March 11 is the big day! The iPad 2 finds its way to the store shelves, well at least in the US. That being said, writers are now allowed to publish their reviews of the iPad 2.
General consensus is that it is still the tablet to beat. It’s an evolutionary product. It’s great but not perfect. Yada, yada, yada.. I’ll just let you read them.
Oh but most if not all of them agree that the Smart Cover is the shiznit!
Engadget says:
“It might frustrate the competition to hear this, but it needs to be said: the iPad 2 isn’t just the best tablet on the market, it feels like the only tablet on the market. As much as we’d like to say that something like the Xoom has threatened Apple’s presence in this space, it’s difficult (if not impossible) to do that. Is the iPad 2 a perfect product? Absolutely not. The cameras are severely lacking, the screen — while extremely high quality — is touting last year’s spec, and its operating system still has significant annoyances, like the aggravating pop-up notifications. At a price point of $499, and lots of options after that (like more storage and models that work on both Verizon’s and AT&T’s 3G networks), there’s little to argue about in the way of price, and in terms of usability, apps like GarageBand prove that we haven’t even scratched the surface of what the iPad can do.”
Read the full review here
Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg says:
“As new contenders move into the field, Apple isn’t likely to keep its 90% share of the booming tablet market. But the iPad 2 moves the goal posts, by being slimmer and lighter, boosting speed and power, and holding its price advantages, available apps and battery life. As of now, I can comfortably recommend it as the best tablet for average consumers.”
Read the full review here
Macworld says:
“For Apple’s competitors in the tablet-device market, the iPad 2 is a bucket of water to the face. After more than a year of struggling to catch up to the original iPad, here’s a new model that addresses many of the iPad’s deficiencies, dramatically improves its speed, and doesn’t cede any ground on price, features, or battery life. The iPad 2 raises the bar Apple set a year ago—and it’s time for the rest of the industry to scramble again to catch up.”
Read the full review here
New York Time’s David Pogue says:
“On paper, Apple didn’t do much. It just made the iPad one-third thinner, 15 percent lighter and twice as fast. There are no new features except two cameras and a gyroscope. I mean, yawn, right?
And then you start playing with it. “
Read the full review here
Daring Fireball’s Jon Gruber says:
“The iPad 2 is a solid second-generation iteration. Easier and more comfortable to hold, noticeably faster, equippable with foldable covers that are both literally and figuratively magnetic. Like last year’s iPhone 4, it seems like technology from the near future.”
Read the full review here
Still not sure what to make of it all? Oh but we’re here to bombard you with opinions from all over, so watch out, we still have a Part 2 coming up!
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I guess Apple still have the magic
Yes Apple does!
It is unfortunate that for most folks who rely on paper (hardware specs) tend to dismiss it as a small iteration to the previous model without even touching one. If you own an iPad already, I warn you – don’t touch the iPad 2 or you will be seduced to upgrade.