iPad 2

Apples new iPad 2 goes on sale this Friday. Last week Apple announced its new tablet. After all the rumors of what would be included, it seems the only major difference between the original iPad and the new iPad 2 is that the new iPad 2 runs on a dual-core processor and has a front and back facing camera. The screens are the same, they both offer 16GB, 32GB or 64GB internal memory, an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, a compass, a gyroscope, Wi-Fi, and 3G (on some models). One other difference is that the iPad 2 runs on the iOS 4.3 instead of the iOS 4.2 platform. Is that such a big deal?

Was it worth the wait? When Steven Jobs demonstrated the new iPad 2 last week, he glossed over several technical specifications. He never told us how much RAM the new iPad 2 will have? Several rumors suggest that it will only have 256 megabytes (the same as the original iPad). Compared to the Motorola Xoom or the HP Touchpad, which both boast 1 gigabyte of RAM, this seems a bit shy of the mark. And while Jobs told us how many frames per second of video the new iPad's cameras would shoot, there was no mention of megapixels. The new iPad 2 touts video chatting, but it is only available to other Apple users. The new iPad 2 only has mono speakers, so can we expect stereo speakers for the iPad 3?

Compared to the new Android tablets, the iPad 2 falls a bit short. The new Motorola Xoom has 1GB of RAM, 32GB internal storage (expandable with MicroSD card), 5-megapixel back-facing and 2-megapixel front-facing cameras, 720p video recording, 1080p video playback, HDMI and USB 2.0 ports, an accelerometer, a barometer, a gyroscope, and runs on Android 3.0. It also has Adobe Flash, which Apple doesnt support. Unless you are a die-hard Apple user, I think the Android tablet offers more, especially for the money.

Apple is offering a $100 discount on the original iPad. If the original iPad was so popular, why do they have to clear out the old stock? Did they over-produce the iPad? Did they bring out the iPad 2 a bit prematurely? Perhaps they should have waited and just brought out the iPad 3 with tons of new features. I think Apple was pulling a desperate move to capture back some of the table market from the new Android tablets coming out this spring.

Are you buying an iPad 2? Are you a repeat buyer or a new buyer? Or are you waiting for the iPad 3? Perhaps you are going with the Android OS tablets. Let us know.

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