Apple iPad 2

Page 1: Introduction & Features

When Apple launched the original iPad last year, there were a whole bunch of naysayers (this writer included) who predicted that a tablet would have no place in the market. A year later, with the tablet segment piping hot and proving that you should never trust the predictions of exit polls and tech journalists, we see the launch of the Apple iPad 2- arguably one of the biggest tech products of the year. And this time around Apple has come to their senses, just in time to launch the iPad 2 in India just a month after its American launch.

The Apple iPad 2 is by far the most usable tablet in the market. It's actually amazing how far ahead in terms of usability the iPad 2 is compared to its competition.

Let's see if the iPad 2 is as innovative as its predecessor or if it stumbles and falls into a mire of complacency.

Features

While it may seem like the Apple iPad 2 is very similar to the original iPad, it does have plenty of improvements in terms of features. The first of these is a 1GHz dual core A5 processor and 512MB of DDR2 RAM. The iPad 2 also has dual cameras- a 0.7MP primary camera that can also shoot 720p videos and a VGA front camera. Apart from an accelerometer, the iPad 2 also comes with a gyroscope that helps the device figure out orientation in 3D helping add forward/backwards tilt controls to games and apps. It has the same connectivity features as the original iPad and supports Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS (the latter two depend on the variant in question).

The iPad 2 has the same 9.7-inch display as the original iPad. The display has a resolution of 1024x768 pixels and has a scratch resistant coating. The display also benefits from LED back-lighting and boasts of 132 pixels per inch.

I got the 64GB Wi-Fi and 3G version for review and there are other variants also available. Unfortunately, none of them support external memory.

Like the original iPad, the iPad 2 runs on iOS 4.3 which adds a semblance of multi-tasking. It comes pre-installed with a couple of apps including an iPod app, a notes app and a calendar app among others. However, to really enjoy the iPad you will have to access the iTunes App Store which gives you access to some excellent apps.

Speaking of apps, Apple has optimized a couple of very popular Mac apps to work within the iPad 2 and my experience with them has been very good. First among these is the iMovies app that lets you edit HD movies on the iPad. Doing so is easy and it won't take you more than a couple of tries before you get the hang of creating and editing a full-fledged HD video on the iPad. What's really impressive is that at no point during the editing process, does the iPad slow down or pose problems.



Another popular Mac app available for purchase for the iPad 2 is the music creation tool, Garage Band. The app gives you access to multiple instruments including keyboards, guitars, drums and bass and lets you pick and choose from various types of the basic instruments. For e.g. within drums, you can pick a Hip-Hop drum machine or a vintage rock kit. Creating a track is again a very easy process and it's a lot of fun choosing among the different instruments.



Photobooth is another app that lets you add effects to photos and Mac users will feel at home using it on the iPad.

Productivity

What I missed, in terms of free pre-installed apps on the iPad 2, was a productivity suite. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the iPad 2 doesn't come pre-installed with one and this is disappointing since I'm of the view that certain basic apps should come free with a tablet and a productivity suite is definitely one of them. The good news is that there are a lot of excellent apps you can choose from in the app store which will meet your needs when it comes to working with documents and other Office files.

Accessories

The iPad 2's default bundle contains just about the basic accessories including a charger, a data cable and a cleaning cloth. However there are some really cool accessories available for purchase, the most notable of which is the 'Smart Cover' (Rs. 2,100 for the polyurethane cover and Rs. 3,800 for the leather cover). The Smart Cover is a multi-purpose accessory that not only serves as a regular cover, but also as an intelligent one that locks and unlocks the iPad when it's on and off. The cover can also be folded in a variety of ways to function as a stand in landscape and portrait modes.



Other accessories available for the iPad 2 include an HDMI connector, a dock and a wireless keyboard.

E-books

The iPad 2's great display makes it a very good e-book reader. I spent close to three hours reading an e-book on the iPad 2 and my eyes didn't complain. The same stands for comics and other nice apps, like the one from Marvel, that ensure you have a good comic reading experience on the iPad 2.