Five reasons to buy an iPad 2
There was a lot to glean from Apple's iPad 2 announcement. After some reflection we give you the top five reasons to buy an iPad 2 this year.
Earlier we published an article with five reasons not to buy Apple's second generation tablet, but this is hardly the final word on the subject. With this in mind we present our counterbalance, five reasons the iPad 2 could be the best tablet to buy this year.
1. It is different to the iPad
One of our major complaints after reviewing the first iPad was the size and weight of the tablet. iPad is designed to be lugged around, pulled out during meetings, sat with in bed, and its 750g weight made this, not difficult, but unpleasant.
In height and width, iPad 2 is basically the same, but Apple has managed to make it a fair bit slimmer and lighter. It now measures up at 8.8mm deep and the Wi-Fi-only version weighs 608g. This, hopefully, will make it a more comfortable computer to hold on long plane trips.
Let's not forget that the iPad 2 also has a huge boost in processing power as well. The new A5 dual-core processor and improved graphics processor should provide a real bump in performance. This may be hard to tell when you're navigating the homescreens, but when you're playing HD videos or 3D games the new power will definitely come in handy.
2. HDMI
For some people, the opportunity to connect their tablet to a TV means very little; for us it is a very big deal and we're not alone. We always believed the iPad was best as a display device, rather than a productivity tool. Professionals who rely on sharing images, like real estate agents or graphic artists, will get a real boost from the new ability to connect the iPad 2 to a TV screen.
3. It's 'appening!
Apple's twelve-month headstart on the Android tablet market has produced a staggering 65,000 iPad-specific applications on the Apple App Store. Though we've heard of plenty of developers shifting focus to Android in 2011, this is still a very compelling reason for developers to keep working on iPad, and for us to buy one.
4. It will be (slightly) cheaper
AU$650 is a lot of money for anyone to spend, but comparatively speaking the iPad 2 should be a little cheaper. That is to say, that Apple will offer cheaper options. In the US Motorola recently launched its Xoom tablet for US$799 — US$70 more than a comparatively specced iPad. But the real clincher is that if you'd prefer to save some money you can opt for a 16GB Wi-Fi only for US$499.
5. It gets released in Australia first
Perhaps the most persuasive reason to buy an iPad 2 this year is that you can have it before we'll even see its competition. Apple will launch iPad 2 in Australia on 25 March, and unless Motorola sneaks in beforehand, this should be weeks before the Xoom, and months before we see the Galaxy Tab 10.1 or the HTC Flyer.