Are the anti-iPad 2 articles justified?

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 07 March 2011 14:36

Your IT - Home IT

Just as when the first iPad was introduced and no-one seemingly knew what to do with one, causing many to pre-brand it a failure even before most had seen it, there are plenty of articles online claiming the iPad 2 is little different to the iPad 1 and is thus unworthy.

The iPad 2 has been announced, but only a tiny few within Apple and in the journalist community have been able to lay their hands on one.

The world's iLovers will get their turn at 5pm on March 11, in the US, where the iPad 2 launches first, with Apple again taking massive advantage of the anticipation factor to make people wait in line all day, rather than starting sales at 8am or even 12.01am on the day in question.

Naturally, the expected long lines will draw voluminous amounts of media attention, with plenty of 'just-in-time' for the 6 o'clock news shots of the first iPad 2 customers shouting 'I got it!' and waving their beloved techno pads in the air for all to see as they exit the Apple store and head home, after what will probably be a days-and-hours long wait to crack open the new iPad 2.

One of the biggest so-called criticisms of the iPad 2 is that it isn't any 'smaller' than the previous version, despite Steve Jobs plainly saying tablets smaller than the iPad's 9.7-inch size come with too many compromises for comfortable use.

However, given the fact that the iPad 2 is 33% slimmer than the previous version, it is indeed smaller, while retaining the same 9.7-inch surface that makes the iPad and iPad 2 'just right', being not too wide and not too small.

Apple's chief designer, Jonathan Ives, noted in the iPad 2 video that the screen comes with 'no distractions' - a claim that was also made for the launch of the 27-inch and smaller iMacs.

Unlike traditional PCs and Android tablets with a myriad buttons, flashing lights and other distractions, Apple's devices eschew these annoyances completely. Rather than several touch sensitive buttons (which may or may not light up when you press them) on Android tablets, Apple has 'one button', a concept it popularised with its original Mac mouse all those years ago, and a concept is had never let go of, even though it is possible to now activate a 'right mouse click' on its various mousing devices and surfaces.

Another feature that isn't being taken terribly seriously is that of the dual-core processor and the improved graphics. While some pundits keep saying there wasn't that much difference between the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS, there was a huge difference between the two: a faster processor.

The iPhone 3GS was noticeably faster than the iPhone 3G - anyone playing Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D could instantly see the far faster frame rates than the 3GS delivered over the 3G, and the same was replicated with many other games.

Continued on page two, please read on!