subject: Apple iPad 2 Launched [print this page] Apple iPad 2 Launched Apple iPad 2 Launched
The new Apple iPad 2 looks to give those rivals a serious headache by a number of all-round improvements that again make Apple the one to beat in the tablet market.
The iPad 2 retains the same screen size as the original with a 9.7" 768 x 1024 pixel display, which gives excellent compatibility with almost all iPhone and original iPad apps, but it isn't the ultra high-res "retina" display that some had hoped for. It's certainly every bit as good as the competition though.
Inside the iPad 2 has a much more powerful processor than the original. This time, the tablet has a dual-core 1 GHz ARM-based A5 CPU, which Apple say is twice as fast as the old iPad. Apple also say that graphics are nine times faster with the iPad 2, and considering that the old iPad wasn't exactly slow then this promises to be very impressive.
As before, there's a WiFi-only version of the iPad 2 and one that also supports 3.5G cellular data, which adds $130 to the price in the US. The iPad 2 will be available on both Verizon and AT&T networks in the US, with a number of other carriers worldwide. Both versions feature GPS, and it is possible to use the iPad 2 as an oversized SatNav if you really want. The iPad 2 now also incorporates a gyroscope which is useful for some games.
All versions of the iPad 2 measure 241 x 186 x 8.8mm and weigh a little over 600 grams, which is still quite heavy but the 3G version is actually about 20% lighter than the original.
There is also a new version of iOS, version 4.3, which adds a variety of features including improved media sharing. As ever, this version of iOS will also end up on other compatible Apple devices soon.
Just one year into the iPad era and there are already lots of general productivity and creativity apps on the market, and companies are rushing to find ways to incorporate line-of-business tasks into a device that is cheaper and more easily connected than the typical laptop.
On Apple's last earnings call, the company said 80 percent of Fortune 100 companies are already working on ways to incorporate the iPad into their business. And Apple is actively touting the business abilities of the device, something it has done only off-and-on with the Mac over the years.
