“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.”
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