It’s no secret that Apple was working on a successor to the original iPad. For months, speculations were rife on Apple fan sites and tech blogs. The only doubt was when Apple would drop the bomb.
Arriving somewhat earlier than expected, Apple launched the iPad 2 at the same price points as the original in San Francisco, USA on March 2 at 10 am. The new tablet comes with a major set of refinements. First of the changes is a more powerful dual-core 1GHz processor, the Apple A5. Just for reference, the original iPad came equipped with a 1GHz single-core A4. According to the company, the new processor is twice as fast as the A4 with up to nine times better performance in graphics and games.
The iPad also has two cameras — one at the front and another at the rear — for video-chatting via Apple’s FaceTime app and for taking photos and shooting videos. The rear camera can shoot video in high definition at 720p resolution.
Finally the tablet is much slimmer than the original and lighter too — at 8.6mm, it is even thinner than the iPhone 4. “For first-time buyers, it’s a great device. The competition will have to pull up a miracle to come close to the variety of apps currently available for the iPad,” mentions a user on popular forum techenclave.com
{{/usCountry}}Finally the tablet is much slimmer than the original and lighter too — at 8.6mm, it is even thinner than the iPhone 4. “For first-time buyers, it’s a great device. The competition will have to pull up a miracle to come close to the variety of apps currently available for the iPad,” mentions a user on popular forum techenclave.com
{{/usCountry}}Most surprising was Apple CEO, Steve Jobs’ presence at the event. Jobs, currently on medical leave, is rumoured to have had a relapse of pancreatic cancer — for which he took treatment in 2004. “We've been working on this product for awhile, and I didn't want to miss it,” he was quoted as saying.
Apple also launched an iPad cover available in polyurethane and leather in a range of colour options. The cover magnetically latches on to the iPad and can fold, making it easy to prop the iPad against it.
Online Buzz
IPad 2 is geared to extend lead over Android tablets — Washington Post
The most interesting iPad 2 specs are those not mentioned: RAM, camera resolution —MuscleNerd (famous iPhone hacker)
The iPad 2 will sell like hot cakes in the first month. But will it carry momentum through? — Rajiv Makhni via gadgets.ndtv.com
iPad 2 costs $499
(Rs 22,500) for the 16GB Wi-Fi only version and $829 (Rs 37,300) for the 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G option