News Apple iPad 2 launched - iPad prices cut

Steve Jobs returns from sick leave to launch the iPad 2.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2011/03/03/ipad-2-launched-thinner-lighter-faster/1

 

Cue loads of angry anti-Apple comments from small minded PC enthusiasts.

The truth is, the iPad is a very useful device for a small percentage of the people who buy them. The majority are buying them out of pure gadgetlust or fanboy Apple reverence. But still, the device when placed in the right context is extremely useful.

 

considering buying tbh where is the cheapest place currently?

 

im temped by the sub £300 refurbished iPad 1 16GB wifi model. or 32GB refurbished model for only £330. (same price as new ipad 1 16GB model)

adding a camera isn't really worth the price difference. the dual-core CPU won't be put to good use unless Apple re-design multitasking interface, and overhaul notification while they are at it. besides, older model is known to be jailbreakable, which is crucial to make an iOS device usable. (coming from a jailbroken iPhone 4 user)

 

NO ,it is not on my must have list.

 

"Steve jobs returned from sick leave "

He didn't look the picture of health though. I'm guessing with all the talk of shareholders rejecting the current CEO succession plan that Jobs is off for very long time .....

 

This would replace my "living room" netbook if it wasn't so expensive, the acer one cost £120. Too me this is an expensive luxury to others probably not so much.

 

"The truth is, the iPad is a very useful device for a small percentage of the people who buy them. The majority are buying them out of pure gadgetlust or fanboy Apple reverence. But still, the device when placed in the right context is extremely useful."

No its not what can it do that a netbook cant do at a cheaper price? And judging by the pricing of the new ones its going to be a lot cheaper!

"gadgetlust or fanboy Apple reverence" - you hit the nail on the head there. These are who the ipads are selling to or many of the people who just buy apple products because now its a fashion statement more than anything else.

 

Here we go. Let the flame war commence.

How very predictable, how very boring.

Not, it's not on my list either. If I had enough disposal income to feed my "gadget lust" then, maybe, but it would be in the queue behind a GTX 580 and a nice big montior.

 

Not too excited about the faster processor although Apple drives the market in terms of development (Kinda like consoles set the benchmark for games) so better looking games will like follow from this. The bigger announcement will be their new iOS. Simple because the dual core opens up alot in terms of multitasking possibility.
Im glad the weight is down too, that was the biggest problem for the original ipad. I never felt comfortable with it between weight and size. Maybe with the reduced weight the size won't be as big a problem. (yes i do prefer the 7" tablets more)

Its a nice evolution but if I had the first ipad I wouldn't be rushing out to buy one, simply because Im wanting a tablet with full phone capabilities. Seems apple have brought a very nice device to the table tho, well done!

The ipad 3 rumoured for November kinda takes away any point to this.

 

It's exactly what I thought it would be: an upgrade/overhaul to the hardware, a new revision of the OS with maybe some tweaks or new features, and a refinement of the form factor. It doesn't exactly blow me away in the way that the Motorola Xoom running Android Honeycomb did. The hardware is great, but effectively the OS hasn't really changed since the first iPhone. Sure there have been many many revisions, improvements, new features, etc, but nothing that approaches the radical overhaul that I saw in Android Honeycomb. That might not be a bad thing for Apple or consumers - they'll still sell bajillions of units - but it certainly doesn't float this nerd's boat.

Where Apple excels is their consistently good user experience. They don't make major changes to the way their iOS devices work; it might not gain them any points for innovation, but consumers don't always care about innovation. They know what they're getting with an Apple product: it will be of a high standard and it will be simple and uncomplicated to use. For the average consumer, buying a PC - even a netbook - will be more of a mixed bag. There are so many different ones to choose from, and each of them will have a different software loadout - Average Joe doesn't really know what to expect when it comes to actually using the thing.

Here's a perfect example of a niche that the iPad fills brilliantly. My partner works for a company that makes web-based software for letting agencies. Natually, part of their sales involves attending trade shows. Because the iPad has built in 3G, their sales guys can easily demo the live software to prospective clients on the trade show floor. You can easily grab passers-by without having to drag them over to the laptop on your stand. You can hand over the iPad to a prospective client and let them have a poke around with the software, without making them hold a laptop up or holding the laptop for them.

Admittedly this is only one narrow example, but it does prove the worth of the iPad outside of being a "fashion accessory".

 

This is more of a iPad 1.1 than a iPad 2, no point in buying this if you already have a iPad unless your a raving fanboy, the speed increase means diddly squat, all the apps still have to work on the original iPad/iPhones so they cant require any more horsepower to run, and unless a whole new iOS is due as well than makes multi tasking work properly.

Biggest issue, screen is still the same so you can't use it outside/on the train...

 

Neat69 - It's not whether they run, it's how responsive they are. How long does it take from you hitting a button on the screen until the action is complete. For me, I like literally instant response and I'm happy to pay for that.

 

£289 is a far, far better price for the standard model. Still dearer than a device that could do a lot more, but hey, it's an Apple right?

 

Wont be buying one, I have absolutly no use for one. my HTC desire can do everything I would require "on the move" and my PC at home does everything i would require while at home.
The iPad is good for business use, but for personal use it is just a luxury item. People dont really need it for personal use, it is not going to prevent them from doing anything, and they cant do anything productive on an ipad that they coudlnt do on a much much cheaper piece of equipment.

Like you always see the laptops in movies and TV shows are always Apple laptops, it is mostly a fashion statement to let others know that you are "hip". no different than having a rolex watch or a prada bag.

 

Actually I consider myself a hardware enthusiast but I find my iPad does a lot a netbook can't, firstly as has already been mentioned theres the pleasure to use and the consistency of experience that windows or linux on an underpowered netbook makes them far from pleasurable to use.

I use mine as a way of browsing the web on a train or in a hotel or entertaining myself on a plane, or simply lounge computing, I travel a lot for work, so this shouldn't be underestimated. Or simply laying on the sofa and checking my mail, looking up a bit of information I'm thinking about at that point in time.

But the key difference that the iPad can offer me over and above a netbook is battery life, theres nothing else on the market that in my experience provides me with 10-12 hours surfing, watching decent quality video (catching up on house while travelling is a common theme for me, as I rarely if ever have time for live broadcasts), playing a game on a plane with my Mrs or simply having an instant on device that can be on standby in the living room for a month between charges.

Show me a device that can provide a similar level of functionality, with that battery life and as pleasant a form factor to carry around and I'd be surprised. I use a HP Envy for my every day mobile computing but its simply too big for wanting to take it out of my bag every 20 mins whilst travelling from a train to checkin to an airport lounge to a plane. I'd simply not bother otherwise.

That said I won't be upgrading, I was planning to, but I see no compelling reason to replace my first Gen with a second Gen iPad at this time.

 

Neat your wrong and you don't even relise it

There is specific apps made for iPhone 4 only aka must have retina display to use. They remade alot of iPad apps to HD as they call it. So you need the iPhone 4 on those apps or the iPad.

It will sell millions original has now sold what 15mil+ minimum this one will sell the same amount again, people love apple and most of that is because

The products are easy to use, and they know what they are getting, compare that to your netbook which is slow lumbering low battery life device and you get why apple has a clear winner

I don't own an iPad enough I can think of a use for one

 

I'd like one, but I can't justify one. £300+ is still a substantial amount of money.

 

I love my itouch but I don't see a use, you may but I don't


I would take one if it was free

 

Even though I own an Ipod Touch 4, the Apple Event yesterday seemed a little overboard on arrogance.

"Year of the copycat"? (Competition is not allowed anymore?)

"First to ship a dual-core mobile processor in volume"? (Isn't the XOOM already shipping?)

Ipad2 does look nice, but aside from the processor, everything about it is what I expected for the yearly update. Added camera, new OS version, beefed up processing power. I do like that the price point is staying the same, something I hope brings down other tablet prices as Motorola, LG, and Samsung seems to have lost the concept of competiting with another product and are pricing their tablets out their customer's reach. I found the XOOM interesting (not much of a tablet person) but the $800 US pricetag turned me off immediately. LG no doubt will want $800 or more since they want to force 3D on their first tablet customers, and Samsung's first offering was underwhelming using Android before it was ready for tablet use. $400 intro price tag for the Ipad/Ipad2 along with the options for space make it a much easier product to consider now.