The iPad 2 is the second generation iPad, a tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It serves primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, presentations and web content, and is available in black or white. The iPad 2 has a lithium-ion polymer battery that lasts up to 10 hours, a dual core Apple A5 processor and VGA front-facing and 720p rear-facing cameras designed for FaceTime video calling.
Apple unveiled the device on March 2, 2011, began selling it online and at retail stores on March 11, and released it in 25 other countries on March 25, including Western Europe, Australia and Canada. iPad 2 was released in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and other countries on April 29, 2011.
Product Details
- Size: 16GB
- Color: White
- Brand: Apple
- Model: MC979LL/A
- Format: CD-ROM
- Original language:
English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .34" h x
9.50" w x
7.31" l,
1.33 pounds
- CPU: Apple A5 1 GHz
- Hard Disk: 16GB
- Processors: 2
- Native resolution: 1024 x 768
- Display size: 9.7
Want it, get it from here.
Features
- Designed for Apple's 2nd generation of iPads
- 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
- 1 GHz dual-core Apple A5 custom-designed processor
- Forward facing and rear facing cameras
- Apple's iOS 4 and access to Apple's app store
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
6407 of 6514 people found the following review helpful.
A Step Closer
By Craig Whisenhunt
For anyone out there who is considering whether or not to make the
leap and purchase the iPad 2, this review is for you. If you're still
debating between the iPad 1 and the iPad 2 check out my review of the
first generation iPad right here on Amazon to see a discussion of its
strengths and weaknesses with a number of people commenting (both
positively and negatively) over the past 11 months.
Let me begin
by saying this upfront, I don't work for Apple, I don't own Apple Stock,
and whether you buy an iPad, Xoom, a laptop or a pad of paper and
pencil I don't get anything for writing this. I'm not an Apple "fanboy"
although I can give credit where credit is due and lately Apple has
deserved a lot of credit for some of their products.
Physical Characteristics
The
iPad 2 is absurdly thin. More importantly than it's thinness is its
tapered edge which feels more natural in your hand. One of the biggest
complaints about the original iPad was it really wasn't tremendously
comfortable to hold for long periods at a time. For a tablet device
designed to be held, that's a pretty big deal. Apple really has done an
amazing job of cramming everything into an even smaller space than
before and the difference is really noticeable when you're holding the
device. In addition to the tapered edge, Apple managed to reduce the
overall weight of the iPad 2. That might not seem like a huge deal to
most, especially when you consider the weight difference isn't
tremendous when you're already under 2 pounds, but I spend a good part
of my day holding the iPad in my hands and the weight difference is
surprising by the end of the day. The first generation isn't heavy by
any means, but the iPad 2 outshines it.
New and "Improved"
Apple
doubled the RAM in the iPad 2 from 256MB to 512MB. What does that mean?
For most casual users, probably not a whole lot. There is a performance
bump that everyone will see the effects of in things like loading times
for webpages that are open in the background, but 256MB was sufficient
for most daily use and games. If you're planning to use your device for
some of the more graphically intense games the iPad 2 does offer a
better method of graphics processing that'll help deliver faster images
with fewer jerky movements. If you're just playing Angry birds and
reading e-mail you're not going to know the difference.
The
screen is the same for all real purposes. It is technically a "new" part
in that it isn't identical to the old, it's a bit thinner and more
efficient, but it's the same resolution. The Glass is thinner though,
and this amounts to a fair bit of the weight loss from one generation to
the next. In playing with the device it seems surprising but despite
feeling lighter it actually feels more sturdy in your hands. I still
wouldn't suggest dropping it, but if it were to fall the iPad 2
certainly feels like it might stand a better chance to survive. Try not
to drop it though.
The addition of 2 cameras was expected. Some
were a bit surprised to see the first generation released without the
cameras. Whether it was for a price point consideration, or a means to
get people to upgrade, Apple held off until iPad 2. The cameras do a
reasonable job, but they're not going to replace a dedicated digital
camera, or really even the camera on your phone for most still images.
The cameras do a substantially better job with video, and FaceTime is
probably one of the best reasons to get the iPad 2 over the original
iPad. For those who might not be familiar, FaceTime is Apple's face to
face conferencing system, kind of like Skype, or if you'd rather, kind
of like the Jetson's TV/Phone. With the push of a button you can be
having a face to face chat with a loved one just about anywhere in the
world (provided they're on a wireless network at the time). FaceTime
doesn't work over 3G natively (it can be used over a wifi connection
created by a 3G device however) so you're not going to be able to use it
in your car anytime soon. This is probably a good thing though. It is
incredibly easy to use and if you know other people with an iPad 2,
iPhone 4, or Mac it's a lot of fun.
Smart Covers aren't really
"smart" but they're really very useful. Not only do they provide a
stylistic enhancement of the device, but they serve a practical and
functional purpose of doubling as a screen protector and stand in 2
configurations. You can find them in a variety of colors and from third
market suppliers, and it's a safe bet that more will be out soon to
capitalize on the magnetic sensors in the iPad 2. It's unfortunate that
this same feature can't somehow be retrofitted to the iPad 1, I wouldn't
have thought a case would be a compelling reason to consider a product
over it's competitor, but these covers are really so useful it's hard to
understand why they've not been there since the beginning.
Multitasking Support
One
of the biggest knocks against the iPad when first released was the lack
of native multi-tasking support. Jailbreakers added the feature quickly
and Apple soon realized it would be a requirement for any future
device's success and released an OS update that included the feature.
The iPad 2 capitalizes on that progress and takes it a step further with
the increased RAM enabling more open applications to be suspended at
once, and the time to open or close an application has improved as well.
That said, even the first generation managed to open and close apps
faster than most people would be used to on their computers, so while
this is an improvement it's more akin to showing off.
Apps
One
thing that Apple has clearly the advantage in for the moment is app
availability. The App store has close to 70,000 iPad specific Apps, all
of which will work on the iPad 2. The new cameras will undoubtedly see
this list expand rapidly, as will the inclusion of a gyroscope for
gaming and motion based uses. There are also a substantial number of
professional applications ranging from document creation to photo
editing and vector drawing. Chances are if you can dream it, there's an
App for that (and if not you might want to get started on one to fill in
the gap). The Android market is making a strong showing, and ultimately
it'll likely be a strong competitor, for now it still has a ways to go,
but any potential buyer should consider the strength of the application
market before buying a tablet.
Pros:
Weight. Seriously. The
minimal weight of this thing is by far the most impressive feature about
it in my opinion. It seems to defy physics and logic that so much could
be in such a small space working that hard for that long.
Battery
Life. From full to dead my iPad 2 went just over 11 hours with the
movie Robin Hood showing twice during that time, the screen at half
brightness, wifi turned on, an Angry Birds marathon and a good portion
of a book in ibook. That's better than a work day and that's constantly
on.
Books. This is definitely a Pro, but reading itself could go
either way. The great benefit to the iPad is having access to Google
Books, ibook, Nook, and Kindle. This allows for some comparison shopping
and price competition (although for the most part they're all usually
about the same). Reading in the evenings in bed is great as the back
light means you don't have to worry about keeping others awake, but the
glass screen causes some glare trouble when trying to read outside or
near a sunny window. If you're an avid outdoor reader the Kindle might
still be your best bet.
Cons:
Still no dedicated USB support.
While there is a camera add-on that allows for certain USB devices to be
used there is no option for mass storage. Some of the Android Tablets
allow for this and if you find yourself wanting to use your tablet as a
standalone storage device this might be something to consider. The
device can read from certain flash drives though, but is largely limited
to photo and video files. Jailbreaks offer solutions to this, but those
come with their own issues as well.
Still no dedicated SD card
slot. This is troublesome on two fronts. First, if you want to import
pictures from your camera you have to have an adapter which is just one
more thing to carry around. Second, the lack of expansion means you're
limited to what you purchase in terms of storage. I purchased a 32GB
iPad last time and never filled it up completely, so for me capacity
wasn't an issue. If you want to be able to have your entire movie
collection with you though... you may want to consider whether the iPad 2
can meet your space requirements.
HDMI output. Really this is a
Pro and a Con. The iPad does allow for HD output over HDMI but again it
requires an adapter. All of these adapters are additional purchases for
features that some tablets offer built in. This can be a pain, but then
again if you're not likely to ever use HDMI Output then you're not
paying for something you won't use.
No Flash Support. This is
becoming less and less of an issue as the internet and web developers
are moving away from Flash for many websites, but there are a lot still
out there relying on Adobe's Flash to run properly (including a lot of
web based games). Before you pick a tablet consider what kind of
websites you frequent and try and determine if they are Flash driven or
not. If they are you may really want to consider something from the
Android offerings as it is expected that they'll have at least some
Flash support.
If you're in the market for a tablet device the
iPad 2 should definitely be on your short list. If you're uncertain it
is always best to go and play with these things hands on first if you
can. Best Buy is a good place for that, so are Verizon Stores since they
have the Xoom and 3G iPad. Don't get pulled into the hype and mania
that comes with an Apple release. They're exciting and new, and they're
impressive enough to warrant some excitement, but it will die down and
there will be other products that prove a strong competitor to the iPad
2. If you're looking for right now though, this is probably your best
bet. I gave the device 4 stars, as I did the iPad 1. I did this in
contemplation of the features offered by competitors that are absent
from the iPad, most notably the requirement for adapters for
USB/SD/HDMI. While these features are there, they aren't as convenient
as in other tablets. With that in mind I firmly believe that the iPad
more than makes up for this in usability, reliability, and design and in
those areas far exceeds its current competitors.
1511 of 1561 people found the following review helpful.
iPad pros and cons
By Larry J. Crockett
People need to be aware that the reviews you see for the iPad often
reflect the old Mac/PC platform wars with some people making comments
who simply don't like iPads from a distance, without actually owning
one, because they see it as part of the deplorable Apple mania they find
so distasteful. They're entitled to their opinion, of course, but it
is unfortunate they skew the evaluation of this product without the deep
acquaintance one needs in order to give it an insightful evaluation.
I
have taught computer science at the college level for 26 years and have
had computers with all kinds of operating systems. I don't own Apple
stock and have never known anyone who works at Apple. I therefore have
no connection to Apple.
I have had my iPad for about a month and
read a fair number of reviews before I purchased, spent some time using
one at the store, and thought about what I might use one for, in
contrast to my laptop with which I am well satisfied. People too often
think of computers in terms of hardware, the specs and looks, instead of
the software and the functionality. You should ask yourself, "What
will I use this for that solves a problem I would like to have solved?"
Software is always more important than hardware, even though it is the
hardware that makes an impression.
The iPad is not a laptop and
is not principally a production computer, that is, a computer on which
you are going to develop web pages, do serious graphics editing, or
write a book. You could use your new Taurus to tow a trailer, but that
is not what it is designed to do well. These things can increasingly be
done on an iPad, but I don't believe they will ever be what it is best
at. It is a portable media machine with an inviting touch interface
that requires a somewhat different set of skills, which take a modest
amount of time to learn. Surfing the web, checking email, watching
movies, playing games, looking at new cars, reading the Economist
magazine, all work better on an iPad than a laptop. It does these
things very well indeed. There are now 80,000 apps for a wide variety of
activities--given its design intent. The apps are either free or
reasonably priced, so you can get a bunch from the "app store" for
little investment. As with Amazon, you can see what other people think
of an app before getting one.
This would be a splendid
acquisition for small children, for teens deep into social networking,
for an adult wanting to drop into the love seat for a quick look at what
is happening in the world, for a senior citizen who wants a simple,
inviting system with few hassles, to stay in touch with grandchildren.
The iPad is not a light laptop; it is instead a different way to use
computing to do a wide variety of consumption and communication--not
principally production.
In my experience, its wi-fi is adroit
from one environment to another. It "knows" where it is geographically,
scans its environment for wi-fi, and accesses wi-fi seamlessly. At
this point in time, we should expect no less. I cannot address the 3G
communications since I have a wi-fi only (I am not convinced of the
value of the 3G and I can use my phone as a hotspot). I have never had
it crash, though I have had to back myself out of apps that seemed to
have no logical next step. This was the result either of my ignorance
or the fact that there is less of a standard user interface from app to
app than there is in classical GUIs such as OS X and Windows.
For
the laptop lugging road-warrior, it should be noted, this is not going
to be a full replacement. I now take my laptop and my iPad when I go
into the college. But much of the time there, I use my iPad because it
is so light, convenient and useable. I use it to teach my classes and
often reference traditional texts from the iPad instead of lugging them
along to class. I develop my own web pages on my 27" desktop which is
the right environment for such development; I wouldn't expect to do that
on an iPad. In education (and evidently in medicine), it is proving to
be a real boon. The enterprise situations where portable information
access and transmission are critical will find this a compelling
solution. The heavy Photoshop user or music track editor will still
need a conventional computer, either laptop or desktop.
I
purchased the 64GB version, which may be more storage than I need. But
since it will drive my 50" screen downstairs I figured I would begin to
load lots of pictures and favored music, so it may prove a wise choice
in the long run. It can swallow up entire evenings with the
music-augmented slide shows it can do. In fact, you may begin to wonder
if you need cable TV. Conventional content providers should be worried
about the iPad since it provides yet another way for the user to
determine viewing experience. But if you are still drawn to cable, it
makes a fine remote control.
Before people evaluate this new kind
of computing, they need to spend a month or so with it to identify what
it does well and what would be better left to other kinds of computing
solutions. I fear some of the evaluations here (both glowing and
critical) are not well informed and so do not serve the readers well.
So read these reviews with a critical eye.
