When Apple first introduced the iPad, it came as a shock for the computer enthusiast, since no one really expected a touch screen tablet. The reviews ranged from naming it the most astonishing device of the decade to a joke that no one even thought it was funny. But 39.85 million units sold (as of September 2011) later, everyone seems to have forgotten what they were saying just a year earlier. Having that in mind, and the perpetual boasts from users, it was only a matter of time when the iPad 2 would be released.
What’s in an iPad 2?
Like any other Apple gadget, the build of iPad 2 is really admirable. It has sturdy aluminium and glass combined frame that makes it look way more attractive than the competitor tablet computers. It is 9.5 x 7.3 inches in size and weighs around 600g and with 8.6mm is a lot thinner than his predecessor. Its LED backlit wide screen multi touch display is 9.7in diagonally and with Apples IPS technology allows some very impressive visual graphics. In terms of resolution the iPad 2 offers 1024 x 768 pixels at 132 pixels per inch.
Performance
The performance of the iPad 2 is exceptional. It has a 1GHz dual-core custom designed Apple A5 processor that provides high performance and low consumption, fast browsing online and quick response to opening applications. The specs say that the battery lasts up to 10 hours, but users report running even longer, but with basic operations like browsing the web or updating blogs. The iPad 2 also has 512MB RAM – twice of that of the previous version, and a 200MHz bus speed, also twice that of the iPad.
Camera
The camera on the iPad 2 comes really handy for recording videos, tutorials or making a video chat. The rear camera offers a HD video recording of 720p at up to 30 frames per second with quality audio. The front camera, on the other hand, provides VGA recording of at 30 frames per second, also with audio. The still photos are produced with VGA quality. The camera really reaches its potential with the FaceTime application which works much like on the original iPad.
Software
The iPad 2 comes with the operating system that runs on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and it’s hardly groundbreaking, but it some very nice options. One of them is the AirPlay app that allows iOS devices to stream video to Apple TV. There is an updated version of the iMovie app that runs on iPhone and iPod touch. GarageBand app is really astonishing and looks more responsive than in a late model iMac.
Should you buy it?
Well, if you already bought an iPad then upgrading may not do you any good, since there is nothing revolutionary about the iPad 2 except for the appearance. But if you don’t have a tablet and are considering buying one, than iPad 2 is definitely the right choice.