iPad 2

[slakjaw]

Apple - iPad - All-new design. Video calls. HD video. And more.

Want!

[krystar]

so far there's been nothing on the list that's REVOLUTIONARY and nothing to set it forward of the motorola xoom other than price.

yes it is thinner. ALOT thinner. yes it's slick. VERY slick. yes bandwagonners will make Apple alot of money...but is it actually worth it for normal person? no



however, it does mean that ipad 1 will plummet in price...so that kind of entices me to get one

[aways]

Hmmm.... Why do we need two cameras, on one front and one on back? That cover looks strange, wonder how long before it gets screwed up...

[krystar]

two cams. one for shooting pic/vid and other for facetime. yea that cover to me looks like a cheapo pool accessory. baby blue is not a color associated with tech style

[techweenie]

Yeah. About 33% thinner. Steve, that is. Oh, and the new iPad, too.

I don't know that it needs to have any more enhancements than it does: higher speeds, lighter weight dual video cameras, iMovie, iTunes Home Sharing... Really doubt market share will drop below 75% this year.

So far, Motorola's promotion of the Xoom fails to differentiate it.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by techweenie

So far, Motorola's promotion of the Xoom fails to differentiate it.

Other than it is an alternative to Apple and a different OS. I suppose that will matter to some.

[techweenie]

Yes, I agree with that. The vocal 5% of the market that uses the term "Apple Fanboy."

[Z-man]

What's missing?

No JAVA support

No ability to import a DVD movie without using Handbrake or some other crack. (I already paid for my movies in DVD format - why can't I copy them to an iPad2 like I can with a CD I've already purchased)

No SD Card slot

No 3D camera (like the Nintendo 3DS coming out soon!)

Did I mention no JAVA support?!?

-Z-man.

[techweenie]

Worth noting too, that Gen 1 iPads are now $100 less and the base model is $349, refurbished. Apple refurbished product carries new product warranty.

[masraum]

The only things that I really think of as useful improvements are the processing boost, lighter weight, and (not specific to the ipad2) the new ver of the OS (assuming it's got some worthwhile improvements). The cameras seems silly to me. The thing is to big to make a decent video camera. I guess the camera on the same side as the screen is useful for video chat.

Not revolutionary IMO.

[krystar]

yea i see there's alot of all mfgr's equalizing features. i don't see the big revolution step that takes either apple or android tablets to the next level. how is honeycomb different than froyo or even cupcake? yea it's faster...but what's the big feature to the platform?

when apple came out with multitouch, that was OMG. when apple came out with facetime, that was huge (but killed by at&t network side).

[slakjaw]

It's still cool. I don't know if it will allow flash content yet. And u can plug an sd card into it. Just have to get the adapter

[techweenie]

Some think it falls short of the Xoom:

Motorola Xoom versus the iPad 2 --- the Xoom is a clear winner - Computerworld Blogs

[tchanson]

Originally Posted by techweenie

Worth noting too, that Gen 1 iPads are now $100 less and the base model is $349, refurbished. Apple refurbished product carries new product warranty.

Where do you see $349 for a Gen I base (16G, Wi Fi) refurb? I see $429 at the Apple site.




Tim

[masraum]

Originally Posted by tchanson

Where do you see $349 for a Gen I base (16G, Wi Fi) refurb? I see $429 at the Apple site.




Tim

Weird, I see it.

Refurbished iPad with Wi-Fi 16GB - Apple Store (U.S.)

[island911]

I like the (optional?) Magnetic cover!

The fact that the first iPaid came with no kickstand or cover was really lame, IMO.

On the Xoom... isn't their thing being 3D centric?

[island911]

Originally Posted by aways

Hmmm.... Why do we need two cameras, on one front and one on back?......

those cameras are really inexpensive, and tablet PC's have had them since 2005, at least.

[AirKuhl]

I think the iPad 2 is very interesting, but not for the reasons Apple does.

When the iPad was launched, it truly was a revolutionary product. Tablets have been around for 10 years and have sucked. Then Apple figures it out and promptly makes $10 Billion on the thing, despite all the self-proclaimed techie authorities decrying it as a huge, expensive iPod Touch, or an iPhone that can't make calls or fit in your pocket.

Apple caught the entire industry flat footed, had at least a one year head start, leveraged and expanded a massive eco-system designed to keep you in the Apple family, and more R&D $$$ than everyone else put together.

Now a year has gone by. And suddenly, the iPad 2 (which is definitely cool and way better than the original iPad in every possible way) is probably still the most polished and complete tablet out there, but barely. The Xoom, Galaxy Tab 10.1, G-Slate, Notion Ink Adam and a few others are almost as good and even better in some ways. Apple's insurmountable advantage has evaporated in just 12 months.

IMO, we're going to see an army of crappy Android products over the next 2 years. But then most of them will drop out, leaving a few really good designs from companies that "get it". The Google OS's will keep getting better, the Android Market will become easy to use and ubiquitous, there will be room for premium specialization like Tegra Zone for high-end systems.

In other words, the Tablet/Superphone market will become the PC market. 20% shiny, easy to use, well designed toys from Apple, 20% high end techie-friendly performance systems, and 60% mainstream low-price appliances for the people that buy their technology at Costco.

[tchanson]

Originally Posted by masraum

Weird, I see it.

Refurbished iPad with Wi-Fi 16GB - Apple Store (U.S.)

Weird is right. Here's what I get when I click on your link. $429, not $349.










Tim

[slakjaw]

I wonder when aperture for iPad will come out