Apple announces iPad 2: improved design, price unchanged

[Sarcasm]

IAMTHESTIG said:
Still a 4:3 aspect ratio...? How does it have 1080p output again?

The screen itself is 4:3 but it probably OUTPUTS to 1080p.

 

[aj_the_kidd]

st1ckm4n said:
It's about appearing upper-class. Apple selling iPad 1 for $100-200 won't do anything good for their image

I'd probably wouldn't dislike Apple as much if this wasn't true

kenrick said:
On the other hand, looks like android is in the news again.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/0...your-phone-steal-your-data-and-open-backdoor/

It was bound to happen, Apple fanboys will be loving this.

 

[Archean]

Even though it is a large improvement over the previous generation I think it still doesn't match up to the other products on the market.

I would say nice improvements, but they are 'evolutionary' in nature, nothing revolutionary. I expect the competition to surpass Apple in coming months, and if Apple can't keep up and be competitive by the time third iteration of their pad is due, they may start falling behind. Even now, the biggest attraction for it is the App Store IMO.

 

[Lokalaskurar]

Didn't really get the whole "smart cover" thing... having magnets in such a pricey device seems a bit risky. And with Apple's warranty-void guidelines, things could get dirty. Those fibres cleaning the screen better be microfibres, otherwise It'll scratch the screen down in no-time. Apple wouldn't want to force their customers into sticking with new Apple products all-life-long, right? "That'll be $40 for an HDMI cable." Whoa... Mr. Jobs, you used to be so cool...

 

[Squatz101]

2 Cameras??
Better Graphics??
New Processor x2 as fast?????

I WANT ONE!!

 

[Kenrick]

sarcasm said:

TrekExpert said:
Even though it is a large improvement over the previous generation I think it still doesn't match up to the other products on the market. The Motorola Xoom is actually a lot better than this. One of its most important advantages in my opinion is the 1280x800 resolution display in comparison to the 1024x768 display on the Ipad 2. This alone is enough to justify the extra price in my opinion. The is also the fact that the cameras in the Ipad 2 alot worse than the Xoom, will have flash support, and more ram (1gig vs 500mg). Its not that I have anything against the Ipad, I just disagree with all the talk that it is a game changer as there are already comparable, if not better products already available. Apple has a large amount of brand loyalty so if apple tells them their product is a game changer they will believe them.

I'm actually using a motorola Xoom right now. Android 3.0 is great, fast and snappy. However, the device still feels unfinished in terms of software. The obvious ones is lack of new apps (but that's to be expected.) But still no flash support at the moment, and there are odd quirks here and there using apps. While watching some youtube videos, it would randomly freeze and ask to force quit. There's also no way to "quit" each app until it decides to close it on its own. So I notice the device starts to get a little sluggish once there's too many apps open.

As for the physical specs, it's about the same weight as the iPad. Putting it next to my brother's iPad, we both agreed that it looks smaller and more widescreen. The higher resolution screen does make everything look crispier. But honestly it's not as huge of a difference as I'd expected, the iPad's screen still looked pretty good.

The best part of the Xoom so far IMO is browsing the web. It's nice to actually have real tabs and it's very fast and snappy. It gets pretty close to a real PC web browser and is a joy to use. It also finally runs in higher frame rates which makes scrolling as smooth as iOS. (Something lacking from the mobile Android OS'.)

So to compare the Xoom to the iPad 2, IMO I think the iPad 2 will be better. This is coming from someone who don't like Apple products. Considering the price is the same as the original iPad, you pretty much get more for your money. But I think once Google start polishing and updating Android 3.0, it will be one of the best competitors to the iPad 2. Now there's only that issue of Price.

Nice and informative review, sarcasm. Just like I said before, it is the perfect harmony of both software and hardware that makes the difference. This is the Apple formula. And this makes the ipad the winner in tablet category. Match it with a mature and polished ecosystem of the apps store, and it will take a huge margin over the competitors. I hope they bring the price to a more affordable range and I will surely get one.

 

[Wagan8r]

Cota said:
Ill never get one of those things, i want to keep up my liver functional and avoid the pain of being a power user stuck on these (Mini PC's included).

wagan8r said:
Honestly, I'm disappointed in the iPad 2. At least they threw in a few features that the original should have had to begin with, but without a microSD slot, USB or Thunderbolt, HDMI port, and Retina Display, I'm going to have to pass yet again.

Do you want us to yell surprise so you can act being surprised too? xD.

Sorry, I only act for money. Or cookies. Or both!

 

[AmanEatingChair]

I don't understand paying so much for a tablet. Buy a $500 laptop. It's not like the ipad fits in your pock. Foolishness

 

[IAMTHESTIG]

sarcasm said:

IAMTHESTIG said:
Still a 4:3 aspect ratio...? How does it have 1080p output again?

The screen itself is 4:3 but it probably OUTPUTS to 1080p.

Maybe... it better... but doesn't look that way on the picture for this article. However maybe a video will use the entire external display.

 

[mattfrompa]

Just don't use the touchscreen with your left hand while holding the device with your right or it will drop the call I mean image.

 

[ViperSniper2]

iCrAppleholics need to get a grip and realize that iFad 2 ain't all that. Imean two improvements to go with all they left out. No USB DIRECT Connection or even Faster Dual Band 2.4g & 5.0 Wifi Direct for Wireless 1080p Video and Games to your HDTV's. Cable connections are sooooo...... last Century in the age of faster wireless of Wifi and 4G. You don't realize that until you have a Android phone with 4G and it's much faster than your Cable. Then you can end up cutting wires for good both in your home and out on the road!

Can't do that with anything from CrApple and the reason they can't and won't run FLASH on mobiles, is because they CAN'T and save battery life along with that. Along with the simple fact that they CAN'T compete with the 3 Million FLASH developers that can write Games ONCE...... and have them run on Desktops and Mobiles. For Android and Desktops, their App Store is the entire World Wide Web of Millions of Applications. While FLASH also controls iOS App Store via converted FLASH Apps they have to pay for that the rest of the World gets for FREE! ......why? Because HTML5 as yet has NO Pay Apps without being in a FLASH Container!!! ^_*

 

[Guest]

11 reasons NOT to buy an iPad 2

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/government/11-reasons-not-to-buy-an-ipad-2-including-6-that-havent-changed-from-the-ipad-1/10095