Ipad 2- what’s new?
March 6, 2011
When Apple’s new iPad was released in March 2011 it was described by Apple’s late boss, Steve Jobs, as ‘a giant leap forwards’. The upgraded features of iPad 2 were expected to keep Apple products at the top of the sales market. The iPad 2 tablet has gained a duel core processor which is the A5 chip – this will enable the iPad 2 to perform many operations at twice the speed of the original iPad released in the UK in May 2010.
The iPad 2 is priced in line with the current iPad from £429-£699. It is possible to buy the original iPad at discounts of up to £100 and such discounts will no doubt increase as keen consumers rush to be the first with the latest model- thereby releasing some refurbished and secondhand iPads into the market.
New features on the iPad 2 are a pair of cameras (iPad 1 did not have a camera), a rear facing camera capable of shooting 720p HD video and a lower resolution front-facing lens suitable for video calling (VGA). Along with the updated hardware, Apple unveiled new applications for the iPad 2, including the video editing package iMovie and music making programme, Garage Band.
The iPad 2 is thinner and lighter than its predecessor and easier to handle on a flat surface. It will run on the operating system iOS 4.3, now updated to iOS 5. The screen of the iPad 2 is the same size and resolution as the original iPad but is aimed to be more sensitive to the touch in that it will allow you to ‘play’ musical instruments on the touchscreen using GarageBand; you can save your rendering on iTunes and email your recordings to friends or interested parties. Apple claim that the internal graphics hardware have been substantially improved so that some operations will run nine times faster. These improvements make the device a superior games companion. Battery life remains the same – up to ten hours of heavy use.
The new thinner, lightweight, faster tablet can be protected by buying a new, novel ‘smartcover’ which is estimated to cost between £24 and £44 – the new cover not only rolls across the screen to protect the tablet, but also puts the iPad to sleep. The cover is multifunctional as it can also be used to support the iPad at a perfect angle for typing, or watching videos. The The Belkin Pleat Sleeve shown below costs £24.99 but can be bought for around £8.60 from Amazon (see link below).
However, the deciding factor when considering whether to buy the iPad is the availabilitry of apps. The iPad beats the competition hands down for its range of dedicated programs (more than 10,000) their quality and and selection of films, TV shows and music downloadable from the iTunes store. Apple’s lead has been shortened by its rivals but it still remains ahead.
So where do you go to buy a 16GB WiFi only model (£429); or a 64GB at approximately £699? Apparently, Orange and T-Mobile networks are selling the iPad 2 bundled with mobile data subscriptions. We will keep you informed regarding PAYG options in the near future.
- visit the apple store
- Visit Amazon UK | Amazon website
- itunes store | apple itunes
This article has been re-purposed and then re-published. The original article was found in the Sunday Times Newspaper, on the BBC website and Apple’s advertising link.
Comments
Got something to say?