iPad 2 - A First Look
Apple hope that 2011 will be the year of the tablet, and for their shareholders the year of iPad 2. It's claimed that with sales of iPad already hitting the 15,000,000 its the most successful new tech launch ever. It certainly caught Apple's competitors by surprise and as they scramble to catch up and grab a bit of the action, Apple have launched iPad 2.
See full photos of the new iPad 2 in detail
So what's new? The first thing you'll notice when you pick it up, is it feels lighter that the original. Rounder edges and thinner than iPhone 4, iPad 2 is now a much more user-friendly device. The major difference is what makes it work. A new graphics chip make it up to 9 times faster than the first iPad and the new Dual Core A5 processor makes lightning fast. Even the most power-hungry apps open within a second or two of touching the icon.
Two cameras will keep those wanting to make conference calls and shoot HD video happy and despite its thinner body, it still delivers at least 10 hours of continuous battery usage and a month in standby.
If you have AppleTV, movies you've shot and edited on the iPad will wirelessly appear on your TV and the new HDMI adaptor allows you to plug it straight into your tv and mirror exactly what is on the device making it an ideal tool for presentations and teaching.
Enhanced wireless connectivity means you'll also be able to access your music and movies on your home pc or Mac network on your iPad without having to transfer the files.
The success of any tablet in 2011 will be the software that runs on it and this has been the key to the success of the iPad and iPhone. Apple's hugely successful app store offers an array of software than can do almost everything you'll ever need and now the hugely popular music-making software Garageband and film editor iMovie are coming to iPad.
So who'll want this? If you already have an iPad, unless you want the camera and video-editing options, then you may want to wait until iPad 3. For those who've been waiting for the next generation iPad, then it's going to be difficult to resist the new model. For those waiting to buy a tablet but are not fussed by the manufacturer, then check out the offerings from Samsung, Blackberry, HTC and Dell.
Remember though, a tablet is only as good as the apps that run on it, so play with all the options out there before parting with your cash.