The iPad was no doubt, the hottest new gadget of 2010. Thousands of Apple consumers who opened up their brand new iPad on Christmas morning were unimpressed to see that Apple has already released the iPad 2. If youve barely pulled the shrink wrap off your original iPad, is the upgrade to the iPad 2 worth it? Well take a look at the pros and cons.
Heres a rundown of the new features:
Dual Video (and still photo) Cameras
Everyone who owns or has seen the iPhone 4 knows exactly how the iPad 2s dual cameras work. Theres a front-facing camera and a backwards-facing camera that allow you to take pictures of other people or of yourself without having to rotate the device. Thanks to these handy-dandy cameras, you can also run FaceTime and connect with other iPad 2 users for a cozy video chat. If youre a heavy-duty FaceTime user, this is probably a welcome upgrade. After all, when it comes to screens, bigger is usually better. If youre not a FaceTime user, you may be left feeling a little meh, especially since the camera picture quality isnt anywhere close to what you get from even the most inexpensive digital point and shoot camera.
Faster Processor
The iPad 2 hasoh yesa dual processor, which means its capable of running more graphics-intensive and more complex apps at higher speeds. If youre a hard-core gamer, you might really appreciate the upgrade. Meanwhile, very few people have complained that the original iPad is slow. Once apps start expanding and begin outgrowing the original iPad, speed might be more of a gripe. But by then, Apple will probably be on to the iPad 3 or 4 anyway.
HDMI Video Output
If youve ever been lounging around watching video on your iPad and wished you could hook it up to your big screen, the iPad2 is for you. Its new HDMI video output will let you do just that. Now you can use your iPad to stream Netflix or other movies right to your television. Granted, if you already have a Wii or an internet-enabled television, this wont seem like that much of a benefit. But if you dont, youve now got the hook-up.
A Lighter and Thinner Design
The iPad 2 is a few millimeters thinner than the original model and is also a whopping 15% lighter. In other words, the old iPad weighed 1.5 pounds while the new one weighs only 1.2. If that leaves you underwhelmed, youre not alone. Yes, its cool that the new model is thinner and lighter while still managing to pack in more features than the original. However, the savings of a few millimeters and a third of a pound is not enough to make an upgrade mandatory. Its just not that much of a difference.
So whats not to like?
Still wont Play Flash Video
iPad lovers everywhere seem to agree that the machines one serious drawback is its lack of support for Flash video. With more people spending more time on Facebook than Google these days, its no wonder people are irritated. If youre browsing Facebook on your iPad and want to play a video one of your friends shared. . . you cant. Too bad. The same thing goes for Twitter. The even worse news is that thanks to a feud between Apple and Adobe, support for Flash is unlikely to be available anytime soon. Meanwhile, competing companies are gearing up to release Android-powered tablets, and you can bet those machines will be Flash-enabled. So if this is an important feature for you, you might want to consider ditching the iPad for something else when its time to upgrade.
The iPad is Still Relatively Expensive
iPad detractors are also not fans of the tablets price. The entry level iPad2 goes for 0, and better models go up from there. Critics say that much more powerful laptops are available for less than 0 and are a more practical choice. Sure, the iPad 2 is much cooler looking and has a sleek touch screen, but as an actual computing tool, it comes up short. Industry experts are expecting competing tablets to debut at a more affordable price point.
What do you think? Is it worth it to upgrade to the iPad 2?
10 Comments
does ipad 2 have a usb wirless connector?
does ipad have a usb Wireless connector for internet if u r in a place that doesn’t have Internet, especially if ur not in the usa?
WILL I HAVE INTERNET IN PLACES THAT DONT HAVE A WIRLESS CONNECTION?
iPad has WiFi / 3G which is used for internet access. If you’re looking for a USB interface then you will have to get a 5-in-1 iPad camera connection kit (The earlier version of the iPad had a 3-in-1 camera connection kit). This kit connects to your TV, computer, USB adapter, keyboard and digital camera but is not wireless. It’s a physically connected device kit and has a USB port.
How can I connect a memory stick to my iPad?
Having just bought an iPad I know it does not have a USB port, but i would like the ability to use my memory stick on it. I have seen a number of connectors you can attach to the iPad to then connect other devices, some have a 2.0 USB port, could these work if you want to view documents in any format?
Any advice would be much apprecitated.
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witch tablet should i get?
ok, i’m pretty up to date with all the new tablets/pad, but witch should i get should i get??? i’m asking cuz i’m wondering what other people think, and hopefully have tested, or own one, i probably won’t be buying for a while so no rush for wether it’s out yet or not…
first off is the JooJoo, it’s got a really big screen, runs Linux… witch is awesome, and if i’m not mistaken can play in 1080p, and had two usb connectors. altho it did get a bad review by Engadget
then we have the adam tablet, it runs Android,can play in 1080p, has 3 usb connectors, and has the nVidia Tegra 2 in it…
then we have the ipad (sighs)
there’s another coming out soon, like sometime in september that will be running windows 7, it’s got a stable background, but only has about a 3-5 hour battery life.
The tablets are relatively young, and have very much to be desired. The JooJoo has many bad reviews around the net. The other Android tablet I do not remember. Sad to say it but the iPad is the best one out there right now. The best thing for you to do, is to wait. I know you want to get one because it is a neat technology, and you would get a lot of wows from the people you know. But wait, give it a year, save your money. The tablets will be great, but they are in their early stages.
How to Transfer Documents from iPad to USB Drive or Compatable USB Drive?
I was planning on getting the iPad (1 or 2) for school and home use. Is there anyway to put a USB drive into it so I can give my teachers a flash drive of a document or presentation that I worked on in iWork? If not then I’m gonna look into getting an Android Tablet with a USB drive, because the fact that Apple still hasn’t integrated a USB Port into the iPad or made it so you can transfer Documents via the Camera connector kit is Rubbish.
You have to go through iTunes..
How about the Asus eee pad transformer?
Its $399 USD and for an extra $150 USD, you can get a keyboard docking station with 2 USB ports, sd slot, and together, you get about 16 hours of battery life.. There are plenty of good reviews for that tablet.. I would recommend the samsung galaxy tab 10.1 but it doesn’t have a direct USB. Therefore, the transformer would work great..
Hope I helped, and good luck
How do I video mirror iPad to iMac?
I have the ipad 2, an HDMI cable, the new apple video mirroring cable, and an imac. The video mirroring works great with my HDTV, but im trying to hook it up into my iMac but the iMac doesn’t have an HDMI port. I saw a video on youtube of someone doing it —> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1vhwpnyYgg. How is he doing that?? Is there some connector that translates HDMI to USB or Mini display Port?
Watch the video again. At around 15 seconds in to the video he tells and shows you what connector he used!