The iPad has been a huge success for Apple and redefined mobile computing. Let’s be honest, the new iPad has been around for a while but we have only just managed to get our hands on a review unit. Regular readers will know that we were ahead of the game and managed to review the first generation iPad before it was available in South Africa. So, how does the iPad 2 differ from the original unit?
The first and most obvious difference is the integrated cameras one forward facing and one rear facing. The rear-facing camera is capable of taking photographs and high def videos. The front facing camera is designed for video calling using Facetime, Skype and the like. The iPad is a big device to walk around with taking photographs and making movies but the option is there if you want it. It is of course, quite cool to use the rear-facing camera to show the person you’re talking to where you are.
The iPad 2 does have a much faster processor, a duel core A5, which Apple claims is twice as fast as the outgoing model. There is without a doubt a noticeable performance improvement. The iPad 2 feels more sprightly and opens applications a bit quicker. Twice as fast? Well, that’s difficult to judge. I certainly wouldn’t upgrade from an iPad 1 for that reason alone.
The battery lasts a bit longer but again, not so you’d notice. Battery life is of course what has made the iPad a success. You can go away for a couple of days, do a bit of surfing, digital magazine reading and emailing without having to integrate the power supply at source (plug it in). The iPad 2 is thinner and lighter than the previous model but the screen is the same although, to my eyes, the new unit screen is brighter.
Our review unit was supplied with the iPad smart cover. The Smart cover is magnetic and clips on the side of the iPad. We found it to me more of a hindrance than help. It’s quite fiddly to use it as a stand and I found, several times, lying reading a magazine, that my thumb movement was enough to send the cover off the iPad and onto the floor. The Smart cover does have an ace up its sleeve though. It switches the iPad off and on by closing and opening the cover.
The iPad 2 is an excellent unit and, as I said earlier, is changing the face of mobile computing. So much so that there have been a number of copycat devices released onto the market since the original iPad was launched. If you haven’t already got an iPad, go and get one. If however, you’ve got one of the first generation iPads, it probably isn’t worth upgrading.
Steve Allison
