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TechJunkeez Gear Editor | April 2011
With the iPad resting in first place in the tablet race, Apple has
released the long awaited iPad 2, which should work on holding that lead. With
some additions such as dual cameras, faster CPU as well as some ergonomic
updates, the iPad 2 looks promising, but is it worth throwing your old iPad for?
Physical
Most of the notable updates are ergonomic ones. The iPad 2 is 33% thinner and 15% lighter which makes it more
portable as well as easier to use. As far as tablet form factors go, you’ll have
no trouble walking around with the iPad 2 in your hands.
15% lighter, 33% thinner
I’ve never been a fan of the thick black frame around the screen
of the old iPad. A slighty thinner frame would have made me much happier by
reducing the device’s size, and making the screen appear visually bigger for the
user.
The screen is still the same size as the previous iPad, 9.7” LED,
and with the same resolution of 1024x768 which seems like a let down after
getting used to the iPhone 4’s retina display.
The two new cameras, 0.7 megapixel back
and 0.3 megapixel front, are excellent for FaceTime video calls giving up to
720p video resolution, but underwhelm as stand alone digital cameras.
FaceTime is a much better experience on the iPad
2's large screen
Hardware
The new A5 processor is supposed to double the power of the A4
processor in the previous generation according to Apple. I’m not sure to what
degree this is true, but all apps load lightning fast, and updated apps for the
iPad 2 show significant graphical improvements over their first generation
versions. All this hardware power fortunately comes at no cost to battery life.
The iPad 2 maintains 10 hours of battery life, which is what the first
generation managed. The iPad’s RAM has also been doubled from 256mb to 512mb.
Software
There is no need for any explanation
here, Apple has established the most successful App Store out there and
competition are having a hard time catching up. Apple’s iOS is still the most
humanly easy-to-use interface out there, although soon to come Android tablets
might give Apple a run for their money. Some updated versions of apps, specially
released for the iPad 2’s stronger A5 processor can be found, and I’m sure there
are lot more apps on the way ready to utilize the A5’s full potential.
Digital AV Adapter (sold separately) offers HDMI
video mirroring and is a nice addition
Conclusion
The iPad 2 offers features that were missed in the original iPad.
It’s newer, sleeker form factor makes it a bit easier to use, and FaceTime on its
large screen offers a richer experience than that on the smaller screen of the
iPhone 4 or iPod touch 4g. The non-retina screen resolution and low res cameras
disappoint me only a little bit. This device is worth the money, but if you
already own the first generation iPad and you won’t use the new cameras, I’d
recommend you to wait for its successor.
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