iPad 2 Review

With all the rumors and buzz around the upcoming iPad 3 I've decided to take a look back on its soon to be overshadowed younger brother, the iPad 2. I purchased my iPad 2 almost a year ago (original launch in the US was March 11, 2011) and I hope I can provide a nice review of not only the technical specs but also the real life applications and use I have gotten from it over that time.

Technical Specs:
So lets start off with the basic technical specs for the iPad 2. I know these are readily available and boldly displayed all over the Apple crazed internet but I'll highlight some of the key specs that have made a difference to me. The iPad 2 I chose was the basic 16GB wifi only model. The CPU is a 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 running on Apple's own iOS 5 operating system (as of Oct. 12, 2011). It also has 512 MB DDR2 RAM. The display is 9.7" and has a resolution of 1024x768 and the graphics are handled by the PowerVR SGX543MP2. External peripherals include the capacitive touchscreen, volume controls, proximity/light sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, microphone, and two cameras. The cameras take video at up to 1280x720 at 30 frames/s.

Real World:
The first impression I had after my purchase was of course the iOS interface. The iPad 2's operating system is simply a super-sized version of the ever so familiar iPod/iPhone OS. The familiarity makes it easy to navigate and interact with using multi-touch gestures but of course it is missing the widget style interfaces offered by the Android powered tablets. Then comes the size. At 9.5"x7.31"x0.346" the iPad 2 is slim but well for lack of better words... "tablet sized". With this being my first tablet, I originally found it a little clumsy to haul back and forth between classes especially since I had my laptop with my at all times. This definitely changed though since it seems like I've almost completely replaced my laptop with my iPad 2. It's great to have around the house/apartment since I can bring it anywhere. No more worrying about sticking close to outlets (my macbook's battery is useless at this point). The battery life of the iPad 2 has been incredibly impressive to me so far. Even with full screen apps running in between the usual facebook and youtube stops in between, I believe you'd develop a headache from staring at your iPad all day before you could run the battery dry. Just a quick charge overnight and you never have to worry if it will make it through the day.

Apps:
I can't talk iPad without talking apps! The iTunes store has been a powerhouse in the industry and the iPad apps store just continues with that tradition. Although for the most part apps are available across all of the operating systems including Android, where Apple iOS shines back to familiarity and usability. I find myself pulling up the app store quickly in between classes and have had pretty good success simply rifling through the recommended and top apps lists in no time. I seem to have an endless cycle of adding and deleting. The only issue I really have with the store itself is that it's difficult to search for specific types of apps without knowing the exact names. You tend to get "stuck" with the top app list if you are simply looking for something new. So it's difficult to find that random needle in the haystack. Then there is the app development area. I have a few friends who are active in Android app development and I looked into iOS app development in comparison. I felt like there were a lot less hoops to jump through and development is generally easier for Android.

Summary:
Overall I have been very happy with my iPad 2 after almost a year of ownership. It has almost completely replaced my laptop since I have portable access to internet, apps, and music. The highlights are its battery life, crystal clear display, and Apple's iOS 5. The shortcomings include just being a little clumsy to transport around (the Kindle Fire is great in this area), lack of widgets, and simply Apple's control over everything. I'm certainly looking forward to hearing about the iPad 3 and may consider an upgrade in the future!