“Based on Consumer Reports’ preliminary tests with iPad 2 samples in our labs, we found the new version to be an improvement over the original iPad—without any increase in price,” Jeff Fox reports for Consumer Reports.
“One major difference in tech specs is that the iPad 2 has a new processor that’s supposed to make it far speedier than the original,” Fox reports. “While performing routine tasks such as Web browsing and e-mail in our tests, we didn’t notice any significant speed improvement.”
MacDailyNews Take: Try removing your heads from your asses.
Fox continues, “By keeping iPad 2 prices the same as those of the original iPad, Apple has kept its market-leading tablet more than competitive with the small-but-growing field of Android-based tablets. The Motorola Xoom seems to be the iPad 2’s chief rival for now, but it’s pricier than a comparably configured iPad 2, and it’s thicker and heavier as well. The iPad 2 is a very good choice in the tablet market. Still, many more tablets are expected to reach market this year. The tablet race is far from over.”
Fox reports, “We’ll continue our lab tests, including battery-life testing, and expect to add the Apple iPad 2 to our Ratings (available to subscribers) within a week or so.”
Full article – Think Before You Click™ – here.
MacDailyNews Take: Consumer Reports is a total farce.
Related articles:
Ars Technica reviews Apple iPad 2: Big performance gains in a slimmer package
iPad 2 benchmarks destroy Motorola Xoom – March 13, 2011
Associated Press reviews Apple iPad 2: Apple pulls further ahead – March 10, 2011
Ars Technica reviews Motorola Xoom: For the best tablet available today, look no further than Apple – March 7, 2011
PC Mag reviews Apple iPad 2: The tablet to get; Editors’ Choice – March 10, 2011
Associated Press reviews Apple iPad 2: Apple pulls further ahead – March 10, 2011
PC Mag reviews Apple iPad 2: The tablet to get; Editors’ Choice – March 10, 2011
Pogue reviews Apple iPad 2: Thinner, lighter, and faster transforms the experience – March 10, 2011
Baig reviews Apple iPad 2: Second to none – March 10, 2011
Consumer Reports was wrong on Verizon iPhone 4; so-called ‘death grip’ fixed by Apple – March 2, 2011
Consumer Reports: Verizon iPhone 4 has antenna ‘problem’; not recommended – February 25, 2011
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My grandma needs a new electric blanket….where is the Consumer Report Magazine?
If CR didn’t notice a speed increase with iPad 2 over iPad, it’s because they didn’t use it.
Complete and utter putzes.
Apple won’t give Consumer Reports free kit to upgrade their shop (read: bribe their way to good reviews) from the WinTel mess it currently “runs” on…so CR, like a crossed 2nd grader, is lashing out the only way it knows how, by making things up.
Exactly. It’s dramatic, impressive and measurable with only minutes of using the device.
The iPad 2 is remarkable in all the ways Apple claimed : feels great in your hand despite it’s similar stature, apps respond twice as quickly, and the graphics are positively glowing.
What the iPad 2 isn’t (and Apple never claimed it was) : a good camera (because it’s terrible and lacks the flash from iPhone 4), as light as a kindle (although it is fast approaching it’s ‘hold ability’), or a fantstic HD experience (because the resolution is still a little subpar).
I think that would have served for a consumer reports ‘at first glance’ review.
What a farce indeed.
now we know they are just trolling. consumer reports, you’ve just gone down in my standing
I’m beginning to think they have an agenda.
More stupidity I’d bet, tests are probably random folk with no interest or knowledge of computers. No forward vision either, apps can now become much more powerful without slowing down the device. All apps available today are optimized to run fast on the current gen ipad.
Beginning? ;P
Ya think? First the iPhone 4 debacle but this takes the cake. With every tech blog doing articles about the incredible speed increase you would think CR would have at least tried….Hacks, out dated and irrelevant
What are REAL tech sites saying?
http://tinyurl.com/6fjb7lt
http://tinyurl.com/4tfglpu
http://tinyurl.com/4h2yg4w
http://tinyurl.com/6l6wgm5
http://tinyurl.com/4lxm8m7
http://tinyurl.com/47wu4uy
http://tinyurl.com/4eb4eaj
So why does consumer reports not see a speed increase and all these tech sites do? Because the tech sites actually scientifically benchmarked the iPad 2 rather then stick their finger up their rear. Good job consumer reports, another nail in the coffin….
Even with their “agenda,” it’s quite amusing that they can’t help but admit it’s the best tablet, period, and by a long shot.
Stating that, “Still, many more tablets are expected to reach market this year. The tablet race is far from over,” almost belies an agenda on CR’s part. If their agenda was simply to report on the products a consumer can now purchase I’m not sure this would be there. True, they could be giving consumers fair warning, but with the lack of significant evidence that something better is around the corner, I find it somewhat suspicious. Is it that more and more publications are afraid of simply reporting the facts out of fear that they will be proved wrong in the future or is it the human nature of wanting to see (and influence) a dog race, all the while romanticizing the underdog?
I agree with your insight. That statement sounds more like and editorial than a straight-up review.
It’s really hard to notice anything significant with your head up your arse!!!
WTF, why do even bother with CR who cared what they think . We know they are the National Enquire of product reviews, and Apple is the star they like gossip about normally in a negative light.
Total dicks.
LOL! Yep.
Yeah, but what do you really think?
Well does that surprise anyone. I’m one of the fortunate ones that was able to acquire a iPad 2, and it is noticeably faster than tha first version.
Also, testing by a number of 3rd party sites have comfermed the speed improvement.
And really, compare the chips in both IPads, one a single core and the new one a dual core, and then say it’s not faster, Really they have shown the proof that the have no testing experience at all.
CR Has a bias of hate towards Apple and we will see this going forward, but then again it doesn’t matter since long sales lines and the furry to have the new device shows that no matter the hate, Apple still wins and consumers are smart enough to understand what is B.S.
These idiots have proven without a doubt how irresponsible they are, and now have sealed that with the proof for everyone to see.
It is strange, as they’ve always been very fair reviewing Macs and OSX. I’m not sure it’s all intentional, though, or just human nature (see my above post). The “unreality distortion field,” I believe, is also being fueled by the clouded public’s eye, which sees Google as just so big, entrenched and invincible that they cannot possibly fathom any failure on their part. (Indeed, it’s true that Google probably will continue to be successful for some time to come.) So it’s beside the fact, to many, that Apple is now, by a large margin, a far bigger and more innovative technology company than Google. They remember that Apple was relatively recently very much down-and-out and have not digested the concept that Apple’s current and future success is and will be based on making better products, and not just a cultish fluke.
Yeah, man… I have a furry for a new device…
I have an iPad 2 as well, and I noticed the speed improvement right away. I am guessing that CR has an agenda or lack of expertise, or maybe the accelerator pedal on their Prius got stuck?
Even the grandmas that make up CR’s demographic have heard of BENCHMARKING… It’s not as if other sites haven’t already performed benchmarking which shows iPad2 roaring along at up to 3x the speed of other tablets and iPad1. There are only two possible explanations for CR’s stance – massive, massive incompetence or corruption brought about by unconscionable bias or monetary reward.
Not faster…yeah, email and web browsing (w/o Flash) aren’t even going to stress a single-core processor – never mind a dual-core. It naturally wouldn’t have occurred to them to try a game – or maybe they couldn’t afford the $4.99 to buy one.
Sad.
How about at this point you just stop re-posting CR articles and let them fade away? By this point you’ve pointed out how ridiculous their reviews are.
What’s the point?
“didn’t notice any significant speed improvement” while performing “routine tasks.”
Why don’t they run tests (like Anandtech) that will put the iPad 2 properly through its paces before concluding or posting anything?
It’s like getting a new Lamborghini to test and then deciding to drive it at 30 mph max and then saying “there’s no noticeable difference”
I have to conclude that CR (probably after being flamed for its moronic coverage of the iPhone) now has a personal vendetta against apple. I used to think they were just incompetent…
“Why don’t they run tests (like Anandtech) that will put the iPad 2 properly through its paces before concluding or posting anything?”
Probably because it was a preliminary review by Consumer reports who appeals mainly to “consumers” who will be using the iPad for “routine” tasks.
Consumer reports who appeals mainly to “consumers”
huh? safari loading times, games performance , iMovie etc performance not relevant to consumers?
gigaom tests of iPad 2
angry birds app launch: 42% faster
plants vs zombies app launch: 42% faster
safari website loading NYT times loading: 80% faster
Google site loading : 89% faster.
anandtech:
iPad2 is 50% faster for browsing web
app advice:
iMovie copying file 25 secs vs 1 min 36 sec iMac 27″
iMovie encoding 1 minute 59 sec vs Macbook air 8 minutes
Infinityblade:
” Epic Games comments that their gaming engine — Unreal Engine 3 — can already take advantage of the iPad 2’s A5 dual-core processor. When PC games are moved to a more powerful PC with multiple cores, “you can … turn up all the dials in your game to get more details, more textures, more shaders,”
etc etc
are you telling me ‘routine’ tasks don’t include Safari load times, iMovie or playing Angry Birds, Infinity blade…. ?
only geeks surf the web or play games? this is not relevant to CR readers? gimme a break.
Consumer report is supposed to be a premier testing agency (or considers itself anyways) giving excuses for by saying “preliminary” is crap. Some people will make assumptions that because it’s CR they would have done SOME reasonable testing…
You just proved my point.. You are a tech geek, I am a tech geek, we would look at specs for Safari load times, how fast apps launch etc, etc.. My sister (38), my dad (65years old) are average consumers. They’d never consider specs like that.
I’m just quoting the times FOR YOU (not expecting CR quote those ) so that YOU know that there’s a speed gain in iPad 2 for ‘routine tasks’ like , web browsing, games since you’re implying that CR is right to say there’s no noticeable speed gains for ‘routine tasks’ like ‘web browsing’ in their ‘tests’.
(eg: Gigaom says there’s 80% gain for web loading a NYT page etc.)
So what tests did CR do? just staring at it?
(or are you saying Anadtech, ars technica etc are wrong?)
I AM NOT saying CR should WRITE TECHY like anandtech but they have to be AWARE of the tech facts before commenting. Surely they should also be cognizant of tech journal research like anandtech and whole host of others which should have given them pause to check their facts before writing?
Or are you implying that as long as they write simply it’s OK to be inaccurate? Is being inaccurate (I think they are inaccurate as everyone else says their tests show speed gains) is going to help the non tech 65 year old?
Read the comment I replied to and u will see the question I was answering.
MDN and the rest of you have been very harsh on CR such as in regards to the iP4. However, this takes the cake and I now join the rest of you. Benchmarking speed is not done with email nor the web.
and tomorrow, Jeff Fox will give us his ‘expert’ opinion on potato peelers……
Does Jeff Fox even own a PC…. his technical prowess is less than that of my 10 month old puppy…. who at least knows enough not to chew on wires…
I think Jeff has chewed to many wires
I used to read their reviews. They were helpful. But they obviously have something wadded up tight against Apple, and it’s childish and inaccurate. Also obvious. Makes them look ridiculous.
MDN, your comments are spot-on. CR is for old people who pinch their social security pennies and they review products with a bias toward helping elderly people not spend a dime on anything with advanced technology in it or with any flavor other than vanilla.
They’ve realized bashing apple results in attention for CR.
Exactly.
They should change their name to Goofy Reports!
Most often used phrase around their labs “Hey, what’s that noise?”.
(for you city folk, that’s in reference to a joke about a chainsaw)
Well, finish the joke for the erudite and urbane crowd, ferchristsakes!
Customer returns a brand new chainsaw to the hardware store, tells them it’s too slow and that he can cut down a tree faster with a crosscut saw.
Store clerk grabs the chainsaw, gives a yank, and it fires right up.
Customer says “…..”
@ Mr. Reeee
The joke goes something like this:
A Consumer Reports Testing Expert is in his backyard chopping wood with an axe. His neighbor, feeling sorry for him, takes over his chainsaw and tells him “Use this. You’ll be able to cut ten times the wood in the same amount time, with hardly any effort.”
The next day the Consumer Reports Testing Expert returns the chainsaw to his neighbor, complaining, “I was only able to cut half the wood with this thing that I had been cutting with my axe. And, it took a lot more effort!”
The neighbor replied “It’s new, but maybe it’s out of adjustment. Let’s take a look.” The neighbor then reached down, pulled the cord, and started up the chainsaw.
Immediately the Consumer Reports Testing Expert jumped back, startled, and cried out “What’s that noise?”
I like yours better, more apropro.
This here iPad2 dont feel or look like no book, i reckon pa even said it dont open like no book and he works at consoomer reports, ask unkle ace.
Consumer Reports pushes cheap, derivative crap for the stretch-panted Wal-Mart crowd.
If you want a lawnmower or hair dryer or a pooper scooper, CR is the place to go.
They were holding it wrong…..
Yeah, turn it over
LMAO…God that’s funny. Made my day…thanks!!
I went to the Apple Store with my original iPad and compared it to the iPad 2. While hardly scientific, I agree that there is little, if any, speed improvements in the iPad 2. At the very least, I thought that opening a web page and scrolling quickly on iPad 2 would not result in the checkered boxes that appear when I do so on my original iPad. And in terms of weight, it wasn’t until the salesperson asked “Can you feel the weight difference?” that I even remembered that the iPad 2 is lighter. Definitely noticed the thinness, however. But looking at it straight on, same screen, very similar performance. Front facing camera is a plus if you use it. I can’t think of why anyone would use the back 1 megapixel camera, unless they were stranded without their iPhone 4 with its excellent camera.
Just my 4 cents…
I got it figured out.
They were using a 14.4 modem when testing both of the iPads for their Internet connection.
No wonder they saw no speed difference.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaand I haven’t noticed your relevance since 1992 so I can’t recommend your rag.
C.R. …Me thinks you have been universally panned.