iPad 2 Review
Well, I have been playing with my iPad for about 24 hours now. I really love this device. Here will be my review of my device. As I will say later, I am coming from a first generation iPod Touch. This means that any newer device would give me increased performance. However, I can clearly say that the iPad 2 had great speed. I have never used a device as good.
Hardware
I have the 32GB Wifi-Only iPad in Black. Apple’s hardware has always been one of the things that I have liked about Apple products, and this device does not disappoint. Everyone has talked about how thin this device is. I have to agree. It does not feel like I am holding a nearly 10 inch tablet. I also like the flat back. I did not have the first generation iPad, but someone I knew did. There was a circle of scratches around the Apple logo on the back because that was what was touching the table. One annoyance that I have had was that because the buttons are at an angle rather than flat on the side this has led to me accidentally turning off the screen on more than one occasion The speaker on the device is not amazing, but it is more than sufficient for my needs. I prefer headphones, so the speaker is not something I care about that much. The cameras are about what could be expected on a tablet. They are not great, but they will work for my needs. The only thing I see using the cameras for is Skype. If I want to take a picture of something, I would just rather use my digital camera. The processor–Wow!!! I am coming from the first generation iPod Touch so anything is a speed upgrade, but I was blown away. This is the fastest device that I have used, and I have used a lot of devices. From PC to Mac, this has been my favorite device. My dad has the original iPad, and he noticed the speed jump, particularly in the Safari browser. I have not yet taken full advantage of the power, but so far it has been great.
Software
While there are some annoyances I have in iOS, it is one of my favorite mobile platforms. I cannot pinpoint one specific thing, but I have never really cared for Android. Without a doubt, my favorite part of iOS is and will be the apps. While other platforms have similar setups, none can compare to the base that Apple has. The iPad does not disappoint. I love the functionality that the larger screen real-estate gives. So far,my favorite apps are Twitter, Engadget, Weather Channel, and MacHash. All make great use of the added space. The speed of the apps is great. It is also really nice to not have to wait for the device to connect to Wifi or to worry about randomly loosing the Internet connection (Again, I am coming from the first generation iPod Touch.). I have yet top push the performance of the graphics/processor beyond Angry Birds Free, but I have not had issues yet. Overall, there have been a few software kinks, but nothing that impairs performance. I have some apps crash, but it has not been interfering with my use. The PhotoBooth app really is a lot of fun. The effects are really funny, and I have had a great time messing around with it. I am impressed with Mail and look forward to using it fairly extensively. Safari is not that much different from my old iPod, but the larger size and increased speed make all the difference in the world. It really is fun to browse the web on this. I just downloaded GarageBand. It is an app that is a ton of fun, even for someone with no musical talent such as myself. It is a great tool to mess around with, and I am sure that actual musicians will also find the app useful.
iPad 2 vs. iPad
The iPad 2 is a great device, and I absolutely love it. That said, if you have the original iPad, upgrading would not be necessary unless you need video chat or ate a major gamer. There is not enough that is different to require an upgrade. If you do not have an iPad and are considering some sort of tablet, I would recommend that you at least consider the iPad 2. I am very happy with this and am glad that I got it. It really is a neat and useful device.
Overall
By no means will I be trading out my laptop for the iPad 2, but I will use is quite often along with my laptop. It is a great device. Both the hardware and software are able to compete with all of the other tablets on the market.
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