"At PC Site we agree with those who say that the new, well-observed additions make the iPad 2 the most exciting tablet out there."
Matthias Scherer
With the new iPad 2, Apple really wanted to sock it to their competitors in the tablet market.
Judging by sales figures in the UK alone (sold out within a day with around 500,000 snapped up on Friday and Saturday last week), the iPad 2 will do exactly that.
Coming very soon after the first iPad was launched, is the Apple iPad 2 really a neccessary acquisition?
What we like most
As is the case with every new, hyped-up product, there will always be extreme opinions. Some people have said that the Apple iPad 2 doesn’t have enough improvements, but at PC Site we tend to agree with those who say that the new, well-observed additions make the iPad 2 the most exciting tablet out there.
The fundamental things like storage options (16, 32, or 64Gb) screen size (9.7 inch) and screen resolution (1024 x 768) have remained the same, but then again there weren’t that many clamours for them to be changed.
The main complaint was that the iPad didn’t have a camera, and hey presto, here’s the iPad 2 rocking two of them. You might feel awkward using your precious gadget to take snaps on holiday, and the picture quality isn’t great, but for taking photos of, say, a funny road sign or a mind map on a white board, this will do fine.
The iPad 2 is also lighter (601g rather than 680g) and, at 8.8mm , thinner than the iPad. Nevertheless, its processing power has been enhanced, meaning that the plethora of newly available apps will run more smoothly.
What we like least
While the improvements are subtle enough so as not to put off any iPad users, they might not be groundbreaking enough for users to ditch their old models, either.
The video function is well-intentioned, but editing videos is still best done on an iMac with a full software version of iMovie, which, on the iPad 2, you can only use in its app form.
Similarly, you won’t have an improved video playback quality or a Thunderbolt port either, so this might not be the ultra-gadget many were salivating about a few months ago.
The iPad’s success is probably partially responsible for the success of the Apple iPad 2 – if it hadn’t been as good as it was, then people wouldn’t care much for its successor. The iPad 2 has kept what was great about its older brother, and improved in a few (albeit not all) key areas. It’s even more portable than the iPad and more comfortable to handle – which is no mean feat.
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Processor Speed
1 GHz
Processor
Apple A4
RAM
Up to 64 Gb flash drive
Screen Size
9.7 inch
1024 x 768 pixel resolution
Battery
Built-in 25-watt-hour lithium-polymer
Approximately 10 hours
Ports
Dock connector port
3.5 mm stereo headphone jack
Built-in speaker
Microphone
Mico-SIM card tray (WiFi + 3G model only)
Weight & Size
189.7mm (W) x 242.8mm (H) x 13.4mm (D)
Wi-Fi - 0.68 Kg
Wi-Fi + 3G 0.73 Kg
Connectivity
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
There’s something about slates/tablets/giant phones that bring out Christmas levels of excitement in the team here at PC Site® central and at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas, it was like Santa was bringing on sackfulls of the devices.
Apart from the obvious long awaited iPad, which didn’t deign CES with an appearance, our most eagerly awaited device has been the HP Slate.
Rumours of release specs, hinting videos and teasers have come regularly, proving that Apple aren’t the only ones who can generate a bit of hype, and we’re still not getting jaded.
Spanish site Clipset has the first seemingly concrete HP slate specs with touchscreen, Atom CPU, (a lightweight?) Windows 7, with USB connectivity, memory card reader and a web cam on the back.
Videos from Adobe have shown us the Slate will support Flash and AIR, meaning you can play endless flash games, videos and all sorts of exciting content, to your heart’s content.
It also puts it in firm opposition to the iPad which is sans Flash and no USBs. With Clipset saying that it will come in at around €400, it will substantially undercut the iPad for price.
Check out the official trailer with a thumping house soundtrack if you feel like throwing a few shapes.
Image Credit:engadget
"GREAT! I'm an apple fan and use my iPad 2 for lots of things but more than most, reading the morning news and my latest novel (Ashita by Kapiel Raaj) on the train is by far the best!"
Tom Brown 21 December 2011
"I love it so much, the only tablet you should buy"
Cazza h 27 April 2012
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