Apple iPad 2 MC769LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi, Black) NEWEST MODEL Reviews
Apple iPad 2 MC769LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi, Black) NEWEST MODEL
- Apple’s newest generation of iPads.
- 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology.
- 1 GHz dual-core Apple A5 custom-designed processor.
- Forward facing and rear facing cameras.
- Apple’s iOS 4 and access to Apple’s app store.
Apple iPad XX1LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi, Black) NEWEST MODEL
List Price: $ 499.00
Price: $ 625.00
8X Anti-Dust Plug Mini Stylus Touch Pen For iPhone 4S 4G 3G 3GS iPad 2 | US $0.01 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 3:14:12 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
 | US $9.45 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 3:18:03 PST Buy It Now for only: US $9.45 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
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A Step Closer,
For anyone out there who is considering whether or not to make the leap and purchase the iPad 2, this review is for you. If you’re still debating between the iPad 1 and the iPad 2 check out my review of the first generation iPad right here on Amazon to see a discussion of its strengths and weaknesses with a number of people commenting (both positively and negatively) over the past 11 months.
Let me begin by saying this upfront, I don’t work for Apple, I don’t own Apple Stock, and whether you buy an iPad, Xoom, a laptop or a pad of paper and pencil I don’t get anything for writing this. I’m not an Apple “fanboy” although I can give credit where credit is due and lately Apple has deserved a lot of credit for some of their products.
Physical Characteristics
The iPad 2 is absurdly thin. More importantly than it’s thinness is its tapered edge which feels more natural in your hand. One of the biggest complaints about the original iPad was it really wasn’t tremendously comfortable to hold for long periods at a time. For a tablet device designed to be held, that’s a pretty big deal. Apple really has done an amazing job of cramming everything into an even smaller space than before and the difference is really noticeable when you’re holding the device. In addition to the tapered edge, Apple managed to reduce the overall weight of the iPad 2. That might not seem like a huge deal to most, especially when you consider the weight difference isn’t tremendous when you’re already under 2 pounds, but I spend a good part of my day holding the iPad in my hands and the weight difference is surprising by the end of the day. The first generation isn’t heavy by any means, but the iPad 2 outshines it.
New and “Improved”
Apple doubled the RAM in the iPad 2 from 256MB to 512MB. What does that mean? For most casual users, probably not a whole lot. There is a performance bump that everyone will see the effects of in things like loading times for webpages that are open in the background, but 256MB was sufficient for most daily use and games. If you’re planning to use your device for some of the more graphically intense games the iPad 2 does offer a better method of graphics processing that’ll help deliver faster images with fewer jerky movements. If you’re just playing Angry birds and reading e-mail you’re not going to know the difference.
The screen is the same for all real purposes. It is technically a “new” part in that it isn’t identical to the old, it’s a bit thinner and more efficient, but it’s the same resolution. The Glass is thinner though, and this amounts to a fair bit of the weight loss from one generation to the next. In playing with the device it seems surprising but despite feeling lighter it actually feels more sturdy in your hands. I still wouldn’t suggest dropping it, but if it were to fall the iPad 2 certainly feels like it might stand a better chance to survive. Try not to drop it though.
The addition of 2 cameras was expected. Some were a bit surprised to see the first generation released without the cameras. Whether it was for a price point consideration, or a means to get people to upgrade, Apple held off until iPad 2. The cameras do a reasonable job, but they’re not going to replace a dedicated digital camera, or really even the camera on your phone for most still images. The cameras do a substantially better job with video, and FaceTime is probably one of the best reasons to get the iPad 2 over the original iPad. For those who might not be familiar, FaceTime is Apple’s face to face conferencing system, kind of like Skype, or if you’d rather, kind of like the Jetson’s TV/Phone. With the push of a button you can be having a face to face chat with a loved one just about anywhere in the world (provided they’re on a wireless network at the time). FaceTime doesn’t work over 3G natively (it can be used over a wifi connection created by a 3G device however) so you’re not going to be able to use it in your car anytime soon. This is probably a good thing though. It is incredibly easy to use and if you know other people with an iPad 2, iPhone 4, or Mac it’s a lot of fun.
Smart Covers aren’t really “smart” but they’re really very useful. Not only do they provide a stylistic enhancement of the device, but they serve a practical and functional purpose of doubling as a screen protector and stand in 2 configurations. You can find them in a variety of colors and from third market suppliers, and it’s a safe bet that more will be out soon to capitalize on the magnetic sensors in the iPad 2. It’s unfortunate that this same feature can’t somehow be retrofitted to the iPad 1, I wouldn’t have thought a case would be a compelling reason to consider a product over it’s competitor, but these covers are really so useful it’s hard to understand why they’ve not been there since the beginning.
Multitasking Support
One of…
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|It’s cool, but has its flaws – and do you really need one?,
First things first: I consider myself relatively unbiased on Apple products. I received the original iPad as a gift (which I was able to return once I saw the iPad 2 announcement) and I have an old iPod 4th gen with color display which is still going strong after a few years, but aside from that I typically use Windows PCs and my phone is Android.
If you don’t have an iPad, and you’re trying to decide whether you want one or not, ask yourself: What will I use this for?
This is meant to be an overview for the uninitiated, since according to initial news reports, 70% of people who have bought the iPad 2 so far didn’t own an original iPad.
Advantages:
If you want it for web surfing, a portable Netflix or other video screen, gaming, or FaceTime/Skype video chat, it’s definitely adept at all of those things. I used to read books and magazines in my bed before going to sleep, and I still occasionally do, but now I’ve found that surfing with the iPad is just as convenient and relaxing.
The iPad is all about the apps, many of which greatly expand the native capability of the iPad. You can get Microsoft Office clones, remote desktop, second screen, calculators, alarm clocks, remote apps for cable boxes and disc players, and more. Some are free, many are not. I’ll get into some of those a bit later, but keep in mind this isn’t intended to be a review of apps. If you want to see what’s out there, you can search the App store on the web or in iTunes. If you expect the iPad to be able to do something not in its specs, check the app store first.
The only difference I’ve seen with the iPad 2 is that now there are a few games out there that are optimized for iPad 2, or have improved iPad 2 modes. Lots of games are free and those that aren’t occasionally go on sale. The only two I’ve bought are Scrabble HD and Dungeon Hunter 2 HD, both when they were $1 each. (I’ve played many more free ones.) I recommend both. Dungeon Hunter 2 HD is a great 3D game that tries really hard to be Diablo 2, with character classes, customization, and online play. It looks great and has never crashed or had a framerate stutter. The iPad 1 had problems with crashing and low framerates with games occasionally, and this version seems to be a much better gaming system. That’s the only big difference I noticed between the iPad 1 and iPad 2 so far though.
For me, having a huge array of apps to play with, many of which are free if you don’t mind ads here and there, and the convenience of being able to web surf without having to drag out my laptop makes this worth having. Plus the battery gets 8-10 hours on a charge, which is a far cry better than any laptop I know of. It’s a great e-reader for airplane travel, even really long flights, though you can’t use it on take-off and landing of course.
Wi-Fi performance is flawless and the range is excellent. More than once I’ve pulled up in the driveway and before I’m even in the house, I’ve heard my iPad’s ESPN ScoreCenter app go off to inform me of a score. I can’t speak to the 3G quality, though, as I don’t have that model. Frankly, I don’t think most people need it. If I’m out of the middle of nowhere and need the web for something, I’d much rather pull out my phone than the iPad. If you just have to use the iPad, tons of public places have Wi-Fi these days.
If you want to be able to print things, you might think at first that you need an AirPrint compatible printer. Fear not! A simple Google search for “AirPrint any printer” will show you how to configure your PC or Mac to broadcast its printers with AirPrint. I have Brother and Canon printers and they both worked with it. It took some time to download and install the AirPrint service and then configure printer sharing options on my network, but that was a far cry better than buying a new printer or an expensive printing app! Still, I’ve found that my printers occasionally disappear from the list, and the only way to get them back is to shut the iPad down completely and power it back on. Annoying.
Limitations:
The iPad 2 still doesn’t support Adobe Flash. Some websites are adapting to this and adding HTML 5 video. Many aren’t. Keep that in mind if you’re a heavy web video user. I love to watch web shows like the Nostalgia Critic and the Angry Video Game Nerd, and most web show hosting sites are still in Flash. Also, some sites have flash menus, making them completely unusable to you if they don’t have a mobile version. It’s this that prevents the iPad from being a true laptop replacement, regardless of how much you spend on apps. I still end up having to fire up the laptop to use several websites I enjoy.
The screen is supposedly oleophobic but gets fingerprints all over the place in mere minutes of use. I find that extremely irritating. If you feel the same way, get a screen protector like…
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|Comparison of my IPad 2 with my Xoom,
I have purchased both an Ipad2 and Xoom for different family members. I thought it worth comparing the two devices for anyone interested. Many of my comments are subjective so bear that in mind when reading the review.
External appearance and feel:
The Ipad2 screen has a different feel from the Xoom screen – the Ipad2 is a bit slicker, less likely to stick when moving short distances. The screen on the Xoom tends to show fingerprints more than the Ipad2 for some reason. Everyone in this family thinks that the Ipad2 looks sharper than the Xoom.
Both weigh 1.6 lbs. Subjectively, the Xoom feels heavier than the Ipad2, but it’s an illusion perhaps caused by it’s slightly smaller size.
Both have a similar size screen, measured diagonally. But the aspect ratio is different – 4:3 for Ipad2, 16:9 for Xoom. This means that the Ipad2 actually has a larger viewing area, and this makes a real difference when scrolling through a web site. The Ipad2 screen is brighter than the Xoom screen.
Hardware performance:
The Xoom feels a bit faster than the Ipad2, and the specs show that it is faster. Both have dual core processors based on ARM designs. The Xoom seems to be able to handle graphics better than the Ipad2. As far as connecting to Wifi networks, both seem to have this one down pat – they both just work.
User Interface:
The Ipad2 is just like a big iPhone. Whether this good or bad is subjective. For me, it’s good – polished, flexible and can be customized to my needs. The Xoom user interface is totally new, and unfortunately it shows – there are many rough edges. Some examples: moving icons around to group programs together is not intuitive and they keep moving back; you can see the first 5 applications running on the Xoom and select one, but the list doesn’t scroll so applications that don’t show in the list can’t be selected; you can’t close applications (except by a force quit that can lose data) as the Xoom decides when to quit an application; customization is possible but more difficult than the Ipad2. In short, the Xoom user interface is a work in progress – great potential but currently quite flawed.
Operating System:
The Ipad2 uses Apple’s IOS. It works, but it uses cooperative multitasking which (in theory) is less effective than the full multitasking on the Xoom which uses a version of Google’s Android designed for tablets. In practice, they both work fine and I doubt anyone would notice the difference.
Applications:
Ipad2 has 70,000 apps available from the Apple App store and it also runs the 300,000 apps available for the iPhone. Xoom currently has around 60 apps and it can run Android phone apps (but they are stretched in one direction which makes them look strange). Some of the Ipad2 applications are pretty impressive – GarageBand for example. There are many games on the Ipad2, and just a few games made for the Xoom. If this doesn’t improve quickly, the Xoom is sunk. After all, applications are generally the reason people buy these devices.
Browsing:
Because of the screen aspect ratio that I mentioned, I prefer browsing on the Ipad2. The Xoom has Adobe Flash and the Ipad2 doesn’t, but so far I haven’t come across a single instance where this has been an issue. I’m sure there are very many sites not compatible with Ipad2, but I haven’t browsed to one of them yet.
Camera:
I don’t use the camera much, and I’m not really sure if either is better. In the family, the Xoom owner says the Xoom is better, the Ipad2 owner says the Ipad2. The Xoom has flash and Ipad2 doesn’t which is a win for Xoom, but the Xoom seems slower to take a picture.
Speakers:
The Xoom has two small speakers, Ipad2 has one slightly larger speaker. The sound is somewhat better quality on the Ipad2 and the Xoom cannot achieve the same volume as the Ipad2. But they are both pretty poor – use earphones or an external speaker if you want decent audio.
Battery life:
Difficult for me to give an exact comparison, but based on family usage it seems the Ipad2 has the edge here, but not by much.
Internal storage:
The Xoom has 1GB of RAM and 32 GB of flash storage. The Ipad2 has 512MB of RAM and 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of flash storage – I bought the 64GB model.
External storage:
The Xoom has an external card slot that supports SD cards, but the software was not ready in time for the product release. The slot is inoperative until Motorola releases an operating system update. The Ipad2 has no external storage support.
User Experience:
The Ipad2 was up and running quite quickly. I connected the device to ITunes and it automatically updated to the latest version of the operating system. I was then able to select and download Apps immediately and start using them…
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