on AT&T, and HDMI Video Mirroring that lets users mirror their iPad screen on an HDTV using an optional adaptor.
The innovative new iPad 2 Smart Cover provides protection for the iPad screen while maintaining its thin and lightweight profile. Designed with a unique self-aligning magnetic hinge that makes it easy to attach and remove, the new iPad 2 Smart Cover automatically wakes iPad 2 when it’s opened and puts it to sleep when it’s closed, and has a soft microfiber lining to help keep the screen clean. The iPad 2 Smart Cover also folds into a stand for typing or viewing videos and is available in vibrant polyurethane for $39 or rich leather for $69 in a range of colors, including a (PRODUCT) RED one which helps support the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Apple also introduced two new apps: iMovie and GarageBand for iPad, both available on the App Store for just $4.99 each. With iMovie, iPad 2 users can shoot and edit videos right on their iPad and post their movies to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and their MobileMe gallery; watch them on their iPod, iPhone or iPad; as well as view them on their HDTV using AirPlay and Apple TV. GarageBand turns your iPad into a collection of touch instruments and 8-track recording studio, allowing you to perform with onscreen keyboards, guitars, drums and basses using multi-touch gestures–even if you don’t play a musical instrument.
iPad 2 runs almost all of the over 350,000 apps available on the App Store and there are more than 65,000 native iPad apps available from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The iTunes Store gives iPad users access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 14 million songs, over 50,000 TV episodes and over 10,000 films including over 3,500 in stunning high definition video. The iBooks app for iPad includes Apple’s iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device.
Pricing & Availability
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available on March 11 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G compatible with the Verizon network will be available in the US only for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be sold in the US through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iMovie and GarageBand for iPad apps will be available on March 11 for $4.99 each from the App Store.
iPad 2 will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25; and in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.
More info about the new Apple iPad 2 here.
*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
**AirPlay video requires second generation Apple TV running the latest software.
***Personal Hotspot requires supporting data plan. Customers should check with their carrier for availability.
Source: Apple Inc.
iPad 2 looks nice. Hope the “smart cover” will work on iPad 1.
Doubt the cover will work on the old iPad. Steve mentioned that the iPad2 has magnets built into it which aligns the cover. Probably also controls the sleep/wake function that way.
No sensor on iPad 1 to work with that.
Right, wasn’t expecting the sleep/wake sensor to work, just hoping the cover would work.
Looks good
Get a load of that SD card slot!!! ;P
didnt they also say there was going to be a thunderbolt slot also?
They say a lot of things.
As long as an adapter can make a 30 pin ipod cable into everything else, then the 30 pin connector is all that iPx devices will have. And as soon as Apple figures out how to do inductive bus/charging right, you can kiss all the ports goodbye forever.
lol suck it iPad 1 owners! You know you want it… hehehe!
Suck it indeed. We’ll talk again when I’m buying the first iPad 3.
lol! Love ya as always Chrissy!
so WTH is deal with mobile me?
Will probably be announced when the event is about the server farm, together with Other goodies.
Anyone know why MDN removed their post announcing :
apple-reveals-new-trademark-symbol ???
I’m bummed that the 3G is either Verizon or AT&T. It’s not just one 3G that has both GSM and CDMA.
It doesn’t look good for a universal iPhone this year either.
Looks like I’m sticking with AT&T, so that I can travel outside the US with my iOS devices.
Now that was a truly “ho hum” update. There must have been lots of “HO! HO!” and “HUM!!” among the crowd as things were unveiled. Oh well, I’ll just wait for iPad 3, coming out on April 2nd, I hear ……
What exactly could have they done to get you to buy one? It’s smaller, lighter, 2x CPU speed, 9x graphics speed. It’s going to bury every Android tablet on the market. They will be catching up in 2012……. when Apple releases iPad 3, which again will trump everything out.
ahem…
sarcasm.
Love the new iPad 2. Will buy as soon as possible. Regarding the cover: it looks nice, but I hope we will soon see a magnetic cover that will protect the back as well. It doesn’t look like it will fold under the back, so will have to place it somewhere while holding. I bought the original iPad on day one along with the Apple case. Took it out of the case yesterday to install a screen protector. It is pristine.
Oh yeah. That’s a cosmic bitch-slap. Seriously, if anyone is actually out there thinking there’s a reason to get something else, then they’re just simply out of their fscking minds.
I tried running android os on my macbook
darn it sucks so bad, I mean, wow.
And the new updates are soo cool (daul core arm tablet woah!!!!) , but I’m still really disappointed that it doesn’t run xcode :/
go suckers go buy the should have been from the begining ipad 2!!!! And still no usb support .where should i put my flash mr jobs
I know where you can put your flash
LOL!
Ha ha ha ha 🙂
USB support? I do everything as over-the-air transfers. I stream music and videos from my Mac at home, print wirelessly to printers, etc. The connector port on the bottom has been opened up to adapters and third party developers, so anything that isn’t WiFi-enabled is just waiting for someone to come along and code it.
It is useful when you are out of your home and no computer!!!
Seriously? Flash and USB? Can we all just agree these are never coming and get over it? I mean, really, what’s the point? Apple is WAY to forward thinking to even pretend to entertain these. You want flash and USB, look elsewhere. You want cutting edge technology years ahead of your fellow usb and flash supporters, then your in the right spot. Period.
No USB? ORLY?
Well then how does that whole back-up-the-iPad-via-the-USB-port work then? Hmmmm?
The Smart Cover video is on the homepage:
http://www.apple.com/ipad/#video
iMovie looks like it will only work on iPad2. http://www.apple.com/ipad/from-the-app-store/imovie.html But the Garage Band page doesn’t show any such limitation. I was hoping for an iWeb announcement… bummer!! The HDMI adapter will work with iPad1, iPhone4 and 4th gen iPod touch, but will only “mirror” the iPad 2.
Was it just me or did it seem like at the end when Steve talked about Apple’s DNA and had the crew stand up to be noticed, that maybe he knew this was his last hurrah ?
It’s you. He does that a lot.
Uhm, this is NOT the first time he’s mentioned Apple’s DNA and had the people who worked on the device stand.
Here we go…let’s analyze Steve’s every move and guesstimate how long he has to live. Relax folks. Can’t we just be glad to see him and move on??
He does that in most every keynote he does Artist. This isn’t new.
ok, I stand corrected, that’s good to know
Also, the DNA speech is not new (nor is the ‘technology vs. liberal arts’ concept). No need to worry.
I haven’t seen it but I hope not.
Love it! My only wishes:
– We have GarageBand and iMovie. Why no iPhoto? I’d love to have an actual app from Apple to manipulate my photos with.
– More printer support for AirPlay. It’s a brilliant idea that just needs a lot more supported devices.
Printopia. I print to my Brother WiFi color laser all the time.
I hate HP.
I’m with you there!.
Once again an extra two week wait for us Canadians what a bummer. By March 25 spring will be here and standing in line outside an Apple Store or Best Buy won’t be as cold.
Why does Apple even bother with a 16g version with the two camera, imovie and garageband there is just not enough room.
March for me is going to be the month of the Mac. My Macbook which is three years old is do for a replacement plus a new Ipad 2 what an expensive month.
Maybe one day the US will invade Canada. Then you can get all the Apple goodies the same day we get them. 😉
You’re late, they invaded in 1812. Got their asses kicked. Forces from Canada went down to Washington DC and set the White House on fire. The limestone was scorched so bad they painted it white.
Perhaps your right, eh? But technically since Canada was still a part of the British Empire, the U.S. wasn’t just fighting Canada. Besides, Americans probably figured that your French would just surrender, as their cousins across the pond usually do.
actually the burning of Washington was by British regulars in retaliation for the Americans burning down the parliament building in York ( later Toronto ). Canada did not burn down the white house as canada was not a nation in 1812, it was part of the british empire which the US was at war with because they were impressing US citizens on the seas and trying to block us from trading. the US was a sovereign nation and they had no right to do either. America was not a superpower in 1812 either, our nation was only 40 years old. England was the superpower at that time. Also, the white house was white before it was burned, the idea that it was painted white to cover burn marks is a canadian myth, just like the idea that canadiens burned down the white house
Guys, America is NOT a Country, US is the country, America is a Continent
I used US most of the time, but the official name of the nation is United States of America. United Statesian sounds stupid, so we use the term American. Anyone thats not being anal understands what nationality Americans are. Technically America is two continents, North America and South America, but American used as a nationality refers to those from the United States. Usually if i see American used otherwise, its in biology, and usually prefaced by North or South for the continent. We were the first nation to be independent in the western hemisphere, so we got American first :V
How much RAM? Any word yet?
good question. may have to wait till the 11th to know for sure.
with the HD video quality of the rear camera, one would assume at least as much as the iphone 4…. 512mb.
now that ipad2 is available, i would love to get a sweet deal on original ipad to put in my honda element, like this guy
wtf
Indeed.
Forget the iPad2–the back cover of Sports Illustrated has an ad for the Motorola Xoom!
(talk about bad timing for a major ad purchase…)
Gonna buy one – problem is which??
32gb wifi and 3g or the 64gb wifi???
Also, the colours of the covers I really like are the leather ones!
Problem is leather will dry out and crack in which case all that bending back will eventually crack the leather.
I’m 95% sure i’m buying a 32gb wifi.
with ios 4.3 hotspot, i doubt i’ll need 3g on the ipad.
as it is now, i have only used my iPad once without a wifi connection available to me. and i never go anywhere without my iPhone..
3g cost, vs the Tethering cost, will probably be a wash. $20-25 either way.
thrilled with my 32gb wifi + 3G. Do not get wifi only, you’ll regret it… IMHO
you forget the 4.3 tethering.
i could get my ipad, and both my parents iPads online for same cost as 1 3g ipad… with same data usage limits.
like i said, i’m never without my iPhone. i DO leave the iPad at home.
Thanks.
Ok that decides it – defo wifi and 3G.
I do alot of standing up and presenting so might go for the 64gb model as I tend to use slot of large file size keynote presentations with loads of graphics in.
werent we told there was going to be usb??
still cant connect anything to it???
What are you talking about. iPads have always had USB. In case you haven’t noticed there are scads of 3rd party products that work over USB with the iPad.
Here’s just one example of 3rd party USB connectivity…
http://www.withings.com/en/bloodpressuremonitor
Proud to be a shareholder.
Get with the program!
USB is dead – everything will be wifi in a few years time.
What is the point of portable solid state storage when you can have ALL your data on the cloud and can access it anywhere on ANY device that can connect to the net.
Jesus – you still using a floppy disk drive too?
I live in Miami Beach and we have free WiFi. Problem is, it’s very week and almost unusable without a WiFi booster. I bought a Alfa booster for $38.00 and now my free WiFi is a speed demon. Problem is, it connects to my iMac with USB. It would be nice to have one of these devices for the iPad. So I too was hoping for a USB port
Sounds great. But where is the worldwide (or even country-wide) network capable of transferring large quantities of data to and from the cloud quickly and transparently? This network doesn’t exist. Even at home on my desktop Mac with a reasonably high-speed Comcast cable connection, it can take hours to upload a few hundred megabytes. Who can afford to spend that much time just backing up their files? Sorry, but the notion that wifi will replace local storage anytime soon for working multimedia professionals on the go is just wishful thinking.
And if you say, “Well, then the iPad obviously isn’t for them,” you’re missing the point that the iPad should be for them. It’s too amazing a product to be useful only to consumers and white-color professionals. It is very likely in the arts that the iPad will most convincingly demonstrate its sheer genius, but not if all that brilliant content has to be transported by oxcart to a backup server in the clouds every time you make changes to a file.
As much as I love Apple, I would say that today’s foll-out of the iPad 2 may have been the all-time most boring, underwhelming Apple presentation in history. Most incredible of all, perhaps, is that they spent almost half an hour demo’ing iMovie and GarageBand without saying even a single word about how creative road warriors are supposed to backup the enormous files that these two iPad apps are bound to produce. Uploading files of this size to the cloud over a typical wifi connection would be beyond painful. I really don’t get it. Two cameras, but no SD card slot? No USB port? No nothin’! I’m glad that the new iPad is thinner, lighter (just barely) and has a front-facing video camera. Otherwise, I’m shocked to see the very marginal improvement to the whole package.
Some people are just never happy. The processor is at least twice as fast as previous; graphics seems to be up to 9 times faster than before. Two cameras were added, plus gyro. I would really like to know how much faster is it supposed to be not to be declared marginal.
As for SD(HC), USB, MemoriStick, XD or whatever physical memory-card slots, those have gone the way of the floppy disk. To put them on the iPad (and add iOS file system support) would cost next to nothing, so obviously, this is a strategic decision. It is a good one. The percentage of possible buyers who will decide against it because of the lack of physical port for file exchange is going to be negligible. They are for the most part unnecessary.
+1
I just don’t understand what people like this want. If you are planning to carry around an iPad plus a drive to backup everything, I’d suggest getting a MacBook. It’s just not that difficult to backup your stuff to Dropbox or any other cloud service. You can start it at night while you sleep.
@gotwake: Ever heard of a flash drive? How about an SD card?
Magnetic tape? Punch cards? Stone tablets?!?!
Now that’s the most brilliant comment I’ve read all day! Not!
Zing!
Faster doesn’t automatically equal better. The iPad 2’s biggest improvement (front-facing camera) should have been included in the first version. As for the rear-facing camera, it adds extra complexity to the product without a significant increase in everyday functionality for the average user. The iPad makes a great camera the way an elephant makes a great hammer. Your mileage may vary.
Rear facing camera works great in Facetime. Not complicated at all.
I love this idea that an iPad is just too grossly unwieldy to be used as a camera, considering some of the tanks I’ve lugged around in my day. Oh how those long miles hiking in the mountains just flew by with a Calumet 4×5 and tripod dismantled in my backpack.
Get a grip. It might not be phone size, but it’s still a good deal lighter than many point-and-shoots. Being able to have the image up on the big screen right away will no doubt come in handy to many.
Just because you haven’t thought of anything clever yet doesn’t mean no one else will.
One thing we know for sure, it won’t be you.
Sd card adapter?
Copy your files onto an sd card that youve put in an sd card adapter then slot that into the ipad.
I could be wrong, but I seem to recall that the iPad Camera Connection Kit lets you import photos to the iPad, but doesn’t work at all for exporting files. It has import only capability, not import/export.
Marginal improvement!!!
With no price increase and a huge power increase as well as a lighter design you are really taking the p***!
The extra speed and improved graphics capability is more than enough to convince me to buy one.
1st ever dual core tablet – nice!
Gonna be bloody fast with enough ram in it.
Uhh…. I can’t believe I have to say this again.
THERE IS A USB PORT.
iPads use USB to connect to your host computer (iTunes) for backup and maintenance.
I mean what in the heck do you think those rectangular openings in your Mac are, if not USB?
Again. You can backup your iPad via network to Dropbox or something else, or you can physically connect via USB to your host computer and back up that way.
OK? Got that?
Uh… The iPad has a Dock Connector which connects to the Mac’s USB port via a Dock Connector to USB cable. There is no USB port on the iPad. Have you or anyone you know tried connecting an external USB storage device to the iPad using this cable? I seriously doubt that this would work, but I’d be thrilled to be proven wrong.
Of course, who wants to carry around an external hard drive, even a pocket-size portable? A tiny flash drive or SD card would be much more convenient, but the iPad can’t connect them.
I love the iPad. It is a genuinely breakthrough product in an industry that has for the most part forgotten what real innovation is all about. But the iPad isn’t perfect. It has flaws, and one of them is the lack of real I/O port that lets the user copy files to and from the device away from home. I personally would be ecstatic if the average internet connection was fast enough to transfer large volumes of data to and from the cloud quickly and transparently, but that day is not at hand. It’s not even on the horizon except in the relatively few markets served by Verizon’s fibre optic network. Maybe some working professionals are content to spend the afternoon uploading the multimedia files they spent countless hours creating, but I’m not one of them.
Your mileage may vary.
So do you have to go wait in line if you want one on the 11th? The website says online orders begin on the 11th.
To all those wanting a USB port, I would like to know, what exactly is their scenario under which it would provide significantly better solution that the one Apple proposes (WiFi sharing, or syncing with iTunes on desktop)?
Presumably, it would be for sharing the files created on the device (iMovie, GarageBand, PhotoBooth, iWork, etc). What would be the purpose of putting them onto a USB flash memory? Surely, that memory is NOT the ultimate destination for the files; they are to be shred somehow with someone else (other computer, web, other person via e-mail, etc). So, once you put it on that USB, you STILL have to take that USB and put it into ANOTHER computer. Why wouldn’t you share it with that other computer directly via WiFi? Even largest iMovie files will transfer in reasonably short time between two WiFi devices on an ad-hoc peer-to-peer network.
Predrag, I imagine you are addressing bitter and/or jealous iPad 1 owners and fantardroids (andoid tablet lemmings)… They simply don’t have anything else to complain about, and the realization of their bad purchasing decisions are coming to a head.
Then again, these same people could be astroturfing because their company makes “competing” products that can’t compete with the iPad 2.
Totally agree.
You could also get a mobile me account and download the ipad app and just copy the file onto that.
I can answer this:
I love my iPad, iPods, iPhone and Apple TVs. However, my media collection is measured in Terabytes.
It would be nice to be able to take a WD Passport drive (a 2.5″ USB powered 1TB drive), and be able to directly access files from any of my iOS devices without also having to have my MacBook with me.
If the iPad had a USB port and the ability to browse an external device and import files into the library, then *boom* I can carry a ton of content with me in my pocket.
Hypermac makes something like this, but it’s very expensive.
It doesn’t have to have a USB port, I just want a dock adapter to USB and changes to iOS to allow for the browsing and import.
All of this fits into the “nice to have”.
mredofcourse,
OK, but you’re in the 5% upper percentile of users. The vast majority of iPad users don’t have anywhere near that requirement.
It is this 5% of users (e.g. working musicians, multimedia pros on the go) who will most convincingly demonstrate what a brilliant invention the iPad really is. It is this 5% that will push the iPad to conquer new territory, not the untold millions of media consumers who comprise the lion’s share of the iPad user base. The masses never drive innovation. They live in the shelter of that big bell-shaped curve in the sky. It’s the artists and innovators, who live out on the fringe, who will push the iPad to become all it can be.
What I have been taking about is the question of backing up large quantities of data away from home, where there is no computer to connect to any which way, but where new iMovie or GarageBand files of considerable size may be created and therefore need to be backed up. And the simple fact is that today’s wifi and 3G networks aren’t fast enough to transfer large quantities of data to and from the cloud quickly and transparently. Not even close. As I wrote elsewhere, even with a Comcast cable connection on my desktop Mac, it can take hours to transfer a few hundred megabytes of data. I can only imagine how painful it would be to upload a 5GB movie file to the cloud over wifi!
I am surprised they did not keep a camera less model. They could have simply reduced the price on a current model. There are a lot of places where the ipad will be great however cameras are not aloud. It could make my G1 still worth money on eBay. After I read the speck for Thunderbolt on Intel’s site I understand why they could not include it. I think iPad3 will have LTE and Thunderbolt. It is a lot to squeeze in. I think Verizon will sell a million of these a lot faster then iPhone 4. With people still in contracts and waiting for iPhone5 this will be a grate alternative.
Why don’t you spell check your posting? It would make what you have to say more acceptable and readable.
Sorry. Thanks. Was in ER at 3:00 am, I should be in bed.
Sorry, thanks. I was at the ER at 3:00 AM. I should be in bed now.
Why? Because they want to evangelize FaceTime. They want to get all devices to be FaceTime capable ASAP.
Good value for first time buyers of an iPad.
As a worthy upgrade for existing owners,
no way. I’m underwhelmed. Needed to up
storage from 64 to 128 or 256 GB or better
yet an SD slot for ‘unlimited’ storage. The
rear camera should at least be as good as
the iPhone4’s. iOS4.3 and new dual-core A5
processor hold great promise for the future.
I’ll pass and wait to see what the iPad3 has
to offer.
What is the rear camera, anyways, in megapixels? I can’t seem to find that info.
Everyone complaining about the lack of an iPad USB port or SD card slot, please go here: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A
Sheesh, you folks are complaining about the lack of something that already exists for those who want it. I only want it so I can use it for CoreMIDI goodness (which came out in iOS 4.2).
Woody,
It’s obvious that many of these nimrods are clueless.
I still talk to people who want to plug a mouse into it. A mouse!
Me thinks they want to save $29.
Yoi!! Where are all these whingers and whiners coming from?? It isn’t as if everyone reading this site is a techno-weeny, some of us just like the fact that “it just works” and allows us to get things done. Give it a break, if the techno-weenies were that important to Apple they would have been hired as consultants to help Steve Jobs bring out products. It must be nice to have the time to sit and dream up crap like we’ve seen posted, not just on this thread but on most of the ones MDN puts up. Go back to Momma’s basement and find something constructive & useful to do!
Alert: Moron on the loose!
I posted a link earlier to iPad vids earlier today, and they were ALL deleted…. so. try again.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/02/ipad-2-first-hands-on/
Very glad I just sold my iPad 1.
Will be in line on March 11.
Glad to see Steve. But I can’t find the video of the event anywhere. Can anyone point me there with a link? 🙂
*gasp* I’ve fallen in love! Again!
People say that this isn’t for content production: they’re WRONG. I can’t wait to watch the keynote!
What’s the Pixel Count of the back camera? Anyone know?
YAWN….
Thankfully they didn’t do anything that would make anyone want to upgrade or I’d have to take a trip down to cupertino and smash some apples.
Sill no flash support, media card input, still must rely 100% on apple for content (read: apple makes it’s 30% tax), no retina display, no USB input, no greater memory (128 – 256 gb)
Galaxy Tab has nothing to worry about.
** Flamebait alert **
OK, I’ll bite.
Neither Flash, nor physical media, will ever make their way onto Apple’s iOS devices. Anyone who expects/demands this is either astroturfer or clueless.
As for content, iPad will play any unprotected content, regardless of where it came from. While iTunes is the largest store in the us (possibly in the world) for music (digital or otherwise), it is certainly NOT the only source for content on the iPad.
There.
Yeah Samsung has nothing to worry about anymore; Samsung no longer needs to produce more schmuck tablets for the purchasing impaired. (i.e. People won’t be buying it lol.)
On what planet are you living?
Apple has sold millions of iPad 1s and they will sell many millions more of iPad 2 while the Galaxy is in the rear view mirror (further back than what it looks like).
Go troll on your Android sites. We love the Apple products and would never settle for bad knockoffs. Why settle for crap when you can have the best!!! I am not talking just about specs. The whole package, hardware and software!!!
Dude,
have you been hanging out with Charlie Sheen? The galaxy tab? Isn’t that the POS that their own CEO admitted that they sold “very few” that Steve ragged on today?
What world are you living in?
No Flash support on Xoom, yet. Adobe is way behind. Read SJ “thoughts on flash” to understand the technical reasons, full Flash is imposable no mater what touch screen.
Retina Display is not on Xoom, or any other tablet.
There is SD and USB input by an adapter kit, have one works well.
Except apps you can have other media. You don’t have to buy you music through iTunes. It is very easy to download content into it, most of my songs don’t come from iTunes. You can get subscriptions from outside the app. The “tax” is for payment processing, that can be very expensive if your a small company.
Enjoy your Xoom, just give real justifications for it. Please tell us how the mouse hover works on Flash games when Adobe puts it out.
Yawn is right. It’s tiring reading posts from nimrods.
No Flash support is a feature, not an omission. I DON’T WANT FLASH. It sucks.
You don’t have to rely on Apple 100%, there are plenty 3rd party app creation alternative tools – LiveCode from RunRev comes to mind.
30% tax? Really? Are you saying iPad is 30% more than its competitors? Actually it’s the other way around.
USB? Yeah, it has USB. Always had USB.
Yeah, you stay with that Galaxy Tab. Marvelous POS that doesn’t even run the correct OS. Good choice.
I love the marginally better. Nobody said the Motorola XOOM was marginally better. What “geeks” miss is what it takes to actually mass produce something. Steve’O isn’t workin out of the garage with WOZ anymore. Realize they can actually drop the price if they wish because of their appstore leverage and the “sic” prices they are getting on displays. All the competition must start at near 800 or sign their life to a carrier for 2 years. The revolution is the cheapest tablet on the planet, with all the features everyone else has and more. Oh they also have “apps” not the junk/malware on Droid’s.
It’s a nice upgrade. The cover was a nice surprise. Camera and speed improvements was kind of expected.
Sad however that they didn’t upgrade it to a retina display…
@woody
So if I have copied Avatar,Iron Man,Network,and
various short movies to a 32GB SD card, I can pop
it into an iPad Camera Connection Kit and watch it
on my iPad? I don’t think so! Read the posts again
and understand what we’re complaining about.
You might also read your link to the Apple Store
and realize that this Kit is ONLY for downloading
photos to the Photo app.
🙁
@daugav
No you can’t do that.
Not because it doesn’t have a USB port, but because iPad doesn’t have a user interface construct like the Mac OS X Finder. They are trying to keep the iPad simple and avoid the use of folders and documents, etc.
So, you can take your SD card, jam it your MacBookPro or whatever computer you use, move the videos onto your computer, then bring them into the iPad via iTunes.
I have dozens of movies on my 64GB iPad.
Perhaps you’re just not suited for an iPad.
Have you instead thought of perhaps annoying 3rd party manufacturers of hard drives to make such functionality available to you via the iPad connector to USB cable that comes with the iPad 2 via an app and necessary appropriate hardware? Thought not.
If you’ve copied those movies to watch on your ipad you are not using it properly.
Let’s get ONE thing straight, WHY ON EARTH ARE U NOT STREAMING THE MOVIES TO YOUR IPAD TO WATCH?
If you want to have a copy on your ipad, just plug the god damn thing into your mac, iTunes app will then launch, click on the movies tab and select the movies you want to copy across.
Then all you is press sync!
Please read the manual and learn how to use your tech properly!!
Apple just blew the heads off of every other tablet
Let’s not all sit here and fluff ourselves… It ain’t that great. brought the specs up to industry standards which is great. Ios5 may make me partake on your circlejerk but we will have to wait.
Need some advice. At what time should I go to an Apple store on the 11th to actually get one when they start selling them at 5 pm that day? First thing in the morning when the mall opens?
I’d be going to the Houston Galleria store, which is super-busy all the time. Post your opinions please! I’ve no idea who else to ask.